Metropolis World Lore:The Nightmare Epidemic

A mysterious virus spread throughout the local solar system, causing individuals to experience vivid, terrifying nightmares. Unlike typical nightmares, these dreams feel incredibly real and can cause physical harm to the dreamer. The virus quickly spreads, infecting both humans and hybrid cyborgs alike, causing chaos and panic across the planets.

It’s still unknown to this day where the virus came from, conspiracy theories were and continue to be rife ranging from radioactivity from deep space storm clouds to alien chemical warfare. As scientists raced to find a cure for the "Nightmare Epidemic," dreamers are left to suffer. Some become too terrified to sleep, fearing what horrors may await them in their dreams. Others succumb to the nightmares, their bodies unable to handle the stress and fear caused by the constant barrage of terror.

As the virus continued to spread, society began to crumble. The population was ravaged. People start hoarding supplies and weapons, fearing that the nightmare epidemic will lead to an all-out apocalypse. Caffeine and other stimulants were high in demand and became a secondary (some say primary) currency, anything to stave of the potential haunting that awaits during standby of the brain and central CPUs controlling ‘borgs. Governments struggled to maintain order, but with so many people suffering from the nightmares, it became increasingly difficult to maintain peace.

As the galaxy fell apart, a group of scientists from Earth finally discovered a cure for the nightmare epidemic. The new drug artificially pumped serotonin levels in the brain, exclusively produced in neurons originating in the raphe nuclei located in the midline of the brainstem. The cure was distributed to neighbouring planets, and slowly but surely, people began to recover from the virus. However, the damage had been done. Society had been forever changed, and the trauma caused by the epidemic took decades to recover. When the asteroids struck, all records of the miracle drug were wiped out along with the scientists who created the neuro-synthetics. There is still to this day a fear of the horrific virus returning that caused so much devastation to so many.

In the end, the nightmare epidemic serves as a reminder of the fragility of the human and hybrid cyborg mind and the potential dangers of technology. Despite our advancements and innovations, we are still susceptible to the forces of nature and the unknown. It is up to us to learn from our mistakes and work towards a better future, one where nightmares are nothing but a distant memory.