Casefile No 23: Progress on the BRP.
"The Research Goal: Competition is like a double edge sword. While it can drive a race to triumph, it can also lead to destruction. Using a variety of medical techniques in an escalating sequence, i shall incite my experimental subjects in an effort to include total self destruction. I should maintain a careful record of which techniques produce the best results, both in terms of effect and duration. I should also be careful to note and record signs of: the disintegration of social and family bonds, loss of individual sanity and the difficulty of the human race in adapting to unexpected circumstances."
- Excerpt from the research logs of Calvin Zabo/Mr. Hyde.
The citizens of a small town outside the Campaign City has been infected with a disease caused by a virus, a mutated form of rabies. It, like rabies, is an acute, fatal, infectious disease of the central nervous system that can affect all mammals.
Rabies (The Normal Version) -
The word "virus" is derived from the Latin for poison. "Rabies" is Latin for rage or fury.
The rabies virus is microscopic and can only be seen with an electron microscope of at least 10,ooox magnification. Outside a living cell, the virus is simply a dormant particle. When it enters an appropriate cell it becomes active, subverting the cell's metabolic machinery for production of new virus particles, and having other, secondary, effects on the host.
An infection of rabies most often occurs by way of an open wound such as a bite or cut. It need not be deep for infection to occur. The rabies virus can also enter a body through the mucous membranes such as those lining the mouth and nose, but this normally requires a high concentration of the virus in the air, such as has been found in caves that house large numbers of bats which carry the virus.
The virus attacks nerve tissues at the site of the infection and propagates along the tissues towards the brain. Often the virus becomes present in the host's salivary glands and is secreted in the saliva. For this reason, a bite from such an animal has a high probability of transmitting the virus.
The virus can be communicated soon after infection. However, in rabies, no symptoms are apparent during an incubation period which varies, in humans, from ten days to eight months. The usual period is between four and six weeks. Once symptoms begin to appear, death follows in 2-12 days, usually 3-5 days.
The symptoms begin with pain, burning, or numbness at the site of the initial infection. The nervous system becomes excited and the victim experiences extreme restlessness, nervousness, headaches, fever, and irritability which can explode into viciousness at any moment. Infected animals in this stage appear healthy, even friendly, but bite at the slightest provocation.
During the excitement stage, the victim begins to experience muscle contractions in his throat, making it feel full and causing pain if swallowing is attempted. Since swallowing and therefore pain is often triggered by the sight of water, it is this phenomena that has led rabies to be called hydrophobia (fear of water) when it affects humans. Eventually these throat contractions can put a halt to biting. The excitement stage culminates in body wide convulsions.
The final stage is the depression of the nervous system. The victim becomes quiet and apathetic. Eventually he becomes paralyzed, slips into a coma, and dies. There is no known cure for rabies once the symptoms fully appear. Recovery almost never occurs. If treatment is sought immediately after exposure however, a vaccine that now requires at least three injections has proven effective.
The Mutated Version ( The Blood Rage Poison ):
This virus is a genetically-engineered mutation of the natural rabies virus which is based on a variant of the Hyde Formula ( itself a steroidal compound ) affects the specific neurochemicals that cause anger and excessive aggression in humans. The incubation period is radically shortened, so that symptoms usually begin to appear in 6-12 hours. Then the excitement stage is significantly prolonged. Death is, however, as certain as ever. (3 to 5 days on average, 7 to 10 days on the outside)
The mutant virus passes through bodily fluids and still lies in a dormant state until it enters living nerve cells via the circulatory system and is quick to manifest itself into the victim, causing symptoms within hours and full infection within a 24 hour period. It can be administered to a host by injection or absorbed through the mucous membranes or bloodstream.
Infection can also therefore occur by using drugs that are permeated with the virus particles if those drugs are injected or 'snorted.' Thereafter, one victim can pass it on to the next in the usual fashions.
As the virus infiltrates the host, they experience a spasmodic effect. Shaking and or shuddering of the outer extremities in a rapid manner. Following that seizures and frothing of the mouth will occur as symptoms progress.
Copious amounts of infected blood and saliva is continually gibbered out of the mouth area because of defunct organs. Depending on how much infected blood and saliva entered the wound, could potentially speed up the time of inflection.
Mr. Hyde had known that delivering widespread with a pill wouldn't do, neither would an aerosol. He decided that he should use a contagion as a delivery system. He located a certain genome in a strain of the Rabies virus that was nearly identical to the Hyde formula (while he wanted chaos and mayhem on a wide scale, he does not want to deal with powerful versions of himself running around hence the diluted variance of his formula).
Now all he needed was live test subjects...
The Science behind the BRP Virus aka the boring bits for Judges:
Stage One (Excitement Stage): Remarkable intensity; ingested or contact; + 2CS to Strength and Endurance ranks after a one day incubation period (Max of EX (20) in normal humans, mutants and other humanoid races (Inhumans, Atlanteans, Lemurians, Kree) but not Skrulls, Shi’ar, Eternals and “gods” like Asgardians and Olympians though they (save for Olympians) run the risk of becoming potential carriers. If STR and END stats are already at EX or higher, then apply the effects at +1 CS shift; plus an -2 CS to Reason and Intuition ranks (Min FB, no effect if stats are already at F
.
This indicates when the infected victim becomes more and more increasingly irritable and vicious in the excitement stage and becoming feral and strong in their uncontrollable near mindless rages.
Stage Two (Depressive Stage): Same as above though the following 3 days after full inflection if a Yellow Remarkable Endurance FEAT per day is failed, then the victim suffers a loss of -2 CS Endurance ranks. This continues on until he either dies or finds proper treatment.
Fortunately, the engineered virus is much less hardy than the natural rabies virus and fully treatable. Despite Mister Hyde not bothering in developing a cure, Player Characters with the Talents: Medicine, Genetics, Immunology, Biochemistry, or any related science skill can make the effort.
If the infected character is treated by specialists (X-Mansion, Fantastic Four Headquarters, The Center Of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Muir Island, Mr. Sinister, Hank McCoy (“The Beast”), Drs. Pym and Strange or anyone else the Judge sees fit), then he only needs a green FEAT roll at GD Intensity to survive.
The scientist or medical doctor involved in treating BRP can also modify existing treatments for rabies to develop a special vaccine can be administered before exposure as a preventative as well. However this requires frequent booster shots to remain effective.