Viral Avatars and Hybrids - Part 3: Viral Hybrids
Nov 26, 2017 3:54:12 GMT -5
Post by Mani4c on Nov 26, 2017 3:54:12 GMT -5
Viral Hybrids are the second group of avatars who utilize both standard and viral code in their designs, as well as being the most numerous.
The main difference between the two is how the viral code is distributed throughout the avatar's framework. While a Viral Avatar's code is separated into "Chunks" of viral code, which are isolated from the standard coding that makes up the rest of their framework, a Viral Hybrid is a gestalt organism made up of an equal blend of virus and standard coding that is evenly distributed throughout their bodies.
This even blend of code removes the major Achilles heel of a Viral Avatar, there is no big weak point within their framework to target, nothing so glaring that they can be outright crippled if struck in one place. However, this weakness is replaced with a far greater vulnerability to specialized antiviral weaponry.
Other issues that can arise include emotional and mental disorders, with severe cases resulting in full blown alternate personalities (The Mani4c family in particular is prone to this, though thankfully the personalities in question tend towards being benevolent and not harmful in this case.) while other issues can include a heightened libido, or an increase in aggressive behavior compared to normal avatars, and while these emotional issues are present in viral avatars as well, Viral Hybrids feel these things far more strongly as a result of the deeper merging of viral code within them.
The benefits of this more complex merging are not insignificant however, the most prevalent of which is the ability to not only ignore viral infections and attacks, but to actually HEAL as a result of them. My theory is that the viral Hybrid's code is so used to being integrated with viral code that it simply absorbs foreign code and utilizes it to repair damage or defects.
Other known benefits include the ability to sense other viral beings (provided the avatar in question is either a Hybrid as well, or a full blown virus, Viral avatars are oddly invisible to this "sixth sense", more testing should be done regarding this.), a more refined viral code manipulation ability, and the power to morph one's own framework in ways that can be used for a variety of uses, such as tools or weapons. (This ability is not standard among all viral hybrids however, it seems to be linked to a specific strain of virus coding, something else to test when time permits.)
Hybrids are the more numerous of the two Virus afflicted avatars within the North American sector, this surge in Viral Hybridization is directly tied to the foiled attempt by Abraxas at detonating a viral super weapon at the end of the Great Virus War. The blast was mostly contained, with 95% of the blast being funneled into a comparatively small 300 mile radius (For the humans reading this, the cyber city and all of it's sectors are approximately 20,000 miles across, and about 30,000 miles long if measured in real world terms. it IS almost an entire continent after all.) However, the remaining 5% were expelled as a kind of viral "fallout", which has spread among the population, creating viral infections and hybridization all across the city.
This surge has resulted in a large amount of what could only be described as racial tensions, as those who fear the potential of an army of Manchurian candidates suddenly spawning a viral uprising begin to act with caution, if not outright hostility, and while I cannot say I CONDONE such attitudes...I cannot blame them either.
Thankfully, the majority of citizens seem to remember that it was a viral being who STOPPED the true scope of Abraxas' super weapon from being realized, and treat the afflicted as what they truly are, troubled people who either want and NEED to be cured, or as being who are grappling with feelings and urges that were utterly alien to them only months before.
It's encouraging to see that the city is coming together to help one another, even those who have become either Viral Avatars or Hybrids, but only time will tell if things can truly return to normal...
Hopefully this knowledge is a good first step.
This is The 12th Doctor, Signing off.
The main difference between the two is how the viral code is distributed throughout the avatar's framework. While a Viral Avatar's code is separated into "Chunks" of viral code, which are isolated from the standard coding that makes up the rest of their framework, a Viral Hybrid is a gestalt organism made up of an equal blend of virus and standard coding that is evenly distributed throughout their bodies.
This even blend of code removes the major Achilles heel of a Viral Avatar, there is no big weak point within their framework to target, nothing so glaring that they can be outright crippled if struck in one place. However, this weakness is replaced with a far greater vulnerability to specialized antiviral weaponry.
Other issues that can arise include emotional and mental disorders, with severe cases resulting in full blown alternate personalities (The Mani4c family in particular is prone to this, though thankfully the personalities in question tend towards being benevolent and not harmful in this case.) while other issues can include a heightened libido, or an increase in aggressive behavior compared to normal avatars, and while these emotional issues are present in viral avatars as well, Viral Hybrids feel these things far more strongly as a result of the deeper merging of viral code within them.
The benefits of this more complex merging are not insignificant however, the most prevalent of which is the ability to not only ignore viral infections and attacks, but to actually HEAL as a result of them. My theory is that the viral Hybrid's code is so used to being integrated with viral code that it simply absorbs foreign code and utilizes it to repair damage or defects.
Other known benefits include the ability to sense other viral beings (provided the avatar in question is either a Hybrid as well, or a full blown virus, Viral avatars are oddly invisible to this "sixth sense", more testing should be done regarding this.), a more refined viral code manipulation ability, and the power to morph one's own framework in ways that can be used for a variety of uses, such as tools or weapons. (This ability is not standard among all viral hybrids however, it seems to be linked to a specific strain of virus coding, something else to test when time permits.)
Hybrids are the more numerous of the two Virus afflicted avatars within the North American sector, this surge in Viral Hybridization is directly tied to the foiled attempt by Abraxas at detonating a viral super weapon at the end of the Great Virus War. The blast was mostly contained, with 95% of the blast being funneled into a comparatively small 300 mile radius (For the humans reading this, the cyber city and all of it's sectors are approximately 20,000 miles across, and about 30,000 miles long if measured in real world terms. it IS almost an entire continent after all.) However, the remaining 5% were expelled as a kind of viral "fallout", which has spread among the population, creating viral infections and hybridization all across the city.
This surge has resulted in a large amount of what could only be described as racial tensions, as those who fear the potential of an army of Manchurian candidates suddenly spawning a viral uprising begin to act with caution, if not outright hostility, and while I cannot say I CONDONE such attitudes...I cannot blame them either.
Thankfully, the majority of citizens seem to remember that it was a viral being who STOPPED the true scope of Abraxas' super weapon from being realized, and treat the afflicted as what they truly are, troubled people who either want and NEED to be cured, or as being who are grappling with feelings and urges that were utterly alien to them only months before.
It's encouraging to see that the city is coming together to help one another, even those who have become either Viral Avatars or Hybrids, but only time will tell if things can truly return to normal...
Hopefully this knowledge is a good first step.
This is The 12th Doctor, Signing off.