Or we could just let a drunk, hairy brit come up with the backstory...

It's ok, I've worked it out. The Thing comes from the same planet as the Hagunemnon whose genetic structure is based on the quadrupole sterated octo helix which is so chronically unstable that, while sitting for lunch, if they are unable to reach a coffee spoon they are likely, without a moments consideration, to mutate into something with much longer arms but is probably quite incapable of drinking the coffee...

The Thing does not integrate. It destroys and remakes.

Sarlacc just integrated the personality of it's victims into itself

Sarlacc << The Thing. Thing is fucking scary, because it would consume it's prey

Sarlacc and The Thing = Facebook ^^

A frightening prospect to not only be devoured by become part of something bigger, a living breathing collective

Sort of like the Sarlacc, where it incorporates its prey into its own body

or so the conjecture to how such a vector could exist

to it's own

the assimilation part would involve consuming of prey cells, with the additional goody of being able to process and append with appropriate cues the preys genetic structure

'The Thing' would be an assimilation parasite that forms neural pathways on demand with other Thing cells

The Borg + The Blob = The Thing

Happy Saturday fellow British type peoples

Watching John Carpenters 'The Thing' and I'm intent on trying to work out the biology, evolution and life cycle of this 'thing' that it's getting in the way of me enjoying the film.

Where can I get one from???

Do you think I'd get in trouble if I bought one and copied it. I have plenty of liquid latex