The Nanite Plague (Patreon)

Hello everyone! As a thank you for your patronage I present the following bonus content. This is a rough draft of the nanite plague that I thought you might enjoy reading.

When humanity began testing for the A1 they began with a proof of concept that would give the nanites involved a wider AOE. What they failed to realize was that the nanites activated before the device detonated which caused the nanites to "infect" several personnel aboard the ship carrying the device.

The original programming inadvertently allowed for self-replication. To clarify, the design team didn't coordinate well with the coders and a rough-draft idea was included in the final code. "It would increase the yield if the nanites used ship debris to make more of themselves." Thankfully the coders didn't account for the size of the nanites so their reproduction rate is rather slow.

The nanites contain radioactive materials, which causes minor cellular damage over an extended period of time. They reproduce using what they can find, which in organics causes even further cellular damage. The radiation levels start out small, but gradually build over time due to the reproduction of the nanites. This leads to a slow death.

The nanite plague is unfortunately extremely contagious, and it is difficult to "disinfect" even inorganic surfaces due to the nature of the construction of the nanites. Disinfection protocols are harsher than organic material can withstand.

Unfortunately more than 1/4 of the United Systems has been infected by the nanite plague, the majority of which are humans. Anyone leaving or attempting to land on a planet or station must undergo testing to determine if they are infected or not. The systems that have been infected are quarantined to prevent the spread of the disease until a solution is found.

This particular plague is a nightmare scenario. Since the disease is mechanical in nature it cannot be vaccinated against, and it can cross species. The only treatments available are against the symptoms, but thankfully medical science is advanced enough that most victims can live over 100 years after they've been infected.

Infant mortality rate depends upon how long the mother has been infected. If the mother is in the latter stages of the disease, their offspring won't typically make it out of the womb. In the early stages, the infants can lead long lives with medical treatment. In the middle stages of the disease, mortality rates spike, but some infants do make it to adulthood.

There are increased odds of birth defects as well. Quarantine planets report 43% more birth defects than their uninfected analogs. Such defects include increased risk of respiratory defects, cardiovascular defects, exoskeletal defects, epidermal defects, etc.

The ramifications of this are as follows. Inspiration for the Gont Insurrection. Lowered defense spending. Higher trade restrictions to prevent infection from spreading. The loss of several high ranking military officers. The loss of several ships. The loss of several researchers. The loss of several space stations.