Proteptomine16

Proteptomine16 (pT16) also known as Agent-P and Anti-N is a liquid biochemical nerve agent designed to temporarily counteract the use of neonics in neohumans and also affects alts in the same manner, disrupting their ability to concentrate and 'switch on' their superhuman powers, or in the case of others with more physical abilities such as enhanced strength, dull that power's effectiveness.

In some instances the biochemical can also stop magic users concentrating on their tuning and overall can leave even normal humans feeling drowsy, disrupting general concentration and coherence, curiously the chemical has little effect on cybrids, but does have a more powerful effect on splicers.

It's development has been fraught with death, controversy and it's formula leaked into the Black Market in later years.

### **Early Development**

The liquid chemical was first thought to have been researched as far back as the 60's, and secret organisations such as Black Labs may have been responsible for early production of the blocking proteins that make up the core base of the chemical's active formula. During experiments with neohumans, specifically looking for ways to enhance or utterly deactivate their powers and generally study what "neones" are, Black Labs discovered that the complex and unique gene sequences that make up neohuman's DNA and RNA patterns are so intertwined with that person's overall genetics, that very little can be done to them without the neohuman dying in some way. Either by the neone utterly shutting down, leaving the neohuman to die in a catastrophic collapse of all life functions, or have their powers spiral out of control to the point where the neo, and perhaps those nearby are also killed depending on what power the subject possesses.

Sampling neones via bone-marrow and tissue did eventually lead to the replication of patterns in humans much later on in the 1980's and 90's when the first true 'alts' began appearing, be it through purposeful genetic recombination or accidental side-effects of neone-enhanced treatments (using the NHX chemical base), and as such the liquid seemed to also have a similar affect on alts, even in some cases actually removing the alterations, (albeit with some long-term negative side effects) due to the unstable and often temporary nature of mixed-DNA Altered Humans.

Secret uses of the Proteptomine10, 11 and 12 chemical were said to be tested during wars by the United States and Mexico to witness their effect on normal humans, notably in various Cuban conflicts during the 70's and 80's that led to many deaths.

As such, it was concluded during the 80's that permanently removing the powers of a neohuman is impossible, as they are so intertwined with their own power, any attempt to remove it at the root, simply kills the neo or causes a backlash of power that may also kill anyone nearby; this is known as the Neone Self-Destruct or NSD-Effect.

Black Labs may have used fronts such as the Whitefall Institute and Vogel Labs that has recently become one of the leading organisations for the study of superhuman genetics, and helped develop the chemical with Bailey Industries.

### **Eurodyne Leak**

In 2005, Cuban national and Eurodyne chemist Lúcio Castro formed the Loupoir organisation from Lycan Security to steal and replicate the chemical in an effort to both make money and out the involved governments and individuals, selling it to various criminal organisations in the process and making it generally harder for the government to control. While the operation was shut down by MI6/Interpol Special Operations by Volt, Castro's legacy had an enormous impact on the development of it's later variants, and likely sold it to various other clients such as Argent and Melior Corporation's Melius-Labs.

#### **Proteptomine13**

Rather than directly effect the genes, Black Labs, and later biochemical research laboratories that were very likely fronts to BL, managed to isolate the exact pathways in 1972 that neos use to activate and consciously control their power by using protein-blocks found in deadly nerve agents; early tests were not without failure and very strong first generation forms of the chemical (pT13) administered by an injection that would have lasted several hours, were too good at blocking the production of control signals, essentially tricking the body in thinking the neones didn't exist and unintentionally activating the NSD-Effect, killing the neo within minutes

To safely regulate the input, neos had to be directly injected with much smaller doses; this in-part worked, but both dramatically cut the time from the calculated several hours to only half an hour before the neo's body cleared the biochemical, meaning that a contained neo would have to be injected every 25 minutes, making the biochemical extremely inefficient. Neos would also feel particularly unwell during this time and have trouble moving, to the point where it would simply be more effective to tranquilise the neohuman.

#### **Proteptomine14 and 15**

Later research during the end of the 70's eventually led to two more variants, the 14-varient was considered far too weak, and while it dulled the powers of a neo somewhat, didn't actually prevent them from using their abilities, while the 15 variant almost had the desired effect, in several instances this caused lasting brain-damage and the development of cancers and neurological conditions that resulted in power fluctuations, instability and eventually death months or years later.

#### **Proteptomine16 Proper**

The earliest stable model of pT16 in use currently was first developed by both a Eurodyne/AugChem partnership in 2004 within the Calais Eurodyne labs before the Loupoir incident, then in AuguChem's Massachusetts labs in 2011 onwards. And then separately by Dedov Khimiya Labs the scientific branch of the Kremlin's Slava Rossi group for many years in-between who actually aided AugChem and the US Government's research in developing dispersal pads to aid in the perfect release of the biochemical though the skin for as long as is needed, with one pad lasting up to 23 hours. This led to two sub-variants of Proteptomine16:

* **pT16-A:** The legalised 2012 Augustine variant is the current sub-variant used in detaining neohumans, especially used in Tartarus and by specialist groups such as VALER. It is injected whilst tranquilised for an initial control shot, then administered by dispersal pads under locked bracelets that slowly drip the chemical from small metal canisters onto the pad within; Newer versions of these devices contained up to 7 small containers of pT16-A and these can last almost four weeks before needing to be replaced, letting prison officers know by a quantity detector.
* **pT16-R:** A stronger variant, this can last longer as the dosage can be lower, but may leave the neo feeling particularly ill from time to time.

### **Proteptogen**

The aerosolised version of proteptomine16 that was developed for use in superhuman suppression systems but highly sought after by criminal organisations, and stolen by Lúcio Castro's Loupoir organisation where it was redeveloped into more deadly variations.

### **Protoproceptocin**

Also known as "procin" "pC0" and ProVaxx, was created by Melius-Labs, this still-experimental and highly controversial biochemical treatment coincided with the study of neohuman development and manifestation, and attempts to 'block' the growth of neone sequences before it happens as a form of neohuman immunisation vaccine, sold as attempting to give children a 'choice' of being a neo or not. However with pre-neo detection still a fairly new and underdeveloped science, the long-term side effects of this treatment, and it's success is still mostly just theory and it's controversial administration to under-18's still debated. Procin is highly sought after by the Church of Normality.