Hey, this is like an intermission to the story, but it's pretty interesting, so I hope you enjoy it. Chapter... 11 is it? Is on the way.
Ghouls, And What They Are
Thesis Written by Dr. Richard Banfield
November 13, 2277
For approximately 200 years, our land has been savaged by the destruction of a past generation's mistake. The radiation that has destroyed a world has brought many new and terrifying things. New terrain, for example – the earth's crust is now a storage cell for radiation pockets, and the wrong step could make you glow in the dark. New cultures? Of course. Out of the wreckage of an ancient society, new communities with their own morals and obligations have sprung up to prove that humanity is the most stubborn of species. And on that note, new species: Yao Guai, Rad Ants and Scorpions, Deathclaws, Super Mutants. All of these new and incredibly frightening creatures are, by popular agreement, the result of years of mutation-evolution. And yet, how exactly could these species have been created, when much of man has yet to evolve or devolve? Well, there are the Super Mutants, so pumped with pre-war super soldier drugs that they can no longer function as humans. And there are sometimes the special people who get the best out of the radiation deal, able to grow limbs back or resist fire. And then there are the Ghouls.
Ghouls: a hated name for many people of the wasteland. And for just as many, an identity. For years, these unfortunate people have had to live with their flaking skin and exposed organs. For their apparently hideous appearances, they have been given the name of Ghoul, to actually separate them from other people. Are we so prejudiced that the last 300 years of anti-discrimination before the war mean nothing to us? That is apparently the case, as the victims of the devastating "Ghoul Virus" are killed, enslaved, and generally given no second look everyday in this world. And we really have no legitimate answer as to why we do it. Because they're ugly? Violent? Diseased? Could I catch the Ghoul Virus by hanging around Ghouls? These are the questions that need serious answering, and they are the questions that I intend to answer myself.
The virus that ravages the mind and body of the so-called 'Ghouls,' is a tricky and unpredictable study. Most likely, the disease is a mutated form of Necrotizing faciitis, (necro- being Latin for corpse, it is understood how they have come to be called 'zombies' or 'ghouls'), otherwise known as a 'flesh-eating virus.' This condition was a rare and highly deadly problem before the Great War, according to medical history files, and would actually eat the skin and flesh of its victim by releasing special toxins until the organs stopped functioning. More often than not, the heart, stomach, or other vital organs would be destroyed in the process, and many patients were required to have their limbs amputated in order to stop the spread. After examining photos taken of pre-war victims and comparing them to our average modern day Ghoul, it can be concluded that there is an obvious link between the two. Could these people simply be suffering from a normal disease? That is the popular theory as of this writing.
This theory states that the virus itself was mutated by high radiation levels, like many of the organic life forms of this earth, so it spreads faster and more effectively. Whether or not it is deadlier remains to be seen. Most Ghoul Virus victims live much longer lives than the average human, albeit in much pain. The cause of this is uncertain, however it is deduced that the virus actually strengthens the immune system over time, by inserting its toxins as a normal compound in the victim's chemical makeup, allowing the body to repel most major changes, and absorb radiation that heals them. This does not stop the usually eventual occurrence of 'turning feral,' that is, losing enough brain mass by means of the virus that the victim's thoughts become scrambled and degenerate. The changing of the immune system would, in theory, not be able to change this vital organ of the human body, and thus would not prevent it from harm. Thus, 'ferals' still roam with no brain, and plenty of gut. It is from these mutated creatures where Ghouls get their name.
Based on both recent and Pre-War research, the only treatment for such a disease is the removal of the infected tissue before it spreads. Because the mutated virus spreads so rapidly, this is almost certainly not an option today. Other possible Pre-War medical care short of praying to different gods in different languages, included amputation of infected limbs and high dosages of penicillin cultures. Penicillin is a rare and very powerful fungal medicine, and when used in different ways, could help aid in the cure of many things from ear infections to Gonorrhea.
Recently, this writer has had the pleasurable opportunity to test several possible treatments on Ghouls. I had no intention of performing amputation, although some patients were afraid that I would. First, I did a background check on all of the subjects. I will not name them in this thesis, but will refer to them as Subjects A, B, C, D, and E.
Subject A – Male Caucasion. Reports that he was living in Bethesda before the war, and contracted Ghoul Virus at the age of 33. Date of contraction: 2089. His breathing is more raspy than the other patients, perhaps due to his age. Weight: 147 lbs. Height: 5'11". Pulse rate: 96 bpm. Reaction time: .89 seconds. Chance of going feral within a year: 74.33%. After removing dead infected tissue from his right arm, he reports no pain. After removing moderately infected tissue from left arm, he reports a twinge. After cutting a small harmless incision on a skinned section of his right leg, he reports some small pain. After cutting a relatively large incision on a skinned section of his left leg, he reports quite a bit of pain, although not as much as a normal human would.
Subject B – Female Hispanic. Reports of having been on vacation in D.C. from New Mexico before the war, and contracted the Ghoul Virus at the age of 13. Date of contraction: 2078. Breathing is relatively raspy compared to patients C-E, being a Pre-War Ghoul. Weight: 127 lbs. Height: 5'2". Pulse rate: 87 bpm. Reaction time: 1.13 seconds. Chance of going feral within a year: 64.23%. After removing dead infected tissue from her left leg, she reports no pain. After removing moderately infected tissue from her right arm, she reports no pain. After cutting a small incision on a skinned section of her left arm, she reports no pain. After cutting a relatively large incision on a skinned section of her right leg, she suddenly reported a large amount of pain. Note: possibly untruthful in her previous responses.
Subject C – Male Black. Homosexual. Reports living in Megaton before contracting the Ghoul Virus, most likely from the water supply, at the age of 32. Date of contraction: 2199. Breathing is healthy for a Ghoul. Weight: 134 lbs. Height: 6'1". Pulse rate: 104 bpm, unusually high and denies any anxiety. Reaction time: 0.46 seconds. Chance of going feral within the next year: 34.12%. After removing dead infected tissue from his right leg, he reports a very small twinge. After removing moderately infected tissue from the same leg, he reports some twinge of pain. After cutting a small incision on a skinned section of his right arm, he reports a sharp pain. After cutting a relatively large incision on his left leg, he reports sharp immediate pain which slowly goes away afterwards. He also complained of some sort of heartburn, but found nothing.
Subject D – Female Caucasion. Reports living as a slave near Tenleytown when she contracted the disease at age 24. Date of contraction: 2214. Breathing is healthy for a Ghoul. Weight: 131 lbs. Height: 4'11.5". Pulse rate: 86 bpm. Reaction time: 0.96 seconds. Chance of going feral within the next year: 29.89%. After removing dead infected tissue from her left arm, she reports no pain. After removing moderately infected tissue from her left leg, she reports a twinge. After cutting a small incision on a skinned section of her right arm, she reports a sharp pain. After cutting a relatively large incision on her right leg, she screams quickly and does not respond, though is obviously conscious.
Subject E – Female Asian. Former mercenary specializing in the retrieval of portable energy sources; contracted the disease shortly after visiting a Sat-Com dish near Old Olney at the age of 19. Missing left hand. Date of contraction: 2254. Breathing is nominal, only slightly worse than a human's. Weight: 130 lbs. Height: 5'3". Pulse rate: 81 bpm. Reaction time: 0.46 seconds. Chance of going feral within the next year: 16.14%. After removing dead infected tissue from her right leg, she reports a twinge. After removing moderately infected tissue from her right arm, she reports a small amount of pain. After cutting a small incision on a skinned section of her left leg, she reports some pain. After cutting a relatively large incision on her right leg again, she reports a sharp pain. Very strong, must be from her experience.
Each of these subjects was clearly human, with human thoughts and abilities. None of their brains were very affected by the disease, although their other organs were. I was reluctantly allowed to perform a full autopsy on one of their friends who'd died recently, so I was easily able to study the Ghoul's body inside and out, without fear of causing harm. I nicknamed the deceased subject "Hans," mostly due to the fact that both of his lower arms were missing.
Unsurprisingly, Hans' organs were very much intact and in the correct anatomical positions for the most part. Cause of death was accidental suffocation, and I found, then dislodged the object in his windpipe that restricted the airflow. His pancreas is also missing. The heart seems healthy and protected by the ribs and remaining chest skin. No mutations of the heart seem to be present, from birth or adult life. The blood is extremely radioactive, but does otherwise consist of normal chemicals that you would find in any animal blood. His stomach lining seems thin, and I have come to find that this is due to Hans' body failing to produce enough mucus to protect the stomach from the normal hydrochloric acid, spotting his lining with innumerable ulcers.
A healthy human liver will have a pinkish color and will be completely smooth. Han's liver is black and has many cracks falling across it. This is consistent with a combination of excess drinking, radiation exposure through food, and the overwhelming of the liver, possibly by the virus, rendering the organ only a fraction as useful as it should be. Moving on to his lungs, I didn't need to do anything to it to see that Hans' breathing was as bad or even worse than a human with emphysema. The "skin" of the lungs was flaky and crumbling, and when I cut an incision down the side of the left lung, a small amount of black liquid squirted out. Indeed, both of the organs were bearing the effects of emphysema, or something similar to it.
Hans is the epitome of the Ghoul condition – a skin-peeled bald-headed man with sunken eyes and a terribly raspy voice. On the inside, his organs have been affected by the disease beyond help, and many would find it surprising that someone like him had lasted as long as he did. I can only imagine how he managed to contract necrotizing faciitis, but one may safely assume that it waaasssssss nooooooooTyuij obvwehjwhvbwrhjb wvhbj YHIBJPPP896576OWBVWIbjhksbvk rjnvheribkwbjvdmcfn234234hjdSWRVHJERBWjnvkehfb,.,24489528 nkjnijBIUBHFhHjknHBIFEHRJKjekrnm846298ue0[p
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HAHAHA, SERVS YA RIGT YA FUCKIN COMMIE PIG BASTARD! CUTTIN UP OUR BRTHRN LIKE SOME SORTA ANIMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAVID WAS AN AMAZING MAN, AND YOU DEFILE HIS BODY LIKE SATANS BITCH!!!!
YOU NAZI DOCTR AND UR SHITTY TOWER OF BIGOTED ASSHOLES ARE GONNA GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DESERVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAIL ROY!!!!!!!!!!
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Hello, my name is Herbert Dashwood. I was the only smoothskin survivor of the Tenpenny Ghoul Revolt. They let me live, knowing who I was. Even so, I won't live much longer on account of my age. But, before I go, I wish to publish the remainder of my good friend Richard Banfield's thesis on the study of Ghoul Virus. Even the comments left on the bottom. May God rest his soul.