NR3 Strain
Have you noticed something new in your life? Perhaps a nagging headache, or persistent feelings of paranoia? A sore that won't heal properly, alternating flashes of heat and cold? Have you been leading a risky lifestyle that brings you into unprotected contact with individuals from other levels? If you answered yes to all or any of these symptoms, you may have caught the NR3 Strain of Syphilis.
But how can you be sure? The answer is: you can't. Maybe you don't show any of the above symptoms, but you've noticed injuries sealing more quickly than usual, or you suspect that one of your partners may be a carrier. Unfortunately, there is no test that can conclusively prove that you have the NR3 Strain. Many, but not all carriers have scars with dark coloration that appear at the point of infection. However, if you have encountered the strain during intercourse, no detectable marks will appear. This silent plague can spread like cockroaches through the criminal elements of society; that's why it's been called "The Jenny Curse" in certain sublevel communities. This kind of negative stigma has caused countless diseased individuals to hide the signs of their infection, for fear of the social ostracization that is certain to follow.
That's why the first step, if you suspect that you may have been infected, is to consult your local physician and register with your level's security officer. The NR3 plague feeds on ignorance; don't be a Dull-Dan, talk to your doctor! Once you have been added to the rolls of known carriers of the disease, you may qualify for subsidized medical treatments and counseling to help you deal with this new facet of your lifestyle. Hundreds of desperate people, on discovering their infection, have been driven by the intense loneliness and despair that accompanies the strictly enforced solitary lifestyle into taking their own lives to end the suffering. There can be some hope for victims of this disease, maybe, in the next twenty to thirty years.
Unfortunately, there is absolutely no cure or treatment for the NR3 strain. Once you have contracted the disease, there is no way that you can return to a normal, healthy life. That's why registration and prevention are so important! Just follow the "ABCs" of NR3 infection prevention.
Always wear sturdy gloves and closed toe shoes.
Be a safe friend. Intercourse leads to infection. Don't be a plague-rat!
Clip your finger and toenails regularly. 73% of new infections are caused by an unintentional scratch.
If you follow these three simple rules, then you can be free of the heartrending guilt that accompanies spreading the virus to one of your loved ones. Your life may be essentially over, but that doesn't mean that your coworkers, healthcare providers, or children should suffer the same fate. In the handful of years before your undoubtedly agonizing and untimely death, make sure that you avoid all close human contact to keep from spreading this vile contagion. And don't forget to register!
The NR-modules provide the following advantages and disadvantages initially to those infected:
- Feature: Claws (+10 unarmed damage)
- Contamination: through claws (level 2: takes 1 month of incubation)
- Regeneration: 1 pt per round
- Owned: Virus (acting against the virus's interests leads to physically uncomfortable symptoms, ranging from headaches to death).
- Marked: Black scars (generally large, or in an obvious place)
- Vulnerability: EM shielding (none of the advantages work when you're in an EM shielded area)
However, over time the virus tends to mutate and evolve, usually providing further advantages.
