Flexible Survival Primer
On February 11, 2008, a great calamity wracked North America- A devastating infection spreading through the continent that nearly wiped out civilization on the continent. The effects of such a virus were many, and much of those who were afflicted early on, lost their very humanity- their bodies and minds sometimes warped and twisted into new forms. Forms that then would do everything in their power to spread their affliction. Biting, Clawing, Saliva, Blood, and many other forms of less savoury bodily fluids served to spread the infection as mucosal and blood exposure were the most common an easiest transmissions. Everything from the air to the water, and any goods or persons not sealed and isolated from the environment quickly were contaminated, each a potential vessel for the infection to take root though in most cases airborne infection would however have no immediate effect on the host, as if these free hanging nanites didn't have a task or the programing to alter someone or something so they did nothing but remained in their host, which unknowingly came in contact with the infected materials. The majority of people succumbed into ravenous ‘ferals’ which did transmit mutations in their victims, and thus creating more 'ferals' to attack others, while the lucky few actually managed to retain some semblance of their minds at the very least and with luck surviving long enough to find a way to resist physical or at least mental alterations.
Zephyr- a corporate entity focused on advancing technology and results, and RSX- another entity tied to the government but entirely civilian operated, were responsible for preventing complete collapse with free and easy access to anti-infection inoculation to their employees allowing them to try and administer serums and the like to those that still had a mind so that they could keep it, after the release of the infection, though this wasn't enough for those 'ferals' that were already to far gone with their animalistic imprint. And many blame them for the ensuing chaos, though nobody knows the full truth on what happened behind Promethean Day, or P-Day for short. Many people, civilians and private sectors alike, believe it was the result of extremely poor management and programming on the part of Zephyr Incorporated and RSX of their nanomachines. Tiny robots far too advanced for their time, and were released far, far too early in their development. People in both the RSX and Zephyr companies that feared this technology would only be used by the wealthy, and the middle and lower class citizens would be denied access to this new thing. As a result they hatched a plan in secret, in spite of their own ignorance of how the nanites worked, to distribute it around to poor but talented programmers in an effort to prevent it from being entirely withheld from the public.
As this occurred, external agencies outside the USA caught wind of the progress of this amazing technology. They sent agents into the country to infiltrate Zephyr and RSX and steal as much of the data on the Promethean Nanite project as they could. With stealth and guile, these foreign agents were highly successful and sent data back to their homeland extremely quickly. And and suddenly a massive amount of support for members of the "for the poor" groups grew astronomically. Providing large amounts of money and influence to the "for the poor" groups as the nanotechnology hit the public. In turn the groups saw tremendous success in providing Nanite Stations to those talented, but poor, programmers around the United States. Work began immediately on the nanite programming, though many of the programmers didn't know who exactly was behind giving them the technology, and so many of them received modified nanites that were deliberately rigged. A string of code hidden in the programming that made the nanites "call home" for instructions. Thus using RSX and Zephyr's tech, due to mismanagement, to unknowingly have their technology weaponized and distributed among the North American population.
As a natural result the two organizations continue to spearhead recovery and rescue missions, gaining employees in exchange for food, shelter, and medication. A third, and more recently emerged group has also risen from the ashes. The Prometheans- A group of those who have decided to embrace the change and build a new society from the ashes.
The three main factions have an uneasy truce, and all those who are sane and affiliated with them battle constantly for their own survival in the shambles of civilization, beset by hordes of vile creatures. Will you adapt and evolve to survive? Or will you simply fade to oblivion?
