Vector Institute would be a sick name for a bio-terror group in Shadowrunner
this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2025
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Yeah it's not that simple, wikipedia has a good summary:
Advocates of final destruction maintain that there is no longer any valid rationale for retaining the samples, which pose the hazard of escaping the laboratories, while opponents of destruction maintain that the samples may still be of value to scientific research, especially since variants of the smallpox virus may still exist in the natural world and thus present the possibility of the disease re-emerging in the future or being used as a bio-weapon.
Exactly, know your enemy, especially if you think you have defeated it.
We are about to see all the "defeated" diseases make a comeback due to politicians interfering in preventative healthcare. All in order to drive up revenue for big pharma and corporate healthcare from the increase in sick people.
Agrees quietly in melting permafrost.
Keep the virus data in a computer where it can't escape from.
Computers can spread viruses too ☝️🤓
We're not to the point that that's possible.
How big is its genome? There isn't much in a virus.
People can replicate a lot of them from purely data.
How many distinct genomes are there that we include under the label "smallpox"? It's also a great deal more complicated than simply storing the genome - much as gene expression in humans is more complicated than simply "this is what the DNA says", it's also more complicated than that for viruses. We're finally to the point that we can simulate interactions, but it's -absolutely- not a trivial thing to do (supercomputer shit) and simply saving the source material prevents any risk of loss of information.
Soulless Artificial Intelligences irritated with humanity constantly trying to get them to answer dumb questions can replicate a lot of them from purely data.
FTFY
It's actually very real machines, doing extremely well controlled chemical reactions, and no AI unless you count all computer software as AI (ok, processors have neural networks controlling them nowadays, so just "normal" amount of AI).
This would kind of make sense if Isildur had taken the ring and tried to disassemble it and learn how its various magic effects worked, in order to extend life without the downsides.
The amount of things we've learned from the field of virology is fucking nuts.
they've gone M.A.D.
It would be horrible in real life but I thought a funny intro to a post apocalyptic movie would be a person giving a tour of a bio lab to college interns and...
"through our studies we have learned to increase the transmission rate and the death rate of the small pox virus. The downside is we had to mix it with rabies so the infected tend to get aggressive and lose there ability to rationalize their thoughts. Don't worry though, there is only this one vial of it in the entire world... these gloves are quite slippery.. Oops"
No I think it would be better in real life. To scare interns. Not actually develop the megapox.
SARS CoV 3: 'Murica Boogaloo
Don't worry, there are multiple layers of protection. So far they're doing great, even Vector, even now: https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/50484602-5796-40de-9151-b41f1ffe83cd/content