THE DISEASE
Origins
Nobody knows the exact origins of the disease, but it had been kept dormant in the thick layers of ice on the North Pole. But whilst it had been trapped in ice for many years once the ice started melting it was only a matter of time before it was released into the atmosphere.
The disease hits
It didn't take long before the first human was infected, but it would take a long time before anybody knew there was a pandemic on the loose. Its incubation period was long, long enough that it would spread around the world before anybody noticed it. The weird thing was that the incubation period didn't seem to be time-specific, more like it was waiting for some sort of trigger, as it erupted all over the world at once. And those infected the day before got sick just as soon as those who had been infected early on.
At first nobody made the connection between the behavior of the infected and a disease. Since it attacked the mind first destroying the ability to reason properly bit by bit, making its victim prone to aggression, rage and lack of morality its behavior was very similar to criminal behavior. And since these were times of great unrest, due to political instability and the extreme weather that was haunting the planet, a wave of crime wasn't that unheard off. There were some that were affected in another way, appearing like on an acid trip or other drugs. They were just called a new wave of hippies, also not that unheard of in times of trouble.
Soon, however, it was crystal clear it was a disease. The disease started attacking the body of the infected, not unlike leprosy, and the mind deteriorated quickly, making some like crazed animals attacking anyone in sight, while others turned inwards themselves and was lost in a world of their own, completely unaware of the world around them. The infected were called zombies by those few not infected.
At this point there was widespread panic, and mobs quickly formed when there was suspicion of infections. Many escaped up into mountains, into forests, anywhere where they could isolate themselves. These were often dangerous as they would shoot anyone on sight in fear of the disease.
The second wave
While the first generation of the disease spread through the air the second generation had some new tricks up its sleeve. Spreading through the air required a certain amount of people in a certain amount of space to be effective, especially as the disease seemed to weaken once it started to spread from human to human instead of from the original source. So after a while the first generation of the disease went dormant, making short comeback where people gathered in large enough numbers.
The next generation was helped along the way by the nuclear fallout, both from ruined atomic power plants and from the nuclear bombs used on the big cities in an attempt to stop the spreading of the disease. This speeded up the mutations, and suddenly the disease came in many forms.
At this moment the biggest problem is the mutation that infect through the eating of meat. Even though the disease didn't affect animals, a lot of them were carriers of the disease. Eating some species was pretty much a guarantee for getting the disease, while other were completely safe. Then there were those that could be either. The problem was that nobody knew the disease traveled this way, and the lack of food made people desperate. They would eat any animal that crossed their way that they could hunt down and kill.
Immunity
Some people have a certain degree of immunity against the disease. This was due to everything from general health condition to what diseases they had been exposed to in the past, and what kind of disease they hadn't been exposed too. Some diseases seemed to offer up a bit of immunity, but most didn't. In fact, most diseases just lowered your chances of fighting off the disease.
Even though the military didn't seem to think a vaccine or cure was possible, there have been reports and rumor of groups or individual trying to find a cure or a vaccine.
The disease as the boogeyman
Everybody lives in constant fear for the disease, and when someone is suspected as being infected panic often follows. This would lead to mobs being created, and the suspected sick being killed on sight.
Although still a real threat, the disease is not as prominent at the moment, due to the low number of humans. There are bursts here and there which seems to be random, but at the moment the disease seems to be lingering about.
Although crime is the dish of the day, in a society where the strong will take what it wants and the weak will perish, criminal behavior is also an indication of being infected. This can lead to random killings in gangs that have formed when they think one of its members are acting a bit differently.
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Before the disease hits
Even though the world became a much worse place after the shit hit the fan it was no paradise before. Even though the evidence had been there people had decided putting their hands in the sand was the better option, so nothing was done to counteract the climate changes occurring all over the planet. This made the political environment even more unstable as the effects of the climate changes reared its ugly head.
The weather was changing, everything became more extreme. The droughts became drier and longer, with famines following in the poorer part of the world. Water had always been a source of conflict, and as it became more of a scarcity in some places tension grew high. Who had ownership of the water in a river became the big question of the day, and everyone figured it was them. And when nobody backed down the long predicted water wars erupted, bring great devastation.
But it wasn't only the warmth and shortage of water that became a problem. Storms seemed to be getting worse every year, bringing destruction and death in its path. Florida and the Caribbean was almost torn apart by a series of hurricanes the summer before the disease hit, and it was not an isolated case. Big storms hit everywhere it seemed.
Not only did the warm summers make it harder to grow decent crops, but the winters had become colder and longer. Now the growing season was shorter, and produced less, and there was growing concern that famine wouldn't be a third world problem exclusively for long.
The disease hits
Nobody knew where the disease came from, having laid dormant under the ice caps of the South Pole its origin remained a mystery. Its effects however did not remain a mystery.
At first nobody even noticed the disease. Due to its long incubation period and effective way of spreading itself through the air it had spread all over the world before anyone had even noticed. So when it hit, it hit hard. It was like something had triggered it into entering its next phase, as it erupted all over the planet almost simultaneously. Naturally, panic set in. Not only because of the sheer volume of people dying, or that loads of important people was infected as well, but mostly due to the disease making people into what could be described as zombies.
The disease was eating away at both the flesh and the mind of its host. The victims appearance would remind you a bit of leprosy or zombies, and their behavior soon turned from trippy or unfocused into something more menacing. They would become aggressive and whatever morality they once had held would be gone, they would be like wild animals attacking anything they saw. Luckily they would die after a while, not wander the Earth like zombies forever, but until they died they were a big menace to everyone.
Society crumbles
As many people were infected society soon started to crumble. The government in the United States tried to keep things under control, but when most of the government became ill the government soon collapsed. With both the president and vice-president running around the streets of Washington in rage, and being joined by most of the Senate, the military had no choice but to move in and take control.
However, at this point the breakdown of human technology had started as well. Communication infrastructure was soon to be a thing of the past, although some remnants of it would be usable for some time, but for the common man the only was of giving a message to someone in another town was to walk there themselves or pay someone to do it. This led to isolation which further fueled the paranoia among many.
Another problem was nuclear power plants melting down, shooting its radioactive load into the atmosphere. This was bad news as the radioactivity would make the disease mutate in more way than one.
Under military control
The military ruled with an iron fist. Marshall Law was introduced, and everyone having any symptoms resembling the disease was killed at sight. Either by the military or by mob that would form fast. Fear ruled the world.
Research on the disease was pitiful, and the military was instead trying to wipe out the disease by killing everyone who might be carrying it. This didn't work, so desperation grew among the generals. Soon the military was loosing control over the big cities, and withdrew back to military bases all over the country, with the main base being in Cheyenne Mountain.
Seeing as the big cities was overrun the military was getting desperate, and a desperate plan was put into action. Nuclear bombs over the big cities. The big cities on the east coast was nuked, and laid to nuclear wastelands. New York City, Philadelphia, Washington. All gone, and more cities with them. It didn't work though, and the military disbanded its plans to nuke the big cities in California. Having already evacuated the cities they were mostly left to the infected, and those who either stayed behind or were left behind.
At the moment the military holds their ground in their bases, ruling the area around them with an iron fist. The military government resides in Cheyenne Mountain, desperate to regain control over the country.
The disease after the first generation
When the non-infected got fewer and fewer the disease had a harder time to spread, so the nuclear waste was just what it needed to speed up the mutating. From having spread through the air it now found new ways of spreading, like through the meat of animals acting like carriers. With a shortage of food people wasn't picky with what animals they ate, and this helped spreading the disease. Not all animals was carriers though, and people wasn't aware that some were carriers either.
However, not everyone was affected by the disease in the same way. Some diseases would provide partial immunity against the plague, and others would make you more vulnerable. There were even those managing to fight off the disease. The big question was if they would be immune now? And if so, would they be immune towards all of the different mutations, or just the one they had fought off?
The situation at present
With the government having lost control the situation is grim. Some communities manage to function somewhat, especially in those pockets that wasn't hit hard by the disease or the nuclear fallout. However, the general rule is that the strong will survive and the weak will perish. There are gangs roaming the country, some are deserters from the army, taking what they want and who they want. The times are not safe.
The disease is the boogeyman. When someone thinks the disease might be around panic sets in, and people are killed. All kinds of methods are being used to try and avoid the disease, like boiling all the water.
Even though the world became a much worse place after the shit hit the fan it was no paradise before. Even though the evidence had been there people had decided putting their hands in the sand was the better option, so nothing was done to counteract the climate changes occurring all over the planet. This made the political environment even more unstable as the effects of the climate changes reared its ugly head.
The weather was changing, everything became more extreme. The droughts became drier and longer, with famines following in the poorer part of the world. Water had always been a source of conflict, and as it became more of a scarcity in some places tension grew high. Who had ownership of the water in a river became the big question of the day, and everyone figured it was them. And when nobody backed down the long predicted water wars erupted, bring great devastation.
But it wasn't only the warmth and shortage of water that became a problem. Storms seemed to be getting worse every year, bringing destruction and death in its path. Florida and the Caribbean was almost torn apart by a series of hurricanes the summer before the disease hit, and it was not an isolated case. Big storms hit everywhere it seemed.
Not only did the warm summers make it harder to grow decent crops, but the winters had become colder and longer. Now the growing season was shorter, and produced less, and there was growing concern that famine wouldn't be a third world problem exclusively for long.
The disease hits
Nobody knew where the disease came from, having laid dormant under the ice caps of the South Pole its origin remained a mystery. Its effects however did not remain a mystery.
At first nobody even noticed the disease. Due to its long incubation period and effective way of spreading itself through the air it had spread all over the world before anyone had even noticed. So when it hit, it hit hard. It was like something had triggered it into entering its next phase, as it erupted all over the planet almost simultaneously. Naturally, panic set in. Not only because of the sheer volume of people dying, or that loads of important people was infected as well, but mostly due to the disease making people into what could be described as zombies.
The disease was eating away at both the flesh and the mind of its host. The victims appearance would remind you a bit of leprosy or zombies, and their behavior soon turned from trippy or unfocused into something more menacing. They would become aggressive and whatever morality they once had held would be gone, they would be like wild animals attacking anything they saw. Luckily they would die after a while, not wander the Earth like zombies forever, but until they died they were a big menace to everyone.
Society crumbles
As many people were infected society soon started to crumble. The government in the United States tried to keep things under control, but when most of the government became ill the government soon collapsed. With both the president and vice-president running around the streets of Washington in rage, and being joined by most of the Senate, the military had no choice but to move in and take control.
However, at this point the breakdown of human technology had started as well. Communication infrastructure was soon to be a thing of the past, although some remnants of it would be usable for some time, but for the common man the only was of giving a message to someone in another town was to walk there themselves or pay someone to do it. This led to isolation which further fueled the paranoia among many.
Another problem was nuclear power plants melting down, shooting its radioactive load into the atmosphere. This was bad news as the radioactivity would make the disease mutate in more way than one.
Under military control
The military ruled with an iron fist. Marshall Law was introduced, and everyone having any symptoms resembling the disease was killed at sight. Either by the military or by mob that would form fast. Fear ruled the world.
Research on the disease was pitiful, and the military was instead trying to wipe out the disease by killing everyone who might be carrying it. This didn't work, so desperation grew among the generals. Soon the military was loosing control over the big cities, and withdrew back to military bases all over the country, with the main base being in Cheyenne Mountain.
Seeing as the big cities was overrun the military was getting desperate, and a desperate plan was put into action. Nuclear bombs over the big cities. The big cities on the east coast was nuked, and laid to nuclear wastelands. New York City, Philadelphia, Washington. All gone, and more cities with them. It didn't work though, and the military disbanded its plans to nuke the big cities in California. Having already evacuated the cities they were mostly left to the infected, and those who either stayed behind or were left behind.
At the moment the military holds their ground in their bases, ruling the area around them with an iron fist. The military government resides in Cheyenne Mountain, desperate to regain control over the country.
The disease after the first generation
When the non-infected got fewer and fewer the disease had a harder time to spread, so the nuclear waste was just what it needed to speed up the mutating. From having spread through the air it now found new ways of spreading, like through the meat of animals acting like carriers. With a shortage of food people wasn't picky with what animals they ate, and this helped spreading the disease. Not all animals was carriers though, and people wasn't aware that some were carriers either.
However, not everyone was affected by the disease in the same way. Some diseases would provide partial immunity against the plague, and others would make you more vulnerable. There were even those managing to fight off the disease. The big question was if they would be immune now? And if so, would they be immune towards all of the different mutations, or just the one they had fought off?
The situation at present
With the government having lost control the situation is grim. Some communities manage to function somewhat, especially in those pockets that wasn't hit hard by the disease or the nuclear fallout. However, the general rule is that the strong will survive and the weak will perish. There are gangs roaming the country, some are deserters from the army, taking what they want and who they want. The times are not safe.
The disease is the boogeyman. When someone thinks the disease might be around panic sets in, and people are killed. All kinds of methods are being used to try and avoid the disease, like boiling all the water.
The disease:
The disease originally spreads because of starvation. Namely because animals have taken in radioactive material such as folage and other animals that were perhaps caught in a fall out of sorts. People eat the animals and the disease sets it for some of them more quickly than others, the incubation period really unknown. The disease looks a bit like leprosy and tears down the humans ability to reason properly, which quickly aggregates into aggression, rage and a lack of morality.
Because the incubation period is different, we will assume (IC) that all victims that began showing the signs of being mentally incapacitated, like on the acid trip you mentioned are going to get the disease, but perhaps they don't. I'd like to throw in that people having varying degrees of immunity to it that will need to be studied based on the illnesses that they've encountered in the past and have an immunity built up to. So like if you've had chicken pox, perhaps you only get the acid trip scenario here and there. If you have asthma or a pulmonary disease, it advances the illness and turns you into a zombie in a matter of weeks.
We could totally flesh out the details of the what and how IC with the scientist and her experiments. It would be fun to massage that one as we go I think. I like the idea of sending the "mob" or something else after the individuals that have the first symptoms, the acid trip scenario. I could have her (the scientist) have a very different understanding of the disease and be completely against killing anyone that isn't at the zombie stage, but the make-shift military coup or Marshall law situation has people not caring about anything but removal for these individuals. Fear is the ruler of the day and no one is willing to take a chance on the person going from loopy and carefree to eating someone's face off and spreading the disease further.
The disease originally spreads because of starvation. Namely because animals have taken in radioactive material such as folage and other animals that were perhaps caught in a fall out of sorts. People eat the animals and the disease sets it for some of them more quickly than others, the incubation period really unknown. The disease looks a bit like leprosy and tears down the humans ability to reason properly, which quickly aggregates into aggression, rage and a lack of morality.
Because the incubation period is different, we will assume (IC) that all victims that began showing the signs of being mentally incapacitated, like on the acid trip you mentioned are going to get the disease, but perhaps they don't. I'd like to throw in that people having varying degrees of immunity to it that will need to be studied based on the illnesses that they've encountered in the past and have an immunity built up to. So like if you've had chicken pox, perhaps you only get the acid trip scenario here and there. If you have asthma or a pulmonary disease, it advances the illness and turns you into a zombie in a matter of weeks.
We could totally flesh out the details of the what and how IC with the scientist and her experiments. It would be fun to massage that one as we go I think. I like the idea of sending the "mob" or something else after the individuals that have the first symptoms, the acid trip scenario. I could have her (the scientist) have a very different understanding of the disease and be completely against killing anyone that isn't at the zombie stage, but the make-shift military coup or Marshall law situation has people not caring about anything but removal for these individuals. Fear is the ruler of the day and no one is willing to take a chance on the person going from loopy and carefree to eating someone's face off and spreading the disease further.
Popping in to say hi. :)
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