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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OPEN MODERATOR POSITION
outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
Ryder had involuntarily given a wince when the girl had said she had been a vegan. That was only fitting of course. It seemed that even when he tried doing a genuinely nice thing for someone it was only fitting that he somehow screwed it up. As she went on to say that she used to be, but not currently was he uttered a small laugh. "Well, that's a relief I guess." He looked back over to her, "What was your favorite meal?" he asked with curiosity. He couldn't imagine making the choice to be a vegan. Sure there were times where he was in areas that demanded it, but it was never by choice. He enjoyed ice cream and pizza a little too much for that kind of sacrifice. "I've never been good at saying no to food. I think I'd make a terrible vegan."
The girl gave him a soft smile again and he was equal parts annoyed and flattered that she did so. Sure, he knew he wasn't a bad looking guy. He had never had trouble finding women to keep his bed warm in the past, but the girls who he typically chased were just as confident as he was. There didn't tend to be many shy smiles and soft words. It was different and he didn't know if that made it a bad thing or not yet.
When she hesitated with her name his chest tightened. He knew that logically she was probably lying to him because he was a stranger to her. After all, there was no telling who he was, just some random guy who had offered to buy her lunch. Sure she might be protecting herself, but still, the red flag went off in his mind. He smiled easily, showing no indication that he had picked up on the lie. "Nice to meet you." She had looked away and he found his curiosity peaked. The coy little smile and glances she had given him pushed far from his mind. "So, how long have you lived in Lethford?" He asked as he casually looked over at her again. The lie about her name had came too forced out of her lips for her to be good at it. He made a guess that his watching her wouldn't help either. He was used to plying tactics in normal situations. His career was built on it. He had hoped he wouldn't have had to jump into work before he got food in his belly, but it seemed this day had other plans.
Ryder watched the internal debate she seemed to be having with herself over helping him. He didn't blame her of course. He was a strange guy and she was a pretty girl. There were a few million awful ways this could play out for her. So he waited patiently, not showing the slightest bit of annoyance while she not so subtly made her mind up. The tiniest of sighs escaped her lips, letting him know he had won. He smiled as she had given him a small smile of her own. "Thanks, I appreciate it."
He began to follow her, his eyes glancing over the people they passed, his voice carrying over as they began to walk, "Normally I'm not very picky about food, but I've got the weirdest craving for a burger right now. What about you?" He glanced over at the girl, his face scrunching a bit with concern, "You're not a vegan or anything like that are you?" The sudden idea popping into his head. He didn't care in the scope of people eating what they wanted, he simply didn't want to offend her. He'd consider himself an ass if he asked a vegetarian to show him where he could get a good burger. Unfortunately, hindsight being what it was, it was a little too late to not come off as an ass if she was one. C'est la vie. It wouldn't be the first time he had made someone irritated.
He wasn't the best at sparing feelings. Thankfully the bulk of his job meant that he didn't have to deal with too many people. If he was really good at his job he didn't have to deal with any at all. That wasn't always a guarantee though, and the more involved a job was the least likely the chances were that he wouldn't have to deal with people. They were always frustrating to him. He couldn't see how they didn't understand that what he was doing was either for their own damn protection or for the protection of others. They continued walking along and he followed her. It was a refreshing change of pace to follow someone and not have to worry about where he was going and where he needed to be. With her leading he could look around more, count their steps, spot the local military, and other fun things that his mind tended to do when on autopilot. He looked over at her again. "I'm Ryder by the way."
The blonde had turned to him and he glanced her once over quickly. She wasn't military. She didn't look pulled together. Her clothes looked slept in, her hair looked like she hadn't washed it in a few days, the tangles a clear indicator that this girl wasn't used to looking like the way she currently was. Ryder had served with men and women of all personalities and sometimes in close quarters for a very long time. The women who knew an operation might take a few days without amenities typically prepared for it, wearing buns or braids. This girl's hair looked like a barbie that had gotten left outside for too long.
She apologized to him, which made his face crinkle in slight annoyance. She clearly had no reason to apologize. He hated it when people did that, it minimized the act of actually being sorry. When she told him the burger place was a few blocks down he swore, "Well damn, I already passed through there." He hadn't seen anything that looked like a restaurant that served burgers, but that didn't necessarily mean it was closed of course. Some businesses and restaurants were practically invisible if you didn't know where to look and knew what you were looking for. There were lots of boards on windows, signs posted in shop doors, things that made it look like the area was a lot less inhabitable than it actually was. "Hmm." He glanced up the street again, debating on if he should try finding it himself before hunger got the best of him.
"Tell you what," he began while turning his attention back to her. "If you show me where I can get a burger, I'll buy you lunch." He hoped she'd take him up on the offer. He didn't feel like wandering around the city for who knows how long until he came to one. Sure he had the time, but he didn't have the patience. He glanced back to where she had been hanging around. There wasn't anyone there anymore which indicated she probably wasn't with friends or family right now. A good sign for his burger craving belly. He focused back on her, a smile coming to his lips, "You won't even have to eat with me if you don't want to, promise. No weird shit." He held his hands up in mock surrender.
Ryder had gotten orders barely 48 hours ago to ship out from Washington, DC. It took him 7 hours to close all of his accounts, lock up what few possessions he had and another 6 spent being debriefed about the situation and his position. Then he was on a plane, ready to start his new job. Ryder liked being in a new town. Some of the guys he had served with grew tired of constantly being in a state of moving, but not him. He enjoyed the challenge of a new area. He liked the idea that he wasn't tied to one place, tied to one job.
When the plane touched down, he and a handful of other SF guys began settling into their new quarters. He had figured out which bunk was his, loaded a few weapons on his person, hidden in his civilian clothes of course, and headed out. The first place he wanted to check out was the quarantined zone. He heard the military had just began putting troops in place, so he was curious to see how well the local force was running things. A strong local force was a good sign, any weakness was a good indicator that things could get messy. If the local force wasn't disciplined, if they showed even a fraction of leniency or hesitation it meant that was what the town was used to. They were used to running things, and if Ryder and his company came in tightening that boundary, putting up those hard restrictions they were likely to get met with resistance. Which wasn't a problem of course, just a slight annoyance.
He checked out the map they gave him in his bunker, noting he was more than a few clicks from the quarantine zone. His eyes scanned the map, memorizing as much detail as he could before putting it in his ruck sack. Ryder walked out of the base and hailed a cab, his stomach grumbling. Instead of going to the East district he asked to go downtown, his stomach demanding food before business. His eyes scanned everything they passed. The civilians were moving around a lot more than he would have thought. When the cab stopped outside of the courthouse, he payed the guy and began walking deeper into the city.
The closer towards the city the more crowded it got, though people did seem to be keeping a relative amount of space between each other. That was a good sign. He walked along, passing an Italian place, then an Asian place. The lines were too long for him, plus he was craving a cheeseburger. Ryder walked another block down until he saw two places that looked promising. The crows were long though and he didn't want to waste anymore time. He looked over at a girl standing near, "Hey...do you know where I could get a good burger around here?" he asked with an easy smile.
