
    Esh Purshuur ( 2120 D570154-5 S Lo Ni De )                   circa 1116

    Esh Purshuur had a population of 700  million in the mid 900s. In early
    980 cases  began to be  reported of a  disease that caused  the skin to
    just rot away. Soon identified as  an airborne virus attempts were made
    to protect  the populace but  the pervasive nature  of the virus  meant
    that its  spread could not  be stopped. The  world was quarantined  but
    tests eventually showed that the  virus was in a symbiotic relationship
    with a  native plant, known  to the locals  as twedreck. The  plant had
    developed  a novel  secondary reproduction  method of  breeding a virus
    that carried  the twedreck gene  pool to a  host and then  infected the
    hosts cells wih twedreck genes. The  virus was released with the normal
    spore bursts, and expired after infecting every cell it could get to. A
    twedreck extermination  campaign proved difficult due  to the fact that
    the small pebble like plants were hard to detect on Esh Purshuur's sand
    covered surface. Eventually a combination of vaccination and biological
    warfare  defeated  the  virus  in  1003,  by  which time Esh Purshuur's
    original population was  down to 17. An IISS  station is now completing
    the  scientific  work  on  the  planet  and  imposes  strict export and
    quarantine controls.  The planets population  has begun to  recover and
    Esh  Purshuur reverted  to Green  travel code  status in 1010.

    Referee:  Twedreck mutants  still exist  on Esh  Purshuur. The original
    lethal mutation arose  due to increased solar radiation  as a result of
    Esh's binary system being in  conjunction. Any radiation increase could
    cause   a   similar   mutation   to   re-occur.   Certain  unscrupulous
    organisations   have  already   carried  out   feasibility  studies  on
    twedreck's suitability as a biowar weapon.

    David Burden (david@innocom.demon.co.uk)

