Charlie: Yar…I've been basically flooded with work lately…I'm definitely not in a very…comical mood if you guys are wondering why I'm not updating my comedy fics. I'm trying…but all the stuff comes out basically bad. It's just not funny. So I'm gonna take a short break from those…because frankly…I can't right humor right now since I'm up to my ears in work and tests. On the other hand, I've been reading a lot of Micheal Crichton lately…and well, I've been getting kinda sick of romanticized Medieval stories…where innocent people are never hurt and everything turns out all right yaddayaddayadda. So I'm writing a basically a sci fi story kinda like Prey or Andromeda Strain if you guys ever read it. I'm only gonna explain the setting once…so pay attention

This story is basically set a few years in the future from FE7. Because I never played the game, FE6 basically never happened (So Zephiel doesn't go berserk and Hector is alive). The time has progressed and basic rudimentary technology is appearing in Elibe. Basically, the FE era has progressed to the era of the Scientific Revolution and such. People still don't know as much obviously…but they have like basic gunpowder, and basic knowledge of molecular biology and chemistry. But all in all, it's just FE…with more explosives than just the mine and more knowledge of the composition of the world…but not much more.

Anyways, wrapping up my droning. This isn't your fuzzy everything is all nice and fluffy fic. If you don't like death and basically…reality, where like if you don't know about something…it's not your fault…because this fic is based on humanity and human error causing tragedy, then don't go on. Well, anyways… enjoy. I'll see if I can TRY to crank out a comedy chapter here and there, but yeah, for now, have fun with the dark side of my writing.


The Khathlati Strain

Prologue: Escaped

The Khathlati Biomedical Institute, one of the many scientific buildings erected in the past decade or so gleamed in the afternoon sunlight of southern Lycia. For over ten years, the threat of Nergal and the Dragons have been vanished. Left with vast amounts of resources and a era of peace and tranquility, Lycia began to study themselves, their environment, their way of life.

As a result, the Scientific Revolution took the nation by storm. Modifications to mines used in the Nergal War spawned stronger explosives, gunpowder, cannons and muskets. Chemical and Biological scholars now believe that the world was composed of infinitely smaller compounds. The existance of micro-organisms has been confirmed. Lycia soon became a technological superpower…far more advanced than her bordering countries.

However, with technology comes consequences. During this time, humans, scientists, have lost bearing of their limitations. We humans believed we were invincible. And frankly…we couldn't be more wrong.

Molecular Biology in Elibe was flourishing. Ever since applying eye pieces to more powerful devices, the basic microscope confirmed to Lycian Scientists that the world is indeed composed of smaller particles. Numerous particle theories now float around, yet it is all theory. Only until recent years have scientists developed any possible practical implications of this new technology.

Only last year, the Khathlati Biomedical Institute(KBI) has managed to isolate strains of micro-organisms scientists named "bacterium". Though initially worried about an infectuous disease that could come from these organisms, cultures of these micro-organisms were found to be rather benign to living creatures. Eventually, further study of these micro-organisms determined that they could be possibly applied to practical use in a form of fertilizer. Charged with developing a strain of this Khathlati Bacterium as it became known as, a group of scientists at the KBI worked with the strain, continuously developing it, introducing it into new climates in hopes of inducing it to adapt and evolve.

For one entire year, the team worked with the Khathlati Strain, and yet still no results are produced.

Until now…

Just last month, one researcher at the KBI discovered a strain of bacterium that developed a system to coexist symbiotically with high starch plants such as potatoes and yams. This bacterium consumed starch and other carbohydrates in the plants to reproduce, yet it produced a natural fertalizer in the process. The host plant dies, but the chemicals are released once decay sets in. Then, because the bacterium will have died out due to a lack of a host, new plants can grow in, and grow much better due to the fertilizer released by their predecessor.

It was a magical breakthrough… another win for scientists against the followers of Elimine who condemn Molecular Biologists for playing God. Another miracle of science to benefit mankind…

Or so we thought…

Three weeks later, while testing the bacterium infected plants on laboratory animals, strange behavior was observed in the animals eating the infected plants.

A few days…the animals died, all in the same manner. They had been literally starved to death. Their bodies had eaten away all body fat, and was in the process of consuming protein… most notably, the heart.

Researchers, puzzled by these curious deaths, believed that it was the lack of nutrition in the plants that caused it. So they ignored the deaths as mere experimental errors. Yet days later, the control group eating normal food also displayed signs of starvation. Days later, all laboratory animals had died.

The scientists then realized the truth…it wasn't the plants…it was the bacterium, and it was lethal.

Luckily, during the 6 week control study, no researchers came in contact with the infected animals. The Khathelet Royal Family ordered all research abandoned on the project and all specimens incinerated. After days of purging, the plague was gone…the bacterium was destroyed…nothing was left.

Three weeks later… Khathlati citizens displayed symptoms of starvation…

Six weeks after… Khathlati citizens began to die…

It was a slow process, painful…

Their bodies had eaten itself… consumed itself in need of energy.

In short… someone had blundered.

The Khathlati Strain… had escaped…


Charlie: Well, that was something new. I know a lot of this technology talk is probably confusing…yeah, it's supposed to be. I'll try my best to explain stuff, but I believe everyone here is smart enough to know "bacterium" and "carbohydrates" and "starch". Well, here you go. I know the prologue is kinda confusing…it's supposed to be.

Anyways, please review. I'm not usually anal about not getting reviews…but I wanna know how you people feel about this…and remember…nothing stupid (Like our good buddy X) or else you know what's gonna happen.