This is the virus that started it all. The main catalyst to the T-Virus, G-Virus, and Uroboros. Today, we’re talking about the Progenitor Virus’ history.
Discovery
First discovered in the Neolithic era it was first contracted by the Ndipaya tribe of West Africa. It was found in Sonnentreppe daises along the coastline in caves, certain environmental happenings would trigger its viral tendencies. After men in the tribe were infected, they would be lucky to survive the disease. Though if they did, they would gain super strength, increased intelligence, or even an unnaturally long life time. Due to these results, the Ndipaya people were able to flourish in the caverns as a society, even being ahead by a millennia in terms of building practices.
Over time, they started experimenting with the flowers by feeding them to animals. This effectively created the first Bio Organic Weapons (B.O.W.) and would sacrifice people to them for consumption in a sacrificial pit. Eventually these B.O.W.s would escape and kill the Ndipayan King. After losing their King, they left for the marshlands leaving some soldiers to defend the ruins from anyone looking to consume the flowers.
The next mention of the virus wouldn’t be until the 19th century. Henry Travis, a British explorer, learned of the tribe and magical flowers (the virus) through folklore. Travis then started to look into this and, by the 1960’s, his research caught the attention of a European eugenics circle. In this circle was one Dr. James Marcus, who would in the late 60s be a founding member of Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. As a paleo virologist, Dr. Marcus would put forth a hypothesis that the flowers properties were caused by a retrovirus. In ‘66, an expedition with Dr. Marcus, Dr. Brandon Bailey, Oswell, and Earl Spencer was launched. They discovered the flowers in the Garden of the Sun and would confirm the hypothesis on December 4th.
Research and Development
After returning from the expedition, Marcus, while doing research, discovers that the virus could repair cells. Using an E. coli cell and using the lysis method which is the disintegration of a cell by rupture of the cell wall or membrane, he exposed the cell to 0.1ppm of chlorine effectively killing the cell. After the confirmation of cell death, Marcus would introduce the virus to the cell for study.
The cell’s reaction to the virus caused the membrane to be repaired, mutated it’s nuclear genome, and caused it to undergo cell division. After years of research early in ‘67, there were allegations of tampering with the results and the government refused to fund the project any longer. This cause Dr. Marcus to take it to the Spencer Estate and be funded by the Spencer Foundation under the agreement of using the virus to create a race of super humans.
In March of ‘67, Dr. Marcus would start up Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. This was to allow him to modify the virus as he saw fit. To generate more research and money, the circle would decide to open their own labs around the world to work on the virus and modify it to create more bio-weapons. While not known how well the research came along to members of the circle in ‘67, we do know Spencer instantly did human testing in the Arklay Mountains, creating Type-A and Type-B versions of the strain.
Research into the Progenitor Virus was slowed due to the inability to trigger the extremely pricey conditions needed. In ‘68, it was decided to set up a lab in the Garden of the Sun itself, which would allow the cultivation of the flower and seeds to be sent overseas.
This is where we end… for now. Join us next time at Vibe when we talk about the first variant, the T-virus!
