The history of the end of the earth…
In the latter years of the 21st century, mankind’s knowledge of medicine advanced to unprecedented levels, with breakthrough discoveries that in many cases seemed like miracles. However, there was a darker side to the progress. The
The idea of Alpha-Micro was to modify the protein antigens on the viruses and the feeding mechanisms of leprosy, mutating them and making them more lethal. Over time, genetic modifications were conducted using chemical processes as scientists gradually discovered what cause produced what effect. The process was very slow, and very secret. The Pathology Network Oversight Board, a council of brilliant researchers and pathologists who were responsible for dictating the actions of the massive Pathology Network’s medical studies, were the ones who kept the secret, withholding any information from any government officials and organizations, with a few exceptions, and also leaving some of their own members out of the loop because they were unwilling to violate their work ethic in such a way.
In 2081 A.D., scientists working on Alpha-Micro began to see the first of what they called “rogue mutations”, basically mutations that were spin-offs of intended ones, or that happened on their own without apparent cause. Some researchers expressed concern over being unable to control the mutation, but the Oversight Board declared that it was pointless to cancel such a groundbreaking project because of these few anomalies, and the work continued. Gradually, however, the mutations became more frequent, and more bizarre. Samples of rogue mutations were sent to the Pathology Network Department 5-CC outside of
Then, in 2082 A.D., study samples containing small numbers of rogue mutations began to die out virtually overnight. All the pathogens in the cases except the mutations would die for no apparent reason. Curious about this phenomenon, researchers planned more in-depth study of the anomalous pathogens.
It was then that the first incident occurred.
A sample of hemorrhagic fever, the Hantavirus Sin Nombre strain, disappeared from a 5-CC lab where it was being studied. The scientists working in the lab were found dead, seeming to have been brutally murdered. Shortly afterwards, a small suburban house nearer to Boston suffered a burglary/homicide, with every body from the family living there gone and the house smashed and bloody, like a real-life horror movie. This incident repeated itself over and over, until one sample from each strain in the Alpha-Micro project had vanished in the midst of a killing. All too late, a series of horrible “murders” was found to be the doing of large monsters in the form of viruses, which turned out to in fact be actual viruses, only in the form of a living organism, almost human-sized in some cases. The rogue mutations had led to the transformation of the viruses and leprosy from pathogen form to their new form. Fueled by animal rage, hunger, and the instinct to spread, the viruses (which the mutated leprosy was grouped under for ease of conversation) grew in numbers, killing humans selectively to eat and using the bodies they didn’t eat for reproduction, hiding out for the most part. When they were strong enough, they moved on to what they had been waiting for and mutated several of themselves into advance forms, far more powerful creatures, and began to spread, now beginning an all-out war with the human race. Hundreds of pathogens from each strain gathered together and hyper-mutated themselves into virus cores, ultra-intelligent monsters that commanded the swarms through telepathy. By 2083, every strain had a core.
As the year 2084 A.D. arrived, humanity was beginning to realize that destroying the viruses would not be as easy as they had hoped; the swarms spread wherever there was the least resistance, and the militaries of the world couldn’t guard everything at once. The culmination of the disasters came in this year, when a
Virus Powers
General information: When a virus, through mutations, becomes a man-sized organism, it is referred to as a base form, an actual virus existing as an organism and resembling exactly in appearance its tiny kin, a creature that operates solely on the base drives of hunger and propagation, and from commands given by its superiors. Some base forms are quite unintelligent and must be under a command to fight effectively, while others are very intelligent even as individuals. Some even have the capacity for speech; others don’t. Base forms, as well as all other viruses in whatever form, operate with a group mind, using their inherent ability to communicate telepathically with one another to complement and augment each other’s intelligence. In this way, groups of viruses operate with cohesion and relative efficiency.
In any certain number of viruses, a small amount will come together and self-mutate into an advance form, a more powerful and more intelligent creature, usually possessing natural weapons, that acts as a captain of sorts to base forms, leading and aiding them in combat. Advance forms are far smarter and more deadly than base forms, and all of them can speak. If necessary, advance forms can learn how to use human technology. The virus cores carry out their orders to some extent through advance forms.
A collection of a large number of base forms and likely some advance forms is called a swarm, a pathogenic army that operates with a single mind and is sometimes under the direct control of the strain’s core. Swarms are lethally powerful and brutal; they are responsible for large-scale destruction, such as in the case of cities.
For every strain, hundreds of pathogens grouped together and supermutated into a core. Each strain has only one core, but that is all that is necessary. The core controls every single pathogen of its strain telepathically with ultra-intelligent mind power, giving out battle commands even from across the world. Cores usually stay hidden in one place, but sometimes, as in the case of the destruction of
All virus creatures are actually made of the pathogen they embody, and they use these pathogens to devastating effect, while at the same time suffering constantly from inordinately intense effects of the disease. Human flesh is the viruses’ food source; they are able to eat other things, but humans are the only really viable source.
These are the Alpha-Micro strains, in decreasing order of power: Ebola, Lassa, Hanta,
Here is a list of ways viruses use their pathogens. All of these powers come from the use of telepathic and/or chemical manipulation of microscopic mutated pathogens inside the user’s body, which can only be done for so long before tiring the user. A self-damage effect occurs with the use of any virus powers, since the pathogens are free to attack the body of the user, but with some powers such as virus vision, the effect is so small as to be unnoticeable and insignificant. In the case of others, like virus rage, it can be fatal. All viruses can create more of their pathogen at will, useful for powers like contagion.
Reproduction: A chemical solution secreted in the mouths and/or other body areas of base forms and advance forms begins the process of reproduction when it is incorporated into a human corpse. The mutant pathogens eat bodily tissue, rapidly making more of themselves as they assemble into a base form in the torso of the cadaver. When fully grown, they burst from the body, immediately at full strength and possessing all virus powers. How many base forms can be made from a single body is based on strain type, chemical quality, and corpse quality, although the latter doesn’t generally matter with more powerful strains such as Ebola. Usually, the number produced ranges from two (maximum for Ebola) to eight (typical of yellow fever), and varies between these two, especially for the physiologically unstable Rift-Valley Fever strain.
Virus Vision: Allows detection of any living or non-decayed organism, bacterium, or virus, excluding plants. This ability makes any of these creatures glow brightly in the eyes of the user, but at the same time renders them virtually blind to their surroundings, in a manner similar to thermal vision goggles. A user can switch between this and normal light-based vision at any time.
Virus Sense: Viruses have a heightened sense of danger, and are easily aware through their senses of any threats. It is an ability far more pronounced in advance forms. This always-active sense warns the user of threats with a humming noise in the ears and a yellow-colored haze on whatever angle of their vision the threat is coming from.
Virus Cleansing: A virus can destroy its tiny brethren at will. It can absorb them for later use, but when it decides to destroy them, the effect is called virus cleansing. This can be used to destroy any viruses, bacteria, cells, dead bodies, and other such organisms, as well as chemical substances, and it is visible as a flame that makes no heat. This can be used very selectively, and can even eliminate infections from living organisms if the user can properly control it.
Physical Prowess: Many viruses have huge strength and the ability to move quite quickly and jump to great heights. This occurs to some extent as a passive ability, but doing it more strongly requires the use of virus power.
Natural Weapons: Part of the mutation into advance forms generally creates some sort of weapon, like arm blades, which the advance forms can then use in battle. These, unlike the mostly-cartilage skeleton of advance forms or the entirely cartilage skeleton of base forms, are rock-solid and absolutely deadly as combat tools.
Virus Rage: A power available only to advance forms, this activates and augments every virus power to great strength and makes the user far physically stronger than otherwise. However, it causes great injury to the user if continued long enough, as the pathogens attack the user’s body as they would in an actual infection, only at a much more rapid rate.
Regeneration
All advance forms can use their pathogens to rebuild their bodies, replenish their energy, and heal injuries quickly. Through physical contact, this can be used to rapidly heal injuries on other organisms.
Infection
As could be expected, pathogens from user’s bodies can be used to infect foes, causing them to die from the disease within the space of generally a few seconds. This power usually needs to be executed by some form of injection into an enemy body (all base and advance forms have glands for this purpose in spikes in their mouths and/or on their natural weapons), but depending on strain, it can be done with simple skin contact, injection into the blood, or in the case of airborne strains, contagion, the most deadly infection route of the three, because it can be done at distance.