Slate Plague
In the infirmary, Level V7, near the combat information centre, aboard Retribution, Javik Guberdot was waiting on news of a crewmember from the ship's medical officer, Doctor Foxtrot Charleston, a Tih, aka Nek-Mo-tih.
"Will he make it, doctor?"
"Hmm?"
"I am third in command on this ship, I will not repeat myself!"
"Please excuse me, Sir, I didn't mean to make you wait, but I do not know the answer to your question."
"How can that be? The plague was engineered, by coalition scientists! How can it turn around and bite us! How can you not be sure of the effect of our own weapon on one of our citizens!"
"Some vectors pierce the species barrier quite handily."
"Yes, yes, this particular pathogen jumped from a lower plantigrade, as I recall."'
"Exactly."
"But species-barrier hopping pathogens, especially engineered ones, do not usually display the same symptoms across those barriers!"
"You are correct, this is unprecedented!"
"Am I? Do we have the local's geno-map on file?"
"A partial one, it was used to tailor the virus."
"Doctor Shugrem." The civilian saluted. "Lieutenant-Colonel Guberdot." The officer returned the salute, despite it being against regulation, he had no desire to explain protocol, not when so much rode on this man. "I've called you here to discuss something of crucial importance, to the Massimi people." "Surely you mean the Coalition." "Perhaps, but let's table that for now, and focus only on ourselves." "You have my full attention." "Doctor, I was shown this partial gene-map of a foreign species today. It was used to develop bio-weapons to soften them for later invasion." "I see." "As you were one of Massimo's leading geneticists, before joining the service, I need your help." "I develop gene-cures now, for soldiers, I'm hardly who you need." "I need someone who will find things out, and keep his mouth shut, so the soldiers don't end up with friendly fire accidents, or I should say, more friendly fire accidents. Do you understand me, Doctor?" "Who?" "Kanavolak, Jutri Kanavolak, head infiltrator aboard ship. He was found dead this morning, of the slate plague, a plague engineered to affect only enemy species of the coalition!" "Stars dancing on a pin!" "This gene-map tells us why, or it would, if it was complete." "Why?" "Because no one asked the really crucial question, before developing a plague to kill these people slowly and weaken, soften them for invasion. The very crucial question: is that species not already a member of the coalition?" "Stars look down! You can't be serious!" "23 chromosome pairs, in the XY system, (cytosine [C], guanine [G], adenine [A] or thymine [T]) bases, a sugar called deoxyribose, and a phosphate group. Where have you heard that before, Doctor?" "Is that a Massimi's DNA?" "No Doctor, that is the locals' DNA. That's from the file that was used to develop this plague. Obviously, verifications must be made, before any claims can be made." "What kind of claims?" "That's.. the complicated part. Claims of bio-warfare against a member species of the coalition? Claims of membership in the coalition? Claims that this world, that they call Arnd, is the long-lost homeworld of the Massimi? Our fabled homeland, from which we drifted millenia ago? Many such claims can be made, but all of them are fraught with peril, not least of which for the geneticist whose work must prove any of them."
"Doctor Shugrem." The civilian saluted. "Lieutenant-Colonel Guberdot." The officer returned the salute, despite it being against regulation, he had no desire to explain protocol, not when so much rode on this man. "I've called you here to discuss something of crucial importance, to the Massimi people." "Surely you mean the Coalition." "Perhaps, but let's table that for now, and focus only on ourselves." "You have my full attention." "Doctor, I was shown this partial gene-map of a foreign species today. It was used to develop bio-weapons to soften them for later invasion." "I see." "As you were one of Massimo's leading geneticists, before joining the service, I need your help." "I develop gene-cures now, for soldiers, I'm hardly who you need." "I need someone who will find things out, and keep his mouth shut, so the soldiers don't end up with friendly fire accidents, or I should say, more friendly fire accidents. Do you understand me, Doctor?" "Who?" "Kanavolak, Jutri Kanavolak, head infiltrator aboard ship. He was found dead this morning, of the slate plague, a plague engineered to affect only enemy species of the coalition!" "Stars dancing on a pin!" "This gene-map tells us why, or it would, if it was complete." "Why?" "Because no one asked the really crucial question, before developing a plague to kill these people slowly and weaken, soften them for invasion. The very crucial question: is that species not already a member of the coalition?" "Stars look down! You can't be serious!" "23 chromosome pairs, in the XY system, (cytosine [C], guanine [G], adenine [A] or thymine [T]) bases, a sugar called deoxyribose, and a phosphate group. Where have you heard that before, Doctor?" "Is that a Massimi's DNA?" "No Doctor, that is the locals' DNA. That's from the file that was used to develop this plague. Obviously, verifications must be made, before any claims can be made." "What kind of claims?" "That's.. the complicated part. Claims of bio-warfare against a member species of the coalition? Claims of membership in the coalition? Claims that this world, that they call Arnd, is the long-lost homeworld of the Massimi? Our fabled homeland, from which we drifted millenia ago? Many such claims can be made, but all of them are fraught with peril, not least of which for the geneticist whose work must prove any of them."
Transmission & Vectors
A small virus of the family rhinovirus as us terrans would understand it, it is transmitted through contact with virus particles on mucus membranes. What makes it different is that is is engineered, and that it is engineered to mutate rapidly, to prevent resistance in target species.
The slate variant is the third variant, after a very widespread 'green' variant, affecting green-skin arndans of all stripes, and the 'white' variant, victim of transcription errors, whose genome was unstable, and ultimately, not viable in the wild, but who nevertheless, supplied material for the slate variant to evolve in its current form.
Causes
Rhinovirus
Symptoms
The virus can survive inside a host for up to four weeks, asymptomatically, then strong flu-like symptoms apepar at first, then strong, acute fever, lasting up to two weeks, while virus particles get produced at an accelerated rate, trying to overwhelm the vicgtim's immune system.
Prevention
The virus is fragile, especially to unfiltered, full-spectrum sunlight, and some artificial lights emitting targeted, far-uv rays.
Type
Viral
Parent
Origin
Engineered
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Rare
Oh very interesting story you made here. Especially near the end where some quite disturbing assumptions were made. Nice read!