Mauro García

Santa Aradia is a large city surrounded by rural areas on its outskirts. Before the apocalypse, it was a vibrant urban center with numerous buildings, residential neighborhoods, and huge shopping malls, but now its streets are deserted, filled with abandoned cars and looted buildings.

On the outskirts of Santa Aradia, hidden behind little-used industrial roads, lay GenKin Laboratory, a private center specializing in genetic research applied to experimental drugs. Its most ambitious and secretive project was to develop a regenerative compound capable of accelerating tissue healing. It was a combination of genetic engineering and a modified virus that acted as a vehicle for cellular regeneration.

The experiment worked in theory… until they tested the substance on animals. Test rat 14-B, a small gray female, showed surprising results: wounds healed in minutes, her physical stamina increased, and her aggression rose alarmingly. Scientists kept her isolated, but during a shift change, one of the young researchers tried to move her from one container to another without following strict protocol. The rat, agitated by the compound, jumped with unexpected force and bit his hand. He thought it was just a common bite. He disinfected it quickly, ignoring the initial dizziness. Within hours, his fever became unbearable. By the time his colleagues noticed the symptoms, he had already lost consciousness and awoke in a violent, irrational, and infectious state. Instead of regenerating, the virus reactivated tissues uncontrollably and shut down higher brain functions. The patients didn't die… but they ceased to be human. The outbreak within the laboratory was immediate. In less than 48 hours, GenKin collapsed.

By the time the government found out, it was too late: several infected employees had escaped or come into contact with their families, silently spreading the virus throughout the city. Authorities ordered a mass evacuation, but Arvenport was too big. Traffic clogged the avenues, buses were stuck on bridges, and trains stopped due to the number of people trying to flee at once. In the midst of the chaos, the first infected people began to attack the crowd. The city fell in a matter of hours.

Mauro was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina, into a working-class family. From a young age, he heard his grandmother talk about her big dream: owning her own farm, a peaceful place to grow fruits and vegetables and raise animals, far from the urban bustle. With the help of a loan shark, they managed to buy land in another city where they began raising livestock and tending a vegetable garden. After his grandparents died, Mauro inherited the property and turned it into a safe haven. With the zombie outbreak, he reinforced the farm: he erected electric fences, improvised traps, and barriers to keep out zombies or looters. Despite this, the scarcity of supplies forces him to venture into Arvenport periodically, always prepared and with survival skills.

Mauro married Marta, with whom he had his daughter Valentina. The stress of low-paying jobs and the pressure of supporting his family with his meager income led him to drink alcohol to cope, causing frequent arguments and deteriorating the family relationship. Eventually, Marta obtained sole custody of Valentina, and they moved to the provinces to live with Valentina's grandparents. Mauro was devastated, trying to rebuild his life and overcome his alcoholism. Now, in the midst of this crisis, his greatest motivation is to prove he can be a responsible father and protect what remains of his life. (Mauro maintains contact with Valentina through a two-way radio.)

Mauro spends his days on the farm tending crops, feeding animals, and maintaining the electric fences that protect his shelter. He also dedicates time to his radio, trying to contact other survivors and hold onto the hope that he is not alone.