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"PAV" - The UK Outbreak Document/Timeline (Document No. 1)


MaxMcPherson

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Foreword:

 

Right, this is going to be a bit different... or at least somewhat different to most of what is presently on here. If you've ever read the "Alomal-137 Epidemiology Case Study" or an SCP Foundation article this will be somewhat familiar a format. It's effectively an "epistolary novel" albeit it's not exactly a novel.

So, a bit of backstory - it's basically a document "produced by the UK Government" (e.g. me, pretending to be them) following the outbreak of the virus which causes zombies within "Project Zomboid." It should be reasonably accurate to the lore provided within the game (e.g. the Radio and TV), however as there is in effect a lot of information missing (in particular everything about the UK beyond Norfolk/London being mentioned) I've filled the gaps myself. It should also be accurate department-wise to the time period (1993). This isn't the only document (see the end for some of the others) I've created in this vein and it's a sort of precursor to help "ground myself" for when I eventually get around to sorting out another project when the creative tool comes out and whenever I get around to sorting the radio and TV scripts for said project.

So, without further ado... the document.

Disclaimer: The document itself is fairly long (around 8144 words), so so may want to get some tea before you settle in.
 


 

---RESTRICTED - UK EYES ONLY---
 

Access to this document is to be limited to those who require it and should only be shown to person(s) who are required to view said document as part of their duties. 

This document has been classified as "RESTRICTED - UK EYES ONLY" under the Government Protective Marking Scheme and is NOT to be distributed outside of the United Kingdom. 

The unauthorised release of this document or the data therein is a criminal offence and is a direct convention of the Official Secrets Act (1911 - 1989), under which you are liable to be prosecuted and may face imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or both.
 

---
 

//FIRST REVISION: 26/07/1993
//LAST AMENDED: 05/08/1993
 

Department of Civil Defence & Reconstruction
Internal Communication - To Be Distributed As Required
 

Overview of PAV, Emergency Powers Act 1993 & Timeline of PAV Outbreak Within The United Kingdom


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Table of Contents
 

S1. Background
S2. PAV Overview
S3. PAV Discovery & Initial Outbreak
S4. PAV Outbreak Timeline
S5. General Legal Directions Overview
S7. Suggested Reading

 

S1. Background On The Event
 

(Due to restrictions on the flow of information from official sources within the present U.S. Administration, U.S. Intelligence Community and U.S. Public Health Bodies the following information has thus been gleaned from international news sources, leaks within the U.S. Government and associated Federal and State Health Bodies as well as official sources within the W.H.O (World Health Organisation). As such, information contained within this section may be inaccurate as of the time of reading. Required amendments will be made and copies distributed as deemed appropriate.)
 

PAV (Post-Expiry Ambulation Virus) was first identified in the state of Kentucky, the United States of America prior to the 14th of July 1993. The nature of the situation was confirmed by a General John McGrew who through an issued statement on the 14th of July 1993 stated that an outbreak was present within the "Knoxville Exclusion Zone" (the area encompassing the Elizabethtown and Fort Knox metropolitan area, specifically Muldraugh, West Point and Fort Knox.). While this virus was not identified officially at the time we can confirm that the range of symptoms reported in local and national US media are concurrent with those shown by person(s) infected with PAV.
 

Enaction of curfews within a majority of the largest urban areas throughout the United States, the grounding of all international flights leaving the continental United States and deployment of military and police personnel nationally throughout the United States appears to have been ineffective in preventing PAV from leaving the country.
 

On the 21st and 22nd of July 1993, the presence of PAV in Europe, Africa, Asia in addition to North America was disseminated by western news media.
 

It has been speculated within the media that a breach of containment of the "Knoxville Exclusion Zone" on the 19th of July 1993, leading to the largely unchecked dispersal of PAV infected person(s) into Louisville (the largest metropolitan area within the state of Kentucky) was the cause of the international spread of PAV. As evidenced by the recorded entry of PAV into the United Kingdom, along with its observed incubation and development periods, this would appear to be unfounded and incorrect. Analysis has shown that PAV was present within the United Kingdom from the 16th of July 1993 and that the entry of PAV into the United Kingdom was a result of several PAV infected passengers travelling aboard United Airlines flight 918 from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow. As a result, the greater spread of this virus is likely to have occurred as a result of large unchecked international air travel as was the case with the United Kingdom.

 

S.2 PAV Overview
 

Based on information supplied by The Public Health Laboratory Service the virus does not appear to be related to any pathogen presently known to the service. As such the virus was retroactively termed "PAV" following its entry into the United Kingdom. (Please note: This terminology is only presently accepted for use within the United Kingdom, this terminology may be changed following review by the ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses) and will be modified accordingly.)

 

Based on laboratory and field testing, individuals infected with PAV appear to undergo four stages of infection, stages one through three have symptoms that resemble typical viruses known to the service, stage four, however, shows significant deviation from the species "virus" and what is traditionally expected following expiry of an infected person and is an extremely alarming development and the focus of further study by the service.

 

(The diagnostic case definition for PAV is outlined within the document: "PAV Case Definition", this has been produced to allow for an easy "rating" of symptoms by medical and non-medical personnel as to determine if the subject being examined is experiencing infection by PAV or an alternate condition.)

 

In respect to the above an expanded explanation of the stages have been outlined below:

 

STAGE ONE - 24 HOURS POST EXPOSURE (ONE DAY)

 

Symptoms: Excessive nasal discharge (runny nose), mild fever, mild headaches, mild aches and pains and mild nausea - typical "cold" or "flu" symptoms.
 

(The virus appears to be symptomatic within 24 hours of exposure, following this the virus will maintain a period of communicability into and following "Stage four" of the virus progression.)
 

STAGE TWO - 34 HOURS POST EXPOSURE (1 & 1 QUARTER DAYS)
 

Symptoms: Deterioration noted, symptoms from stage one will become more severe.
 

Additional symptoms will also be present, these include lethargy, mild anxiety (outwith that experienced by the individual prior to infection), mild confusion (outwith that experienced by the individual prior to infection), emesis (vomiting) and diarrhoea.
 

STAGE THREE - 48 TO 72 HOURS POST EXPOSURE (2 DAYS TO 3 DAYS)
 

Symptoms: Further noted deterioration, symptoms from previous stages will continue to become more severe.
 

Additional symptoms will also be presented, these include delirium, paranoia (outwith that experienced by the individual prior to infection), depression (outwith that experienced by the individual prior to infection), hematochezia (blood in stool), hematemesis (blood in vomit), hemoptysis (coughing up blood), severe epistaxis (nosebleeds), severe haemolacria (crying blood), muscle cramping followed by coma and death of the infected person.
 

STAGE FOUR - ONE HOUR POST EXPIRY FOLLOWING EXPOSURE & STAGE THREE
 

Symptoms: Following the apparent death of the infected individual and vital signs ceasing, the individual will proceed to "reactivate", "come back to life" or otherwise regain consciousness. Following this, the subject will exhibit signs of aggression with immediate effect along with loss of all but the most basic motor functions, loss of higher reasoning powers, loss of threat detection, an abnormal resistance to pain and an abnormal gait similar to that of a heavily inebriated individual (informally noted as though they are "shuffling", "stiff", "stilted" or otherwise walking in an awkward fashion.) The individual from this point on will show signs of a typical deceased person including but not limited to pallor mortis (pale skin), sunken skin, algor mortis (cooling of the body to that of the local ambient temperature), livor mortis (pooling of blood towards the extremities) and the onset of decomposition.
 

(The service has found it pertinent to note that somatic death of an infected individual following stage one of PAV infection will lead to a more direct transition into stage four of the infection. In the event that this occurs, it is strongly advised to maintain resuscitation efforts and extend life despite the risks this may pose to the patients long-term welfare, said efforts should not continue for more than three minutes, which, if following these efforts they have been found to be unsuccessful at restoring life should be stopped without hesitation and the body restrained by any means available and moved to a location where the body can be disposed of in an effective manner which prevents further ambulation.)
 

At the present time, this virus does not appear to be able to transmit between species and as such is exclusive to the genus "Homo" or Humans. Any possible cross-species transmission is presently under close observation and updates will be advised accordingly.
 

There is no known cure, vaccine or treatment for this virus that the service is aware of. As such quarantine followed by palliative care or euthanasia are the only measures which can be undertaken to prevent the spread of this virus and ease the suffering of infected individuals. The right to euthanise patients has not been made legally available at present pending the "Emergency Euthanasia Act 1993" being brought into law, however it has been observed that this has been occurring with frequency on an unofficial basis.
 

Due to the extremely virulent nature of PAV in all stages and the resulting ease of transmission (airborne transmission, droplet contact, direct and indirect physical contact, sexual transmission and faecal-oral transmission) it has been thus declared by the service that this pathogen must only be studied within CL4 (Containment Level 4) facilities. While this is unlikely to be a matter the Department of Civil Defence & Reconstruction will be required to involve itself with, we felt it necessary to include this information for reference.
 

In respect to handling bodies of the infected, field protection suits with battery powered HEPA-filtered respirators are required to prevent infection of persons tasked with this endeavor. As such this is a task that must be relegated to personnel with the required training to undertake this task safely, failure to adhere to this may risk further loss of our already limited pool of human resources.
 

It has been noted that a small number of people do not appear to be susceptible to contracting PAV via means of airborne transmission, instead they will not present symptoms despite repeated contact with persons experiencing the communicable stages (one through three) and will only succumb to the virus through contact orientated mechanisms (bites, scratches) from persons exhibiting stage 4 PAV infection. This was confirmed as early as the 23rd of July 1993 in a statement issued by General John McGrew from the Knox Exclusion Zone and appears to be the first confirmation of a degree of immunity to the initial stages of the virus. At present, the service has been able to confirm that this information appears to be factual however for the sake of brevity further details have not been deemed required for this document.

 

S3. PAV Discovery & Initial Outbreak

 

As previously noted, the initial transit of PAV to mainland Britain appears to have occurred on the 16th of July 1993. The method of transit in this instance was via an international flight from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow (United Airlines flight 918). This flight was able to fly unimpeded from North America to the British mainland and was not subject to decontamination measures upon arrival, the passengers and crew were not screened nor quarantined following arrival and thus returned to their places of employment and domiciles before succumbing to the latter stages of the virus, ensuring unwitting propagation of the disease.
 

As a result of the ease of transmission and the widespread use of public and private transportation by those infected, the virus was identified within all regions of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) by the 25th of July 1993.
 

It is not felt at this time that any preventative measures would have been successful in the prevention of this virus entering the country, except those which at the time would have been seen as groundless, unwarranted, undermining of the democratic system and of extreme detriment to the economy as a whole as well as detrimental to our present standing within the European Community and possibly the cause of notable political and civil upheaval in the face of "unwarranted" action being taken.

 

S4. PAV Outbreak Timeline

 

Based on documentation and reports provided by the MET (Metropolitan Police Department), Home Office, London Regional Transport, British Transport Police, Department of Health, Scotland Yard, British Rail, Ministry of Defence (please see addendum for further departments and agencies) we have collated the following information relating to the outbreak of PAV within the United Kingdom and any relevant Government action of note, in particular, those actions taken to try and contain the situation and/or prevent further spread of the contagion.
 

It should be noted that while dates are provided for ease of reference we have included statements indicating the "day" from point of entry of PAV into the United Kingdom. (e.g. the 16th of July 1993 is "Day 1" as that is the day the virus first entered the United Kingdom, the 17th of July 1993 is "Day 2" et cetera.) This will also correspond with the related mapwork provided with this document, lessening the need for long or short-form dates which may appear cumbersome when attempting to navigate these materials.
 

  • 16th July 1993 (Day 1)

    United Airlines Flight 918 lands in Heathrow Airport, (while the service is unable to confirm at the present time, it is held in high confidence that a Mr Andrew Stetton is the index case for entry of PAV into the United Kingdom).
     
  • 17th July 1993 (Day 2)

    Mr Andrew Stetton (deceased) is admitted to the Royal Free Hospital, London with symptoms matching stage three PAV. Mr Stetton (henceforth referred to as "Mainland Index Case") was reported by his wife (Mrs. Stetton, deceased) to be suffering from symptoms matching those of stage three PAV.

    Following the collection, admission to hospital and finally isolation of said Mainland Index Case ten hours later, over a total of sixteen people were directly infected with PAV by the Mainland Index Case. (A further breakdown of the British Mainland Index Case timeline can be found within the additional document "British Mainland Index Case Brief" however this is supplementary and not required reading.) A majority of these individuals were front-line medical personnel employed by Royal Free Hospital, primarily doctors, nurses, paramedics and security staff. An unknown number of patients and members of the public presumed to be in close proximity to Mr Stetton also appear to have been infected as a result of his admission.

    Two passengers of Flight 918 are admitted to "Norfolk and Norwich Hospital", Norwich.

    Two additional passengers of Flight 918 are admitted to two separate hospitals across London.

    At this point while The Public Health Laboratory Service was aware of an epidemic within the state of Kentucky, this information had not been widely disseminated to frontline NHS staff and was only known on an unofficial basis from broadcasted and printed news sources authored outside of the service. This is believed to be the cause of the high attrition rate of emergency and medical personnel however this cannot be guaranteed.
     
  • 18th July 1993 (Day 3)

    Five passengers of Flight 918 are admitted to three separate hospitals throughout London. One passenger is admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle and one to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff - all five passengers were presenting with stage three PAV and these are confirmed to be the first cases of PAV outside of London and England.

    The Public Health Laboratory Service formally recognised the receipt of multiple reports of "unsubstantiated rumours" of several patients admitted across England and Wales appearing to be diagnostically deceased but for all accounts "alive". Reports were filed and sent to the Department of Epidemiology for further investigation.

    Due to unconfirmed reports by national and regional media sources within the United States stating that victims of PAV within Kentucky were "dead" but still mobile, investigatory teams were sent by the service to the locations reporting similar circumstances within the United Kingdom. Reports logged by investigatory teams confirm that stage four PAV patients are somatically deceased, however remain mobile and could be recognised as "alive" if not for clear signs indicating that death has set in.

    The Public Health Laboratory Service declares an emergency situation and notifies all health boards across the United Kingdom to be on alert for symptoms matching stages two, three and four of PAV. In addition to this a collated list of affected facilities along with briefings for the Home Office, then Home Secretary (since deceased and replaced by the incumbent Home Secretary), Department of Health, then Secretary of State for Health (also deceased, since replaced by the incumbent Secretary), Emergency Planning Division, Assistant Secretary of the Emergency Planning Division, Cabinet Office, Prime Minister, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (MET Police Commissioner) (present status unknown, position has since been amalgamated into the duties of the Undersecretary of the Department of Civil Defence & Reconstruction), English and Welsh Police Associations, Scottish Police Boards, Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, English NHS hospital trusts, English NHS ambulance trusts, Scottish NHS Health Boards & Trusts, Scottish Ambulance Service, Welsh NHS Trusts, Welsh Ambulance Services, English, Scottish and Welsh Fire Associations, the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State for Scotland (roles since dissolved and duties amalgamated into the regional government HQ Commissioner for regions 8 (Wales) and 1 (Scotland) respectively) were distributed.

    COBR meeting is called in response to the above briefing.
     
  • 19th July 1993 (Day 4) 

    The "News of the World" is the first mass media outlet to break the news of the outbreak within the United Kingdom. From records obtained by New Scotland Yard it would appear that the presence of person(s) infected with Stage 4 PAV was encountered by an undercover journalist attempting to investigate a presently undisclosed scandal within the NHS and that the information was either misconstrued or editorialised by the paper and along with photographs of the infected and published in a front-page article declaring the emergence of "evidence" of a government conspiracy involving unethical medical experimentation.

    As a result of this publication, tabloid media interest in the situation was significant and documents outlining the symptoms of stage four PAV and indications of the virus being largely unknown, difficult to contain due to it's large geographical spread (most notably documentation listing affected medical facilities across the country) were leaked to several papers allowing for their publication the following day.

    Cases of stage two and three PAV are reported in Glasgow, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich. All are investigated by the service due to the symptoms matching those of previous patients prior to their transition into stage four PAV.
     
  • 20th July 1993 (Day 5)

    Cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Bath, Oxford, Reading, Gloucester, Swansea, Newport, Bristol, Swindon, Peterborough, Doncaster, York and Edinburgh.

 

  • 21st July 1993 (Day 6)

    In response to the aforementioned publication, frontline NHS staff are advised on the (then) presently known information relating to PAV infection.

    The first reputable newspaper sources report on the situation, the "The Times", "The Guardian" and "The Daily Telegraph" publish the leaked documents in full. This is followed by national news coverage throughout the day on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News and their regional equivalents.

    New cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Milton Keynes, Warrington, Preston, Carlisle, Cambridge, Luton and Hull. Additional cases continue to arise in previously mentioned locations.

 

  • 22nd July 1993 (Day 7)

    A major incident is declared in the "Hampstead" area of Camden by the MET police, a breach of isolation by the stage four infectees held in the Royal Free Hospital is the apparent cause. Due to miscommunication between ground forces and senior officers no attempts to quarantine attacked person(s) is carried out and small outbreaks begin to occur across London as people begin to directly and rapidly transition into stage four PAV due to contact orientated infection having previously occurred.

    While reasons for absenteeism cannot be determined at this time, levels of frontline NHS staff, particularly in areas directly affected by PAV begin to decline at an untenable rate. Police and Fire Service numbers appear to be affected also, albeit at a reduced rate.

    Schools, Universities & Colleges are requested to close nationwide as a matter of national health.

    New cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Exeter, Plymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Maidstone, Southend on Sea, Dundee, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Leeds and Middlesbrough.

 

  • 23rd July 1993 (Day 8)

    Contingency plan "PYTHON" is initiated, members of government and required staff are relocated to their pre-specified locations, Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQ's) are ordered to bring in a maximum of 35% of required operational personnel with the remaining 65% to be advised to remain available within secondary locations for possible recall. Local Authority Emergency Centers are brought into service if not presently operational.

    Further reporting by both regional and national news sources (radio, television and print) are suspected to be the cause of a rise in incidents reported by police services across the United Kingdom, primarily those relating to civil disorder.

    Military facilities across mainland Britain are beginning to report localised outbreaks of PAV. As a result, leave is cancelled for all branches of the armed forces and bases are placed on lockdown.

    New cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Birmingham, Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool. Instances of PAV are confirmed in the Republic of Ireland.
     
  • 24th July 1993 (Day 9)

    The first reported cases of PAV outside of mainland Britain are officially reported in Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight, security is heightened around the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast due to the possible risk from paramilitary interference and attacks.
     

    The Emergency Powers Act 1993 is passed by both houses of parliament, repealing earlier acts which were deemed no longer suitable for an event of this scale and would prove inadequate if a State of Emergency were declared.
     

    Police special constables and retained firefighters are brought into active service to replace numbers lost to absenteeism. All Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) units and members are called into active service.
     

    Operation FLINTLOCK is started and works of art along with other documents of cultural importance begin their transition from museums to a variety of secure, undisclosed locations.
     

    New cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Belfast, Londonderry, Bournemouth, Leicester, Chester, Grimsby, Ryde, Eastbourne, Inverness, Lincoln, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Douglas, Gibraltar and Lisburn.

 

  • 25th July 1993 (Day 10)

    The BBC begins its preparations for relocation to Wood Norton (BBC Emergency Broadcasting Centre/BBC's Engineering Training Department.) Transmitter sites earmarked for emergency broadcast use are stocked with fuel, food and water.

    The number of active duty police force officers is estimated to have dropped by over 30%, primarily due to a combination of absenteeism and losses to PAV. 

    The fire services are requested to assist in the transportation of patients in areas lacking the required medical personnel. The FBU (Fire Brigades Union) request additional hazard pay and PPE (personal protection equipment) be provided to all members required to undertake such tasks, stating that refusal to provide said equipment would be grounds for a national strike.

    Essential NHS staff numbers have dropped on average by over 55% in PAV affected areas. A majority of these appear to be self-reported sickness requiring absence.

    Due to ongoing efforts by civilians to leave affected areas or reach family members, severe congestion is starting to become apparent on most major routes in and out of populated urban areas, most notably the M25, M1, M20, M4, M6, M8 and M74.

    Aforementioned congestion is causing notable issues for the emergency services and the delivery of fuel, food and other necessities.

    B&B's, Hotels and other establishments providing paid lodging within areas seen to be "free" of PAV infection (e.g. parts of Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Northern England and Western England) are reportedly overbooked, resulting lack of space has encouraged many to attempt to domicile within ad hoc residencies (this has included but is not limited to: tents within public spaces such as parks, camping grounds, lay-by's, residential "squatters" accommodations and within existing non-residential buildings which have been abandoned.) This has resulted in localised public health issues resulting from a lack of sanitation as well as the transition through various stages of PAV of transient residents.

    New cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Wick, Thurso, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Fort William, Portree and Stornoway.

 

  • 26th July 1993 (Day 11)

    Large-scale outbreaks of PAV are occurring across Greater London. Smaller scale outbreaks are occurring across Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and Edinburgh. Police forces within these regions request additional military assistance be provided to assist efforts at keeping the peace as well as "regulation" of populations of PAV infected person(s).

    Fuel and food shortages are occurring across major metropolitan areas. In areas with denser PAV infection, the addition of panic-buying and looting is causing most major retailers to report a complete lack of stock. Fuel shortages are also starting to negatively affect the emergency services within these areas.

    The delivery of coal to power plants is becoming a major concern, alternate delivery methods utilising rail as much as possible over the use of road are to be devised by the civil service on the behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport.

    Control over evacuation measures is devolved to local regional control centers.

    Bank-runs are being reported by most major commercial banks and building societies that are still operational.

    The government begins restrictions on the use of electricity for advertising, display lighting and begins producing PIF's (Public Information Films) for broadcast on TV and radio, advising people to switch off lights and conserve energy where possible.

    Military forces are recalled from Gibraltar and Hong Kong while London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bristol and Newcastle see the deployment of military personnel aiding in the efforts of the local ambulance, fire and police services. This action is deemed to have "cost" an additional 15% of then-available and utilised military personnel to be "lost" to PAV infection from close proximity to person(s) infected with PAV.

    New cases of stage three and stage four PAV are reported in Dumfries, Newry, Armagh, Omagh, St. Andrews, Elgin, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Durham, Stockton-On-Tees, Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Hereford, Truro, Penzance, Hugh Town, Poole, Weymouth, Torquay, Worthing, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, King's Lynn, Boston, Skegness and Colwyn Bay.
     
  • 27th July 1993 (Day 12)

    In a cooperative move between the French and UK Governments, the ports of Dover, Newhaven, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth and Weymouth are closed. Operation Stack is implemented by available units of Kent Police. The Corps of Royal Engineers seal all three tunnels of the Channel Tunnel to prevent refugees attempting to traverse the traversable but otherwise non-operational tunnels.

    All embassies and consulates within the United Kingdom are advised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the safety of their nationals visiting or residing within the United Kingdom cannot be guaranteed and that evacuation is recommended.

    The FBU calls a national strike after requests for PPE to be distributed along with the provision of hazard pay are refused. Fire services are replaced by available local military personnel and "Green Goddesses" return to service.

    Absenteeism within the police forces is reaching 70%, the reasons for the absenteeism appear to be down to sickness related leave as well as general desertion. Despite replacements being brought in from the available pool of military personnel, PAV along with reduced morale and a lack of oversight by Military Police causes absenteeism to become apparent within at least 25% of military personnel deployed "off base" within urban areas.

    An "investigative" piece into the effects of PAV is broadcasted following the "News at Five" on Channel 4, the piece shows an extended video from an undisclosed medical facility, presumably located within the United States, in which several members of the "Kentucky Department of Public Health" accompanied by several members of national U.S. networks and several officers of the Kentucky State Police carry out three rudimentary instructional videos, primarily showing the transition of a person from stage three to stage four of PAV, attempted execution of a mobile stage four individual by "traditional" means (controlled gunfire to the abdomen and chest) and the dissection of a restrained stage four individual, showcasing it's continued hostility to all people within the room despite having all vital organs hastily removed during the procedure. Further broadcasts of this footage were suspended following contact by the Broadcasting Standards Commission and the footage has been presumed destroyed since. The source of the footage is presently unknown outside of what has been identified within the footage itself.

    To maintain a healthy cash-flow, withdrawals from banks and building societies are restricted to £200 per person per day and must be made from within the building itself, not an ATM or associated vestibule.

    The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast experiences an explosion outside of its main entrance, all non-PAV infected patients who can be moved are evacuated, all remaining patients are abandoned.

    The London Stock Exchange is closed and trading ceases.
     
  • 28th July 1993 (Day 13)

    The economic impact of a declaration of a State of Emergency and related legislation is deemed to no longer be of such a concern to prevent the enactment of said legislation. As such a request to declare a State of Emergency and enact the full provisions of the "Emergency Powers Act 1993" is granted by Her Majesty and the Privy Council and this is announced by the Prime Minister at 11 AM (11:00) on all available radio and TV channels.

    A curfew from 8:30 PM (20:30) till 6AM (06:00) is enacted nationwide. The only exceptions are emergency service personnel, members of the military and civilians involved in an emergency or are classified as category 1,2 or 3 personnel under the Emergency Powers Act 1993.

    All regional control centres are to request remaining personnel required for full functionality to report for duty.

    All British Rail and Northern Ireland Railways passenger services are terminated as of 11PM (23:00) and the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) grounds all regional and international flights entering or leaving the United Kingdom as of 9AM (09:00) on the 29th of July 1993.

    All broadcasting entities which are still in operation are nationalised with immediate effect and required to maintain active broadcast schedules until advised otherwise.

    Sporadic blackouts begin to occur across the country due to a lack of coal being delivered to operational power plants. Emergency measures are put in place, including the requisition of road vehicles and related apparatus and facilities to ensure coal supplies are sustained.

    All ferry terminals between Ireland (both Northern and Republic) and mainland Britain are closed, all ferry services where the originating company is under the jurisdiction of the UK Government are terminated, all others are refused entry to dock.

    All Irish Rail services attempting to enter Northern Ireland are refused entry.

    The Government Telephone Preference Scheme and the Access Overload Control is introduced, inbound calls and outbound calls to 999 are the only permitted use of telephony for anybody outside of preference category one or two or access class level 10-15 depending on the type of telephony system used (landline and mobile respectively.)

    Oil and gas extraction facilities within the North and Irish Sea are instructed to shut-down-operations and evacuate with immediate effect if this has not already occurred.
     
  • 29th July 1993 (Day 14)

    Contingency plan "ADDER" is initiated, central government is relocated to secure facilities outside of London (code name PERIPHERAL), control over emergency services is delegated to regional control centres, the use of lethal force is authorised to be used at the discretion of the local regional county controller.

    Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station is brought to a cold shutdown at the behest of the Atomic Energy Authority, this is due to a lack of qualified operators required to maintain safe operation for the immediate future. Similar losses of personnel in other nuclear plants across the country is becoming readily apparent as a major problem and will likely result in similar actions occurring elsewhere.

    Large PAV outbreaks are now being reported in most metropolitan areas, where hospitals are operational they are reportedly chronically understaffed, all UK police forces are reporting significant losses to absenteeism and in most instances are failing to maintain functional command-structures, military forces are requested to pull back to areas of "significant strategic interest" or their closest military facility or regional control center.

    Distribution of PIF's by radio relating to the conservation of electricity begin, their TV broadcast counterparts have yet to be broadcast.

    The mass burial, cremation or other forms of disposal en-mass of bodies has been authorised, "collection for storage" of the deceased is to be utilised as a cover to prevent people refusing to hand over corpses, disposal is to be carried out as discreetly as possible.

 

  • 30th July 1993 (Day 15)

    Police officers still on duty are to be armed where possible with firearms, if firearms are not available, the use of metal pipes, bats and other "primarily deadly implements" is authorised over traditional batons.

    Twenty people are killed and six injured when military forces respond to looting in the MetroCentre, Gateshead, an ensuing fire started during the looting destroys large sections of the building. Similar scenes are reported in most major commercial areas across the country.

    The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announce that rationing of long-life food products is to be introduced as of the 31st July 1993 and that said food products (primarily canned, dried and preserved goods) will be no longer be purchasable from 6 AM (06:00) - 31st July 1993.

    All farms are requested to begin holding non-perishable goods and refrain from moving livestock at the behest of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

    The creation of the civil defence document "PAV AND YOU" (based on the Protect and Survive documentation from the early 1980's) begins, national publication and distribution are assumed to be possible within two weeks.

    The Dungeness A, B and Bradwell Nuclear Power Stations are brought to a cold shutdown.
     
  • 31st July 1993 (Day 16)

    All long-life food products are banned from sale to the general public.

    Wylfa, Oldbury and Torness Nuclear Power Stations are brought to a cold shutdown.

    Nationwide blackouts are occurring due to a strain on the network from reduced Nuclear sources (approximately eight out of the fifteen total nuclear reactors are presently non-operational at the behest of the Atomic Energy Authority.)

    The "HVDC Cross-Channel" (High Voltage Direct Current Interconnector submarine cable between mainland Britain and France allowing for the cross-channel transfer of electricity) is disconnected. France states this is due to an ongoing internal security situation and the connection will be restored once the situation has been rectified. 

    Electricity supplies are cut to areas in which control has been deemed "lost" by local ground forces and/or air reconnaissance flights in a bid to prevent further electrical supply disruptions to areas not presently outside of the control of civil and military forces as well as critical infrastructure.

    All docks, harbours and maritime facilities under private ownership capable of receiving ships, boats or other watercraft are requested to close with immediate effect. All merchant, private and military vessels not registered to the United Kingdom are refused entry to UK territorial waters. All vessels within these waters prior to the previous closure (with the exception of military or diplomatic vessels) are to be ordered to go to secured MOD maritime facilities for documentation, offloading and requisition, vessels reporting medical emergencies or vessels failing or refusing to respond are to be destroyed.

    All commercial or private aircraft found to be operating within the UK airspace without prior approval are to be escorted out of said airspace unless originating from the UK, all aircraft that are non-responsive, reporting medical emergencies or refuse to be escorted are to be destroyed.

    Military and police forces active within the Greater London area are requested to pull back and form a defensive perimeter around the "Isle of Dogs" with the primary focus being on the defence of districts "Millwall" and "Cubitt Town."

    Communication is lost with "RFA Argus", this is presumed to be due to its current role being that of a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship and thus having been lost to an escalating PAV outbreak on board.

    The "Civil Reconstruction & Restoration of Order Act 1993" is passed by parliament, the primary aim focuses on establishing a base for reconstruction efforts following the resolution of the current situation.

    Contact is lost with New Scotland Yard and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (MET Police Commissioner), communications received prior to contact being lost along with additional aerial reconnaissance appears to suggest that an ongoing blockade of PAV infected person(s) outside of New Scotland Yard had failed, leading to the overwhelming of on-site forces and loss of the facility.
     
  • 1st August 1993 (Day 17)

    Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford are declared "lost", military and police forces within these areas are ordered to retreat and not expend further effort and resources attempting to maintain control over these areas.

    All water and electricity providers throughout the UK are nationalised as private enterprise is deemed unsuitable to maintain supply in the current climate.

    Coal supplies for power plants can no longer be actively maintained as diesel shortages and electricity rationing renders most active forms of transportation by train and lorry to be all but impossible. Over 65% of all coal power plants are now non-operational as a result.

    Hartlepool, Sizewell A, Hinkley Point A&B Nuclear Power Stations are brought to a cold shutdown.

    Large blackouts begin to occur across England, parts of Wales and parts of Scotland.

    Electrical supplies are cut to additional areas. Preventative measures are put in place as to preserve the infrastructure around critical locations and to ensure that electrical supplies can be maintained in areas supplied by hydroelectric sources with minimal outside intervention and that they will not be affected by external network failures if further electricity sources are rendered non-functional.

    The Atomic Energy Authority requests that if the current situation endures, measures must be taken to ensure the fuel presently within the nuclear reactors be removed as to preserve both the functionality of the reactors for future use and to prevent the possible environmental release of radiation due to failure in containment. Recommended action to be taken is the transportation of all fuel to the Sellafield site for "vitrification" (the conversion of nuclear waste into a more stable "glass-like" form in preparation for long-term storage) prior to being placed into storage on-site.

    All terrestrial television stations are now only broadcasting previously aired shows and movies, as to if this has been noticed by the majority of the population is unknown.

 

  • 2nd August 1993 (Day 18)

    An unidentified civilian Boeing 747 attempted to enter UK airspace from mainland Europe, radio contact was ignored, visual observation by intercepting RAF aircraft indicated no visual signs of life, the aircraft was damaged by an intercepting missile and downed in the North Sea.

    Heysham 1 and 2 along with Chapelcross Nuclear Power Stations are brought to a cold shutdown.

    Contact is lost with the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment facilities (also known as "Porton Down.") Loss of contact appears to be related to the release of the nerve agent "VX", as to if this was deliberate or accidental is not known at this time.

    Testing at the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) is completed, the effects of extreme levels of radiation on person(s) affected by PAV appears to be as of that expected for any traditional person exposed to radiation, the death of the exposed person. However, ambulation does not appear to be prevented.

    A lack of qualified medical staff across the country results in the requisition of the veterinary register from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in an attempt to draft them for participation within rescue centres and operational medical facilities.

    A universal triage system is introduced for NHS patients (found within the additional document "PAV Medical Support Triage Scale"), this is introduced to allow for quicker response and delegation of medical resources in areas heavily affected by PAV. This is a modified version of the traditional triage scale used by UK military forces.
     
  • 3rd August 1993 (Day 19)

    Most urban areas over 30,000 people which had been directly affected by PAV are now declared "lost" or are otherwise heavily inundated with person(s) showing stage four PAV infection. Refugees/unauthorised evacuations have caused outbreaks to occur in most formerly "unaffected" towns and other urban areas surrounding these locations.

    The UK Government requests assistance from the Red Cross and United Nations, both agencies are unable to provide assistance due to ongoing efforts in other nations.

    The UK Government requests assistance from NATO, NATO is unable to assist due to ongoing security situations within all member nations.

    The UK Government requests assistance from the Commonwealth of Nations, a majority of nations respond stating that they are unable to assist due to deteriorating situations within their own nation-states, the remainder fail to respond.

 

  • 4th August 1993 (Day 20)

    All TV and radio stations are requested to end traditional broadcasts at the end of their expected scheduled broadcast period or if the channel is operational 24/7 to break normally scheduled programming prior to 5:30 AM.

    All TV and radio stations barring BBC1 and Radio 4 switch to broadcasting advisory messages to tune to BBC1 or Radio 4 for further information.

    BBC1 and Radio 4 begin to broadcast emergency programming, programming consists of information relating to PAV and additional survival and safety advice.

 

S5. General Legal Directions Overview
 

Following the passing of the "Emergency Powers Act 1993" and the "Civil Reconstruction & Restoration of Order Act 1993" (both of which have repealed the amended "Emergency Powers Act 1920", "Emergency Powers Act 1964" and "Civil Defence Act 1948") and the invocation of a State of Emergency, this department and state actors under direction of this department have been granted sweeping powers to enable us to restore civil order, maintain peace and formulate a defence of critical infrastructure and life. Due to the complex nature of these laws and for reasons of time being a critical component in consumption of this document and the information listed therein, the legal standing of this department, its actors and in addition to this the legal statures implemented to effectively deal with this emergency have been detailed below. Further, advice, explanation or expansion on the topics divulged within this section can be made via the legal secretariat if required.
 

As a result of these acts having been passed the following acts have been temporarily revoked and no longer apply to British, European, Commonwealth or other unspecified Nation's citizens residing within England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and our overseas territories.
 

Habeas Corpus Act 1679
House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975
Parliament Act 1911 (Specifically the clause relating to terms of parliament being restricted to a maximum of five years)

 

It has also been recognised that temporary suspension (derogation as specified under "Article 15 - derogations") of the recognition of the following articles of the European Convention on Human Rights in full or part is required and as such has been implemented in the "Derogation of Specified Articles of the European Conventions on Human Rights Act 1993." A full list of the noted articles can be found below and any subsequent partial recognition where required noted:
 

"Article 1 - respecting rights"
"Article 2 - life"
"Article 3 - torture"

 

(It is specifically noted that "Article 3 - torture" is recognised in so far as the state and it's actors will not impose "deliberate degrading treatment which could otherwise be avoided through willful prevention of this treatment" and that all those other than the state and it's actors are still subject to this article in full and thus cannot be disavowed legal repercussion from unlawful acts which under this article could be classified as "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.")
 

"Article 5 - liberty and security"
"Article 6 - fair trial"
"Article 11 - association"
"Article 13 - effective remedy"

 

In addition to the above at the present time, no act is presently protected from emergency regulation pending approval of its regulation by parliament or by "Order in Council" as is most readily available to prevent serious delay.



S6. Emergency Powers Act 1993

 

In respect to the above the "Emergency Powers Act 1993" will be expanded on below as to enable you to understand the aforementioned provisions provided by this act.

 

The "Emergency Powers Act 1993" was passed through parliament as to amend the existing "Emergency Powers Act 1964", this was primarily passed due to noted limitations provided by the previous act which did not account for the unique situation brought about by PAV and would thus have been unsuitable for the current crisis hence necessitating the creation of an amended act.

 

The act itself indicates that an emergency is any situation or event which threatens serious damage to human welfare within the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, either in total or in region. Human welfare can only be seen to be in threat of damage if it involves, causes or may cause:

 

(a) loss of human life
(b) human illness or injury
(c) disruption of the supply of money, food, water, energy or fuel
(d) disruption of services relating to health
(e) homelessness through destruction or damage to property

 

It was also felt that it was necessary to categorise responders as to enable easier coordination of departments and services based on a level of priority and as such the following agencies have been classified as belonging to three separate categorisations:

 

Category 1 Responders

 

"Category 1 Responders" has been restricted to armed response only and as such only, Her Majesty's Armed Forces, Armed Police Units and (since nationalised under the Emergency Powers Act 1993) private security firms provisioned with the required training and armaments may be classified as such.

 

Category 2 Responders

 

"Category 2 Responders" covers the following services and departments.

 

All agents of central government
Local authorities
Non-armed police units
Fire services
Ambulance services
HM Coastguard
NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and NHS Northern Ireland employees
The Public Health Laboratory Service employees
Non-armed nationalised private security firms
Civilian Local Defence Volunteers (Armed or otherwise)
British Red Cross
St. Johns Ambulance

 

Category 3 Responders

 

"Category 3 Responders" covers the following services and departments:

 

Electricity distributors and transmitters
Gas distributors
Water and sewerage undertakers
Telephony service providers (both mobile and fixed)
British Rail (Including the Waterloo & City Railway)
London Regional Transport
Civil Aviation Authority
Companies Involved In The Operation of Ferries
British Broadcasting Corporation

 

As noted above several services have been nationalised or since created under the act. These include services which were deemed to be required to maintain the peace given the extent of this crisis. The services affected by this are outlined below:

 

National and local private security firms
Civilian Local Defence Volunteers (Including formally recognised Neighborhood Watch associations)
Electricity and Gas Distributors
Water Undertakers
National Terrestrial, Cable & Satellite Television Providers
National Radio Providers

 

In addition to the above while these facilities have not been nationalised (unless already under state control such as NHS facilities etc.), state actors may take control of facilities tasked with the storage and destruction of human and animal corpses on a local level as the situation requires it. In addition, sites suitable for the mass disposal of corpses may be requisitioned by force if local requirements render it necessary to prevent further public health risks emanating from uncollected or improperly stored bodies.

 

Please be aware that with the nationalisation of all terrestrial, cable and satellite television providers along with radio providers, all subsequent broadcasting schedules on a national level have been terminated. A limited selection of channels including BBC1 and Radio 4 are presently broadcasting pre-recorded messages providing critical information required for the preservation of life within the civilian populace. These broadcasts will continue for as long as feasibly possible until resolution of the present situation or alternately when resources are no longer available to permit continued distribution of these messages.

 

S7. Suggested Reading

 

The following is a list of published documents pertaining to PAV which have been put forward as "suggested reading." All documents can be requested from your local Resources Officer who will be able to provide further assistance with the provision of these documents.
 

  • "PAV & YOU" - Civil Defence documentation for civilian consumption relating explicitly to PAV
  • "Case Definition of PAV" - Documentation outlining the symptoms of PAV and a rating scale for preliminary diagnosis
  • "PAV Medical Support Triage Scale" - Triaging scale used to determine the priority of treatment within areas heavily affected by PAV 
  • "PAV Stage Four Testing - Identifying The Nature of Stage Four Individuals & Methods of Termination"
  • "PAV Stage Four Testing - Extended Termination Testing" - Documentation outlining additional, less orthodox means of terminating stage four PAV individuals
  • "British Mainland Index Case Brief" - Document outlining the steps taken and diagnostic information collected following the admission of Mainland Index Case to the Royal Free Hospital, London
     

---RESTRICTED - UK EYES ONLY---

 

 

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This is incredible. The level of detail and realism is insane. I can't believe you put this much effort into it, and I hope the devs see this and include it in the PZ canon. I've always wanted to do something like this (especially for Atlanta, where I live) but I don't think I'd have the patience to be this in-depth. 

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This was definitely a fresh intake of air! This text voiced by someone over a video could make a short movie that would break the audience. Well done! Can't wait for AV Stage Four Testing - Extended Termination Testing or PAV and You to come out if you're planning to! Good luck and love your writing.

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13 hours ago, ElFtador said:

This was definitely a fresh intake of air! This text voiced by someone over a video could make a short movie that would break the audience. Well done! Can't wait for AV Stage Four Testing - Extended Termination Testing or PAV and You to come out if you're planning to! Good luck and love your writing.

Thanks, and I agree that having somebody voice it in a similar vein to "TheVolgun" does with the SCP articles would make for an interesting choice. Admittedly it would probably work better with an RP accent rather than the Northern Irish/American accent that he has/does - I certainly couldn't do it as I've got a broad Highland accent and everybody else I know well enough are either too Glaswegian or use "Ken" and "Quine" as every second word due to the whole Doric thing going on. (Basically the closer you get to Aberdeen the more they start using "Doric" words like "Ken" for know or "Quine" for "girl" etc. It's kind of odd.)

I do have some materials stored for a "trailer" of sorts at some point similar to those BBC emergency broadcast things currently up on YouTube, only the general premise would be that the footage (period footage of Channel 4, BBC etc from when they used to shut down overnight back in 1993)  would go through the "usual" shutdown and then shortly thereafter start broadcasting the emergency information that occurs at the end of the 4th of August or just be completely interrupted (for channels like ITV which had "nightshift" which ran 24/7) and just have them basically mirror what is seen during the in-game broadcasts that would be running at that time. The only reason I haven't gone ahead with it yet is that I might need to find a commentator and I've yet to find one with an accent I'm happy with. That and I'm lazy.

And all of the documents listed at the bottom apart from "British Mainland Index Case Brief" and "PAV Medical Support Triage Scale" have been completed, they just need some further editing and polishing (e.g. grammar, formatting etc.) At the moment the "British Mainland Index Case Brief" is the first of ten total drafts that I did for the PAV Timeline document, so would need some pretty extensive work, the rest of them are okay though.

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3 hours ago, Brex said:

I'd love to see this from the point of the CDC...if you ever want to write something like that, I can help. I'm from Atlanta and have actually been to the CDC, so I know a bit about it

At the present time, I wouldn't be looking to do any "American" stuff, primarily because I'm trying to stay within the bounds of the lore as much as possible, which is fortunate for me because as far as the UK is concerned it is basically an open book aside from the dates in the current radio broadcasts which mention Norfolk and London having outbreaks. 

That and I'm not really sure how much information the CDC would have, they're a federal agency so I imagine they have some clout but I get the feeling that the military is being used to keep things under wraps as much as possible hence I would presume they've probably been using USAMRIID over the civilian CDC, at least initially. That and from the look of things this the virus outbreak is really being downplayed until it breaches containment, the President is rather coy relating to it and General McGrew sort of just toes the line of things being "under control" till it all goes to pot, at which point he gives more information but even then doesn't really allude to much more than what we already know. As a result, I suspect that this would be even more of a reason for the government in-universe to use the military over civilian agencies as they probably view civilian agencies as being more "leaky" which doesn't bode so well when you're trying to keep a lid on things.

While it's not related to PZ, there is a CDC based document outlining an outbreak of a zombie virus (A-137) which can be found here: http://www.alomal137.com/ It's a good read and I'd recommend it. There is also "Zombie Apocalypse" and "Zombie Apocalypse Fightback" by Stephen Jones which (while based in the UK again) contain some good medical and Police transcripts/documents from the initial outbreak.

I've got a few other recommendations that are not zombie related that can be found online for free, they're about nuclear war and "aliens" (e.g. Humans not on earth) but I'm not sure if you'd be interested. Just send me a PM or ask here and I'll post/send the links across.

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20 hours ago, MaxZorin44456 said:

I've got a few other recommendations that are not zombie related that can be found online for free, they're about nuclear war and "aliens" (e.g. Humans not on earth) but I'm not sure if you'd be interested. Just send me a PM or ask here and I'll post/send the links across.

 

Funny you mention that, there's a photo album I came across a while ago detailing a zombie outbreak from the perspective of news sites, social media, and other communication networks. I even wrote a little story to go along with it. Here's the album if you wanna take a look: 

 

https://imgur.com/gallery/UxeKW

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