The Fungi-Vírus
After the pandemic (2020-2021), several pharmaceutical companies in Brazil and around the world received enormous investments for the development of a universal vaccine that would immunize people against multiple diseases with a single dose. Many nations were also seeking a single solution for all health problems related to vaccine-preventable diseases. This led to highly advanced studies, many of which were highly secretive, because during the pandemic, some nations of the world, including Brazil, thought the disease might be related to a biological weapon. This caused a significant portion of the investments made in the biological research area to be secretly used for the development of biological weapons.
Using the properties of the fungus Sporothrix brasiliensis, which is capable of affecting humans, scientists from the Brazilian pharmaceutical company River Lab (RvL) decided to alter the fungus so that it could directly affect the human brain. The objective of this alteration would be to turn the infected host into a vehicle for the propagation of the fungus, making the only goal of the infected human to disseminate the fungus at any cost.
This genetic manipulation could lead to an epidemic outbreak since the fungus would be highly contagious and could easily spread through physical contact with the infected host. Although not transmitted through the air or water, the spread of S. brasiliensis fungus with these new properties could have serious consequences for public health, leading to a major sanitary crisis wherever the fungus was released.
After two years of intense research and over 200 tests of the Sporothrix brasiliensis fungus with its new properties, the scientists at the Brazilian pharmaceutical company River Lab finally achieved the desired result. Now, the host infected by the fungus has the sole purpose of proliferating it through physical contact, and can become aggressive if someone tries to prevent this proliferation.
As a result, River Lab decided to scale up the fungus tests and move on to larger animal subjects, with some samples being transferred to the Rocinha laboratory, to continue the studies in a more secluded area, since the World Health Organization (WHO) does not allow laboratories to conduct tests on large animals. As a result, River Lab maintained an illegal laboratory in the Rocinha region, where it conducted tests on large animals, including reports of tests on humans.
To continue their studies and tests, River Lab chose to transfer its activities to another laboratory. This is because the World Health Organization (WHO) does not allow laboratories to conduct tests on large animals. As a result, River Lab maintained an illegal laboratory in the Rocinha region, where it conducted tests on large animals, including reports of tests on humans.
The Epidemic
In the Vidigal region, a civil conflict occurred resulting in the death of two residents during a failed police operation. According to reports, the police were responsible for the fatal shots. The tragedy sparked a strong outrage among the population, who began to carry out several protests in the area. In response, the authorities conducted "pacification" operations in the region, but such actions ended up generating even more anger from local residents. These events also provoked widespread spurning of the police, the army, and the government.
On the day the fungus sample was transferred from the RvL-Copacabana laboratory to the RvL-Rocinha laboratory, the vehicle carrying it was being escorted by vehicles similar to those used by the police. The route passed through Avenida Niemeyer, which crosses the Vidigal region. As they approached the area, a group of rebels opened fire on the escort vehicles in an ambush. However, they did not know that they were only escorting the River Lab vehicle carrying the sample. In the ambush, all vehicles were hit by gunfire, including the one carrying the briefcase with the sample container. As a result, the briefcase was damaged, causing an accidental leak in the Vidigal area.
Given the national security risk that the leaked fungus sample posed, the government activated the bio-defense special forces that were on standby at the Copacabana Fort. These forces are known as DQBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense).
After the arrival of the DQBRN military personnel to the location, the residents were perplexed by the presence of an army group equipped with special suits in the area, without attempting to climb the hill. The military personnel asked that no one approach the area and began a cautious investigation. This situation drew the attention of local residents, who began recording videos and sharing what was happening on social media. At the site, there was a yellowish coloration and a light dust hovering over the environment.
The military personnel remained on site for a few hours, cleaning up the affected area, and then withdrew.
The day after the fungus sample leak, some residents began to show worrying symptoms, including vomiting, fever, restlessness, irritability, and nausea. There were reports of infected people attacking each other, but this information was immediately covered up by the local authorities. At one point, a journalist heard rumors about what was happening in the area and decided to investigate.
The military forces responsible for the security of the area were positioned at all the entrances to the hill, but the journalist managed to enter with a hidden cellphone. When he reached the area of the leak, he started live streaming, showing the real situation of the site.
The military identified the journalist and, concerned about the biological risk and safety in the area, tried to interrupt the broadcast. The journalist, in turn, fled towards the entrance of the hill, but the military, considering the area extremely dangerous, decided to shoot him in the back, unknowing that everything was being transmitted live.
This violent action by the military sparked a great popular revolt throughout the country, with the news spreading also abroad. The pressure from the media was so great that the government ended up partly acknowledging what was happening in the region, claiming only that a rebel group was causing chaos in the area and announcing a general blockade. However, the government did not mention anything about the leaked sample, manipulating the media so that the information would not be disclosed and threatening to confiscate the broadcasters that did so. As a result, virtually no Brazilian media outlet was reporting on the subject.
The containment
On the second day after the leak, the government mobilized almost all the construction companies in the state for an "experimental project for epidemic containment." According to the government, the goal was to prepare and test the logistical and industrial capacity to deal with high-risk pandemic cases. In just three days, practically the entire Vidigal area was isolated by barricades, barbed wire, and military presence, preventing any exit from the region. Meanwhile, the construction companies worked on building the containment walls, which were completed in just 14 days, a significantly reduced time frame considering the complexity of the required engineering.
A No-Fly Zone (NFZ) was established in the region, prohibiting any aircraft from flying over the area. With the fungus already spread throughout the area, the inner zone of the walls turned into a scene of complete chaos, with only those who were armed or lived in strategic points on the hill remaining.
In addition, satellite signals, internet services, and even electricity were cut. Electricity was only available in some areas designated as "safe zones", thanks to generators and solar panels installed there.
The government decided to keep the military forces in the area to monitor all points. The Navy was tasked with preventing escapes by sea, while the Air Force used drones for aerial monitoring. The Army, in turn, designated soldiers to watch the wall towers.
However, after the infection took over the area, the military realized that only a specific group, the DQBRN, would be able to intervene within the walls. However, these soldiers were not prepared for the type of combat required in the slums. With the hills under Rebel control, the government recognized that the military was at a significant disadvantage and suffering many casualties.
Because of this, the Army concluded that it was necessary to create a new group of soldiers with specialized training in biological and urban combat. In collaboration with BOPE, a new elite division was created with advanced training, thus giving birth to the Organization of Rescue, Domination, and Massive Extraction, or simply ORDEM.
ORDEM is a group of highly trained military personnel in urban and biological combat, created to deal with extreme situations such as those found in Vidigal and Rocinha. At that moment, ORDEM was chosen because it was the most suitable group to climb the Vidigal hill, which was under the control of the Rebels.
Members of the ORDEM undergo rigorous training and have the best equipment available, provided by the armed forces. This ensures that they are always ready to deal with any risky situation.
The intervention
When the ORDEM was created, the walls had already completely surrounded Vidigal and Rocinha, which had previously been contaminated. The world was in chaos and the government, taking advantage of the situation, acted authoritatively and imposed its will without caring about the few bits of information that managed to reach the outside world. In fact, most countries were involved in a large war that ravaged Eastern Europe, plunging virtually all major powers into a chaotic scenario.
This chaotic situation allowed the government to use Vidigal and Rocinha as biological experiment fields, using the ORDEM to carry out interventions inside the walls and ensure that no rebel group could carry out escape or destruction operations of the walls. Thus, the government maintained control over people that lived within the walls, establishing a base behind the Dois Irmãos hill.
With the media blocked and information being hidden or denied, the few rumors about what was happening in Vidigal were ignored by most countries, which claimed to have more important priorities at that time. What leaked out ended up becoming just conspiracy theories.
Despite all the chaos that plagued the world, the ORDEM continued to act inside the walls of Vidigal and Rocinha, carrying out interventions and maintaining the order imposed by the authoritarian government. Meanwhile, the residents lived in a scenario of fear and uncertainty, not knowing what was happening outside the walls and having to deal with the consequences of the biological experiments carried out by the government.
When a rebel group established alliances, the ORDEM immediately acted to attack and demoralize them, fearing that the faction could use the alliance to counterattack and escape, causing a possible leakage of information about the Fungi-Virus beyond the walls. This would be problematic, as the survivors could clarify everything that was happening daily within the walls, which was a great mystery to the population. The government always claimed that the area was uninhabited and that everyone had been evacuated, without mentioning the infected. And, with media control, the population believed this version
In 2031, the air force detected, through drones, an infected much larger than usual. After analysis, the armed forces decided to eliminate it and collect samples for study. An infected of this size could compromise the containment structure if it were somehow under rebel control, so the ORDEM was called to deal with the situation.
It had been a long time since the ORDEM had intervened within the walls. When they received the mission for a new intervention, rumors began to circulate among the survivors, many of whom took refuge in the safe zone behind the Two Brothers Hill, controlled by the ORDEM. However, several other survivors also circulated in this zone, including the rebels. When they heard these rumors, the rebels began to prepare for a new ambush against the ORDEM.
On August 27, 2031, the ORDEM began its intervention by advancing towards the electrical network field located in Rocinha. However, they did not know that the Rebels were waiting for them. Ambushed in an alley, the Rebels opened fire, causing panic and confusion among the ORDEM's military personnel, who were stunned by the sudden attack. The intense exchange of gunfire resulted in a significant number of casualties, leading to the mission's failure.
Despite the failure, the samples needed to be extracted. The surviving military personnel from the attack were tasked with staying in the area and infiltrating among the survivors. Without permission to leave the walls without the samples, they formed the Militia, which would continue to answer to the ORDEM and act on its behalf within the isolated area.
In order to help survivors defending themselves against the infected, the armed forces began to airdrop supply crates with high-powered weapons and equipment. This allowed the survivors to fight the infected, reducing the need for ORDEM interventions.
Life inside the walls
When the walls were built, the factions that had been confined in the isolated areas began to fight for complete control of the region, considering that the higher parts of the hill were the safest. For a while, the slums were engulfed in war, with infected and factions fighting everywhere. However, when the dust settled, it became clear that the top of the hill was no longer safe. Survivors had to find other places to live within the isolated area, and thus the safe zones emerged.
Some survivors went to live in the forest, while others settled near the sea or the walls, under the "protection" of the militiamen who answered directly to the ORDEM.
Money had completely lost its value, and survivors began to extract copper from the power grids and recycle everything they could. This served as a currency for trade, and representatives of the safe zones were able to make deals to exchange copper for supplies, thus maintaining a considerably stable social life, which seemed impossible years before.
The Rebels and the Militia continued to be at war, but they reached an agreement: it was forbidden to attack the safe zones, and this agreement was respected until the present moment.
The non-aggression agreement in the safe zones opened up an opportunity for life within the walls. The Pier safe zone was controlled by the Rebels, the zone located behind the Dois Irmãos hill was controlled by the militiamen, and there was a zone in the forest controlled by those who had chosen to live away from urban areas. They lived organically, and their representative sought to understand more about the behavior of the infected.
In 2032, life inside the walls was possible thanks to the continuous efforts of exploration groups that seek supplies in the cities to stock the safe zones. Additionally, the air force provides modern equipment that allows the Rebels and Militia to face any biological threat, thus protecting the containment structure and preventing the leak of the Fungi-Virus.