Until the last century, the Mordesh of Grismara had been a flourishing civilization, one rivaled only by Cassus in grandeur and elegance. Their erudition in the field of alchemy had made them the envy of the galaxy. When the summons bidding them to join the Dominion had come, alliance seemed inevitable.

Even as the plans were in their final stages, Victor Lazarin, widely acknowledged as the greatest alchemist in Grismaran history, announced his intentions to "end the tyranny of mortality." Such had been the design of Mordesh alchemists since time immemorial. But although he spoke in broad terms of freedom from sickness and aging, uppermost in his mind was the recent sickness and death of his wife.

Lazarin closeted himself away in his lab for decades. When he eventually emerged, his face haggard and manner more erratic than ever, many among his mortified former colleagues braced themselves for what was certain to be a disgraceful admission of defeat. Instead, Victor announced success: the Everlife Elixir, a substance that conferred immunity to sickness, aging, and cell degradation. Convinced by his demonstrations, the High Council triumphantly called for the Elixir's prompt global distribution. Every minute wasted meant hundreds, possibly thousands, of avoidable deaths. The Elixir was rapidly mass produced. Within a week, billions of Mordesh across the planet had submitted to its injection. Without exception, all showed signs of accelerated rejuvenation, renewed vigor, and stunning physical enhancements.

But weeks later, everything had changed. Victor's elixir was unstable, causing physical degeneration along with mindless cannibalistic rage. Reports of savage attacks by family members and soon entire communities became a daily litany. Even the few who had refused the Elixir wound up slaughtered or infected themselves.

The casualties mounted with meteoric swiftness. And within mere weeks, a civilization of billions suddenly found itself on the brink of extinction. In desperation they appealed to their new allies for help. Instead, the Dominion response was indefinite quarantine. Bleakly trying to fight off the ravaging effects of the Contagion on his own nervous system, Lazarin worked tirelessly to create a vaccine.

Source: World Story