Bugging out, IC

[Zincorium]

...We interrupt this broadcast to issue an important warning to all viewers. FEMA and the WHO have jointly issued a recommendation that all persons who are suffering symptoms that include coughing and skin irritation report as soon as possible to local hospitals for screening, citing a recent in-house report documenting a new strain of bacterium which may have been introduced by an airline employee saturday night.

Authorities state that there is no danger to public safety, but in the interest of minimizing case load, all people who believe they may have been exposed should wash hands routinely and avoid unnessecary contact with outsiders. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The boards at Forums.SurviveFLA.net have been buzzing since this broadcast appeared. One member, _GeckoTokay_, has attached a document of unknown veracity claiming some sort of drug resistant bacterium was discovered in the Phillippines after an unusually strong typhoon season left many homeless. Several people have purportedly died, with many more hospitalized.

No verification can be found for the report online, although several copies have been posted to sites such as wikileaks.

[Etcetera]

Clara bustled about, helping around the A&E department. There surprisingly hadn't been any call-outs yet, and she was off at seven, so she should be able to get home and eat by 8.

[LarsWester]

Jimbo stepped out of the shower still smelling a little like the swamp water he was just in for work. He grabbed himself a beer and turned on the television as he was beginning to cook his dinner. Wrestling was going to be on soon and he wasn't going to miss tonight's show. He turned his head away from the stove when a Health News Break came on.
"0h man what's next?" Jimbo chuckled to himself. Knowing that with his lifestyle he should be safe from most contagious diseases. Not too many people get up close and personal with a swamper. While his head was turned some grease from his cooking dinner sputtered up and burned his exposed chest.
"Damnit I was get burned when I cook with out a shirt"
After the TV blurb the wrestling show previews came on and Jimbo sat down on the couch with beer and dinner still without a shirt. Jimbo went to be with the Health Break complete out of mind.
It stayed out of mind until the next morning at work when one of the younger workers mentioned something they read on the Internet. Apparently there was a website that mentioned the contagious disease and it had evidence about a government conspiracy and new biological weapons that the US army had began testing on cattle in Texas. A different co worker was arguing that the disease was of foreign origin and he had evidence that it came from Philippines and develop right after a flood had devastated the area. He added that it was well known that 6 months prior to the flood a major gas company had a tanker rupture spilling it's load crude oil.

[Robek]

Denny returns home from a bad day at work. He chased a single bounty, and lost him over a fence. The minute he comes home, he lights a cigarette and grabs a bottle of whiskey. He knows about spontaneous combustion, and is usually more careful, but today couldn't care less. He was about to take a drink, when he remembered reading about the virus on the forums. He checks again, and drops his bottle, which shatters on the floor.

This can't be good. Not good at all. And I could have used some good news.

He scours his room for a face mask and gloves, and finds gloves, but no mask.

Guess I'll have to go out for a mask. Great.

[Zincorium]

Morning rolls around.

Both the local and national news break into programming every hour or so with expanded lists of precautions and directions. Experts are brought in on most talk shows to give their take on how deadly this new 'superbug' might be if it gets out of hand.

Most of what they say is mutually exclusive.

Police sirens can be heard all around town, and there are several reports of people who have gotten into fights regarding supplies- either stealing or simply competing for the same items. Several stores are closed by 9:30. Authorities warn that many businesses could form a possible vector for the spread of the disease, and that staying at home is the safest course of action.

The message board has exploded with conjecture and declarations of the fall of the US.

[Etcetera]

Clara was rushed off her feet, in an almost complete change to the previous day. All across the state, hundreds of hypochondriacs were picking up their phones to complain about the slightest sniffle, but there was real cause for concern.

Most civilians seemed to think that surgical masks would stop them from catching anything, but neglected to actually take proper steps to keep themselves free from germs.

And to top it all of the nation had entered a stage of paranoid panic. How long would it be until someone sent the military in, or something equally stupid?

[Robek]

Denny wakes up, and checks the forums while listening to the television in the other room. Hearing all the hubbub about the disease and the riots in the street, he decides to not go to the office today. He pops on his fedora and trench coat, and walks the short distance down the street to his office building. He walks up to his office, then enters to grab a pen, piece of paper, and piece of tape. He writes "Closed today" on the paper, and attaches it to the door. He locks the door, hops down the stairs, and heads back home.

[LarsWester]

After lunch the alligator show shut down. They had had no visitor so what was the point in staying open. Jimbo decided to go check out what his work friends were talking about over a buddy's house who had a computer and that interweb stuff.
The two people were looking through the internet and it seemed filled with stories about the disease but no real information.
Well Jimbo what you want to do about this? his friend asks scratching his chin.
Damned if I can do anything about it. This very well might be the end of it all man. Do you have any beer? I don't want to face the end of the world sober.
Me neither let me see what my old man has in the fridge.

[Etcetera]

Clara sighed, putting the handbrake on and getting out of the car. As she climbed out a woman ran over to her, motioning for attention.
"You have to help!"
Clara really didn't have the time for this. She waved the woman away and continued down the street.

[Zincorium]

A local news blackout has occured, all channels now are on emergency broadcast mode, and no reports are available on the internet anymore.

The forum has been replaced by a single text page:

For those who remain

My name is Jedrick Barnes, and I am the creator of this forum. Dark things are in the making, and I intend to survive. Those of you who live in Florida are encouraged to band together with myself for our mutual survival. Should you trust me enough to join me, e-mail the following address to be given directions on how to join up with other members and reach my compound, where there is room for approximately 100 people.

Do not tell the authorities about this, for the love of humanity.

Emailing the address in question tells you to meet at the VA hall here in Orlando, a bit far from downtown, and proceed north up the interstate to Pensacola.


Choppers have been flying overhead all day, police cars are patrolling the streets with sirens blaring, and houses visited by ambulances have had spray painted numbers put on the front door. 911 is no longer in service.

[Etcetera]

Clara was suspicious, but things were looking rather grim. She grabbed her car keys and set about gathering food and water for the journey. While she felt as if she ought to be here helping people, any pathogen which had caused this much damage and panic in so short a time was entirely beyond the capabilities of even the entire human race to deal with (yes, really that bad)

[Robek]

After obtaining the address, Denny empties his fridge into a pillow case, and grabs his carton of cigarettes. He dashes down the street to his car and throws the pillow case, and his briefcase full of his work items, in the back. Unless something goes wrong, he proceeds to the VA hall.

[Etcetera]

Clara grabs her bug-out bag, and gets into her car. She starts the engine and begins to make her way to the VA hall.

[LarsWester]

Jimbo was with his friend when they both read the website post. That got them scared. They both hopped in Jimbo's friends car and drove as far as they could to get to the target. After driving for some time Jimbo's friends car ran out of gas. As his friend went to go get more gas Jimbo got scared enough that he tried to hitch but found that noone was interested in helping a stranger at this time. His fear got the better of him and he grabbed his bag of supplies and took off running. It took a lot of effort but Jimbo eventually made his way to the VA hall.