T1-G1 Virus

The T1-G1 Virus, also referred to as the Red Flu, the Red Cootie Virus or simply the Virus is the name given to the magic-based contagion that infected the town of Cinder Isle in 1996 and serves as the main focus of the sixth SF comic "Cinder Isle" It causes any man infected with it to transform into a woman version of themselves at various rates and turn women infected into much curvier, fit, and even occasionally younger versions of themselves. Transforming their bodies and current clothing at various rates into a "Supermodel" like form. The Virus was created when the Gender Curses collected by Alistair Huntington; that had slowly decayed into a fluid like state, were mixed with underground spring water which then flowed through a long fault line that fed into a swampy lake on Cinder Isle. The liquid state of the curse then was able to spread through direct contact with any living creature who drank or even touched the infected red water and due to its fluid state caused the human body to react with an immune response making it seem like a virus. The Virus in truth was effectively a contagious curse that due to its decayed state spread and acted like a viral contagion but was still a loose form of magic. The Virus spread out from the Lake where the spring fed into turning its water Red and seemly infecting the surrounding flora and fauna to some extent causing red root like growths and noticeably causing a male moose who drank from the lake to lose its antlers and become female. 
It is unknown exactly how long the Virus laid in the Red Lake until the pandemic actually began but assumably anywhere from a few days to a couple months as it was assumed to have appeared soon after the reported Earthquake that occurred around that time. It was implied that Alistair may have caused said Earthquake in his attempt at suicide but in the process unknowingly breached his own vault and caused the spring on his island to flow into the chamber and through a long fault line cave created as a result leading to Cinder Isle. 
The Virus also seems to display a certain level of sentience or awareness as some individuals transformed by it seem to have developed what they view as the most attractive or desirable female body such as a certain breast size or curvature. It also seems to transform the individual's body and clothing into a female version of how they currently appear as when it infected individuals wearing Halloween Costumes, they became the female counterparts of their costumes not themselves. Though it is unclear if this is a conscious effect of the virus or a minor awareness from its magical elements. The Virus also seems too purposely hold back symptoms in certain individuals until they can expose others around them and infect them though some feel the delay of symptoms is the result of the victim's immune system not a conscience choice of the virus itself. 
== Qualities and Symptoms: ==
The T1-G1 Virus spreads mainly through fluids but depending on the stage of the virus experienced by the infected it only spreads through specific fluids. Initial exposure occurred through direct contact with the Red Water in the lake that the Curse Fluid seeped into. 
===== Stage 1: =====
Once exposed to the virus the infected subject's body will react with an immune response causing them to display flu like symptoms beginning with Nausea body aches, and then rapidly moving into coughing and sneezing. This stage has been seen lasting anywhere from a few seconds to just over a full day. (This time period is implied to be determined by either the strength of the victim's immune system or by the virus itself holding back until it can spread to as many people as possible) 
===== Stage 2: =====
As the victim begins experiencing more intense flu like symptoms such as Coughing and Sneezing this is the point where they are most contagious. At this stage the infected were known as "Transmitters" due to being able to easily spread the virus for this and the next 3 stages. The Virus was given a R-Naught of 15 or Higher meaning that a single infected is likely to infect at least 15 others on average. In this stage any form of physical contact or contact with the body fluids of the infected will spread the virus. Sweat, Saliva, Snot, and even minor particle in their breath can spread the virus to anyone around them when they are experiencing these symptoms. It is also implied by some that the Virus may spread through fomites, meaning anything that the infected recently touched could transmit the virus for a short time but this is never confirmed or specified. This Stage tends to last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.
===== Stage 3: =====
Soon after their Flu Like Symptoms begin the victim will then begin to transform. Their body will continue to feel ill, and they will keep sneezing and coughing for this stage, but their body will also begin to transform. Exposed Men will begin to transform into a woman version of themselves and exposed women will begin to grow bustier more attractive and even physically younger in some cases. The actual order of what body parts transform first seems to vary as some victims see the transformation begin in their hands, or feet. And other see the transformation begin in their face or hair. The only factor that seems to remain constant regardless of victim is that Genitals are the last part to transform. At the end of the transformation process a male penis will transform into a fully functional vagina. This stage last anywhere from a few seconds up to around half an hour or so based presumably on the victim's immune system. With some seeming to fully transform almost instantly and others taking a while for their body to transform little by little. 
===== Stage 4: =====
Once the Transformation process is complete the victim will feel a near instant relief of their Flu Like Symptoms and go back to feeling perfectly healthy. Some older infected individuals may even feel improved health as the Virus seems to transform the body of older adults into a more youthful form (presumably a physical age of around 25-30) At this point their symptoms will quickly disappear and they will feel normal again apart from the body alterations. This stage seems to take several seconds to fully pass and symptoms to subside. This the point they transition from a "Transmitter" to a "Carrier." 
====== Stage 5: ======
After stage 4 has passed the infected individual's rate of infecting others will drop to a fraction of a percent and the virus will then only be able to spread through contact with an infected person's blood or sexual fluids. The Victim will be physically alright, but they will remain in this stage permanently and be a lifelong carrier of the virus. This is thus the final stage when the victim is now referred to as a "Carrier" and has passed through the transformation but is now stuck in a new body that carries the virus mainly in its blood and sexual fluids. All other body fluids such as saliva and snot no longer spread the virus as they did in the previous stages. An additional factor of this stage and a symptom of the virus itself is that it also seems to drive up the sex drive of the infected causing the transformed to have increased libido and attraction to any uninfected. This may again be a sign of a certain level of intelligence within the virus as it seems to push others towards sexual encounters which is likely to spread the virus further. While not all victims experience this effect as intensely as others practically all infected are drawn into a state of bisexuality regardless of their orientation before infection. 
===== Immunity =====
The only known individual exposed to the Virus but immune to its effects was Gavin Scarborough due to the fact that he was already a victim of the Gender Curse inherited from his biological mother. Since he carried the curse already the virus infected him but did not transform him. Instead, it seems to boost the strength of his own inherited curse and cause him to slowly go through a kind of second puberty becoming more manly, taller and muscular over the course of several months. There for the only way to be immune to the T1-G1 virus is to already carry the gender curse instead. It is unknown if the removal of the Gender Curse also removes said immunity as when Gavin was cured and became Galea, she was implied to have sex with Zach at some point but as Zach had been cured of his virus by that time, she would not have been re-exposed but without an existing curse for the virus to boost Galea would have likely just gotten bustier or felt sick for a short time if that were she had been re-exposed. 
===== Other Qualities of the Virus =====
* The Virus seems to display a level or sentience or awareness of the victim and transforms them into a shape they find attractive or appealing to them in some way. Such as when it Transformed Dutch Gardiner into Diana and her body shape seemed to match Wanda Scarborough, her love interest at the time or when it gave Heather Houlton massive breasts due to her jealousy of her younger sister Zoey having such large assets (Though she regretted them being so big rather quickly)
* The more direct contact with an individual's system seems to cause the virus to progress through its stages faster as evidence by Elaine Houlton and Rachel Houlton when Elaine elected to purposely infect herself to get it over with. By Scissoring with her husband-turned-wife her symptoms intensified and seemed to move from stage 1 thru 5 in less than a minute.
* It is possible to be intimate with an infected and not become infected so long as proper protection is used but regular condoms are estimated to only have around an 80-90% chance of preventing infection and even specialized condoms that were designed to also cover the testicles still only had around a 95% chance of preventing it and could still be ripped or torn though several characters have been implied to use them multiple times without causing infection. 
* Other methods of safe sex could be practiced like using gloves and disinfectant wipes to clean up any fluids before they touched a non-infected, but it was stated several times that it was practically impossible to have 100% safe sex with any infected as there were too many factors to consider.
* It was questioned and implied that Anal sex was safer than vaginal sex with an infected but still carried risk as the Sexual fluids produced by the infected vagina through the arousal or even minor amounts of blood from the Anal canal could still leak onto the uninfected.
* Despite its magic background the T1-G1 virus was implied to have a few qualities similar to a real pathogen such as being killed off by disinfectants or chlorine and being able to be detected by a blood test in certain cases.
* The Virus was able to infect animals based on the moose seen early on but there is never another known case of an animal getting infected after that suggesting all other animals stayed away from the red lake possibly due to the Ghosts and later the abomination and military set up.
* It is never made clear if the virus spread across species as Zack had been sneezed on by the infected moose but he also washed his face in the red water right after this and it is unclear which of these actually infected him. However as there was never another known case of an animal being infected by the red water or another human the later seems the more likley. 
* Though Gavin was immune to the transformation and sickness effects of the virus he was classified as an asymptomatic carrier and could still transmit the virus to others through blood and sexual fluids, meaning had he had sex with or bled on a non-infected at some point over the year of quarantine he likely would have caused them to transform.
* It is pointed out that continued exposure to the infected red water can in fact increase the Virus' effects causing the curves and assets to become even more defined and larger as shown by Mayor Westbrook drinking the water as part of a government medical experiment but this also seems to cause a degree of irrational behavior and clouds the mind with arousal and lewd thoughts due to the libido increase symptoms of Stage 5.
== The Pandemic ==
The T1-G1 Pandemic began with Patient Zero Zack Houlton. It is assumed that he was initially infected either when he was sneezed on by a moose who had recently drunk from the red lake or when he tried to wash his face in the red waters of said lake.(it is unclear witch genuinely infected him as the moose was infected yet there is never any mention of animals being able to carry and transmit the virus after this) Zack then began to slowly transform over the course of an hour or so. 
Once at School Zach began to display Stage 2 and sneezed on the school Bully Bruce infecting him almost immediately. Zach then went to class but continued to transform entering stage 3 while walking through the halls with only his friend Gavin seeming to notice. Eventually he realized what was happening and Gavin took him to the nurse's office. Once there he coughed on and infected Principal Harpswell who then began to transform even faster than Zack. Bruce then burst into the nurse's office with his hair suddenly grown long and blond revealing to the nurse the severity of the virus. She then quarantined the infected and evacuated the school. The Infected were then picked up by an ER squad but both the nurse and at least 1 of the squad members were infected in this time and began to transform. Unknown at the time however another student Brendon had been infected by Bruce and while he seemed to have a minor cough soon after the school evacuated, he showed no further signs of infection until a day later.
With the initial infected quarantined and the virus being assessed by a CDC team, the outbreak was believed to be contained. However, the next day it was revealed that a nurse had been exposed at the hospital and Brendon had been exposed at school resulting in further outbreaks. Brendon began to enter stages 2 and 3 at a crowded movie theater where he also sneezed on a snack clerk who proceeded to sneeze on the theater's popcorn supply. The nurse seemed to infect a few more staff and possibly a few civilians beyond that but it is never specified exactly how many. 
At the point of having dozens if not hundreds of infected the CDC and US government initiated a military quarantine of Cinder Isle. Realizing that incubation period varied greatly and there seemed to be no viable test to determine infection before symptoms started to show, the military were given the order to kill anyone attempting to flee the island once they crossed a marked line on the bridge to the mainland. The government launched a cover story detailing a freighter carrying nuclear waste capsized and spilled its contaminants near the island resulting the eventual death of all inhabitants and contamination of the area 
Despite trapping all residence of the island indefinitely the military made sure they were cared for by regulating goods and supplies to be brought back in regularly. Various military groups also remained on the island to regulate the quarantine and study the virus. While the inhabitants were cut off from outside contact as per a military cover up life on the island became somewhat normal again after several weeks. 
After the initial outbreaks died off after 9 days it was deemed fit for the infected who had made it to stage 5 to be released back into the Cinder Isle population as long as they understood to be cautious as they could still infect others through blood and sexual fluids. After this point most outbreaks were somewhat minor occurring only on occasion to individuals or small groups. These minor outbreaks or further infections were usually the result of the virus causing the infected to experience increased libido and sexual drive thus they were driven into sexual encounters with men causing infection in a great many cases. 
The next large-scale outbreak occurred on Halloween roughly a month after the initial outbreak. an infected girl named Daphne was attacked by one of the hostile ghosts that emerged as a result of the curses leaking out and her blood cased the infection of a large Halloween party causing everyone except for 2 of the partygoers to transform into a female version of the costume they were dressed in. 
Following that large incident only minor infections of individuals or small groups would occur again and again under various circumstances. Usually, the result of sexual encounters or simply one infected becoming too aroused at the wrong time. 
On Day 324 another ghost attack occurred which resulted in barrels of the infected red water to be spilled over several military personnel causing another group outbreak and nearly causing a barrel to roll into the ocean and risk infecting the mainland, but this was stopped by Shane who was then infected and transformed into his female persona of Shana thereafter. 
On day 346 it was discovered by Zoey, Natalie, and Shana where the outbreak originated from after getting help from the ghosts to go through the red lake and the cave that connected it to Alistair's Curse Vault where they also recovered the shattered fragments of his crystalline body, but they would not get specific information for another couple weeks. 
One year after the initial outbreak it was determined that Cinder Isle's population had been 88.39% infected with Gavin estimating only 521 Men left and only 640 uninfected women. This quickly went down to only 1 man however as Bridget (formally Bruce) and her best friend turned boyfriend Frank decide to pull a final revenge on the island for putting them down over the past year for several reasons. The two intended to use a barrel of infected Red Water hooked up to a main water line during an anniversary celebration in town to infect the remaining population and leave Frank the only uninfected left giving them both status again. The plan worked in the sense that they had successfully contaminated the islands water supply and spread the infection to all other residence however when caught in the act Frank was also exposed and turned into Francine the two were then arrested on charges of Bio-Terorrism. 
It was at this point that the whole of the island's population was infected including military personal stationed there with the noticeable exception of Gavin who remained unchanged and was tested and shown to be immune to the virus (due to his already having the gender curse but this was not known at the time). This left Gavin as the only man left on the island and the Pandemic effectively ended here as it had nowhere else to spread due to the island's quarantine. 
On day 377 however the truth of the Virus and its origins were revealed to Gavin, Zoey, Shana, and Natalie (The Quad) and they began making efforts to finish reconstructing Alistair's body to restore his full power so he could not only undo the damage done by the Virus but also use Mass Memory Alter (MMA) to erase all knowledge of it with the exception of the Quad as thanks for saving him. 
By Day 396 Alistair had been reconstructed enough to do a test run and chose to cure Gavin (now turned Gaela) of her gender curse and simultaneously cure Zoey of her virus turning him back to Zach; though now improved with extra Muscles and a few inches taller. He then used MMA to rewrite all records and memories of the two, so it was remembered that Gaela was now patient Zero and had experienced major curve growth not transformation and Zack was the only Immune man left on the island in place of Gavin. This was done without much issue and the two quickly adjusted to this, both feeling that it even strengthened their relationship now that they were both their true selves. 
On day 400 Alistair was fully reconstructed and thanks to efforts by the Quad it was discreetly determined by election that around 15-20% of Cinder Isle residence wanted to keep their new lives as women (or with enhanced figures) and so Alistair used his power to not only cure the population within a single night but also rewrite the memories of the world with MMA, so it was remembered the quarantine and outbreak never happened and those who chose to remain transformed had always been that way. Thus, the T1-G1 Pandemic now exists only as a memory to Alistair and the Quad with all other traces of its occurrence erased form memory.
== Repercussions: ==
While the Pandemic was going on there were a number of events that occurred, and adjustments made to life on Cinder Isle as a result. While most of them were likely erased entirely and forgotten by all but the Quad once Alistair undid the damage there were several notable changes made to better help the citizens of the island to adjust during the pandemic. 
* A Strict Military quarantine was enforced cutting off all of Cinder Isle from the outside world to contain the virus. At least 1 citizen was shot dead trying to flee across the bridge to the mainland. 
* The Islands supplies were all regulated and brought in by Military forces. Presumably a lot of female clothing and other products that would help the infected citizens survive and adjust as well as basic food and other resources.
* The Cinder Island School system arranged for a specialized Sex Education Course to be taught to students to teach safe(r) and hygienic sex Practices as well as teach formerly male students about their new gender. 
* A military operation was carried out in secret on the island shipping large amounts of the infected Red Water to military facilities for study not only to find a vaccine or cure but also in an effort to see if it could be weaponized.
* In an effort to maintain a stable population Mayor Westbrook proposed a program where Gavin, as the only immune male left on the island, would be paid a fortune to sleep with and impregnant willing women and be free of any obligation of child support or legal parenthood. This however was no doubt more an attempt by the mayor and her political allies to get Gavin to sleep with them due to the virus maxing out their libido, ignoring the issues of eternal quarantine as well as interbreeding issues 2 generations down the line. This plan never came to fruition as Alistair undid the pandemic before it took effect.
* The Outside world was led to believe everyone on the island was killed by a nuclear waste spill causing some like Stanley Pembrooke to investigate further and some like Christine Gardenier to assume her husband and son were dead and move on rather quickly.
* The Cinder Isle Sweetbread Ski Resort lost all tourist trade due to the quarantine and thus began offering big discounts to the citizens on the island to have trips up to the mountains and mini vacations at the lodge and cabins. 
* Most shops and stores on Cinder Isle were quickly selling out of DD sized bras and other busty sized women's clothing.
== Beyond: ==
In the Non-Canon Beyond Comic Cinder Isle: The Cure the T1-G1 virus tends to follow a very similar pattern of spread and infection however the primary difference between this comic and the main timelines virus is that Zoey still transforms into a girl but maintains her original genitalia. Zoey is the only one to be affected by the Virus in this way with everyone else still fully transforming. When Zoey and Natalie have sex during their vacation to Sweet Bread Ski resort Natalie transforms back into her original male form of Nathan as a result of Zoey coming inside of her revealing that unlike the other infected sexual fluids that spread the virus, Zoey's semen seems to fully reverse its effects and cure it. 
After being examined and going through several tests by having sex with other infected its shown that Zoey's semen acts as a kind of immunization medication by fully eradicating the virus and making the infected revert to normal. They also seem to be immune to reinfection. The tests reveal that the cure can take effect if Zoey's semen is taken in any fashion. Vaginal seems to work quickly but taking it Anally seems to work slightly faster and orally a bit slower. It was also mentioned that attempting to freeze and preserve Zoey's semen negates its cure effects and thus the only confirmed way to receive the cure is to have some form of direct sex with Zoey. 
(to be Continued) 
== Trivia ==
* The T1-G1 virus ironically could have potentially brought about the world Sylvana Huntington planned to bring about with all non-bloods eventually dyeing off because they would all have been turned into women unable to reproduce with anyone apart from male sorcerers who could transform themselves back if infected. The only non-Blood men who could avoid it would have to be carriers of the Gender Curse. 
* It is never confirmed as no one on Cinder Isle was known to give birth during the 400-day Pandemic but presumably any child born to an infected mother would either inherit the virus from their mother and be born female or even if the fetus was male the blood and fluids from the mother that they were exposed to during the birthing process would infect them anyway. 
* Presumably if a woman who carried the Gender Curse was exposed to the virus, she would still transform into a bustier body just as Gavin's curse was strengthened by the virus making him more muscular and taller, though in the same manner the woman's changes may simply occur much slower.
*As sorcerer kind was not immune to the effects of a gender curse it can be assumed that they would also be susceptible to the T1-G1 Virus. While they could use magic to transform their bodies back to normal this would presumably not remove the Virus from their systems as was the case with Ashley still maintaining her gender curse despite becoming a woman as she merely used transformation magic, not curse removal. However, as no known sorcerers lived on Cinder Isle at the time of the outbreak this remains unconfirmed.