bowgunner | third ink ribbon ☢ video + action

[ after a moment, claire sits down in front of the journal's eye. she leaves a steaming mug sitting at her elbow, and has her hair tied back in a manner that can only ever be described as professional. although it cannot quite be seen on-screen, it's apparent from the bob of a pen cap that she must have some manner of notepad on the desk before her. and she's already taking notes.

after a moment: ] Good morning, Luceti. I have only been here for four months, but in this short time one thing has become chillingly obvious. Many of us come from places -- Earths, usually -- ravaged by plague-like diseases. Viruses and infections and all manner of scientific progress gone awry. For a lot of us, it seems these symptoms target the recently-dead or soon-to-be-dead. I've always hated the z-word, but I suppose there's no avoiding it today: quite a few of us have zombie problems.

And -- as I understand it -- this world is no different. At least two of the enclosures have suffered under viral outbreaks. A vaccine was manufactured, right? Are the people involved still around? I want to speak to them. And to anyone else facing this threat here or at home. It's not much, but swapping notes might be the least we can do.

[ she will stay at her post to discuss any necessary topics for a good chunk of the day before setting aside her career in the early evening. although she still doesn't let her hair down, it's in a more relaxed bun when she steps into good spirits. her journal is left at home and her cream-coloured blazer has been traded in for a reddish-pink vest layered over a black longsleeve. she's here for a beer or two and to mingle, eager enough to approach strangers and ask them about their day. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...are you related to Janine? Although even she calls them zombies. And it sucks but... they're dead. They outnumber us by tens, maybe even hundreds to one. And we don't even have enough bullets for that.

So I think the name is kind of the least of our worries.

Just because it's the least...it doesn't mean it doesn't deserve some worry. Not that it matters; to each their own. I'm not here to preach. Just to learn.

I've been living it for over a year now. I've lost people. Everyone has. The zoms don't care.

But I can tell you what I know. I mean, I know a fair bit I think.

[ she holds her tongue, unwilling to play at zombie-horror-olympics with someone who has doubtless also suffered. in her work with terrasave, she's found it to never be too helpful.

so: ] I would appreciate it, yes. A collection of the various plagues and infections might help someone else, someday.

Right, yeah.

It's called ZN1 officially. Well, it was when we had governments and stuff to actually do offical things. The Grey Plague. Starts off with symptoms kind of like 'flu, a cough and a fever, then you die. And then you come back. Spread by bites usually, sometimes infected wounds.

...Do you know the origin point, yet?

Yeah. I do. Patient Zero was part of a medical trial, research into cell regeneration or something. He got sick. Taken to hospital. Turned grey there. Bit a few people.

That's how it spread and well, a hundred percent fatality rate should have made it burn out quickly, but no-one really expected the dead to come back and you don't really put much security on morgues.

...A medical trial gone wrong. [ ... ] Pardon me for asking, but could you tell me the name of the company involved in the trials?

[ just in case... ]

Pandora Haze. They made a lot of stuff in our world. Games and technology. And apparently creepy medical trials in association with the government.

Umbrella, for us. They represent the worst big pharma has to offer back home.

There's always one company willing to destroy the world in the name of research.

I know there were some pretty shady things going on before the apocalypse. But we just have bits and pieces. Trying to find out what really happened isn't exactly the easiest task these days.

Documents of that sort aren't usually found anywhere but in the belly of the beast. I understand.

Yeah. They're really not. Would've been nice if we could've just sent Five on a nice stroll to a Green Zone to fetch them.

The truth would probably never have come to light, back home, if not for a few coincidences and a lot of betrayal. And maybe a little stupidity.

That seems to be the way. We were lucky we found anything. Our doctor, Maxine, her girlfriend was one of the researchers. She left a box with a CD and research notes, in the hope that someone would find it.

...What was on it? The CD?

[He's silent for a moment because mostly, it had been something private. Something for Maxine and he'd felt like a voyeur for listening to it. But does that really matter now?]

Information. Where we could maybe find the research files. She said that the person in charge of the research had ordered a lot of them burnt.

She was saying goodbye to Maxine.

Burnt. [ vitriol floods the single word. ] The nerve...

He didn't want anyone to find out what he'd been doing. I mean, he said it was because he panicked, but we're pretty sure he just didn't want anyone trying to stop him.

He said it...wait -- what? Did you meet him?

Oh! Not me. Not personally. Runner Eight and Runner Five went to his house looking for intel. They met him. He got bitten and well... didn't become a zom.

...Vaccinated?!

[ almost idly, she scratches at her inner arm. although she'd arrived with the needle mark intact, it had long since faded. she misses it -- tangible proof that she'd been inoculated against the t-virus. ]

No. No, we don't have a vaccine yet. Oh, what did Maxine call it? Um... plasma something? Plasmapheresis? I dunno. They clean his blood and it stops him changing.

What, like a transfusion?

No. Not a transfusion. They do something to his own blood, the plasma I think, before they put it back in him. Maxine would know better but she isn't here.

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