Strangerville:
Corporal Jess Sigworth kisses her sleeping little girl goodbye as she heads out on a top secret mission. She's been tasked to rescue scientist from a secret lab way out in the desert. They've only been told that there was a "accident" and it's a "time sensitive matter". You take a small team to extract the scientist, contain the threat and then forget it ever happened.
They arrive at the base before night turns to day. At this early hour no one is up yet but there should be a guard in the tower. One of your men, having scouted the perimeter, comes back and tells you a army truck has punched a hole in the fence…from the inside. As you approach, it's clear someone wanted to get out in a hurry. Something very bad happened here and you get the feeling this is a containment mission rather than a recue one.
As you enter the lab, you find it in a state of disaster. Papers every where, furniture knocked over and what appears to be dried blood. You order your men to suit up in their hazmat suits when you find the door to the lower level sealed shut with a smeared bloody handprint on the door. As you get the keycard from your pocket, you get the feeling you should turn and run but you are a soldier and you have your orders.
You swipe the card, the door opens with a hiss and you are blasted with brightly coloured specs of dust. What happens from here is a haze. You remember growls, howls, gun fire, blood and screams. By the time you rip off your hazmat mask, you're speeding away from the lab…alone.
When you get home, your husband, outside watering his "victory garden" mentions that a storm must be coming and you notice a massive towering cloud over the desert, right where the lab is. He then rushes over to you asking if you are okay and only then do you notice all the blood. You grab him by the arm, run in the house still clutching your weapon and all you can say is
"They lied to us and we opened the doors of hell."
San Myshuno a few weeks later:
It's 4am and you just finished your shift at the docks. You decide to stop by The Caboose for a cup of coffee and whatever Bill has on the grill. You stare out the window watching the city skyline turn orange as the day starts to break. As you take a sip of your coffee, you glance up and notice the sudden silence in the diner, everyone is staring at the TV. A little town called Strangerville has been in the news for weeks because of a strange new "flu" that has spread like wild fire. The fever it is said, causes Sims become violent. Rumours are that this so called flu was created by the government in a secret lab not to far from the town or it's a disease from aliens they experimented on but what ever it is, it got out of the lab.
You watch as disturbing video of Sims attacking, dare you say biting other Sims in Strangerville, plays on the news. A chill runs down your spine as SNN is suddenly interrupted by a emergency broadcast. The flu has now spread from Strangerville to other towns and cities.
"Effective immediately Simsnation has gone into full lock down. All Sims must return home and not leave until otherwise instructed. This is for your own safety as the government works on containing the flu and finding a cure. If you experience any of the following symptoms please contact the number below: Bloaty head, seeing stars, steam coming from your ears, high fever, bloodshot eyes and extreme hunger. A mobile clinic will be set up in your neighbourhood to help treat sick Sims. We ask that everyone remain calm and co-operate. We can beat this together." The mechanical voice switches off and the news pops back on. Everyone sits there for a moment, one man, shaking his head says
"Flu my ass. My cousin over at the base in Oasis says this thing is a straight up deadly virus. They call it The Rage and those poor bastards in Strangerville were left to fend for themselves days ago when the army shut the whole place down. I'm not hanging around to see what happens in a big city like this."
You are a more cool headed Sim that wants all the facts before you act so you decide to do as you were told, go home and watch the news closely. You don't trust the government but you also won't panic without good reason. You decide to snag a few bread rolls and fruit because you know the stores will be over run with panicking Sims.
You go home and fall asleep watching the news.
You wake up to find the city quiet and the streets empty. In the distance you can see the mobile clinic going up. The military presence around the camp makes you feel uneasy.
Meet Charles Barnhart. Just your average Sim trying to make it to tomorrow.
The neighbours seem a little different these days.
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