Rescission

Rescission is a process that looks different for everyone and can involve many different CVRS agents. This process is only pursued after extensive documentation and observation of the patient’s Vice, most commonly through regular Branches facilitated in Vice management sessions. As the Vice Management Administrator (VMA) gains a better understanding of a Vice’s Branch Policy, they will enlist the help of Adjuncts they deem necessary, typically Branch Coordinators, Branch Administrators, and Solutions Architects. These agents are subject to change as the VMA obtains a more holistic view of the Branch Policy, and some agents may be swapped for ones that have a better patch matchup with the Vice’s exhibition. The agents enlisted for Vice management sessions are typically included in rescission to bolster their connection as Adjuncts.

Rescission Options

As a patient in Primary Care, there are different rescission approaches available depending on varying circumstances. A VMA will oversee the rescission process, but may enlist other agents for support.

Standard Rescission

Standard rescission entails outlining a game plan with a VMA and any other agents deemed necessary for success, then instigating a Branch with the intent to perform rescission within the Branch Domain. This method historically has the highest rate of success.

Exposure Rescission

For Vices that are more conservative in initiating Branches and makes regular commits difficult, a patient can be placed on a weekly regimen of AV Shots. Over time, the regular AV Shots will eat away at the core until the sheer volume of AV in the final shot overwhelms and destroys the core.

Manual Rescission

When a Vice is particularly reactive to AV Shots and tends toward dangerous, complex Branches, manual rescission may be performed; however, this experimental approach is widely regarded as hazardous, and the results are dubious at best. Manual rescission entails physically extracting the Vice core from the patient’s body in a surgical procedure while a Branch is in production.

Standard Rescission Recommended

While rescission can be performed outside of CVRS by anyone, the process outlined below refers to the intentional and planned execution of rescission in a professional setting, known as standard rescission. Standard rescission is only performed through a Primary Care team at a CVRS station. While Branch Administrators in Urgent Care and Public Deployment are trained and able to rescind, their main focus is to take control of the situation and safely address the Branch in a timely matter.

Most care teams recommend pursuing standard rescission after enough information has been collected from documenting multiple committed Branches. Standard rescission entails drafting a game plan with a Vice Management Administrator (VMA), then instigating a Branch with the intent to perform rescission. In some cases, VMAs are able to “trick” a Vice into initiating a Branch by manipulating the environment around the patient and introducing sounds and smells to their surrounding. Standard rescission historically has the highest rate of success, in addition to being non-invasive and generally low-risk, especially if the Branch is baited rather than instigated. Learn more about the risks and process of Branch Instigation.

Standard rescission is only performed once a VMA feels confident in their understanding of the Branch Policy after committing a series of Branches throughout a Vice’s life cycle. This number varies between classifications and individual Vices, but it directly correlates with Vice maturity and threat level, meaning Vices that are less mature and have a lower threat level typically require a smaller number of committed Branches to gain a clear understanding. Some classifications are able to reveal previously shrouded properties of their Branch Policy, and a select few are able to completely alter their Branch Policy. Learn more about the quirks and abilities of different classifications in Classifying Vices.

If rescission is achievable, a VMA will schedule a pre-rescission assessment to discuss the proposed care team and outline of events, known as the rescission methodology. If the patient agrees to the methodology, the rescission will be scheduled within the week, and the care team will be assembled. If a patient experiences a Branch during this time—rogue or otherwise—they will need to see the VMA for another pre-rescission assessment and the rescission will be rescheduled.

On the day of rescission, the patient will be taken to our observation chambers where they will be introduced to their care team and any Research agents who will be present as pseudo Adjuncts. After a quick debriefing of the Vice’s Branch Policy and the team’s attack strategy, the patient is seated in the middle of the room. All scheduled Adjuncts will make contact with the patient, typically by touching their shoulder, back, or upper arm. Any adverse reactions to touch should be disclosed to the VMA in the pre-rescission assessment.

From the observation deck, the Branch Proctor will admit a concentrated electrostatic shock to any stray tracks in the Vice’s network. This will trigger a Branch initiation, and all agents in touch with the patient will immediately be admitted to the staging queue. This process is known as Branch Instigation.

Once the Branch moves into production, the Adjuncts will be admitted, and the attack strategy can be implemented. Strategies will differ drastically between patients and are informed by the Vice’s Branch Policy, particularly their exhibition presentation and attack strategy. Upon destruction of the Vice’s core, the Branch will be rescinded and the patient will be cleared. If rescission cannot be attained, the agents will commit the Branch and try again after a cooling down period and a re-assessment of the attack strategy. Some Primary Care agents will be on call in the Adjunct holding bay, ready to step in with a Bypass and assist if needed.

Exposure Rescission Nuanced

This experimental rescission process is most commonly pursued to combat Vices that are more conservative in initiating Branches, such as Epsilons or Zetas. Their low Branch activity can make it difficult to learn the Branch Policy and make regular commits to tame core growth, so alternative measures are required.

Exposure rescission entails the bi-weekly administering of AV Shots, with the size of the Vice core closely monitored by post-treatment VGMS. Over time, the regular AV Shots will eat away at the core until the sheer volume of AV in the final shot overwhelms and destroys the core, rescinding the Vice. The patient is marked as cleared after their status is verified with a VGMS.

Exposure rescission is not without its risks, however, as the possibility of instigated Branches is quite high. For this reason, AV Shots are administered in the CVRS observation chambers, and a care team will be on standby to address the potential Branch. Patients that do not immediately react are sent to Urgent Care to be monitored until AV levels equalize, then the patient is discharged. The equalizing time varies between patients, but is typically no longer than an hour.

The bi-weekly schedule of exposure rescission is as such to give the patient’s body time to rest and recover between doses. While AV is naturally produced by our bodies, exposure to the extreme levels produced by AV Shots often can have adverse effects, such as lowered immune function and tissue damage in addition to tempting more common rogue Branches as the Vice attempts to regain control.

Depending on the size and activity of the Vice core, treatment can span anywhere from three months to half a year. A Vice Management Administrator may recommend a break from treatment if the patient begins having adverse reactions or the Vice begins retaliating with rogue Branches. If a Branch is committed naturally, treatment can be skipped until the next scheduled appointment.

Criticisms

Exposure rescission is often regarded with caution and even skepticism, as many agents remark false negatives in the VGMS administered after the final shot. While the VGMS may register the core as destroyed, oftentimes core fragments are still circulating through the Host's body and re-congeal after AV levels have stabilized.

Additionally, AV Shots are known for their high risk of resulting in instigated Branches. While this may temporarily serve the Vice Management Administrator well, who will be able to document the much-needed Branch Policy data, regular instigation can result in rogue Branches, and eventually a deviation from the Branch Policy as a whole. Learn more about theses risks in Branch Instigation.

To avoid these risks, many agents recommend that exposure rescission be used as a support tool, rather than the primary form of rescission. A common tactic is to combine occasional exposure rescission treatments with standard rescission to tame core growth between Branches. This also allows the final Branch to be rescinded in the Branch Domain, where the core destruction is indisputable. Because the exposure rescission is performed at such a low level, it essentially becomes AV enhancement therapy, which can be administered by an AV Specialist.

Manual Rescission Not Recommended

When a Vice is particularly reactive to AV Shots and tend toward dangerous, complex Branches, manual rescission may be performed; however, this experimental approach is widely regarded as hazardous, and the results are dubious at best. This process is typically only pursued in the context of unmanageable Branches or as a last resort, particularly with Omega Vices.

Manual rescission entails physically extracting the Vice core from the Host's body in a surgical procedure while a Branch is in production. The parameters that must be met for theoretical success are as follows:

• A Branch must be in production, as doing so outside of a Branch runs the risk of the core fusing with the Host's flesh as a defense mechanism, which can damage vital organs or muscles. If the Branch is in staging, the agent performing the procedure runs the risk of being pulled in as an Adjunct, even with protective Summoning Gloves, as direct contact with the core can sometimes be strong enough to overpower the coating of AV.
• Because of the Branch requirement, the Host must be conscious, as Branches cannot be instigated or maintained if the Host is unconscious. This necessitates the use of local anesthesia rather than general.
• The Host must be either stable or berserk, as opposed to comatose; though, stable is preferred. The volatile expansion patterns of the core in a berserk patient make it difficult to actively sever the core, but it is not impossible. In a comatose patient, however, the core has already begun fusing with the patient, and separating the two is near impossible.
• The core cannot be damaged during the procedure, otherwise the Branch will be terminated and committed before rescission can occur. After the Branch has been committed, the core will likely begin fusing with the Host's body in retaliation to the direct damage, as mentioned in point one.

As outlined above, the requirements for a successful manual rescission are difficult and can be costly to achieve, and the rate of success has not been determined. The question of who performs the procedure is a point of contention, as well. A licensed surgeon will likely have a more steady hand and a better grasp of human anatomy, while a CVRS agent will have a better grasp of Vice anatomy and know how to properly and efficiently extract the whole of the core without damage. This method also proves difficult to research, as finding willing participants has been difficult.

For now, this approach is deemed experimental and should only be performed as a last result or in dire circumstances when all other rescission approaches have failed.