Paranormal Investigation Notes

Chapter 274 Subviral Factors

This time, the case faced enormous difficulties from the very beginning, and everyone in the second operation team felt helpless.

The feeling of knowing that this star map is weird, but not finding where the weirdness is, makes people very uncomfortable.

As a last resort, the investigation process has temporarily stalled.He Wei and Zhang Dingshan once again tried to find clues through conventional means, such as looking for more methods that may cause psychological hints and hypnotic effects, or looking for abnormalities in the CSK-9602 galaxy.

Although animal experiments have basically denied the possibility of psychological suggestion, there is still a very small probability after all—maybe there is really a method that can cause psychological effects on different species at the same time?

There is no other investigation plan at the moment, so we can only try this first.

Lu Ming once again began to think for a long time.He is carefully sorting out everything about this case, sorting out the whole process, and thinking carefully about where there may be blind spots that he has neglected and forgotten.

He grabbed a piece of paper and picked up a pen with the other hand, writing and drawing on it subconsciously.

The first thing that appears is the line of characters CSK-9602.This represents the origin of all events.

Attached behind CSK-9602 is the Mercury telescope.This is a tool for the human world to observe the galaxy.

After the Mercury telescope, there is the word "star map".After these two words, it is "eyes".

Eyes are the organs for animals, including humans, to perceive star maps.

After the eyes, there is the word brain.

Lu Ming can be sure that if the so-called "spiritual pollution" and other mysterious explanations are excluded, then the madness of both humans and animals must be related to the brain.

Autopsies of those berserk animals revealed no abnormalities in their brains.But it's not [-]% sure that there really isn't an anomaly.The reason is simple, the brain is too complex, and there are still too many unknowns for human beings.Maybe the factors that lead to madness are hidden outside the known domain of human beings?

In this way, a chain is formed.

CSK-9602 - Mercury Telescope - Star Map - Eyes - Brain.

From beginning to end.

Lu Ming noticed that in this link, many elements were not passed on smoothly.In other words, there is only one element that is passed from the beginning to the end.

That is information.

Information about the CSK-9602 galaxy.

In this chain, all elements except information are lost in the transmission process.

Then it can be determined that the madness of humans or animals must be related to information under the existing scientific framework, that is, after excluding the elements that cannot be described by the scientific framework and belong to the so-called Cthulhu world view.

After confirming this premise, Lu Ming determined another premise based on the existing clues.

The key factors leading to the madness of organisms are hidden beyond the known domain of human beings.

And, the information from the CSK-9602 galaxy is directly related to this factor.

So, how are they delivered?How does some image information cause that key factor to appear in the brain of the organism?
If such factors exist, what are they?How does it work in the brain?
With such gradual thinking, a speculation gradually appeared in Lu Ming's mind.

This speculation is a bit shocking, even absurd.But at this moment, combined with the existing clues and the real environment, this is almost the only possibility—at least the only possibility that Lu Ming can think of.

During the next regular meeting, Lu Ming made a request to Lu Qingliang.

"Help me find an expert in subviral factors and a laboratory of sufficient level, and then transport some animals that have gone mad, and let them search in their brain tissue to see if they find anything. Yes Now, take a little cerebrospinal fluid from Zhou Tianyang's team members, Luo Yang, and Li Hu, and send them over for examination."

"Subviral factor?"

Lu Qingliang frowned: "You can find them if you look for them. But why are you looking for them? Lu Ming, do you have any new ideas?"

Lu Ming nodded.He Wei and Zhang Dingshan also focused their attention.

"Here's some information about subviral factors, please take a look first."

Lu Ming took out a document and handed it to the other three.The three of them took a look, and they probably knew what the so-called subviral factor was.

The so-called subviral factors are some protein structures that are smaller than viruses, and do not even have DNA and RNA structures, and do not have the ability to self-replicate.

The well-known prion, which can cause diseases such as mad cow disease, sheep scrapie, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and kuru that broke out among primitive cannibal tribes, is one of the subviral factors.The latest research has found that Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, etc. are also caused by mechanisms similar to subviral factors.

It is hard to say whether the subviral factors represented by prions can be regarded as living things.To be more specific, it may be more accurate to think that they are an object between life and non-life.

Their essence is actually a kind of misfolding of biological proteins.That is to say, the protein that was originally good and has a certain function in the living body, due to the influence of certain factors, was folded incorrectly, so prions were born.

They can't even replicate themselves.But another ability they possess achieves an effect similar to self-replication and has the ability to infect between different organisms.

The only protein hypothesis that is generally accepted at present is that prions can transform proteins with a normal alpha helix structure into the same abnormal configuration as it, and because of their hydrophobic properties, they have the ability to produce protein aggregation. ability.As a result, amyloid plaques accumulate outside the nerve cells in the brain, leading to various diseases.

Prions are more stable than ordinary proteins, and cannot be sterilized and infective by general physical or chemical methods.Cooking in water at 130 degrees Celsius for four or five hours in a pressure cooker does not denature the protein.

"Prions? Lu Ming, are you saying that it may be because some kind of subviral particles similar to prions appeared in the bodies of those 'crazy' people or animals, which led to their madness? But their brain tissues are clearly It's normal."

He Wei was a little puzzled.

Lu Ming said: "It doesn't have to be prions. I'm just making an analogy to show that there is such a possibility. Perhaps, that kind of disease-causing factor is more primitive, smaller, and less easy to detect than prions? And, they Maybe it acts on the more subtle and basic structural level of the brain, and those brain tissues only look normal on the surface, but are actually completely infected?"

At this stage, this possibility cannot be ruled out.But it's just impossible to rule it out.

"Okay." He Wei still seemed a little unacceptable to this hypothesis: "Then, what is its transmission route? After looking at the high-definition star map of the CSK-9602 galaxy, this kind of thing will appear in my head, Hmm, subviral factor?"

"Why not?"

Lu Ming asked: "We all know that people feel light through their eyes and generate corresponding memories in their brains. Memory is stored in the form of brain synapses, and the connection strength and electrochemical properties of synapses are essentially proteins. Modification. That is, it is possible to change the structure of the brain by light. If it is possible, why can't this change "just happen" to cause some changes in proteins, so as to produce a subviral factor similar to prions?"

He Wei was speechless.Although Lu Ming's conjecture is a little absurd, he has to admit that this possibility does exist.

Zhang Dingshan tapped on the table lightly: "In this case, according to your guess, the whole thing happened like this: the CSK-9602 galaxy happened to have a certain appearance, and this appearance was photographed by the Mercury telescope. Photo. This photo has the ability to stimulate the brain of the organism and make the brain produce subviral factors, so that it leads to the madness of the organism, right?"

Lu Ming nodded: "This is the only explanation."

Lu Qingliang murmured: "Then what is this? A... pathogenic body that can be transmitted by light?"

This is indeed incredible.However, there are many incredible things in this world.

In some inactivated vaccines, there may still be a very small probability of fragments of fragmented viral DNA, because of the shaking during transportation, they happen to be combined into a complete DNA sequence, and thus have the ability to replicate themselves and cause infection, said Resurrection is not an exaggeration, what is incomprehensible about a pathogenic body born by light-induced misfolding of brain proteins?

"From this, it can also explain why the low-resolution star map cannot cause the madness of organisms, but the high-resolution star map can cause the phenomenon of madness. And, the longer you look at the star map, the deeper the degree of madness, And all the organisms that have seen the star map have shown a strong desire to continue watching these few things, which can also be explained."

Low-resolution star maps are not informative enough to have the effect of tricking brain proteins into misfolding.

The longer you look at it, it can be compared to the depth of radiation exposure.Obviously, the longer the exposure to radiation, the greater the effects on the body.Put it here, that is, the longer you look at it, the more protein misfolding occurs in the brain.

As for why all the organisms involved in the experiment elicited a strong desire to continue watching, this is also easy to explain.It is nothing more than the subtle structure of the brain has been changed.

At this moment, Zhang Dingshan, He Wei, and Lu Qingliang discovered that Lu Ming's slightly absurd conjecture could completely match the existing clues.At least logically speaking, this conjecture fits perfectly, and there is no contradiction.

"Now, as long as the pathogenic body that may exist in the brain of a berserk creature is found, all of this can be explained."

Lu Ming emphasized his tone: "An explanation within the existing scientific framework. Not an explanation under the Cthulhu worldview."

Lu Ming admitted that the world view of Cthulhu does have a unique attraction.If he treats it as a literary work, he is also very interested in trying and touching it.But he has always been disgusted with the attempt to explain the real world with the Cthulhu worldview.

At this moment, after realizing the perfection of this set of conjectures, Zhang Dingshan and the others couldn't help feeling a certain amount of confidence in it.

"Okay, just do it."

"I go to contacts and labs."

Lu Qingliang said, and went offline immediately.

After just an hour, he already had the results.

A team of experts from a biological laboratory in the capital expressed great interest after hearing that a new unknown subviral factor might be discovered.After a brief negotiation, the expert team undertook the inspection task of this batch of specimens.

In addition to this laboratory, Lu Qingliang also contacted another laboratory with extremely high scientific research capabilities, and obtained the cooperation of the other party through the endorsement of the Planetary Security Bureau.As a result, two batches of specimens taken from the bodies of completely deranged animals—each batch of specimens up to [-]%, were taken from different body parts of seven different animals—pigs, cows, sheep, monkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese. It was sent to the laboratory at a fast speed.

The inspection then begins.After waiting for three days, the analysis reports of all the specimens were finally delivered to several members of the second team of the operation.

For his guess, Lu Ming had extremely high expectations.The same goes for the other three.

After all, if one's own conjecture can be confirmed, then the truth of this case will be revealed, and the second action team will be able to close the case directly.

There is no danger, no twists and turns, and it doesn't even take too long to close the case easily. Who wouldn't?

What's more, Lu Ming's conjecture seemed so seamless, so reasonable, so like the truth.

Frankly speaking, apart from this conjecture, several members of the second action team didn't even believe that there were any other conjectures that could do this.

In such a situation full of expectations, after opening the emails from the two laboratories, several people immediately felt as if a basin of cold water was poured on their heads, and the little expectation in their hearts was instantly extinguished.

"...According to the above research methods, we have not detected any unknown subviral factors in the specimens."

There is no subviral factor.No prions.There are no unknown pathogens that could cause the animals to go berserk.

Lu Ming couldn't help but smiled wryly.

A conjecture that is so logically perfect...is it just a conjecture?
If it is the conclusion of a laboratory, then it may be wrong.However, the current report was independently produced by the two laboratories.This basically eliminates the possibility of error.

Of course, this report cannot completely deny the possibility that "there is a certain pathogenic body, and the pathogenic body is stimulated by external light". There may be things that are less likely to be discovered, but the probability of this conjecture being true has been greatly reduced.

(End of this chapter)