Living Lead refers to chemical lead, typically in the form of tiny amounts of liquid, that has characteristics of a living cell. This lead is extremely dangerous, as it can lead to many different illnesses, some of which have never been seen before. The lead has polluted the waters of Hartison, Yton and is commonly seen in the general area of Yton. It seems to be contained in that one area alone, but has been observed to start infecting nearby bodies of water, meaning that Living Lead is contagious.
Living Lead spreads by contact through water, such as tears, drinking tap water, and rainfall. If water that has Living Lead in it enters the body through the eyes, nose, mouth, or open wound, then the body now has Living Lead inside of it. Symptoms of having Living Lead in one's body start with COVID19-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, and/or a cold. After about 4-8 days of these symptoms, they develop into slightly more severe symptoms.
The second stage typically lasts 2-5 weeks and shows the beginning of the permanent settlement of Lead into the body. The skin begins to develop a grayish tint, with a faint but noticeable metalalic texture. Symptoms of lead poisoning begin to show, such as pain in the joints or abdomen, nausea, vomiting, loss of apetite, and/or memory loss. The victim also becomes irritible, which is a hint as to what is to happen in the next stage.
The second to last stage consists of a sudden aggression towards anything living, very violent attacks towards humans and animals, and a permanent settlement of the lead into the victim's body, along with other symptoms. A prime example of this is the case of Eve Faith Davis. She was a right-wing antivaxxer who completely despised the idea of curing her illness. Eve is the worst case ever documented for Living Lead. She started off with a slight fever, her condition evolved into violence and rage, and then she committed suicide (in summary). Essentially, the victim becomes incredibly violent and, in most cases, creative with the violence. The victim loses their ability of self control, and this stage can last anywhere from 3 days to 4 months. At this point, the best option is to put down the victim, since their survival rate has reached an infinitesimally slim chance.
This is the final stage. After anywhere from a few days to several months of suffering, the victim finally regains conciousness and is no longer irritated or violent. However, the victim exhibits severe, unstoppable pain that lasts about 7 days. This is caused by the Living Lead settling itself in the brain of the victim. On the last day of the suffering, the Lead causes a sudden rampage of anger. This means that the subject loses commits heinous crimes against those around it and then committs suicide. The methods of suicide range from overdose, to a self inflicted gunshot wound, to the Living Lead simply eating the brain.
Upon death, the Lead secretes itself out of the corpse of its victim. Its main goal is to contaminate any nearby water, thus completeing the circle of its infection. This is why securing any dead bodies infected by Living Lead in fortified chambers is crucial to the survival of society on Mars.
The only known way to get rid of this is by increasing the temperature of the body an extra 3 degrees to turn the lead into vapor, essentially killing the lead. There are many methods of doing this safely, such as sitting in a specialized sauna or a body of warm water with antibodies in it. Some businesses have caught on and have been doing makeshift "cures" where the internal temperature reaches as much as an extra 10 degrees, killing the victim from internal overheating. There are efforts being made to make sure these businesses do not flourish.