The Volatus Virus

## Volatus Virus

*"The disease, as I've told you, functions on various levels. These are measured by the size of dinosaur a person can achieve. Ellie's limit appears to be the Tyrannosaurus Rex, so she will automatically go to* that *whenever she's exposed to electrical stimuli. She does, however, have other dinosaurs stored in her system, which can be accessed at any time. Think of it as a cup. The larger your glass is, the more water you can hold, but you'll have no trouble filling it up halfway."*
—Henry Wu(src)
The Volatus Virus affected birds, humans, and dinosaurs with avian DNA. It caused humans who had been exposed to nuclear radiation to change into large theropods when electrocuted, as well as giving them the ability to change into smaller dinosaurs and speak the languages of dinosaurs whose DNA they had acquired. Affected dinosaurs had the ability to adopt avian features to varying degrees.

## Effects

### Humans

Infected humans would automatically transform into the largest species of theropod dinosaurs that they had come into contact with when subject to electrocution, depending on their original proximity to the nuclear wave that triggered the virus. In order to transform, they would either gain or lose matter by putting off or absorbing huge amounts of energy (releasing light to shrink, or absorbing heat to grow). Infection came in several forms, with many different species being possible to transform into depending on the severity of the infection. The severity of the infection was dependent on how close the individual was to nuclear radiation while infected, and the size of the theropod from which the infection came. Larger theropods carried more severe forms of the virus, and upon electrocution, the host would transform into the largest species of theropod that they had DNA from. Infected humans could also voluntarily transform once they learned how to use this ability, as long as they had acquired the DNA of that species through physical contact. They could also understand the language of the dinosaurs that they transformed into, even when not using that shape. A human could only maintain the most extreme transformation for three hours before reverting.

When a host experiences her first transformation, it is often a slower process than later. She may experience extreme chest pain, chills, blurry vision, nausea, foaming at the mouth, a lack of blood clotting, and fainting.

The virus naturally affects females under 51 years of age, not exhibiting symptoms in males.

Another aspect of the virus was the Post-Mortem Reaction, which caused humans that were killed by dinosaurs to resurrect and permanently transform into whatever species killed them. Shortly after resurrecting, the affected human is temporarily insane and highly aggressive, with their intelligence suppressed. These effects stop when an intense emotional reaction snaps the person out of this trance-like state.

Humans killed by more than one lesser infected animal can also experience the Post-Mortem Reaction; for example, Zara Young was held by a *Pteranodon* when both of them are killed by a *Mosasaurus*, and she undergoes the Post-Mortem Reaction after transforming into a hybrid of the two reptiles.

Children were affected differently by the disease. As of 1995, Dr. Wu was not certain how children would react to it.

### Theropods

Infected theropods could temporarily increase the proportion of bird DNA in their genome, causing physical transformation to a lesser degree than humans. They would grow feathers, beaks, and other avian features, which would eventually vanish as the dinosaur returned to normal. Like with humans, the infected theropods would transform into birds whose DNA they had obtained by physical contact. The only raptor who could change fully was Charlie F. Grant; all the other raptors could only change partially into the birds whose DNA they had obtained. These transformations were voluntary as well. Birds were the primary hosts, but they did not exhibit transformation or any other supernatural symptoms.

### Other Animals

Some other species, such as *Pteranodons*, could become secondarily infected. They acted as carriers but did not show any of the symptoms. These species had small amounts of bird DNA in their genome due to gene splicing, but not enough to fully become infected and show the transformation symptoms.

## Infection

Hosts of the Volatus Virus mostly become infected through physical contact. DNA is transmitted from a bird to a nonavian theropod, or from a nonavian theropod to a human. There are no known examples of humans obtaining avian DNA.

The disease is extremely contagious, and even indirect contact with any species of theropod can lead to infection. Remnants of the virus would remain on things that theropods had touched for a time.

## Controlling the Transformation

Roquefort cheese could undo the highest level of transformation, and dysprosium could prevent morphing altogether. The Post-Mortem Reaction could be triggered by a serum developed by InGen, allowing humans to permanently transform without being killed.

## In TSJPFEW

Between 1994 and 1995, Dr. Henry Wu and his scientists discovered the Volatus Virus and its effects. He realized that the most likely candidate for infection was Ellie Sattler, because she was closest to the nuclear power plant when she turned the power on. She had also come into physical contact with a *Tyrannosaurus rex*, meaning that it was possible that she might transform into one. Wu brought her, Alan Grant, and Ian Malcolm to the island so that he could study the virus and use it to keep the island's theropods under control. He also had his scientists capture juvenile theropods, such as Charlie, to study the virus's effects on dinosaurs. Robin Smith was one of the first humans who was experimented upon; at the time, it was not known if someone as seriously infected as Robin could survive the transformation.

Other employees on Isla Nublar, and survivors of the Jurassic Park incident, had been infected as well. Ellie Sattler experienced her first transformation after accidentally being electrocuted by a jumper cable, transforming into a *Tyrannosaurus* in the Jurassic Park Visitors' Center.

## Known Infected Humans

### Female

* Ellie Sattler.
* Robin Smith. PMR'd into an *Allosaurus*.
* Lex Murphy.
* Jess Harding.
* Nima Cruz.
* Laura Sorkin. PMR'd into a *Tylosaurus*.
* Sarah Harding.
* Kelly Curtis.

### Male

* Yannick Ilnyckyj. PMR'd into an *Allosaurus*.
* Ian Malcolm. Forcibly PMR'd into a *Utahraptor*.