TIMELINE1949
Four years after the second world war and there are still lingering effects of the Nazi conquering bid. Hitler's over-zealous and manic obsession with scientific experimentation doesn't die with him, as there are many scientists originally in his employ that shared his vision of finding the secret of prolonged life. A chemical reagent known as 'Vial 915' produces amazing longevity of life in laboratory mice, though there are strange side-effects.
1950
The secret laboratory meets with militia and chaos ensues. Within that chaos, a couple of seemingly dead mice are thrown out with the rest of the laboratory rubble.
1951
The scientists responsible for Vial 915 grow paranoid about the potential widespread effects of the missing and affected mice. They agree to lock themselves into their secret bunkers - of which there are six - along with their families, their most trusted friends and allies, and wait out the threat. They decide to keep the information about Vial 915 a secret.
Life continues as normal. By 1973, the last scientist in the bunker dies, with a warning never to go to the surface or they shall all be destroyed. As the generations raised in the bunker have lived there all their lives, and have only the most basic understanding of surface living, they heed this warning and continue to live in a fixed 1950s style manner.
Meanwhile, life above goes on as normal.
2009
The animals infected by the mice in 1950 finally infect their first human. It takes a mere four months from the first infection to be delivered worldwide. Some humans, like some animals, are completely immune to the reagent known as Vial 915; most are not so lucky. The infection spreads at different rates for different people. Some take seconds, others take years.
The afflicted are human beings, pigs, and many creatures in the rodent family, specifically; mice, bats, rats, squirrels, beavers, porcupines, guinea pigs, hamsters, chipmunks, prarie dogs). Ferrets are immune.
2010
For lack of a name, the infected are referred to as Zombies, due to their slack-jawed, slow-moving (shuffling) countenance, their desire to eat the flesh of their victims (with a liberal fetish for brains in particular), and single-minded purpose to groan a lot and roam aimlessly.
Vampires find it hard to eke out a living. Zombie blood is rancid, and fresh human blood is in short supply. At least the zombies leave them alone, though they can't be mind controlled as there's not much mind left in them.
Stuff is just lying around for the taking.
ABOUT VIAL 915- Vial 915 can still infect the living. If a zombie bites them and they get away, they'll get sick and turn into a zombie if they aren't immune.
- The infection spreads differently for different people. Some take hours to turn zombie, while others can take years.
- Warning signs for becoming zombie: A craving for raw meat. The inability to stop humming or groaning. Slowing metabolism. Lack of energy. Lowering of intelligence.
- A small percentage of people are immune to it. If they get bitten by a zombie, they don't get infected. It doesn't stop them from being attacked or killed by existing zombies or other dangers.
