Heat Leeches

From Reach

Heat leeches are an annoying native pest found in the polar region. They vaugely resemble Earth slugs, being about 6" long and tubular. However, they are covered in a series of thin scales that helps differentiate them from their Earth equivilants.

Heat leeches latch on to any any source providing heat, such as exhaust valves, generators, or in rare cases, people. They extract and store the heat energy in their body in a special type of lipid. As they absorb heat, they swell; the lipid expands as it stores energy. The armor plates provide a limit for intake, as once the body has swelled past a certain point the scales no longer provide insulation, and the heat leaks out between the gaps.

The pest represents several dangers. When attached to an exhaust pipe, they swell rapidly, usually blocking the exhaust tube. This can lead to a build up of exhaust gasses, or possibly even an explosion. When latched on to skin, they can prove even more dangerous, as they absorb heat to the point of causing frost bite. However, their slow movement speed means this will only happen to the incautious.

Some enterprising frontiersmen are actually exploring the benefits of the heat leaches. Attaching them to a high heat battery will actually cool it, providing a small increase in efficiency. However, the fact that the leeches would have to be continually replaced limits their usefulness.