OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
It was out there. She had said she missed him. He told her not to blame herself. The air felt a little crisper, a little more clear, than it had moments before. The fog of trying to navigate that space without knowing what he was thinking or feeling faded. The weight on her was lifted, not because she no longer felt guilty for Charle’s death but because Thomas was okay with talking about him. It felt like the floodgates could open, or they would have if they weren’t on their way to get coffee and this wasn’t actually a work errand. She hoped that he meant it, that they would go get beers that they didn’t have to hide in the woods to drink.
The funeral came up and she glanced away, but only for a second. That had been a horrible day. She could remember her Mom and Dad standing behind her and she felt like that 17 year old kid signing papers with the Army recruiter and her parents behind her proud but apprehensive. In their world, they were the lucky ones. They could have been the one burying a child and she felt it in the way her Dad had set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it tight enough that it was uncomfortable as the flag was handed to Mr. Moore. Of course, that day it had been so obvious that Tommy was avoiding her. Brooke had never brought it up, never planned to, and she spoke softly, ”No way, man, that was an awful day. You didn’t have to...you didn’t need to do anything but what you had to in order to make it through it.”
She smiled at him, a little bit of sadness in her eyes and she shook her head a little bit, ”No way, I always could tell the difference between you two. Those parent trap jokes never worked on me.” But it wasn’t entirely true. He was a little bit like a ghost. There were faces that he made that mimicked Charlie exactly, and vice versa. But it wasn’t haunting, more a friendly reminder of her other best friend. They righted themselves, both of them ready for something other than the depressing topic and she got back on the road and reoriented herself as best she could with her path to the closest Starbucks.
Tommy won for the subject changing and she glanced over, snorting a little, ”Put me up somewhere? No way, this is the government we’re talking about. The budget doesn’t actually go to the grunts like me. No, I’m just at the barracks. Communal living. Mmmm.” She wrinkled her nose and gave a shrug, ”But it’s not all bad. I can pretty much come and go as I like. Not the same sort of command structure as there was in combat zones.” The starbucks came up on the left and she pulled into the drive thru, still sticking to her schedule despite the touching moment they’d shared. ”Do you still take it black? Or have you broadened your horizons and discovered the wonder of frappucinos yet?”
The day of the funeral was a painful blur for him. He had never been to a military funeral before, they had taken care of everything. There hadn’t been any planning on their end which had almost made it worse. There was no lead up to it, it was just suddenly there. All eyes on him and his father. There had been no caring or love between them that day. Thomas hadn’t been exactly friendly since his mother had died. His father had stepped out, unable to handle watching his wife die. His brother hadn’t been much better, their family hadn’t been the same since she died. She had been a glue holding them together. Brooke had been there with her family, he had sensed the sigh of relief both her parents had that day. It had been Charles and not Brooke.
”I still regret it.” He informed in regard to how she had treated her during and after the funeral. He had shut out everyone, his father who had turned to alcohol. Brooke who had tried to send him messages. He had focused on his work, grew a few work friends. But he had struggled alone through it, because he had wanted too. He couldn’t help but give her a side eyed look. Not believe for a second, she had never gotten him, and Charles confused. When they had been younger, they would wear each others clothes. They may have looked the same but their personalities had been what set them apart.
He pushed on, coffee and asking about where she was staying. They seemed like better topics than dead twin brothers. Plus, he wanted to know more about her and what her life was like now. It seemed important to fill in those gaps. She snorted like what he had said was amusing. He didn’t know why but he had thought they would help her to reintegrate. He had never really thought of what happened when they returned home. When his dad had come home his mother had been waiting for him with a house. He hadn’t thought what it would be like for those who didn’t have a significant other back home.
”You’re staying at the military barracks?” He couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose at that. Living with a bunch of other people didn’t seem like the greatest idea during a pandemic. But he wasn’t sure they had many options with all the manpower they needed. He had seen the riots on the news, how part of the hospital had been destroyed. Everything felt like it was held together with a hair pin trigger. There was no telling when riots would break out again. ”Really? Cause it kinda sounds horrible.” He couldn’t help but mutter. ”You just do your thing?” He wasn’t really sure what her job description was other than escort for him. ”Were you involved in stopping the riots? Or at least attempting too?”
His focus shifted as they pulled into the drive through, he pulled out his card extending it to her. She wanted to know what his order was, if it was still just black coffee. ”Double expresso on ice.” The words flowed with ease, telling how many times he had ordered it. Caffeine was what ruled his life these days with the long work hours. ”You need me to order for you? Or did your reintegration package come with a 'how too for coffee?' You might like one of the holiday drinks.” He was squinting at the menu as he spoke. "Get an Irish cream cold brew. You'll thank me." He leaned back into his seat as he spoke, holding up his card for her to use.
There were things about Brooke that could be described as quirky. For example, she couldn’t seem to find her way even in her home town sometimes. There was a fifteen-block area that she knew like the back of her hand but beyond that she relief on her phone’s GPS. And with the way that carrier signals were failing she was lucky if it worked. The government vehicles were different, their satnav was never disrupted and so the drive to Prism would be fine. Otherwise their little detour might have really thrown her and then she’d have to admit that even as a grown-ass woman she still could exclusively find her way home or to the local watering hole.
He was cringing about her living situation and she glanced over, ”Technically I’ve got my own space, they have us spread out. But there are communal areas. And it’s better than sleeping on the ground when it’s over 100 degrees out with the sun down.” But he brought up the riot and she sobered a little bit, glancing over and giving a nod, ”Well yeah. I do my own thing when I’m off duty. When I’m on I...do that kind of thing.” She leaned her elbow on the door, hand going onto the side of her head to prop it up. ”I’ll take escorting a squint every day over those riots.. I hate feeling like the civilians are the enemy. Or anyone thinking that we’re the bad guys.” Brooke didn’t glance over at him as she went on musingly, ”No one has ever lived through something of this scope, you know? Like no one knows what the right thing to do is. We’re all just trying to do our best. I think people forget that sometimes.”
The line moved and she shifted her foot off the break to pull up a little more so that they were approaching the menu. He knew exactly what he wanted and she just grimaced at the menu as she tried to decipher what it was it all said. He asked if she knew what she wanted and she shook her head a little, ”I don’t know...the coffee overseas was chunky. And then when I was in Europe it turned my stomach when I tried it….” she glanced over at his suggestion and looked uncertain, ”Irish Cream cold brew?” Brooke swallowed and glanced back at the menu. She snatched his card and leaned out the window to order. The perky barista had her giving Thomas a look and when they pulled up to the window she was cute, about their age and with red hair that fell to her waist. She had big brown eyes and am impressive hourglass shape.
Thomas’ card as tucked into the door of the car and she gave the girl hers. And when she moved away from the window she glanced over at Tommy and grinned. Her head nodded to the girl, ”Hey, she’s cute.” Brooke winked, ”I’m gonna get her number for you. Just wear a condom with the mask.” But before he could protest the barista was back and offering the card. Brooke leaned against the window and spoke to the girl, ”You look so familiar, did you graduate from Lethford High?” She gasped and bounced and nodded, calling out that she was the class of 2016. Not theirs, but Brooke gasped back and nodded, ”Oh hey! I knew I recognized you! Lydia, right? You threw the best parties.”
They chatted for a second and when she was handing over the drinks Brooke spoke up again, making her pause with the double shot in her hands, ”Hold on, we should connect. Socially distanced style. Thomas knows a great spot. Go ahead and jot your number there on that one, he’ll call you.” Brooke glanced at her friend and winked again, finally offering over the coffee to him. It had a number and a heart with a winky face there. And when they pulled away she rolled up her window and the facade melted. ”I’ve still got it. Wingwoman of the year. Call her, make plans for the three of us and I’ll cancel last minute.” Before he could protest she gave him back his card and looked out to check for oncoming traffic before she got back on the road, ”You need to get out of that lab some, Tommy. You’re pale.”
She spoke about her time over seas like it was perfectly normal. He supposed for her it was, that had been her normal the whole time she had been deployed. It seemed so different than the life he had been living. He was painfully aware that he would never understand what she and his brother had been through over there. Sleeping on the ground at cadets seemed close, but not close enough.
She went on and he listened, it was about all he could do. He didn’t understand what she was going through. The public saw her and her co workers as the enemy. He didn’t have to face the anti vaxxers that ranted and raved on social media. He couldn’t help but shake his head as she called him a squint, a smile under his mask. She admitted that none of them knew what the right thing to do was, he nodded slowly. His eyes wandering out the window, thinking to the Sinoxyn trials. The things that they were doing. The public had no idea about the trials, they were top secret. The public didn’t even know they were in the process of testing vaccinations. ”You think that justifies it? All the things we’re doing?” He asked as he looked over at her.
She complained about the coffee over seas and he suggested what she should get. He knew what she would like but she still seemed uncertain about it. Thomas missed the first look that Brooke shot him and the meaning behind it. But as they move forward to the window, he knew that he was doomed. He couldn’t help the dread that welled in him as she spoke. He felt mortified, he couldn’t protest the barista was at the window.
Thomas watched on with horror as Brooke spoke to the woman. He didn’t recognize her, but apparently, they had gone to school together. Thomas resisted the urge to sink down in the passenger seat. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck and into his cheeks, he was grateful for the mask he wore. He stayed silent as the two females chatted, there was a weird tone to it, the only kinda voice two females used when talking to each other. It sounded weird and fake. He was wishing he had just walked the rest of the way after all. Then the drinks were being passed through the window and he could see the end was in sight. Until she told Lydia to write her name on his cup. Lydia didn’t argue, she jotted it down.
He took the cup as it was offered, Brooke winked at him. As soon as the window was rolled up and they pulled away she spoke again. He let her speak, but he chimed in right after she was done. ”Im not going to call her.” Thomas went on before she could say anything else. ”We’re in the middle of a pandemic! I’m not going to hook up with some chick from high school. It would be carless to date anyone right now.” He felt like he was scolding her, the words came out before he could think better of it. He still felt red and hot, ”I have enough to worry about with work.” He added, there was a finality to his words. He didn’t need her running around trying to hook him up with people.
He knew that any relationship he entered wouldn’t be an honest one. There were things about his work that he couldn’t talk about. There were ramifications if he talked about his work to anyone. The lawyers and HR had made that very clear to him. There were things he would have to keep from people, it was the reason he had distanced himself from most of his friends. It was the reason he hadn’t been looking to date. ”Sorry, I just don’t want to date.” He swirled the contents of his coffee cup. ”I just think its better to be alone right now.” He admitted looking down at his cup.
Was it justified? The police state, the curfews, the raids, whatever it was they all got up to at their big fancy lab? Brooke kept her eyes on Thomas as she considered the question. It was rhetorical, but it was the kind that she had to contemplate over and over again in her life. She had been put into positions more questionable and compromising than the one she found herself in back at home. They were the kind of questions soldiers asked each other at 2 in the morning when the laughter and the ribbing settled and the weight of their actions settled onto them. For some of them, the weight was crushing. But Brooke answered him the same way she answered Charlie when he’d ask the same thing, her voice soft and sincere, ”We’re all just doing our best, Tommy.”
The coffee was handed over, the number secured, and they had barely pulled away when he was protesting. Brooke didn’t hesitate to erupt into laughter, scoffing and glancing over at him, ”Come on, she’s cute! Don’t be such a prude.” She glanced back behind her before checking the street she intended to turn out onto for oncoming traffic. ”Did we really go to high school with her? Because I definitely don’t remember seeing her ever.” She kept it light, teasing him and enjoying the way he squirmed beside her. A hand went on her coffee cup so that she could keep it from sloshing. But he wasn’t enjoying the teasing and as she pulled out into traffic she settled into a lane and picked up her cup to take a sip.
Normally, coffee was far too bitter for her. But when the cold brew was smoother and as he explained that he just wanted to be alone she lifted the cup to watch the cream at the top swirl down to mix with the dark brew. She glanced over at him as he swirled his drink and mimicked him, sure that it would do something. She took another drink and gave an impressed sort of ‘hm’ before she spoke up, ”Well sorry, but you’re stuck with me.” She glanced over at him and gave a little smirk as she nudged him. ”I’m back and I can only take so much of the meatheads in my unit, so even if you make me sit outside, you’re officially my quarantine bubble.”
She paused, his office building looming at the end of the block and she slowed as the traffic built up, ”We should hike, do something to get the blood pumping, you know? This weekend, I’m off duty, I can pick you up.”
He had sworn he had seen her at their high school. He couldn’t tell if she was teasing him or not still. His discomfort showed through though. The last thing he had been thinking about was hooking up with someone, they were in the middle of a pandemic. ”It doesn’t matter how cute she is! People are dying left and right from this virus.” He half yelled as he picked up his coffee and swirled it around in the cup. He knew he was being a little intense about it, but he couldn’t help it. Not after he had seen firsthand what the virus did to people. Worse was what the vaccine was doing to people that they infected. He shoved the thoughts from his mind as she pulled into traffic. He was thankful how close they were to his work.
He admitted it was better if he was alone. He had pushed everyone away since he had joined the team at Prism working on the trials. He couldn’t chance letting anyone get too close to it. He couldn’t allow himself the chance of slipping up and saying something. He trusted himself not too, but it was a heavy weight to carry. He was starting to struggle with it.
His eyes cut to her as she informed him that he was stuck with her. He pressed his lips together under his mask. She had taken hers off to have a sip of her coffee. He had forgotten how attractive she was, as the mask was moved to sip. Charles had made his interest in Brooke clear from the beginning. Bro code insisted that Thomas keep a wide birth from her, and he had. He had let Charles pursue her, he had never asked if they had ended up together, a part of Thomas didn’t want to know.
She wanted to get out and do something. He frowned under his mask. ”I was planning on working.” He admitted, it was all that he did it seemed. He didn’t exactly have a lot of other options. The word was in survival mode, when he did go out it was for work, groceries, or a run. Brooke was looking at him, she wasn’t about to take no for an answer. ”One afternoon, a few hours.” He finally conceded. ”You aren’t picking me up and giving me no way to leave. A few hours, I know a good place. Ill text you.” He offered as they pulled up to the looming office building, grabbing the case, his mask and his coffee. ”Enjoy the coffee, try to stay out of trouble.” Thomas said as a goodbye as he closed her car door with his foot. He refused to wait for her to open and close his door again.
