Infection Model: Packmind
Location: Oregon
Original Creator: Crystala
Nanite Type: Packmind (Distributed AI)
Infection Vector: Bodily Fluids
Basic Infection Shapes: Have been shown to be able to model typical Apex predators, such as wolves, foxes, bears, cougars, as well as novel apex predators that did not exist in nature. There have been newly born packminds of prey species, notably deer, and players can become infected with packmind nanites and not succumb to the mental death by mastering the Oregonian dedication.
Infection Method: Slow process of the Packmind Nanites converting existing nanites in a creature over to more packmind. The process is painful and gradual, until enough of the nanites have overtaken the host to be able to strip it down into organic matter and return it to the wellspring. The infected may or may not exhibit outward infection signs before they are converted.
Description: Packminds originated in Oregon, native to the state when Promethean Day happened. Much of the state of Oregon, including Portland, have been overrun by various packs. Their range depends on the infection type, and can range from a meager 2 mile range, to as much as 50 miles in the case of the largest packs. This limitation is due to the radio transmitter and receiver embedded into each cluster of nanites, the signal of which can only extend so far. If an individual 'finger' (body), of a pack is cut off from the wellspring's signal or damaged beyond repair, it is dissolved into base organic matter (usually looks like red goo or blood), and seeps into the ground water, returning to the packmind in the fastest method possible. This function is a life support function of packmind nanites and will activate even if the nanites are otherwise disabled.
Wellsprings are a unique convention of Packmind Nanites. Due to their distributed AI nature, each individual nanite appears to contain coordinates and a homing instinct for where to deliver its associated biomass upon loss of signal. A wellspring can take many forms depending on the species; thus far a 'mobile' wellspring has been encountered with the wolf infection, in the form of a large alpha wolf, and the more common 'stationary' wellspring has been encountered with coyote and other packs, which in the case of coyote took the form of a bubbling meat soup inside a natural hot spring. Wellsprings contain biological and inorganic matter in dense storage, and are the location the packs create new 'fingers'.
Creatures digested by a packmind are stripped slowly of their mind and devoured by the AI inside the wellspring. Fragments of their memories may be constructed from a Packmind, but any creature lost inside a packmind for too long will be unrecoverable, without divine intervention. A sentient Packmind has been created out of the remnants of the coyote pack slain by Coyote as detailed in the event Coyote: The Packmind, and has taken the name of Elaine. She has slowly been creating an area of less dangerous territory around Crater Lake, and also assisted in creating a new form of Prey packminds, in order to help combat them.
These nanites are particularly weak to Electricity, EMP and other forms of radio disruption. The material can be stopped from returning to the wellspring by trapping or sealing it in something that is impermeable to nanites. Such matter has been studied by Zephyr and RSX.
Interactions:
- Standard Infection: Packmind nanites slowly convert and replace existing nanites in a host. The process is painful, and any attempt to cure usually induces full conversion. Early exploratory attempts involved losing many Zephyr and RSX researchers, whom even the inoculation they were given did not halt the process. Attempts to access nanites through Nanite Adept methods have induced immediate conversion and dissolution.
- More recently, there have been packmind survivors whom have had their packmind infected nanites severed from the original collective, and they remain dormant in the body without an AI instructing them. Some survivors may dedicate to the process of learning to control these new nanites, which will continue to remove and replace the rest of their standard nanite infection if given new directives.
- Cordyceps Fungus: Currently Unknown
- Devourer Nanites: There was a single encounter between a Devourer infected and an Oregonian, in which the devourer nanites consumed information from the Oregonian finger and separated the body from the collective. There is theorized to be permanent effects to the Devourer, while the finger was completely separated from the pack. The packmind had not completely taken apart and absorbed the personality controlling the finger, so it is theorized that an early infected might be cured of packmind nanites by a devourer infected.
- Fenris: Currently Unknown
- Gemini Nanites: Currently Unknown
- Nekomata: Currently Unknown
- Once Cursed: Currently Unknown
- Packmind Nanites: When placed directly opposing one another, each pack will seek to consume the mass of the other. A finger far from its wellspring even if the particular finger is strong will lose to a finger close to its wellspring. Larger packs may devourer smaller ones entirely.
- Ultimate Infection Resistant: Zephyr has received reports of a poor fellow whom ended up in pack territory. The pack ate their body, but did not in fact infect them. It is currently unknown if UIR provides total resistance or just slowed the progress down significantly.
- Yosemite Virus: Currently Unknown.
See Also: the Mephitic Gryphon infection and Oregonian dedication.
