Obsidian Hills - The Outbreak

The Collapse - What Happened to the World

What started as isolated reports of "extreme violent behavior" in major cities became a global pandemic within 72 hours. The infected don't just die - they become something else entirely. Fast, aggressive, and driven by an insatiable need to spread the infection through bites. No government, military, or medical system was prepared for the speed and ferocity of the collapse.

Timeline of Global Collapse

Day Zero - First Reports

Global Simultaneous Media Confusion

Time: 6:00 AM GMT
Locations: Major cities worldwide
Media: "Mass violence incidents"
Response: Local law enforcement only

New York, London, Tokyo, Moscow report "riot situations"
Initial media coverage focuses on terrorism, civil unrest
Hospitals overwhelmed with bite victims and "overdose cases"
Social media spreads unconfirmed videos of attacking crowds
Government denials and calls for calm dominate airwaves
First confirmed cases of reanimation reported but dismissed

Day One - Recognition & Panic

Pandemic Declaration Military Deployment

Spread: 50+ major cities affected
Media: Emergency broadcasts begin
Military: Deployed domestically
Infrastructure: First systematic failures

WHO declares global health emergency at 14:00 GMT
Military deployed to major cities, martial law declared
Airport and border closures begin, too late to contain spread
Power grids fail in affected metropolitan areas
Internet and cellular networks overwhelmed, then failing
Mass exodus from cities begins, highways gridlocked

Days Two-Seven - System Collapse

Infrastructure Failure Command Breakdown

Spread: Continental saturation
Government: Emergency bunkers activated
Military: Fractured command structure
Civilians: Mass refugee movement

Federal government evacuated to secure underground facilities
Military units report 50% casualties, command breakdown
Power plants shut down or abandoned across affected regions
Fuel distribution network collapses completely
Highway system overwhelmed with millions of fleeing civilians
Last organized television broadcasts Day 3, radio continues

Weeks Two-Four - The New Reality

Isolated Communities Rural Survival Mode

Urban areas: Largely overrun or abandoned
Rural areas: Isolated survival pockets
Government: Silent or completely fragmented
Hope: Rapidly diminishing worldwide

No coordinated government response observable anywhere
Isolated military units operating independently
Rural communities cut off, completely self-reliant
Fuel, medicine, food supplies dwindling in all locations
Amateur radio networks become only reliable communication
Global acceptance that this is permanent, not temporary

The Infected - Understanding the Enemy

Transmission & Infection Process

Bite Vector 12-24 Hour Onset

Vector: Bite wounds, bodily fluid contact
Incubation: 8-36 hours average
Symptoms: High fever, aggression, delirium
Outcome: Death followed by reanimation

Transmitted through bite wounds, not airborne
Blood contact can transmit through existing open wounds
Incubation varies by age, health condition, bite location
High fever and violent delirium precede clinical death
Reanimation occurs 10-60 minutes after clinical death
No known cure discovered, treatment only delays inevitable

Behavior & Intelligence

Aggressive Hunters Basic Cunning

Motivation: Spread infection to living humans
Intelligence: Minimal but displays cunning
Senses: Enhanced hearing and smell
Activity: Primarily nocturnal behavior

Driven to bite and infect living humans, not consume flesh
Retain basic motor skills, can open doors and climb
Attracted to sound, movement, and scent of living humans
More active during nighttime, sluggish in extreme heat
Form loose hunting groups through instinctive behavior
Ignore each other completely, focus entirely on uninfected

Physical Capabilities & Weaknesses

Enhanced Performance Exploitable Flaws

Speed: Faster than average human
Strength: Above-normal physical capability
Durability: Reduced pain response
Weaknesses: Head trauma, complete burning

Move faster than healthy humans in short bursts
Unusual physical strength, adrenaline-like enhancement
Don't experience pain, exhaustion, or self-preservation
Destroyed by severe head trauma or complete body burning
Bodies deteriorate slowly in dry desert climate
Eyesight degrades over time, rely more on sound and smell

Threat Assessment - Nevada Desert Environment

Environmental Advantages

Extreme daytime heat reduces infected activity significantly
Low population density means fewer total infected in region
Open terrain provides excellent visibility for defense
Dry climate slows body decomposition, infected remain active longer
Limited water sources concentrate threats and opportunities

Operational Challenges

Infected can travel great distances across open desert
Sound carries for miles, potentially attracting distant threats
Nighttime activity increases when temperatures drop
Enhanced senses make stealth approach very difficult
Loose pack behavior creates coordinated hunting patterns

Current World Status

Government & Military

Fragmented Authority Independent Operations

Federal government in secure bunkers, no public communication
Military command structure completely broken
National Guard units retreated to protect home states
Some bases maintain security, others completely overrun
Equipment and ammunition supplies rapidly dwindling
Mixed reports of military aid versus resource seizure

Infrastructure Collapse

System Failures Cascading Problems

Power plants shut down or running completely unmanned
Water treatment facilities failing across entire regions
Transportation networks blocked by abandoned vehicles
Communication systems degrading without maintenance
Fuel production and distribution completely ended
Manufacturing ceased, no replacement parts available

Human Threats

Raider Groups Organized Violence

Criminal organizations adapting to lawless environment
Desperate survivors turning to armed banditry for resources
Organized groups systematically targeting isolated communities
Some controlling territory around major resource caches
Range from desperate scavengers to military-equipped militias
Often more dangerous than infected due to intelligence

Communication Networks

System Degradation Amateur Radio

Internet infrastructure failing due to power loss
Cellular networks overwhelmed then offline in most areas
Television broadcasts ended by Day 3, no organized media
AM/FM radio stations mostly offline, few emergency broadcasts
Amateur radio networks provide only reliable long-distance communication
CB radio effective for local communication within 20-mile range

The world as we knew it ended in 23 days. What remains is a patchwork of isolated communities, scattered survivors, and the ever-present threat of both the infected and desperate humans. In places like Obsidian Hills, the challenge isn't just surviving day to day - it's preserving some fragment of civilization while adapting to a world where the rules of society, government, and human cooperation have fundamentally changed forever.