if it was another company it could be KP sabotage, after all a good way to kill a competitor is to make their product very dangerous so that even if they get past it, you will still have gained market wise

In the development of this drug, was it designed to attach/change part of the genetic code from the start, or is that an unknown side affect?

Yes. I believe this was part of the desired effect, but the actual manifestation is an unknown. The idea for this drug is a step toward the vaccine that Faust Pharms is developing.

Assuming the labs are rebuilt enough to be up and running, this is Lori's goal for Faust Pharmss: to create a vaccine of sorts that will force inactive x-genes and dormant to become active. Assuming that they successfully develop this vaccine Faust Pharms will be offering a "counter-vaccine" that will supposedly keep the x-gene from ever surfacing even if you have it. It won't actually do this, but will probably do the same as the first... (imagine an orphan holding a puppy and a sign that reads "Free Innoculations of Never-B-Mutant" in front of the Church of Humanity *grin*) But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

What is the point of the drug?

The point is to increase the amount of active mutation's in the world so that there will be more mutants, more mutant sympathizers, a greater gene pool to draw from for the production of more little mutants in the future. The Order's goal is for an eventual mutant take over. What better way to get someone on your side besides making them be on your side?

Is it suppose to be some type of illegal substance like crack/cocaine, speed, acid, etc. and is it targeted towards a specific type, like a hallucinogen?

Well, I don't imagine it to be legal and I certainly don't imagine it to be a hallucinogen since it has actual physical results. It's certainly targeted to a certain species: humans. I think that it might make this plot too complicated to have it affect mutants. Also our site's last pharmaceutical drug, Haywire, was a mutant-centric drug. I think for diversity's sake it might be nice to have a human-centric one.

Or [is the drug] geared towards something like OTC (Over The Counter) or Rx (Prescription), to help (or pretend to help) an actual problem (cold, fever, headache, arthritis, cancer, etc), and if yes, then what is it marketed towards?

As fun as it would be to spike Rupert's Double Chaser with something that would make him sprout tentacles, OTC and Rx drugs have to be FDA approved and that takes time. For fast acting results, I would think that the Order would do the rash thing and leak the drug. For the vaccine later on down the line? Yes I think they'll take the "legitimate" route *cough* or as legit as the Order is willing to play by human rules.

Another question might be who is distributing the drug

Well, I did tell Bane that he could sell drugs for the Order on the street corner... I think just about anyone could be selling it as long as the initial money

Is it actually The Order's creation or are they merely taking advantage of the situation? And if it is another group that has made and distributed the drug, what would the motivations and repercussions be?

It is my aim to have this drug be Order funded and Order approved. Now did they directly get in the lab and swirl test tubes like fine brandy? Not unless they're involved in the starting kidnapping phase of this idea. But it probably wouldn't be impossible to figure out who is behind the whole shebang. It could be a fun string of missions for the goodies to sniff out the source. As for the idea of another group: why go outside to a NPC group when we have the set up already in place for it to be from the Order? The site works with these factions so by golly let's use them.

Lets see... The Order want's to kill every human, and place mutants as the single most dominant species on the planet, right?

Noooooot quite. The current Order leader is of the understanding that mutants need humans for the genetic diversity they provide. Not everyone can be spawn of ColdSteel despite the many wild oats he's sewn and no one wants Giant's Bane to reproduce.

It is Lori's ultimate goal to make every genetically dormant mutant become an active mutant. This drug is a step in that direction. It's a byproduct of the research that is being done for the activation vaccine.

Your suggestion was good, Saph, but one of the reasons this drug is shaping up like it is, is because the Haywire virus made human's ill. OOCly speaking, this is a mutant forum and 98% of the characters played are mutants. This drug is designed to be a plot device rather than a direct interaction for characters.

Plus it's like like an OOC bonus for our super minority on the site (which is technically still the majority on our IC planet). We forget about those humans/slaughter them sometimes. It makes for several new and interesting plot options to have it focused like it is.

I think OOCly it's about time some mutants got some IC payback.

Well, unless I've been looking in the wrong places online, I have yet to find anything about drugs/pills/etc. specifically designed to target the DNA, beyond binding to the proteins, and add bits to the DNA. Which is what this drug seems to do, add onto the DNA, even if for a short time, to create artificial mutants (even if that part wasn't intended).

Which unless I am mistaken is beyond the technology of the real world, and thus banned from MRO. I know people are excited for this plot idea, and I'm sorry to bring this up. If someone can point out that I'm wrong and that we do have this capability IRL, I'd be open to it and welcome it.

Otherwise, I protest: It is beyond the current technological capabilities we possess IRL, and thus banned from MRO.

Otherwise, I protest: It is beyond the current technological capabilities we possess IRL, and thus banned from MRO.

Lori ran her tentative plans past the Mods a few weeks before this thread even started, so no worry in that regard--the drug will be like the anti-Stalker weapons, Haywire virus, and other "for a site-wide plot's sake" specially-approved tech. Like them, it will come and go without affecting the overall site tech level ad infinitum. So long as people are interested in this plot (and don't terribly mind the special exception), then it's no problem.

Shouldn't the Mods be sticking with and enforcing their rule about the technology limit that they forced apon everyone on the site, not making exceptions where they see fit? The examples you gave were from before the rule was put in place. The last KP incident with Haywire (whether or not this was after the tech limit rule) was to remove it from the site for good. I see it removed for a few reasons, it's old and drawn out, an old plot piece that that served it's purpose and no longer needs to be around, and it is beyond our technology.

I again protest against this. The mods should not be endorsing something that goes against the site rules, the rules they came up with collectively.

I could be wrong here, but my thoughts are that it is sometimes justified to bend MRO rules for the sake of large plots. Its a different thing entirely to have one piece of advanced tech show up for the case of some rp that potentially involves everyone and will eventually disappear at the conclusion of the plot (or at least sink into obscurity) as opposed to having advanced tech available for just anyone. For what its worth, bending a site rule or not, I'm definitely intrigued by the entire plot idea, including the drug aspect of the plot and hope that we get to play it out sometime in the (fairly) near future.

While I approve of both sides of this argument... Couldn't we just say that someone fiddled with haywire's DNA until they came up with this result? I'm not certain what the Haywire storyline was all about, as i was not here, but this mutant or something or other seemed to have some great impact on the powers of existing mutants, right?

What if someone studied Haywire's DNA(or even just the reaction that it caused in others), experimented with the data they found until they stumbled upon these results, and then mass produced a sinthetic means of creating a similar reaction. If mutants actually did exist, closer looks at their DNA would lead to isolating the specific genes that cause mutations. This would lead to huge ammounts of research on the feild, so such breakthroughs wouldn't be completely unimaginable even with modern scientific techniques.

Though I truthfully think that the furthest we would have been able to go up front would be turning a human embryo into a mutant embryo.

>.> I agree with Kaz when he says that a site should not rout its rules for the sake of plot; it tends to turn out a bit hectic from what i have seen in past experiences... But I also think that this plot is doable, and it sounds fun. *still thinks that it might be funner without making the drug the main focal point of it.*

*fishes out two conflicted pennies... deposits*

Saph: The Haywire Virus was created/synthesized by King Pharmaceuticals using Jack's (a mutant) DNA. The Order took her from a lab, tested her effect on mutants and humans, then planned on unleashing the synthesized virus on humanity. Which happened in the Future Plot, which at the end, all traces of the Haywire virus was destroyed, removing it from MRO forevermore. Haywire would cause a Mutant's abilities to go nuts, usually skyrocket in strength and intensity for a time, but uncontrolably, humans, would become extremely ill and die. But all of this was before the rule of only current technology on MRO.

As I've said, I have not been able to find anywhere of us IRL having the tech to specifically target DNA and add or subtract things to it, or alter it to do anything, even for a short time, only bond with the proteins in an attempt to help people that are sick, but even those don't work anywhere near what is proposed here. If someone can point out that I am wrong with a source or something, I'll happily step down from this point, but I haven't seen it, and so I still believe it is beyond our current level of technology IRL, and thus beyond anything we can do on MRO.

Don't get me wrong, the idea is interesting I agree. But the mods have been so strict as of late enforcing their rules to a T, that it seems wrong that they will bend or break their rules when they feel like it. It seems especially wrong when a mod that knows the rules, helps to come up with the rules, and is suppose to moderate and enforce said rules deliberately talks about bending or breaking them when it suits them/their purposes.

In considering this issue I think 2 main questions need to be asked. First, how important is the specific pseudo-science used in explaining how the virus works? Could the explanation be changed to be more in line with current scientific technology? We are, after all, talking about something that could never happen in the real world no matter the science involved therefore we have to fudge the science involved to some degree.

The second pertanent question, I think, is should site wide meta-plots be subjected to the same strict standards as individual characters and threads. My personal stance is that they should not, given the fact that this is something that benefits everyone on the site rather than just an individual. Although the mods generally design the plots, it isn't only them that benefit from them and I think that they should be allowed a little extra leeway for the sake of the site as a whole.

To the second question Meld, there shouldn't be any difference. If the mods can't follow their own rules, should we have to? Basically it's a slope to 'Do as I say, not as I do.' is that respectful to us? The mods should be held to the same standards and rules as the rest of us, no question. Do we allow police to bend/break rules/laws we're expected to follow? (Ok, yes it happens but they do get into trouble when found out.) Same principle.

Technically I believe that today's technology does possess the capacity to alter an individuals DNA. It mainly just isn't done because the research and equipment necessary are excessively expensive, that along with legal red tape means that scientists today are largely limited to working with plants.

Anyway before I head off on a tangent I'll get back to the issue at hand, the ability to alter an individuals DNA requires three steps:
1) The means to cut the existing DNA, this is done today with specialized enzymes which eat through the genetic coding, thereby leaving a space for new DNA to be inserted.
2) Inserting the new DNA; this is done through the use of retroviruses which pass through the cell wall and inject the necessary DNA code into the gap.
3) Once the new code has been put in place it then needs to adhered or "glued" to either ends of the existing DNA strand to ensure that the cell simply doesn't unravel, this is accomplished through the use of more enzymes which bond the new structure together.

As I said before all the technology to do this readily available all that would be needed is the time and research spent to craft the special enzymes and viruses.

And buckets of money, can't forget that.

Anyway that's just my two cents on the issue, if you want a little more detail try this site.

Two important questions come to mind. If it alters the genes of humans, what effects would it have on Adapteds?

Also, it's still temporary, correct?

From the website Hull gave it seems we are able to alter DNA in a lab, while working on individual cells. It also seems to me that it has to be overseen at all stages. It doesn't seem to translate into we could make and distribute as an illegal substance.

In my mind there is a difference between the mods bending MRO rules for their own advantage and for something site-wide that affects everyone. A meta-plot affects everyone in the site more or less equally, mod or not which is the reason I have no real issue for it being done, as long as it is done sparingly, for a purpose and is not abused. Perhaps some sort of vote might be put to site members in such cases to see what others think on the issue? That way there could be some accountability in instances where there might be some question of abuse.

It would be different, in my opinion, if mods were bending or breaking rules for their own advantage. If, for example, a mod had access to some advanced technology that was forbidden everyone else. To me there is a clear difference between these two scenarios. Again, I think that perhaps some sort of vote to see if memebers have issues with borderline issues might be in order.

Sorry if this sounds abrupt, my internet is on the fritz today and I'm trying to get this out before it decides to throw a fit again.

There shouldn't be an issue with technology. If you notice, part of the plot involves kidnapping mutants. There is no reason for a pro-mutant group to kidnap mutants unless they are getting something major from it.

It was my intention to have the research from (and/or using the powers of) the mutants to create something that the drug is derived from. Going the mutant route largely excludes the need for any technology that is above what we have in the real world and it adds another dimension to the plot.

I am sorry if that wasn't communicated clearly enough, I never expected it to be a problem that we'd have to hash out EXACTLY where the drug comes from. It's a plot. A temporary plot with no intended permanence on the site tech level-wise or drug-wise. I don't know a whole, whole lot about science, but it didn't seem too ridiculously far fetched to me which is why I proposed the idea in the first place.