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[04 Jan 2018|01:14pm] |
I am a survivor living in New York City. I haven't seen another person in three years. If there is anybody out there. Anybody. Please.
In February 2008, a viral cure for cancer was discovered. Doctor Marilyn Ziegler was responsible for finally achieving the cure and was renowned as a global hero. Unfortunately, only six short weeks after testing the vaccine on human patients, things started to go wrong. First, test subjects started dying. Then test animals started exhibiting strange side effects to the vaccine. Hair falling out, extreme agitation and a vulnerability to light. The human test subjects soon followed. It was discovered too late that the virus had mutated without warning. Ziegler and her test subjects were put under quarantine as quickly as possible, but it was already too late. At first, the virus could only be passed through direct physical contact. Any contact with blood or saliva was sure to cause infection. It didn't take long for scientists and the American government to discover they had developed something far worse than cancer in searching for its cure. The site where the virus mutated was in Manhattan, in New York. The city was immediately put under quarantine, in hopes the military could figure out a way to reverse the problems. Two months after the virus was discovered, it made the jump from direct physical contact to airborne transmission. The jump occurred before the government could catch it and Manhattan became ground zero for the biggest disaster to hit mankind, even outshining the Black Plague. The virus had a 90% kill ratio. Ninety-percent of all those coming into contact with the virus immediately bled out and died, the symptoms and deaths not too different from those caused by Ebola and other viruses. The majority of the remaining percentage reacted differently to the virus. While one percent of the population was immune, the other nine percent developed the same symptoms early test subjects developed. These anomalies survived, but became practically inhuman. As more and more became infected and survived, they began feeding on the one percent of the population that was immune to either strand of the virus. Now, in the year 2012, the human race is almost extinct and only a sparse few remain. quick facts//
→ It is currently the year 2013 in game, as we've just started the new year.
→ Ziegler's Virus (aka; the "Z" Virus or "Z" Strain) can be contracted through direct physical contact between bodily fluids of any sort, or it can be contracted through inhalation, as the virus is airborne.
→ Humans are not the only species susceptible. Dogs, rats, and primates can also contract the virus. The virus has the same sort of kill ratio as it does on humans. 90% of wildlife infected with the virus died, 9% became anomlies, and 1% were immune. Most, if not all, of the animals are only immune to the airborne strain.
→ Infection occurs rapidly, the victim succumbing to the virus in less than 12 hours. Tell-tale signs are immediate hair loss, reddening of the eyes, and whitening of the gums.
→ Those who are infected are known as either Anomalies, Nomlies, or those who have gotten poetic about it call them Night Walkers, or Dark Seekers.
→ The Anomalies (those infected that do not die) are vulnerable to UV light, it burns their skin. They have no hair, no reaction to any sort of artificial light, they exhibit extreme violence and aggression, cannibalistic tendencies, and an elevated body temperature (106) and heart rate. They only come out at night, and typical human behavior is almost entirely absent.
→ The vast majority of those that have survived are immune to both strains of the virus, and cannot be infected at all. A small percentage may remain, however, that are only immune to the airborne strain.
→ There are rumors of a survivors' colony in Vermont, but just after the virus made the jump to airborne, the military destroyed all bridges connecting Manhattan with the mainland. The only way on and off the island is through boats.
→ It has been three years since the majority of the human race was killed or turned into Anomalies. Manhattan is mostly overgrown with plant and animal life. Wildlife from the zoos have flourished as well as any natural wildlife already on the island.
→ Thanks to the superb hacking/computer skills of a mystery survivor, most of Manhattan is covered under a wireless network with some semblance of internet access. It's a closed network, however, and they can't access anything outside of the umbrella the hacker has managed to rig. While it doesn't do much in the way of searching for outside colonies or contacting anyone who could help; it does provide means of contact to others in Manhattan. The journals work similar to a messageboard that the hacker has set up.
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