"Horvath are monolithic, communalist and Hobbesian," the Commandant said. "They also are eugenic Darwinists. They weed their own population, aggressively, for what they perceive as defects. If they did spread other biologicals we'd better be ready for them to be as eugenic in nature. Looks to me as if this was a test of personal hygiene. Of personal care?"
Marine Commandant, in response to the first "Vernon Worm" cases
All of the organisms are tailored for specific tasks. The nematode is designed to sort for persons who are lazy or sloppy. One might go so far as to say stupid. Despite current reports it will require multiple treatments over the course of a month. With those treatments, however, it is survivable. Anyone infected, which is by our estimate 87% of the human race, has to maintain the treatment or get Galactic level of treatment to entirely remove the nematode and all released cysts. It is the only one, however, that is treatable by human technology.
Following the nematode attack there are five viruses. Four strike more or less simultaneously, the fifth strikes last. All of the viruses are aerosol vectors as well as blood pathogens. All of the viruses have a long infectious period followed by rapid terminal phase. They're fairly merciful, actually. The nematode attack is the most painful and the pain period is mercifully brief.
There is a virus loaded to eliminate a host of genetic disorders including color blindness. Then one that attacks anyone with a reduced immune system. One that eliminates anyone with genetic propensity for cancer or several auto-immune disorders such as lupus. Then one that attacks several teratogenic conditions. Those will attack simultaneously and, based on probable infection period, quite soon. Which are all very much overkill because the last one kills anyone who does not have a gene for blond hair. I'm not sure what the purpose of that is. But it will eliminate 90% of your world population.
Following the nematode attack there are five viruses. Four strike more or less simultaneously, the fifth strikes last. All of the viruses are aerosol vectors as well as blood pathogens. All of the viruses have a long infectious period followed by rapid terminal phase. They're fairly merciful, actually. The nematode attack is the most painful and the pain period is mercifully brief.
There is a virus loaded to eliminate a host of genetic disorders including color blindness. Then one that attacks anyone with a reduced immune system. One that eliminates anyone with genetic propensity for cancer or several auto-immune disorders such as lupus. Then one that attacks several teratogenic conditions. Those will attack simultaneously and, based on probable infection period, quite soon. Which are all very much overkill because the last one kills anyone who does not have a gene for blond hair. I'm not sure what the purpose of that is. But it will eliminate 90% of your world population.
Louisa, describing the Horvath biowar agents
That's the really, really horrible part. This is cleaning up some long-term problems related to modern society. The transfer of wealth that's about to take place with virtually everyone over the age of seventy dying is enormous. And the government's going to tax the hell out of it. Social Security just got solvent overnight. People with pre-disposed genetic conditions absorbed ten percent of Medicaid. Old people absorbed over eighty percent and climbing. Medicaid and Medicare and all the other creeping socialized medicine programs were absorbing more and more of our Federal and State budgets. The combination has essentially cleared up the deficit.
"China and India were in the position of getting old before they got wealthy. Fixed that. If the terrorists keep with their determination to reject the vaccines? Fixed that, too. Hell, the way things are going there's not going to be a Pashtun tribe in another two weeks. Or any of the hard core militants in the world. Or most of the groups which contributed the majority of members of the international jihad like the Algerian Rif tribes. Britain reports that some 30% of their 'ethnic minorities' are rejecting vaccines. Guess which ethnic group? Pakistan is only getting twelve percent takers. There's not going to be a Pakistan when this is done. India might as well absorb it.
"China and India were in the position of getting old before they got wealthy. Fixed that. If the terrorists keep with their determination to reject the vaccines? Fixed that, too. Hell, the way things are going there's not going to be a Pashtun tribe in another two weeks. Or any of the hard core militants in the world. Or most of the groups which contributed the majority of members of the international jihad like the Algerian Rif tribes. Britain reports that some 30% of their 'ethnic minorities' are rejecting vaccines. Guess which ethnic group? Pakistan is only getting twelve percent takers. There's not going to be a Pakistan when this is done. India might as well absorb it.
Tyler Vernon, on the Horvath biowar attacks
