When Chris went home for the holidays, he did not wake up
to Christmas, but the end of the world. He managed to take
his sister Emma and their dog Beethoven away from the swarms
of zombies, but lost touch with their parents during the chaos.
Out of despair, the three embarked on a new journey, hoping to
stay alive or find any information about a shelter or their lost
family. Chris is determined to protect his sister at any cost.
Emma is Chris' little sister, an energetic teenager with
a curious mind. At first, she was as frightened of the changes
as anyone else. To Chris' surprise, though, Emma quickly
adapted to the new zombie-accompanied life,
to the extent that she sometimes overlooked the dangers
around her. Perhaps that is because, deep down, Emma
knows Chris would never let her be harmed.
Firth always tried to be responsible. She learned to repair her own appliances
to save money for her family. She chose a public school to avoid taking out
massive student loans. She worked a part-time job as the school mascot to earn
extra money. She saved for a future that never came. Still, she had no regrets- after
all, it was that mascot suit that saved her. Not only did she not even look human
or edible, but any zombie tempted to even try biting it could never get through.
Still, improvements could be made, and Firth modified it to become her personal tank.
If a responsible career without debt wasn’t going to be her reward for prudency,
becoming an unstoppable zombie killing machine who could sleep soundly at night
wasn’t a bad alternative… given the circumstances.
The open road always called to him; it meant freedom. With a Harley under him and
his brothers at his side, Sonny had lived his life outside society of occasionally
outside the law. But even bikers need society; without refineries and a functioning
economy, there’s no gas stations to refill at or companies manufacturing spare parts.
And the bonds between road warriors can quickly fray, especially as the already loose
constraints of the law completely fell away. Yet Sonny was an old warrior, and well
protected by his thick leather jacket and trusty shotgun. Even without a bike, or
pushing it, the roads were still open, and as long as he was alive, he was freer
than ever. And with many survivors forced into the same nomadic lifestyle he chose,
he was in a perfect position to help them, and build a new family.
When people are starving and there’s no food to be found, they tend to show their true
colors. Brothers stab each other in the back for scraps, and some even turn to cannibalism.
When André’s family ran out of food, he barely escaped with his life. Famished, he managed
to recover some food from a zombie-infested dollar store, only to find a dog even gaunter
than he whining and looking at the few tins of spam. A dog could mean meat for days,
but he shared what little he had. The dog repaid his kindness by sniffing out food that
it could not reach alone, and they formed a thriving partnership. André named the dog
Giant, and together, they know they have someone they can always rely on.
This rusty bucket of bolts might not look
like much, but she's got it where it counts.
Reliable, it'll get you where you need to go,
and haul back your loot.
This was built with more defense in mind. Headlights
on top means you can run over zombies with no fear
of losing your vision, with a convenient cab-mounted
gun for pesky runners. Plenty of storage space in the
bed of the struck, and wheels are guarded with iron spikes.
The chassis has been elevated, keeping you safely far away
from zombified hands pawing at the locks, enabling you to
sleep soundly on long journeys. Expanded storage space in
the bed, and double six-barreled miniguns burns through all
the ammo you can carry so fast the truck can practically fly.
Sturdy wheels and a plow that fully protects the engine makes
this machine nearly unstoppable.
A true juggernaut. Practically a tank, but doesn't need
so many crew, has more space for storing loot in the bed,
and doesn't require a multi-billion dollar supply chain to
maintain. This monster is the king of the future zombie
battlefields, moving around with impunity. No zombie or
human wants to stand in the way of this bad boy.
This beast is a must-have for the apocalypse. Able to
run down hordes of zombies without noticing much more
than a few bumps, the cab is fully protected and a minigun
on top can deal with mutants or rival shelters. Spinning
saws turn unlucky zombies directly into livestock feed.
The virus began to spread in nearly every major population center simultaneously, with outbreaks even on isolated islands like Madagascar and Iceland before they could shut their borders. With security forces, governments, medical researchers, and other groups who might have marshaled a response disproportionately infected by the initial wave, it was not long before society fell into chaos. Without power, clean water, sewage treatment, or internet, famine and disease was rampant- and sick, starving individuals were even more vulnerable to becoming zombified. Even as the horde shambled onward, consuming everything in its path, new variants emerged, mutating the zombies and even infecting animals. Yet humanity is nothing if not tenacious and resourceful, and survivors banded together, creating islands of safety in the sea of chaos threatening to engulf them all. Yet for many survivors, it became clear that zombies were just one of the many threats seeking to snuff out all hope.
Stories of heroism, hope, desperation, and tragedy dot the apocalyptic landscape as families are torn asunder and people watch their friends and comrades succumb to the horde or despair. Chris and Emma are two survivors who lost contact with their family early in the pandemic, and during their search for a new home, will come across steadfast friends, deadly foes, and clues to the origin of the deadly zombie virus and how humanity might be able to fight back and begin rebuilding. In a world where even survival is a luxury few dare to dream of, can they find a way to live and love? Their fate- and that of countless more people- is in your hands.