Excerpts from The Origins, Structures, and Effects of the Horseman Virus; Official Colonial Records.

 When the first outbreaks of the virus occurred, there was some disagreement in regard to its name.  Within six months, the newswires were filled with stories of diseases like Rocky Mountain Hemorrhagic Flu, Hong Kong Sleepwalking Sickness, and Kali’s Wrath.  Approximately one year after the disease first appeared, and it was understood exactly how it worked, one name had gained prominence worldwide: The Horseman Virus.  To this day scholars disagree on the origin of the name; the majority believe it refers to the four distinct strains of dangerous Infected produced by the pathogen, each corresponding to one of the mythic ‘four horsemen” of the bible.  Others believe it refers simply to the fact that the disease brought with it the same thing as the biblical horsemen: The Apocalypse.

“While the biological structure of the microbe commonly known as the Horseman virus is unique from previous known infectious agents, the assertion that the disease was in any way engineered, or that its origins were in any way unnatural, are nothing more than dangerous and seditious propaganda, rooted in either fear or traitorous lies. Stories of the virus being not wholly organic, or any tales of nano-technological aspects of the virus, are similarly ridiculous and dangerous.” -Excerpt from revised addition, with additional Elder’s commentaries

Thoughts on New World Societies - Author Anonymous

When the virus first hit, most of us weren’t that worried.  Media hype never quite matched reality once science went to work; at least that had been our experience in the past.  It took a while, but eventually we realized that the “shit had hit the fan” and for once everyone was sprayed.  Not just the dummies that made bad decisions or even those that skated close to edge; no, all of us were in a leaky boat with no bucket for bailing. 

As more and more people died, there were attempts to stop the spread of the contagion.  Federal and state quarantines.  People headed to isolated areas hoping to avoid others.  Local militias formed to limit contact inside and outside of communities.  That most basic instinct of survival of the species buried deep in our DNA became the dominant value driving behavior as things kept getting worse.  The social values of equality, self-determination, civic responsibility, fairness, equal justice, honesty and others died a slow death, but death all the same.  The “rule of law” took on a whole new meaning to fit the new struggle for survival.  The “rules” favored the fittest, those with the most useful skills.  The “law” was swift and increasingly harsh and judgmental.  No gray areas.  No allowances for justification and mercy. 

Social Values are the shared guidelines for social conduct.  They help define general concepts of what is good or desirable in a culture.  They provide stability and help define how the people govern themselves.  Values such as individualism, equality, productivity, creativity are some of the values that are seen as American.  Equality, honesty, impartial justice, responsibility, freedom of speech are other values frequently listed.

Plague Heads - An etymological history

‘Plague-Head” originated as a slang term even before the Infected were recognized as something no longer human.  This more colloquial term quickly outpaced the competing title of ‘Plague-Bringer’, likely because it seemed to capture better the mindless nature of this particular Infected. It referred to the fact that those who survived the initial days after exposure to the pathogen began to exhibit the overwhelming compulsion to violate their quarantines and ensure the virus was passed on to new hosts.  This desire first expressed itself subtly, but quickly the Infected became irrevocably single-minded and violent.  Later notes, after the Fall, recorded the curious fact that despite their mindlessness, these ‘Plague-Heads’ seemed remarkably well-adapted to the post-societal world.  This news struck a blow against those hoping for a quick return to pre-Horseman society.

Thoughts of Survival in the New World - Author Anonymous

The Horsemen virus literally stampeded across the globe. Panic fueled it and attempts to outrun it created havoc and increasing mortality rates in its path. Large cities and densely packed metropolitan areas weren’t designed to contain an epidemic nor deal with the results of one associated with such high death rates.

Worldwide pigs, poultry, cats and monkeys were destroyed in attempts to stop the virus, despite the fact that no scientist went on the record stating any of these were the source of the infection. The memory of what had been the source of prior infectious outbreaks was enough to fuel fear and create a need to try and control and eliminate the threat.

Like every resistant virus, the Horsemen mutated multiple times, constantly confounding attempts to curb or defeat it. Rumors began to circulate that infection survivors did not recover so much as change.  Some had developed aggressive, anti-social tendencies and had to be ostracized from their survivor groups. Some seemed to have lost higher brain function, sitting or laying for long periods of time, before sound or movement stimulated disorganized and wandering behaviors. Unable to support this kind of care, most of the “locked-in” were abandoned and left to die. Survivors needed working, stable groups to stay alive and attempt to rebuild.

The attempts of governments to sequester and guard selective sites for research, treatment and hopes to contain the spread of the contagion met with limited success, so these selected sites eventually became fortified outposts that isolated and aggressively refused outside contact.

Surviving became a “them versus us” mentality. Survivors believed a zero-sum game was the only one to play.  The world was not looking very good for the survivors.

Zero-sum thinking by its definition puts you at odds with another person or persons.  When you believe that you can only win by way of others losing, you act in one of two ways:

Try to win by making others lose, or allow others to win and believe you will lose as a result

Either way, you are buying into the belief that you are destined to fail in some way, or you intentionally put yourself in conflict with others in an attempt to win.

The Outbreak and Spread of the Horsemen - From the Official Colonial Records

The outbreak of the Horseman virus was fast, violent, and devastating. The number dying was beyond belief and comprehension.  Despite the persistent and unyielding attempts of governments, scientist and health care, the number of infected and dying was unstoppable.  In many cities the dead were stacked like cord wood in the streets, before giving up trying to empty all the apartments and homes where the dead lay rotting. It seemed there was an unrelenting spread of the contagion despite the halting of most mass transportation systems and quarantines.  It seemed like modern science had failed, despite its recent successes in defeating HIV, Ebola, H2N12, and so many others.  People barricaded themselves behind doors, fled the cities for the countryside, and then eventual to small, isolated communities hidden behind high walls and violently enforced quarantine. 

The talk of nano-technology and an engineered virus made it into circulation when stories were told about some Infected that didn’t die but instead changed into something other than human. This distrust of science and government grew as some believed that attempts to control the virus had actually “created” these non-humans. With the death and decay and then the ravaging of remaining pockets of uninfected by the “changed” creatures of the Horseman, the fall of civilization — now referred to as The Old World — seemed complete.  Barricades, scrambling for safety, and draconian security was the new norm.  When outposts of people were found to be hoarding technology and limiting access and it was found that they were led by scientists, the anger and distrust of science became part of the New World.

Vincente

Vincente had known the world before infection, after as a traveler looking for safety and now in a Survivor’s Colony. He had seen a lot and knew a lot; what it took to survive and how to put aside those things that would kill you.

Survival meant learning hunting and tracking for food. Negotiation skills for getting what you wanted, and sometimes the negotiations turned ugly. Keeping the group safe required guns, knives, and quick responses. Scars on the body came from dangerous and mundane encounters on the road. They could be great escapes, near misses or humorous stories that kept everything in perspective during long miles looking for that safe place. Scars on the heart and mind needed to be locked away lest they “do a person in.”

Yep, Vincente had seen it all, experienced more than a child growing into adulthood should have had to experience, so when he had arrived at the Black Hills Colony, he thought he had finally found safety and security.

Despite the safety and companionship of the Colony, Vincente still thought he preferred the lawless and unpredictable land outside its walls. He knew how to deal with Plague Heads, Howlers, bandits, scavengers, and worse, but the secrets he had found in the Colony were far more dangerous than anything he had encountered in the Wilds.