Aug 26^th 2068 | Seattle, UCAS (Net 23) –

<< The screen is filled with the image of a modern news room, graphics and large text presentations fly by in front of and around the familiar news anchor, Franklin Estern. >>

The effects of the plague affecting the meta-human community has taken on shocking proportion this week as the true count of the loss of life is being reported to us by our affiliate reporters in the infected area. The brunt of the effect, still contained to the Underground regions, is slowly spreading to the common neighborhoods of Touristville, turning mothers and daughters, sons and fathers into monsters of children’s fairy tales.

Local corporations are still in negotiation with the Seattle government for compensation related to the housing of non-corporate citizens within the local arcologies in the event that the infection event propagates to the denser areas of Seattle where the effects could be wide-spread and devastating.

Some more enterprising citizens and organizations are turning this into an opportunity for profit, offering protection and extermination services, hunting down those infected or already turned in return for cash or trade offers. While both Lone Star and Knight Errant are officially condoning the actions of these individuals and groups, it is rumored that their regular forces are ill equipped to handle the emerging crisis.

Network 23……The Power of Information.

<< The screen is filled with the image of a modern news room, graphics and large text presentations fly by in front of and around the familiar news anchor, Franklin Estern. >>

In the weeks and months following the public discovery of the plague affecting the meta population the community reacted violently. Lone Star and Knight Errant unable to contain the rioting population sealed the known entrances to the underground in response to attacks on the general populace.

The CDC, who has suspected the source of the plague to originate within the dark tunnels of the extensive underground, has recently released a report that the virus was not a natural occurrence as suspected by many anti-meta groups. Further data indicates that the newly classified HMHVV-7, otherwise known on the streets as the “Twisting Ghouls” or less favorably as “CEE” or the Chest Evacuating Event, has the ability to mutate to affect humans as well as the meta population at large. This new development has the civilian, corporate, and government agencies within the Seattle area on their highest alarm.

Several of the AAA corporations have notified the UCAS government of pending closures, sealing their population off from the rest of Seattle at large. Many of these arcologies are self-sufficient and able of hosting thousands of citizens. Most, however, will only accept employees and families of employee’s refuge within their walls. The UCAS has assured its citizens that all measures will be taken to protect the city and those within it.

Network 23……The Power of Information.