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.
Pierce almost burst into laughter at the reaction of the woman. It reminded him of a child getting to see a kitten for the first time and just wanted to scream 'It's so cute!' at the top of their lungs. His cheeks twitched with the want to laugh. Even the softest of rumbles happened in his chest because he wasn't able to completely hold it back. But he didn't let it burst out loud like it wanted to.
He was glad that she wasn't just going to bolt out the door. Maybe he was in a good mood. His cup of coffee had been good that morning. Pierce went about mixing the bottle the correct way and opened a cabinet near him to place a top on it and then handed it to her. He got out a small blanket from the same cabinet and wrapped the kitten in it before he handed him over to Maggie. "They like to knead when they eat, so the blanket helps protect your hands." He explained as he passed the kitten off.
"Doctor Pierce Ryker, but you can call me Pierce." He replied, picking up the next kitten and starting the same exam on it as well.
Pierce handle the little one for a moment, scratching behind its ear as he was looking... him, yep definitely a boy, over. Taking mental notes as he went along, checking teeth, eyes, his paws. Everything that would need to be checked in order to see what kind of treatment plan would be needed for them. He tucked the small kitten against his chest where it started mewling at him as he opened a cabinet. Inside, he pulled out six different colored stripes of velcro. Wrapping one around the kittens neck like a collar and then started writing down information on a pad of paper. He'd be able to keep track of each kitten and its treatment by the color of the collar he'd put on them.
Once he was done with the first, he moved to the next. "No, you did the right thing. I am sure they appreciate what you did." His voice rumbled in the small space as he looked up at her while he crouched down. Picking up the next kitten and started the same process, placing a new collar around its neck and starting its exam. He stared at her for a moment as he stood back up. He decided then that she was beautiful. The moment he could hear her heart and intentions in that sentence. That she went more than just the surface...
"Over there," He gestured to a small cabinet that was not locked. "Do you mind getting out some of the bottles in there? They are labeled for kittens. I'm sure they would love to be fed if you are up for it." Did he usually offer this to others? No. Was he going to tell her that? Absolutely not. There was no need to make her feel special or that he wanted to possibly keep her around longer to see exactly what else was lingering behind that soft heart. "What's your name?"
Pierce watched her get the door open. So she was coming into the office. He let his gaze linger for a split second on her, her hair almost a silver color but her face was one of youth. A light tint of blue to her hair. Clearly it had been a while since dye had touched it, but it had faded decently in his opinion. It was a fleeting thought, one that he didn’t linger on nor did it cause any concern in his head. It was a passing observation as he took in the person who had just come into his business. Just like he noticed the way her eyes crinkled with a smile as she spotted him standing there.
There was a box in her arms, and the sounds coming from it made him almost groan out loud. What was with women and bringing him strays? He had just gotten the other one, that a particular military woman had taken a liking to, out of his office with a clean bill of health. Then again, he had a feeling that was going to be a good little pairing between the two. The kitten had seemed rather smitten with the dark haired woman before. But something about a box full of these little ones made him think he would not be turning them back into the arms of this silvery blue haired woman.
“Can you please help me? I found these sweet little kittens abandoned by their mommy kitty. They look like they need some medical attention.”
Of course he peered down into the box. And his suspicions were correct. There were six of the little ones, mewing as they stumbled around the box. He did a quick scan of them all, already noting what he saw before he reached forward to take the box from her. A lot of times, he knew, that people didn’t want to just hand them over and leave. They wanted to get involved or watch him go through the steps of what needed to be done. So with a small grunt and a nod of his head, he motioned for her to follow him back into an exam room. He’d reach forward and open the room and, if she joined him and follow him inside, he’d shut the door and place the box on the floor. Allowing the small kittens to start to try and climb out of the box.
“You said you found them? Where at?” He asked her, his blue eyes flipping up to her as he crouched down and picked one of the kittens up with surprisingly gentle hands for as big as they were. He had a clear care in the way that he handled the little kittens, one that he knew was seen more so towards animals than women in general. Not that he was ever outright mean. He just... had his heart wrecked and was a bit more gruff and grumpy now a days.
Pierce had the local news playing in the lobby of the office. He could hear the news anchors rolling through different information and arguing and honestly it was stressing him out. He was over hearing about it. But he couldn't find it in himself to turn it off. More military rolling into Lethford to support local law enforcement. Why? Because they were now going to be welcoming themselves into peoples homes. Invading their privacy to ensure that there were no large gatherings. Hell he wouldn't put it past them if they showed up to his office and told him he had to shut it down.
687,846 cases. In Lethford alone. And that was the cases they knew. 274,271 deaths coming out of their city. It was terrifying numbers. He had to admit that he was a bit shocked hearing it. But what were they supposed to do? Hide forever? Pierce wasn't for that. There was too much for him to do. So here he was. Running a vet's office with one two techs with him. One at the front desk, one in the back office, and then himself. Keeping animals for only the absolutely required time to ensure they would not be overwhelmed.
He checked out the window again as his orange tabby who ran around the office danced between his legs, purring loudly. "Yes I see you, and hear you." He told her, reaching down and scratching behind her ears. He wasn't wearing a mask at the time. No one was around and he was by himself in the front office. Letting his tech take her lunch. But his mask did hang from one ear, ready to be slipped right into place if someone was to come in. Normally they were appointment only, but he still allowed walk in emergencies.
He had just sat back in the office chair, folding his fit arms over his chest and pushing himself back and forth with the tip of his toes. He wasn't the shortest man and quite honestly overfilled the chair, but what caught his attention was the figure moving towards his door through the overcast. The clouds threatening to unleash rain down on their heads before they could even get to the door. Were they really headed for his office? He didn't want to make a fool of himself, so instead of doing the gentlemanly thing and go to get the door, he simply stood up from the chair and slipped the mask back onto his face. His white coat long forgotten in an office. His dark navy button up had the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and dark slacks on.
"Whatever it is, we can figure it out. The next station exit can't be that far away."
Pierce was not an overly optimistic person. He was not someone who went around believing that the sun was shining somewhere on earth and that everyone had a bit of good in them. No, some people did not. He truly believed that there were some people who didn't have an ounce of good in them, even if they had moments of humanity. But Callie here, she seemed to be one of the few he had come across that actually had a good bone in her body. One that made her radiate happiness and optimism and truly, he had no idea what to do with it. He grunted in response to her and continued walking.
They both seemed to spot the exit sign that wasn't illuminated and once again, that sense of dread spread through him. "Let's hope you are right, little miss sunshine." He said to her, letting her open the door for him. This wasn't exactly a time to be big on being a gentleman. Part of him felt guilty that he wasn't able to hold the door open, but he was carrying a whole human and his shoulder was starting to tire from the man. He heeded her warning on the stairs and carefully made his way up each one. Careful to not catch the next stair and trip.
"I can go up first and get the hatch open. With me helping from street level, you think you can do the bulk of the lifting?"
He stared up the ladder and thought about just setting the man down and going to open it himself. What if it got stuck and she couldn't open it? But he needed to save any little bit of strength he had left, so he nodded his head. "Yeah I should be able to get him up there. You go up first, if you can't get it open, just come back down. I'll get it." Or at least he hoped he would.
Pierce kept moving, hand in hand with Callie, as they looked along the walls for any sign of an exit. He agreed, there should be an emergency exit sign lit up but at this point, he was truly thinking they were in a thriller/horror movie. Of course there would be no sign to point them in the right direction. Why would there be? It was fitting the narrative perfectly for this situation. His head nodded in the darkness at her statement about how there should be one close by, as they had to have ways out in case of emergencies. And he would agree with that as well.
"Will you be able to carry him up a ladder, though?"
He paused his movements then. Really giving himself a moment to think that over. Would he actually be able to do that? He was not trained to climb up and down ladders like a firefighter would be. He was a damn vet. "Not sure I have another choice. Lets hope its a set of stairs and not a ladder that I have to climb." He told her. He was not a small man by any means. He was tall and strong. Had to be to deal with large animals sometimes, whether lifting them up or having to pull them around. In a gentle loving way, but sometimes they put on the breaks and he has to put a little more power behind it.
But he was sure that climbing up a ladder with a man over his shoulder was a dangerous task on its own. He squinted in the darkness as he kept his grip on her hand firm. And then tugged her lightly as he started to walk forward once more. "I... I think I see a door." He told her as they moved on. He really hoped that he did and that it wasn't just his eyes playing tricks on him.
He stared at her like she had completely gone insane. Because in that moment, in his mind, she had. "Why?! Because you were with me! Meaning I was also here for part of your well being! I don't make a habit of looking for people stranded on the side of the road. That would be a taxi service. I was helping you and you are now going to sit here and be angry because I am upset?!" Alright, so maybe he didn't have a true good reason. She really wasn't his concern. He didn't know much about her outside of her name and that she was military, and liked the cat that seemed to really like her.
Was he being irrational? Probably. Did he care? Not really. "You made me aware that you were getting out of the car. Not that you wanted to go all heroics on those men. I was not just going to sit in the car and do nothing." He snipped. He stopped for a moment, realizing how he sounded. He frowned and his browns pulled together. She was right, he shouldn't care. He should just march himself right back into his jeep and take her back to her car. Surely her phone had enough juice in it now to make a few phone calls and get herself back to base or where ever she called home. But then he was asking if she was alright.
He felt like the air shifted around them. Like suddenly they were both a little surprised by his sudden shift in conversation and concern. The small bit he knew about Quinn already, he could tell that she was strong. She didn't need anyone to be her backup in her mind, though he was glad he was there to be just that tonight. What would have happened to her if she had just stayed with her car. Would those men have ever come across her? Or if he hadn't picked her up, would they have found her along her walk somewhere while she was alone? He didn't like the idea of it. And as ticked off as he was by the fact that he had just gotten into a small fight, he was glad that he had been there.
"I’m sorry. I hope this doesn’t cause any trouble with your work. I can already feel all the grudges held against me for you not being able to properly help all the animals. I guess… I will have to take her with me to make up for this? And probably buy you dinner sometime."
As if the kitten had heard her name and knew when to appear, the little thing making its way to Quinn during this. Quinn's softened tone made the tension in his shoulders ease up. And her laugh had only further softened him, so much for being upset at her. He glanced at the kitten in her arms as it happily sat there before he watched the dark haired woman turn and make her way back to his jeep. He stood there, dumbfounded for a moment as if he had forgotten how to function as a grown man. Not that that held much weight in his mind at the moment. He remained glued to his spot as he watched her returned towards him.
A small protest almost left him, frustration building in his chest until he saw what she was grabbing. And then, as she tossed it to him, he stared at her for a long moment. Though truly it was only a second or two. His hands clumsily catching the can as she made her way back to the car once more. He had to look ridiculous in his head lights, staring at her in disbelief. He wasn't sure if he wanted to scold her some more or actually take a moment to be impressed by her.
And then the kitten was waving at him, happily wrapped in her lap and a genuine smile broke on his face. A pretty woman and a cat. Go figure that would be the ones to break the man tonight. He tossed the can back and forth in his hands as he returned, chuckling to himself and shaking his head as he approached. He was for sure going to keep this woman in his thoughts for a while. What an experience tonight was turning out to be. "Dinner and the kitten. Absolutely is the payment for tonight." He told her, sliding into the drivers seat and closing the door. Locking it and giving her a pointed look that clearly told her that she should stay in the car for the rest of the trip.
Pierce got the car back into gear and heading in the direction she'd provide him. "I can bring the kitten with me to the office tomorrow. Give 'em the full check up and any shots to get him up to date. Just means you'll have to come by and get him." Pierce was also going to supply her with everything she'd need for the kitten for the next month or two. Because why? Well, he wanted the kitten to be taken care of, and maybe because he enjoyed the woman in the seat next to him.
She didn't have to tell him twice, he was moving towards the platform the moment she told him to lead the way. The last thing he wanted to do was stand on the rails and risk having another train come and hit them while they just escaped another death trap. No thank you. He had seen enough thriller movies to know how bad things could get and how quickly they could as well. Do not sign him up for that. He sighed, listening to the thunder rumble overhead. This was just great.
Thirty four years old and he still seemed plagued with bad luck. It was dark, and Pierce realized that his long gate was easily letting him out walk Callie. And he knew that the right thing to do was to not leave her behind. As he hoisted the man over his shoulder up a little, he reached back and sought to take her hand. Not in a romantic way, but in a 'follow me' kind of way.
"Bad control panel, guy fell asleep smoking and lit something on fire. Lightbulb exploded. Way too many possibilities really." He grumbled as he squinted to try and see any signs on the wall. But so far nothing. At least they were no longer on the tracks. "Do you see any signs? A phone? Doors?" He asked her, slowing his pace to really try and look around them.
He could tell she was scared. Hell, he was scared. There was no hiding that. He didn’t want to jump from a train. It was one of the last things he actually wanted to do and it definitely was not on his bucket list of things to attempt. No, his actual bucket list had more things like ‘travel to Greece’ or ‘cage dive with sharks’. You know, the basic things. Not jump off a run away train that was on fire somewhere with a passed out man thrown over his shoulder and a little blonde tucked up against his side.
He didn’t actually hear her count down. He just counted the times he heard her voice and held her close as they jumped. All three of them bounced. The man he had hold of would have some wicked bruises on his legs and rear, but his head was cushioned by Pierce’s back as they fell. He looked up, coughing lightly as he tried to catch his breath. The train was pulling away and leaving them to darkness. “I rather take my chances with this tunnel,” He said to her, releasing her so she could get up.
He grunted as he shifted the man in his arms and stood. He was definitely going to have to take a few days off after this. He was going to be a wreck. Pierce’s eyes adjusted and he made out a walk way on the side, probably for emergency situations like the one they were in. He pointed with his free hand. “I’m sure if we follow that walk way, eventually we will find an out.” He told her, leading the way.
For once, a woman actually listened to him and what he had to say. Had he had a moment to spare, he would be doing a little prayer to the heavens thanking them for not giving him a woman who would want to lecture him or yell about this instead of jumping into action. Instead she seemed to understand the rush in his voice and the urgency of the situation at hand. So as he moved with her to the back of the train, he opened the door for them and winced lightly at the idea of jumping. The tracks seemed to be moving faster than they probably were as the car was moving.
His blue gaze moved over to her, his shoulder starting to hurt from the weight of the other man that was thrown over it. He took a deep breath and reached out to grab Callie, hoping to tuck her into him figuring if they went out together, they could potentially land between the metal tracks. And maybe he could lessen the fall for her. “Count down, we jump on three, okay Callie?” He said, looking down to her.
Pierce glanced over at Callie as she tugged her shirt over her mouth and he followed her actions. Knowing that probably would be better than just immediately going in with nothing to try and attempt to block the ash and soot in the air. Though a shirt definitely wasn’t as good as an actual firefighters mask. He took a deep breath before she opened the door. His eyes instantly burned but he blinked a few times and pushed inside the car. As she asked if he could carry him, Pierce was already scooping the man into his arms and tossing him over his shoulder like a fire fighter would.
“I’d hate to say it, but I think our only choices are try to go put out whatever fire is ahead. Or jump off the back.” His voice was raised so she could hear him over the alarms that were now going off and the increasing speed on the train. “And we need to make a choice now.” He said. He was ready for either, but truly needed her to help make that final decision on what he should do. He just prayed that they’d live to see the above ground world again.
Pierce found himself chuckling as she admitted hers was just getting started. Such a shame. He really hoped that it wasn't true and her luck would turn around for her. Hell, he wanted his luck to turn around for him. There was enough craziness going on now a days that you didn't need to add bad stuff to it either. Stuff that you had no control over. By the time she told him about how honorable he was, he offered a half shrug. As if he didn't feel like putting effort into a full one.
"Never claimed to be a good gentleman." He tossed back. He peered over at her for a moment before he tried out her name. "Callista. It's not that hard. Why would people not want to call you that?" He asked, brows furrowed together. Or maybe she preferred to be called Callie. Either way, he didn't care much on that. She just needed to say so and he'd go with it. He was always about getting someones name right the first time. And if they chose to not correct him? That was their fault
He went to go on about the book, and how it was the second go abouts for him on it. Except, the train shuddered and started moving. He lurched slightly in his seat from the motion and looked up at the ceiling. Preparing to be blinded by the lights, but when none turned on he couldn't help but mutter, "That can't be good." But what caught his attention was the car next to them. Smoke. And it was filling up fast. He stood up, forgetting about his bag that was next to him as he watched the way it grew thicker and thicker by the second. And then a man appeared, running.
He was dressed like the one who should be driving the train. "Oh for heaven's sake," He exclaimed as the man smashed into the door and passed out. Pierce looked over to the other woman and his mind was just running through what to do. Check on the train conductor? Though he was noticing that the train was picking up speed and not slowing down or maintaining itself... which meant they should jump. Get off of this thing as soon as possible. He almost growled in frustration. Why was he always getting stuck with these crappy situations?!
"Help me get him!" He called over to Callie, hoping she'd spring into action and help him. Because dear god, they were going to have to either run through the smoke to try and find the controls of the train... or they were jumping off the back of the train...
“This time of night? And with how deserted this car is? My luck, it’s a horror movie.”
He found himself huff a chuckle, placing the book down in his lap as he proceeded to look over at her. “Well, keep that luck over there. I’ve had my own string of bad luck over the past several years and I’d like to not add to that.” He found himself joking lightly. Between being left at the alter, finding himself in a fight because a woman wouldn’t listen to him and just stay in the damn car. And now, power outage on a train, possibly stranded for god knows how long.
He wondered briefly if him and this woman was going to have to wonder the tunnels. Surely they’d have some kind of walk way for emergencies in case things turned on if they did leave, right? Though as the PA message went through and there was no mention for them to evacuate, he doubted it. A small burst of air left his nose at her guess. “If they do, I am throwing you to whatever conjures up. You are putting it out there.” He said with a small, deep chuckle.
He nodded when she said her name, though he had a feeling that perhaps in the dim lighting she might not have seen it. “Pierce,” He offered back. “Callie a nick name?” He asked back, assuming something like that was a shortened version of her real name. He glanced down at the book in his hands and stuffed it back into his bag. The emergency lights wouldn’t allow for him to read any further even if he wanted to. “Stephen King novel. The Outsider.” He offered back. “It’s not for the weak stomached.” He said with a small shrug.
Why was Pierce on the metro... that was a question he had asked himself as he had settled into the seat for the ride. His Jeep decided to play a fun game that morning with him, and he didn’t have the time to sit around and figure out what was wrong. Thankfully one of his tech’s didn’t live very far from him so he grabbed a ride to work with her. And as always, he was the last to leave. Meaning his ride was gone for the evening and he had to take the metro to the closest stop to his home.
One that was just on the outskirts of the city. Which meant he was riding to the last stop. When he settled into his seat, only a few others were scattered around. All buried into their phones, a book, or with head phones in and nodding along to whatever music they had playing. Pierce himself had pulled out a book from his leather messenger. His dark jeans were dry from the light rain he caught. Though from what he had seen of others walking in, it had picked up quite a lot. Which would prove to be an inconvenience for him later. His button down was navy and the first two buttons were opened. A tie was stuffed into his bag.
The vet kept his white coat at the office and didn’t bother with it even on most days around his office. At one stop, it seemed all of the other passengers had exited. He let out a sigh before he noticed a woman enter. He briefly looked at her, noting that the weather seemed to have continue its pace by her wet clothes. She sat and his attention went back to his book before they started moving. It didn’t seem like long before the whole train shuttered and stopped. He looked up from his book and glanced around. Emergency lights coming on, but it wasn’t bright at all.
“That’s usually not good, huh?”
Blue eyes looked over to the other blonde and he shrugged. “I can only judge by horror movies. Or superhero ones. And I can tell you being trapped on a train never seems to work out well in either one.” Well, wasn’t he just a ray of sunshine. He grimaced for a second before he heard a voice come on overhead. “Attention Lethford Metro users, we are experiencing a power outage. Please remain in your seats. We have notified emergency services and are working on a solution. Thank you.” Then the message went on to repeat in two more languages. Pierce lifted a brow as he looked back at the woman. “See?”
Pierce wasn’t sure what had just happened. What coursed through him but it seemed to rattle all of them, himself included. He could see the shocked look on Quinn’s delicate features, even from the corner of his eye. She had not expected him to throw the punch he had. To spring into action. But he was not going to just stand there and allow her to be without back up. He was the only thing she had. And a vet was better than nothing, right? She bent forward as if to catch her breath after the men disappeared from sight and he just was floored. Waiting on her to answer him.
He scoffed lightly at her, somewhat annoyed by the fact that she was trying to turn this into a ‘if it had been you’ situation. “Not if I knew that the person trying to stop some punks doing it was a woman with no back up except a tall vet who has no business being out numbered in a dark ally.” He didn’t care that it might have made him sound like he was weak. It was the truth. He was not trained in combat or military tactics. He was trained to help animals. Perform surgeries when needed, stitch up broken skin, medical uses. Not throwing punches and fighting.
He smirked lightly as she seemed annoyed by what he had said. Well serves her right, at least now she could feel a bit of what he was feeling at the moment. Her posture changing to mirror his and he almost found it adorable. Almost. And even when her gun stuck out on her hip, he still felt like the numbers were not in their favor unless she planned on dropping all of the other men and leaving them in the street. So his eyes remained strong on her and held almost that same spite that was pouring from every pore on her body. His eyes almost challenging her to continue her scolding on him. And he didn’t have to wait long for her to press on.
He at first was almost taken back, as she somewhat admitted that this was a bad situation and he might have been right. He softened for a moment, his hands loosing their rigid look on his hips. That was until she immediately twisted it back to him. Talk about whiplash. “You wanted me to stay in the car, so what? I could call 911 and watch them jump you? Yeah, no thanks. I don’t need that kind of bad publicity or even bad taste for myself weighing on me. And a plan B? You can’t have a plan B and not make the other party aware of it.” He continued, his voice in a tone of annoyance and almost disbelief at her. “’But whatever’.” He threw back at her.
He stood there ready for the next release of words when she twisted it again. He was going to need to see a chiropractor after tonight. Was he okay? “Yeah... I’m fine,” His voice a lot lighter as he glanced down at his hands. He was sure that his knuckles would probably be bruised but he had some frozen vegetables at home he could throw on them if he needed. He took a deep breath and approached her at that point. “Are you okay?” Looking over her as he got a little closer, a softness reaching his face when he didn’t see anything that seemed like a call to emergency services was needed.
