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Registered Phenomena Code: RPC-354
Object Class: Omega-Orange
Hazard Types:Additional Properties: | Sapient |
Containment Protocols: Due to the wildlife conservation policies of Botswana, containment of RPC-354 is limited to halting the spread of information regarding the species. An undisclosed annual monetary transfer is to be paid to Botswana's current administration in order to ensure cooperation with the Authority in the containment of RPC-354 in its natural habitat.
Description: RPC-354 is a species of primarily bipedal apes originating from the Ghanzi district of Botswana. While the properties of the species have only recently come to the knowledge of the Authority, it is known that locals of the area were well aware of the existence of RPC-354 since the late 1800s, referring to them as "trash-feeders."
RPC-354 is notable for its usage of human waste. It has been observed utilizing metal framings to construct small houses with an unexpected amount of intricacy in their design.
No two houses built by RPC-354 will have been the same, and appear to have components built for artistic value rather than to serve an objective purpose. While in the past RPC-354 would use driftwood to construct their houses, a recent cultural advancement caused a transition to metal framing instead.
Works of art produced by RPC-354 indicate a level of awareness of their environment. They commonly produce renditions of African wildlife1 with a less frequent occurrence of abstract art comprised of geometric shapes, displaying a degree of abstract thinking. As of the Authority's initial contact with RPC-354, they have been observed creating artwork of human beings.
New technologies and materials were introduced to the locals and RPC-354 with the colonization of Botswana in 1885 as the materials were discarded. An expedition log recovered in 198█ documents an interaction between a duo of British explorers and RPC-354 wherein an instance of the latter was observed using a discarded flintlock musket, presumably to defend its territory from a poacher.
RPC-354 instances display low levels of sapience. One specimen extracted by the Authority for research purposes with permission from the Ghanzi wildlife conservation society displayed a notably advanced degree of pattern recognition during testing, which is thought to be equivalent to that of a preadolescent. The specimen spent the first 12 hours attempting to escape from the chamber before cooperating, and displayed obvious discomfort during testing thereafter.
How RPC-354 obtained such a high level of intelligence is not currently known. It is theorized that this could have been the natural result of evolution, suggesting that more animals may transition to a lifestyle of bottom-feeding off of human societies in the future. However, research has indicated that the genetic profile of RPC-354 is unique in its composition, with only a ≈53.4% similarity to the human genome. The rest of its genetic profile appears to be composed of a previously unknown chemical alternative to DNA. More research is required to discern the properties of this chemical.