Virus.Discussion.txt

Assumptions:
	1)  virtually 100% of Imperial-era computers are programmable
hardware devices.
	2)  the "virus" consists of several variations of the basic
Cymbelline predator, each equipped with a variety of sophisticated
software viruses/trojans/worms for use in getting into other systems. 
The software elements were developed by Lucan's weapons labs, to use in
conjunction with the Cymbelline predator, since it was felt that
military-level computer security would severely impair the natural
ability of the virus to attack Lucan's enemies.
	3)  by the time the virus reached Aoreriyya [a subsector in Dark
Nebula sector] , there had occurred
sufficient mutation that there were already in the vicinity of a dozen
major forms, with perhaps 100 rarer forms appearing occasionally
(collectively less than 1% for the rare forms - that is, "These are your
Plot Devices.  Handle with Care").


	1)  Nuisance.  This form of the virus is a "grazer" on dopant agents
in Imperial semi-conductors.  It is microscopic in size and intellect. 
Danger level is low, but removal is difficult due to the large numbers
present.  The only effect is a progressive break-down of infected
electronics as dopants are removed and incorporated into the bodies of
the virus.
	This form makes up about 3% of the original virus population in
Aoreriyya.  By 1200, it accounts for 50-55% of all reported virus    
contacts.  This form lives, among other places, in beach sand on several
worlds in Aoreriyya, discouraging the use of portable radios/tape-
players/etc on most beaches in Aoreriyya.  Population on the beaches is
extremely low (no more than one virus per ton of sand), but it is
expected that that will provide sufficient breeding population that
Aoreriyya will never be quite free from them.

	HARDWARE ONLY!  This virus form cannot attack silicon that it cannot
come into physical contact with.  Obvious solutions:  build all IC's in
"clean rooms", and seal the IC into crystaliron shells.  Effectiveness :
99+%.

NOTE:  This form is a native Cymbelline life-form parasitic on the
predators bred into the "Military Hacker".

	2)  "Military hacker".  This form incorporates the highest grade of
software adjuncts, up to and including "hacker" expert systems software
to assist the virus in penetration of military secure systems.  Danger
level extremely high.  Effect is highly variable, depending on the
capabilities of the infected systems.
	This form makes up about 30% of the original virus incursion into
Aoreriyya.  By 1200, it accounts for 1-2% of the virus population.  It
is still present in over 80% of the existing Imperial military systems
discovered to date.  The University of ?????? on Grendal maintains a
small live population in a space station in Grendal's L4 position for
study.

	HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE.  This virus form will use its built-in
"hacker" software and software viruses/worms/etc to gain access to
uninfected systems.  Once access is gained, the virus typically
reprograms part of the PGA's present into clones of itself, cuts input
from human sources, and proceeds to destroy itself and anything else it
can reach.  Operational limitation:  once it gets control of the system
it has infected (typically taking 12-18 days), it will destroy
everything it can reach for 5-10 minutes, then self-destruct.  Note that
this typically does NOT actually destroy the virus causing the
infection, only a self-made clone inside the system.
	Given that direct hardware contact is possible, this form will
replicate itself from one to twelve times, then self-destruct. 
Replication will occur at intervals of 20-24 hours, self destruction
will occur within 36 hours after the last replication occurs.
	This form is extremely territorial.  It was identified from traces
left on the hardware near I/O access to the infected systems.  The
"signature" was an encrypted sign that varies indetail from one
occurrence to the next.  Not all infected systems have had such signs
identified.  Apparently it avoids already infected systems, presumably
to enhance scatter.
	Obvious solutions:  Stay away!  Report suspected incursions to
authorities.  Effectiveness:  less than 50%, since incursions usually
only become obvious when it has already spread to other systems. 
Solution to widespread infection:  quarantine affected area, and destroy
and replace all systems within the area.  By 1200, this happens about
once a year SOMEWHERE within either Empire.

NOTE:  This form was specifically designed to attack the Deyo chip in
all Imperial vessels.  It is capable of attacking any other computer
system, but its primary aim was entrance to systems via their deyo
chips. [Deyo chips are part of the Imperial transponders - 'licence
plates' for starships, communicating ship ID to one and all;  this virus takes
control of vessels using these transponders as gateways] 


	3)  "Civil Hacker".  This form made up about 20% of the initial
incursion, and makes up about 4% of the population in 1200.  This form
is essentially a stupid cousin to the "military hacker", with identical
modus operandi.
	Obvious solutions:  post-Virus anti-viral programs are sufficient to
keep this form from entering systems without physical contact. 
Effectiveness:  97%.  In the early days of the Virus Incursion, military
machines were nearly 100% effective in keeping these out.  Modern
anti-viral programs are based on Imperial-era High Security Programs.

	4)  "Volt hacker".  This form requires contact to enter a system
initially, but may spread itself from there by cloning in PGA's of
connected systems.  This form attacks by forcing changes in component
IC's which allow either an overvoltage condition or overcurrent
condition to break down sizable parts of the IC.  Danger level is
moderate in new systems, high in older systems.
	This form makes up 5% of the original virus incursion, and 7% of the
present population.  It is considered a "Nuisance" encounter.

	HARDWARE ONLY!  This form usually gets access to systems during
repairs of infected systems, or by piggybacking in with a
"civil-hacker".  It is considered moderately hazardous for people
wearing prosthetics, especially sensory-prosthetics.

	5)  "Software Hacker".  This form is essentially identical to the
"Military hacker", except that it has no hardware attack mode.  Nor does
it reproduce.  However, it is capable of entering any system, even a
modern one.  Effect is as for a "military hacker", without the hardware
assault.
	This form makes up 3% of the original incursion, and 8% of the 1200
population.  It is considered a nuisance encounter.

	SOFTWARE ONLY!  This form gets access to systems in the way that
classic computer virii do.  It is considered hazardous only if it gains
access to major systems.
	Obvious solutions:  All the solutions that kept virii under control
back in the bad old days still work.  Warning:  this form is a much
better hacker than the traditional human "hacker".

NOTE:  "Hacker" is a curse word in Aoreriyya.  The connotation is that
of a virus variant.  "Hacking" is also virtually unknown by humans other
than the Ilthara.

	6)  "Vampire".  This form is a variant of the "Military Hacker" that
has lost the ability to produce stable clones of itself.  It has also
lost the timed self-destruct.  Effect is as for the hardware incursion
of a "military hacker" - clones (unstable) are introduced into a system
to make an opening for the virus itself.  then the virus reprograms
itself and the system into a coherent whole.  Highly intelligent,
extremely dangerous.
	This form made up only 2% of the original population.  It is
believed to make up no more than 1.5% of the population in 1200.

	HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE!

	Obvious solutions:  Run Away!  This form is EXTREMELY dangerous once
in control of a system.  It is IMPERATIVE that word of any new vampire
reach the authorities.

NOTE:  It is suspected that the Ilthara are cooperating with
representatives of this form, even after the expulsion of the "vampires"
from Aoreriyya.

	7)  "spider hacker".  This form is a hardware attacker.  It is also
a class name for an ambulatory form of the virus.  Attacks are as for
any previous hardware attack.  But this form can move under its own
power.
	This form makes up only 1% of the original incursion, and only 2% of
the 1200 population.

	ANY ATTACK FORM.

	Obvious solutions:  sealed rooms, and such.  If it will keep out a
real spider, then it will keep out one of these.

NOTE:  The opinion above is incorrect.  Many representatives of this
class are equipped with devices for tunneling through crystaliron.

	8)  "that bastard hacker".  This form is both a hardware and
software hacker.  It is the normal result of an "egg" hatching.  It has
the basic form of either a "military hacker" or "civil hacker", with the
more exotic software eliminated.  It retains the "hacker" expert
systems, however.  It attaks by "hatching", and going after whatever
hardware it is in much as its parent would, but it must develop software
attacks on its own.  This has resulted in a capability to damage even
the most secure modern systems given time.
	This form made up 30% of the original incursion.  It probably
accounts for 20% of 1200 virus encounters.

	ANY ATTACK FORM.

	This form has an effective lifespan of less than one year, but can
wait unactivated forever.  It is considered a nuisance encounter if
proper precautions are taken, and a hazardous encounter once awakened.

	9)  "unnamed variant one".  This version has very high energy
requirements, which it deals with by living in solar panels and nuclear
weapons controllers.  It "attacks" by draining energy from its host.  It
is nearly harmless, since it will drain less than 1% of the power output
from a solar cell.  It has not been positively identified by 1200.
	This form makes up 3% of the original incursion, and 2% of the 1200
population.  By 1200, it has secured a niche for itself in solar arrays
throughout Aoreriyya.  The majority of the original population worked
its way into nuclear weapons controller/detonators in 1130-1132.  They
then responded to the directives of a patch of conventional computer
memory grafted on, and "enhanced" the energy level of their area by
following instructions leading to the detonation of the warheads.

	HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE (1130)!  HARDWARE ONLY (1200)!

NOTE:  The effects caused by this form are attributed to any of several
other forms.


	10)  "unnamed variant two".  This form is current only on Pendang. 
It attacks GaAs IC's [a virus-resistant chip] in a very inefficient manner,
 producing the same
effects as the "nuisance".  It has not been identified to date, and may
never be so identified, since its effects are so minor.
	it consists of 1% of the original incursion, and 1% of 1200 virii.

NOTE:  This is a version which was intended to attack various
alternative computer technologies.  It is intended to attack ANY
alternative technology ever developed in or near the Imperium.  Because
it was extremely general-purpose, it did none of its jobs very well.  It
was almost extinct when it encountered the GaAs on Pendang, and found a
niche for itself.  Its effects are minor enough that there has been no
significant degradation of the GaAs chips existing on Pendang to date. 
All it does is guarantee that the Xin computers will not last forever...

	HARDWARE ONLY!

	11)  "unnamed variant three".  This form is current wherever there
are Imperial installations.  It attacks by taking control of a
fire-control center and displaying training simulations without the
usual bells and whistles to let the operator know that this is only a
drill.
	It consists of 1% of the original population, and about 0.5% of the
1200 population.

	SOFTWARE ONLY!  This form has not been identified, since its effects
are a subset of those produced by the "military hacker", the "vampire"
and similar variants.


DISCUSSION:

	Collectively, these eleven forms, and the several hundred minor
variations introduced by mutation between 1130 and 1200 should be able
to produce a collapse that is complete enough for our purposes, [a Virus
dieoff] without
making the collapse a sure fall back to barbarism.  Note that the most
dangerous forms (the vampires and the military hackers) make up less
than 3% of virus encounters in 1200.  Note also that a sizable number of
"virus encounters" are never so identified.  When your tricorder dies
one day in the field, it is not immediately obvious whether it has a
manufacturing defect or a virus.  It is not obvious which form of the
virus you are carrying if you do become infected...

	Not all the "software only" versions actually have a Cymbelline chip
at the root.  Some are purely software out in Aoreriyya.  Most piggyback
on another version.  Some actually do have hardware around here.

	Note that the first (Nuisance) form was NOT an intended as a result
of Lucan's weapons labs.  However, it serves to degrade/destroy old
systems, and remove inconvenient data stores that we need to dispose
of...
	Unnamed variant two WAS intended by Lucan's people.  it was intended
to do essentially what the Nuisance does, but on extremely high tech and
variant systems.  It does not do it very well, but it WILL attack
anything so far used by the Imperium.

	Note that many of these forms will leave a trace detectable
psionically.  The Military Hacker leaves a trace that can be seen be a
properly trained clairvoyant.  The "Spider Hacker" can be detected by
clairvoyants or clairaudients.  Many of the Hardware forms can be
spotted with clairvoyance if you know where to look, and what to look
for.  The Nuisance can be detected with a life-detect with a task two
levels more difficult than normal.  The "Vampire" can be detected with a
task one level more difficult than normal.

	Note also that psionics were not a useful solution to the virus
until well after the fact.  Undoubtedly, some psis saw these early
incursions, and developed the techniques used in 1200 to locate virii. 
Assume that that was the basic technique Gralyn [a world] used to get back into
space.