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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CODING
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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.
Lexi was a rule-follower. She always had been. Even when she was a little kid, the idea to go against set rules and break boundaries never appealed to her, much to her parent's obvious delight. She liked order and control. Though, oddly enough, she was not the kind of person who would ever be described as rigid. She liked spontaneity and fun, she didn't mind doing things that seemed embarrassing to others or caring much about what people thought. She liked following her gut and going with the flow, just not when it came to breaking rules. Tonight, however, would be an exception.
It was Friday, which meant she had the upcoming weekend off of course, but the internet in her apartment had been awful lately and she was the least technologically-inclined person in the world. One look at all the cords connecting to the boxes had her waving off the idea of trying anything herself so she had been forced to schedule someone to come look at the issue. Unfortunately, they weren't available until Sunday which meant she was looking at the world's most boring weekend ahead of her.
The movies weren't open, nor were gatherings permitted and the library had closed already so she couldn't even pick up some new books. She thought for half a second about the option of doing something DIY around her place but figured with her coordination she was better off not attempting it. Instead, thankfully, her mother came to her rescue with a call informing her that she accidentally had a package shipped to their home and not to her place. Lexi's brows had furrowed a moment in confusion before she remembered that she had ordered the entire Indiana Jones movie collection a few weeks ago.
Weekend saved. Lexi had glanced at the clock and debated the issue of breaking curfew for a solid four minutes before asking her mother to put the box outside their door for her to pick up. It was late, but her parents only lived a few blocks away, an easy 10 minute walk at most. She reasoned that she wouldn't speak to anyone, wouldn't be bothering anybody, and really, who could it possibly hurt if she walked there and straight back? So with solid resolve she collected her things and left her place.
She had just made it out of the apartment doors and down the steps when a man walked over, his movements tense, his voice edged with anxiety. Lexi shook her head in response to his question, she hadn't passed anyone on the way down and she had been in her apartment since her class had ended hours ago so she knew she wasn't much help. "No, I'm sorry. Is she lost?" Her eyes scanned the street, but it was mostly empty. She found herself hoping this wasn't a child that had ran from a parent and gotten lost or something of the sort.
Her gaze moved back towards the inside of her building and she noticed the security guard wasn't at the front desk. It was, of course, against the rules to let a stranger into the building, but her side that taught children couldn't just ignore the guy and let it be. "Do you want to come inside? I don't see the security guard, but I have his number. There's cameras in all of the hallways and inside the lobby. I'm sure he wouldn't mind reviewing them if there's a chance she could be inside." She gave him a small shrug as she laid the offer out. Was she taking a huge gamble on a stranger well past curfew? Sure. But turning her back on someone who needed help wasn't her. Even if she couldn't actually be of much help.
Lexi grinned at his comment, "That's when you know you've found where you belong. When it doesn't feel like a job and the money doesn't matter." Coming from the position of a public school teacher she knew first-hand that teaching was a job you had to love because there was certainly no money to be made in it. Still, her parents hadn't pushed her into anything more than the career she had set her eyes on. They hadn't pushed for a doctor or lawyer in the family. She was grateful for that. She couldn't imagine the alternative. His career path made a little more sense to her.
Lexi shook her head when he commented that she had more knowledge than him. "I'm positive that's not true." There was a world of knowledge that she knew she was lacking. In her mind, that was kind of the whole point of life. To constantly be learning, growing, and discovering. The world would be a boring place if she thought herself superior to it all. "Plus, knowledge is always subjective. Trust me, my kindergarteners would find you a thousand times more interesting than they find me."
She grinned softly at the idea. It was true. She wasn't exactly known as the cool teacher. She was the crafty one who baked cookies and gave hugs. She wasn't the one they went to for dance moves and cool video game or sport knowledge. She could keep up with the cinema talk though. She did have that going for her. Before the virus disrupted their world she loved going to the movies and being the first in line for the newest flicks. Good or bad, she watched them all. Her favorite was when a kid movie was shown and the whole class had discussions on their favorite parts. She'd take the opinion of five-year olds over any adult critic any day of the week.
Lexi nodded when he confirmed her suspicions. It was nice when people followed their passions. If more people did it, the world would probably be a much better place. She could remember playing 'teacher' when she was a little girl. She would always make her friends be her students and had even given them homework. Her mother had a picture of her in front of her 'students' somewhere if she remembered correctly. "So your parents saw it coming then?" She imagined it might have been a little easier to take if they had seen the signs coming rather than a surprise 'hey mom and dad, I'm joining the military!'
Lexi's face showed a moment of surprise when he mentioned engineering. It was something she could never wrap her head around. Way too much math. Way too many exact and precise measurements. No room for creativity nor error. She would have felt stifled beyond belief if she had taken a route like that. She couldn't blame him for not wanting it.
He continued speaking, bringing up his parents and she listened quietly before replying. "I'm sorry they weren't supportive. That must be hard. You're clearly proving them wrong though." She had never had a moment in all of her twenty-four years of life that her parents weren't supportive. She couldn't imagine how hard that must be, how it must feel. "You should be proud of yourself for following your passion. Money can't buy you happiness right?" It was an old adage, but one that still rang true. At least for her.
Benjamin made a joke and Lexi found herself laughing softly. At least he was honest. She replied back with a little quip of her own. "You're not missing a lot I suppose, just the founding of Democracy, mathematics, and astronomy. The Archaic period of art and literature of course. Nothing big." She gave him a playful smile, hands resting softly on the hospital cover.
Lexi laughed softly when Benjamin spoke about it taking some time to get used to. She mused for a moment that he was being much too generous in his assumptions of her coordination. She was hands-down one of the most uncoordinated people on the planet. If there was ever an award for it, she would have taken home top honors. "Well, I'll have to take your word on it." Lexi sat back in the crisp linens and glanced over curiously, "Do you play the soldier-related game? Is that where the passion came from?" She couldn't recall any video game names specifically but she did know there were a few that were popular that dealt with being a soldier, zombies, and car racing.
Benjamin asked what areas of history interested her the most and Lexi had to think about it. There wasn't honestly one particular time period that held her interest. To her, it was more about the human connection throughout the entirety of their planet. The way human-kind adapted and evolved. The way society grew and cultures melded. It was a hard question to pin-point. "I don't think I have a favorite part. I mean, I love learning about indigenous cultures, but I don't think there's necessarily a particular time period that I love more than another." Her lips pursed, tilting in thought a moment as she worked over the question a little more. "Ancient Greece is fascinating too of course and the way it inspired modern art, I could go on for days about that." She laughed lightly, "Am I boring you yet?"
Lexi found herself smiling softly when Benjamin admitted that was the only subject in school he liked. She hadn't minded school, but from an early age her parents had taken an invested interest in her subjects as well as extracurriculars so there simply had never been another option. She had always been encouraged to try new classes and work her hardest. School itself wasn't always her favorite thing, but the people and memories she had made during her time there were still treasured. She nodded when he mentioned video games, "That's cool. I'm not coordinated enough for it. I always end up dying." She had tried her hand at them a few times, but she couldn't get the controller figured out to save her life, literally.
When he asked her what hobbies and interest she had, Lexi didn't have to think much about it. "I like movies, history, and reading." She gave a soft laugh before reaching for the water again. "Now I'm the one that sounds like a cliché." She brought the ice cold liquid to her lips and drank slowly. Her mouth was still feeling dry, but whatever they were pushing in her veins was still doing a remarkable job keeping her pain at bay so she wasn't about to complain.
Lexi listened quietly as he spoke about the raids. It was clear he wasn't keen on them, which made her feel a little bit better about the whole situation. At least it wasn't like the military people were sitting on go and itching to bust through people's homes. At least there seemed to be some level-headedness, at least with Benjamin. She gave a half-smile, "Yeah, me too."
Lexi nodded in understanding when he mentioned the crowds being an issue. She had never minded them, but they weren't for everyone. She was the opposite in many ways. When she had first moved to Lethford she had felt utterly alone being around the few handfuls of people that were normally out and about on any given day. It had been like getting thrown into a different world. She had gotten used to it though. It had been so long since she had visited New York that she wasn't sure which one she preferred. Maybe neither was better than the other.
Benjamin mentioned that she was probably an artist and she laughed lightly, shaking her head, "I wish. Sometimes my kindergarteners draw better pictures than I can." She was a terrible artist, but that didn't detract her from loving the art world. If anything it just made her appreciate the ability even more. "So if art isn't your thing, what is? I would guess football, but that sounds too cliché." She leaned her head back against the pillow, watching him for a moment, a grin on her face. He didn't look like the type to enjoy theater or books, but people could be surprising. When he mentioned he liked her optimism she shrugged her one shoulder that wasn't injured, "You always need to have hope in something right?"
Lexi listened quietly as he spoke about being a soldier and protecting his hometown. She couldn't exactly understand the feeling of needing to protect a city, but she could understand the feeling of loving one and maybe those things weren't too far from one another. When he mentioned the home raids her smile faltered though. That was something that struck a chord in her and not in a good way. She couldn't imagine the idea ever having a good outcome. It wasn't like that was his fault though. The soldiers who were given the orders weren't exactly consulted on the matter. "I'm sorry." It wasn't much, but she didn't know what else she could say to ease that burden. "It's not like you're doing it randomly though right? They're under warranted circumstances aren't they?" At least she hoped so. It seemed reckless and unwarranted to have it randomly. That seemed like an accident waiting to happen.
Lexi nodded when Benjamin mentioned that he thought the police would let her boss take the papers. That small bit of encouragement eased the pressure in her chest just a bit. She tried to let the feeling of needing to get it done go, at least for a little while. It wasn't like she could do much in a hospital bed anyway.
The conversation shifted to their hometowns and Lexi found herself grinning, "Why's that? Too many people?" She asked.She listened to him speaking about the small town and she had to admit that she agreed with him about the community aspect of it. The oversee part made the edges of her lips tilt up slightly, he seemed almost as if he was born to be a soldier. It was nice when people found their calling. When there was a sense of passion behind their words. "I agree, but there's a sense of being a part of something more than yourself in a place like New York. Plus there's always something going on." That, of course, wasn't always a good thing, but it was never boring, that was for certain.
Lexi listened to him speak about his training and service. She honestly had no idea about the military or their procedures. She had to admit she was a little surprised that the training was only a year. She had spent more years than that working on her teaching degree and she wasn't directly and literally in charge of people's lives. It seemed a little strange that someone with such few years on the job would be tossed out with a weapon and asked to defend a city. "Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll find a cure soon." She gave a soft smile. A few months ago she had been able to say that phrase with more confidence. As the months ticked by however, it sometimes felt like there wasn't an end in sight. "But hey, at least you know the area and the people. I imagine it's a lot harder for the soldiers who were brought in."
Lexi smiled when he offered to take the forms. It was an incredibly sweet offer but she knew he more than likely had a thousand other more important things that he needed to be doing. She had already interrupted his duty for the day, she wasn't about to ask him to interrupt more of his schedule for her. "Thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I'm sure you have enough on your plate." She wasn't even sure that the police would let him take her things. Although someone in uniform would be more likely to get past their security procedures than her boss would. "Do you think they'd allow my principal to pick up the forms though?"
Benjamin said shit happens and she laughed, immediately regretting the action. "Ow." She put her hand on her shoulder, over the bandages. That will take some time getting used to, she thought dryly to herself. Her job was about to get much more harder. She usually spent most of her work days laughing, she didn't like to think about that changing. She shifted in the bed, dropping her hands from the wound.
When Benjamin mentioned he was with the locals she nodded. It was a beautiful city, she couldn't blame him for not leaving it. When he asked the question back, she shook her head. "No, I'm actually from New York. I moved here about 6 years though. My mom's family was from here and I kind of fell in love with the city. " She missed her hometown on occasion, but she couldn't leave her family and she didn't see her mom and dad ever leaving this place again. "I miss the museums and the theaters, but there's just something about a small town that has my heart." She almost shrugged, but the reminder of pain halted the action. "Have you gotten to travel anywhere with the military?" She could see the appeal in that. Getting to see the world and be in places all over the globe. The only downside was that it wasn't usually under great circumstances. That was the little part she could never see past.
Benjamin admitted he didn't grab the papers and Lexi's heart dropped. She wondered for a moment if she could call a friend and ask them to pick up the papers for her. She wasn't very hopeful on that front. She wasn't sure how long she would be stuck in the hospital and on top of that, the police weren't likely to just hand over personal affects. She debated for half a second on calling the department and asking them to bring her the items, but didn't want to waste an officer's time on that. They had far too much to do than bring her a few forms and her purse. Benjamin asked if they were important and she nodded, "Yeah, they're documents that I needed to turn in so one of my kids can have access to school laptops and Wi-Fi installed." She made a mental note to call her principal and let them know the situation, see if there was anything that could be done. She gave a half-smile, "No problem though, I'll figure it out."
Lexi took a sip of the water and put the glass back down next to the bed. The pain in her arm was dulled and she wondered how quickly she'd be able to get back to work. Thankfully, they were still in remote lessons so physically, it was less demanding. Still, if she had to be on pain medicine or if anything had gotten complicated in the surgery there was no telling how long she'd have to be out of work. He told her that she wasn't in any trouble and she loosened a relieved sigh. When he mentioned that he could trust her she laughed lightly, "Well, thank you. For the record, I am sorry I crashed your guard duty." She did feel bad, though it wasn't intentional of course. Still, he had been forced to deal with her instead of keeping their city safe, a goal that was clearly needed. "So are you with the local troops or were you one of the ones called in?"
Lexi nodded when he mentioned he wasn't hurt. That was good. That was at least something. She hated guns, hated violence of any sort, but she understood why he had to do what he did. She understood why the actions of that afternoon had occurred. She just wished they lived in a world where it wasn't necessary. She wished she could go back to a time when the news wasn't always filled with heartache, pain and uncertainty. When the military wasn't needed on a daily basis. Those days seemed to be long gone however.
Faulkner asked if she knew the way home from here and she gave a soft laugh, "Yes. The school isn't too far from here actually." Thinking about the school made her remember the whole reason why she had been in the restricted zone in the first place and she spoke up, her voice a little concerned. "Did you by any chance grab my bag? I had important papers inside of it." She knew it would be too late to send them today, but pending whenever they released her from the hospital, she knew she needed to send them in immediately. There was a little girl who was waiting on her.
The soldier gave her his name and she returned his smile, "Nice to meet you Benjamin." Lexi reached over with her good arm and grabbed the small cup of water that was next to her bedside, sipping the cold liquid. She had surgery before, one broken arm and one tonsil removal. She hated the way she felt in recovery after both of them, all groggy and sore. She sipped the water once more before putting it back and glancing over at him. "So...how much trouble am I in?"
Faulkner first spoke about the person shooting her and Lexi made sure to take deep, steadying breaths. She had been shot. It seemed almost like a dream, something awful that had happened to someone else and not her. She was a teacher. She liked going to the movies, she felt guilty when she forgot to return her library books in time. She was not the kind of person who realistically saw something like this ever happening to herself. No one expected it of course, but she hated guns. She made a point to keep well away from them and yet she had been on the receiving end of one. She pushed the thought out of her mind. Letting her mind tell itself whatever it needed so she could pretend that what happened, hadn't.
Which turned out to be easy as the soldier continued speaking, his voice soft as he said he didn’t think they made it. She nodded in return, unsure if she could speak just yet. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she had hoped that she had acted in enough time. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, she had done something that might have saved him. But no, she hadn't been able to save him. "Were you hurt?" she asked, her gaze moving over him.
Faulkner's next words made her raise her eyebrows. Five hours. That seemed like a lot of time to her. Though she had no idea what the average time for repairing a gunshot wound was. She hadn't paid enough attention to Grey's Anatomy apparently.
The silence was broken by his voice and a small crease appeared between her brows in confusion. He continued apologizing and she shook her head, "This wasn't your fault. This wasn't anyone's fault. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. You don't have anything to apologize for." She offered a muted smile to him before following his gaze out the window. The sky was dark and she figured that was just fitting.
Lexi's gaze moved back to her bed, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the edge of the hospital blanket. "I shouldn't have been in that area anyway. But I'm thankful that you were there. I don't know if I would even be sitting here if you hadn't of … reacted as quickly as you did." That was the most delicate way she could relay it. She was thankful for him, truly. She wished none of this would have ever happened but life wasn't always so pretty. She cleared her throat, a soft smile on her lips as she spoke up, "I would like to know your name though. It seems a little odd to call you by your last name after all of this."
The first thing that Lexi picked up on was the smell. Her place tended to always have the lingering smell of coffee, sometimes cinnamon and during the holidays, almost always of cookies. As she drew air in, however, all she could smell was cleaning chemicals. She slowly blinked her eyes open and the harsh fluorescent light was another thing that was very wrong. Then she shifted in the bed and was reminded very quickly where she was at and why.
She felt as if her arm had been caught in their reins and dragged by a runaway horse for a few miles, and then hit with an eighteen-wheeler for good measure. It wasn't the sharp, all-consuming feeling of hot fire that she had felt earlier and she touched the IV lines wondering just what they had her on. She moved her head to look at her shoulder and her eyes fell upon someone in her room.
Lexi's brow furrowed in confusion as she saw the soldier, Faulkner, sitting near her bed. She figured that was not a good sign. She didn't imagine that crossing into the restricted zone would have come with such a harsh penalty, but she knew he more than likely wasn't waiting around for her to wake up and let her off with a warning either.
She cleared her throat, her voice feeling dry as she spoke, "Hi." He didn't look to be in pain, nor did she see any hospital bracelet on his arm which was a relief. She couldn't remember much after feeling the sharp pain hitting her shoulder, but now that she was back in the land of the living all she could think about was the man on the ground who she had tried to save. "What happened? I mean, with the man who shot at us. Did he make it?"
Her eyes steadily watched his face. He didn't seem like the type who would lie to spare feelings, but she wanted to know the truth. Even now, safely in the hospital bed, her hands began to tremble slightly at the memory of feeling helpless. At the feeling of being at the mercy of God on whether someone lived or died. She had done all that she could think of to save him, but she wasn't a doctor. She wasn't anyone who could help him, but that didn't relieve any of the guilt that she felt, even now, as she remembered his pleading eyes. She glanced at the clock on the wall briefly, wondering if it was even the same day. "Do you know how long I've been out?"
Lexi heard sirens coming from somewhere but for the life of her she wasn't sure why that was a problem. The medic was speaking to someone and she found herself getting tired. In the back of her mind she wondered if she was being rude. Falling asleep while other people were talking seemed like a rude thing to do, but her eyes were so heavy. Wherever she was at was warm and as she listened to the medic talk she figured he seemed like a nice enough guy to overlook her being rude.
The ride was lulling and it did nothing to stop her from closing her eyes. Lexi felt something at her shoulder, a cold metal and she heard the voice of the EMT soothingly speaking to her. She felt very settled in her idea of sleeping. She even heard the soldier ask something and she nodded to herself. Yes, good, she mused, they could talk to each other and she could take a nice nap.
Lexi caught the question as the soldier spoke it. She had no true medical knowledge but she knew well enough that when people began asking if someone could be saved, there was a high probability that things were going horribly, horribly wrong. She closed her eyes, unsure if that was a good idea or not. Either way the world seemed to be tilting so she supposed it didn't matter. She opened them back up as a stranger's face came into her eyeline. Who apparently knew her name. She was almost certain that she hadn't heard an answer to the soldier's question. For some reason that thought seemed hilarious to her and she found herself attempting to laugh. "Well that's not good."
The pain was intense, but not as bad as it had been so she figured that maybe it wasn't all as bad as she thought. A nice numbness was slowly edging it's way in and she mused that if she could just get warm then really she had nothing to complain about.
Mick put his hand in hers, asking her to squeeze it if she could hear him and she gave it a solid attempt. She had no issues with the squeezing part of the demand but she quickly realized her fingers were slick and the realization that it was because of her own blood had her apologizing, "I'm bleeding, I'm so sorry." She didn't know who Mick was but she doubted he'd want a stranger's blood on him. Nor the soldier, who she figured had jumped ship by now and she couldn't really blame him. This seemed like a terrible way to spend an afternoon.
Something was placed on her face, cold air tickling her nose. She felt another chill go through her and realized that she was now moving rapidly. An ambulance. She was a little surprised when she was eased into it, thinking that surely they needed to take the man who she had tried saving first.
Lexi fell back, the ground making a solid impact with her body. The pain in her shoulder was an all-consuming fire, taking away any and all ability to form words. She found herself gasping through the pain, vaguely aware that tears were coming from her eyes. She angled her head just the fraction of an inch to find the soldier who she assumed was nearby, the action causing a wave of nausea to course over her. She didn’t immediately see him and she wondered for a moment if he had been shot as well. If she was now alone.
There was something wet and warm touching the back of her neck, seeping from behind her body, or perhaps from the front, she wasn't sure. She numbly moved with her other hand to try and stop the bleeding as a loud sound went off nearby. Her fingers were slick, unable to apply any pressure so she dropped it back to her side. The searing pain gave her enough of a dull break so her voice could finally speak, a pitiful sob breaking through as the sound of more bullets being fired exploded around them.
She was going to die. The thought began to solidify in her mind as the soldier suddenly appeared in her vision field. He said something that she didn't catch and the urge to apologize for not hearing him popped up in her mind. She couldn't make the words come out though, she could barely force her lungs to keep sucking in oxygen, much less have a conversation.
Suddenly his hands were near her, and something was pressed sharply into her shoulder and the world went red. She cried out in pain, her hands beginning to shake. The blinding fire shot through her body and she shook her head. Her hands moved to where his was, intending to push it away and the world began to go from red to fuzzy.
A blessed numb feeling had edged into her senses and she finally began to settle, closing her eyes. This was good, this was alright, she told herself. Her thoughts slowly turning pleasantly numb and vacant, like they were someone else's. "Paperwork. The….paperwork." She tried to pull up the words that she needed to say. She knew they were important but her brain was having a hard time stringing the correct words together. "The school papers." She gave up after that, assuming that the person responsible for them would know what she was talking about.
