1694 Draconian bioterror attack

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1694 Draconian bioterror attack
1694 Draconian bioterror attack
Group of enraged men, affected by copulin poisoning.
Location Isenbury, Shireroth
Date 4.I.1694 - 15.I.1694
Attack type Bioterrorism
Weapon(s) Genetically modified copulins
Deaths 6
Injured 151
Perpetrator(s) Draconian Supremacists
Suspected perpetrator(s) Government of Drak-Modan

In 1694, six people died and 151 people suffered complications from severe copulin-poisoning in Isenbury, Shireroth, through covert hypodermic injections and deliberate contamination of alcoholic beverages at three local sports bars. A group of Drak-Modani nationals living in Isenbury were revealed to have planned the attack and were apprehended at the border when trying to return to home. They claimed they were exacting revenge upon Shireroth for Princess Lisa, who had been recently embarrassed, and acting under orders from the Drak-Modani Defense Force. The government of Drak-Modan categorically denies its involvement.

Planning

Sometime in 1693, after Prince Kir's marriage to Yukiji was announced, a group of 20 people from across Drak-Modan answered an advertisement on television calling for able-bodied, straight-passing, Drak-Modani citizens with a K6 or KX rating and degree in organic chemistry, biology, or related field. If they completed a special mission for the Department of Mission Advancement by Scientific Coordination they could secure automatic and permanent adjustment of Draconian status for any non-Draconian friends or family. The group met in Eriksburg and was briefed on the basics of Project Iakobson. Eight members of the initial group agreed to proceed with the mission without knowing the details.

The group was relocated to a Defense Force reserve garrison in Karamola for training. Four sports bars in the city of Isenbury were chosen as a target to reduce the chance of encountering high populations of Shirerithian homosexuals, who would be immune. A three stage attack was planned to test various weaponized copulin delivery systems. The first stage would test effectiveness of aerosolized copulins in a single bar and its immediate surroundings using a copulin-diffusers. The second stage would test high-potency liquified copulins by contaminating the drinks in bars. The final stage would combine the liquified and aerosolized copulins, and in chaos of the ensuing violent orgies, try to inject lethal doses of copulins in as many subjects as possible before escaping.

In late 1693, the group had completed their training and moved to Isenbury and took jobs as bartenders and waiters at the target venues, taking advantage of the freedom of movement between Raspur Pact nations.

The Attack

On 4.I.1694 at 9:37 in the evening, constables were called to the Isenbury Inn to investigate reports of "mass sexual hysteria." When constables arrived at the bar, they found the patrons engaged in a violent orgy. The female waitresses had called the constables when the predominantly male and elderly clientele began kissing and making out with each other. They reported a faint, odd smell in the air that made them feel slightly flushed. However, the scent was soon overpowered the growing stench of musk generated by the elderly men. Some of the impotent men became enraged at their lack of physical response and began to fight to attempt to relieve their frustration. As more men became spent, their aggression rose even higher, and the crowd erupted into a riot causing windows and doors to break. As the fighting broke out into the street and a cool breeze passed through the bar, the fighting slowly ended. About 15 men reported injuries from the riot and 30 men were arrested for inciting violence in a public place. The men later reported that they remembered everything they did, but had no idea why they did it.

A week later on 13.I.1694 at 11:03PM paramedics and constables were called to Duke's and Ginny's, two popular nightclubs. The bouncers had been escorting problematic dancers out of the club all evening, noting that they had never before seen such sexually aggressive behavior. By the time the clubs had reached capacity later that night, the dance floor had devolved into an orgy pit. Bouncers were overwhelmed and beaten by the dozens of crazed, naked, men. Many patrons had fled already. Constables set off smoke bombs and tear gas to no avail. The enraged and engorged men continued, now weeping uncontrollably and in visible pain. Tranquilizer darts were finally able to subdue the men hours later.

The final attack happened on 15.I.1694 at the Kaiser's Beer Garden, an indoor-outdoor bar complex. A similar pattern to the attacks at Duke's and Ginny's began when security guards began removing aggressive men. After a few male patrons had been removed, constables were called in. However, as soon as the constables entered the front bar, they became violently enraged and began attacking and assaulting male patrons. Over the next several hours anyone entering the Beer Garden became enraged and sexually violent. As the sexual throng pushed and pulled indoors and outdoors, it slowly dwindled into the morning hours. Six patrons were reported as being extremely violent, demonstrating savage aggression and self-harm. These individuals were discovered dead after the attack, due to apparent drug-overdose.

Investigations

A thorough investigation of the Isenbury Inn revealed several empty canisters mounted under tables throughout the bar. Some sort of airborne agent was believed to have caused the mass hysteria. This was supported by the fact that aggression diminished as the men went out into the street and as a breeze went through the broken windows of the bar. Scientists were unable to identify the trace chemicals in the cannisters, only that they were organic and, due to the nature of the riot, based on pheromones.

After the incidents at Duke's and Ginny's, city constables considered the events to be linked due to the peculiar and specific pattern of behavior demonstrated among the heterosexual male victims. However, there were no empty diffusing cannisters found at either Duke's or Ginny's. Furthermore, reports had come in later that night of men assaulting each other in other parts of the city. All of those men had been at Duke's or Ginny's that same night, hours before. As the effects seemed to last no more than six hours, a food-borne infection was suspected. Investigators to call the Imperial Food and Beverage Agency to test everything at those bars. It would take approximately one month to test the contents of every bottle and keg.

The Beer Garden attack was also linked to the other attacks and triggered ducal involvement in the investigation. The media had begun to group the attacks together as foreign or domestic bioterrorist attacks. The same diffusing cannisters were found at the Beer Garden and explained why the constables were affected when entering. The fact that those in the outdoor areas and longer duration of effects indicated that the chemical was also food and drink-borne, like at Duke's and Ginny's. The toxicology reports of the six dead individuals returned trace evidence of the same compound found in the empty cannisters.

Initially, the individual investigators ran background checks on the employees at each bar. Due to the city's geographic location it was not uncommon for businesses in Isenbury to employ residents of neighboring Drak-Modan or Ransenar. However, after Imperial immigration and surveillance agencies became involved, the Drak-Modani members of the bars' staff became persons of interest. Their documents showed that they previously lived in different cities, and then resided in Karamola together for a few weeks before all relocating to Isenbury. Warrants were issued for their arrest, and the Shirerithian embassy in Drakorda was alerted if an extradition request to get them back became necessary.

Five of the eight suspects were arrested at various points along the Drak-Modani-Shirerithian border and charged.

Aftermath

The government of Drak-Modan officially denied its involvement in the attack while acknowledging that those individuals were civilian contractors for various discontinued defense department programs. Drak-Modan formally requested that the suspects be returned to Drak-Modan where they will face a military tribunal. The request was denied by Shireroth.

The Drak-Modani co-monarchs and co-chancellors issued a statement expressing their sympathy for those lost and injured during the attack albeit taking no responsibility for the actions of private Drak-Modani citizens abroad. The statement pointed out that the individuals all had scientific backgrounds, and that with public awareness of Project Iakobson it was possible they developed the weaponized copulins themselves.

The government of Drak-Modan has refused to comment on Shirerithian requests to extradite the three remaining suspects, despite being obligated to do so under the Raspur Pact Treaty.

Of the 151 hospital-confirmed cases of copulin-poisoning, approximately 25% of those victims have reported suffering so-called "psychological effects." Of those 37 victims 10 have recently come out as bisexual or pansexual, calling the experience "traumatic, intrusive, a severe violation; yet eye-opening."

Reprisals

During a Meeting of the Ŝḥenĉeł'yh Has outside of Maltenstein on 22.I.1694, Salome told the council members to pass the word that the Golden Mango Throne would not punish any clans that decide to raid into Drak-Modani territory, despite the state of peace between the two countries. This was met with celebration, as the lack of recent war opportunities had begun to wear on the Laqs.

Royal Ordnance Factory Lichkeep initiated contract bidding for battlefield masks on 1.II.1694, stipulating that such masks be field-durable and sufficient to ward off the worst effects of copulin poisoning, so that soldiers thusly equipped would be able to maintain battle readiness despite copulin's other effects. On 3.III.1694, a modified design, derived from a half-mask respirator mask used in open-pit mining, was given the military equipment designation RL-2. Purchase orders for the modified design were registered that day, and the first delivery made to BASD Maltenstein 24.III.1694. Large batches were quickly marked as failing to meet quality standards, then quietly auctioned off to the local Laqi clans in exchange for worker colony dividend shares.