The DNA Specific Virus is a main objective in the HITMAN™ mission World of Tomorrow.
Background[]
Along with eliminating both targets within the mission, Agent 47 must also destroy the virus.
Created by Silvio Caruso on behalf of the Ether Biotech Corporation and Providence as part of Project Samael, the unfinished virus could be encoded with a specific person's DNA. It is theoretically able to spread across the world population undetected until encountering its target, to which it would be lethal.
To the ICA, the mission is absolutely essential, as the completion of such a virus would render the agency obsolete.
Description and Behavior[]
The virus is found inside the Ether Field Lab under Villa Caruso. The room it is in is doused in chemicals and can only be accessed by wearing the Hazmat Suit disguise or by turning on the air purification system outside of the building.
The virus is sealed inside a cooling system monitored by four scientists. A nearby control panel can be used to overheat the virus and destroy it. It can be shot, blown up, or destroyed by shooting down a stalactite. Using the Biolab Laptop Dongle on a computer on top of a prefab south of the lab will remotely destroy the virus. Alternatively, a Remote EMP Charge can be placed near the computer for the same effect.
Destroying the virus will summon Francesca De Santis to the lab.
Intel[]
In its natural state, the virus is highly contagious and aggressive. However, once the virus is encoded with its target DNA, it can theoretically spread without limitation and infect everyone in the world. The virus is invisible and undetected, leaving its hosts unharmed and unaware until it comes in contact with the right DNA match.
The Ether Corporation considers the virus a game-changing business opportunity, but our intel suggests that Silvio Caruso views his creation differently. To him, the virus is essentially democratic, a weapon for the defenseless that will change the global balance of power.
Challenges[]
The DNA Specific Virus has a role in the following challenges:
Location[]
The DNA Specific Virus is located inside the lab which has been built within the underground cave system.
Trivia[]
- The DNA Specific Virus's intel picture has been changed in all three World of Assassination games.
- While Providence and Ether were likely planning on using the finished virus to maintain and tighten their grip over the world, Caruso had other, more benign plans. He had employed Sal Falcone, a private detective, to collect DNA samples of those who had bullied him during his childhood and planned to use the virus on those people.
- A working prototype of the virus can be found hidden within Villa Caruso, encoded with the DNA of Francesca De Santis. Due to it being unfinished by Caruso, it cannot spread from person to person, but it can still be used to perform an unnoticed kill by poisoning Francesca if thrown near her.
- Later levels often reference the DNA Specific virus by calling it either the "ETHER Virus" (after the Ether Biotech Corporation), or the "Caruso virus" (after Silvio Caruso himself).
- Caruso refers to the virus as the Samael Project when writing his memoir draft. Samael is the archangel of death in Judaism.
- The DNA Specific Virus takes several conceptual aspects from FOXDIE of the Metal Gear Solid games, both being viruses able to be genetically programmed to kill a specific target. Where the two differ is that a single FOXDIE strain can be programmed with the DNA samples of multiple targets, whereas the DNA-Specific Virus is only described as being able to kill individual targets.
- This virus prototype in the mission is also one of the two objectives that features a type of virus, along with the Viral Weapon in The Author. Coincidentally, both objectives are acquired to be done in Sapienza, Italy too.
- The blueprint for the virus is stored on Ether's "off-world" backup, as mentioned in intel regarding an Ether pamphlet found during Shadows in the Water.
- Accessing a laptop near the Surveillance Satellite in the same mission reveals that Noel Crest intended to use the virus to kill the entirety of Providence, believing that the Partners would be among the casualties.