Part 1 - "Happy New Year..."
Rainclouds covered the sky in a dark overcast as Valhalla City became covered in rain. The ruined buildings and city streets were silent save for the patter of raindrops and the occasional movement caused by the wind.Be it from within or from the outside, all could see that this metropolis was just a shadow of its former self, less than a shadow even. But despite that, there are those who survive within it, forming their own routines and habits needed to preserve their life in this harsh environment. This day, something will break that routine
Suddenly, the city-wide emergency speakers began emitting some kind of high-pitched noise, like feedback from a microphone. It was happening all across Valhalla City. Outside of what used to be an electronics store were one of these many speakers. It drew a small pack of infected (who seemingly appeared out of nowhere from metal debris), towards it as they began snarling, scratching, or jumping up at the speakers. This sort of thing was happening everywhere, unfortunately dooming any survivor unfortunate enough to be near one when it happened.
Eventually, the feedback began changing to a more comprehensible voice. Though still garbled with static here and there, one could easily make out what it was saying. "Hello? Hello, is this thing on? Can anyone hear me? Actually... no, scratch that, none of you can respond right now. What the Hell was I thinking... Alright anyway, there's not much power left in the city so we need to make this quick. If any of you are alive we implore you to head over to Memorial Park. There will be armed people wearing neon green bandanas waiting for you. If you want to get out of this place alive, go there now. You have twenty-four hours to go there, after which the people waiting there will leave to bring the survivors over to our Safehouse. We cant risk Infected following different survivors if we told our exact location, so please cooperate. Let me say that again. If you want to get out of here, head to Memorial Park, and stick with the men wearing neon green bandanas. You have twenty-four hours. Good luck out there..."
And with that the speakers went silent once more, leaving any survivors who had heard it, wondering whether or not they should heed that message.
At an airfield near Valhalla City...
While the rain was already starting to pour, several military helicopters flew overhead, heading for a landing zone where they could refuel before the operation. Floodlights, tents, jeeps, and even tanks were littered across the field. On the runways were a few large cargo planes. Both active soldiers and civilian volunteers were running across the field in different directions to complete various duties. Inside of the main terminal of the airport, a large number of soldiers were being gathered. Many of them bore the U.N. patch on their uniforms, while equally many wore W.U. symbols on them.
A makeshift command center was created out of the terminal, with a large projector system set up against a clear wall. An impromptu stage created using boxes and containers, was propped against it. Soldiers chatted amongst each other, wondering what they would be told during their briefing. Their attention was diverted when the projector was activated and three people stepped up on the stage. One of them was an aged-looking bald man wearing military fatigues, the other was younger man wearing a white lab coat and glasses, and the last one was a woman wearing a formal officer uniform. The military man stepped into the middle of the stage where a microphone was.
"Attention!" The man said to get the soldier's to quiet down. "My name is Colonel Lionel Castor. I will be your field commander for this operation, and you will refer to me as Colonel or Sir. Now you all know why you're here. You are all volunteers who have shown traits which will make you invaluably useful to the search and rescue of people inside the Valhalla City quarantine zone." He said. He then paused for a moment before continuing.
"I wont lie to any of you; the threat is as real and dangerous as they say it is. Maybe even worse. So now I'm going to give the stage to Dr. Phillip. He is one of the scientists who has worked with the division who accidentally created this infection. He will brief you on everything we know so far about the infected. So my first order for all of you is to listen up! Chances are you will only hear what he has to say once, so keep your ears open and make sure you remember every single word." The Colonel continued. He then gestured at the man in the lab coat and glasses "Dr. Phillip, you may begin..." The Colonel finished as he stepped aside and allowed the other man to step up to the mic.
"Okay, I'm sure you've all heard rumors from both news and mouths as to the nature of this infection. I am here to either dispel or confirm these rumors. Everything I say shall be the exact truth." Dr. Phillip said. The projectors began showing a slideshow detailing information on the bacteria and the stages of infection.
"First off, the infection is passed on by having the fluids of an infected be injected into your bloodstream. We're unsure if swallowing the fluids have the same effect, but it would be best to avoid ingesting them all the same. Once infected, it has three stages. Phase one: Sickness, Phase two: Anger, and Phase three: Mutation. In Phase one, the infected person will claim to feel "unwell" yet they will have trouble explaining what it is exactly they feel is wrong with them. They are also prone to lethargy and will fall unconscious randomly, even if they are rested. At this point, the virus has only recently entered the body and has just found locations where it can thrive. The Sleepiness is the body trying to gain the energy needed to attempt to fight off the foreign infection. In Phase two, the infected will no longer exhibit sleepiness, but they will still feel unwell. They are also prone to fits of rage and will lash out at anyone for even the slightest reasons. Sometimes, there is no reason at all. They will also exhibit a craving for undercooked meat. By this time, the infection is starting to take them over, and making them become feral. Phase three is the final part of the infection. Their skin will change to a fleshy red look, as you can see on the projector. All of their mental faculties and reasoning are gone. What is left is now a fierce, cannibalistic hunter. Their senses of sight, smell, and hearing will be enhanced by this mutation, and they use these heightened senses to track down live prey and kill them for food. Once someone has reached Phase three, they are as dangerous as this infection gets." Phillip said, pausing to catch his breath, and give the soldiers time to let the information sink in.
"Once someone has entered Phase one, they can no longer be killed. Shooting, stabbing, dismemberment, or beheading will not kill them. They will only stay dormant for a limited amount of time as their body regenerates the lost parts and ejects the foreign weapons inside them. Phase one will stay dormant for about fifteen minutes. Phase 2, ten minutes. And Phase three, five minutes. The only known way to kill them off for good is to remove their spinal column, as that seems to be where they regenerate from. However, given how quickly they reawaken from dormancy, this is impossible to do unless they are restrained somewhere they cannot break out of. Still, the best courses of action are to leave the area after rendering them dormant, set them on fire to stop them from fully regenerating and fully reawakening, or drag the body off somewhere where they wont escape or will be able to track you from, like a locked room or a deep pit."
"The last thing I shall say to you all is this: Do not take them lightly. These are not your average, horror-movie zombies. They are brutal, clever hunters. And within the city, they cannot be killed. So keep your head sharp, and a weapon ready. Only your wits will see you through this alive... Colonel, I return to you the stage." Dr. Phillip finished as he stepped aside.
"I hope you all followed my order and listened to him. If you did, you are now fully aware of the dangers that lie ahead of you. So now... I will give you all one last chance to back out. There is no shame in leaving now, and I refuse to go in there with anyone who only volunteered half-heartedly. So if you are having second thoughts and wish to leave, you may exit the terminal and head to your respective leaders for debriefing." The Colonel said. He waited silently for a few minutes, and around four or five soldiers slowly left the building.
"Is that everyone who changed their minds? No one else?" The Colonel asked to make sure. "Alright then... All of you who remained here, I can say without a doubt are either the bravest or stupidest men and women I've had the pleasure of meeting. There's no turning back now. But before we prepare for the operation, let me introduce you to Lieutenant Cascades." Lionel said gesturing to the woman in the officer's uniform. "She will act as an advisor to us, and will relay new information and orders as needed. She will also be our only link to the outside world once we're in the quarantine zone, so try not to piss her off." He continued. "Anything you wish to say to our volunteers, Lieutenant?" The Colonel asked the woman. The Lieutenant shook her head. "Very well." Lionel said as he turned back to the crowd of soldiers and checked his watch.
"The operation will begin in one and a half hour, sharp! Head to the armory and pick up your standard equipment. Equipment includes an urban combat uniform, kevlar vest, the Multi-purpose ballistic helmet with gas mask and nightvision goggles, incendiary grenades, and an HK416 Assault Rifle and a Beretta M9 Pistol if you're not carrying your own specialized weapon of choice."
"Once you have your equipment ready, you're free to do whatever you please until the operation starts. By then, you should report to the designated helicopters which were assigned to each of you before you came in here. I'll be waiting for you all there. Dismissed!" The Colonel finished as he stepped off the stage and let the crowd disperse. He gave one last glance at the volunteers. "I hope these people understand the gravity of this situation. And will be smart enough to keep each other alive..." He thought to himself as he left to prepare for the deployment
Rainclouds covered the sky in a dark overcast as Valhalla City became covered in rain. The ruined buildings and city streets were silent save for the patter of raindrops and the occasional movement caused by the wind.Be it from within or from the outside, all could see that this metropolis was just a shadow of its former self, less than a shadow even. But despite that, there are those who survive within it, forming their own routines and habits needed to preserve their life in this harsh environment. This day, something will break that routine
Suddenly, the city-wide emergency speakers began emitting some kind of high-pitched noise, like feedback from a microphone. It was happening all across Valhalla City. Outside of what used to be an electronics store were one of these many speakers. It drew a small pack of infected (who seemingly appeared out of nowhere from metal debris), towards it as they began snarling, scratching, or jumping up at the speakers. This sort of thing was happening everywhere, unfortunately dooming any survivor unfortunate enough to be near one when it happened.
Eventually, the feedback began changing to a more comprehensible voice. Though still garbled with static here and there, one could easily make out what it was saying. "Hello? Hello, is this thing on? Can anyone hear me? Actually... no, scratch that, none of you can respond right now. What the Hell was I thinking... Alright anyway, there's not much power left in the city so we need to make this quick. If any of you are alive we implore you to head over to Memorial Park. There will be armed people wearing neon green bandanas waiting for you. If you want to get out of this place alive, go there now. You have twenty-four hours to go there, after which the people waiting there will leave to bring the survivors over to our Safehouse. We cant risk Infected following different survivors if we told our exact location, so please cooperate. Let me say that again. If you want to get out of here, head to Memorial Park, and stick with the men wearing neon green bandanas. You have twenty-four hours. Good luck out there..."
And with that the speakers went silent once more, leaving any survivors who had heard it, wondering whether or not they should heed that message.
At an airfield near Valhalla City...
While the rain was already starting to pour, several military helicopters flew overhead, heading for a landing zone where they could refuel before the operation. Floodlights, tents, jeeps, and even tanks were littered across the field. On the runways were a few large cargo planes. Both active soldiers and civilian volunteers were running across the field in different directions to complete various duties. Inside of the main terminal of the airport, a large number of soldiers were being gathered. Many of them bore the U.N. patch on their uniforms, while equally many wore W.U. symbols on them.
A makeshift command center was created out of the terminal, with a large projector system set up against a clear wall. An impromptu stage created using boxes and containers, was propped against it. Soldiers chatted amongst each other, wondering what they would be told during their briefing. Their attention was diverted when the projector was activated and three people stepped up on the stage. One of them was an aged-looking bald man wearing military fatigues, the other was younger man wearing a white lab coat and glasses, and the last one was a woman wearing a formal officer uniform. The military man stepped into the middle of the stage where a microphone was.
"Attention!" The man said to get the soldier's to quiet down. "My name is Colonel Lionel Castor. I will be your field commander for this operation, and you will refer to me as Colonel or Sir. Now you all know why you're here. You are all volunteers who have shown traits which will make you invaluably useful to the search and rescue of people inside the Valhalla City quarantine zone." He said. He then paused for a moment before continuing.
"I wont lie to any of you; the threat is as real and dangerous as they say it is. Maybe even worse. So now I'm going to give the stage to Dr. Phillip. He is one of the scientists who has worked with the division who accidentally created this infection. He will brief you on everything we know so far about the infected. So my first order for all of you is to listen up! Chances are you will only hear what he has to say once, so keep your ears open and make sure you remember every single word." The Colonel continued. He then gestured at the man in the lab coat and glasses "Dr. Phillip, you may begin..." The Colonel finished as he stepped aside and allowed the other man to step up to the mic.
"Okay, I'm sure you've all heard rumors from both news and mouths as to the nature of this infection. I am here to either dispel or confirm these rumors. Everything I say shall be the exact truth." Dr. Phillip said. The projectors began showing a slideshow detailing information on the bacteria and the stages of infection.
"First off, the infection is passed on by having the fluids of an infected be injected into your bloodstream. We're unsure if swallowing the fluids have the same effect, but it would be best to avoid ingesting them all the same. Once infected, it has three stages. Phase one: Sickness, Phase two: Anger, and Phase three: Mutation. In Phase one, the infected person will claim to feel "unwell" yet they will have trouble explaining what it is exactly they feel is wrong with them. They are also prone to lethargy and will fall unconscious randomly, even if they are rested. At this point, the virus has only recently entered the body and has just found locations where it can thrive. The Sleepiness is the body trying to gain the energy needed to attempt to fight off the foreign infection. In Phase two, the infected will no longer exhibit sleepiness, but they will still feel unwell. They are also prone to fits of rage and will lash out at anyone for even the slightest reasons. Sometimes, there is no reason at all. They will also exhibit a craving for undercooked meat. By this time, the infection is starting to take them over, and making them become feral. Phase three is the final part of the infection. Their skin will change to a fleshy red look, as you can see on the projector. All of their mental faculties and reasoning are gone. What is left is now a fierce, cannibalistic hunter. Their senses of sight, smell, and hearing will be enhanced by this mutation, and they use these heightened senses to track down live prey and kill them for food. Once someone has reached Phase three, they are as dangerous as this infection gets." Phillip said, pausing to catch his breath, and give the soldiers time to let the information sink in.
"Once someone has entered Phase one, they can no longer be killed. Shooting, stabbing, dismemberment, or beheading will not kill them. They will only stay dormant for a limited amount of time as their body regenerates the lost parts and ejects the foreign weapons inside them. Phase one will stay dormant for about fifteen minutes. Phase 2, ten minutes. And Phase three, five minutes. The only known way to kill them off for good is to remove their spinal column, as that seems to be where they regenerate from. However, given how quickly they reawaken from dormancy, this is impossible to do unless they are restrained somewhere they cannot break out of. Still, the best courses of action are to leave the area after rendering them dormant, set them on fire to stop them from fully regenerating and fully reawakening, or drag the body off somewhere where they wont escape or will be able to track you from, like a locked room or a deep pit."
"The last thing I shall say to you all is this: Do not take them lightly. These are not your average, horror-movie zombies. They are brutal, clever hunters. And within the city, they cannot be killed. So keep your head sharp, and a weapon ready. Only your wits will see you through this alive... Colonel, I return to you the stage." Dr. Phillip finished as he stepped aside.
"I hope you all followed my order and listened to him. If you did, you are now fully aware of the dangers that lie ahead of you. So now... I will give you all one last chance to back out. There is no shame in leaving now, and I refuse to go in there with anyone who only volunteered half-heartedly. So if you are having second thoughts and wish to leave, you may exit the terminal and head to your respective leaders for debriefing." The Colonel said. He waited silently for a few minutes, and around four or five soldiers slowly left the building.
"Is that everyone who changed their minds? No one else?" The Colonel asked to make sure. "Alright then... All of you who remained here, I can say without a doubt are either the bravest or stupidest men and women I've had the pleasure of meeting. There's no turning back now. But before we prepare for the operation, let me introduce you to Lieutenant Cascades." Lionel said gesturing to the woman in the officer's uniform. "She will act as an advisor to us, and will relay new information and orders as needed. She will also be our only link to the outside world once we're in the quarantine zone, so try not to piss her off." He continued. "Anything you wish to say to our volunteers, Lieutenant?" The Colonel asked the woman. The Lieutenant shook her head. "Very well." Lionel said as he turned back to the crowd of soldiers and checked his watch.
"The operation will begin in one and a half hour, sharp! Head to the armory and pick up your standard equipment. Equipment includes an urban combat uniform, kevlar vest, the Multi-purpose ballistic helmet with gas mask and nightvision goggles, incendiary grenades, and an HK416 Assault Rifle and a Beretta M9 Pistol if you're not carrying your own specialized weapon of choice."
"Once you have your equipment ready, you're free to do whatever you please until the operation starts. By then, you should report to the designated helicopters which were assigned to each of you before you came in here. I'll be waiting for you all there. Dismissed!" The Colonel finished as he stepped off the stage and let the crowd disperse. He gave one last glance at the volunteers. "I hope these people understand the gravity of this situation. And will be smart enough to keep each other alive..." He thought to himself as he left to prepare for the deployment