#zombie virus arctic

[newnewz]

'Zombie' Virus Dormant for 48,500 Years in Arctic Ice Raises Global Health Concerns, Say Scientists

Scientists are sounding the alarm about potential threats posed by ancient viruses lying dormant under Arctic ice caps. The melting Arctic permafrost, driven by rising global temperatures, could release these ‘zombie viruses,’ potentially triggering a catastrophic global health crisis, according to a report in The Guardian. The risks associated with these viruses gained attention when a geneticist successfully revived some of them from samples taken from Siberian permafrost last year, shedding light on the potential dangers they may pose.

Geneticist Jean-Michel Claverie of Aix-Marseille University highlighted the oversight in pandemic threat analyses, noting that the focus has traditionally been on diseases emerging in southern regions and spreading north. However, the threat of an outbreak originating in the far north and traveling south has been relatively neglected. Claverie explained, “There are viruses up there that have the potential to infect humans and start a new disease outbreak.”

Scientists, including Marion Koopmans of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, share concerns about the unknown viruses lying dormant in the permafrost. Koopmans emphasized, “We don’t know what viruses are lying out there in the permafrost, but I think there is a real risk that there might be one capable of triggering a disease outbreak — say of an ancient form of polio. We have to assume that something like this could happen.”

Despite being frozen for thousands of years, live viruses recovered from Siberian permafrost have demonstrated the ability to infect single-celled organisms. The researchers, led by Claverie, isolated viruses in 2014 that could infect amoebae, and subsequent investigations identified virus strains capable of infecting cultured cells. One such virus sample dated back an astonishing 48,500 years.

Jean-Michel Claverie stated, “The viruses we isolated were only able to infect amoebae and posed no risk to humans. However, that does not mean that other viruses — currently frozen in the permafrost — might not be able to trigger illnesses in humans. We have identified genomic traces of poxviruses and herpesviruses, which are well-known human pathogens, for example.”

The permafrost, covering a fifth of the Northern Hemisphere, has acted as a time capsule, preserving extinct creatures and ancient viruses. As the Arctic region experiences warming at a rate several times faster than the global average, the disappearance of Arctic sea ice is also contributing to increased shipping, traffic, and industrial development in Siberia. This poses a particular threat as large-scale mining operations are planned, potentially releasing vast amounts of pathogens into the environment.

“The danger comes from another global warming impact: the disappearance of Arctic sea ice. That is allowing increases in shipping, traffic, and industrial development in Siberia. Huge mining operations are being planned, and are going to drive vast holes into the deep permafrost to extract oil and ores. Those operations will release vast amounts of pathogens that still thrive there. Miners will walk in and breathe the viruses. The effects could be calamitous,” warned Claverie.

[magical-thinking-magical-realism]

Hermitcraft/life series zombie apocalypse au based on this post by @saphushia (reblogs irrelevant I just wasn't bothered to find the original post)

This is Doc's journal. He's keeping track of everything he knows about everyone. What they're good at, what they're not good at, can he help them with that? As to why his name is marked ??, it's been so long he doesn't remember. Some of them have their real names marked down because he already knew them before the apocalypse, some of them are because he heard them screamed when their loved ones thought they were dead. He won't talk about those. Not talking about his patients helps him cope with the ones that have died.

Ladders

Named Ladders because of his knowledge of every single ladder in the city.

Real name: Etho

Species: Arctic fox

Skills: Knows the city inside and out. Agility. High stamina. Night vision.

Hindrances: Blind in right eye. Issues with breathing.

Notes: Ladders is constantly wearing a gas mask, even though we've confirmed the virus is not airborne. He tends to run ladder to ladder, rather than any sane method of transport.

Stitches

Named Stitches for their skill in first aid, particularly stitches.

Real name: Cleo

Species: Human?

Skills: Physical strength. Good at first aid. Smooth talker.

Hindrances: Low stamina.

Notes: Stitches seems more tired lately. We think they might've been bitten...

Gemini

Named Gemini for her ability to get from one place to another as if she was already in both places.

Real name: Taylor

Species: Fox?

Skills: Close-range combat. High stamina. Night vision. Speed.

Hindrances: Long-range combat.

Notes: Gemini and Pearl are very close. Possibly siblings?

Impulse

Named Impulse for his extremely impulsive behaviour.

Real name: ??

Species: ??

Skills: Long-range combat. High stamina. Night vision.

Hindrances: Empathy. Impulsive. Insomnia.

Notes: Impulse appears human, but I've seen him when he thinks he's alone, and I... Don't know what he is, and I don't think I want to.

Skizz

Real name: ??

Species: ??

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision.

Hindrances: Empathy. Low stamina.

Notes: See Impulse.

Beans

Real name: Joel

Species: Tanuki

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision. High stamina.

Hindrances: Attachment to Shadow. Ego.

Notes: N/A

Pearl

Real name: ??

Species: Moth

Skills: Flight. Night vision.

Hindrances: Insomnia.

Notes: Pearl and Gemini are very close. Possibly siblings? Pearl has expressed disinterest in romance.

Grian

Real name: ??

Species: Avian?

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision. Flight.

Hindrances: Struggle with sudden change. Attachment to Scar. Insomnia. Can be a control freak.

Notes: Grian appears to be a parrot hybrid, but he has also hinted at other hybrid features. And he definitely should not have such good night vision.

Bdubs

Real name: ??

Species: tbc

Skills: Knives. Speed. Camouflage. Finding/setting up bases.

Hindrances: Empathy. Long-range combat. Low stamina. Constant injuries.

Notes: Bdubs is some kind of moss creature. We just don't know what it's called. He is also a walking accident, with a concerning amount of scars and scrapes all over him. Not to mention the black eye that never seems to go away.

Scar

Named Scar for the slew of scars practically covering his body. He chose it himself.

Real name: Ryan

Species: Vex

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision.

Hindrances: Empathy. Low stamina. Impulsive. Unpredictable. Mobility issues. Overworks himself.

Notes: Scar claims he's fine, but we've all seen him stumble over nothing and continue to run with a heavy limp. He leans against the walls a lot, and holds on when he thinks we're not looking.

Tango

Real name: ??

Species: Blazeborn

Skills: Smooth talker. Explosives. Computers.

Hindrances: Empathy. Insomnia. Water.

Notes: Tango can't get wet. Due to his species, even a single drop of water touching his skin puts him at risk of hypothermia.

Doc

Real name: ??

Species: Creeper, goat

Skills: Medical. Physical strength. Low empathy. Speaks German. (According to everyone else, that's a skill. I don't see why it's useful. Zombies don't speak German.)

Hindrances: Low empathy. Insomnia. Survivor's guilt. Aggressive. Impulsive.

Notes: I'm the person everyone comes to for medical stuff. Sure, Gem and Stitches can do it in an emergency, but they can't do big things. Doc misses Ren more than he likes to admit. He won't say it himself, but he pretends he's still alive sometimes. He talks to him.

Shadow

Named Shadow for her ability to hide. It's almost like she becomes a shadow.

Real name: Lizzie

Species: Human?

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Aggressive. Confidence. Camouflage.

Hindrances: Empathy. Aggressive. Impulsive. Insomnia.

Notes: N/A

Solidarity

Real name: Jimmy

Species: Avian

Skills: Physical strength. High stamina. Flight.

Hindrances: Combat. Unpredictable.

Notes: N/A

Major

Real name: Scott

Species: Human?

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Physical strength. High stamina.

Hindrances: Empathy. Insomnia.

Notes: N/A

Author's notes: I'm not saying empathy is inherently bad, just that those people have trouble killing things because of it. And Doc having low empathy both as a positive and a negative is for that same reason. He has no trouble killing, but he has trouble reassuring his patients.

Pearl is aromantic. She just doesn't have a word for it. That's what the 'Pearl has expressed disinterest in romance' comment is referencing.

Anything on Doc's profile in blue is because he refused to write it himself and someone else put it in. Likely Cl- Stitches.

Anyone without a reason for their name is just that. They don't really have one, or at least, not one anyone remembers.

[lime1991]

The Infection in my version of the au is basically just a zombie-like brain disease that was possibly thawed out of ice in like an entirely different place but somepony brought it to ponyville and everypony has it. The thing is, it only harms and kills adult ponies, every elder is dead. Most foals are without parents or older siblings. It’s less likely to affect pegasi for some reason.

Following Walking Dead rules, because everyone has this virus, no matter how you die you’ll turn into (what is essentially) a zombie. Depending on the stage of infection, some ponies are more aware of their surroundings and have a tiny hold on their humanity. Most of them are walking rotted corpses. The only way to not turn into one at all is to destroy the brain.

Twilight was the last member of the mane six to succumb to the illness. Like pegasi, it’s more difficult for alicorns to become severely affected. She made a bit of a breakthrough before it got bad, however.

1. The unknown disease was said to have been completely wiped out while the pestilence stayed frozen in the deep arctics along with its last remaining victim.

2. The disease only affects ponies. The buffalo, dragons, zebra, breezies… they have nothing to fear. Or they shouldn’t.

3. Fillies and Colts are essentially immune. And though the science was not there at the time, it’s theorized that foals would be the key to creating a cure. They just don’t know how.

Twilight had selfishly bubbled herself away in her castle in order to keep herself healthy, but of course, that isn’t how it works. She felt like she could almost crack the code… but she also felt, overwhelmingly, that she needed a snack. She was pretty hungry.

Also after the initial days of the infection taking over, new cases of those feeling the symptoms or dying/becoming zombies seemed to dwindle rapidly. Almost as if the virus had just simply swept through. Not every adult is dead, not every adult had even felt the sickness manifest. Those are the lucky ones.

[toodleoorblx]

Fractured Persona

Agatha Harkness x Rio Vidal

Word count: 3,318

Summary: Rio's a phytologists, a scientist who specializes in plants. Or, she was a phytologist. After the outbreak (that she may or may not have caused) happened, everything went downhill.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - /?

Warnings: Violence, cursing.

A/N: So I was gonna post this tomorrow but i got excited. So here's my new Zombie Apocalypse AU! I got inspired while watching The Walking Dead. This will be uploaded to Ao3 once I finish writing chapter 5 for Natural order. Enjoy <3

Zombie apocalypse AU

Chapter 1

Rio traverses the dense forest, with the daylight piercing through the canopy of trees above. Every sound of snapping twigs and crunching leaves fills her with deep unease. It’s been several months since the outbreak, and since her father's passing; and a few weeks since she managed to escape.

Prior to the outbreak, she was conducting experiments with her dad at the SHIELDS laboratory. The virus originated from a plant they were studying called arctic-fall. This flora only emerges during winter, hence the name. Its spores release a zombifying disease. Rio was the scientist who uncovered it, along with her father, who was one of the first to fall victim to the infection. The spores infiltrated the ventilation system, spreading and claiming the lives of all the workers and guards, only for them to rise again.

When the virus initially spread, it rapidly engulfed Washington. There were fires blazing, people screaming, sirens wailing, helicopters circling, cars colliding, and gunshots ringing out.

Curtis noticed that Rio had been bitten during the initial outbreak. She hadn't even realized she had been bitten until Curtis pointed it out.

_____

Curtis ushers Rio into a small, secluded office tucked away near the back of the building. The room feels forgotten, the only light source being a flickering light bulb. With only a single window offering a view of a scaffold outside. The space is sparsely furnished, dominated by old filing cabinets and empty paint buckets.

With urgency in his movements, Curtis pushes one of the filing cabinets in front of the door, barricading them from whatever chaos raged beyond. Outside, the air is filled with the cacophony of alarms blaring and sprinklers hissing, while distant gunshots echo from the lower levels. They’re currently on level two.

Curtis's labored breaths fill the room, punctuated by occasional grunts as he frantically searches for anything sharp amidst the sparse surroundings. Rio's grip tightens on her white lab coat, her gaze darting around the room, avoiding the blood splatters that stained the fabric. It’s a grim realization that washes over her, sinking deep into the pit of her stomach.

Trapped in the confined space with her best friend, Rio feels a wave of dread wash over her. The only semblance of defense they have is a rusted pocket knife, its age surpassing even her own, and the feeble barrier of an empty filing cabinet—the only thing standing between them and the relentless horde outside.

Great… Fuck her life.

Before Curtis found her, she watched one of her associates get pinned to the ground by what looked like a herd of them, they tore her open like she was made of paper. Clawing at her and chewing on her flailing limbs, actively losing mobility. She saw the pain and agony on full display on her colleagues face, before it got mauled.

Rio’s senses felt assaulted, she couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak or yell, she just… watched. Watched  in horror. She felt frozen, maybe it was shock, maybe it was the fact she felt like if she moved she’d be next. But luckily Curtis swept in just in time. She felt two pairs of hands grip her, two warm strong hands on her left arm, and two bonier hands grip her right arm, with a harsh force. They felt cold and… lifeless. One pair of hands led her to safety… or so she thought.

"Alright, I-I think we're safe in here," Curtis mutters, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he paces back and forth before Rio. Her once tidy brown hair now hung disheveled, streaked with blood and viscera from the gruesome scene they had just narrowly escaped. Rio's eyes track Curtis's movements, her own gaze clouded with shock and exhaustion.

"Vidal," Curtis sighs heavily, his hand coming to rest on his hip while the other raked through his short brown hair. His lab coat, once pristine, now a macabre tapestry of blood and gore. "I don't- fuck, I don’t know what to do!" he confesses, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and frustration. "I don't know what went wrong, but you were there. You know. You and your dad were both in the advanced lab, working on experiment-3.” he licks his lips and huffs a mirthless laugh. “What. Happened."

Rio remains silent, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and guilt. She longs to explain herself, to provide some semblance of clarity in the chaos that surrounded them. But the words elude her, trapped within the confines of her mind like caged birds taunting her with their elusive freedom. All she can do is stare at Curtis with hollow eyes.

It wasn’t her fault, it wasn’t her fault, it wasn’t her fault.

She didn't even realize she had said anything verbally til Curtis pushed her back with one strong motion. His expression is warped with anger and confusion.

Curtis's laughter rings out, but there was no joy in it, only a hollow desperation that echoed through the tense air. Tears well up in his eyes as he speaks, his voice trembling with emotion. "It's not your fault? It's not your fault!?" He chokes on his words, his laughter turning into a mixture of anguish and disbelief. "You and your father were the only people in the room, hell, the vicinity! And you're telling me that whatever happened in there wasn't your fault?!"

“Yes.” Rio's voice is barely a whisper, her head bowed as tears drip from her hidden face, her fingernails digging into her palms.

Curtis huffs, his frustration evident as he points an accusatory finger at Rio. "You…" His voice trails off, prompting Rio to slowly lift her head. What she saw is unexpected—a pair of wide blue eyes, filled with fear, staring into her very soul.

"...W-what?" Rio stammers, her voice barely above a whisper as she tries to comprehend Curtis's apprehension.

Curtis's hand hovers over his pocket knife, his movements slow and deliberate as he takes a few cautious steps back. His eyes remain fixed on Rio, filled with a mix of uncertainty and suspicion.

Before Rio could respond, the deafening roar of gunfire shatters the tense silence, sending both of them instinctively diving for cover. A bullet tears through the wooden door, grazing Rio's right shoulder with a searing pain that elicits a sharp cry from her lips. She recoils slightly from the impact, her hands instinctively pressing against the wound to stem the flow of blood, staining her once pristine white coat crimson.

Glancing up through the haze of pain, Rio meets Curtis's gaze, expecting to see concern or at least a hint of action. But to her dismay, he remains rooted in place, his eyes fixed on her as if waiting for some sign or revelation. Rio can’t lie, that stung. Him not moving an inch when she’s literally bleeding out!

She wants to flick him off, but the pain and shock leaves her immobilized, her world reduced to the agony pulsating through her wounded shoulder.

The gunfire slows slightly and the moans of the monsters quiet more and more. Curtis slowly rises up from his hunched position.

“HELP, SHE'S BEEN BITTEN AND SHE'S NOT CHANGING!” Curtis yells without takinging his wide eyes off of her. 

Rio's brows furrowed in confusion, her mind racing with a whirlwind of disbelief. Changing? But she hadn't been bitten… had she?

With trembling breath, Rio slowly lowers her gaze to her arms, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. And there, on her right wrist, she saw it—a bite mark, its not too deep, but it penetrated her skin. The irritated bite is crimson against her tan skin. A wave of nausea washes over her as the reality of her situation sank in.

Her complexion pales as she feels her heart skip a beat, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as she shakily inspects the wound. How had she not felt it? The adrenaline coursing through her veins must have dulled her senses, but that offers little comfort in the face of the looming threat.

What troubles Rio even more was the absence of any signs of transformation. She knows little about the process or how long it took to turn, but she is certain she shouldn't be feeling completely fine aside from her gunshot wound. The uncertainty gnaws at her, a knot of fear tightening in her chest

"I feel fine, Curt. I'm- I'm still me. Your friend," Rio reassures Curtis, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and desperation.

But Curtis shakes his head erratically, his breathing ragged as he struggles to contain his emotions. He tightens his grip on the pocket knife until his knuckles turn white, his gaze darting nervously to the approaching footsteps and the  sound of guns being cocked.

"Rio," Curtis begins, his voice barely above a whisper as he shifts uneasily on his feet, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for wh-"

Rio's words are cut short as Curtis swiftly moves the filing cabinet away from the door. Before she can react, the door bursts open, revealing a man clad in a military suit, rifle in hand, with several others standing behind him.

The military man's gaze locks onto Rio's arm, his expression darkening at the sight of the bite mark. The rapid rise and fall of his chest betrays his displeasure as he raises his rifle, causing Rio's heart to lurch in her chest. She freezes once again, her body tensing as she braces herself. Dammit.

"Take her back to base. Strucker will know what to do with her," the man commands, his tone slow and cautious, betraying the gravity of the situation.

"Take me where?!" Rio manages to mutter, her voice filled with confusion and fear. But her attention was so consumed by trying to comprehend her situation that she failed to notice one of the military men handing Curtis a syringe filled with a strange blue liquid.

Before Rio can react, Curtis grabs her shoulder with a harsh grip, eliciting a pained yelp from her lips. She feels a sharp prick as the needle pierces her skin, injecting the mysterious serum into her neck. A wave of dizziness washes over her, and she collapses to the ground, her vision fading to black as unconsciousness claims her.

_____

After that, Rio was subjected to a series of grueling experiments, the location shrouded in mystery but the duration lasting at least a few weeks. It seemed unlikely that they had enough time to achieve their objective, whatever it may have been—perhaps a search for a cure, though Rio could only speculate.

The only information Rio gleaned from her captors is that she’s immune. Immune to their spores, bites, and scratches, as evidenced by the multiple scars that marre her skin. With the threat of infection seemingly nullified, Rio's vigilance waned, and she grew a little sloppy in defending herself.

The days blurred together as they poked and prodded her, manipulating her blood in a desperate quest to uncover the secret of her immunity. But despite their efforts, they failed to crack the code. Rio scoffs at their incompetence, confident that given the opportunity, she could have deciphered the mystery herself.

Sedated for much of her captivity, Rio's memories of the ordeal were fragmented at best, if they existed at all. The passage of time became a haze, punctuated only by moments of pain and disorientation

Rio’s eyelids grow heavy, she's exhausted. And the soothing sounds of nature aren't helping at all; she almost dropped her M16, her weary muscles protesting with each step. She's so tired. She needs shelter, somewhere safe to sleep and evaluate.

She could try to find a tree with a big enough burrow in it. But that's pretty compromising. Granit, the crawlers can't run, but they can sneak up on you, and start clawing at you if they can smell you. It was a bad idea to begin with. 

Rio sighs heavily as she comes to a halt, taking a moment to survey her surroundings. To her surprise, there’s no crawlers in sight, nor any signs of wildlife.

Strange.

Rio doesnt know how deep exactly she is in the forest, but she figures she's deep enough to see wildlife somewhere. Though she does see tons of edible plants.

Turning to her left, Rio sees something in the distance. About half a mile away. She squints as she uses her hands as a visor, hiding her eyes from the bright sunset. Rio’s eyes widen in surprise as she catches sight of a small cabin nestled amidst the trees. A surge of relief floods through her, infusing her with renewed energy despite the encroaching darkness.

Feeling a newfound sense of hope, Rio readjusts the weight of her supplies on her back and tightens her grip on her M16. With determined steps, she makes her way towards the cabin, her heart pounding with anticipation at the prospect of finding shelter for the night.

_____

The door creaks open, the home is adorned with chipped and rotting wood. She takes a deep breath and walks in with great caution. As Rio cautiously steps through the creaking door, she’s greeted by the sight of a humble interior, bathed in the soft glow of twilight filtering through the grimy windows. The walls are adorned with peeling wallpaper and patches of chipped paint.

Furniture, worn and weathered with age, dot the room—a threadbare couch nestled against one wall, its cushions sagging with use; a rickety table cluttered with discarded books and trinkets; a rusted stove standing sentinel in the corner, its once-shining surface now dulled by neglect.

Rio turns around to find a quaint kitchen, dull blue paint coats the cabinets and counters. A scentless candle is lit, illuminating the kitchen. Rio narrows her eyes in distrust.

Wait.

Before Rio can turn around she feels something quick and hard hit the back of her head, she whimpers in pain before her vision goes black.

As Rio slowly blinks, her vision struggles to focus, her head throbbing with each heartbeat. A sharp pang of pain shoots through her skull, and she winces.

Groggily, Rio surveys her surroundings, her eyes adjusting to the dimness of what appears to be a basement. Its abandoned, overrun with moss and tangled vines, the air heavy with the musty scent of neglect. Cracked pillars loom in the darkness, casting eerie shadows across the damp stone floor.

There are no windows to offer respite from the darkness, only a solitary lantern perched on a vintage table, its feeble light barely penetrating the gloom. And there, upon the table, lays all her belongings—her gun, pocket knife, damascus kukri and bag. They sit there untouched, almost taunting her. 

Regret floods Rio's mind as she realizes her mistake in coming there. How could she have known someone lived here? It looked completely abandoned!

With a frustrated sigh, Rio attempts to rise, only to nearly trip and fall as she discovers her wrists and ankles bound with zip ties. Panic wells up inside her as she squirms and struggles against the restraints, but her efforts only result in raw irritation and a sharp pain as the zip tie digs into her skin.

"Is anybody there?" Rio's voice echoes through the dimly lit basement, raspy and dry from disuse. How long had she been unconscious? Furrowing her brows, she scans the room for any sign of life, but finds none.

Lovely.

As the stairs creak ominously, Rio's heart races with fear, her mind racing with possibilities of what—or who—might be approaching. The tension in the air is palpable as she braces herself for the unknown, her muscles tense and ready to (try) to spring into action if necessary.

With each echoing footstep, Rio's anxiety mounts, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as she presses herself against the cold wall, eyes wide with apprehension.

Finally, the figure emerges into view, and Rio's breath catches in her throat. It's a woman, her presence commanding and her gaze as cold as ice, the color of her eyes is piercing blue. Her wild, curly raven hair frames her face, a bold streak of white cutting through the dark locks, hinting at her age. Fine lines crease her features. She looks to be in her forties.

The woman wears black combat boots, a dark green thermal jacket, and a gray tank top, her dark jeans completing the ensemble. Around her neck, a necklace adorned with a brooch glinted in the dim light.

As the woman's sneer pierces Rio's defenses, she can't help but feel a wave of dread wash over her.

"Why did you come here?" The older woman's demand cuts through the tense silence, her voice a surprising contrast to the chaos Rio’s grown accustomed to. It's like a breath of fresh air, soothing and unsettling in its calmness. Rio's eyes widen slightly as she takes in the sight of the woman crossing her arms, a dagger held firmly in one hand. The sight sends a shiver down her spine.

"I didn't mean to intrude, lady.” Rio scoffs. “I just wanted shelter. I didn't know anybody was home." Her words came out steady and monotone. (Though she's freaking out internally.)

The woman huffs, her expression unreadable as she licks her dry lips and closes the distance between them. Rio's heart pounds in her chest as the woman crouches down next to her, her hands fidgeting with the dagger as her intense gaze bores into Rio's.

"Then tell me, sweetheart," her voice is low and steady. "Why should I not kill you right now, hm?"

Rio's eyebrows furrow at the unexpected threat, caught off guard by the woman's directness. (How humanity has fallen.) She hesitates, chewing nervously on her lip as she watches the older woman's gaze flicker down to her lips before meeting her own confused eyes.

With a resigned sigh, Rio gathers her thoughts. "I can help. If you let me stay," she offers, her voice steadying more and more as she speaks. "I know how to navigate forests, I know what plants are edible and which are deadly. I've noticed that wildlife is scarce outside," she continues, observing the slight faltering in the woman's stoic expression. "Something tells me that canned food will only last for so long. I can keep us fed."

For a tense moment, the woman remains silent, her gaze piercing through Rio's. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she relents with a reluctant sigh. "I... suppose," she concedes, kneeling down to grasp Rio's wrists. Rio's breath hitches in her throat as the woman's bruised hands brush against her skin, their touch simultaneously soft yet strong. The woman is leaning in front of her, the smell of vanilla and lavender invade her nose. She tries to ignore the goosebumps that erupt on her arms as the woman deftly cuts through the zip ties binding her wrists and ankles. “Have you been bitten?”

Rio doesnt know what to tell her. Yes she's been bitten numerous times but none of which have had any effect on her. She decides to keep her immunity a secret. For now. “No. No, I haven't been bitten.”She shakes her head.

Agatha’s eyes turn to slits, she huffs in skepticism. But thankfully leaves the matter alone. "Agatha Harkness," the woman introduces herself with a quiet and begrudging tone.

Agatha. Rio repeats in her head. 

The older woman stands up and with a swift motion, she sheaths her knife in her thigh holster before taking a few steps back, crossing her arms defensively. A small sneer tugs at the corners of her lips.

Rio can’t help but find amusement in Agatha's demeanor, she sounds like a child being forced to share a toy. Suppressing the urge to laugh, Rio offers a warm smile in response.

"Rio Vidal."

[anonymous-dentist]

Hello! Alaska anon again,

I am curious though, what part of Alaska were you thinking it’d be developed? Interior is probably best because there’s places where a human hasn’t set foot in 50 years. But it’d be near impossible to build an underground structure with the permafrost

You could do Anchorage because there’s a military base there and the ground type would work for an underground facility but it’s not really super secret.

Above the arctic circle sounds cool but the logistics of getting supplies/personnel out there is insane. And once again the permafrost gets in the way.

Not trying to nitpick your world building! I am just a huge nerd about zombie stories and am excited to see my home state mentioned within one.

My guy I don’t know anything about Alaska, but I do believe that the Feds would somehow manage to get themselves an underground base in the middle of the permafrost just because that’s how they roll. They created a zombie virus, sure, why not, let’s have them live in the permafrost

Think of it like the underground bases from OPQ in the middle of nowhere, Greenland. That place is almost entirely permafrost because it’s so fucking stupid cold there, but we suspend our disbelief for the sake of a fun story

But also the idea of the Feds operating in the sewers of Anchorage is really funny to me

Fun fact, I got the idea for Alaska from an old dsmp story I wanted to write in which the zombie virus is actually some super old virus or bacteria waking up after the permafrost started to melt! You know how some tourists try and drink glacier water for Instagram? Well, they drank a bit of glacier water, and BAM! Prehistoric Rabies!

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

We’ve long known that ice sheets, frozen soil and sea ice release vast quantities of water as they thaw, contributing to sea-level rise and flooding communities in the Arctic. Now, a growing body of research shows water isn’t the only thing melting glaciers can leave behind. 

Toxic Melt: Glaciers are some of the top victims of global warming, but recent research shows they may also be ticking climate bombs. Over the past few years, scientists have discovered abundant stores of the greenhouse gas methane in glacial melt across the world—from Norway to the Canadian Yukon to China. They’ve yet to determine exactly how much of this “ancient” methane is being released into the atmosphere, but many say the phenomenon represents a climate feedback loop. 

“It’s just this very stark image of climate change, melting these glaciers and then releasing methane,” Gabrielle Kleber, a scientist who studies glaciers at the University of Cambridge, told Inside Climate News in 2023. 

Frozen soil known as permafrost is similarly releasing methane as it thaws, adding a potent greenhouse gas to an already fragile Arctic environment. Heavy metals like mercury and arsenic are also emerging from this melting soil and ice. A new study led by the University of Southern California found that mercury from thawing permafrost could threaten Alaska Native peoples by leaching into the fish they eat, which can cause permanent lung or brain damage. 

“Where I’m from in Beaver, there’s no grocery stores. We build our own cabins. We haul our own water. We hunt our own food,” Darcy Peter, who is Koyukon and Gwich’in Athabascan from Beaver, Alaska, and works on climate adaptation at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told Grist. “We definitely feel it on a physical scale, an emotional scale and a financial scale—the decline of salmon and the presence of mercury on the Yukon River.”

If you’re not terrified enough already, I’ve got another item to add to the list of things emerging from melting Arctic ice: viruses. In 2014, scientists were able to revive a dormant virus sample pulled from 30,000-year-old Siberian permafrost. This process has been repeated several times with a number of different pathogens, a class dubbed “zombie” viruses. 

Scientists are not currently concerned that these ice-trapped organisms will fuel a large-scale pandemic. However, an anthrax outbreak in 2016 was believed to be caused by a dead reindeer unearthed by melting permafrost, NPR reported. 

[springcatalyst]

So I watched the first season of helix because of hiroyuki sanada and since you’re the only person i follow who has seen it, ever or recently, i must ask: what were they thinking. Why did they do all of That

I KNOWWWWWW. they did so Much and next to none of it made sense. like. obviously I focus on hatake and he sucks and I love him but even with all the good acting they can get it just. it's so wild

they started with a mostly grounded concept of a viral outbreak in a research lab and I was like yes. work.

then the vectors are basically zombies BUT they run into the dilemma of they're not dead yet and may be possible to save (ARE possible to save, by the end of the season) but... none of the main characters act like human beings. they act like protags in an established zombie movie. they act like they're aware of the genre but they SHOULDNT BE!!!! they are fine with killing People so fast it's like. dude those are people still. the stakes are relatively low but they're just shooting patients. they dont know how bad it gets yet, but the writers do, so they're acting like they know. they should NOT be

AND THEN THE CRAZIEST THING HAPPENS

the fucking immortal reveal was WILD. why are they immortal? literally? next to no influence on the plot* from what I watched of s2 (not a lot) it might have a little more relevance there but like. wh. ok

I dont think it EVER explained why the vectors avoid the immortals but yeah why not

I dont even- the secret society of immortals? the baby kidnapping scandal hatake has??? lmao??? all the emphasis on the isolation of the arctic implies they're in the ANTarctic but if so there are not PEOPLE native to antarctica. and if they're in the arctic circle. why are they supposedly out of jurisdiction of any government? theres countries there dude!

and the Whole Thing was all a ploy by hatake to turn julia immortal as well?? he just made a whole virus (2 whole viruses? one with two strains? I guess?)

and that's just like. the main plot. theres the sarah cancer plotline that I dont remember the details of but I remember it being done really fucking weird. theres the head in the jar outside theres hatake stabbing himself for literally no reason theres balleseros being a plant for ilaria (I think I'm remembering correctly). theres daniel being kidnapped and actually hes got a sister and his name is miksa. immortals heal fast but hatake is able to strangle constance. theres the guy hatake keeps in a shack out in the arctic for 50 years. theres all the secret tunnels in the base that somehow only hatake knows about like he built the place. theres the british teenage assassin???? theres Julia's mother who's been I guess kept like a bug for 30 years?

this show is fucking wild and I guess I DID enjoy it but it was NOT good. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it because i dont even KNOW. what WERE they thinking

*I know the immortals drive a bunch but they dont drive it BY NATURE of being immortal. they just drive the plot because of ilaria corp, and also ilaria corp is run by immortals. cause why not

[etiennebrule]

In 2023 I went through a brief apocalypse phase and read a number of new books about how the world will end. I didn’t get through the whole tbr, but here are the ones I read and how the world ends in each one

- The Age Of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (2012): earth’s rotation slows down, days get way longer, the surface of the planet starts the get too hot to go outside

- the Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (1950) - nuclear war on earth so everyone moves to mars

- the Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006) - unknown???? but the sky is all fucked up and there are cannibals now

- How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (2022) - virus released from melting arctic ice that rapidly kills people

- On The Beach by Nevil Shute (1957) - nuclear fallout that’s destroyed most of the world but is still reaching Australia (where the book takes place)

- Severance by Ling Ma (2018) - virus that makes people perform the same tasks repetitively, infinitely, like zombies

[hasanyoneseenmyspoons]

Warmer temperatures in the Arctic are thawing the region's permafrost — a frozen layer of soil beneath the ground —and potentially stirring viruses that, after lying dormant for tens of thousands of years, could endanger animal and human health.

While a pandemic unleashed by a disease from the distant past sounds like the plot of a sci-fi movie, scientists warn that the risks, though low, are underappreciated. Chemical and radioactive waste that dates back to the Cold War, which has the potential to harm wildlife and disrupt ecosystems, may also be released during thaws.

"There's a lot going on with the permafrost that is of concern, and (it) really shows why it's super important that we keep as much of the permafrost frozen as possible," said Kimberley Miner, a climate scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.

[zombiepedia]

Everything is going to be okay guys

[trickster-archangel]

....guys....was it really necessary??

[notbeingnoticed]

What could go wrong?

[hubaya]

Will there be a zombie virus outbreak in 2023？

I've seen an animation before "The Simpsons" this animation many times accurately predicted future events, 911 terrorist attacks, Kobe crash …… although I do not know whether it is by chance or what, but that animation one of the episodes is to predict the outbreak of the zombie virus, but also caused some netizens of the panic, of course, I hope that this will not be true. As temperatures have continued to rise in recent years global warming has accelerated the melting of the Arctic permafrost, and at that point the news reported that the Arctic was so hot you could wear short sleeves, and ancient viruses that have lurked in the glaciers and permafrost for centuries or even millennia could be released after the thaw.