Epidemic Exsilium: Stage Two

[initiates]

Date & Time: June 8th - June 14th
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: Anyone participating in hunting down the sleeper agents; anyone participating in taking care of the ill, or being ill themselves.
Summary: Stage Two of the Super Virus Epidemic strikes; sleeper agents of the United Earth are revealed.
Warnings: Illness, violence, needles. (Those IVs, man!)

Sniffles and coughs aren't unusual during the spring, with people combating allergies even in the far future, and colds being as present as always. But with more and more people falling ill, and none responding to antibiotics, things are starting to get worrying.

The first death is of an infant, on the night of the 7th. It's not the only one: three more are recorded not long after. It's unknown about the state of patients who never presented for medical assistance. Those familiar with viral infections fear the worse, especially as the usually healthy demographic starts arriving, coughing and displaying symptoms of the same sort of illness.

If that's not enough out among the natives, the Initiative has received its own information and insight into the true nature of the virus. "Wasmannian" Agents, spies of the Initiative in the United Earth, have reported back information at great cost to their security in their undercover positions. There is a super virus headed your way. They've been shipping it in to the island since December 3312. These are the manifests. We've deciphered most the code-names. Good luck.

Now the Initiative turns to the Transports for additional manpower to hunt down the United Earth's sleeper agents, pick up the shipments of the virus, and track down its physical origins in order to do something to stop the impending decimation of Exsilium's population.

Things are getting scary. It's a sick, sad world out there. Where are you, in the middle of it all?

Comments

[justthedriver]

[ His head spins with every step he takes, but it's something that he can work through. It's a good thing that he's still thinking - must be all the practice when he's injured - and he blinks when she gives her name. His eyes slide over to hers for a moment. ]

Mikhail.

[ It's not really his name, no, but he's not particularly interested in giving his real name at the moment. And not interested in why he thinks so either. It's all instinctive at this point. ]

[2leftfeet]

[It's a good thing she's fit; he's heavy with muscle and staggering from what is undeniably the same virus plaguing half the city. Shepard adjusts her grip when necessary, fingers catching in his clothes and against his side.]

Spend a lot of time rolling around in other people's blood, Mikhail? [It's as good-natured as that question's likely to ever be. Keep them talking - it's the cardinal rule of triage. She's no doctor, but she knows that much.]

[justthedriver]

[ He tries to stand on his own two feet as much as possible instead of leaning on her, but it's more than a little difficult given that he can't see straight - or can't see at all sometimes.

His hearing isn't impaired, though, and he laughs quietly at her question. It's almost too good-natured to be real; he was expecting her to drop and leave him, honestly. ]

Not often. [ A low chuckle that turns into a harsh cough, but he swallows back the rest of the fit. ] Only when necessary.

[2leftfeet]

[If she wasn't currently managing his balance, she might shrug in one of those equivocating ways: eh, fair enough. Can't win 'em all.]


Mind telling me what made this one necessary? [It's as mild an interrogation as she's capable of - an easy line of questioning that she dogs out of habit more than necessity. The clinic's a few blocks north of here and she'd rather keep him active, thinking and on his feet, than resort to a good old fashioned fireman carry.]

[justthedriver]

[ He freezes slightly at her question, but forces himself to keep going before they can stumble. Glancing over to her, he decides to go with habit. And instinct. ]

He pissed me off. [ Which is actually completely more. ] Nothing more than that, really.

[ It fits his profile - the vor who kills people just because they pissed him off and leaves their blood all over his body. ]

[2leftfeet]

[She doesn't intimidate easily. Suggesting he killed someone over something petty when he can barely keep his feet under him doesn't really mean much.] Tough guy.

[justthedriver]

[ That gets her a raised eyebrow and a squint as he tries to look at her. ]

Me or him?

[2leftfeet]

Considering you're the one covered in his blood and not the other way around? My bet's on you.

[She's losing him a bit so shifts her grip to get a fistful of the back of his clothes.] Come on, pick it up. We've got a few more blocks to go.

[justthedriver]

Just met and compliments already.

[ Nikolai shakes his head hard, trying to clear the dizziness and the water pouring down his face. He squints at her a little, but doesn't speak again, concentrating on putting one foot in front of another.

He's succeeding in that, at least. ]

[2leftfeet]

[She makes a low scoffing noise.] Not really. [Funny how those 'tough guys' tend to land in situations like this where someone else is dragging their ass.

--But that's a little excessively denigrating even for her, so she doesn't remark on it as she drags Mikhail the remaining few blocks to the clinic. She doesn't bother calling ahead with her omnitool, not when they're probably overrun with sick as it is.]

[justthedriver]

[ He knows that it's not really a compliment, but the comebacks are instinctive, and Nikolai is rapidly growing completely incapable of rational, coherent thought. Which is going to be a hell of a problem.

He shakes his head hard again, blinking as he stares forward. It takes a few steps before the wobbly sight in front of him coalesces into a building, and Nikolai starts to nudge at Shepherd with his elbow. ]

Can stop. Don't need to bring me in. [ Hoarse. He looks at her. ] But you need to go in. Or else will get infected.

[ Too late, he realises that he sounds like he cares what happens to her because she helped him. Shit. ]