The Antimetheus Event: The day the gods took back their fire and returned the world to the animals. In the year 2000 somethin’ somethin’ a series of comets passed through the earth’s orbit. While there was significant damage caused by the impact of random meteors, it was the composition of the gasses and the biological/viral agents that were attached to it.
The gasses produced by the comets got trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. While the exact chemical composition remains a mystery, the gas acts in a similar fashion to halon fire extinguishers. The gas binds with and prevents the promulgation of free radicals that allow for combustion. As the concentration of the gas increased, coal and natural gas power plants stopped working, car engines sputtered out, gun powder became inert, we couldn’t even start a fire to keep ourselves warm.
While the gasses themselves are not inherently poisonous to humans, prolonged exposure to what we now call the mist does cause psychological disorders in people. The exact mechanism is still unknown; it is believe that the chemical imbalance of the mist and slight oxygen deprivation causes what we now call “mist madness”. Individuals with Mist Madness show signs of mania and an increased affinity for violence. Studies have concluded that it takes weeks of exposure to the mists to begin the madness, and months before it becomes irreversible.
The good news is that the mists are denser than air and at high enough altitudes mist concentrations approach zero. Surveys show that the mists concentration and max altitude have been decreasing currently resting at about 12,000 feet. Recent analysis is showing that the rate of decease is accelerating, the exact cause remains unknown, but it is possible that the mists could be completely gone in our lifetimes.
Having discussed the chemical issues of the Antimetheus event we must now discuss the biological/viral agent that was attached to it. I must stress that this agent has yet to be isolated, but we do not believe the changes we have seen in animal life can be attributed to the chemistry of the mists. The leading theory remains that the comets also contained a pseudo-bacterial-virus that caused rapid mutation in non-human animal life.
Animals have been showing exponential increases in intelligence, approaching human level in several cases. Radical physical changes are being reported as well. Full bipedal stances, paws and hooves resembling hands, and functioning vocal cords are not only appearing in new born animals, but in existing livestock as well. While this is not a universal change to all animals, it does appear to be an epidemic and rapid change. It is also worth noting that both normal and these “mutant” animals are vulnerable to the Mist Madness.
It is the opinion of this commission that there is no option to save humanity as a whole. The only option is for those who are capable of doing so to attempt to migrate to some of the highest mountain peaks, or perhaps create bunkers around nuclear or hydro-electric power plants.
The Antimetheus Event: The groundwork for my ATB setting
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