The Doom of Mankind
It came from underground. From somewhere underground in some military bunker, the disease that would spell the end of society crept out on the skin of a contract worker. He took it home with him and it festered while he slept with his wife, while he played with his children and barbequed with his neighbors. It was the only release of the contaminant, but it was all that was required.
At first it looked a lot like Morgellon's Disease, or maybe the two diseases were the same all along, but the new disease quickly distinguished itself from all other infectious diseases. It began with black tar sweats and open sores like Morgellon’s and the same fungus-like tentacles would grow from the sores, but this is where the new contagion differed from the relative harmlessness of Morgellon’s. The infected victims would begin to change as the lesions spread over their bodies. They were transformed by them. The sores would ooze and the tentacles would move on their own, probing and searching. The victims were changing – some said evolving.
The disease did not kill them – it simply took them over. Research released just before the end showed that the disease was probably a fungus and it exhibited almost sentient behavior. In the late stages of the disease, the victims were covered with the lesions and tentacles, a mass of oozing flesh and probing, fleshy protrusions. The worst part is that they were no longer human. They ate everything they could – including other humans.
This is a Game of Cars, Guns, and Muscle in a Post Apocalyptic Age
It has been thirteen years since Supercharger’s death. We are those he left behind. We are called Black Sunshine. The Reservoir is all that we have, but it is enough. There is power here, real, everlasting power. We have electricity and heat. We have enough energy to last generations – enough to power the machines that make our antirads. Black Sunshine has it and everyone wants it. The 51’s come with their heavy movers, guns, and body armor. They pour out of the desert seeking our energy and our meds. The Flesheaters come from the mountains, they want our bodies.
I am Thirty-ott and Black Sunshine is my gang. I’m the third leader since Supercharger’s death. The Reservoir and the future of Black Sunshine are my responsibility.
Welcome to Black Sunshine, kid. I’m Hollowpoint. I’m gonna show you around being as this is your first day on the job.
Let me get a few things straight right now:
First thing is food. You'll take what you can get, but it'll always be the same thing. You’re gonna eat dust. You’re gonna drink gasoline. You’re gonna drive with the window down through the desert suckin’ in so many rads you’ll be pukin’ by nightfall. But let me tell you, kid, there ain’t no better place than the open road at 160.
160? That's right. Some of them movers will do 190 if you really open 'em up. As fast as you can go, that's what you do. The whole damn road is ours. From the Reservoir all the way to the edge of Nevada. You're going out on patrol so you're gonna get one of these movers here. No, not that one, that's a heavy mover. See that cannon on top and them metal panels on the sides? That's what makes it heavy. Keeps bullets and the Flesheaters out and you safe on the inside. No, you're getting one of them movers there. Yeah, the black one. She's real fast. Sucks up the gas so you're gonna be drivin' with about twenty gallons in the back seat. Unless you're the driver that's where you'll be sittin' so make sure you get out if you start takin' fire.
Second thing you need to know about is your meds. Keep ‘em close and use as many as you can as soon as you feel like pukin’. Before a month’s out you’ll have stuck yourself in the arm so many times that your skin will scab and your veins go callous. But without that antirad you’ll die and so you find another part of your body that’ll take the needle.
Third thing I have to tell you about is the disease. If you get bit or scratched, you’ll probably get it. We’ve got some meds, but they’re old and don’t always work out. You start sweatin’ black tar and you’re as good as dead. We’ll kill you if you get it, so don’t.
Some days it doesn’t seem worth it. If the rads don’t kill you the Flesheaters or the 51’s will. And if you don’t end up someone’s dinner, you’ll get jacked by some asshole with a sawed off shotgun while you're takin' a piss.
Good thing Black Sunshine’s got your ass.
