Simian Flu (BTD7PotA)

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The Simian Flu, also known as ALZ-112 and later ALZ-113, is a retrovirus that appears in BTD7: Planet of the Apes.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Simian Flu comes from the rebooted Planet of the Apes universe. It was originally developed by Will Rodman to cure Alzheimer's disease by allowing the brain to create new neurons, a process called neuro-genesis (normally, the central nervous system is virtually impossible to repair and many people with CNS damage stay that way for the rest of their lives). The people in the PotA universe used a virus called ALZ-112 and tested it on apes, making them have drastically increased intelligence. Among the chimp test subjects were Bright Eyes, Lorelei, Chambers, Burke and Verdon. Bright Eyes displayed the desired results, and was to be exhibited during a board meeting, but was killed by security guards after she became aggressive in defence of her newborn infant, Caesar. Funding for the project was cut as a result, but Will adopted Caesar, who inherited his mother's increased intelligence. Will secretly stole ALZ-112 samples and tested them on his father, Charles Rodman (who was suffering from Alzheimer's). It appeared to work at first but over time his immune system rejected the virus by producing antibodies. This drove Will to create a stronger and more contagious virus, ALZ-113. In the process of testing it on one of the captured apes, one of the handlers got exposed to the virus. Although Koba displayed the same increased intelligence possessed by apes subjected to the previous 112 variant, the new virus killed the handler, but not before he sneezed on a bad-tempered airline pilot, Douglas Hunsiker. Meanwhile, Caesar, who was now inside the San Bruno Primate Shelter, managed to escape, sneak into Rodman's house, and steal some canisters of the ALZ-113 virus. Caesar used the virus canisters to infect his cellmates, making them smarter. Caesar and the other apes escaped from the shelter and broke into the Gen-Sys lab, freeing the apes there. They later escaped into the Muir Woods Park. In the meantime, the now-infected Hunsiker started getting nosebleads due to the ALZ-113 virus, but he thought it was nothing and proceeded to pilot airplanes, unwittingly spreading the virus around the world, causing what is known as the Simian Flu Pandemic.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
By the time the events of DotPota have begun, civilization has long since collapsed. The species as a whole has survived, but it is presumed that a very large percentage of the global population is dead from either the Simian Flu or the resulting collapse of society. Meanwhile, Caesar and his genetically-enhanced apes have made a colony in the Muir Woods Park. At first, they form a fragile peace with the humans, but then Koba overthrows Caesar by shooting him with a gun he got from an armory. He then frames the humans for the death of Caesar and manipulates the ape colony into attacking the human colony. Meanwhile, Caesar is saved by Malcolm and his family, whlie Caesar's son Blue Eyes realizes that an ape attempted to kill Caesar and not a human. Blue Eyes rescues Caesar's followers (who were imprisoned by Koba because they were too loyal to Caesar) while Caesar himself recovers from his wounds. Once Caesar regains enough strength, he and his followers go to the human colony to confront Koba. Caesar and Koba beat each other up brutally, but in the end Caesar is victorious, with Koba dangling on a ledge for his dear life. When Koba begs Caesar to save him by citing his rule, "Ape Not Kill Ape," Caesar responds with "You... are... not ape," and lets Koba fall to his death.

War for the Planet of the Apes
The Simian Flu mutates, causing human survivors to lose their ability to speak. This drives a ruthless colonel to start killing all the people who are infected with this new strain of the virus. However, at the end of WftPotA, in the ultimate twist of irony and fate he himself is infected with the virus and shoots himself.

BTD7: Planet of the Apes
8 years after the events of WftPotA, a mysterious dimensional convergence event triggers a massive interdimensional portal that sucks in the Ape Colony. The colony finds themselves in the BTD universe, a realm inhabited by super-intelligent monkeys and parasitic, homicidal sentient balloons. (More content coming soon)