In 2073, the Genetic Devolution Virus plague escaped from a laboratory in Houston, Texas, and began a rapid worldwide spread. The GDV ravaged human genetic code, causing sometimes fatal mutations. The Earth Planetary Consortium invested huge amounts of money in companies, including Embryonix, seeking a cure for the disease. Embryonix cured GDV in 2085. But the cure led to Embryonix finding the means to create the controversial mass-produced Specialists.