Half Life: Pandemic

Chapter 3: Shut Down

48-120 HOURS AFTER OUTBREAK

While the Combine patrolled the multiple locations leading into the cities, the infected managed to reach locations outside the cities that are occupied by the Resistance. Most of the cities began to set up forcefields in the canal systems in attempt to prevent the infected from easily getting in. In result to this, Resistance members were separated and trapped in the cities and in the canals.

The infected, no longer being able to enter the canal systems, took another way into Sectors 11 and 16 by passing through the abandoned underground tunnels that were free from Combine defense fields. The Resistance members trapped in the city had also decided to take the risk of passing under the city in order to escape the Combine. In the process of both parties passing through the undergrounds, the infected scavenged and feasted on the headcrab zombies while the rebels gather weaponry and equipment scattered across the areas.

Eventually, the rebels and the infected have ran into each other face to face. The infected, being larger in numbers, overtook the rebels and soon found entrances into the main cities. Outbreaks suddenly began in City 11 and City 16 and the Combine once again attempt to exterminate the infected. As the infected overran both sectors, the defense fields in the canal systems were taken down from the other side, allowing an easier escape route for both the rebels and the infected.

After the Overwatch failed exterminating the infected, the Combine gave up and sent orders to abandon both sectors, skipping evacuation and leaving the rest of the civilians to die or turn infected. Right after both cities were abandoned, all networks connected to Sectors 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16 were quarantined by the Combine and completely shut down; leaving no escape for the survivors and the infected.

Sectors 8, 17, 23 and 24 are now the last standing Combine cities. The Combine had also delivered a sample of the pathogen into the Citadel for further research and experimentation. Based on first looks of the pathogen through microscopy, the pathogen appears to have be fluorescent greenish in color. However, the structure of the pathogen cells appear to be completely different from any kind of cell known to exist. Tests were ran on multiple specimen, including a Pigeon, a Headcrab, a Headcrab Zombie and a healthy human being.

When injected into the Pigeon, it took seconds for the bird to transform into an infected. The infected bird acted extremely aggresively when it had been infected.

When injected into the headcrab, the specimen visually appears to be completely healthy despite the pathogen cells injected into the bloodstream. The headcrab's behaviour was not changed, but is assumed to have the ability to infect other organisms.

When injected into a Headcrab Zombie, it took less than a minute to take over the host. Having both the Headcrab and the pathogen controlling the zombified host, this caused it to act far more aggresive than a normal Headcrab Zombie. What caught the attention of the Combine units the most is how the Headcrab Zombie's blood and tissue began to slowly glow fluorescent green in color.

And finally when injected into a human host, it took less than a minute for the host to transform. The infected appears to have greenish veins, deathly pale skin and bloodshot green eyes. Unlike the Headcrab Zombie, the host's blood did not glow green.

The transforming host suffered violent convulsions and bleeding from the eyes and nose, then driven into extreme anger and aggresion when finally transformed. The infected host also seems to have lost high intelligence and had been driven into a very animalistic and sadistic behaviour; loosing the ability to talk and gaining an unquenchable hunger and rage for blood and flesh.

Based on the results from the first experiments, the pathogen can only control humans and animals while can only be carried dormant by alien wildlife. And based on the results of the Headcrab Zombie, the pathogen seems to reproduce rapidly in corpses or decomposing tissue. The Combine names it the "Nuclear Plague".

The Combine began sending cleanup teams to the unoccupied locations outside of Sectors 8, 17, 23 and 24 to clean up corpses and contaminated objects, while extermination teams were sent to the quarantined sectors to kill all infected and survivors trapped in the areas. Prior to the destructions of the invaded Combine sectors, the Combine began creating and setting up more advanced defense fields to prevent any possible outbreaks occuring in the last four standing Combine sectors.

The surviving members of the Resistance who managed to escape the quarantined sectors have either reached the coastlines or safely escaped into Black Mesa East. While those who are still trapped within the quarantine zone are either dead, infected or still managing to survive. The infected are still contained within the zone and have currently not found any way to escape yet, but are still surviving by feeding on corpses, smaller alien wildlife, surviving civilians and on fallen Overwatch soldiers.

The quarantine zone appears to be in a complete blackout when the Combine had shut down all generators and power sources in the quarantined sectors. The entire zone appears to be largely deserted, only having the large presence of the infected but barely any sign of survivors. What used to be the Combine cities had been turned into an environment as desolate as the town of Ravenholm after the Combine bombarded it with headcrabs.

All railway networks that pass through the quarantine zone have become fully secured and guarded by the Overwatch to ensure none of the infected will get pass the defense fields of the zone. All the Combine checkpoints that used to be within the quarantine zone were shut down and moved into the other cities, while the rest of the zone's networks have been completely abandoned.