From: [darkelf 6] at [aol.com] Date: Sat, 20 Nov 93 20:46:56 EST Subject: NAGEE submission Ah, allo jerry, I am DarkElf 6, and I would like to submit this to the next NAGEE. Read and enjoy, it's off of the GIX folder, SHADOWRUN II on america online responses to : DarkElf [REDACTED] at [aol.com] The funny line spacing is a result of my cut&paste. Before actually putting it into NAGEE (if you decide to do that) correct it, or tell me to re-send it and correct it myself. (and hey, put the next NAGEE in normal text so I can read it. I havent had a chance to get Word yet) I'm DarkElf 6 (no relation to the DarkElf in previous NAGEEs) This is a collection of messages about a virus called FMD. All messages were taken off of the Shadowrun II folder in the Gaming Information Exchange (GIX) on America Online. The results of FMD provide a new sprawl- the biggest yet- covoring all of Toronto, and the surrounding area. Thanks to Bitrunner(ShivaSL) for assembling this, and to all participants in the topic. Shadowrun, Shadowrun II, FASA, and the other legal thingies are registered copyrights of FASA corporation. I didn't get their permission, but if you use their names, you should. Also, the messages have been spellcheked, and (i am told) gramatiked. All changes are for that purpose, and I apologize if the messages were changed too much. If you have a complaint, comment, question, check, credit card or other form of payment you would like to waste on me, E-mail me, I'm DarkElf6 on America Online. }:[] Subj: Warning: FMD released 93-10-31 12:19:36 EST From: DarkElf 6<<<(CryptoRange: 0)>>> ---As Received by MatrixNet etherboard 3--- Language Path: None Viral Dataloss possibility: 43% improbable CallBak Extension: Unknown Trace Path: UCAS Internet Connection {[*CLASSIFIED*]} >>>>>>[ BioChemical Laboratories and Research facilities of Toronto burned down in an unexplained arson (86% probable) recently (True Date Unknown). BioChem is a feeder minicorp for a small intrest group in the Tir. The said intrest group is funded by a subsidiary of Renraku National. BioChem was studying the possibility of a large-scale chemical weapon for use with the now abandoned Renraku Facade project. Sources (78% TrustRate) say that after the Ban on Microbiologicals, BioChem continued research in the Toronto Lab. Said sources also confirm that the project became uncontrollable. Whatever BioChem was working on was thought too dangerous to be continued, and Renraku planned to discontinue all research in that field. An Arsonist planted some sort of firebomb in the central lab, and must have been killed in the explosion, as no survivors escaped (96% TrustRate). The project escaped from the labs, and has now infected roughly 12% of the Toronto population. (34% Unprobable) Now FMD (Fractal Microbiological Disease) is becoming non-virulent. It has slowed in its spread, and will proceed to the second stage of its timespan within three months. (For Information on FMD, see accompanying Message)All inhabitants of North Eastern UCAS and Southern Qubec are warned that a class seven Microbiological may have been released. (Even% probable) Results of Infection are stated in next message.]<<<<<<< Subj: FMD: Diagnosis and Results 93-10-31 12:40:09 EST From: DarkElf 6<<<<<(CryptoRange: 0)>>>>> ---As Received by MatrixNet etherboard 3--- Language Path: None Viral Dataloss possibility: 36% improbable CallBak Extension: Medical Matrix Information Service (MMIS) Trace Path: Unknown >>>>>>[ FMD (Fractal Microbiological Disease) is an artificial virulent strain of GDC: 6708. It has three stages of existence. In the first stage, it is extremely Virulent, and spreads rapidly (Airborne, BloodStream, Focal, and Touch). If it encounters a sutable host, it infects the entire system within eight hours. If you experience the symptoms of a common cold, in addition to a sharp pain in the main trunk of the body, you are (78% probable) infected. Treatment is easy and inexpensive while in the first eight hours. Simply take a ratio of 1:100 (Mg:Kg) of petophilactate 6 per Kg bodyweight. After eight hours of infection, cleansing is an extremely painful and costly process. When the host has been infected sixteen hours past total infection, FMD moves to stage two. It lies dormant for an unknown amount of time, unnoticeable. The symptoms go away, and do not return. If in the second stage, is can not infect other hosts. Once the host is subjected to an extremely traumatic experience (a large wound, system shock, a very emotional experience) FMD reacts, moving into the third stage. It stops certain neurosymptamatic signals from the brain, thus making any bioware/cyberware useless. It proceeds to deteriorated all involuntary muscle tissue, causing a slow and painful death due to inability to inhale, blood coagulation, or any number of system faults within six months. Blindness is usually the first reaction to a stage three infection. If you encounter a stage one or three infected being, you run the risk (56% probable) of being infected. Get a MedCheckup ASAP. Your life is in danger.]>>>>>> Subj: FMD...uh, oh... 93-10-31 21:15:16 EST From: DataHunter This looks bad, runners! If I'm scanning DarkElf6 correctly, any person who hasn't reached stage 3 of FMD can go any-fragging-where in the drekking world- --just as long as they don't activate the "traumatic trigger." That means that pretty soon there'll be who- knows-how-the-drek-many walking "time-bombs" out there. Do you have any fragging idea what the drek this means??? Watch it runners! If you have to make a run and you call in some "out-of-towners," you'd better bring a fragging Medkit---at the least!!! Subj: Immigration/Emmigration/Trade 93-11-02 17:54:50 EST From: DarkElf 6<<<<>>>>--- As Received by MatrixNet etherboard 24--- Language Path: None Viral Dataloss possibility: 12% improbable CallBak Extension: Remote Location Trace Path: UCAS secondary communication system >>>>>[The UCAS has cut off all travel from and to the Toronto general area, with stiff penalties for those breaking the barrier. Any delays are a "necessary inconvenience" due to "food poisoning" in the said area. Qubec has also brought up similar boundaries. Looks like the drek has hit the fan, chummers. If you have friends or family in the Toronto area, nows the time to catch up on some religion. I extremely do not recommend taking any jobs near Toronto, or even trying for a rescue mission. The UCAS labs are now working around the clock for unexplained reasons, as are three of the Big Eight. Renraku, Ares and Mitsuhama. All have major interests in the sectioned off area, and wouldn't want anything to happen to their precious deskjobers. I'll keep you posted...somethings bound ta happen. Scan ya later, chummers.<<<<<(((I apologize for my spelling mistakes, hey no one's perfect. So ka?))) Subj: FMD biz... 93-11-03 00:58:37 EST From: DataHunter UCAS has cordoned off the area, huh? I don't suppose that they managed to close ALL of the borders within 16 hours (the average amount of time FMD takes to enter its undetectable stage 2)...And just how big of an area has it spread, DarkElf6? Surely, you don't mean that all of Toronto's megaplex has run the risk of being infected...that would mean---! As for Renraku, Ares, and Mitsuhama...Hmm...I wonder why Saeder Krupp isn't involved also...And you can bet your nuyen that no one---NO ONE is stupid enough to go into Toronto...right, fellas? No matter HOW much nuyen you could net from your Johnson...right, guys and gals??? RIGHT?????Otherwise, when you get back, you'd better stay the drek away from me! --- DataHunter--- Subj: FMD virii 93-11-03 11:10:53 EST From: ChrysH I don't see the problem. It's all able to be healed, and the debilitating effects should have no more effect on Bioware than it does the natural body, as much of it is clonal. Aside from that, hey, who cares.. I've got my Heal and Cure spells. Subj: Think again... 93-11-03 16:45:09 EST From: DataHunter Hold on, ChrysH! Apparently, you're feeling safe and secure with this FMD disaster. Maybe you need to re-scan that first posting. You're forgetting that FMD has already infected 12% of the Toronto population (albeit 34% improbable). That means roughly 1 out of every ten people walking the streets of Toronto are having symptoms of a cold (or worse). What's the chance that even 90% of the infected population will go to a hospital facility to diagnose FMD? You can bet some slot-head out there (definitely a few) will brush his "cold" off and think no more of it. And let's assume that 5% of Toronto's population is SINless (and that's probably underestimating, too). I'd guestimate (very loosely) that there are somewhere around 1 million people living in and around Toronto (again, I'm underestimating). Assuming that 90% of the infected population get smart and treat FMD while in the first stage, that still leaves 10% of the infected peoples walking around entering stage two (let's say...slightly over ten-thousand people). Chummer, that's a mighty significant number of people who become "walking time- bombs." They're completely undetectable (drek, they probably don't even know they're infected!) and can wander around any-fragging-where. They could enter your 'plex and all of a sudden trigger FMD's third stage. What happens then? Oh, sure, they would probably realize that they're infected and sure they'd probably seek treatment (if they haven't croaked yet). But what about the people in the new 'plex that they infect? THEY become the next batch of walking-fragging-time-bombs. And then what's the chance that all of THEM will seek treatment? You see my point? It makes a sick sense of logic, but let's face reality, chummer. Don't forget that if you're SINless, you don't get drek worth of medical treatment (unless you can somehow cough up the nuyen, but even us shadowrunners would be hard pressed to come up with that amount of yen). No, sir, FMD could well become the next (perhaps the "little-brother" version) of VITAS-3. When DarkElf6 told you to catch up on some religion, he forgot to tell you to grab it with a passion! Sure you might be able to magically cure yourself of FMD, but what about your chummers? Chances are they could get infected and enter stage two (within 16 hours) and you wouldn't know. Then whenever they trigger the third stage, you've got--- what, maybe an hour at the most---to cure them with magic, assuming you're around when they start to croak. Dead is dead, chummer. I haven't seen a spell yet that can make the dead walk. Or at least, no one's told me about it yet... ---DataHunter--- Subj: Update da FMD 93-11-03 19:10:33 EST From: DarkElf 6<<<<>>>> ---As Received by MatrixNet etherboard 42--- Language Path: None Viral Dataloss possibility: 18% improbable CallBak Extension: Remote Location Trace Path: Central Server Hub, NAN >>>>>[UCAS and Qubec have blocked off all they can for a projected (46% improbable) estimate of 100 kliks. For once two governments are working well together. They have progressively more intense quarentine protocols, beginning with a SIN check if you get as close as the northern border of Buffalo. Access is restricted past 75 kliks, but there are a ton of holes for drekheads to get out. Water seems to kill FMD,(74% probable) but only when it is actually in contact with the water, (you can't be cured by drinking some Evian). UCAS is distributing medkits overflowing with petophilactate 6 (free, chummers!) (confirmed) to anyone who wants it. Both countries have dropped the food poisoning story, and have no explanation. Mitsuhama has found a wonderful little device that activates the "traumatic trigger," and also renders the corpse created by activating the trigger harmless. (kills the FMD left in the body). (98% probable) Unfortunately efforts to cure FMD are all but nonexistent. All sources say that stopping the spread is the numero uno concern. Many smaller corporations have begun their own research, and hundreds of minicorps that are puppets for megacorps have been abandoned, or shut down by the parent company.(these are the ones that have been working on illegit microbiologicals, apparently the parent corps think them too much of a liability to continue).(88% probable) Estimates on population infection range from one in five to one in fifty. Nearly all sources confirm that FMD is slowing in spread, (about one person every 30 secs) but shows no signs of weakness. The Toronto population is rushing to get out, and many a Jonson is offering mucho dinero for rescue runs. AntiVacs for FMD are being developed, and will be ready for sale within three days. The actual effectiveness of the AntiVacs is unknown. More soon, chummers!<<<<<(Sorry for the spelling, again)(also, this debate is working great! Don't hesitate to add some info of your own, Scan ya later!) Subj: FMD and magic cures 93-11-04 03:59:45 EST From: LnghairREP has anyone read the exact wording of the cure disease spells? It says the spell kills Germs. If this is a Viral infection then cure disease would not work. Also, if it is Viral we have not found a cure for any disease from the world of viruses. One more thought. What if this FMD is Magic immune? Just a thought.___B.N.P. Subj: FMD... 93-11-04 15:47:35 EST From: ChrysH Well, I'll admit, Datahunter, that it almost sounds logical, but you forget we that are magically active would see it as a sickness in the persons aura. Illnesses tend to do that sort of thing. As for healing spells, there is always a simple answer if you don't like the standard Cure spell, write a new one, it doesn't take that much effort, or time. As far as being 'magic immune', sorry chummer, it ain't happenin. Everything, in one way or another, is minutely affected by magic. Subj: I stand corrected. 93-11-04 19:07:20 EST From: LnghairREP OK I stand corrected. As I said it was just a thought. Subj: Into Toronto 93-11-04 19:45:31 EST From: KILLIEN Even if you wanted to get into the tonto 'plex don't think about it!!!! these arnt your ordinary Border guards here, to use a old compation .These guards are to the old Sov Spetnaz to what the Spetnaz were to the KGB borderguards! They are on par with the Sioux Wildcats. drek the UCAS is Very serious about this!!!!Col. Killien DunArd USA, Spec4 (ret)((aint leonation Great!)) Subj: Well.....:) 93-11-04 21:59:31 EST From: Shadowr572 Of course, we ain't your ordinary shadowrunners, either. :) And don't count out LnghairREP's idea altogether. What if Biochem was experimenting with a "magic virus?" I know it sounds very thin, but what's the possibility that anyone could create a magically active (and resistant) virus? Anyone? ChrysH, I'm expecting you (of all of us) to answer that one. :) And one more question: Does FMD affect canines and felines? Because if it does, then it would be VERY hard to wipe out the FMD strain in any megaplex! There would be no way (without a downright methodical sweep---costing yots 'o yen) that any megaplex's Health and Safety Department could find and treat (or kill) all the stray animals running around the homes, streets, and alleys. So sure you could get lucky and treat FMD before it slots you up permanently, but you'd just catch it again once you step outside. So unless you pump yourself up with petophilactate every few hours or so, you still run the risk of getting infected...Shadowr572 Subj: Hmm.. Good thoughts.. 93-11-05 16:44:53 EST From: ChrysH Magically active bacteria, yes, I will admit such a feat can be accomplished, and it makes sense, but without a bit of sentience to it, it cant resist all that much. I recall using ManaActive amoeba stuff to block my Van from Astral Intrusion, that worked well.. But if a mage were to lay into it all with a FlameBomb or something, they're gonna die quick. That would make it harder to cure, yes. Not impossible, but harder. (and it'd be even easier to see on the Astral). Of course, you could make a special tool (and Seattle would pay dearly).. An Anchored "Cure FMD" device, which would remove all traces of it from the person who touched it. t would have to be passed around alot, and karma would be spent.. but you could form a group of Karmic Donors to help you accomplish it.. Yep, I'm gonna work on one now.. More fun than Ogam stones (I'll complain about those later) Subj: magical virii 93-11-05 20:03:13 EST From: ShivaSL here's a thought...if a virus is considered to be "living", then you could prevent contamination by simply spell locking or quickening a personal mana barrier spell...living things can't pass through!!!hmmm, maybe this is all an elaborate hoax to get mages to do just that in order to make them more vulnerable to GROUNDING!!!!shiva Subj: Virii 93-11-05 23:29:13 EST From: NukeMM3 Is the virus selective at all? Our local med-techie here in Albany (Don't EVEN ask how we got a sample) says the virus is real particular to a particular set of nucleic acid sequences... Subj: FMD & Spells 93-11-07 02:25:46 EST From: FlashBack8 As far as I can tell, A mana barrier would only work to a certain extent. If the virus was sneezed at you, or something like that, it would work. If it was in something you drank. It would not. Then the virus would be encased in something not living. So the spell would not notice it. Also the spell would keep anyone from touching you at all. you would have to drop the spell to kiss someone. then you lose the benefits, and what if the person you kiss has it? As for a hoax to make magic users vulnerable, most of the magic users I know always have something active on them. As for the disease affecting dogs and cats, usually diseases doesn't affect more than one species. Although dogs and cats could be carriers of the disease, they probable will not be affected. FlashBack8 Subj: FMD news 93-11-07 15:00:18 EST From: DarkElf 6 <<<>>>> ---As received by MatrixNet etherboard 62--- Language Path: None Viral Dataloss possibility: 12% improbable Callbak Extension: Unknown Trace Path: SSP server hub, UCAS >>>>>[Just to clear things up, FMD is very selective about which hosts to infect. Dogs, cats or anything else not definitely human is at no risk. (confirmed) Also, .65% of Humantiy seems to be immune. (unreliable source, but possible) The virus just looks over them, (exactly like it does in dogs and cats). Studies show that they have no apparent common traits, but research continues. Also, the barrier around Toronto seems to have too many holes. Several hundred inhabitants of the outer reaches of the barrier have escaped,(60% probable) and around fifty have been apprehended.(83% improbable) None of the fifty was infected.(Confirmed) However, the identities of the escaped are being given freely out to anyone who wants it. The reward for help apprehending the escaped is(dead or alive) 1k nuyen. (not much, chummers). Most of the megacorps are now involved in safety measures, and no outspread of the virus beyond Toronto has been reported. The magic possibility of the virus is not confirmed or denied, just a hypothesis. No other info is available at this point.]<<<<< Subj: Well, I don't know... 93-11-08 16:00:43 EST From: ChrysH Theories about, that's for certain. I disagree with the magical past reading. Magic has never been real specific on anything, with exception of the 'now' moments. The only improvement in 'past recollection' has been the mnemonic enhancer bio-package. As for the virus and an Anti-Mana barrier, yeah, that could work. The liquid that FMD was in would NOT hide it. That would be like saying you could sneak me though a doorway with a Mana barrier, simply by putting me in a glass jar full of something else. Sorry, it does not work that way. Nice thought, though. Question to your barrier, though, is exactly 'how' does it work? Does it only keep out unwanted life forms, or all in general? What qualifies as life to a Mana barrier? Sentience, or actual biological existence and function? If sentience, then anyone who has the magical 'password' could get through. All they'd have to do is wait for something more complex to figure it out. Subj: :) 93-11-08 16:46:50 EST From: Shadowr572 Geez! I think my head is exploding from all this talk about FMD and virii and anti- mana-barriers! :) This IS interesting, I'll admit, but let's not scare away the other members who don't know what the frag we're talking about. DarkElf6, keep us posted on what's going down. I have a question, myself. Let's say a mage is astrally projecting and someone dumps a huge drek-load of bacteria (liquid or gaseous, your choice) all around the mage's astral body. Will that force the mage to be confined from his physical body? Or let's say an astral body is floating down a corridor and along comes an ork and sprays bacteria in the area where the astral body would be in the physical world. What happens? Does the astral body get pushed back or does the bacteria flow around him or what??? Which takes precedence over the other? Sorry for asking, but one of my runners has been talking about such things and it's scaring the drek out of me! GM NEEDS HELP! :D Shadowr572P.S.---Does anybody know who The Tick is??? Hmm...Chicago, huh? Isn't that where FASA is located? Tick, you know something we don't? Subj: FMD and manabarier 93-11-08 18:24:38 EST From: FlashBack8 If you check the book SR2. It states that the mana-barrier would knock the rider off a motorcycle. However if someone was in a car they would pass right through. Then I would think if a living thing was completly encased in a non- living thing. the non-living substance would block the mana from being seen. Remember a spell is not intelligent. It would not check to see if there was something living inside something non-living. I would think it is like being on the astral plane. unless you stick your head through the wall you don't know if there is something behind it or not. Subj: Ok already! 93-11-10 21:31:30 EST From: DarkElf 6 Jheez! okokok! here's some FMD news (why can't some other people make up some decent news so i ken take a break frum writing a few hunnert words off o th' top o me head every few days, i *do* have limits as to creativity, ya know)also, i have a PC, and microsoft works, all of the files i have downloaded have come out OK, except NAGEE 4!!, i have no idea what went wrong, but it jes' don't read as English. Any suggestions? <<<<>>>> ---As received by-- Awww, what the drek! forget this useless header stuff. It looks good, but it ain't worth typing out anymore .>>>>>[No breakouts of FMD in any towns, countries, cities or the like reported by any sources. About half of the escaped estimated 250 (50/50) have been captured, killed or detained. (65% probable) Only one was reported as infected. The .65% of us that are immune have been found to have a string of DNA corresponding to the DNA in the metagene (or just the mutation of a normal gene, found only in the awakened) responsible for the common allergic reactions to silver, plastics, or what-have-you in all us nonhumans.(45% probable) Renraku is to thank for this wonderful bit of info, and all corps are working overtime on this. Evidence suggests that most of the infected population is entering stage two, so the danger is lessened, for now.(77% probable) Aires has a loose sketch on the drawing board: very closely guarded blueprints (ha) for a "FMD sniffer" as it is called. It can, supposedly, detect if someone is in stage one or two, but not three, yet. (extremely unreliable source).Also, antivacs for FMD are hitting the market, and apparently work. The cost is reasonable ('bout fifty nuyen per 'jection) for something that will probably save yer life. It is unknown exactly how effective, or for how long, if at all, the effects last, but it kills FMD in the labs, chummers.(98% probable). Also, sales in enviroseal cars, homes, and do-it-youself kits have skyrocketed. Time to buy some stock, chummers.]<<<<< p.s. if you haven't heard about FMD yet, take a look back in the messages in this folder 'till you get to two in a row (FMD, and FMD: diagnosis and results, i believe) Read 'em, and look at all of the ones relating to it until the present. its pretty interesting, and enjoyable. Tanks! and i apologize for all of the spelling, again. Subj: Another FMD 93-11-12 18:03:07 EST From: DarkElf 6 >>>>>[ FMD is now in the second stage virtually everywhere. (reliable sources). Still, no major outbreaks have been reported. The antivacs for FMD are hopelessly inadequate, and don't really stop the virus at all. The metagene theory is holding up, and nearly all of the escaped have been recaptured. Three were infected. A standing investigation into the whole BioChem thing is beginning, despite corp disapproval. Renraku is starting cover- up operations, and some cures are almost into the final production stage. I predict that unless FMD suddenly spreads to another major population center, it should be well under control within two months. Death toll estimates are coming in like wildfire, and range from 1,500(current deaths) to 50,000. Final estimates for total Death from the virus (if no cures for infected are found) range from 75,000 to 1.6 million. Nearly all of the projected deaths are Toronto residents, and no matter how well a cure works (if one is found), all sources say that Toronto will be effectively a ghost town. Cheap real estate, chummers. Some sources predict that it will become the largest slum in history, possibly a ghoul haven. No matter what, count on Toronto as a major catastrophe. This one will go down in the history books, chummers. Mark my words.]<<<<<