Eugene looks up and snaps his notebook with a satisfied grin. “The incubation is coming along very well. I’ve been tinkering with the mRNA sequences in the hopes of coming across some kind of beneficial mutation, and well…” “What is it?” Amanda asks, curious. “Let me show you, instead,” Eugene says, and gets up to leave. Amanda follows him closely as he leads her down a separate hallway. She looks into the closest lab and sees Robert tuning the machinery as Sylvia lectures him about each piece’s importance. Amanda and Eugene reach a separate testing lab. A lone cage sits on the far end of the room, empty. Eugene’s shoulders drop and he says “Not again. Help me find Marvin; he’s a very crafty little rat.” The two search for a few minutes and find Marvin hiding in a drawer. “This here is Marvin,” Eugene says, holding him with a prideful smile. “The mRNA sequences I was playing with had a protein output of a very interesting nature. This Morbusian may be constantly evolving, but if I can extract a sample, I can potentially mutate it to be an antibody.” Amanda’s eyes come to life as she cradles Marvin in her hands. “Eugene, I cannot begin to tell you what an important first step you’ve made for us here. If your theory pans out, we just might be able to beat this thing.” - Fiction by Diego Kluz James Franklin—Patient Zero—collapses after stepping off a plane from the Congo at JFK International Airport. He is rushed to Forest Hills Hospital where he is placed in an isolation ward. It is quickly discovered he has Morbusian, a constantly mutating virus that is resistant to all known antivirals. The survival of humanity itself is at stake! In Infection: Humanity's Last Gasp, by designer John Gibson, you are the director of the Department of Plague Control (DPC) field office in New York City. You make the decisions about what parts of the virus to study, which personnel to hire and what equipment to purchase. You’ll soon discover you are working with an eccentric group of scientists who don’t always work well together—and one very resourceful lab rat named Marvin. As the casualties increase, so does the stress and mistakes made, as you try to complete your vaccine before time runs out for all of mankind! This strategy game uses simple mechanics in a multitude of combinations to create engaging, deep gameplay as you try to eliminate an evolving virus that could spell the end of the human race. While random events from the Status Report cards might throw a wrench in your plans (or occasionally help you out), you’ll use the Lab Personnel and Equipment cards you’ve hired to piece together randomly generated Proteins into the different parts of a Vaccine, all while managing dwindling Funding resources as the Death Toll Track climbs; each time that your Containment roll fails you come one step closer to losing this battle, so make sure that you push everyone to their limits before the INFECTION reaches critical levels. Players: 1 Ages: 13 and up Duration: approximately 30-45 minutes CONTENTS: • One 24-page, full-color Rules booklet • One 11" x 17" game board • 50 cards • 77 thick, two-sided, multi-shaped game pieces • One six-sided 12mm die • One 11" x 17" mounted, jigsaw-cut game map • One bright red, 9 1/4" x 5 7/8" Standard cardboard VPG game box • One beautiful box cover sleeve • One "Wipes-A-Lot" napkin • One charcoal dessicant packet