Zombies, Outcasts

Zombies (H. sapiens inanis) were originally humans with cybernetic implants and augmentations. It is still unknown whether the Zero Virus was unleashed as a weapon, a malicious prank, or as a mistake, but the results were catastrophic. Instructions were sent to various technologies that incorporated some form of nanotechnological manufacturing in a number of devices. A lattice of carbon and tissue was ordered by the programming to be constructed in the brain, which rapidly branched out to control the host nervous system, effectively overwhelming the victim’s cognitive functions. It is believed that once this happens, that the host is effectively killed. However, the programming is able to control the body long after brain death. Like the once-fictional monster, the host’s only instruction is to spread the virus. It seeks out other non-infected humans and bites them repeatedly. Nano-sized machines in the saliva or host’s blood enter the blood streams of the new victims and make their way to the new host’s brain to begin the assimilation process again. Once the zombie recognizes that the victim has begun the “zombification” process, the attacking zombie ceases biting and returns to seeking a new victim. If the zombie ends up biting too much of the intended victim, however (for example, tearing the jugular vein or severely damaging a major organ), the result can be a loss of the target. For a single attacking zombie, the failure to spread the virus happens roughly one out of six or seven times (roughly 15% failure rate). When multiple zombies attack, however, the chances of successfully spreading the virus instead of killing the victim drop substantially. It was first thought that the zombies were unable to quickly register that the target had been infected and transforming before stopping and moving on. However, one theory is that the “failure” is present by design as a self-limiting factor. It is observed that zombies who attack their victims ingest their flesh, giving their bodies a supply of protein, nutrients, and hydration enough to continue functioning. A zombie without access to food and water will starve and dehydrate like any other human being, and though neural impulses to environmental factors are effectively ignored by the program, factors like hypothermia still affect the zombie. These factors lead credence to one belief that the Zero Virus was intended for use as a weapon in warmer, tropical areas, but lack of conclusive evidence substantiates that theory. Another, most unsettling theory is that the victims of the Zero Virus are not actually killed by the process—that they are, at best, rendered unconscious or, at worst, fully cognizant of their actions, but utterly unable to control them. It is impossible to determine as the biotechnical process has thus far been irreversible. There is not one single documented case (although there are rumors that there are isolated instances) of a person being “cured” of the Zero Virus. Therefore, there is no way to know what state the original person is in after infection. As stated above, however, the prevailing notion is that the host is functionally dead. The non-Outcast regard zombies as “undead monsters” and the societal reaction is to kill a zombie as quickly as possible. The Outcast community, however, regard all Outcasts (the term “zombie” being regarded as offensive) as people and will harbor them from harm. Whether the zombies actually appreciate the gesture, however, is undetermined.