13Thank you for clicking on this fic, but before you get started, there are a few things I need to point out to you.
Ryphiebis is pronounced (rif – I – bus)
I'm not actually a doctor, but it seemed good for the story, nor am I related to Al Gorr.
This entire story is fan made, nothing is official.
This story is hot off the press, but will be corrected in the coming weeks (hopefully).
You have to enjoy! =)
The Many Strains of Ryphiebis
By:
Dr. Connor Gorr
Table of Contents:
1.) Most Seen Infected and Introduction
a.) Common Infected or Zombies
b.) Smoker
c.) Hunter
d.) Boomer
2.) Southern Bound Strains of Infected
a.) Jockey
b.) Spitter
c.) Charger
3.) Rare Strains of Infected
a.) Tank
b.) Witch
4.) Misc. Information
a.) Origin
b.) What Makes You Immune
c.) Personal Experience With the Witch
Most Seen Infected and Introduction.
"Common Infected" or "Zombies"
During my studies, I have found that these so called "Zombies" are not actually the undead. They are quite simply infected, or sick. The virus they are infected with is a mixture of the three diseases, Rabies, Syphilis, and Jungle rot. When the three are combined, it takes on a mind of it's own, if it already hadn't had one. With this new mind, it moves in on the re-organization of it's victim.
It also combines a certain drug that slows the heart-rate to almost a dead stop, immobilizing it's victim, but keeping it barely alive. During this time, the victim can feel all changes, all pain, and can still hear, but cannot do anything about it. They cannot scream, move, or breath, leaving the victim to suffer a very long period of time before the brain is effected.
When the brain is finally effected, it swells until consciousness is erased from the brain entirely, leaving only instinct. The instinct part of the brain takes over the old space that was consciousness, and is then further mutated by the infection to behave very much like consciousness, but the victim will never be truly human again.
Instinct will then take control of motor functions, mobilizing the "Zombie". Once mobile, the infection increases anger and hunger emotions in the sub-conscious section of the brain, essentially finishing "why" the infected attack.
Once that is in place, the infection then moves onward to making the brain think like a predator. Following shortly after, the infection tells the brain not to attack other infected, to instead, work together towards a meal.
Upon completion of the basics, the infection then works to establish a form of communication and logic. It fuses it's new-born consciousness with the rest of the brain, giving the "Zombie" a way to think out problems and make simple attack plans.
Before leaving the body, the infection duplicates itself, for more information to later be implemented into the brain, and deletes the "pain" drive, then makes it's way to the mouth, and waits patiently for the next victim.
**UPDATE**
I recently captured a "Common Infected" and have found that once the infected cell moves into the mouth, it duplicates itself many times so that it can bite far more than once and still spread the infection. It also moves into the salivary glands and increases their output, for better chance of passing on the infection.
"Smoker"
The Smoker is the next step up from the "Zombies". This strain of the infected is contracted through mouth-to-mouth contact. It is most commonly spread by an infected kissing a none infected before he or she knows they have been infected.
A less common way is another Smoker, most likely gaining this strain through the first possible reason, wraps it's elongated tongue around it's victim's head. Some of the saliva then slips either into the eyes, nose, or mouth and mutates from there.
Another less common way is the sharing of a utensil or drink with an infected who doesn't know he or she is infected yet.
In any case, the infection first begins by duplicating itself in the mouth, leaving the duplication under the tongue, then moving down the throat. Once in the stomach it increases the density and dissolving properties of the acid until the stomach is completely destroyed. Once the stomach is nothing but a bag, free of anything, the intestinal track is wiped clean and cut free from both the stomach and the anus.
Back in the mouth, the infection has worked to free the jaw of all teeth and has created large sacks on one side of the face that explode and emit a kind of smokescreen when killed. It has also detached the tongue from the mouth entirely, awaiting the intestine's attach to the end.
The infection in the stomach attaches the intestine to the end of the tongue and rolls up the rest into the stomach, then seals the hole. Once sealed, it works to create a large muscle where the hole once was, that will force the tongue to be launched out of the mouth like a whip. It attaches the tongue to the stomach and creates a muscle all along the outside of the tongue so it can be controlled correctly once launched out of the mouth.
It then moves into the brain and performs the same song and dance that it would normally do to a "Common Infected". Due to the fact the victim can no longer digest, or consume for that matter, the strain of infection left in brain will stop all bodily functions, save for the heart, so that the infected victim can keep it's shape, fight, and all around live, for up to three years in time.
**UPDATE**
A team brought in a smoker for dissection some time back and I made an interesting discovery. I moved throughout the body like I would in any other autopsy, but stopped on the lungs. The lungs were full of tar, indicating that the subject had been a heavy smoker.
I had the team bring in another one and found that the same had been true with the second. With this evidence I can conclude that the infection most likely only mutates those who smoked during their life for this particular mutation. Which brings in a fourth way of contraction. Through the contents of the cigarets, most likely carrying the infection long before placed in the pack or on the wrapping itself.
In addition to this find, I found the lungs can also create their own "tongues". It is still a mystery to me as to how they can perform such a feet, but it is without a doubt a fact. UN-like the tongue in the stomach, the two in the lungs are detachable. I'm guessing that the one in the stomach is used as a back up as well as a device for degradation.
What I mean by degradation is quite simply an emotional degradation. Most likely used to distract it's prey long enough to lash out and attack. This, of course, is only a theory. A theory that I am afraid may never be proven.
"Hunter"
The "Hunter" is a far faster version of the "Common Infected", and a far more dangerous one at best. This particular strain is contracted through a scratch or bite to either arm or leg, including all digits. Once the infection has passed through the skin, it's creates four copies of itself and moves in on each limb of it's victim.
It starts by simply creating razor like talons to replace the victim's current fingernails in the arms, though not in the legs. Instead of claws, the legs are given glands throughout most pores that create a very sticky liquid that dries quickly, giving the victim the ability to cling to surfaces. The same glands are made in the palm of the hand, but no where else.
After these glands are finished, the infection moves onto it's larger task, mutating the muscles in the limbs so that the finished product can launch him or herself through the air. The opposing force emitted from the mutation is so great, that the skin cannot handle it. If a sort of splint is not applied along with padding beneath it, the muscle will burst out the back of the legs and arms.
A quick fix for such a splint is implanted into the victims brain upon completion. Once mobile, the "Hunter" must find a pair of sweats, a sweat-shirt, and duct-tape. The "Hunter" tends to go for hooded jackets and sweat-shirts most often, but can rarely be seen without a hood.
Once all supplies are found, the infected will tape it's forearm, bicep, thigh, and calf, Leaving only it's joints open for movement. Like all other times, one piece of the infection is left in the brain for proper guidance, should it be needed later, and anything left over sent to the mouth for further infection. However, in the "Hunter", two infected cells move to either clawed hand and spread on the talons, as a secondary for spreading the infection.
On a more personal note, during one contact with this particular infected, I found that the cell left in the mouth reshapes the teeth into fang like tools of death. If I had not been among the immune, I am afraid that I too would be one of the jumping infected that hunt those of us unaffected by the outbreak down.
"Boomer"
The boomer is one of the more interesting strains of the infection known to exist. There is no real explanation as to why the subject transforms in such a way, other than the fact that the infected individual is unnaturally fat from point of infection. The infection takes advantage of the gluttonous victim, and transformers all of the fat in the body, to a liquid of all things.
Once all of the fat in the victims body is practically digested, the infection moves to the intestines and other organs, excluding the stomach, lungs, and heart. It turns almost everything inside the subject into a goo that attracts a large amount of common infected to the area when it is shot out of the body.
There are several ways for this goo to exit. The infection creates an opening in the stomach, and lines the new whole with a closeable muscle, before beginning the digestion process and uses all of the stomach acid to aid in the degradation process. After everything is turned to goo, the hole in the stomach is used to launch the goo up the esophagus, and out the mouth.
There is, of course, a refractory time that the "Boomer" must wait before enough has been recreated for another attack. This period of time can range anywhere from 30 seconds, to 30 minutes. This time of course is affected greatly by the amount of food the victim has ingested within the last 24 hours.
If during that time the "Boomer" is attacked, there is a second method of spreading the goo. If the already stretched skin is punctured at any time, the "Boomer" will explode, sending bile in all directions. Giving it it's name.
Southern Bound Strains of Infection.
"Jockey"
The "Jockey" is a slightly smaller version of the "Hunter". It tends to latch onto it's victims and drag them into large hordes of infected, laughing manically all the while beating you in the head. It's primary mode of transporting itself is hopping around on all fours, again, laughing while it does so.
Alone, the jockey is anything but a threat, but when joined with a few allies, it quickly becomes one of the most feared infected to be around. In addition to it's knowing where a horde is, it also knows where another "Special Infected", such as itself, is located. This ability has brought down many groups of survivors, but only when said group is uncaring.
The infection only mutates in it's subject this way when the victim has a history of arthritis, and-or sort of a bone disorder. Along with said health problems, the bite or scratch from an already infected must reached the bone directly. If the bone is not bitten or scratched, the subject with simply turn into a "Hunter".
The most common areas of contraction are; fingers, toes, ankles, shoulder blades, shoulders, knees, and elbows. These areas are most common because of their already bony appearances. They pose as easy targets for other infected.
When the infection enters the bone, it moves through the air pockets, arching the bone as the infection sweeps through it. Once most of the body has been repositioned and curved, the muscle mass decreases and the length of each appendage increases until it looks very much like a dog.
**UPDATE**
The team brought back a "Jockey" today and asked me to find out how in the world they could find other infected around them so quickly. Doing as asked, I opened the skull of the subject and found nothing out of the ordinary in terms of an infected brain.
I decided to look at the ears, but again, found nothing out of the ordinary. I then thought of the eyes. Once they were out of their sockets I found the the eyes was oddly shaped and colored. They looked like a foot ball in their shape, from left to right, and were a bright gray in the center.
With further inspection I found that they had what I like to call "Infecto-Vision". With this sight of theirs, they could find anything infected through any wall or surface. I can safely say that, the infection is beginning to scare me. What if it mutates so that it can find anything immune to it?
"Spitter"
The "Spitter" is one of the less fortunate infected. Or rather, the least fortunate person to be infected for the victim is tortured for almost an entire week before the brain is effected. With most others, the brain is one of the first things to go.
The infection here is contracted in the second worst way possible, the first shall be mentioned later, swallowing "Boomer Bile". Through an odd twist of events, most people are infected this way just as they're barking out orders. I shall leave the rest of that scene up to you...
Another way is by eating infected spicy food, most likely prepared by an infected whom hasn't turned yet.
When the infection reaches the stomach, it increases the thickness and durability of the walls and esophagus. It then increases the amount of acid the stomach makes and condenses it, of course, right after making it far more lethal.
It then turns the esophagus into a tube that ends just above the tongue in a spray like nozzle. Before taking over the brain, it sends up 16 globs of acid that spill into the mouth and melt it until the jaw hangs down, across the neck. This action is slow and painful, as it is spanned throughout the course of 2 days.
At the end of this, the infection finally takes over the brain like it would any other subject. Over the next two days it works on strengthening the diaphragm so the distance of which the acid can fly increases.
Unlike other infected, the "Spitter" Cannot pass on the infection, it is merely a weapon to be used against us.
"Charger"
The "Charger" is an interesting one. It is only contracted in the male population, and only in those who have; the habit of using one arm far more than the other, a broken arm, or use a light amount of steroids. Usually athletes are the ones who are infected with this strain, though there are many who looked like they had worked on a farm at one time.
Their bodies are oddly shaped, and textured. Their backs and gut are a light green-brown while the arms and legs are a deep swamp-green. In addition to their intriguing colors, both of their arms look unbelievably out of proportion. One arm is ridiculously huge while the other is so small you barely see it. You would have to kill one to even notice that there was another arm.
How this strain is contracted is still a mystery. From what I understand however, the infection is most likely injected into the arm the the host uses most. Even with no real evidence of this hypothesis, I have found out what exactly happens when the infection begins it's process.
When the cell is injected, it almost immediately begins to increase the size of the subject's good arm, along with hardening the skin. It then moves all of the bones in the other arm into the victim's good one and doubles everything up. In other words, the two arms lay on top of each other and are laced together by tendons, and muscle.
Once the arm has increased it's size so much that it is almost as big as the subject, the virus works to harden the skin across the entire body. Once finished with that, it works it's way into the legs and mutates them so that the subject can burst his speed at up to 25 miles an hour. Not a large problem since he is very loud when charging at you, but if you don't see him, the end result I'm afraid is bloody, and quick death.
With more research I found that this infected, like the "Spitter", is unable to spread the virus. And from field observation, I have found that he is only used to separate groups of the immune. He is not used for true combat.
Rare Strains of Infected
"Tank"
There is one thing that we all fear will end our lives. The "Tank", who is large in appearance, but weak in mind, sends anyone who faces him into a panicked frenzy. Most people die because of this panic, too foolish to see that brawn can always be outmatched in either wit or numbers. Many prefer to combine both wit and number to take down the brute, almost always succeeding.
The "Tank" gets it's name from it's unbelievable size. My colleagues and I all agree that the "Tank" is a much larger version of a "Charger". We have found that the reason the entire body mutated was that the victim was at a loss, not being good with either arm, or quite simply clumsy.
The infection, again, is not know to have a specific entrance. With such little information on the gargantuan, it is hard to write anything at all on him. From distant field study, I have found that the "Tank" does not like anything that moves and throws millions of tantrums each day.
From an accidental startling of the "Tank", we found that his lower jaw had fallen away to make room for his unbelievable chest. We also found that the legs of the "Tank" had been mutated just like the "Charger", but were too flimsy to hold up so much weight. To make up for this small problem, the fists were reinforced with skin that was far thicker than leather.
I wish there was more to tell, but my team and I were unsuccessful in trying to bring the body back for examination. I doubt that any information will ever be gathered thanks to the rarity of the species.
"Witch"
The "Witch" is by far the least understood by any human being other than myself, because of her frightful appearance and unjustifiable anger. The "Witch" strain is only contactable in emotionally challenged, highly stressed, woman.
Normally the infection begins it's transformation as if it were going to create a "Common Infected", but for reasons unknown some humans only have a high resistance to the infection, instead of total immunity. The infection will try to transform the subjects mind but only succeed in harming itself. Instead of resuming a brute force attack, it moves in on the transformation of the body, in hopes of causing the victim large amounts of pain so that it can move into the brain.
During this time, the subject will scream and writhe as her organs, bones, and general structure are rearranged. Her all around strength is increased to that of a "Tank" but without the unbelievable muscle mass. Along with this strength, she is also given speed. Not quite as fast as a "Charger", but still barely avoidable all the same.
Her vocal cords are then stretched to a further length for nearly three hours, then are given little to no tension for the same amount of time. This procedure makes the screech before her attack to be far louder than a gunshot and can usually break any glass within a 25 foot radius, but it does not damage the ability to emit low bass sounds, leaving in the ability to growl.
During the time she cannot speak, the nails on her hand will all fall out. The skin on the fingers will then harden and elongate and end in a point. The space in the skin is filled up with an unbelievably large amount of detachable cartilage and the skin around is then detachable as well. The first time the victim pops of her claws there is a large amount of pain, but all times after, there is none. The reason for this is that the sets of "nails" grown from then on out, are made out of the same stuff a normal nail is made of. The new claws are unbelievably hard however, it takes a diamond cutter to file them down.
Once finished with the hands, the infection tends to focus more on skin pigmentation and hair color as well as facial features and eye color, in hopes to harm the subjects mentality. The eyes are turned into crimson pools while her hair and skin are dulled to a gray. Her face is lightly deformed with the use of more cartilage, making her look more like a witch from "The Wizard of Oz" or another modern depiction. In many cases, if not all, it succeeds in causing it's victim to give up on life.
The subject will then begin to uncontrollably sob, matching the stereotype of what most would call the "Emo". All will fueled barriers are let down, and the infection is sadly let through. With the already obvious traits given by the infection, it only increases sadness and anger while inside. It then leaves the body entirely, leaving the traumatized woman confused, alone, angry, and sad.
She is, in all actuality, never truly taken by the infection. With a small amount of surgery and a trip to the salon, she could walk among the rest of us as if nothing happened. Of course, she would only be allowed to do so when and if EEG technology correctly brings her sadness and anger levels back into a stable area.
There is however, a small problem. The eyes are irreversible. The only way to hide their glow is to either wear sunglasses, or extremely dark contacts.
**UPDATE**
In the back of the "Misc. Information" section, there is a personal story that goes along with the very first sentence in the "Witch" section.
Misc. Information
Origin
Originally the virus was designed for quick repair of the human body, and was intended to replace stitches, bandages, casts, it was going to replace everything. The general idea was to the effects of the three diseases, mentioned in the introduction, so that any part of the human body could be grown or repaired. In 2001 A.D. A company that goes by the name of CLASSIFIED begun research on bio reconstruction.
Many dying test patients came to the good doctors' lab over the 7 years that it took to perfect. Most cases had the patients decomposing in mere minutes because the infection spread far too quickly and multiplied far too much for the body's simple functions. In a way, the body overloaded and became a black hole, the anti-bodies killing all tissue with the help of the infection.
On November 13, 2008. A single patient survived for a recorded time of 3 weeks. This was a huge break through for all of humanity in the eyes of Dr. CLASSIFIED. They begun to build off of his reaction to the vaccine and finally completed a stable version of the Ryphiebis on November 17, 2008.
With the pre-approval of C.E.D.A. The project was shipped to the local Mercy Hospital a day later for live testing. The Vaccine was a huge success! Especially among those whom were terminally ill. Ryphiebis had cured cancer, AIDS, tumors, you name it, and it was cured. The only down side was that the vile it was placed in could only be used once, same as the liquid inside.
The human body could only handle one dosage of Ryphiebis once in a life time, if taken again it would overload the patient just like the older versions of it used to. With a watchful eye over it's patients, Mercy Hospital sent updates on all of the patients injected with the product over the next few days.
A blood panel was taken after day 3 from a patient with leukemia, the results were astonishing. All cancer cells in the blood stream had been entirely converted into white and red blood cells. With further inspection, the doctors there found that the vaccine had repaired everything wrong in the body and had formed into a large cluster of cells attached to the central nervous system.
Whenever something would go wrong in the body, Ryphiebis would send a cell out to go fix whatever that problem was. Many specialists were amazed at what was happening before their eyes. Things that they had only dreamed of were coming true right before them.
Of course though, this was not to last. One night, a drunk doctor came into one of the patient's rooms saying that he needed to give them a small shot of nutrients, since the Ryphiebis hadn't taken effect yet. The patient was in dire need of nutrition because their throat had been slit, attempted murder if you were wondering.
The doctor confused the paralysis drug with a shot of nutrients, and injected the patient with what triggered the whole chain reaction to begin it's countdown. The doctor came back hours later to find the patient running at him, pulling out any IV's with the movements. The doctor was bitten on the neck and was soon among the walking dead, working towards infecting all others.
It is in my understanding that the Ryphiebis did not have a good reaction to the drug in a very good way at all. The vaccine broke off the nervous system and performed what it would normally upon entering any body after this point.
I feel there is no need for me to continue since the fact that you're reading this means you are, quite simply, immune and have lived through most of the infection already.
What Makes You Immune
It took a good three weeks to scavenge the notes taken by C.E.D.A. I spent that time mostly searching for evacuation points and abandoned work camps, but all time spent was rewarded well. I found that most of the survivors brought into a quarantine zones were all O blood types. This was a bit of a startle when I first saw it considering that it is the most common blood type.
With I being an O blood type myself, I set out to look for a still working computer with access to government health files. Once found I began looking for all of the names of the people in the quarantine zones. They all had interesting files, but I was looking for things that resembled my own condition.
I searched for nearly 5 days, going through file after file, looking at family history, until finally I came across one that looked nearly the same as my own. Low oxygen levels in the blood, slightly larger bone cavities, enraged blood vessels, thickened veins, heightened immune system, he had everything I had. But the one thing that stood out to me the most was the irregular heartbeat we shared.
Most people have a simple; bump bump, bump bump, heart beat. But this survivor and I had something that was a bit off, as some call it, it moves a little more like this; bump, bump bump, bump, bump BUMP bump... bump bump, bump bump, bump... bump, bump bump bump, bump.
With this revelation unearthed, I went backwards over the files I had already scanned, finding that these people also had this irregular heart beat and low oxygen levels in the blood stream. It surprised me that I hadn't seen it before, and that all it had taken was for me to take a look at myself.
With all of the facts in place, I can safely conclude that the irregular heart beat, the low oxygen levels, and possibly with a little help from the immune system, is the reason that you, yourself are immune. But what comes with this fact is a hidden truth. There is no cure other then a bullet... And possibly a defib-unit if used before the victim has turned.
Personal Experience With the Witch
(AN - Please move onto chapter 2 for this part. It just didn't seem to fit with the context of this chapter so I decided to write it more like a story and make a hell of a lot longer then I originally intended it to be.)