The skinwalker rrats go deeper than you know, and I'm not talking about management sockpuppeting on twitter.
The compassionate, kind Elira Pendora that we thought we knew really was genuine, but she died in Antarctica. That nameless, shapeless thing that they found in the ice now wears her face.
Pomu knew, and she tried to burn it on the boat back before it could reach land, but when it called out to her in her friend's voice her will faltered.
I do not know whether its recent behaviour was born of malice that grew over the eons frozen in the dark, or if it's an alien mind's misguided attempt to mimic normal human behaviour.