THE BRAIN-PARASITES
The Brain-Parasites are the unofficial stars of FLESH FREAKS. These ancient, mind-munching, insect-like creatures are the catalysts for the zombie infestation that ruins everyone's day. Using special effects techniques that would make any ILM technician writhe in jealous agony (well, mostly puppetry), the parasites are brought to life for a heinous orgy of death and destruction.
 
Anatomy
The parasites' bodies resemble skeletal worms, with bony heads connected to long, thin bodies shaped like thick spinal columns. Each ringed segment of the body is topped by one or more small ridges or scales, the amount and size of which depend on the creature's age and origin. The creatures eat their way into human brains by means of two large pincers located on the front of their heads. They also have many smaller teeth in between the pincers; these are used for chewing and are largely invisible until the creature reaches full physical maturity and is about to give birth. Their eyes - black, featureless orbs - resemble those of lobsters and other sea creatures that are accustomed to lower light levels.
 
Habitat
Little is known about the creatures' place of origin, but they seem attacted to darkness and can be very sensitive to heat. Evidently, their large, black eyes allow them to pick up more light than human eyes, thus enabling them to see better in the dark. This feature also handicaps them, however, as their vision can easily be affected by light. They prefer more humid climates and can dehydrate easily.
 
Reproduction
Like the Tribbles, the parasites are born pregnant. The embryonic young parasite develops under the skeletal shell of its parent until the parent's head begins to swell. At this point, the parent's pincers dislocate and the younger creature emerges through its mouth. Often scars are visible across a parasite's back and underbelly as a result of its passing through its parent's chewing teeth on its way to being born.
Not all parasites are created equal, however. Only the most developed, the 'queens', can give birth; in a structure similar to that of bees, many of the parasites are sterile drones utilized solely for manual labour. With enough stored energy, a queen can produce up to two drones every hour. The drones are less resilient than the queens, and seem to posess a lesser intellectual capacity, although such things are difficult to fairly detect when dealing with such alien creatures.
 
Infestation of Human Beings
Although it is unknown what limits exist on the types of creatures the parasites can posess, or how they might do so, their process regarding human beings is fairly well known --
A Parasite enters the Brain
though not well understood. When taking over a human corpse, the offending parasite stabs and chews its way in through the base of the human skull (younger creatures may require a parent to make the first cuts, or for cuts to be made with scalpels or other instruments). Once inside the skull, the parasite chews its way to the brain, where it lets out tiny feelers which merge with the brain itself and combine to form one central mental system. The creature's excessive manipulation of the body through the brain often causes flesh to decompose prematurely. To replenish its own bone structure, the creature extracts calcium by fusing its tail to the spinal column or other available bones. This often causes the corpse's skeleton to soften, resulting ultimately in very brittle and easily broken bones. For this reason, parasites will often switch from one body to another whenever possible; under extreme conditions, parasites have been known to escape from their hosts whether or not another corpse is ready. Parasites have not yet been known to attempt the takeover of a living human; perhaps their abilities are not strong enough to allow them to control an already active brain. Or, more likely, that's just the way the plot of FLESH FREAKS requires them to act. Thus, they must kill their host and halt and brain activity before they can enter and take control.