A-Virus
The Animality Virus is a Level 4 classification virus comprised of three different components that when combined make an effective, controllable bioweapon. These three stages are comprised of Base/Latent Virus (A-Virus 1), Trigger Virus (A-Virus II), and Vaccine (A-Virus III).
Zombies created in the past by engineered viruses have produced products with varying degrees of success. The t-Virus produces human biological weapons with dulled pain receptors and heightened aggression. They were able to spread the virus but remained totally uncontrollable because of severe necrosis to the cerebral neo-cortex of the brain. Improved t-strains in later years sped up the rate of infection and even infected and reanimated dead corpses, but a solution to the intelligence degradation was never found.
Other weaponised strains such as the C-Virus heightened aggression, making zombies more dangerous and reduced brain necrosis to the extent zombies could wield weapons, remember how to use objects, and retain very basic tactical thinking. But a solution to retain the required levels of intelligence for allowing infected subjects to follow complex orders was never found.
In contrast, the genius of the Animality Virus is its unique ability for infected subjects to deduce the difference between friend and foe. This allowed for an unprecedented level of control never before seen in a humanoid zombie and created a highly lucrative selling point as a biological weapon. In theory, A-Virus zombies could be deployed into combat and would be guaranteed to target only their enemies rather than attacking anyone indiscriminately like products of old. They could also fight alongside human allies and would not attack them. It also ensured privileged individuals would be protected if they were ever exposed to an A-Virus biohazard outbreak.
The secret behind this control mechanism comes from the original Las Plagas parasite. Years after the incident in South Europe, Glenn Arias came into contact with surviving members of the Los Illuminados movement and gained access to the original development data of the Dominant Species Plaga. Following intensive study, he was able to extract elements of DNA nucleotides from the Plaga and apply them to the genome of the A-Virus. This acted as a genetic identification marker and allowed an A-Virus zombie to distinguish infected from uninfected, meaning they would not attack anyone carrying the vaccine – yet would attack those who were completely uninfected.
The Latent Virus is completely dormant once it enters the bloodstream and it requires introduction of the Trigger Virus for these elements to combine and the subject to become a zombie. But when a subject is given the vaccine prior to Trigger Virus exposure, it acts as a therapeutic agent, neutralising certain Latent Virus cells via apoptosis. This element was referred to by Arias as a ‘suicide gene’ and is essentially programmed cell destruction with biochemical events leading to characteristic cell changes and death. The death of these key cells ensured that when the subject was later exposed to the Trigger Virus having been given the vaccine prior, they would not become a zombie because the genetic process required for that to take place had been disrupted thanks to apoptosis of the cells. However, said subject would still retain the genetic information marker thanks to the Plaga nucleotide and that marker would indicate to other infectants that this subject was an ally, and not an enemy to be attacked.
If the vaccine is introduced to someone already infected with the Trigger Virus and already in a zombie state, apoptosis will neutralise the cells responsible for transformation and degradation, meaning it is actually possible for them to revert back to their original human state. However, this is only possible if infection was very, very recent and no major physical trauma or brain necrosis has occurred. If the subject has been a zombie for too long, or its wounds are too severe, the vaccine will simply kill them. Likewise, the A-Virus has the ability to revive the dead – so introduction of the vaccine to these corpses will do nothing but render them corpses once again, albeit no longer walking corpses.
Each separate A-Virus stage is still dangerous on their own, but they lack potency or run the risk of activating by themselves under certain rare conditions, meaning their value substantially lessens if one is not in possession of all three strains. When A-I, II and III are all combined, the Animality Virus reaches its full potential and is both highly dangerous and highly lucrative.
Zombies produced by the A-Virus suffer necrosis like the zombies of old, but compensate with heightened agility, aggression and speed. Their major distinction is that they can detect people carrying the vaccine and will not attack them. They retain basic intelligence and there are documented accounts of them communicating verbally using certain words. They even seem to recognise their own names in certain cases.
Another highlight of the A-Virus is the genetic marker of the Plaga nucleotide ensures zombies will not attack other zombies. Although their metabolism increases exponentially and they retain the ravenous desire to feed, they will not resort to cannibalism like zombies of old. This eliminates what is essentially ‘friendly fire’ if A-Virus zombies were deployed in conflict.
The A-Virus is cross-species and can also infect other animals. It also acts as a strengthening agent to the t-Virus. When the A-Virus was applied to t-type B.O.W.s, improvements were observed. In the case of the MA-39 Cerberus, application of the A-Virus resulted in increased speed and agility and a slight increase in growth, resulting in specimens almost 3 metres in length. Likewise, Diego Gomez was transformed into a formidable biological weapon using an unspecified t-Virus combined with the A-Virus.
Differing Strains
A-VIRUS – LATENT STRAIN: The Latent Virus is the first of three stages that when combined form a formidable, controllable weapon. This first stage represents initial infection and can be distributed in common drinking water. It is featureless, tasteless, and is aggressively contagious with a 100% rate of infection. There are six distinct PILI on each cell which are used for locomotion and grasping onto uninfected cells. It proliferates and lies completely dormant in a host and requires secondary (trigger) virus to activate. Activation without secondary (trigger) virus is rare but can occur under certain conditions. Mode of distribution varies but it must be either ingested or inhaled. Fatality rate when exposed to Latent Virus on its own is low. Because the Latent Virus is dormant until introduction of the trigger, the host will display no physical symptoms or change in mental faculties.
A-VIRUS II – TRIGGER VIRUS: The sole function of the trigger is activation of the base Latent Virus. Cells from the Trigger Virus have flagella used for locomotion only to allow them to combine with Latent Virus cells. When combined with the Latent Virus, infected become highly aggressive. The Trigger Virus is aggressively contagious with a 100% rate of infection. Optimal mode of distribution is via airborne gas. Onset of physical symptoms is almost instantaneous. The Trigger Virus combines with Latent Virus cells and propagates using enzymes and proteins, quickly resulting in mutation. A host’s skin will turn grey, blood vessels will form on the flesh and eyeballs will appear engorged. Fatality rate when exposed to Trigger Virus on its own is high.
A-VIRUS III – VACCINE: Engineered to neutralise Latent and/or Trigger Virus. Its cell-surface components are adhesins which allow rapid adherence to aggressive Latent/Trigger Virus cells. The vaccine is effective within minutes upon introduction into the bloodstream. No side effects have been observed. The vaccine also acts as an ‘inactivation virus’, providing the option of choosing who your target will be. Latent and Trigger Virus cells are neutralised by apoptosis but retains genetic marker in subjects identifying them and ensuring other A-Virus infectants do not attack.
ENHANCED A-VIRUS: This variant was created by Glenn Arias and his scientists using antibodies derived from Rebecca Chambers after she had counteracted the Latent and Trigger forms of the A-Virus using her own trial vaccine; ‘Experiment 252’. Although this successfully neutralised the effects of the Trigger Virus, her trial vaccine did not contain the vital genetic components taken from the Plaga parasite, meaning she was left with no genetic marker and therefore was still at risk of being attacked by A-Virus zombies. In other words, her vaccine was incomplete. Using Rebecca’s blood, Arias synthesised a more potent form of the Trigger Virus. But increasing its toxicity meant it could no longer be distributed via gas and had to be introduced to the bloodstream via direct injection. This also meant it took longer for the host to succumb, and simulations showed it took approximately 30 minutes before symptoms of physical transformation began. The Enhanced A-Virus can still be neutralised using the regular vaccine, and as Rebecca was the only known infectant and cured in time, the true effects of Enhanced-A are not known.
The name Animality appears to be derived from Glenn Arias’ hatred of what he describes are basic flaws in the structure of human society. Humans are bound by the threat of destruction via nuclear weapons, controlled by money, governments and religions, and distracted by irrelevant traits such as sexual desire. He wanted to purge all this and return humanity to their basic instinctive behaviours, such as the need to feed and to survive.
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