Cosmic Plague

The **cosmic plague**, also commonly referred to as the **Galactic Plague** (often capitalised stylistically), is a highly contagious ancient viral disease that has spread throughout the Galaxy in the 2084 universe. It has been observed to be fatal to all forms of life, infecting animals, plants and fungi alike.

Every standard Pataliputrian year (365 days), up to at least 792 trillion cases of infection are reported. The planets with the most cases include those that come from Sectors 9 and 10. It has historically occurred in large outbreaks, with among the best known being the White Crisis which occurred 1,027 years ago on Pataliputra, leading to its subsequent lockdown that proceeds to this day.

## Discovery

The first encounter with the cosmic plague occurred around the end of the Unification period, when two infected individuals were discovered among the expedition crew of a spacecraft returning from the 10th Sector of the Galaxy to Falthar. Fortunately, the infection was noticed while the crew was in quarantine on the outer planet of the Folire system. The disease proved to be extremely contagious, defying all precautionary measures. It infected the entire population of the base, including any medical personnel that have arrived as support. It took around three months and significant sacrifices to discover a method of treatment.

## Characteristics

The cosmic plague is characterised by its two distinct factors: the exceptional ability for mimicry, and an apparent level of intelligent mutation control. Although the plague infects all forms of biological life, it appears to be exceptionally lethal to animals.

Controlled studies have shown that in large quantities, the disease gains a form of sentience and intelligence that allows it to better adapt to its new conditions. However, that is debatable, as the plague avoids detailed examination by mimicking blood cells common to that of different animal species. Those researchers who attempted to establish communication with the "viral mind" have failed so far. Most medical experts do presuppose that the plague is strategic, though.

The first outbreak has shown that during space travel, the disease remains dormant, suggesting its preference for mass gatherings of potential hosts to maximise its spread. It is unclear how exactly the cosmic plague spreads between organisms, which is why infected patients are handled with extreme precautions and are typically kept in complete isolation until recovery. The plague spreads extraordinarily quickly. Historical documents and archaeological evidence revealed that the Koleida planet was infected over the course of just three days, whereby all life on it was eradicated.

Since outbreaks of the disease aren't as frequent as they should be with its infectiousness, it is theorised that the cosmic plague itself cannot travel without a host organism (while older theories suggested that the pathogen could travel via air and even through the vacuum of space). Upon killing the host organism, the plague pathogens remain idle, being unable to move on their own. In temperatures common to human-populated planets (12-14°C) the pathogens can survive in their viable form for about three months, after which they begin to fossilise. The cosmic plague fossils are easily distinguished as a thin layer of white lime-like mass that cover different organic objects or inorganic surfaces. Upon fossilisation, the plague is completely harmless and considered dead. If the pathogen is subjected to temperatures below -10°C, it may enter a state of anabiosis, preventing fossilisation. This allows the plague to travel between planets via debris such as asteroids or comets. When arriving at an area where the temperature is higher than -10°C, the disease resumes its functions as usual.

The most common host organism that has been observed to carry the cosmic plague for the longest time are the **Helioxygenids** — small white winged insects, reminiscent of the Cabbage White butterfly from Earth. They typically transport the pathogen through contact with the surfaces they land on.

## Treatment

There exists a reliable vaccine against the cosmic plague, mainly developed by the Faltharian civilisation and modernised by the Pataliputrians, that can be used for prophylactic reasons, prevention and active treatment alike. Marketed differently under various names, it is typically administered through bloodstream injections, but at home and in large crowds, aerosol vaccine delivery is also possible, however, the last method is more costly to employ. The vaccine in this form has an unpleasant odour, similar to that of old rubber. The aerosol can also be sprayed on inorganic surfaces to kill the pathogen in order to decontaminate areas. Often, modern commercial centres and stations periodically supply a dose of the vaccine through their ventilation systems to keep the premises safe from the plague.

## Immunity

*Some* organisms that come from Sectors excluding 9 and 10 have been observed to have an incidental case of natural immunity to the cosmic plague. In some cases, they may become carriers of the plague with no ill effect, or just be avoided by the disease entirely. This has been largely reported in the more highly-developed human civilisations and has led researchers to believe that a shared DNA sequence allows organisms to be immune to the plague. Currently, research is mostly done on human volunteers with the goal of being able to bioengineer this presumed DNA sequence into other individuals to avoid the need for producing the vaccines en masse.