Origin 3: WHITECROSS Protocols
(Narration by Daniel Rothschild, a WHITECROSS Field Coordinator)
WHITECROSS Paramilitary Corps have a series of defense protocols that they follow during different viral outbreaks. There are four different protocols for the WHITECROSS Paramilitary Corps to follow during outbreaks. Their names are Spider, Ogre, Demon, and Andromeda, and each of these protocols have a history to their name...
Spider Protocol: Class 1 and 2 outbreaks
History: The first official Spider Protocol outbreak recorded in the world of Remnant of was the outbreak of Sabek. Sabek was a bacterial infection spread via spider bites, causing a disaster for most of Mistral, killing a small portion of the population of the kingdom. This was labeled as the greatest disaster to ever befall the kingdom, as a large number of children had been included the death toll. WHITECROSS contained the disease by burning out the nests of the spider species that had carried the bacteria and using captive ones to extract Bacteriaphages from their venom. Upon isolating the chromosome needed to make the cure, they distributed the cure to the local populace via aerosol spray. The death toll of the incident was 1,552 killed, with 300 being children.
The first class 2 outbreak was the outbreak of Sathir, a fungal bioweapon that was spread via a bio-organic weapon known as the Gaia Spider. The weapon was released by a radical cell of the ecological preservation society, a group of environmentalists based out of Vale. The weapon killed a large number of humans and Faunus in both Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo. The way the fungal infection spread was through growing plant-like infection sprayers in all sorts of environments, from the humid forests to the burning deserts. The Gaia Spider was located by WHITECROSS Paramilitary forces and killed in a great struggle, in which spore samples were collected from its corpse before the body was destroyed. The infection sprayers were destroyed by pesticide sprays deployed from airships. The death toll of this incident was 1,234 killed.
Ogre Protocol: Class 3 outbreaks
The first class 3 outbreak was the outbreak of Dolos, a virus that caused severe bleeding in the internal organs. It killed over 30,000 in Vacuo within the first month, but it was stopped by enhanced antibiotics that were developed and cultivated by WHITECROSS Biomedical Division. The source of the outbreak was caused by a wealthy bureaucrat living in Vacuo, who purposely unleashed the virus as a form of population control as he wanted to get rid of a residential area that he claimed "was blocking his view."
Demon Protocol: Class 4 Outbreaks
The first class 4 outbreak was the outbreak of Siabus, a parasite that impaired human and Faunus cognitive functions. The parasite affected both species differently in a manner of ways. For humans, it was affecting the brain's ability to operate the rest of the body, so the body's internal organs began to shut down, one at a time. Other effects of the parasite had included rapid memory loss as people would start to forget the basic things that they were taught when they were younger, such as how to read, write, or even speak for that matter. Another sign of Siabus infection, was that the infected individual would have nosebleeds at the most random of moments, but the blood would thick and sticky, almost like their blood was becoming an adhesive. But when it comes to the Faunus, they had it the worst when it came to this outbreak. An infected Faunus' brain would be incapacitated, putting so many in vegetative states and comas that many died from. WHITECROSS was able to create a cure thanks to Patients 115 and 116 (a Faunus and human who were infected, but showed no ill effects of the parasite), who contributed antibodies that were crucial in the cure development. The death toll of the incident was 125, but the aftermath was the most devastating. Over 13,000 civilians who were once infected, suffered severe neurological damage from the parasite, with a large number of them having to relearn the most basic things such as eating, drinking, reading, writing, speaking, and the ability to walk.
Andromeda Protocol: Class 5 Outbreaks
Whenever you ask a question about the kind of situation a Class 5 Outbreak would cause near a WHITECROSS employee, you will get the most chilling response from them. Class 5 Outbreaks are called "the wildcard outbreaks" due to their unpredictability and devastating effects. Diseases ranging from a Class 1 Flu-like virus to a Class-four Blood-bourne virus or even a bioweapon can be considered Class 5 Outbreaks if their body count is very high. The first event ever considered a Class 5 Outbreak was the Andromeda incident, which happened long before the protocols were established. It all started when the S.S Andromeda, a massive cruise ship that was set on a course to Atlas from Vale, mysteriously dropped off radar with no radio contact whatsoever. Eventually, one of the ship's sister vessels, the S.S Olympian Star, found it sitting atop a reef 13 miles away from an island off Mantle's coast. A group of volunteers from the Star's crew and passengers, including 3 off-duty WHITECROSS employees, boarded the ship to investigate why the ship wasn't mobile. The sight they witnessed was something out of a horror movie, as the area of the ship that arrived was littered with the bodies of crew members and passengers. All of the passengers and crew members of the ship were dead, all accept for a traumatized 13-yr-old dog Faunus girl who was hiding in her room during the chaos. Further investigation by WHITECROSS personnel and Atlas Navy forces discovered that the incident was a confirmed bioterrorist attack. It was discovered that a biochemical weapon was unleashed on the ship's occupants through ingestion of a certain chocolate given to the Andromeda by a mysterious benefactor who was aiding in the construction of the ship. There were over 400,000 people onboard...