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.
He’d been expecting they would be bending a lot of rules at Prism to find a cure, but experimenting on people—giving them the virus and seeing what the ‘cure’ did to them—it was horrific. There was only one excuse: it needed to be done. Finding out about this, however, did make him curious as to other not so legal things that might be happening in the city. And so he found himself looking out over the military base, wondering what was on the other side of the fence. He hadn’t planned this, but after seeing all the uniformed and armed military personnel on his way home from work Gray couldn’t help but wonder if they were up to something. Not necessarily those particular people themselves; if anything interesting was happening it would most likely be because of the higher-ups that commanded them.
The base itself was largely underground and he would never be able to get inside of it. But there were some buildings above ground that looked like they were warehouses. It would be a lot easier to sneak in there and take a quick look around.
Gray kept his distance from the fence while he searched for an easy way in. A hole in the iron wires, not too far away from one of the warehouses, seemed almost like it was too simple. The only reason he could think of for it to be there was if someone else had tried to break in and no one had taken the time yet to fix the fence. He checked whether there were any cameras aimed at the spot—none—and whether the way towards the warehouse was clear. He waited until he could see no one outside. Then he quickly climbed through the hole and ran towards the door of the warehouse; the dusk granting him cover. He held his ear to the metal door; no sound seemed to come from inside the building. As his heart beat even faster, Gray started to second guess his decision to come here, but if he went back now he would forever wonder what he could have found. And so he slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
After closing the door behind him, Gray looked around. The warehouse seemed even bigger on the inside with rows upon rows with supplies on either side of him. But before he could see anything more, he heard footsteps coming his way. Not having anywhere else to hide he stepped into one of the aisles. As the footsteps came closer he could only hope the person wouldn’t see him.
The army, in both media and its advertising, was heavily glorified. Benjamin was painfully aware of that fact when most of his days had become patrolling the same areas over and over again, most of the time completely on his own. They didn't want to give him leadership duties just yet, but they trusted him enough to go do things on his own. He struggled to stay alert when after hours and hours of wandering, nothing exciting had happened yet, and worse, he had nobody to talk to. But he persisted, knowing that he just had to do whatever he was told.
That's when he caught the warehouse door opening and closing. He raised his eyebrows. Nobody was supposed to come here around this time. Quickly he made his way over there, only to see nobody. He raised up his gun and walked past the aisles, scanning them one by one. Suddenly his eyes met with the strangers that was standing there.
"Hands up in the air! Now!" His finger moved towards the trigger.
Gray had known he would get caught eventually but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. He’d hoped to at least have a quick look around, maybe go to a couple more buildings and then try to sneak out of the base without anyone ever knowing he had been there. Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen. As the footsteps came closer, his heart beat faster and he knew someone would come into view any second. He felt stupid for getting caught so soon, but the adrenaline going through his body quickly cancelled out that feeling.
His hiding place wasn’t a very good one, and soon his eyes met the barrel of a gun. “I’m not armed,” he told the other while he slowly raised his arms in the air as told. His eyes were fixated on the gun for a second, but then he changed his focus to the man holding it. The guy wore the typical military clothes and was definitely younger than him—and also not bad-looking. “I’m Jim, and you are?” he introduced himself. He tried not to sound too confident. First of all, because he really wasn’t. Apart from exciting, it was also scary to have a gun pointed at him. And secondly, because the other would be even less likely to answer then. For now, he stood still, waiting for a reaction from the other.
The man in front of him looked at least a few years older. Not any more dangerous than him though. This once again raised the question in his mind whether or not he had brought friends with him. Benjamin put his finger away from the trigger but kept the barrel aimed at him when the man raised his hands. Claiming not to be armed. He didn't look like, on first sight, as if he was hiding any arms, but there was no way Benjamin could tell if there wasn't a gun hiding in his jacket. And someone who tried to break into a military base... well, would they really come so unprepared? He watched the hands of the man carefully. He got an introduction and was expected one back. No way that he would become so friendly so easily. "What are you doing here, Jim?" Benjamin asked, a hostile undertone lying in his voice. He wasn't about to be messed with, so Jim had better come up with an amazing excuse that would explain everything.
He could see the other’s eyes scanning him for any weapons while he raised his hands. Surprised he wasn’t immediately searched Gray introduced himself, meanwhile trying to gauge the other. “No need for that tone,” he answered first. He wasn’t going to be treated like a criminal just because he broke into a military base. Though now he was thinking that consciously, that did sound very much like a criminal. “I was just taking a look around.” He didn’t really have much more of an explanation as to why he was there and he was not going to tell the other that he wanted to know if the military was doing anything it shouldn’t be doing—not directly at least. “I was wondering what you guys were hiding behind that fence,” he shrugged. That was the truth; though the other would most likely just see him as a normal citizen too curious for his own good and not as a close-to-getting-crazy scientist looking for others who were breaking the law.
'No need for that tone.' Benjamin had to stop himself from rolling his eyes right then and there. Stay professional, Ben. Really, the guy who crossed boundaries and pretty much committed a crime should not be the one with the attitude. Especially not when Benjamin's finger was still dancing around the trigger. "You're aware that that is a crime? That you crossed illegal boundaries?" he said, still hostile. "This isn't open for civilians and we made that very clear. You're lucky to walk away with a charge because approaching military bases could get you shot on sight." He wasn't going to tolerate some curious civilian. Benjamin wasn't told exactly what the military was doing here either, but at least he was smart enough not to be one of the Area 51 stormers, since he knew the danger of military bases very well. Unlike this guy who seems like he'd practically do a naruto run into gunfire. "I'd like to see your ID first." He started to follow standard procedure for arresting a civilian like he'd practiced. Benjamin felt more like a cop in this moment rather than a soldier, but the bottom line was that he had to follow orders. "Then I will take you in for further questioning." He watched the man closely, since Jim could make a run for it any moment.
Gray nervously swallowed at the idea of getting shot. That was definitely something he never wanted to experience. Luckily the only thing he was about to get was identified—maybe he actually did prefer getting shot… With a grunt he took out his ID and held it out to the other. The only thing he could hope for was that the guy wasn’t from around here and wouldn’t recognise his name. He hadn’t spoken to his parents in more than a year but he was sure they would find a way to express their disappointment in him for being arrested in a military base if they found out. They really liked to make his life even better than it already was like that. This whole endeavor was turning out to be one big fiasco. He’d barely even made it into the base and had already been discovered and was about to be brought in for questioning. They would probably bring him further into the base for that, but the chance of him seeing something interesting was about zero.
Benjamin read the ID saying Grayson Davenport and did not think that 'Jim' was his nickname, and if it was, how did that work? He lowered his gun, but kept his eyes on the guy in case he was going to suddenly try to make a run for it. A terrible decision, really, because if Ben was good at anything it was aiming at moving targets, and he wouldn't hesitate. He hoped it wouldn't come that far, though. Now it was simply time to go through the motions. Lock him up, question him, and then call higher authorities to take over and decide a punishment. "Come with me," he said, urging the man to follow him. He couldn't feel sorry for the guy, it had been his own stupid mistake and he wasn't going to feel sympathy. Though, he was really curious if the man had a deeper motive. He didn't look like the type to do this for a YouTube publicity stunt.
He dreaded the moment he would see recognition in the other’s eyes at seeing his last name, but that never seemed to come. A small sigh of relief left his mouth. This wasn’t over yet but if he played it right he might be able to keep it out of the tabloids and keep his parents from ever knowing. He really wanted to not care about what they thought, but no matter how hard he tried, some part of him always did. And getting arrested by the military would certainly do more than just disappoint them. The gun was lowered and the guy told him to follow him; which Gray did. “Do I still not get a name? If you’re arresting me I’d like to at least know who you are,” he tried again to get some information from the other. That and he just didn’t like having to call him ‘the guy’ in his head. “Would be fair now you know my full name.” He shrugged. People finding out who he was was one of his least favourite things. Getting something in return for it might make it a bit worth it.
Grayson asked for a name. Benjamin decided he could share it, then if Grayson had a problem with how he was handled by him, he could complain to someone superior and name him. Though Benjamin didn't think he was doing anything wrong. "Faulkner," he replied, still holding a cold undertone in his voice. He'd noticed how that tone had become second nature, though he had dropped his guard when he met Lexi. She didn't harm him or seem harmful, but for some reason he still felt uneasy at that he ever did it. Lexi did get hurt because of him and... it was better not to think about it.
He focused back on the task and took the guy all the way across, walking in silence the entire way, while clouds above their heads started to gather, and the sky was turning darker and darker blue every second. He sat Grayson down in one of the rooms, handcuffed him to the table, and sat down at the other chair. "Let's start with the basic question, what are you doing here?"
The guy seemed to think it over and ended up finally giving him some information. It wasn't a full name, but at least it was something. "Thanks Faulkner," he replied. Now he at least had something to call the guy by. It was quite a peculiar name and he almost made a comment about it, but the cold tone in the other’s voice stopped him from doing that. And so the only thing getting out was a small grin on his face.
Faulkner guided him outside—the sky had already grown darker since he'd gone inside the warehouse; it was getting closer to night—and to another building until he was sat down in an interrogation room. He hated the cuffs as soon as he saw them. First of all, they reminded him of some wilder years of his life that he preferred to leave behind him. Secondly, they kept his arms in an uncomfortable position and stuck to the table. Faulkner spoke and took Gray’s attention away from his hands. “Like I told you, I just wanted to look around.” He’d think a soldier would be used to listening to people—though maybe that was only when it were orders. “There’s nothing more to it.”
Benjamin couldn't tell if the guy had been sarcastic or genuine when he had thanked him for saying his name. Something inside of him was worried for a brief moment that he was planning something, or maybe he just genuinely wanted to know. Not that it mattered much, because Benjamin was the one in the right anyway. What could this Grayson do to harm him?
The guy didn't seem to be too happy about being put in handcuffs. Benjamin still lacked sympathy for him. Answering his question with a simple 'I just wanted to look around' frustrated him only more. If he was planning more, he definitely wouldn't straight up tell him. "And so you risked getting arrested or shot just to have a look around out of curiosity?" Benjamin repeated, wanting to get it right. He took out a pen and notebook and started writing down the man's answers. If Grayson was being truthful, then he considered him an idiot. Benjamin had been curious about what the government had been doing lately too, but he wasn't going to risk the dangers. Risk versus reward. "Alright, next I'm gonna need to know where you live and work. Do be mindful that lying right now can get you into deeper trouble... Jim." He highly doubted Jim was the guy's nickname and just the fact that there wasn't the name "Jim" anywhere on his ID showed enough about how this man was ready to flat out lie to save himself. Benjamin thought he would know better.
With his eyes trained on the cuffs around his wrists, Grayson at first missed the other’s frustration; only picking up on it when Faulkner spoke, repeating the same thing once again. “Yes,” Gray answered; exasperated himself. Did this guy really have nothing better to do? Clearly not because he took a pen and notebook and started writing something down. ‘Alright, next I'm gonna need to know where you live and work. Do be mindful that lying right now can get you into deeper trouble... Jim.’ Gray’s eyes narrowed at the tone his name was spoken with. “That is my actual name even if you refuse to believe me.” He knew his ID said differently, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “Jim comes from James—my middle name,” he explained. It might not matter to Faulkner, but it did matter to him. “And I live downtown here in Lethford,” he answered part of the actual question, still with the same biting tone.
Benjamin didn’t like the attitude the other people gave him when he arrested them. Of course, he wouldn’t be happy either, but it was trouble they had given themselves and it was literally his job. He had to keep the people safe, from themselves and from other people, especially in times such as these. He listened to the person explaining how ‘Jim’ came from ‘James’, and Benjamin scribbled it down again in his blocky, big handwriting (he had always struggled with his penmanship), while being a little annoyed that he couldn’t confirm this fact unless he had Grayson’s birth certificate. Why didn’t they make it a law to have your birth certificate on you at all times rather than I.D?
Grayson said he lived in Lethford, but no answer to what his job was. Benjamin had patience when it came to having to repeat himself, though he knew many of his other co-workers would have probably already bashed the guy’s head in, though that wasn’t exactly allowed. Maybe Grayson was luckier than he had thought. “What do you do for a living?” he said again, “and I’m gonna need an address of both your workplace and home.”
Fight like you'll never die Fight to stay alive Fight to raise the crown Fight to take them down Fight like you're gods and monsters Because you want to To save a life
Of course, Faulkner couldn’t know James was his middle name, but he still got angry that the other didn’t believe him. That he’d snuck into the warehouse didn’t mean that he was going to lie about something like that; he’d only lie about why he was here since that was not something the other needed to know. Everything else he said was as true as truth could be. ‘What do you do for a living? And I’m gonna need an address of both your workplace and home,’ the guy said. “I’m an immunization microbiologist; a scientist.” He was used to people not knowing what it was and added the explanation of scientist automatically. And, as told, he gave both addresses without a problem—he needed to get Faulkner on his side somehow. “Anything else you need?” He was ready to get out of here.
