Virion Pandemic

The first outbreak of the Virion virus occurred among the Dhadiz people, shortly before the occupation by Jadinth, though some cases were also seen in other countries around the Autumn Sea, it stayed within this area. Three decades later, the virus mutated and spread throughout all of Milon.

Unknown Origins

One of the most frighting elements of the pandemic was the question of where it came from. Though an outbreak of a similar virus had occurred much earlier in the Autumn Sea area, it could not be said with certainty that this was the geographic origin of the virus. Many scientists suspected its origins might actually be on the planet of Qwen, where several nations had formed colonies. This was supported by the history of the earlier outbreak in Dhadiz, one of the first nations to settle a colony there. Due to the outbreak, most countries closed down communications with their colonies in the hope of protecting themselves. Few countries ever succeeded in re-connecting after the pandemic ended, officially cutting Milon off from the other planets around it.

Effects on Countries

Aside from high death rates and economic distress, the nations of Milon faced a variety of struggles due to the pandemic, and their responses created lasting effects.

Melzi

The nation of Melzi increased their science program, offering incentives for people finding cures. The process killed so many Voiceless test subjects that the government wrote stricter citizenship tests in the hope of expanding its number of test subjects. Ironically, the virus spread least among the Voiceless as any who were identified as having it were immediately sent to quarantine facilities for testing. The pandemic also contributed to Melzi's Evacuation Drills at schools, when hallucinating patients made threats on the facilities in which they were being held.

Jadinth

The Jadinth government used the new outbreak as an excuse to attack rebellious members of the occupied Dhadiz. Accusing many Dhadiz of being asymptomatic carriers, they "quarantined" Bronzewalker leaders and Procelle attempting to teach the language and culture in secret. Many people were sent to the island of Saal, while others were taken on foot to facilities in southern Jadinth. The pandemic also led to the use of the term "posy-cheeks" as derragotory slang treferring to the Dhadiz, and implying they were all carriers of the virus.

CW: pandemic, derrogatory language, human testing

We must cut trade with the colonies, for their sake and ours.

— Jadinth oligarch

Type

Natural

by Molly Marjorie

Poster in Melzi explaining how to identify symptoms of Virion