Forced Evolutionary Virus

 ... 

A vat full of FEV at the Mariposa military base, circa 2162

The Forced Evolutionary Virus, or FEV, is one of the most important mutagenic factors in the history of the wasteland, responsible for much of the mutants and misery permeating the post-nuclear America.

The batch responsible for creating regular super mutants is called FEV-II and represents the pinnacle of pre-War research into the virus. A different, unfinished FEV strain is the source of the super mutants infesting the Capital Wasteland, inferior in every aspect to their West Coast cousins.

Overview

Recursive growth patterns in action: a healthy human with a low radiation count has been dipped; this level of exposure to the virus causes changes to manifest within seconds of immersion

FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive, i.e. it cannot be sterilized by radiation. In terms of functionality, FEV is a shifting-absorptive virus, copying DNA patterns much like RNA, storing these patterns in exons. These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to 'regenerate' their DNA with FEV's corrections. FEV comes pre-loaded with introns of corrected DNA that eradicate recessive genes responsible for ailments and alters RNA strands for greater transmission of signals. DNA altered by the virus renders the subject immune to biochemical weapons, radiation and common diseases. Cellular division rate is increased, with mitosis occurring at 115% of normal human rate. Normally non-regenerating tissue, such as neural tissue and non-somatic cells also begin to replicate, allowing for real-time regeneration.

Changes to DNA are expressed phenotypically by recursive growth patterns integrated in the FEV and require prolonged immersion in the virus: in Mariposa this has been achieved by a twenty four hour exposure to FEV-II in the vats, achieving a severe overdose of the virus. In Vault 87, infection took place in sealed chambers, where virus particulate was sprayed. The exposure was relatively brief, compared to the Mariposa procedure.

A noted feature of FEV is that it partially relies upon the DNA of the individual coming in contact with it. Coupled with portions of its own recursive code, effects of exposure can be unpredictable, particularly when non-humans are exposed to the virus, or multiple organisms are placed into the same vat (vide centaurs).

Mariposa strain (FEV-II)

FEV-II super mutant

Main article: Mariposa super mutant

In humans, phenotypical changes brought upon by the Mariposa strain are substantial, accomplished by recursive growth patterns integrated in FEV. In order for the mutation to succeed, the subject needs to have a low level of radiation-induced damage and he should not have been exposed to the airborne "wild" FEV in the wasteland. Subjects that do not meet these criteria will suffer a massive overhaul of the body's systems, leading to organ failure and an extremely painful death.

The average super mutant is 3.2 meters tall and weighs in excess of 350 kilograms. Muscle accounts for over 75% of body mass, while bone and tissue are 10% each. Fat mass is exceedingly low, accounting for between 3-5% of body mass. The increased muscle and body mass lead to a change in posture: FEV super mutants have a characteristic, hunched stance. The skin tone changes substantially and becomes gray with tints of light green, though as the mutant ages, it may become more green or even olive. The skin becomes much thicker and resistant to trauma, including cuts, bruises and damage from fire, acid or even gunfire.

These changes are uniform across mutants, due to the aforementioned growth patterns and pre-programmed DNA loaded into the virus. This also has the effect of removing secondary sexual statistics, in favor of a pre-programmed masculine body shape. Primary sexual characteristics, such as the penis and testicles in males and the uterus and ovaries in females are unaffected. However, super mutants are sterile, as FEV perceives gametes as damaged DNA and corrects them, resulting in sterility.

Increased size of neural transmitters and synaptic receivers in the body give super mutants acute reflexes and heightened senses. However, these changes are not accompanied by a similar rise in intellect: the FEV strain in Mariposa typically lowers the intellect by 30%, though exceptional individuals may retain their intellect or even experience an increase. Damage is caused by recursive growth and increase in brain mass, which may be accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.

The most stunning effect is practical immortality. Although theorized to only bring a circa 10% increase in life expectancy, the FEV strain in Mariposa results in a cell regeneration rate that exceeds cell death rate and prevents DNA degeneration through aging. This allows a super mutant to live for centuries, though if care is not given to exercising one's intellect, elder mutants may suffer from onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

FEV batch 11-111 Vault 87 derivative

FEV batch 11-111 super mutant

Main article: Vault 87 super mutant

The modified, inferior FEV strain used at Vault 87 retains the recursive growth patterns characteristic to FEV, but has a different effect, which may be also linked to how infection was performed in the labs. Test subjects were exposed a single time to FEV in isolated chambers, where virus was deployed as airborne particulate. Phenotypical changes occur within three days and include increased muscle mass, changes in skeletal structure and atrophy of sexual characteristics, both primary and secondary (including body hair). At ten days, skin pigmentation becomes a mixture of yellow and green, while its thickness and resistance to radiation and other environmental hazards rapidly increases.

However, a key problem was that the mutation did not stop. Within fourteen days of initial exposure, test subjects regress to an almost feral state, exhibiting extreme aggression at every non-mutant. While some semblance of cognition is retained, exhibited by the ability to speak, operate machines and use basic tactics in combat, super mutants of this type are typically characterized by significant mental retardation.

Another unforeseen side effect is that the unfinished virus strain codes the body for continued growth. If a super mutant of this type eludes death for prolonged periods of time, they may become a considerable threat, reaching the size of a small building.

FEV Curling-13 strain

Main article: FEV Curling-13

Based on the original FEV-II recovered by the Enclave at Mariposa Military Base's ruins, FEV Curling-13 was a viral agent tailored to reach maximum levels of lethality with minimal exposure levels required to achieve the result. It was being developed under the direction of Lt. Col. Dr. Charles Curling of the Chemical Corps since 2236, to provide the means for the Enclave's second holocaust.

Just a .0001% aerosol solution exposure was enough to kill Arroyo villagers in under one hour, as massive hemorrhaging and inflammations start, leading to a complete failure of the victim's organs within sixty minutes. Significant radiation-induced mutation may thus be beneficial - humans with a lower radiation count suffer a much worse fate. Pure Vault 13 dwellers exposed to the virus expected subdermal hemorrhaging and convulsions within sixty minutes of exposure, but their agony lasted much longer - 14.5 hours on average. No test subject survived the tests on the Oil Rig.

Interestingly, in the event of worldwide release, only Humans and human-based mutants would be eradicated, however - FEV was engineered to bond only with human glyco-proteins, leaving other animals and plant life alive and quite kicking.

FEV Curling-13 is also unique in that it is the only known FEV strain for which an inoculation was developed that granted total immunity from its effects.

Deathclaws

Main article: Intelligent deathclaw

In 2235, the Enclave captured many deathclaws and exposed them to FEV. This boosted their intelligence, giving them the ability to talk with varying degrees of erudition and articulation. While the Enclave hoped that the Deathclaws would be intelligent enough to obey orders without being so intelligent as to question them, the Enclave's deathclaws began to doubt the morality of their masters. Due to a different mutation with FEV some of the deathclaws are albinos.

Albino mole rats

Created during destruction of West Tek Research Facility, when lab rats were exposed to FEV. All turmoil allowed them to escape. Similar to deathclaws they gained intelligence and ability to talk, along with a long vitality.

Fire Ants

Main article: Fire ant

The fire ants of the Capital Wasteland were created by Doctor Lesko, a scientist. He was attempting to return giant ants to their normal size through genetic manipulation and accidentally created the fire ants. Dr. Lesko's ambition was to make the ants exponentially smaller through generations, meaning the offspring is born smaller than its parents for generations to come. But as he reasons, one small tweak of an error has left the ants with a completely different mutation. The fact that Lesko used F.E.V. in his experiments in order to produce a quicker result may also help explain the "error". Lesko further explain in very technical terms that the ants breathe fire by expelling flammable venom from what was their venom sacks, then igniting it with a spark made by clicking their mandibles. He calls this process "pyrosis".

Background

Main article: Pan-Immunity Virion

The Forced Evolution Virus originated from the Pan-Immunity Virion Project, a project originally dedicated to discovering a cure for New Plague, was established in September 2073 in response to aggressive use of biochemical weapons by China. In order to combat the newest biological weapons, the decision was made to create a viral defense that would alter uninfected DNA to render it immune to standard viral infection.

Batch 10-011

Following the seizing of PVP assets, the Pan-Immunity Virion batch 10-011 has been renamed as Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV) and used in further research. The key difference was that instead of Pan-Immunity Virion's quad-helix DNA structure, the batch became a shifting-absorptive virus. This was a deliberate choice by Major Barnett, who considered the unwanted side effects of the quad-helix structure to outweigh the benefits of replicative stability afforded by the design.

The first experiments took place in March 21, 2075 on single celled organisms. While their base metabolism appeared unchanged, their immunity to infection and radiation exceeded all earlier expectations. Research on FEV effects on plants proved unsuccessful. The next stage included flatworms. Infected on May 9, 2075, they exhibited a 28% increase in size and resistance to 9 separate viral contagions within hours. The new DNA structure was successfully passed to progeny, though only asexual reproduction was possible.

June 30, 2075 saw the next stage of experimantion: several lab strains of white mice have been infected successfully with FEV. Within hours they exhibited increased growth, stabilizing at a 31% size increase after nine days. The most increase in size occurred in striated muscle tissue and certain internal organs, including the liver, heart and kidneys. An increase in intelligence was also noted, allowing mice to run mazes in less than half the time required by normal mice.

The final experimentation with FEV batch 10-011 occurred with rabbits. On November 9, 2075, 218 rabbits were infected, half of which were implanted with electrodes to monitor changes in EEG activity. Increased electrical activity was noted 3.2 seconds after infection, accompanied by the typical increase in size. A new effect was noted, namely an increase in aggression and posturing, particularly among males. Dissection of the brains showed increased dendritic connection, particularly in the limbic system and frontal cortex (areas responsible for behaviour, senses and higher mental functions).

Batch 11-011

The new virus batch featured improved mitotic cycle efficiency by a factor of 43%. As part of the test, 53 raccoons were infected with the new strain. Along with the expected size increase, behavioral tests confirmed an increase in intelligence and manual dexterity by 19 points on the Schuler-Kapp index. Unfortunately, subjects escaped confinement and had to be hunted down. Two pairs were unaccounted for. Further development occurred after several new gene sequences, supplied by Major Barnett's advisory team, were spliced into FEV batch 11-011. Designated batch 11-101a, this batch was used to infect 23 dogs of pure and mixed breed on May 13, 2076. The results included nearly immediate growth, accompanied by increased aggression and no notable increase in intelligence. All subjects were terminated after 14 weeks of study. 92 allele pairs were chosen for splicing with batch 11-011.

Batch 11-111

The new batch, designated 11-111, was used to infect 15 chimpanzees. Growth and immunity levels were unprecedented: attempts to induce cancers through radiological and chemical agents were not successful. Increased aggression led to isolating the subjects by the science team, while violent epileptic seizures caused two subjects to expire. The rest was terminated after all data was mined successfully.

Despite protest from the science team, on January 7, 2077, FEV research was transferred to the Mariposa Military Base, to continue under the lead of Leon VonFelden and Robert Anderson. Batch 11-111 has been chosen as basis for further development and human experimentation, with a near 100% success rate on lab animals, granting an approximately 60% increase in size and potential 200% intelligence increase.

A separate research effort was set up by Vault-Tec in Washington, DC. Vault 87 was established as an independent research center for Dr Wayne Merrick, cooperating with the team at Mariposa. Despite his efforts, he was unable to improve batch 11-111 enough to reach satisfactory effects. Humans subject to his strains produced in the Vault 87 labs exhibited superior physical developments, such as increased size, strength and endurance to environmental factors, but were also characterized by significant mental retardation and extreme aggression to non-mutants.

By comparison, the science team at Mariposa reached a full success, creating the FEV-II strain, able to create powerful super soldiers, exhibiting superior physical prowess, resistance to combat damage, aging and disease, as well as dismissible loss of intelligence. However, before the testing could begin in full, soldiers under the command of Roger Maxson rebelled and executed the science staff. With the Great War destroying the United States, Mariposa and research within was sealed by the soldiers and abandoned.

The Master

Main article: Mariposa super mutant

The Vats were rediscovered in 2102 by an expedition led by Harold, a major Hub merchant. Accompanied by Richard Grey, a brilliant exile from Vault City, he managed to crack the base security and infiltrate the lower levels. However, within the Vats, the automated crane crashed into the two, knocking Harold out and flinging Grey into the vat with FEV. Harold woke up in the wastes outside the base, mutating due to exposure to FEV fumes, but becoming a special type of a ghoul-like mutant, rather than a super mutant. Grey, on the other hand, underwent extreme mutation due to prolonged exposure to the virus in the vat. His intellect grew exponentially, allowing him to comprehend even the most complex issues easily (or so he thought). Grey methodically researched FEV, experimenting with animals and eventually, captured scavengers that strayed into the facility. It wasn't until a few failed mutations that he discovered radiation count to be a deciding factor in the success of the change, leading him to pick subjects more carefully. When his Lieutenant was created, he suggested a secondary reason for possible incompatibility. Reviewing available evidence, he concluded that failed mutations in relatively non-radiated humans are caused by the inoculating effect airborne FEV released during the destruction of the original research facility (the Glow) had on humans it came into contact with. Such exposure was not enough to cause phenotypical changes, but enough to cause conflicts when the pure FEV in Mariposa attempted to change the DNA, resulting in the death of the subject. Grey (now calling himself the Master) concluded that prime subjects can be found among Vault populations. Super mutants were sent to uncover sealed Vaults and capture their inhabitants for processing. This move gave the Master unprecedented amounts of human subjects and in 2137 he begins to mass produce mutants. The success rate was only 8-10%, but the Unity steadily grew.

The number of test subjects was further increased by raids on Hub caravans and the establishment of the Children of the Cathedral in 2156. Captive caravan drivers and zealots underwent processing, both in Mariposa and Grey's seat of power beneath the Cathedral. In his lair, the Master and his staff experimented with FEV by injecting it into the brains of the subjects (usually the pineal gland, but also the amygdalae or medulla), triggering changes in brain chemistry. These experiments have limited success: four extremely powerful psykers were created, capable of theoretically wiping out the human race. However, the usual effect included the creation of zombie-like mutants like Dane.

FEV experimentation by the Master was abruptly halted in 2162, when he was killed by the Vault Dweller and the Vats destroyed.

Vault-Tec's FEV strain

	The following is based on Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel and has not been confirmed by canon sources.

A secret Vault-Tec installation known as the Secret Vault was uncovered by the super mutant remnants of the Master's army, who were led by a very strong and highly intelligent super mutant named Attis. It was revealed that Vault-Tec's scientists had intended to further improve the FEV (which they had acquired while building Vault 87 for the United States government). They wanted to use the virus as both a bio-weapon and as a key to humanity's evolutionary future, which is why they were determined to overcome the virus' primary disadvantage—the sterility it produced in mutants infected by it.

They proved unsuccessful in making FEV mutants fertile. However, the resulting Vault-Tec FEV strain provided mutants infected with new features like faster cell regeneration. The living bio-weapons created by this modified FEV probably included the unusual species of Radbugs native to Texas, and the horrifying experimental deathclaws. When Attis, who was already transformed into a super mutant by that time, used the modified strain on himself, he started to regenerate more rapidly and grow much larger, eventually becoming a giant, rapidly-multiplying, multicellular organism, which was destroyed by an explosion.

	End of information based on Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.

The Enclave

Main article: FEV Curling-13

Seeking the means to achieve their plans of global genocide, the Enclave excavated Mariposa in search of surviving samples of FEV-II. Using slaves captured in towns across California, they managed to uncover the Vats and secure the necessary scientific material. However, slaves exposed to the raw virus in the ruins of the base mutated, creating second generation super mutants. The uneven nature of exposure, coupled with a significant radiation count meant that those that survived the change suffered from significant mental damage. Retreating from the base, the Enclave blasted the only remaining entrance, trapping the mutants inside.

Enclave's Chemical Corps proceeded to work on the acquired samples of the virus, creating a staggeringly effective killer, tailored to provide maximum lethality with minimal required exposure. However, two weeks before the virus' deployment, the Enclave and the virus stockpiles were destroyed. However, copies of research were transmitted to Raven Rock, providing the newly created John Henry Eden with an opportunity to achieve plans of genocide. However, due to unknown reasons, the ZAX unit decided that rather than an effective airborne toxin, a localized infection of the water supply would be somehow more effective.

FEV in the Capital Wasteland in 2277

Despite Vault 87 being the main research facility it wasn't the only one, as Dr. Weston Lesko had found another source. Which he used to try to de-mutate the giant ants of the Capital Wasteland, as of 2277 his efforts culminated in the creation of fire ants. Also as of 2277 the levels of said toxin where low in the vault, so the super mutants where actively searching for it in the surrounding area.

Appearances in games

FEV appears in some form in all Fallout games.

Sources

Holodisks

• Alpha experiment disk
• Delta experiment disk
• FEV experiment disk
• FEV Research
• Richard Grey audio diary
• Vree's autopsy report
• Captain Maxson's diary
• The Project