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Description
New story idea:
POX
Concept by: John Fields
In 2008 a terrorist group Allah Akbar infiltrated the Vector laboratory - located some 30 km south-east of Novosibirsk. They were able to get to building No 6 - designed for experimental investigation of specific viral pathogens and obtain a virulent strain of hybridized Variola major commonly known as Smallpox. While attempting to militarize the virus for use as a bioterrorist weapon it was combined with an influenza strain. Fearing it would be used against them the Russians sent a team of spetnaz commandos to recover the virus from a lab in the northern Kunduz region ofAfghanistan.

During the raid there was an explosion and the virus was released. Within six weeks most of northern Afghanistan , northern Iran and southern Uzbekistan and /Turkmenistan had  Pandemic losses with 80% dying within 6 days of  contact with the virus, the other 20% seeming to recover partially on the seventh day. Symptoms included high fever – necrosis of the skin and mucus membranes, coma – those that seemed to recover showed ravenous hunger, rage and impaired impulse control, higher functions such as speech and writing seem to be permanently lost.

United Nations and the World Health organization sent in thousands of health workers – unfortunately the smallpox vaccine did not provide adequate protection and most succumbed to the disease within days of exposure. The scientific community became alarmed as the reports of multiple disease vectors were reported this plague was airborne and was carried by humans and animals – primarily birds that carried the disease all over the Middle East and Europe.

In an attempt to stop the spread Israel detonated an air burst nuclear weapon over Eastern Syria. Iran retaliate by firing 3 ICBMs at Tel Aviv – one destroyed Tel Aviv – one had a guidance malfunction and fell n Suez Egypt – effectively sealing the southern end of the canal. The third exploded shortly after launch from Bandar-e-‘Abbas showering radioactive waste over the entire region and making the straights of Hormuz impassable cutting of all contact by sea for the region.

     In an ironic twist the radiation did not have the desired effect on the disease which had become known as POX. The increased radiation has mutated the virus making it even more infectious. Equatorial winds have spread the disease to virtually all corners of the planet. Equatorial regions have a nearly 100% infection rate which gets less the farther north or south of the equator.

Six months after the initial release of the Virus 65 percent of the world’s population is either dead or infected. Since the nuclear release in the Middle East oil production has ceased and roughly 89 percent of the regions populace is dead, the few remaining are infected and are consuming the dead. Climate changes brought on by high altitude fallout have led to worldwide crop failures and the disease is showing up in most animals- oddly enough it seems that  wolves and domesticated dogs are immune- scientist are unable to determine why.

1 year after the POX -
All governments have failed – armies disbanded – The President the congress and Senate committed suicide in the Capitol after it was discovered they have been infected by defective air filtration in the “undisclosed location” – most Americans took this as sign of the end of the world – massive crime and violence was followed by a Declaration of martial law by the remaining military leaders of North America. Canada and the western United States became a refuge for those who were not infected. The Navy was able to  get  some of the ships to northern waters which were free from POX infection – Some of the ships were The USNS Comfort – now a hospital and research facility in the Hudson Bay. Volunteers brought several older ships out of mothballs, Tenders and repair vessels joined the Mercy in the Hudson Bay where they provide logistics and support to the survivors. Tankers and oilers were filled to capacity and they provide fuel. A group of former American and Canadian warships are use to maintain a blockade to keep the disease contained.

Cattle and other livestock are highly susceptible to the virus – a massive drive moved hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep and other livestock to Northern Saskatchewan where they thrive. The “herd” is it is called is protected by “the dog soldiers”. The dog soldiers are a large unit composed of survivors of the POX. Each soldier has a canine partner that he is never without. The dogs are highly prized as they are capable of detecting infection by smelling the necrotic tissue long before it is detectable by humans. A dog’s life is considered to be far more valuable than a human’s. Anyone who is caught mistreating or attempting to harm a dog is subject to a summary execution. Many dog soldiers have been able to form relationships with wolves and some have wolf partners – these are generally referred to as Wolf Krieger and serve as division commanders and Special Forces operatives.

Five years after the POX-
The reaming survivors of the disease are beginning to thrive- communications have been restored – though they are spotty. According to best information available the un-infected humans in the world number about 16 million – 10 in “The Homeland” which consists of – Iowa ,Nebraska ,Idaho, Colorado ,Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota ,South Dakota – and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Virtually all of Canada and Alaska. Other areas include Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland – most of the United Kingdom, which is where the other 6 million live.

The rest of the world is either irradiated or heavily infected- Dog Soldiers make occasional trips to the “Bad lands” if they receive Intel on survivors or essential materials. No vaccine has been effective – the infected  are know as –“zombies” by most  “stinkies” by the Dog soldiers ( due to the fact dogs can smell them) have  largely died off Most lived for no more than a year   after infection- the disease has adapted. Scientists think that the POX has adapted in a way to keep the host alive longer so that it can continue to infect- insuring its survival.

Recently several “carriers” of the disease have been discovered- they retain the general appearance of a relatively healthy human – there is some clouding of the vitreous fluid of the eye and the subjects have lost the ability to speak- these subjects need to consume large amounts of protein to maintain this level – within 8 hours of removing any source of nutrient the subject lapses into a highly accelerated form of the disease. Death of the subject follows within 6 hours due to massive organ failure and hemorrhagic bleeding similar to Marburg or Ebola. In the last stages of the disease the infection is so relative and volatile there have been cases of spontaneous combustion. A few of the Wolf Krieger have shown signs of resistance to the virus – Rumors are that they have spent so much time with their wolves that they have picked up the trait from them.

Description
New story idea:
POX
Concept by: John Fields
In 2008 a terrorist group Allah Akbar infiltrated the Vector laboratory - located some 30 km south-east of Novosibirsk. They were able to get to building No 6 - designed for experimental investigation of specific viral pathogens and obtain a virulent strain of hybridized Variola major commonly known as Smallpox. While attempting to militarize the virus for use as a bioterrorist weapon it was combined with an influenza strain. Fearing it would be used against them the Russians sent a team of spetnaz commandos to recover the virus from a lab in the northern Kunduz region ofAfghanistan.

During the raid there was an explosion and the virus was released. Within six weeks most of northern Afghanistan , northern Iran and southern Uzbekistan and /Turkmenistan had  Pandemic losses with 80% dying within 6 days of  contact with the virus, the other 20% seeming to recover partially on the seventh day. Symptoms included high fever – necrosis of the skin and mucus membranes, coma – those that seemed to recover showed ravenous hunger, rage and impaired impulse control, higher functions such as speech and writing seem to be permanently lost.

United Nations and the World Health organization sent in thousands of health workers – unfortunately the smallpox vaccine did not provide adequate protection and most succumbed to the disease within days of exposure. The scientific community became alarmed as the reports of multiple disease vectors were reported this plague was airborne and was carried by humans and animals – primarily birds that carried the disease all over the Middle East and Europe.

In an attempt to stop the spread Israel detonated an air burst nuclear weapon over Eastern Syria. Iran retaliate by firing 3 ICBMs at Tel Aviv – one destroyed Tel Aviv – one had a guidance malfunction and fell n Suez Egypt – effectively sealing the southern end of the canal. The third exploded shortly after launch from Bandar-e-‘Abbas showering radioactive waste over the entire region and making the straights of Hormuz impassable cutting of all contact by sea for the region.

     In an ironic twist the radiation did not have the desired effect on the disease which had become known as POX. The increased radiation has mutated the virus making it even more infectious. Equatorial winds have spread the disease to virtually all corners of the planet. Equatorial regions have a nearly 100% infection rate which gets less the farther north or south of the equator.

Six months after the initial release of the Virus 65 percent of the world’s population is either dead or infected. Since the nuclear release in the Middle East oil production has ceased and roughly 89 percent of the regions populace is dead, the few remaining are infected and are consuming the dead. Climate changes brought on by high altitude fallout have led to worldwide crop failures and the disease is showing up in most animals- oddly enough it seems that  wolves and domesticated dogs are immune- scientist are unable to determine why.

1 year after the POX -
All governments have failed – armies disbanded – The President the congress and Senate committed suicide in the Capitol after it was discovered they have been infected by defective air filtration in the “undisclosed location” – most Americans took this as sign of the end of the world – massive crime and violence was followed by a Declaration of martial law by the remaining military leaders of North America. Canada and the western United States became a refuge for those who were not infected. The Navy was able to  get  some of the ships to northern waters which were free from POX infection – Some of the ships were The USNS Comfort – now a hospital and research facility in the Hudson Bay. Volunteers brought several older ships out of mothballs, Tenders and repair vessels joined the Mercy in the Hudson Bay where they provide logistics and support to the survivors. Tankers and oilers were filled to capacity and they provide fuel. A group of former American and Canadian warships are use to maintain a blockade to keep the disease contained.

Cattle and other livestock are highly susceptible to the virus – a massive drive moved hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep and other livestock to Northern Saskatchewan where they thrive. The “herd” is it is called is protected by “the dog soldiers”. The dog soldiers are a large unit composed of survivors of the POX. Each soldier has a canine partner that he is never without. The dogs are highly prized as they are capable of detecting infection by smelling the necrotic tissue long before it is detectable by humans. A dog’s life is considered to be far more valuable than a human’s. Anyone who is caught mistreating or attempting to harm a dog is subject to a summary execution. Many dog soldiers have been able to form relationships with wolves and some have wolf partners – these are generally referred to as Wolf Krieger and serve as division commanders and Special Forces operatives.

Five years after the POX-
The reaming survivors of the disease are beginning to thrive- communications have been restored – though they are spotty. According to best information available the un-infected humans in the world number about 16 million – 10 in “The Homeland” which consists of – Iowa ,Nebraska ,Idaho, Colorado ,Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota ,South Dakota – and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Virtually all of Canada and Alaska. Other areas include Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland – most of the United Kingdom, which is where the other 6 million live.

The rest of the world is either irradiated or heavily infected- Dog Soldiers make occasional trips to the “Bad lands” if they receive Intel on survivors or essential materials. No vaccine has been effective – the infected  are know as –“zombies” by most  “stinkies” by the Dog soldiers ( due to the fact dogs can smell them) have  largely died off Most lived for no more than a year   after infection- the disease has adapted. Scientists think that the POX has adapted in a way to keep the host alive longer so that it can continue to infect- insuring its survival.

Recently several “carriers” of the disease have been discovered- they retain the general appearance of a relatively healthy human – there is some clouding of the vitreous fluid of the eye and the subjects have lost the ability to speak- these subjects need to consume large amounts of protein to maintain this level – within 8 hours of removing any source of nutrient the subject lapses into a highly accelerated form of the disease. Death of the subject follows within 6 hours due to massive organ failure and hemorrhagic bleeding similar to Marburg or Ebola. In the last stages of the disease the infection is so relative and volatile there have been cases of spontaneous combustion. A few of the Wolf Krieger have shown signs of resistance to the virus – Rumors are that they have spent so much time with their wolves that they have picked up the trait from them.