Approved Species Vinithi RNA Virus

[Jak Sandrow]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: This is being created only as a set canon backstory, and will not be used in any major way in the future. If it is to be used as-is, it will be used as backstory only, not as a plot device or weapon. It is also to be used as a basis for further tech developments. If it is to be used specifically as a weapon in the future, a separate entry into the Codex will be filed, with updated specs. It also cannot be used to infect others.

• Image Source: Wikipedia, NPR
• Canon: N/A
• Links: Based on info provided from Wikipedia, on viruses and RNA

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Name: No given name, though it created a Vinithi
• Homeworld: No given homeworld - this was manufactured in a secret (now destroyed) facility, and applied on Corellia
• Other Locations: N/A
• Classification: Virus
• Average Growth Cycle: The life cycle of the virus from creation to self-destruction is 24 Standard hours. See Description for full infection cycle.
• Viability: Requires suspension in an aqueous solution in order to survive for 24 hours as a maximum. Without solution, the virus will become inert after 10 minutes, and will begin to break down into base proteins 15 minutes after that. The virus can only be transmitted in an aqueous solution, directly into the bloodstream. It cannot be transmitted airborne or through ingestion.
• Description: The virus activated upon entering an active bloodstream intravenously, through hypodermic injection. The virus pathogen itself attacks the cell by burrowing through the cell membrane, protecting it from exterior defenses. Its own shape prevents it from being attacked by the cell itself, and the virus will immediately merge with the cell nucleus. Once it has merged, the RNA will begin rewriting the DNA of the cell to the new DNA sequence. Once this has finished, the cell will begin reshaping itself to suit the DNA, and the virus will become part of the new cell. The transformed cell does not self destruct, unlike with other viruses, but will instead split into two cells. The first will begin to perform the cell's original function, and the second will become a virus manufacturing facility of its own. These additional bodies exit this cell without harming it, allowing it to continue to create more viral bodies continuously. However, this puts a high energy strain on the body, so it is very likely that the body will go into a coma, even with proper sustenance, until such time as the virus does not need to be created as quickly. The body of the infected must have assistance from the Force in order to remain alive, as the body undergoes an extremely radical transformation.
• This virus, however, has adapted itself to the point where it can no longer infect anyone else, and instead resides in the body simply as an all-but-negligible form of natural regeneration.

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

• Average height & length: 50-200 nm (varies size and shape as a very fluid shape)
• Color: The aqueous solution is a clear, slightly yellowish fluid (similar to blood plasma), and is an inert water/sugar/protein mixture. When the virus exists within it, it takes on a burnt ochre coloration.
• Nutritional Value: None
• Distinctions: Has an infection rate 200% faster than the average flu. This creates a much steeper cell infection rate.

Strengths:

• The RNA is able to transform any humanoid carbon-based lifeform.
• The virus infects cells much faster than common illness viruses (about 200% faster), resulting in a much more rapid transformation.

Weaknesses:

• The virus has no defense against pre-existing natural defenses within the body. White blood cells can and do actively work against the virus. The virus' only defense is rapid multiplication, like all viruses.
• It is only slightly resistant to viricides and antiviral medication.
• When it infects a being, that person will be subjected to incredible amounts of pain and transformation, and they will either fall into a coma (best case scenario) or die.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

The Vinithi RNA virus was used only once, on Jak Sandrow, to transform him from a human to a Vinithi. Viral bodies had filled his entire bloodstream within an hour, and transformation was irreversible after 3. He was fully transformed in 24 hours.

This method of not destroying the cell allowed for the virus to extremely rapidly take over the body, ensuring total transformation in >99.999% of affected cells.

The cells continue to produce viruses even after the host has been completely transformed, though at a much slower rate. Excess, older virus bodies are disassembled, and the proteins reused for newer viruses. This continuous production of viruses makes Jak Sandrow a walking RNA bomb.

Jak used the virus to infect two other people. Circe Savan was first, and her body was burned, blasted, and destroyed beyond all hope of repair. The second was Leyan Viceritas, who died some time after being turned part Vinithi due to grave mortal injuries. As of 849 ABY, Jak Sandrow is the only container and existence of the Vinithi virus.

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

Surprise. Guess you're under my jurisdiction again. I'll give this a thorough reread and see where we stand.

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

This is being created only as a set canon backstory, and will not be used in any major way in the future. If it is to be used as-is, it will be used as backstory only, not as a plot device or weapon. If it is to be used as a weapon in the future, a separate entry into the Codex will be filed, with updated specs.

• If the intent is to only use it for flavor / 'backstory', why submit it at all? Writing out the specs is unnecessary if it's only ever going to be relevant to your character.

True Vinithi

• Please link the appropriate wookieepedia article or Codex submission for the species.

Description: The virus activated upon entering an active bloodstream. The virus pathogen itself attacks the cell by burrowing through the membrane, protecting it from natural defenses. The transformed cell does not self destruct, unlike other viruses, but instead, besides performing its natural function, begins to produce viral bodies of its own. These additional bodies exit the cell without harming it, allowing it to continue to create more viral bodies continuously.

• There are several problems here. Obviously this is a sci-fi setting so there's some leeway, but this simply doesn't work. Please address the following:
• How does the virus enter the bloodstream in the first place? Can it only be transmitted via direct blood exchange? Airborne?
• It can't attack any and all animal cells. The galaxy is a vast place, and it's highly unlikely all living beings are even RNA/DNA based. You will need to narrow the scope of effectiveness for this virus.
• Furthermore, a virus 'hiding' in a cell certainly wouldn't be safe from the immune system. There are myriad measures in place to destroy, remove, incapacitate, or otherwise deal with infected cells.
• If the only thing that happens after the virus enters the cell is further production of the virus... how, exactly, does this virus rewrite a whole organism into a completely different species?

Nutritional Value:

• Please put N/A for fields you're not using.

It fully infected him within a minute, and transformation completed within an hour.

• Please tone this down several notches. We're talking a thorough overwrite of a whole genome here.

The cells continue to produce viruses even after the host has been completely transformed

• This would severely impact the cells' natural function. If they were busy using up resources, time, and organelles to continuously produce new viruses, the infected individual would be weaker, slower, etc.
• Please add this effect to the Weaknesses section or address it in some other form.

Once you have addressed these issues, please @mention me here and we'll move on from there.

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Changed

• Intent: This is being created only as a set canon backstory, and will not be used in any major way in the future. If it is to be used as-is, it will be used as backstory only, not as a plot device or weapon. If it is to be used as a weapon in the future, a separate entry into the Codex will be filed, with updated specs.

to

• Intent: This is being created only as a set canon backstory, and will not be used in any major way in the future. If it is to be used as-is, it will be used as backstory only, not as a plot device or weapon. It is also to be used as a basis for further tech developments. If it is to be used specifically as a weapon in the future, a separate entry into the Codex will be filed, with updated specs.

Added link for Vinithi

Added

• The virus can only be transmitted in an aqueous solution, directly into the bloodstream. It cannot be transmitted airborne or through injection.

to Viability

Changed

• Description: The virus activated upon entering an active bloodstream. The virus pathogen itself attacks the cell by burrowing through the membrane, protecting it from natural defenses. The transformed cell does not self destruct, unlike other viruses, but instead, besides performing its natural function, begins to produce viral bodies of its own. These additional bodies exit the cell without harming it, allowing it to continue to create more viral bodies continuously.

to

• Description: The virus activated upon entering an active bloodstream intravenously, through hypodermic injection. The virus pathogen itself attacks the cell by burrowing through the cell membrane, protecting it from exterior defenses. Its own shape prevents it from being attacked by the cell itself, and the virus will immediately merge with the cell nucleus. Once it has merged, the RNA will begin rewriting the DNA of the cell to the new DNA sequence. Once this has finished, the cell will begin reshaping itself to suit the DNA, and the virus will become part of the new cell. The transformed cell does not self destruct, unlike with other viruses, but will instead split into two cells. The first will begin to perform the cell's original function, and the second will become a virus manufacturing facility of its own. These additional bodies exit this cell without harming it, allowing it to continue to create more viral bodies continuously. However, this puts a high energy strain on the body, so it is very likely that the body will go into a coma, even with proper sustenance, until such time as the virus does not need to be created as quickly.

Changed
It fully infected him within a minute, and transformation completed within an hour.
to
Viral bodies had filled his entire bloodstream within an hour, and transformation was irreversible after 3. He was fully transformed in 24 hours.

Hopefully this covers everything! [member="Netherworld"]

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

Now that you've linked the species you wish this virus to transform people into, we've hit a major issue.
That species is a plant.

Trying to transform animal cells into plant cells with a virus (or, indeed, by any other method) is pretty much impossible.

Imagine, for a moment, that the virus worked as intended. It would be successfully capable of transforming the animal cells of a humanoid into the plant cells of a Vinithi, in a process that takes roughly a day. What happens when this process is, say, about halfway through? You've got a person that's half-plant, half-human. Half of them is made of shapeless plant biomass, and the other half is made of human internal organs, blood vessels, etc. Even if these 'halves' are irregularly interspersed throughout their body, it wouldn't work. Organs would give out, the person would suffer from internal hemorrhaging, the nerve system would literally develop holes... I could go on.

In short, that person is dead.

The only way this could be made to work, in my opinion, is if the virus were only able to affect plant-based sentient species. Please consider this option and get back to me with your thoughts.

 

[Jak Sandrow]

[member="Netherworld"]

The Vinithi are plant-based species, they are not true plants. The biology between human and Vinithi organisms are very similar, where humans have mitochondria, and Vinithi have both mitochondria and chloroplasts. The RNA rewrites the DNA of the cell to produce chloroplasts as well as the already-being-produced mitochondria.

Biologically, the Vinithi are plant life, but physiologically they are very similar to humans.

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

Biologically, the Vinithi are plant life, but physiologically they are very similar to humans.

I've read the Vinithi submission, and that is untrue. Some examples:

Vinithi have no distinct bone structure either, relying on distinctly denser and thicker sections of their near-uniform internal biomass to act as a sort of cartilagious skeletal substitute, similar to that of a shark.
[...] a breathing system based through the skin, typically absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen, as well as a simple proto-stomach which dissolves all meat put into it through acids of modest power, absorbing the resulting nutrients.
Can survive critical physical damage so long as most of the biomass is still attached to the head
Cannot naturally reproduce with animals or half-plants, only full-plants

All of the above is from the Vinithi submission. The highlighted sections are what puts them firmly in the 'plant' category. The differences in physiology and anatomy are rather severe even if we only consider these examples.

The only way this could be made to work, in my opinion, is if the virus were only able to affect plant-based sentient species.

Please consider the above solution, as it is the only way I can see this virus working the way you desire.

 

[Jak Sandrow]

[member="Netherworld"] I don't want to, but would it work if I pulled out the Force as a trump card? i.e. the virus would normally only affect plant life, but with the Force sustaining life through the transformation, infection would result in radical transformation?

If not, then I will go through with completely reworking the description.

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

You may pull out the Force trump card. However, this submission is only for your character – the virus cannot be used to infect anyone else. Please make this clear in the submission proper, preferably with a disclaimer of some sort.

You also have a contradiction here:

It cannot be transmitted airborne or through injection.

The virus activated upon entering an active bloodstream intravenously, through hypodermic injection.

• You state in two different places that it can and cannot be transmitted via injection. Clear this up.

However, this puts a high energy strain on the body, so it is very likely that the body will go into a coma, even with proper sustenance, until such time as the virus does not need to be created as quickly.

• Please add this to Weaknesses.

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Alrighty!

Explicitly stated lack of infectiousness in the Intent, as well as in the Description:

• This virus, however, has adapted itself to the point where it can no longer infect anyone else, and instead resides in the body simply as a form of natural regeneration.

I had meant to say ingestion not injection, the first time - fixed that up:

It cannot be transmitted airborne or through ingestion.

Added high energy strain to weaknesses:

• When it infects a being, that person will be subjected to incredible amounts of pain and transformation, and they will either fall into a coma (best case scenario) or die.

Hope this covers everything!

[member="Netherworld"]

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

Almost – is that 'form of natural regeneration' meant to actually offer Jak some kind of increased regeneration in terms of healing, disease, poison, etc? The wording is unclear, and I need that clarified before I can stamp this.

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Yes, but it's negligible. I've reworded it:

• This virus, however, has adapted itself to the point where it can no longer infect anyone else, and instead resides in the body simply as an all-but-negligible form of natural regeneration.

[member="Netherworld"]

 

[Netherworld]

[member="Jak Sandrow"]

Alright, cautiously approved.

Pending mentor approval. [member="Feeto Chivaro"]

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Jak Sandrow"] | [member="Netherworld"]

Approved, pending secondary.

 

[Quietus]

Approved