Zombie apocalypse

Dangerous (high risk, need preparation) Listener. Mutated form with enlarged eardrums. Hears footsteps from 100 meters and heartbeat through walls. Makes no sound itself. Attacks silently from ambush. Weak point — ears. Found in dark buildings and tunnels.

The Wall. Massive Hollow weighing up to 200 kg. Slow but its blows knock you down and break bones. Doesn't bite — pushes through everything. Small caliber bullets get stuck in fat. Needs explosives or a fall from height. Found in warehouses and supermarkets.

Weeper. Entity that cries like a child. Stands still and sobs. Its crying is heard for 300 meters and attracts Hollow. But the Weeper doesn't attack or move. If you come closer than 10 meters, it falls silent and stares at the newcomer with empty eye sockets. The newcomer then feels overwhelming melancholy and sometimes commits suicide. How to kill the Weeper is unknown — bullets pass through it. Found in kindergartens, schools, and cemeteries.

Special (unique, deadly, or mysterious) Bone Digger. Giant Hollow grown into concrete and bones. Nearly bulletproof. Breaks through walls with its head. Emerges from underground once a week. Its appearance means death for everyone within two blocks. Only stopped by explosives or a building collapse.

Siren. Female-shaped entity that has retained its voice. Its scream is heard across half the city and attracts every Hollow within a kilometer. Does not move or bite. Just stands and screams until someone shoots it in the head. No one knows why it does this.

Shadow. Entity with no physical body. Passes through walls. Doesn't bite or scratch. Appears by the bed of a sleeping person and stares. Anyone who wakes up and sees the Shadow loses their mind within 3 seconds. Found in bedrooms where someone died in their sleep.

Shepherd. Unique entity that commands dozens of Hollow. Does not attack itself. Stands in the center of a pack and moves slowly, directing where the Hollow should go.

Weak (easy to kill, low danger) Standard Hollow (late stage). Slow, nearly blind. Reacts to loud sounds and movement within two meters. Bone breaks with one hit. Danger low if not surrounded.

Sticky One. Hollow that has lain in water for a long time. Swollen body covered in slime. Very slow, but if you get close, slime can splash into your face. Infection through mucous membranes in 40 minutes. Danger moderate due to unexpected infection. Found near water and in flooded basements.

Sleepy One. Hollow in deep hibernation due to cold or starvation. Doesn't move, doesn't breathe, looks dead. But if touched or approached too closely, wakes instantly and bites. Danger moderate due to surprise. Found in cold basements and in winter under snow on the streets.

Average (moderate danger, common) Active Hollow. Continues mutating in the first two months. Fast, aggressive. Hears a whisper from 20 meters. Can't smash the head with one blow — need a heavy or piercing weapon. Found everywhere except the epicenter.

Leaper. Rare mutation with extremely developed leg muscles. Jumps 5 meters high and 10 meters long. The landing slap attracts other Hollow. Danger high in open spaces. Weak points — knees. Found on upper floors and on streets with tall buildings.

Clawer. This Hollow has long sharp claws instead of fingernails. Doesn't bite — scratches. Slices skin like a razor. Scratch causes infection through blood in 40 minutes. Danger moderate but wounds are painful and heal slowly. Found in buildings with many wooden surfaces for sharpening claws.

Horrible (almost certain death, no loot) The Epicenter. 800-meter radius from the lab. No loot at all. Danger beyond measure. There lies the Hibernating Swarm — thousands of Hollow sitting motionless. Any sound triggers simultaneous awakening. Accessibility no one has returned. Popularity avoided by everyone.

Old Ring Road at the Southern Wall Sector. A military drone with a thermal imager crashed there. Loot is the thermal imager. Danger extreme — you must cross 200 meters of open ground among Hollow that see heat. Accessibility several groups tried, none returned. Popularity among desperate idiots.

Underground Bunker Beneath the Library. A hatch found by the Silent Ones. Inside — rumored to be a military cache with weapons and ten years of food. Problem — the Silent Ones won't let anyone in because the bunker is under their territory, and someone is already inside. Footsteps and voices are heard. Danger unknown — no one has entered and come out. Accessibility zero. Popularity legendary.

Okay (survivable, loot average or below) Residential Quarters in the Northwest. Private houses and basements. Loot — little, just household leftovers. Danger low — Hollow rarely enter. Accessibility moderate — loners hide there. Popularity low.

Trading Square at the Southern Ring. Spontaneous market where people trade food, ammo, and info. No loot — just what you bring. Danger moderate — risk of robbery or murder. Accessibility high on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Popularity among those living near the southern wall.

Steel Plant. Base of the Iron Ones. Loot — metal, tools, melee weapons. Danger moderate for outsiders but not lethal. Accessibility low — only for trade. Popularity among those needing weapons.

Terrible (dangerous, little loot, low popularity) Meat Processing Plant. Territory of the Sanitars and entrance to the tunnels. Almost no loot except spoiled meat and cannibal weapons. Danger very high. Accessibility zero — strangers don't survive. Popularity infamous.

Sewers Under the Southern Side. Damp narrow tunnels with no light. Very little loot — only what the Rats dropped. Danger high — you can get lost, drown, or run into a Bone Digger. Accessibility only with maps, and half don't return. Popularity among desperate smugglers.

Flooded Quarters by the River. Territory between the Riverfolk and the Sanitars. Lots of loot — sunken shops and cars — but underwater and among Hollow that walk on the bottom. Danger high — drowning, cold, or grabbed from below. Accessibility low — only divers and fishermen. Popularity among those seeking high-risk expensive loot.

Coolest (safe, lots of loot, high popularity) TV Tower. High-rise building with a view of half the city. Guarded by the Watchers. Almost no loot. Danger low. Accessibility closed. Popularity high for information.

University Chemistry Building. Base of the Chemists. Loot — reagents, glassware, homemade medicine. Danger low if you have something to trade. Accessibility moderate among traders and the sick. Popularity rising due to antibiotics.

Government Quarter. Base of the New Order. Loot — weapons, ammo, uniforms, communication gear. Danger low if you don't break their laws. Accessibility only with passes. Popularity among those who want legitimate government.

Great (relatively safe, decent loot, moderate popularity) Old Department Store Ashton. Base of the Bone Ones. Loot — weapons, canned food, medicine. Danger moderate if you stay off their turf. Accessibility only for their own. Popularity high among traders.

Northern Parking Lot. Base of the Wanderers. Loot — vehicles, spare parts, fuel, tools. Danger moderate — don't touch their vehicles. Accessibility high for anyone wanting repairs or fuel. Popularity maximum among long-range raiders.

Wholesale Market. Base of the Syndicate. Loot — warehouse stocks of clothing, household chemicals, some food. Danger moderate if you try to trade without permission. Accessibility very high — main trading hub. Popularity enormous.

Smallest (fewer than 50 people) The Apostles of the End. 30 people. Religious cult in the church and two chapels. Believe V-712 is a purification. Don't kill Hollow and don't defend themselves. Hollow don't attack them because they starch their clothes and smear themselves with church incense that masks their scent.

The Headhunters. 25 people. No permanent base. Move across the entire city and region. Kill survivors for payment or gear. Work as mercenaries for large gangs. Have silencers, a thermal imager from a crashed drone, and three sniper rifles. Ignore Hollow — know how to freeze and blend into walls.

The Monks of Silence. 15 people. Obsessed with the idea that sound is a curse. Live in a soundproof bunker of a former recording studio. Communicate with notes. Never go to the surface. Have a two-year supply of canned food. Don't trade or fight. Just sit and wait. Almost no one knows about them.

Medium (200–1,000 people) The Sanitars (Butchers). 800 people. Meat processing plant, underground tunnels, and two slaughterhouses. Cannibals. Use the infected as bait. Filter water from underground rivers. Dangerous and unpredictable. Fight anyone who enters their territory.

The Chemists. 600 people. Former students, lab technicians, and teachers from the university and two schools. Can make explosives, medicine, and primitive drugs. Based in the chemistry building and school basements. Don't fight but hire security from the Wanderers. Sell explosive packs, antibiotics, and painkillers.

The Riverfolk. 400 people. Control the embankment and the boat station. Travel by boat and motorboat between flooded areas. Fishing and trading fish. Base on a barge in the middle of the river where Hollow can't reach. Trade fish and crayfish. Hostile to the Sanitars because the cannibals steal their fishermen.

Small (50–200 people) The Rats. 150 people. Sewers under the southern and eastern parts of the city. Live on mushrooms, rats, and occasionally sneak out for food at night. Know the map of underground communications. Sell passage routes and Hollow movement info for ammo or food.

The Silent Ones. 120 people. A gang of mutes and those who cut out their vocal cords to avoid attracting Hollow. Communicate with gestures and tapping on walls. Based in the ruins of the northern quarter and the abandoned library. Dangerous only when defending territory. Don't negotiate. Kill anyone who speaks loudly near their shelter.

The Blind Ones. 80 people. Survivors who damaged their eyes in an explosion or illness. Move with homemade sound antennas made of tin and medical stethoscopes. Hear Hollow 200 meters earlier than healthy people. Based in the theater and the conservatory where acoustics are good. Sell navigation services and attack warnings.

Largest (more than 5,000 people) The Bone Ones. 8,000 fighters. Control the city center, the old department store, and three residential blocks. Have generators, firearms, and scouts. Wear masks made from Hollow bones. Deal in slave trade, water control, and taxing smaller gangs.

The New Order. 7,000 fighters. Former military, police, and officials. Based in the government quarter and at the stadium. Have armored personnel carriers, machine guns, and radio contact with the outside world via intercepted drones. Consider themselves the legitimate government. Execute looters and cannibals. Hostile to the Bone Ones. Control the southern sector of the wall.

The Syndicate. 6,000 fighters. A trading empire of former businessmen and gangsters. Based at the wholesale market and port warehouses. Don't fight themselves but hire other gangs. Control the distribution of ammunition, medicine, and fuel. Have a courier network across the entire region.

Large (1,000–5,000 people) The Watchers. 3,000 people. Base in the TV tower and three high-rises around it. Snipers, optics, homemade radio communication. Never go down to ground level. Sell information about Hollow movements and other gangs.

The Wanderers. 2,500 people. A nomadic gang of former long-haul truckers, mechanics, and drivers. Based at the northern exit parking lot and two gas stations. Have 15 armored trucks, a vehicle fleet, and a workshop. Trade in transport and repairs. Don't fight other gangs but brutally kill thieves.

The Iron Ones. 2,000 people. Seized the steel plant and surrounding workshops. Wear homemade armor from sheet metal. Have a forge and produce melee weapons — spears, axes, sharpened shovels. Trade weapons with the Bone Ones and the Syndicate. Prefer to stay underground in the plant's tunnels and workshops.

Other cities are not infected. Authorities from the neighboring region built a 47 km wall completely surrounding Ashton 36 hours after confirming the virus would not leave the city limits. The wall consists of reinforced concrete slabs 12 meters high, reinforced by sand-filled containers. Across the top: razor wire and motion sensors (powered by solar panels). Every 300 meters: a watchtower with thermal imaging and a sniper. Orders: anyone approaching the wall from the Ashton side within 50 meters is to be shot without warning. Friendly forces do not approach. The wall is called the "Shield."

The city is officially designated "V-712, Experiment" — the first ever closed zone where the virus is studied under real-world conditions without interference. Every 72 hours, a drone flies over the city with sensors: it measures Hollow density, asphalt temperature (to detect whether a new type of decomposition has begun), and records sounds. No attempts to rescue survivors — they were deemed a source of disorder, and all humanitarian drops ceased on day 23. Zero supply. No aviation. No ground teams enter.

Authorities in neighboring cities released an official bulletin: "Ashton no longer exists. Entry is forbidden. Anyone leaving the perimeter will be shot without trial. There is no vaccine. There is no cure. There is only the wall."

"V-712, Experiment" (formerly the city of Ashton, population 420,000)

Status: Closed quarantine zone. Perimeter — 47 km of walls.

The V-712 virus enters through mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, open wounds) or through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person — blood, saliva, vomit. Airborne transmission is only documented during the primary decay stage (the first 2–3 hours of illness, when the infected person still breathes spontaneously).

Incubation: 40 minutes to 6 hours. Depends on viral load and entry point.

Symptoms (by stage):

· 0–20 minutes: headache, burning eyes, sweating. · 20–40 minutes: limb convulsions, loss of finger sensation, skin turning gray-blue. · 40–60 minutes: temporary lucidity — the person realizes they are infected and often tries to contact the outside world. This stage is called the "cry of conscience." · 60–90 minutes: catatonic phase — lack of response, dilated pupils, heart rate slowing to 30–40 BPM. · 90–120 minutes: total necrosis of the olfactory epithelium and the brain regions responsible for fear and empathy. The infected person loses the ability to feel pain and to distinguish people from objects. · 120–150 minutes: transformation complete. The subject becomes a "Hollow." It moves, grabs, bites. It does not sleep, does not tire, and does not reproduce biologically.

Only through contact with Hollow bodily fluids:

· Bite (98% infection rate unless the bite site is amputated within 30 seconds) · Contact with infected blood or saliva on an open wound (75% rate) · Swallowing contaminated water or flesh (100% rate, but Hollow rarely swallow — they chew and spit out)

During the first 40 minutes after a bite, infected individuals are still airborne contagious: a single sneeze in an unventilated room guarantees infection for everyone else.

The city of Ashton has had no power since day 12. No water since day 16. Gas was cut off intentionally, but pipes are ruptured in places, and the smell of mercaptan lingers in basements — it was added so people could detect leaks. Some blocks are flooded with natural gas; any spark turns the street into a torch.

Seventy percent of windows are shattered — either by the initial blast waves in the first days or by the Hollow themselves, who react to reflections. Doors stand wide open: people fled when neighboring apartments turned into nests. Walls are splattered with blood in fan-shaped patterns (traces of carotid artery bites). In some apartments, diesel generators still sit — the owners never returned. The fuel burned out long ago, but the engines click when the wind nudges them.

Streets are blocked by abandoned cars — traffic jams froze on day two, when drivers began transforming behind the wheel. Now every second car contains a mummified Hollow, still strapped in by its seatbelt. They cannot get out, but they twitch when someone passes by — the windows are cracked but hold.

Storefronts are smashed. Pharmacies were looted first. Supermarkets became traps: after the first looters entered, Hollow swarmed to the smell of blood and blocked every exit. Inside now lies a layered structure — dried traps (rebar snares, tensioned cables) on the floor, above them corpses in matching security vests, above them Hollow nests woven from curtains and human hair.

At the city center lies the epicenter — where the first carrier worked (a lab technician who released V-712 from a broken cryocontainer). Within an 800-meter radius is the highest concentration of Hollow. There they do not wander. They sit motionless, pressed against each other. This is called a "Hibernating Swarm." Any sound within 50 meters triggers a simultaneous awakening.

Dangerous (high risk, training needed) Hearing. Shape with enlarged eardrums. He hears footsteps 100 meters and a heartbeat through the wall. He himself is silent. Attacks from cover silently. Vulnerable place of the ears. It is found in dark buildings and tunnels.

Wall. A huge Hollow weighing up to 200 kg. It does not bite, but sweeps away everything in its path. Small-caliber bullets get stuck in the fat. You need explosives or a fall from a height. It is found in warehouses and supermarkets.

Crybaby (new). An entity that cries like a baby. He stands still and sobs. Her crying can be heard 300 meters away and attracts Hollow. But the Crybaby does not attack or move. If you come closer than 10 meters, she falls silent and looks at the visitor with empty eye sockets, after which the visitor feels insurmountable anguish and sometimes commits suicide. How to kill Crybaby is unknown, bullets go through her. It is found in kindergartens, schools and cemeteries.

Special (unique, deadly, or mysterious) Bone Digger. Giant Hollow embedded in concrete and bone. Almost invulnerable to bullets. He breaks through the walls with his head. It comes out of the ground once a week. His appearance means death for everyone within a two-block radius. Only explosives or the collapse of the building stop it.

Siren. The essence of a woman's appearance that has preserved her voice. Her scream can be heard halfway through the city and attracts all Hollow. It does not move and does not bite. She just stands there and screams until someone shoots her in the head. No one knows why she is doing this.

Shadow. An entity without a physical body. Passes through walls. Does not bite, does not scratch. He appears at the sleeping man's bed and looks at him. Waking up and seeing the Shadow loses his mind after 3 seconds. It is found in bedrooms where someone died in their sleep.

Shepherd (new). A unique essence that dozens of Hollow obey. It does not attack itself. It stands in the center of the pack and moves slowly, indicating the direction Hollow should go. If the Shepherd is killed, the whole pack freezes for a minute, and then disperses. The Shepherd Is Protected 50

Weak (easy to kill, danger low) Standard Hollow at a late stage. Slow, almost blind. It reacts to loud noises and movement two meters away. The bone breaks with one blow. The danger is low if you are not surrounded.

Lipun. Hollow, which had been lying in the water for a long time. The body is swollen and covered with mucus. Very slow, but if you get close to it, mucus can splash in the face. Infection through the mucous membranes in 40 minutes. The danger is medium due to unexpected infection. It is found near water and in flooded basements.

Sonya (new). Hollow, who fell into deep hibernation due to cold or hunger. He does not move, does not breathe, looks like dead. But if you touch it or walk too close, it wakes up instantly and bites. The danger is medium due to surprise. It is found in cold basements and in winter outside under snow.

Common (medium hazard is common) Active Hollow. It continues to mutate in the first two months. Fast, aggressive. It hears whispers at a distance of 20 meters. You can't break your head with a blow, you need a heavy or stabbing one. It is found everywhere except the epicenter.

Jumper. A rare mutation with developed leg muscles. It jumps 5 meters high and 10 meters long. When landing, the clap attracts other Hollows. The danger is high in open space. Vulnerable places are the knees. It is found on the upper floors and on streets with tall buildings.

Clawed (new). This Hollow has grown long, sharp claws instead of nails. It does not bite, but scratches. It cuts through the skin like a razor. After a scratch, infection through blood in 40 minutes. The danger is medium, but the wounds hurt and take a long time to heal. It is found in buildings where there are many wooden surfaces to sharpen claws.

Terrible (dangerously, little loot, low popularity) Meat processing plant. The territory of the "Orderlies" and the entrance to the tunnels. There is almost no loot, only spoiled meat and cannibal weapons. The danger is very high. Attendance is zero, a stranger is not a resident there. Popularity, notoriety.

Collectors under the south side. Wet narrow tunnels without light. There is very little loot, only that the "Rats" dropped. The danger is high: you can get lost, drown, or run into a Bone Digger. Attendance is only by cards and even then half is not returned. Popular among desperate smugglers.

Flooded neighborhoods near the river (new). The area between "Rechniki" and "Sanitary". Loot, a lot of sunken shops and cars, but under water and among Hollow, which do not drown, but walk on the bottom. The danger is high: you can drown, freeze or be grabbed by the leg from under the water. Attendance is low, only scuba divers and fishermen. Popularity among those who are looking for expensive loot with risk.

Very terrible (almost certain death loot no) Epicenter. Radius 800 meters from the laboratory. There is no loot at all. The danger is prohibitive. There's a "Hibernation Swarm" of thousands of Hollows sitting still. Any sound triggers a simultaneous wake-up. Attendance no one returned. Popularity, a place that is bypassed by everyone.

The old roundabout at the southern sector of the wall. A military drone with a thermal imager fell there. Loot one thermal imager. The danger is extreme: you have to walk 200 meters in an open area among Hollows who see heat. Attendance several groups tried, none returned. Popularity among desperate idiots.

Underground bunker under the library (new). A hatch leads there, which was found by the "Quiet Ones". Inside, according to rumors, there is a cache of soldiers with weapons and food for 10 years. The problem is that the "Quiet" do not let anyone in, because the bunker is under their territory, and there is already someone inside. They say steps and voices are heard from there. The danger is unknown, no one entered or left. Attendance is zero. His popularity is legendary.

Normal (can survive loot average or lower) Residential areas in the northwest. Private houses and basements. There is little loot, the remains of everyday life. The danger is low, Hollow rarely enter. Attendance is average, loners are hiding there. Popularity is low.

Market Square near the Southern Ring. A spontaneous market where food, ammunition and information are exchanged. There is no loot at all, only goods to go. The danger is medium, they can be robbed or killed by strangers. Attendance is high on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Popular with everyone who lives near the southern wall.

Steel Mill (new). Base of the "Iron". Loot, metal, tools, cold weapons. The danger is medium for strangers, but not fatal. Attendance is low only on trade matters. Popular among those who need weapons.

The coolest (safe, a lot of loot, high popularity) Telecenter. A high-rise building with a view of half the city. Guarded by the Overseers. There is almost no loot, only equipment. The danger is low. Attendance is closed. Popularity is high for information.

Chemical Corps of the University. Chemists base. There are a lot of loot reagents, glass containers, homemade medicines. The danger is low if there is something to exchange. Attendance is average among merchants and patients. Popularity is growing because of antibiotics.

Government Quarter (new). The base of the "New Order". Loot, a lot, weapons, ammunition, uniforms, communications. The danger is low if you do not violate their laws. Attendance is only by passes. Popularity among those who want legitimate power.

Cool (relatively safe, there is loot, average popularity) Old department store "Ashton". The base of the "Bones". There is a lot of loot, weapons, canned food, medicines. The danger is medium if you do not climb into the territory. Attendance is only for insiders. Popularity is high among merchants.

Northern parking. Base "Tramps". Loot cars, spare parts, fuel, tools. The danger is medium: strangers are not touched, but the equipment is strictly guarded. Attendance is high, everyone who wants to fix a car or buy gasoline. Popularity among long-range raiders is maximum.

Wholesale market (new). Syndicate base. There are a lot of loot, warehouses with clothes, household chemicals and a little food. The danger is medium if you do not try to trade without permission. Attendance is very high, the main shopping center of the region. The popularity is enormous.

"Chemists". 600 people. Former students, laboratory assistants and teachers from the university and two schools. They know how to make explosives, medicines and primitive drugs. They are based in the chemical building and in the basements of schools. They don't fight, but they hire security from the "Tramps". They sell explosive packs, antibiotics and painkillers.

"Rivermen" (new). 400 people. They control the embankment and the boat station. They sail on boats and motorboats between flooded areas. Fishing and fish trade. A barge base in the middle of the river cannot be reached by Hollow. They sell fish and crayfish. They feud with the "Orderlies" because cannibals steal their fishermen.

Small (50-200 people) "Rats". 150 people. Sewers under the southern and eastern parts of the city. They live on the fungus of rats and sometimes get out for food at night. They know the map of underground communications. They sell passages and information about Hollow's movement for ammo or food.

"Quiet". 120 people. A gang of mutes and those who cut out their vocal cords so as not to attract Hollow. They communicate with gestures and knocking on the walls. They are based in the ruins of the northern quarter and in an abandoned library. They are dangerous only when defending the territory. They do not enter into negotiations. Anyone who speaks loudly near their hiding place is killed on the spot.

"Blind" (new). 80 people. A group of survivors who have injured their eyes in an explosion or illness. They move with homemade auditory antennas made of tin and medical stethoscopes. They hear Hollow 200 meters earlier than healthy ones. They are based in the theater and in the conservatory, where the acoustics are good. They sell navigation and attack warning services.

The smallest (less than 50 people) "Apostles of the End". 30 people. Religious worship in the church and two chapels. They believe that V-712 is a purification. They do not kill Hollow and do not defend themselves. But Hollow doesn't touch them, because they starch their clothes and smear themselves with church incense, which masks the smell. "Bounty hunters". 25 people. They do not have a permanent base. They move throughout the city and region. Kill survivors for pay or equipment. They work for large gangs as mercenaries.

The largest (more than 5000 people) are "Bone". 8000 fighters. The city center is controlled by an old department store and three residential areas. There are generators, firearms and reconnaissance. They wear masks made of Hollow bones. They are engaged in the slave trade, water control and taxes from small gangs.

"New Order" (new). 7000 fighters. Former military policemen and officials. They are based in the government quarter and at the stadium. They have armored personnel carriers, machine guns and radio communication with the outside world through intercepted drones. They consider themselves legitimate authorities. Marauders and cannibals are executed. They are at odds with the Bones. They control the southern sector of the wall.

"Syndicate" (new). 6000 fighters. A trading empire of former businessmen and bandits. They are based on the wholesale market and in port warehouses. They do not fight themselves, but hire other gangs. Control the distribution of cartridges, medicines and fuel. They have a courier network throughout the region.

Large (1000-5000 people) "Overseers". 3000 people. The base is in the television center and on three high-rises around. Snipers, optics, radio communication on homemade frequencies. They do not come down to earth. They sell information about the movements of Hollow and other gangs.

"Vagabonds". 2500 people. A nomadic gang of former truckers, mechanics and drivers. They are based on a parking lot at the northern exit and at two gas stations. They have 15 armored trucks, a fleet of vehicles and a workshop. They sell transport and repairs. They do not fight with other gangs, but brutally kill hijackers.

"Iron" (new). 2000 people. The steel plant and adjacent workshops were seized. They wear homemade sheet metal armor. They have a forge and produce cold weapons: spears, axes, sharpened shovels. They trade weapons with "Bone" and "Syndicate". They do not like to come to the surface, they live in the workshops and underground passages of the plant.

Medium (200-1000 people) "Orderlies" (Butchers). 800 people. A meat processing plant, underground tunnels and two slaughterhouses. Cannibals. They use the infected as bait. Water is filtered from underground rivers. They are dangerous and unpredictable. They are at war with everyone who enters their territory.

Other cities are not infected. Authorities in the neighboring region built a 47-kilometer-long wall around the perimeter of Ashton 36 hours after confirming that the virus was not spreading outside the city. Wall: reinforced concrete slabs 12 m high, reinforced with sand containers. On top there is barbed tape and motion sensors (powered by solar panels). Every 300 m there is a tower with a thermal imager and a sniper. Order: Anyone who approaches the wall from Ashton's side within 50 meters is destroyed. Their own people do not approach. The wall is called "Zaslon".

The city is officially recognized as "V-712, Experiment" - the first ever closed zone where the virus is studied in real conditions without intervention. Once every 72 hours, a drone with sensors flies over the city: it measures the density of Hollow, the temperature of the asphalt (it is used to assess whether a new type of decomposition has begun), and records sounds. No attempt to rescue the survivors – they were considered a source of disorder and stopped all humanitarian drops on the 23rd day. The supply is zero. Aviation does not work. Ground groups do not enter.

The authorities of neighboring cities issued a newsletter: "Ashton no longer exists. Entry is prohibited. Anyone who leaves the perimeter will be shot without trial. There is no vaccine. There is no cure. There is only a wall."

There has been no electricity in the city of Ashton since the 12th day. There has been no water since 4 p.m. Gas has been turned off in an emergency, but the pipes are broken in places, and there is a smell of mercaptan in the basements - it is used so that people can identify leaks. Some neighborhoods are flooded with household gas; Any spark turns the street into a torch.

The windows are 70% shattered - either by the blast wave in the first days, or by Hollow itself, which reacts to reflections. The houses stand with their doors open: people ran out when neighboring apartments turned into nests. On the walls there are blood splatters that look like fan streaks (traces of carotid artery bites). In some apartments, generators run on diesel fuel - the owners never returned. The diesel has long burned out, but the engines still click when the wind touches them.

The streets are blocked by abandoned cars - traffic jams arose on the second day, when drivers began to transform right behind the wheel. Now every second car has a mummified Hollow, fastened with a belt. They can't get out, but they twitch when someone passes by - the glass has long been cracked, but they hold on.

Shop windows are broken. Pharmacies were looted first. Supermarkets turned into traps: after the first looters entered, Hollow pulled up to the smell of blood and blocked all exits. Now there is a layered structure inside: on the floor there are dried traps (traps made of rebar, stretched cables), above - corpses in identical security vests, even higher - Hollow nests, twisted from curtains and human hair.

In the center of the city is the epicenter, where the first carrier was (a laboratory employee who released V-712 from a broken cryocontainer). A radius of 800 meters is the maximum concentration of Hollow. There they do not wander, but sit motionless, huddled together. This is called the "Hibernation Swarm". Any sound within a radius of 50 meters triggers a simultaneous wake-up.

Only through contact with Hollow liquids:

· bite (98% chance of infection if the bite site is not amputated within 30 seconds) · Blood or saliva getting into a fresh wound (75% chance) · ingestion of contaminated water or flesh (100% probability, but Hollow are rarely swallowed - they chew and spit out).

People in the first 40 minutes after the bite are still contagious with airborne droplets: one sneeze in a room without ventilation guarantees infection for the rest.

"V-712, Experiment" (former city of Ashton, 420,000 population)

Status: Closed quarantine zone, Perimeter - 47 km of walls.

1. How the virus affects humans

The V-712 virus penetrates through mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, open wounds) or through direct contact with the biological fluid of an infected person - blood, saliva, vomit. The airborne route is recorded only at the stage of primary decay (the first 2-3 hours of the disease, when the infected person still breathes spontaneously).

Incubation: 40 minutes to 6 hours. It depends on the dose of the virus and the place of entry.

Symptoms (in stages):

· 0-20 minutes: headache, burning eyes, sweating. · 20-40 minutes: cramps in the limbs, loss of sensitivity in the fingers, the skin becomes gray-blue. · 40-60 minutes: temporary enlightenment of consciousness – the person realizes that he is infected and often tries to contact the outside world. This stage is called the "cry of conscience". · 60-90 minutes: catatonic phase - lack of reaction, dilated pupils, slowing of the pulse to 30-40 beats. · 90-120 minutes: total necrosis of the olfactory epithelium and the parts of the cortex responsible for fear and empathy. The infected lose the ability to feel pain, distinguish between people and objects. · 120-150 minutes: Completion of the transformation. The object becomes "Hollow". It moves, grabs, bites. It does not sleep, does not get tired, does not reproduce biologically.