Phoenix Virus (PHO-V)

Only ashes will remain.

Transmission & Vectors

Spread by the mad pilot Apep, it is far easier to catch than TKL-V, as it can be left on an infected drive, or spread by others who already have the virus through links. Each instance of PHO-V is unique and has a key, which Apep can activate separately. Every tech, and every tech that tech has linked with, in turn, will develop symptoms immediately upon activation of that key.

Causes

Even though PHO-V is spread through links, its spread is limited, as Apep prefers to infect techs himself, rather than leave infected software around. He tends not to tell others about the fact that it is spread by link until an infected tech has already linked with their partner or friend, passing the virus to them as well.

Symptoms

PHO-V is somewhat asymptomatic until activated. A kind of spyware, it sends copies of the infected tech's camera feeds and voice recordings to Apep himself, for as long as it is installed, allowing him to keep watch. Upon activation, symptoms are immediate and debilitating. Several hundred junk programs are opened and the affected tech's fans are shut off, resulting in a fatal fever that, left alone, will inevitably melt the infected tech's entire board, causing irreparable damage.

Treatment

The fever brought on by PHO-V can only be slowed by dragging the overheating tech out into the Antarctic winds. This is rare, as PHO-V is only ever activated once the affected tech is far too deep into a building to ever make it to the exit before they die. The only way to remove PHO-V is by hand. Since nobody has ever gotten their hands on the code, as every tech who has become symptomatic has died of board failure, the code forever lost, any programmer who wants to try has a hell of a fight on their hands.

Prognosis

You may as well be dead.

Prevention

Do not link with loved ones, business partners, anything. No one is to be trusted. Anyone could be infected. You will not know until it is far, far too late.

Cultural Reception

Absolute terror. Panic, paranoia, utter chaos.

Type

Nanite / Mechanical

Origin

Engineered

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Tech