Resist

"... at this time we do not know what is causing the mysterious psychosis, only the rapid onset of symptoms which invariably leads the afflicted to engage in extremely risky behavior. The government has advised that all families stay in their homes unless absolutely necessary, and that essential workers remain masked at all times when in the company of anyone other than their immediate families. The president will be addressing the nation every night until the crisis has passed ...". The news has been playing that message on repeat, every hour, on the hour for the past ten days. And every one of those days, the president has appeared on air to update us on the ongoing crisis.

Her finely pressed suit and immaculately groomed hair helped present an air of authority as she presented the news: "We were still not sure what is causing people to suddenly become self-destructive, or if certain groups were at higher risk than others, but it is global and the world disease community has come together to find a cause and a solution."

The truth is the situation was completely out of control, and accelerating. More and more people, day by day, were falling victim to the malady. The symptoms were subtle at first: minor auditory or visual hallucinations, increased fatigue followed by bursts of energy, poor temperature regulation, and the like. After a short incubation period, the afflicted no longer can effectively communicate their symptoms as they quickly become incoherent - shouting in a made-up language, and then attempt to end their own lives by whatever means possible, and frequently taking others with them.

Strangely, there is a single phrase that all recorded afflicted have uttered in the final moments before their speech becomes completely unintelligible: "I finally see now, and know what must be done." You were able to observe this first hand when the president, during her live address to the nation, uttered those very words and stabbed into her own throat with a ballpoint pen that was resting at her podium. The feed was cut immediately of course, but not before everyone in the nation was exposed to the president's final moments. That was three days ago. The breaking news segments continued unabated... unchanged from before. The president will address you this evening. You assumed it was just referring to the new President, as the chain of succession appeared to be intact, but no address came that night. Nor any night following.

Today, the television stopped broadcasting, on any channel. Nothing but static and a single message given in a monotone, robotic voice - anyone who is still unaffected is encouraged to retreat Fort Anderson, the local military base, bringing only what they can carry - "It is your only chance to survive", the message said, "Proceed immediately. Good luck and may whatever gods you pray to have mercy upon you."

Areas of Note: Cellworth Apartment Complex, The Streets, Subway, Out of Town, Fort Anderson

Goal: Make it to Fort Anderson without succumbing to the Affliction