7/14/2041
Corbett Dam
Cody, Wyoming
USA Field Captain Helena Cruz: You're really going out there alone to test out this Myconaut repellent?
Chase Martin:[Packing] Yeah... The maps say there's an old mall south of here... Should be enough myconauts to test out CARD's Experimental Repellent... According to Selina's mom, it could permanently boost my natural repellent indefinitely. Both in potency & range... If it works, I'll test it out all around any other high-pop. areas... If not, I'll head west to the Buffalo Bill Dam, meet our team there... Any idea when the town's water grid will be up and running?
Field Trooper Kim Troy: Water Engineers said tomorrow at the earliest, but it'll definitely be a BWA(Boiling-Water Advisory) for a while until they can clear up the city's pipes & filtration system.
CM:[Fueling up your motorcycle & sidecar] Figures... Any plans to head into town & establishing an outpost in the city? The city's police station is pretty easy to get to. Looks like all you have to do is follow along the river west & you'll run close to it. It'll be northwest of the City of Cody... Guess that's what they called their Local Government Office... Maybe I'll go to the airport afterwards. I could clear it up for our
Ospreys to land more safely... A platoon or two of our Cutter's should make quick work of the city's myconaut population & begin establishing a Safe Zone here in Cody by the end of the month.
Field Medical Trooper Selina Santos: That's ambitious... But not impossible for us Cutters to do...
Qui transtulit sustinet Chase.
CM:
Qui transtulit sustinet to you all...
You hop onto your hybrid motorcycle & sidecar, starting it up for your journey ahead.
The good thing about repelling Runners is that you don't have to worry too much about a crowd of them stopping you for lunch. They'd eventually move out of your way.
Some time later...
CM:[On an audio recorder] Research log #41: This is Chase A. Martin. I'm in Cody, Wyoming; Ready to field test this experimental CBI repellent made by Dr. Olivia Martin. Please note, due to a previous encounter with an infected, I am Symbiotically Immune to the other strains of the Cordyceps Brain Infection, as well as give off spores that deter Stage 1 & 2 infected, yet aggravates Stage 3 & above infected. With my unique strain of CBI, my Mother has been trying to best utilize it for other applications. Though she hasn't yet developed a solid method of inoculation for CBI, she has developed a treatment to prevent humans from developing into Stage 1 infected. If anyone here's this recording, please note that the treatment is not guaranteed to work on all exposed victims. The higher in stage the infected exposure, the less likely for survival. However, if a person does survive the treatment, the patient will develop an Immunity to infected at or below said stage. Even with Stage 4 Immunity, exposure to CBI spores via inhalation will result in infection. As of now, the CBI treatment for airborne spores has less than a 5% chance to work & inoculate the individual to the degree of a Sym, but requires immediate administration. Spore infection is still a threat to humanity. Thankfully, the human respiratory & immune system can handle low concentrations of CBI spores, and due to the spores still being slightly denser than air, high spore concentrations only appear in low enclosed environments.
This experimental repellent is an effort to repel all stages of infected.
If I somehow die in the middle of the experiment, please send this to the Cutter Encampment in South Dakota, just past the border of Wyoming...
And...Tell my mom I love her...
Concluding your audio log, in case you die before returning home.
After putting away your recorder, you hold the experimental inhaler in your hand, confident that it will work, but still apprehensive if it doesn't.
You managed to get inside an old Eastgate Mall with only a few close calls. There were at least a dozen Clickers by your count, 2 Bloaters, and even a Shambler which nearly gave you a heart attack. Maybe it came from around Yellowstone. The rest were Stalkers and a few Runners that wanted nothing to do with you.
As a courtesy, you marked a safe root for any survivor stupid enough to enter.
In an old refuge long since abandoned, sitting in an old Yellowstone gift shop, you only had to kill a single Clicker with your great-grandpa's old trench knife your dad passed on to you.
You managed to turn on the old speaker system of the whole mall, making it even harder for the Clickers & Bloaters to find you or anyone, so doing your audio log was relatively safe.
CM: Alright... If this backfires and turns you all aggressive, please just kill me quickly, would you?
You look up to the Stalker across from you, huddled in a personal tent.
She merely groaned at you.
CM: I'll take that as a maybe... Here goes...
You took a deep inhale of the repellent.
After about a minute, the other Runners & Stalkers moan in agitation, heading for the store's entrance. Some even left altogether.
CM:[Surprised] It's working...[Shouting in celebration] Fuck yeah! You did it mom!
Like a dumb child, you outburst, forcefully closing your mouth in a desperate attempt to not be on a Clickers radar.
Too little, too late, as a Clicker stumbled past the fleeing infected and headed straight towards you.
In a fear of being killed, you froze in place, heart racing as the Clicker came right up to you.
Reaching for your knife, you were ready to take it out, but it seems you were all in the clear, when all of a sudden, you coughed right in its disfigured face.
CM: Welp! Guess I'll die...
Shockingly, you didn't die. Instead, the Clicker growled, clawing at it's own fungal face before stumbling back and collapsing on the floor.
CM: What the fu-?
The mother of all coughing fits came upon you. You couldn't even get a breath in as you coughed up what you at first thought was blood, you realised was actually spores turned slimy in your lungs, causing you to eventually collapse, unconscious.
The sound of footsteps awoke you.
CM:[Awakening] What the hell?
You crawl to cover, cautious to hide from any possible Hunter or Raider.
Feminine Voice: Whoever marked this path saved my ass a lot of trouble getting past all those Infected... Why it lead here, beats me... Huh... Looks like whoever was here left behind some stuff...
You see the stranger rummages through your bag until she comes across the recording device you used.
Female Stranger:[Analyzing] What's this?... Looks like whoever was here also left behind a recording device... I'll just take a listen...
The young woman takes out a pair of headphones, plugging it into the recorder.
Research log #41: This is Chase A. Martin. I'm in Cody, Wyoming; Ready to field test this experimental CBI repellent made by Dr. Olivia Martin. Please note, due to a previous encounter with an infected, I am Symbiotically Immune to the other strains of the Cordyceps Brain Infection, as well as give off spores that deter Stage 1 & 2 infected, yet aggravates Stage 3 & above infected. With my unique strain of CBI, my Mother has been trying to best utilize it for other applications. Though she hasn't yet developed a solid method of inoculation for CBI, she has developed a treatment to prevent humans from developing into Stage 1 infected. If anyone here's this recording, please note that the treatment is not guaranteed to work on all exposed victims. The higher in stage the infected exposure, the less likely for survival. However, if a person does survive the treatment, the patient will develop an Immunity to infected at or below said stage. Even with Stage 4 Immunity, exposure to CBI spores via inhalation will result in infection. As of now, the CBI treatment for airborne spores has less than a 5% chance to work & inoculate the individual to the degree of a Sym, but requires immediate administration. Spore infection is still a threat to humanity. Thankfully, the human respiratory & immune system can handle low concentrations of CBI spores, and due to the spores still being slightly denser than air, high spore concentrations only appear in low enclosed environments. This experimental repellent is an effort to repel all stages of infected. If I somehow die in the middle of the experiment, please send this to the Cutter Encampment in South Dakota, just past the border of Wyoming... And...Tell my mom I love her...
You took advantage of her listening to the recording to sneak up behind her.
Female Stranger: Can it be?... An immune person... And ye's managed to use yer immunity to help other people... Could also be bullshit some Raiders came up with to lure survivors to their doom...
Given her little dialogue, you assume she's a survivor.
Not wanting to spook her, you holster your pistol & knife.
CM:[Clears throat]
The young woman instinctively draws her gun at you.
Female Stranger: Who the fuck are you?[The stranger aims her pistol at you, interrogating you at gun point]
CM:[Hands up] Keep quiet... Were not alone... I'm the one on the recording you heard talking...[Offering a hand to shake] What's your name?
Female Stranger:[Backing up] I don't have to tell you shit... If you really are immune, show me.
CM:[Rolling up a sleeve] All right... This proof enough for you?
You expose your forearm, showing off the mosaic that is the several years of your several Clicker bites.
Female Stranger: Jesus... How do I know that it's not fake?
CM: You think I deliberately had my arm bitten by a sadist or something?... If I prove that I'm immune, you'll tell me your name, right?
Female Stranger: We'll see...
You walk around until you come towards the Stalker you saw earlier.
Approaching it, you were confident that it wouldn't seriously harm you.
The Stalker squirms away from you, clearly afraid of being near you.
Unfortunately, the Stalker seems to have their ankles cuffed to an anchor.
CM: See. She's utterly afraid of-
Stalker 1: G-gggo aw-awaa-aaayy...
Both you & the Stranger did a double take, looking at the the Stalker.
CM: Did she just talk?
FS: Did it just talk?!
Stalker 1:[Weeping] Pp-ppp...pleass-sse... H-hel-lpp...
CM & FS:[Astonishment] Holy shit the Stalker's talking...
CM:[Kneeling] Hey hey... It's okay... We won't kill you...
If I were to free you, would you be able to
NOT kill us?
FS: You got to be fucking kidding me...
Stalker 1: It... It h-hurt-t-t... C-cc-con-nntr-rr-r...ro-ol-lll...ls... li-itttttt-ttle...
FS: This is taking forever... If ye let's you loose, will you attack? Nod yes or no.
Stalker 1:[Nods no]
CM: Okay... I'm gonna trust you... But the moment you pose a threat, she guns you down...
You use a bobby pin to unshackle the Stalker from the cuffs.
The Stalker scrambles away from you, slowly getting up. Getting to her feet, she finds a mirror, analyzing her face in a dingy mirror, seeing her facial fungal growths wilt & fall apart.
Suddenly, the Stalker runs off, exiting the giftshop.
CM: That was...
Incredible.
FS: Insane.
You both look at each other, not quite sure of what either of you witnessed.
CM: Well... I think I proved enough of my immunity... Unless you want me to get bitten by a Clicker or a Bloater... Speaking of which, did you happen to see how many were out there?
FS: A few dozen Runners, a baker's dozen of Stalkers, A handful of Clickers, a Bloater & A Shambler for some reason... Why?
CM: My god... Just how potent is this repellent?... Listen, I've got to record my findings here, so could I have my stuff back if you won't give me your name?
FS: And if I did give you my name?
CM: You can have all my rations & that M4 there... Sure beats carrying around that bolt-action you have... What's that anyways? Winchester 70? Remington 700?
FS: Remington 700... My name's Ellie by the way... Ellie Williams.
She offers her hand to shake.
CM:[Shaking her hand] Chase A. Martin...[Grabbing your stuff] Now... Here you are.[You hand over your M4 w/ M320A1]. If you want to switch out my SU-123A sights for a scope if you'd like...
Ellie Williams:[Examining the M320A1] The hell is this?
CM:[Grabbing your primary] That, is a 40mm Grenade Launcher Module...
EW:[Shocked] This is a fucking grenade launcher?
CM: Yep!... And here are the grenades... Red for high explosive, Orange for WP Incendiary, Yellow for flashbangs, and Blue for smoke[You hand over your 40mm grenades & bandolier].
EW:[Putting on the bandolier] WP?
CM: White Phosphorus. Ever used a Molotov? This'll put all those to shame... It'll basically burn anybody you shoot it at to a crisp.
EW:[Loading a WP] Hell yeah... What the hell is that!?[She points at your primary]
CM: This is my favorite gun... I call it my "Bearded Dragon"... Mossberg 590A1 with a custom bearded axe head instead of a typical bayonet... What's with that look?
EW: That thing's a deathtrap waiting to happen.
CM:[Defensive] Hey, I'll have you know this "Deathtrap" has cut down Bloaters & Brutes like nothing... Besides... I don't have to worry about any other melee weapon breaking on me and I can switch seemlessly to a 12ga shotgun in a pinch... That GLM isn't the only thing I have that shoots explosives & fire... That's why I don't worry too much about you having it... Besides, I could always grab another set in Belle Forshe.
EW: And, it'd be almost impossible for me to to get anymore grenades outside of your group I assume...
CM: You pick on quickly... My group is probably the only one manufacturing those in all of the world... Speaking of groups, you with one?
EW:[Testing out the sights] Yes & no... I'm part of a group of survivors in Jackson, south of her... But I'm alone at the moment.
CM: You don't have to be... Look, I've got to secure this mall for my friends... I don't usually pair up, but having another person watching my six🕕 would make this easier... What do you say?
EW: Alright... I'll give you a hand... But anything I grab, it's mines.
CM: Deal... Now lets get out of here before nightfall.
EW: Nightfall? It's just past dawn.
CM:[Shocked] What!? Last I checked it was dusk... How long was I out?
EW: About 12 hours from the looks of it.
CM: Damn it... If we get out of here alive, you want to head west with me to the Buffalo Bill Dam? My group has a temp outpost there... Pretty sure we're having lox bagels & eggs benedict.
EW: Sounds delicious... I'm in.
CM: Alright, guess we're going...