The doctor likes you.

For those of you who took MF#5 at character generation, it was in your Turnsheet 0.

Those with MF#5 were infected with a biological weapon of mass destruction, a virus named PAR-AC3. This was acquired primarily through deliberate infection by Dr Greco, who was orchestrating the clinical aspect of a weapons development trial authorised by the highest levels of the Elysian government. The logistical aspect of this trial, including the preparation of official reports and top-secret liaison with a military research division, was performed by Coordinating Officer Asher Segal. At the start of game, they were genuinely the only two people on b-Exagora who were aware of the existence of the bioweapon or trial.

Towards the later stage of the game, both players and the prison population at large contracted MF#5 through the natural spread of contagion. The virus was airborne, and started to manifest symptoms at between 6 and 12 months. Although players and NPCs mostly experienced respiratory symptoms, other effects we doled out included faints, blackouts, dizziness, weakness, fevers, shakes, and, in the case of Zhar Ro, encephalitis¹⁾. The one common feature of infection was swollen lymph nodes, which the medics amongst you had sporadically discovered by the end of game. It was also detectable on blood tests, such as the ones in Dr Greco's study that the hackers found and the ones left running in Station Green that Dri Po was never able to retrieve.

Of course, PAR-AC3 was not developed on b-Exagora. Over a decade in the making, based on viruses found on xx, both the effects of the virus and efficacy of the vaccine had already been established, through hundreds of experiments across dozens of top-secret research facilities, at the time of the instigation of the phase IV trial in Redemption Reform Facility. The Elysian government was waiting on final evaluation of the spread of the virus in a real-life, large-scale trial. Immediately after the departure of the last supply ship, with 10% of the population already vaccinated²⁾, a certain number of inmates were infected. Through the next year, the rate of contagion was monitored. The frequent trips to the medical clinic necessitated by the endemic violence in the prison, plus the dangerous nature of workgroup tasks, meant that Dr Greco had frequent and numerous samples to document the spread of the virus.

The trial was only ever supposed to be a short-term study. The time between supply ships was adequate. With study results beamed back with FTL comms, the Elysian government could be assured that they would gain results up until the moment of the supply ship crash – which was programmed years ago, when the phase IV trial plan was finalised, before the first samples had even been sent. By the point of the ordained supply ship crash, the virus would be either deemed to be effective and ready to deploy as a biological weapon of catastrophic consequence on Tel populations throughout the galaxy, or shown to have disappointingly low rates of contagion.

In the event, the Elysian government were pleased with the data from Redemption Reform Facility. The population was satisfyingly plagued, and doubly doomed. The fate of the vaccinated staff members was of little importance compared to the secrecy that would be assured by the death of the entire population, plus the loss of the space elevator. b-Exagora was removed as a stop on the supply line amongst high-level documents. Fortunately for you players, Halliday Freight's Six o' Spades received contradictory communication on whether b-Exagora was a destination stop – no by the government, yes on their previous records – and the omission of the stop was believed to have been a mistake by one Captain Gabrielle Sheer.

Had the players not broadcast information on MF#5, this biological weapon would have been released on key Tel colonies within five years. With no warning, Tel scientists would have had to spend a decade or more researching a cure, by which point billions would have died and entire planets become populated by nothing but ghost cities. Vaccinated, Elysian troops would have moved in to conquer and exploit. The potential for resource acquisition and ready-built colonies to inhabit would have been unparalleled.

For his part, Dr Benedict Greco was under no illusion as to the expendability of b-Exagora after the desired results were obtained. A military doctor ostracised for being “fucking creepy” and “plain weird”, authorities designated him to b-Exagora without the expectation that he would return. He received samples of the vaccine and the virus and dutifully implemented the trial. He meticulously gathered results and compiled reports to be processed and relayed by Asher. He was floridly unsurprised by the crash of the supply ship, having already resigned himself to inevitable erasure in the name of secrecy. Isolated and without hope, he turned to ever greater eccentricity to entertain himself whilst awaiting death, either from starvation, atmospheric failure, or at the hands of inmates.