ZC-X / Cortexa-Z

ZC-X was originally created for Project REMEDY, a black-ops neurological research initiative buried under layers of corporate-military secrecy. Funded by Borealis Institute and Horizon Biotechnica, the project’s public face was one of humanitarian recovery — but in reality, it was a bio-weapons intelligence experiment, disguised as neuroscience.Project REMEDY’s stated purpose was to regrow damaged brain tissue in soldiers suffering from PTSD, trauma-induced amnesia, combat-related neurological damage, and degenerative brain diseases accelerated by chemical exposure.They wanted more than healing — they wanted reprogramming. A soldier who wouldn't forget protocol. A soldier who didn’t flinch at trauma. A soldier who could be rebuilt.At the heart of it was Cortexa Strain, a synthetic viral agent capable of boosting neuroplasticity, sharpening reflexes and decision-making, rewiring emotional centers of the brain, and enhancing focus, aggression, and mission loyalty.Cortexa worked… too well. Test subjects became colder, more detached, obsessively focused, and dangerously reactive. Their minds no longer broke under stress — but they also stopped recognizing basic human limits.When Cortexa started showing signs of neural degradation and psychotic break patterns in long-term hosts, the scientists turned to another classified asset; Z-23, discovered in melting Siberian permafrost — an extremophile capable of surviving deep freeze for tens of thousands of years, rapidly regenerating dead neural tissue, and stimulating dormant cellular growth patterns.Z-23 had originally been intended as a miracle cure for neurodegenerative disease. But after several test subjects experienced uncontrollable neurogenesis and feral-level aggression, it was shelved… until now.The team believed that Z-23’s regenerative properties could offset Cortexa’s instability, restoring balance to the mind while preserving combat efficiency.Instead, they created something… else.The final prototype, known internally as ZC-X or Cortexa-Z, was a hybrid neuro-virus. The Cortexa component forced the brain into hyper-efficiency, rewiring instincts, suppressing emotional memory, and enhancing physical coordination. The Z-23 component fueled unrestrained regeneration, neural overgrowth, and unpredictable adaptation.The fusion didn’t heal the brain. It devoured and reprogrammed it.What emerged were hosts — no longer fully human, but not mindless either. They retained fragments of memory, purpose, identity. But those pieces were buried beneath something alien, something hungry.Cortexa-Z’s victims didn’t die.They evolved.

ZC-X Symptoms

The Beginning Stages

0–6 Hours Post-Exposure

  • Elevated heart rate & body temperature

  • Bloodshot eyes

  • Tingling/numbness in extremities

  • Heightened senses — hearing sharpens, sense of smell increases

  • Mild euphoria

  • Hyperfocus on specific tasks or objects

  • Loss of emotional filtering

  • Increased pain tolerance

The Middle Stages

6-24 Hours Post-Exposure

  • Extreme aggression triggers

  • Paranoia

  • Rapid neural overgrowth visible in brain scans (if available)

  • Distorted perception of time and memory gaps

  • Erratic body temperature swings

  • Vein darkening

  • Hallucinations

  • Uncontrolled muscle spasms

  • Jaw tension, teeth grinding, biting reflexes

  • Razor-sharp reflexes

  • Compulsion to stalk, hunt, or watch others without explanation

The Final Stages

24+ Hours Post-Exposure

  • Total emotional collapse

  • Obsessive mimicry of past behaviors

  • Enhanced strength, speed, and stamina

  • Discolored, pale, or bruised skin from internal strain

  • Unnatural body heat drops, freezing cold to the touch

  • Loss of complex speech

  • Extremely fast healing

  • Brain restructuring visible under scans or in autopsies (enlarged amygdala, overgrown sensory lobes)

  • The “Echo Reflex” — they can recognize the faces of loved ones… but it triggers predatory behavior

  • Necrotic tissue patches

  • End-stage adaptability

How to Kill a Host

Severe Brain Destruction

  • Shotgun blast at close range

  • Heavy blunt trauma

  • High-velocity rifle shot (large caliber only)

  • Incendiary rounds to melt brain tissue

  • Complete immolation (molotovs, flamethrowers)

  • Spinal severing (temporary, immobilization only)

  • Chemical/Acidic Destruction

How not to kill a host

  • Stabbing (unless directly through the eye to the brainstem)

  • Bullets to the body

  • Drowning

  • Limb removal

  • Electrocution

Special Precautions

  • Never get too close

  • Double-tap

  • Trap and burn rather than engage one-on-one

  • Never feel guilty

Cortexa Strain

Type: Experimental neuro-enhancement viral agent.

Developed By: The Borealis Institute of Neurological Advancement, a privately funded lab working under military and corporate contracts.

Original Purpose: Cortexa was created as a synthetic viral vector — a bioengineered virus meant to enhance cognitive and physical function in soldiers, operatives, and high-risk personnel.

The aim was to:

  • Sharpen focus

  • Increase reflex speed

  • Boost information retention and recall

  • Enhance decision-making under stress

  • Reduce pain sensitivity

  • Accelerate physical healing (in minor cases)

How it worked:

  • Nanoviruses embedded in the strain targeted the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and motor cortex.

  • Stimulated synaptic activity and increased neuroplasticity by up to 300% in early lab tests.

  • Temporary increases in adrenaline and serotonin balance, elevating performance without initial side effects.

  • Blood-brain barrier penetration was facilitated via a protein sequence modeled after rabies vectors.

Unforeseen Flaws

  • Prolonged exposure caused severe aggression, paranoia, obsessive behaviors, and eventual dissociation.

  • Brain scans revealed dense clusters of abnormal synaptic connections — increasing cognitive speed but degrading emotional regulation.

  • Some subjects began reporting auditory hallucinations, intrusive thoughts, and a sense of "hive-mindedness."

Z-23

Type: Experimental regenerative viral therapy

Developed By: Horizon Biotechnica, a civilian biotech firm specializing in neural repair, spinal injury treatments, and degenerative disease therapies.

Original Purpose: Z-23 was designed to stimulate aggressive tissue regeneration, nerve repair, and neurogenesis in patients with:

  • Spinal Cord Injuries

  • Degenerative nerve diseases (ALS, MS)

  • Brain trauma

  • Stroke-induced paralysis

It was intended to restore damaged synaptic pathways and promote regrowth of atrophied neural tissue — a miracle cure for irreversible damage.

Mechanism:

  • Utilized engineered retroviruses that integrated into host DNA, triggering rapid cell replication in targeted regions (primarily the central nervous system).

  • Released bio-adaptive proteins to prevent scarring, calcification, and neural misfires.

  • Stimulated production of new neurons and glial cells at accelerated rates.

Early Results

  • Staggering recoveries in animal models: severed spinal cords reconnected, brain lesions faded, lost mobility restored in days.

  • Limited human trials showed partial sensation return and enhanced reflexes.

  • Unofficial applications in military test subjects resulted in increased pain thresholds and faster wound closure.

Known Flaws:

  • Cells replicated too rapidly, causing nerve overgrowth and uncontrolled cellular mutations in some cases.

  • Subjects began exhibiting violent, hyper-reactive behaviors.

  • Brain scans showed abnormal growths resembling neural tumors.

  • Emotional regulation was compromised — intense bursts of rage, fearlessness, and instinct-driven behavior were noted.

  • Some test animals displayed increased aggression toward their own kind, territoriality, and extreme resilience to pain and injury.

© chxrlieboo