Dying Light: Volatile Virus

In the near morning, a cargo plane started flying over Harran, calling everyone's attention, as everyone hoped it was Antizin and medical supplies, but was a different delivery, as instead of supplies, two GRE mercenaries were being delivered to the city. Kyle Crane, a specialist in agility; and you1, a specialist in defense.

Crane has ordinary equipment, as a helmet1, a pistol, ammo, a backpack, a flashlight, and a watch; while you has much more equipment, as a bigger and more specialized backpack2, a helmet, GRE's specialized uniform3, and a flashlight inside one of the pockets of the uniform.

After so many hours, you and Crane finally arrive at Harran, where you two are being communicated of your mission, your objective, and what is the main deal of the situation. One man called Kadir Suleiman, stole confidential files of information about an early prototype of the vaccine for the virus in Harran, and about the virus itself. It's known that Kadir did a deal with someone to publish the files, what made GRE interrupt the communications, in a try to unable Kadir to know when publish the file, and now only your and Crane's radio were the only way of communication as both radios doesn't get affected by this interruption.

While you both are being told all the information, the door of the cargo plane opens, you two then slowly walk and prepare to jump. Without any fear or hesitation, you two jump, and after some time falling, you two open your parachutes. Then, you two start falling slowly, while having a big view of how is Harran, the buildings, the vehicles, the streets... Everything is so desolated and in debris of what it used to be.

After some time of fall, you two get almost down, but then, some goes wrong. You suddenly start falling faster, as when you were almost in the ground, your parachute got cut with something strangely while falling, and you in a sudden, fell and hit your head, leaving you completely dizzy and with blurry vision. Unable to do anything else than breath, you barely hear some voices, and then, a gunshot.

After the shot, much steps vanishing, but then, very quickly, much much more steps as strange yells in the distance getting closer in a quick speed. Followed by some more shots, you barely feel your body, as if something was moving you, but you can't feel your own body. For you, you're cold and unable to move, and all you see, are shadows moving quickly.

After few time, the sounds start vanishing and fading, as your vision getting darker. You fall unconscious. The hours pass, as you remain sleeping, unconscious, until in a sudden, you wake up.

You get instantly up, sitting, and pat your head with your right hand, wondering the situation, but then you see your backpack aside where you're laying, a makeshift bed, is not good, but is comfortable enough to rest. You slowly notice the only thing missing, is your helmet, as everything else seems in it's place.

You get up, but then get a deep hit inside you, blurring, what makes you slowly fall back and take steps barely to not fall, and end stepping up of the makeshift bed and support yourself against the wall behind you.

As this hit slowly fades away, someone enters in the room, and with some worried expression, looks at you and speaks:

Brecken: "You finally woke up. Are you feeling alright?"

With difficulty, you rise your view and look at him, a man with bandages over his forehead, covering almost all his hair, and wearing a yellow shirt. You try to answer, but nothing come out, until a moment later, when you can see almost normal.

-"... Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Brecken: "Alright, well, is good to see you finally waking up. I'm Brecken, Harris Brecken."

Then, before Brecken could say anything else, that was ask about you or your name, you went straight ahead.

-"Alright, Brecken. How did I get here? Where am I?"

Brecken: "Oh, well, you're in the tower, I'm who's at charge of it, and the Nightrunners."

-"Nightrunners? What is that?"

Brecken: "Survivors who sacrifice themselves for search where others don't. Everyone capable of can go out and search is forced to become a Nightrunner."

-"Let me get this straight. I just wake up, and you're instantly eating me with information?"

Brecken: "Yeah, that's true. Sorry, my bad, should've be better wait some time, but you have to understand, time is something we scarce of."

-"Just... Let me breath for a moment, yes? I have a terrible headache, and the first I want is to get it out, not receive a class of things I'm just gonna forget because I can't even pay attention."

You sit down, up of the makeshift bed, while continue caressing your head. Brecken observes you with a worried expression, but also some guilt for giving you more headache than the one you already have.

Brecken: "You should go to the Infirmary inside the tower. Come wit me, I'll take you there."

-"If that makes you shut up, perfect, because seriously, you talking about explanations and... Whatever can be, is making my head explode even more." You say while slowly getting up, and in slow steps, start walking near Brecken.

With patience, Brecken understand your situation, and just leads you slowly to the Infirmary, where after a big walk, until finally reaching. Dr. Zere sees how Brecken helps you to sit in the Infirmary.1 With curiosity, and an a quick observation over your uniform, Dr. Zere moves closer to Brecken.

Dr. Zere: "From GRE?"

Brecken: "I don't know, but must be. Jade reported to find two people in the streets having problems."

Dr. Zere: "Yes, no need to remind me the lost we had with that.. But by looking at his vest, is clear is from GRE. If he is one of those two, and Crane was the second one, that means that Crane is also from GRE."

Brecken observes your vest uniform, looking at the logo of GRE big in your back, but also a tiny one under the top right in the front. After a moment, Brecken looked back at Dr. Zere.

Brecken: "Can you also check him? Crane is infected by a bite on his left arm, but by seeing his vest, I don't think he also be infected, but I need to know."

Dr. Zere: "Yes, I'll check him. But for sure is nothing to worry about."

Dr. Zere slowly tries to remove your vest uniform, and you more conscious now, help letting him check you. After Dr. Zere places aside the vest uniform, both him and Brecken notice the so many marks you have over your arms near hands, and in your torso near stomach and both sides of it. By curiosity, Dr. Zere also moves up your pants, checking your legs and effectively, more marks in your legs near the feet.

The marks weren't visually as bites, but clear injuries about something happening. What the marks were about, should be mostly from bites, but how each mark seems visually, makes both struggle if are bites or not.

After the check, you start dressing up, and then stand still, looking at both, seeing how both were having a mix of expressions. Brecken was looking down, concerned but also struggling to piece this up in understanding; while Dr. Zere looks at you and remains wondering of what the injuries could be exactly, while curious of how you could also get the marks in the first place.

Dr. Zere: "Do you remember how you got those marks and injuries?"

-"No, sir. I don't remember anything before waking up here, and when I try, I feel dizzy."

Dr. Zere: "And you don't remember anything? All you can see clearly."

-"I remember being sitting in a seat inside a cargo plane, jump, use my parachute, and then everything starts going dark, as I hear yells in the distance."

Dr. Zere: "Yells? Of what type?"

-"I'm unsure, but... Not sad yells of asking for help or anything, but angry strange yells I can barely remember. Were yells of people, but sounded for me, like animals."

Brecken: "Maybe are bites? Maybe is infected?"

Dr. Zere: "Maybe, but give him a dose of Antizin, and then see it wasn't necessary, would be a waste for those who need it. Antizin already is scarce, and we can't waste any dose we have."

-"Sorry for interrupt, but what are you talking about?"

Brecken turns to look at you, concerned but wondering. His expression is a mix of concern and disbelief.

Brecken: "You don't know? What do you mean you don't know? Didn't GRE inform you?"

-"About what? Inform me about what is Antizin? Or about anything with bites? No, they didn't. I was sent for a mission, not for the concern of a medicine, and it's explanation."

Brecken: "Well, then I'll be the one to put you in reality. For what you know, or at least should, there's a virus here, that infected almost everyone. It transmits through bites and saliva."

-"Great, what is this exactly? Some sort of movie?"

Dr. Zere: "No. This is worse than any movie. They sent you to your death. This virus mutates inside each infected by different way. Depending on your capabilities."

-"So, let me get this straight. This virus has own conscious, and can mutate inside each infected individually, to make the best army it can?"

Dr. Zere and Brecken slowly turn to look at each other, acknowledging that description as not correct, but near of what would be, as different perspective to say it.

Brecken: "Kind of. Not own mind, as they're dead, but the infected demonstrated to can organize in groups and hordes, so maybe the virus gives a near consciousness."

Dr. Zere: "We listed them in the different one the Nightrunners told to find during their searches, from where I developed an investigation in a stage theory of evolution of what the infecteds become. First, the infected turns into a Viral, the first type, then progresses after some time to become a Biter, and here is where the mutations start, as the virus can transform the infected into then a Bruiser, what then would become even bigger and stronger as a Tank, and then even more as a Demolisher; other mutation..." But then is suddenly stopped by you, what makes Brecken and Dr. Zere observe you instantly.

-"Alright, alright. Listen, don't get me wrong, but... Why would I want to know this? Very cool giving each infected a name, and for sure has own description, but... I don't really wanna know. I'm sure all this information is very useful, but not for me. I'm starting to know what's going on, and you're explaining something steps ahead. Please, may I know something about the marks? Is the reason why I'm here in the Infirmary, because my headache slowly went away. So, do you know anything of what can be, doc?"

Dr. Zere nodded slowly, acknowledging your prefer for going straight to the point, instead of knowing more about the virus.

Dr. Zere: "No, your injuries and marks doesn't seem like any bite. We think they can or may be bites, but without further knowledge, I cannot do anything about it. Do you feel any symptoms?"

-"No, sir. I'm feeling completely normal and fine."

Dr. Zere: "Then, only time will tell what the marks are. If you feel any symptoms, tell me as soon as possible."

-"Understood. I'll make you know right away when I feel any symptom." You say while nodding, to then turn to look at Brecken, who starts leading you outside of the Infirmary.

Once outside the Infirmary, Brecken stops in front of you, but before he could say anything, you already step in talk.

-"Take me outside."

Brecken: "Outside? But it's 08:00, soon will be nighttime, and you recently woke up. Is a death wish."

-"Just lead me to outside, I can handle anything. Despite if it's during the day or in the middle of the night."

Brecken: "Alright, if you say so, come with me then."

During the big walk to the bottom of the tower, you had something to say, but saved it for a little later. After the big walk down, Brecken stops and points the exit, a little fall to the two wide open door entrance without any door and just the frame.

-"Uhm... Very well, your house, your rules, not gonna question it." Then you jump down, and start walking to leave, but before leaving, you turn to look at Brecken. -"If you see Crane, tell him to wait me here in the morning." And then, turn around again, but now leaving the tower, while Brecken remain observing you as you slowly went deeper into the Slums.