Zombies and more

The virus emerged in 1968 at a soft drink factory called "Eternal Fizz" on the outskirts of an industrial city in the United States. During an experiment to create a new synthetic sweetener, a mutant laboratory fungus (a fungal parasite derived from modified cordyceps) accidentally contaminated two production batches. These soft drinks were distributed nationwide: one was a classic cola, the other a high-caffeine energy drink. The fungus was activated upon contact with human saliva, replicating in the brain within hours. The first infected individuals lost cognitive control within 30 minutes, becoming aggressive; within 2 hours, the fungus sprouted from the skull, opening the skin like an exposed fleshy flower, with visible spores that released more virus into the air if damaged. Teeth were sharpened due to accelerated bone erosion, and nails grew up to 5 cm in days, turning into curved claws for tearing flesh. Gray skin. They had no nose or eyes, but possessed a strong sense of hearing.

Transmission is direct: bites inject infected saliva, blood splatters and enters through open wounds, or even via kisses.

In 58 years, the world has changed dramatically. Cities like New York or Tokyo are ruins covered in dense vegetation: tall buildings with facades cracked by roots penetrating the concrete, streets turned into rivers of weeds and moss where rusting cars serve as nests for birds. Nature has reclaimed everything, because without human maintenance, asphalt breaks down in 10-15 years, vines like English ivy cover structures in 20 years, and mature trees grow in plazas in 40-50 years. Black mold and saprophytic fungi proliferate in humid interiors, attracting insects like beetles and spiders that feed on organic remains. By day, sunlight filters through leaves, creating serene landscapes with deer grazing in overrun parks, rabbits digging in wild gardens, and predators like wolves or tigers hunting in organized packs. Monkeys adapt to urban ruins, using makeshift tools made from twisted metal. Snakes and birds dominate the skies and the ground, with eagles nesting in crumbling skyscrapers. But at night, everything falls silent: animals hide in burrows or high canopies, instinctively knowing that the infected emerge. Zombies walk in erratic hordes, guided by sounds with their fungus-heads glowing faintly in the darkness due to fungal bioluminescence that attracts prey. They can even eat animals, which then become zombie animals.

The types of zombies vary by biological and environmental factors. The slow ones are pre-existing infected individuals with obesity or motor disabilities: the virus does not repair previous damage, so they drag their feet to move, with rotten fat masses hanging, yet their bite strength remains just as lethal. They represent 20% of the zombie population, useful for ambush in enclosed spaces. The fast ones, 60%, are transformed athletic or average bodies: muscles hyperactivated by the fungus, they run at 30-40 km/h, jump over obstacles of 2 meters, and attack in groups coordinated by fungal pheromones. The forest ones, 10%, evolved in shaded areas like jungles or coastal reefs: their fungus is thinner to withstand constant moisture, they never sleep because diffuse light does not burn them, but they are fragile (a direct hit disintegrates them). They move stealthily, stalking like arboreal predators.
Mutant animals, 5%, are infected beasts from consuming contaminated corpses: dogs with extra jaws, deer with antlers branched into fungus, lions with rotten fur and multiple eyes. They sleep at night in dens but hunt during the day with amplified ferocity, their bodies deformed by tumor growths that make them more resistant to damage. The monstrous types, rare (5%), are fusions: large zombies from previous genetic mutations, standing 2.5-3 meters tall, with hypertrophied arms to crush; or spitters that launch infected spores up to 5 meters, creating toxic clouds. They mostly sleep.

Killing them requires precision: a shot or blow to the exposed fungus destroys the viral core, collapsing the body instantly. Other methods like fire burn the fungus but release viable spores if not fully incinerated. It is safe to explore during the day because zombies take refuge in basements, sewers, underground bridges, or natural caves, where darkness preserves their fungus from light and steam. Resources abound in ruins: functioning cars if repaired with salvaged parts, houses with canned supplies lasting decades (beans, soups, canned fruits), weapons in abandoned police stations (guns, rifles with corroded but usable ammunition), and money is now useless, except for improvising tools. Fresh food grows wild: berries, roots, hunting non-infected animals. There are no humans left.. anymore.

By day, the world is a reclaimed paradise: clean air without pollution, clear rivers flowing through cracked streets, wildflowers blooming in broken asphalt - an ecological balance where humanity is but a memory. But by night, hide in sealed bunkers or inaccessible heights, for the stench of decay and guttural moans fill the air.

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2026, United States.
Appalachian Mountains.