Orginev Conversion

While the skyphoforms are the most well-known and prolific of the ancient arcopel efforts towards biomorphic artificial general intelligences, they represented only one of many paths towards this goal being undertaken in the lead-up to the Upper Late Arcopel period. Nanotechnology was already widely available in arcopel society during this time, and nanite swarms were often used to perform chemical and biological tasks at industrial scale as well as to treat certain medical conditions not amenable to other treatments. It naturally followed, then, that this technology would be bent towards the creation of what Evermornans might call HLAI. The orginev conversion nanovirus (OCN) was created to fulfill this unique purpose.

Transmission & Vectors

Orginev conversion nanites are typically directly injected into a living host by arcopel researchers, though inhaled nanoparticles have also been used to dose unwitting test subjects. Orginev conversion nanite swarms are designed to be self-limiting so as to prevent a 'grey goo' scenario; becoming an orginev has benefits and drawbacks (see symptoms) and most arcopel would not take kindly to being converted without their consent.
In rare cases, blood transfusions, transplants, or intimate activities have been known to spread still-active orginev nanites from a recently dosed test subject to another host. These cases are typically the result of unwitting exposure to orginev nanites, as in the context of 'experimental' worlds like Lepidos. A partial exposure may result in the total conversion of the secondary host.

Causes

Orginev conversion nanites polymerize the cell membranes of the host, deactivate senescence genes, and hijack certain other cellular processes through molecular manipulation. Affected cells produce flourescent biomarkers to make it easier for researchers to study their (now greatly stabilized) structure.

Symptoms

The flesh of orginevs becomes slightly darker and glossier as a result of the extensive changes made to their biology. Orginevs are functionally biologically immortal, become immune to cancer and most diseases without broad species infectivity, gain a modicum of physical durability, and have greater resistance to ionizing radiation, but also stop growing, stop developing, heal more slowly, lose some neuroplasticity, and become infertile. These symptoms progress quickly, generally converting outward from the point of infection and progressing preferentially towards the central nervous system before other tissues.

Treatment

Strong electromagnettic fields can help constrain the spread of orginev conversion nanites through the body and, theoretically, could be used to give surgeons time to excise infected tissue before the conversion spreads. In practice, by the time an orginev conversion nanite infection is detected, it is already too late to do anything about it.

Prognosis

Total orginev conversion is considered incurable and will affect victims for the rest of their lives. The conversion process, along with the loss of previous life potentials like the creation of a family, can have devastating psychological consequences for the converted individual which must be treated separately. The arcopel were known to have developed the nanites for use in experimentation, and so victims infected before the collapse of the arcopel stellar empire also faced the possibility of further surveillance, captivity, or even vivisection depending on the ethical stances of the researchers towards 'lesser' test subjects.

Sequela

Aside from the infection of others early in the conversion process (see Transmission), orginev conversion nanite infection is self-limiting. The nanites deactivate themselves, are generally broken down by the body's own waste processing tissues, and are eventually excreted.

Affected Groups

Classes of orginev conversion nanites were designed to infect specific subgroups of creatures, generally being distinguished by a shared evolutionary lineage. For example, 'human' OCNs would affect all humans and adjacent species, such as feldeans, but would have no effect on other terrestrial animals or those from fully distinct evolutionary heritages, such as chitiquish.

Prevention

The original arcopel researchers treated the orginev conversion nanites as a potentially airborne pathogen and instituted strict biosafety protocols when working with it. Additionally, as the nanites are also the product of technology, labs working with the nanites were typically air-gapped, surrounded in dense fieldproofing, and operated with computer systems with no external network capacity. Aside from a rare few cases of nanoparticle experiments, however, orginev conversion nanites could simply be avoided by not touching injecting, or ingesting them; the serum in which they floated was viscous in its undiluted state and exhibited strong surface tension, making it resistant to creating airborne fomites.

Type

Nanite / Mechanical

Origin

Engineered

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare