View source for The Plagues

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<big>The Plagues</big>
# Poison the oceans, rivers, and lakes; make the waters barren of life. Let the Forgotten's nets bring up nothing but stone and their traps yield nothing but mud. The sea will give forth my bounty no more.
# Eradicate that unnatural fabrication known as plastic. Let it no longer pollute the oceans, streams, and land.
# Lay waste to the soil of the earth. Cause the orchards to bloom no longer and the fields to reap nothing but dust. There shall be no more harvests.
# Destroy the copper that runs across the Forgotten's cities. Let their homes go dark; let them once again fear the night.
# Bring down a terrible blight upon the livestock of the Forgotten. Let the Forgotten's sheep, cattle, pigs, and chickens grow ill and die. I rescind the Forgotten's dominion over the beasts of the earth.
# Afflict all Forgotten Sons with a host of terrible boils. Let all mankind be scarred by the mark of my disappointment until they wither and die.
# Corrode the earth's iron and steel. Let the Forgotten Sons' buildings crumble and their bridges collapse. Let these monuments to the Forgotten's hubris fall.
# Consume the Forgotten's fuels. Let their homes grow cold, their automobiles sit forever in place, and their ships stay forever moored.
# Bring forth a lasting darkness to cloud the earth. Noon shall look as twilight, and midnight as black as an abyss. Let all days be winter. The Forgotten will no longer feel the sun's warmth.
# Take the children of the Forgotten Sons. Bring forth a terrible sickness to which my Chosen Sons are immune. Let the Forgotten die in their cribs; only my Chosen Sons shall grow to be of age.
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 |source = [[Chosen Sons]] by [[Cabot]]
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The Plagues were a series of ten bacteria and viruses designed and propagated by the terrorist Different [[Cabot]]. The purpose of these creations was to devastate and cripple the human race in order to pave the way for Differents to seize power around the globe. The individual Plagues varied in effectiveness but the cumulative effect was devastating. They are credited with creating conditions that killed over 75% of the world's population and 50% of the American population from 1980-1995.

In January of 1980, according to travel records, Chester [[Cabot]] traveled from New York to Israel. It is there, in Israel, that [[Cabot]] is believed to have released The Plagues. Although never confirmed, it is widely accepted that [[Cabot]] was a [[Bacteria Producer]] whose body generated the bacteria and viruses that made up The Plagues. Unlike other [[Bacteria Producer]]s he was unique in that he was somehow able to control the design of the organisms his body created. [[Cabot]] was able to manipulate what material his creations would consume, the shape of their cellular structure, their reproduction methods, and their longevity. Using these tools, Cabot was able to create the unique bacteria and viruses he needed for his Plagues.

The Plagues were released in January of 1980 and the first reports of damage and disease that were consistent with Plagues started appearing in June of 1980 in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. In December of 1980, there were reports in Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The Plagues quickly spread through Eastern Europe, Asia, and Australia. The first U.S. reports of damage consistent with the Plagues was in Portland Oregon in October of 1981. The Plagues quickly spread thought the United States, affecting the entire nation by February 1982, when a state of emergency was declared. The Plagues then spread into South America, Europe, and Africa. The entire globe was impacted by the end of 1982.

From 1982-1989, The Plagues wreaked havoc on U.S. property, infrastructure, fuel production, mining, and crop yields. A private public partnership was formed with [[Ultracorps]], to cope with the devastation. Unique antibiotics and anti-bacterial substances were developed and deployed to halt the spread of The Plagues. Teams of Differents were also dispatched to combat outbreaks. [[Heater]]s would burn infected material that [[Speedster]] and [[Strong-Man]] Differents would gather up. By 1995, The Plagues were considered controlled, although outbreaks can and do continue to occur on occasion. The U.S. government takes credit for the victory, although some experts argue that the repression of The Plagues was inevitable, as they had already consumed all of available material and died off naturally.

== The Individual Plagues ==
* The first Plague was a virus designed to kill life forms living in both salt and fresh water. The virus proved devastating in the short term. Experts estimate that from 1981-1983 fish populations fell as much as 85%. Ultimately, the virus’ extreme lethality ended up limiting its effects. The virus killed so quickly, all the hosts in populated areas would die before the virus could spread to more sparsely populated regions. The survivors quickly propagated the newly emptied areas of lakes and oceans. In addition, the other Plagues caused a massive decrease in the fishing industry. This assisted in the recovery of fish populations. Fish populations had recovered to Pre-Plague levels by 1988 and quickly surpassed that level. 

* The second Plague was a bacterium designed to consume plastic. The bacteria spread rapidly and effectively. The bacteria would consume all available plastic in an area, leaving behind toxic micro-particles. After all the plastic was consumed, the bacteria would form a bio-film, a combination of bacterial cells. These newly formed structures would allow the bacteria to survive long periods of time without nutrients, and were shaped in a way to make the bacteria spread through the air and water. The effects of this Plague were devastating. Many water pipes were plastic, causing massive damage to property and infrastructure when they were consumed by the bacteria. Many cars and appliances had plastic components that were vital. The medical field was particularly hard-hit as plastics were relied on for virtually every medical procedure.  In 1989, [[Ultracorps]] developed [[Pho-Plastic]], a plastic-like substance that is immune to the bacteria.

* The third Plague was designed to release toxins into the soil of the earth, thereby reducing crop yield world-wide. This Plague had no direct bacteria or viral cause and was actually the planned result of several of the other Plagues, most specifically those that consumed fuel, iron compounds, copper, and plastic. The bacteria that consumed these substances left behind compounds that proved toxic to many plants. These particles were spread around the globe through rainwater. This Plague was highly effective at reducing crop-yields worldwide. At the peak of its effects, crop yields were reduced 90% in 1985. Soil toxicity has been slowing returning to normal since 1995 as most of the available toxin-producing substances have been consumed and the toxic compounds have been moved out of the soil through natural processes. In addition, [[Ultracorps]] developed the [[Manna Fields]], a large patch of land in what used to be the state of Nevada where Differents are employed to produce tremendous crop yields. The nation also moved away from crops as a primary food source. [[Manna]] based products now account for approximately 70% of the nation's calories.

* The fourth Plague was a bacterium designed to consume copper and many copper alloys. The bacteria were extremely hardy and could withstand high levels of heat. When they had consumed all available copper, they would release their stored water, purposefully drying themselves out. The shape of the bacteria when dried out made them extremely aerodynamic. The slightest gust of wind could transport the bacteria for miles, where they would find a new source of copper, re-hydrate, and begin consuming and reproducing. The bacteria spread quickly and had devastating effects on the copper wiring that was used for electrical transmission. By the end of 1983, virtually every power-grid on the planet was destroyed. The bacteria continues to present a challenge. There are occasional outbreaks at copper-mines and several mines have been rendered useless. Electrical production and distribution is no longer viewed as a viable large scale operation.

* The fifth Plague was a series of viruses created to devastate the global livestock populations. Specifically the viruses targeted cattle, goats, sheep, swine and fowl. The viruses were similar to the Flu virus, but much more deadly, and spread much more quickly. By 1983 more than 90% of all livestock had been killed. A small percentage of individuals in each group of livestock did develop immunity to the viruses. These individuals have been selectively breed and the majority of livestock born today possess a natural immunity to the virus. Those that are born without the immunity do not usually survive to adulthood. The nation largely moved away from livestock as a significant food source. [[Manna]] based products now account for approximately 70% of the nation's calories.

* The sixth Plague was a virus designed to cause blisters and boils that would leave permanent scars on the afflicted. The virus was the same one used in the tenth Plague. In children, the virus was often fatal. Adults would usually survive but would be left with scars all over their body. Individuals who had a resistance to the Chicken Pox virus usually had a immunity to the sixth Plague. This meant many adults were spared from the effects of the Plague thanks to their childhood exposure to and recovery from Chicken Pox.

* The seventh Plague was a bacteria designed to consume iron and many iron-alloys including most forms of steel. When the bacteria consumed all available nutrients, they would reduce to an endospore, a dormant state where the bacteria was virtually impossible to kill. When the bacteria were re-exposed to a new iron-source, it would awaken and begin consuming. This allowed the bacteria to enter virtually any location as the spores could travel on any surface and could not be killed. This Plague devastated worldwide infrastructure. Virtually every multi-story building in existence was damaged as a result of this Plague and many collapsed. Water and sewer infrastructure were virtually destroyed. These bacteria continue to be a problem. What little iron mining is performed industrially must be done in a cleanroom environment in order to ensure none of the spores entire the mine and begin consuming the iron. Mankind has been forced to move away from the large scale use of iron and steel in construction and engineering.

* The eighth Plague was a series of bacteria designed to consume fuel sources, most notably coal and petroleum. These bacteria appear to be mutations of naturally occurring organisms. These altered organisms are much hardier, consume and reproduce at greater rates, and are able to travel over great distance on land or sea. The spread of these bacteria combined with the effects of the other Plagues put a virtual halt to coal and petroleum production worldwide. This had devastating consequences for the human population, especially in cold weather climates as the loss of fuel made home heating extremely difficult. Recently some coal and petroleum production has restarted but the majority of worldwide efforts have been focused on natural gas as it appears to be safe from the fuel consuming bacteria. Fossil fuels are no longer considered a viable source for large-scale heating and energy production.

* The ninth Plague was designed to reduce the amount sunlight that reached the earth creating a “darkness” to cloud the skies. Like the third Plague, this one had no direct causes; rather it was a result of the other Plagues. The toxiccompunds created by the other Plagues that poisoned the soil also created thicker and more numerous clouds cover across the globe. This did cause a decrease in sunlight that persists to this day, although the reduction never got higher than ~5% and rests at  ~2% today. 

* The tenth Plague was a virus designed to kill children. It was the same Plague used to cause scars on adults (the sixth Plague). In children under four, the boils and blisters it would produce were fatal in ~85% of cases. Individuals with Chicken Pox immunity either because of the vaccine developed by [[Ultracorps]] in 1988, or previous exposure were usually immune to the virus. There were incredibly high-mortality rates for infected children, killing as many as 85% of live births in 1984. By 1989, use of the Chicken pox vaccine became standard practice in schools in every [[Metro Area]].