Chapter One: Outbreak
Fever's gone down today.
I keep hearing whispers behind my back. The old women at the store keep talking about me.
I wrote a note while I was sick. It's written in a language I don't know on the back of a cocktail napkin for a bar that I've never been to; it looks more like funny squiggles than anything else. I talked to Dale about it.
He says it's addressed to me, and it's in Hebrew.
All it says is 'Hello.'
Humans always fear what they cannot control, and yet, at the onset of illness, we do not grow afraid, as if we do not even notice, as if the invasion were just a speed bump. We react with medicines and panaceas, with cough drops and orange juice. Yet, we are afraid. Somehow, on some subconscious level, humans fear disease; it is, after all, one of the world's most prolific killers, and it can't be attacked with the more conventional means used in controlling a murderer or thief.
An infected individual isn't always in control of his or her faculties. Sometimes body temperature randomly fluctuates. Other times the infected goes down to the store to find everyone staring at her strangely, or perhaps the infected awakens in another person's apartment only to find a body of the occupant, hollowed out and partially eaten. The police tell her there's no evidence she did anything, and they let her out a day later. Perhaps the Infected finds herself writing in a strange language or doodling elaborate artwork she wasn't even paying attention to.
Paths of Infection
It's not exactly clear what happens to an infected when the powers first manifest and the voices start churning in the mind. There are as many theories as there are infected themselves. Infected report a wide variety of symptoms, or strange circumstances at the onset, but they eventually display all the symptoms of the pathogen's infection, making it hard to pinpoint the root cause.
Ancient Ally
The humble mitochondria, the silent cultures of bacteria in the colon, the fungi that share our skin, all these things live in and among us. We need them, and they need us. However, their rate of reproduction is much faster than our own. One colony of bacteria may go through a thousand iterations before even one of our own generations, evolving just as rapidly as the interior of our own body changes. Certainly none of these colonies on their own may be able to achieve a measure of sentience, but the natural world is rife with creatures that achieve a measure of interchangeability based upon mutual relationships. Consider the man o' war, not one single organism, but a whole pile of them working together. Our bodies are not so much different, but with one difference. We can overrule the actions of the mitochondria, of the bacteria, viruses, and fungi that make up our body. For now.
Ancient Enemy
Humans have long been the prey of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. We've wiped out all other predators save ourselves and inserted nutrition into our lives. We control the rate of population growth of ourselves and the plants and animals under our yoke. Still, when the weather begins to chill, we crowd into medical centers for flu vaccinations, run screaming to the doctor for every cough and shudder, and huddle in fear in the hushed corners of the drugstore, talking about that thing that's going around. What thing? The cold? The flu? Your friend doesn't know. All she knows it there's an "it," and it's going around. It's been going around forever, and it's not ever going to go away for good. All it can do is circulate. And strengthen.
Something Old
Perhaps the vector is ancient. Despite evidence to the contrary, dinosaurs may have been wiped from this earth by some other unknown force. There's a crater in Mexico, sure, but if that's the truth, then why are frogs, sensitive as they are to environment, still around? Wouldn't a change of a few degrees have wiped them out completely? The same with the desertification of the planet during the Permian extinction, which killed over ninety percent of the life on the planet, wouldn't that have done so, as well? It is true that the current rate of wildlife extinction on Earth is roughly the same as the rate of extinction at the K/T boundary. All manner of life hides in the lines between the fossil record; fossilization is so rare that we can't account for everything living during a specified time period. Sometimes evolution explodes without warning, as well. Consider the Cambrian explosion: life went from soft-bodied jellies to a disgusting amount of diversity in almost no time at all.
Something New
New pathogens are being created all the time. Most of them are stomped underfoot, crushed brutally by our immune systems and tossed to the wayside, at least, at first. Some of them get stronger and just come back for more. The transfer of HIV to humans is relatively recent, and it has spread like wildfire. New diseases crop up almost as fast as scientists can name them. Perhaps the culprit is something newly evolved or newly developed, some tiny thing stirring through its own advanced evolutionary processes deep in the seas or the jungle. Yet, what of the stories of monsters in antiquity? Were they just myths and legends, or is there some minor truth, and only recently has fate conspired to spread the pathogen further and deeper?
Something Borrowed
The force that drives an infected need not even be Earth-based. Stories tell of demonic possession, of ghosts riding the living, of spirits that turned men into monsters, and even stranger things. Some tell tales of rocks from the sky, star jelly, strange radiation, and other such things. Others, of course, bring up Echidna, the mother of all monsters, or Lilith of the Garden of Eden, who could only sire beasts and demons. The pathogen does seem to have a will of its own, as if guided by some sentient force, and those who have suffered a blackout are often certain of it. Infected point out that many subversions are literally impossible without gross violations of the laws of physics. Is some otherworldly presence trying to make itself known or invade the Earth?
I Made it Myself
Of course, the possibility of a human-made illness or pathogen is not lost on the infected; some theorists often go on long tirades about government conspiracies, men in black, and silent, unlabeled helicopters. Talk of terrorists in the news possessing biological weapons of unknown make might cause many infected to wonder about the actions they perform during blackouts or why people regard them strangely, or walk up to them on the street and offer strange numbers or symbols. Is it possible that in some odd, hidden, and out of the way facility, men and women puzzling over petri dishes have created or uncovered something that can no longer be put back in whatever agar stew it was spawned in?
Too Small to See
Blood samples, spinal fluid, marrow, urine samples, and skin samples all come up empty when trying to discern the properties of the pathogen. However, the body is certainly responding as though a bacterial endoparasite is at work. Blood samples that test clean can be used to infect others, organs that seem to weather medical scrutiny just fine can infect humans, and just swapping spit can create other infected. It doesn't seem to occur all the time, and in fact, doesn't occur very often except in a few isolated cases where ATP zombies and chimeras are concerned, but it happens, and it's undetectable. Perhaps the pathogen creating the infection cloaks itself to resemble otherwise harmless proteins, or perhaps scientists just don't know what to look for.
Perfectly Parasitic
Some individuals report strange crawling sensations in the skin, the presence of odd insects or stranger things that seem to follow them wherever they go, or wake up from blackout vomiting worms into open sewers. Others speak of a strange fungus that grows in their homes on food left out on the counter, a fungus that has no natural analogue. The inner body often twists and squirms as though something utterly inhuman dwelled within, and sometimes the infected dreams of other worlds and places consumed by the ravages of unnatural parasites. Maybe the solution is as simple as cutting yourself open and seeing what spills out.
Chimeras
Humans are not the only ones whose bodies undergo such profound shifts in biological paradigm. The other creatures of the world also undergo such mutation at times. Rats may double in size and acquire newer, nastier teeth, the alligators of the sewer may stand upright and fire blasts of electrical energy, plants may become ambulatory and filled with a vengeful rage, and crows may distend and gain the ability to spray acid. Chimeras tend to form where the infected gather, and almost immediately begin forming ecosystems of their own.
They prey on infected, and seem capable of detecting when and where they will be, coming after them, those they've been around, and anyone else caught in the way. In addition, the mere presence of a Chimera in the area results in the creation of less powerful Chimera from the surrounding animals and plants. This can lead to small, tightly knit ecosystems that constantly require sustenance from the outside to persist, as the mutant plants are not as effective in culling energy from sunlight as their normal brethren. They begin to hunt, seeking paths out of their circle of mutated friends and spreading the pathogen as they do.
Chimeras mean more Chimeras, and eventually even ATP zombies, humans whose minds have been consumed by the pathogen and hunger for the flesh of the healthy. Chimerical activity eventually draws infected out of hiding, as the beasts know where to find them, and they must either fight or run.
Symptoms
After the infection has run its course and the human has stepped into the new world of the infected, he or she then begins to display a marked set of symptoms. This is the primary way the pathogen makes its presence known to the human, subtly urging him to perform certain actions, behaving in some ways like a derangement, and in other ways like an illness.
An infected character need not contact other infected to manifest a symptom. Symptoms mark a character, making her truly one of the infected. Each symptom has both good news and bad news. Bad news is listed first.
Each of the symptoms lists its primary Subversion; use of this Subversion works much the way it does for Vectors, as well. It's instinctive, like flexing a muscle or even blinking. Such use of power is often confusing or unsettling, since while its use is instinctive, the sensations it causes seem new every time.
Dermis
The itching's started again. It's stronger this time, and the rash is over the left side of the face. Yes, I've been using the analgesic.
Soaking in water seems to help. The itching goes away, but only if I'm in the pool or something. There's not enough water in the shower. I spent all day yesterday in the lake out back. I actually got some sleep there.
The body changes; this is nothing new. Mortals awaken from sleep with mystery lumps, cuts, bruises, and other oddities. Sometimes one discovers a bruise with no apparent cause. The strange welt does not hurt, but seems to be filled with pus nonetheless. Other such signs may include wriggling and meandering lines under the skin, not unlike larval migrans.
Those with dermis feel a burning sensation on the skin, and it often covers itself with hives, warts, patches, pus-leaking wounds, and in some cases, even puffs up to absurd proportions. Such beings are often led to spend vast amounts of time in or near water, in humid surroundings, or wrapped in warm and wet clothing. At the same time, skin and joints thicken, providing a measure of strange and unearthly strength.
A Resonance-stuffed dermis infected may seem to have leprosy or some other epidermal disease, the body almost completely covered by shedding skin or spots. Keratosis, acne, dermatitis, and a wide variety of skin disorders that cause bleeding, lumps, or horrid, bark-like warts that can be removed painlessly through the use of a drill or weak acid.
The dermis infected often finds himself drawn to violent conflict, driven to outbursts both external and physical. The itching, the pain, and the frustration build until the infected is a coil ready to spring.
The Buildup
As the infected with dermis symptoms progresses, he desires to stay near water. Her skin itches, bumps and boils cry out in pain, rashes feel as though they are crawling or moving just under the surface of the skin, a feeling that only vanishes if the infected immerses herself in water. The feelings vanish, but they eventually return, and if the infected has no quick path to water, her mind begins to suffer. The character suffers his or her Dice Pool Penalty to social rolls when more than a mile away from a source of water (ponds, streams, and bathtubs don't count, but lakes and rivers are just fine).
The Bad News
The infected tends to have strange bruises, patches of thick skin, and scar tissue that seem to change day to day. These rashes are quite painful and do not go away readily, sometimes randomly changing shape or position while the character sleeps. Any wound penalties the character suffers from increase in severity by 1.
The Good News
The character is tougher than most. He can spend a point of ATP to add his Resonance to his armor for one scene. This thickened skin doesn't come without cost, however. The character suffers his Dice Pool Penalty from Resonance as a penalty on all Dexterity-based dice pools while using this power.
Primary Subversion: Vigor
Fever
He had to catch himself panting again, wheezing, trying to catch his breath. The bus was so cold. The fire in his belly just couldn't stand up to the outside. He caught a woman looking at him over her newspaper, and he just retreated further into his jacket in response. No one had to know he had his lighter on under his hands.
The body knows heat. Heat defines the life of the body. Heat is in the summer sun and the hot tub out back. It's ubiquitous to human existence. The fire in the heart and the blood burns ever hotter in the infected, boiling and rising to the skin. The face becomes flush and gleams with sweat, hair becomes matted and thick, and joints ache, crying out for healthier days.
A character with such a fever may turn red and puff up, or she may become sickly pale and thin. As Resonance climbs ever higher, a palpable heat wells up within the infected body and even begins to radiate to those nearby, making them feel uncomfortably warm in her presence. The infected feels weak in the joints, light headed, and wheezes with every breath, but not so much that she cannot function.
The Buildup
As the infected continues to progress, the body's temperature rises. The brain addles from the strain, and has trouble focusing. The infected sweats profusely, sheds weight, and takes to shivering even in the heat of the day. Sunlight, however, is good for the character. It reduces the amount of shivering and seems to alleviate the pain in the joints. The cool darkness of the night, however, is another story. The night air seems to sap strength, weaken the joints, and prickle the skin. Air escapes from the character's mouth like steam, and he grows sickly and pale. The host suffers his Dice Pool Penalty to mental rolls during the night.
The Bad News
The fevered can't stand the cold due to his newly increased body temperature; even room temperatures feel frigid. The character spends nights wrapped in blankets, sweating up a storm. When resisting the effects of cold conditions, he suffers a -3 penalty to his resistance rolls.
The Good News
The good news is that the fevered has a lot of excess body heat. The character can spend a point of ATP to gain his Resonance trait as a penalty to fire effects attempting to damage him. This can not reduce damage from a fire to below zero.
Primary Subversion: ATP Control
Insomnia
Can't sleep.
It's been four nights. I can't sleep. Was it four nights? I think it was Monday then. I had the dream about the car accident. I didn't go bowling, and that was good, Larry didn't come home that night, his wife called, checked to make sure I was alright. I said I didn't go because I had a dream about it.
She keeps calling me now, asking about my dreams. I keep telling her I can't sleep most of the time.
The walls are trying to touch me again.
The human brain is a complex mechanism. The right amount and variation of chemicals can shut it down or supercharge it. In some infected, the brain works overtime, clocking so hard that its periods of rest are few and far between, but when they arrive, they bring friends. By the same token, if the brain doesn't get the right amount of rest, it addles. Hallucinations become the order of the day.
The Buildup
As an insomniac gains Resonance, he starts to lose touch with reality. Auditory and visual hallucinations hound him, and he's no longer certain what's a Subversion and what's really happening. She can see flesh climbing walls, body and blood pumping and churning through throbbing pipes, bile leaking through wallpaper, and Chimeras at every turn. Insomniacs suffer their Dice Pool Penalty to social rolls if they haven't slept in more than two days.
The Bad News
The infected has trouble sleeping. He doesn't have a choice, really. Every time he lays down to go to sleep, his eyes fly open, strange sounds fill his ears, and his heart churns. He must spend ATP to resist fatigue if he still can in any way, shape, or form. He must then make resistance rolls to stay awake as long as possible, even spending Willpower if necessary, as well as indulging Virtues and Vices.
The Good News
On the plus side, when the infected character does finally get some sleep, he has some rather telling dreams. This works like the Common Sense merit, except the roll occurs anytime the character goes to sleep.
Primary Subversion: Adrenal Control
Paedomorphosis
They were like kids, man. Little kids. A bunch of them, walking through the back alley, carrying balls or something. I think one of them ballooned, like an egg from some kinda sci-fi movie.
There was this chick back there, where they were all going. She was dressed up like a teacher or a tour guide or some shit. Cute girl, too. Baby blue eyes, little puffy face. I told the kiddies to move out of the way, me and my boys got to talk to the teacher girl, and she smiled at them. They all turned around with them balls, and they opened, like flowers. There were guts or something inside. Guts that jumped at me and my boys. They didn't rip the boys apart, no, they stabbed Jag in the head, and he turned his gun on himself. The whole place started screaming.
Then you was waking me up. No, man, I wasn't on drugs or nothin'. You gotta believe me, man. It was them kids! Them goddamn kids!
The children are our future, that's how the old saying goes. In the case of the infected displaying the characteristics of neoteny, the body never grows beyond puberty. In the case of adults, age seems to subtly reverse itself: wrinkles vanish, the cheeks grow rounder, lost strength seems to return, and vellus hair reasserts itself in many cases.
Many Unborn suffer from this symptom, approaching the end of the age of innocence and then freezing there, never aging any further. They often attach themselves to other adults, check themselves in to orphanages, feign kidney ailments, or otherwise lose themselves in the system.
The Buildup
The character doesn't appear to suffer any ill problems other than a few smoother features; to other infected, the Paedomorphs got off easy. To those with this symptom, the truth is far less visible. Neonates have trouble relating to others, they suffer from rapid shifts in their attention span, being able to concentrate one day while their minds give in to distractions with ease on other days. In addition, they have trouble with action-based decision making, having to turn over in their minds a notion to ensure it's a good idea. A Neonate might know it's a bad idea to run out into a crowded firefight with no cover, but actually has to stop and think to make sure it's not a good idea. Those infected afflicted with Paedomorphosis suffer their Dice Pool Penalties on Wits rolls and instant mental rolls when forced to make decisions during periods of stress, such as combat and life-or-death situations.
The Bad News
Thanks to his or her newer, cuter face (or childlike body), the character has trouble getting others to take her seriously. He does not benefit from the 10-again rule on Presence, Intimidation, or Expression tests, and any 1s rolled count against successes.
The Good News
It's really hard to turn down those puppy-dog eyes. Neonates gain the 9-again rule on Persuasion and Manipulation tests.
Primary Subversion: Bioelectricity
Rooms, and Wards
There's safety in numbers.