The story of Epidemic begins on Day 63 of the outbreak of the Atrocitas Virus in New York City. The exact origin of the virus is unknown. The virus works over a course of 24 hours. If contracted by a live host, it infects the bloodstream, breaking down tissue cells. The host suffers nausea, followed by disorientation,hot and cold flashes and pain followed by extreme fatigue. typically ending in death within twenty hours The corpse will become reanimated within the period of the following four hours.Manhattan Island was placed under quarantine on Day 7 of the outbreak, with a slow evacuation process in place. unfortunately, the virus spread rapidly, and the evacuation was aborted. On Day 16 of the outbreak a military strike force was sent into New York City, in an effort to control the outbreak and evacuate remaining survivors within the Quarantine zone. While partially successful, the personel involved suffered heavy casualties, forcing a withdrawal resulting in many of the soldiers being left behind. The entirety of New York City has since been under strict quarantine, with the borders pushed back to encompass the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. No rescue is coming for the survivors, It is entirely possible that the Atrocitas Virus has spread further, which may explain the lack of communication.The remaining survivors have little to do but attempt to survive from the virus, the infected and each other until help arrives, or they escape.
