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Lambentwarss

Locust Drones infected with Lambency.

"Sera's dying, Marcus. The whole planet's infected. It's the Imulsion that's killing it. It was always the Imulsion, you see, and I can stop it."
—Professor Adam Fenix to his son, Sgt. Marcus Fenix.

Lambent Infection, also known as Lambency, is an extinct, fungal pathogen caused by overexposure to Imulsion. Typical symptoms included luminescent veins and eyes filled with Imulsion, blackened skin, extreme aggression, and random mutations in response to its environment. Organisms infected and colonized by the Imulsion parasite were referred to as "Lambent".

Initial health conditions involving Imulsion, known as Rustlung, were discovered during the early Pendulum Wars. Lambency itself was not discovered until 17 B.E. First documented in various creatures of the Hollow, and later seen in the Locust Horde. Following the sinking of Jacinto City in 14 A.E., Lambency began to infect surface animals and humans, leading to the destructive Lambent Pandemic. By 17 A.E., Lambency had been eradicated by Professor Adam Fenix with his Imulsion countermeasure.

Signs and symptoms[]

There are three main stages of Imulsion infection: acute infection, Rustlung, and Lambency.

Acute infection[]

Imulsion's life cycle in its natural state was noted to have a long period of dormancy followed by accelerated activity before maturation. While Imulsion could cause mutations, Lambent humans did not exist until 17 A.E. when Imulsion reached a critical stage in its life-cycle and jumped the species barrier. The latency period varied depending on the level of exposure to Imulsion. There were no known symptoms with the acute infection of Lambency.

Rustlung[]

The initial period following Imulsion poisoning was the development of Rustlung. While initially a terminal respiratory disease, Rustlung later became the first stage of Lambency as Imulsion progressed in its life cycle. Rustlung was acquired by constant exposure to or extreme inhalation of Imulsion fumes.

People with Rustlung often had productive cough and rust brown colored phlegm. Other symptoms included trouble or labored breathing, chest pain, joint pain, weakness, hemorrhaging, headache, loss of speech, hair loss, accelerated nail growth, eye discoloration, sterility, nausea, vertigo, insomnia, paranoia, and increased aggression.

The life-expectancy of the patient depended on the level of exposure to Imulsion, from several months to thirty years. Once diagnosed, there was no known treatment. Symptoms could be alleviated, which would extend the lifespan. As Rustlung worsened, care would become palliative. Near the end of this stage, many people experienced fever and intense muscle pain.

Lambency[]

As Imulsion colonized the host's cells, the body temperature began to rise - causing intense muscle pain and illumination of the circulatory system into Imulsion's golden luminescence. The heat would burn the skin and cartilage - blackening into necrotic tissue. Mutations occurred, such as vestigial limbs and fruiting bodies of Imulsion, as well as defensive physical traits. The parasite possessed the host and aimed to infect other beings. The behavior and personality of the host could survive Lambency, but would be trapped within their body as it was controlled by the Imulsion parasite.

Transmission[]

Lambency was contracted through exposure to spores via Imulsion fumes. Novel cases were originally caused by proximity to Imulsion. Miners, refinery workers, and citizens of mining colonies were among the first to become infected. Rustlung and initial Imulsion infection was not considered to be contagious. Lambent organisms, however, were considered contagious due to being capable of producing Imulsion fumes, which acted as infectious spores.

At the end of a Lambent host's life-cycle, the host would explode to release the Imulsion within to infect non-Lambent organisms in its vicinity. At times, the Imulsion would mobilize after the death of its host and move to another. Otherwise, the fumes from the explosion would carry Imulsion spores to other lifeforms, ensuring the continued spread of the infection.

Diagnosis[]

Lambency is diagnosed via laboratory testing and then staged based on the presence of certain signs and symptoms.

Prevention[]

The only known prevention from Lambent infection was the use of gas masks and other air filtration systems.

Treatment[]

Epidemiology[]

History[]

Discovery[]

While Rustlung was discovered during the Gold Rush and early Pendulum Wars, Lambency was not discovered by humans until 17 B.E. by Doctor Elain Fenix. While exploring in the Hollow beneath Jacinto City, she found several dead Rock Shrews. Upon dissecting them, she discovered that had developed vestigial limbs. She initially believed this to be the six-legged creature referred to in the tale of Romily, and concluded that they were the last of a genus that had included much larger tunnel-dwelling creatures.[1] It was later learned to be the first known case of Lambency.

Queen Myrrah of the Locust Horde also found multiple species from the Hollow that began displaying mutations at an accelerated rate, namely the Wretches, coining the term "Lambent" for their ability to glow in the dark. She and Locust scientist Ukkon began studying the Lambent Wretches as their behavior became aggressive towards all non-infected lifeforms, and would exploded upon death. Myrrah and Ukkon were unable to produce a countermeasure to the Lambent as they continued to infect her people. In 9 B.E., Doctor Elain Fenix discovered the Locust Horde. When she attempted to make contact, Elain was killed.

Lambent War[]

In 7 B.E., the Lambent became an epidemic among the Locust Horde. Drones were infected and mutating at an alarming rate. Myrrah launched a war against the infected Locust. Due to the nature of the Lambent and the Imulsion in their environment, the Locust continued to be infected with Lambency or killed fighting them. As the Locust lost more of the Hollow to the Lambent, Myrrah began devising a mass exodus to the surface. She initially considered making contact with the humans of Sera to help aid in their fight against the Lambent, but she believed the humans would never accept them and would only oppress and kill them, leading Myrrah to draft plans for a genocidal war against humanity.

In 4 B.E., Professor Adam Fenix, husband of the late Dr. Elain Fenix, found her journals and made contact with the Locust. Myrrah reciprocated contact and was convinced to meet with Fenix. Upon learning Fenix was one of the top scientists of the COG, Myrrah revealed her dilemma with the Lambent and her plans to invade the surface. She offered Fenix the opportunity to resolve the Lambent epidemic without harming her people, which would allow the Locust to remain underground and not engage the humans in war. Fenix agreed to the proposition. Fenix frequented into the tunnel cities and took several specimens. However, Fenix was under pressure to complete the Hammer of Dawn to help end the Pendulum Wars and had little time to research the Lambent. In the time he did have, Fenix learned that the Lambent evolved against any biological countermeasure.

In 0 B.E., the Lambent epidemic was reaching a climax as their took more of the Inner Hollow. Vold RAAM was convinced the war was lost and instead sought to invade the surface. Uzil Sraak rejected this and believed the Hollow was theirs by birthright and wished to not divide their forces between two wars. In order to convinced the Queen, RAAM and Skorge devised a coup. While they had Vold Karn abandon the Expansion Hollow to allow the Lambent to invade, Skorge shared with Ketor Vrol his vision that they would lose the war unless they abandoned the Hollow. Vrol was convinced after the Lambent attacked the Temple of the Trinity, but was successfully defended by RAAM. Myrrah found a common goal in RAAM's plans, promoted him to Uzil, and shared with him her plans to invade the surface.

Locust War[]

From Emergence Day, there had been scarce sightings of Lambent Locust on the surface. Multiple sightings of Lambent Wretches were reported during the Destruction of Halvo Bay six weeks after E-Day. Lambent Wretch sightings increased during the war, with Coalition High Command making note of their existence and characteristics. Dozens of Lambent Wretches were encountered at the Lethia Imulsion Facility and in Timgad Valley during the Lightmass Offensive in Gale, 14 A.E. Following the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb, the Imulsion in the Outer Hollow was evaporated and caused a pollution in Timgad City. In the following six months, civilians and stationed Gears in the city were afflicted with Rustlung.

In Frost 14 A.E., the COG launched Operation: Hollow Storm to invade the city of Nexus and end the Locust War. During the siege, the COG witnessed the Lambent Locust assaulting the uninfected Locust. Through recovered intel, the COG realized that the Locust waged their war against humanity to escape the Lambent and colonize the surface in order to abandon the Hollow. After learning from a recording by Professor Fenix detailing that sinking Jacinto City underground would cause the surrounding seawater to drown all life in the Hollow, the COG sank Jacinto and flooded the Hollow.

Lambent Pandemic[]

While Professor Fenix had been independently studying Lambency since before Emergence Day, the COG did not begin studying it until 10 A.E. following the Fall of Ephyra, in which Professor Fenix was relocated to Azura, an island research facility hidden from the main population. This served as a prison sentence as Chairman Richard Prescott learned that Fenix had been working with Queen Myrrah and the Locust Horde, and knew E-Day was coming. Further uncovering Fenix's studies, Prescott ordered him and the scientist at Azura to learn more about Lambency to find a potential solution. The scientists came to the conclusion that Lambency would reach a critical stage in evolution and become a pandemic. By 2 Frost 14 A.E., these fears came true.

The seawater used in the sinking of Jacinto City flooded the Hollow and caused the Imulsion to rise to the surface, contaminating the soil. Various sea and land-based animals became infected with Lambency. As the Imulsion fungus grew, it sprouted fruiting bodies which emitted spores through Imulsion fumes and released polyps to spread the infection. The COG had relocated to the island of Vectes following the destruction of Jacinto. By 15 A.E., the island was attacked by a multitude of Lambent organisms. Prescott sent data images to Fenix back on Azura to communicate the spread and evolution of the infection. Fenix required actual samples to make a proper analysis. Due to this and general distrust from the civilians, Prescott abandoned the COG and fled to Azura.

As the COG disbanded and splintered into nomadic groups, Prescott gave Fenix the samples at Azura. Fenix determined that they would have only one to two years to resolve the pandemic before it colonized every lifeform on Sera. Since 14 A.E., Fenix had self-experimenting by injecting himself with doses of concentrated Imulsion - a practice used in New Hope. As he studied the life-cycle of the Imulsion inside him, he came to the conclusion that biological measures would never work as the Imulsion evolved against it. Aiming to kill Imulsion cells, he used Dr. Elain Fenix's method of targeted radiation to destroy cancerous cells. On top of Pinnacle Tower, Fenix constructed the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon - a device capable of delivering a targeted radiation wave across the planet of Sera aimed at killing infected cells.

By 17 A.E., the majority of Sera was overrun with Lambent. The Queen's Guard, the remnants of the Locust Horde loyal to Queen Myrrah, located Azura and took the island. Prescott managed to escape, while Fenix was captured. Myrrah learned of the Imulsion countermeasure and demanded that Fenix redesign it to spare the Locust and instead kill humans as well as the Lambent. Meanwhile, Prescott located the remainder of the COG and rallied them to liberate Azura. During this time, Lambency jumped to humans, creating Formers. The Imulsion refineries in Mercy, Char, and Halvo Bay became overrun by Lambent Humans. The COG managed to locate Azura and liberate Adam Fenix. After activating the Imulsion countermeasure, all infected organisms were disintegrated - including Fenix himself. Lambency was eradicated, and Imulsion completely destroyed. However, those afflicted with Rustlung remained and would ultimately perish.

Behind the Scenes[]

  • Queen Myrrah was the first to refer to the glowing, infectious organisms as Lambent.[2]
  • Lambency resembles real-world fungal pathogens such as ophiocordyceps unilateralis and massospora cicadina. Both are parasitic fungi that possess its host to expel spores and infect other members of their colony. Imulsion infects its host through vapors, which act as spores, to colonize and parasitize its host. The Lambent Stalks act as fruiting bodies to further spread the Imulsion spores. Lambent organisms explode upon death in a last attempt to spread Imulsion within and therefore spread Lambency - similar to how cordyceps' hosts expel spores from their corpses.

References[]

  1. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 95-102
  2. Gears of War: The Slab pg 40
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