The Hidden Patient

Hook:

A desperate doctor, Dr. Elira Vasquez, a researcher, seeks out the party in secret. She has smuggled a restrained but conscious "sentient" Zombie into a concealed section of the camp, convinced that it still has self-awareness and possibly even memories.

She begs the party for help: if the Church of Hope or the Board of Hope finds out, they will either execute her for heresy or euthanize the patient immediately; maybe even both. She believes the patient could be proof that the infection is not irreversible. She also believes that it proves that there isn't as much difference between the Zombies and The Others as society would have you believe.

Key NPCs & Factions

1. Dr. Elira Vasquez (Doctor & Researcher) – Passionate and brilliant, but frantic. Desperate to prove her theories before the authorities shut her down. Note: she isn't as concerned about the patient himself as she is about the science and knowledge he represents.
2. The Hidden Patient (Subject 17, "Jonas") – A seemingly infected man who can speak in broken sentences, recalls fragments of past memories, and struggles to resist violent urges. The infection has slowed, but why? Both the patient and the doctor report that he was infected over 4 weeks ago, but the normal progression of the virus only takes a week. Despite that, it seems that he hasn't completely changed. He has the classic black eyes that has always been considered the decisive zombie symptom.
3. The Church of Hope – Deems all infected as irredeemable, especially Zombies who they also consider dangerous. If they discover the patient, they will demand immediate execution and may brand anyone involved as heretics.
4. The Doctors – Seek pragmatic solutions. Some members may be willing to examine the patient, but others will argue that keeping an infected subject in Camp Hope is too dangerous.
5. The Town Watch – If they learn of the secret patient, they will impose martial law on the hospital and possibly interrogate anyone involved. They will kill the patient to prevent an outbreak.
6. The Solstice Syndicate - They have secretly taken control of the hidden zombie, recognizing its potential to shake the foundations of power in the camp. They have helped Dr. Elira Vasquez hide the zombie in a storage room on the roof of The Solstice Casino.

Adventure Progression

Act 1: The Discovery

• The party is approached by Dr. Vasquez, who shows them Jonas, a restrained but partially lucid infected man.
• Jonas speaks in halting, fragmented speech, recalling old memories, and is clearly struggling against infection-induced aggression.
• Dr. Vasquez pleads with the party to help protect him long enough to understand how he retained his mind.
• The Syndicate offers the party a deal: help them keep the zombie hidden, and they will reward them handsomely and clearing any debts / bad history they have with the Syndicate. Refusing the offer may result in the party being marked as enemies of the Syndicate. It will definitely result in them loosing reputation with them.

The inciting event occurs:

The Hospital reports that there is a missing test subject. This is considered a serious event. Subject 17 has gone missing from the hospital's subject containment ward.

Choices:

1. Move Jonas to a safer location before an investigation begins.
2. Gather research quickly before authorities discover him.
3. Convince a Doctor to hear them out.
4. Destroy Jonas to cover up the evidence (a dark option).

Act 2: The Investigation Begins

• The Town Watch & Church of Hope arrive at the hospital, questioning doctors and searching for any sign of forbidden research. They are looking for clues as to the where about of the missing test subject
• If any of the party members are part of the Watch, they could be assigned to investigate the missing test subject.

• A rival Doctor, Dr. Adrian Royce, is suspicious of Vasquez and may expose her questionable behaviors unless convinced otherwise.
• Dr. Adrian Royce has seen Dr. Elira Vasquez sending a good deal of time with Subject 17, but that test subject isn't part of her assigned research.
• Dr. Adrian Royce has seen Dr. Elira Vasquez coming and going at strange hours recently. He believes that she has been taking supplies home. This isn't specifically against the rules, but generally isn't done.
• The party learns Jonas wasn’t just a random infected—he was experimented on before turning.
• Strange occurrences: Jonas begins showing rapidly shifting symptoms—sometimes lucid, sometimes monstrous. He whispers a name, implying deeper secrets behind his condition.
• New mystery: Who experimented on Jonas, and why does he remember someone named "Miriam"?

Challenges & Options:

1. Evade capture – Sneak Jonas out of the camp before authorities find him.
2. Investigate Jonas’s past – Find out why he’s different.
3. Expose a conspiracy – There are rumors of other experimental patients like Jonas, find them.
4. Cover everything up - destroy all evidence that anything unusual or suspicious happened.

Act 3: The Conspiracy Unveiled

• Jonas' fragmented memories reveal he was part of a hidden experiment conducted before the fall of the Old World.
• But he is too young to have been alive in the time that those experiments happened. Yet, he speaks about events as if he lived during the time of The Fall.
• "Miriam" was the head scientist of a black-ops project called RECLAIM, which sought to reprogram infected minds rather than kill them.
• The Medical Board denies all knowledge, but evidence suggests someone in Camp Hope continued the research in secret.
• If the party digs around, they can discover that it was Christine Louis Segers who was conducting this research, but she will give them nothing if they confront her about it.

Challenges & Options:

Jonas is deteriorating – time is running out. The party must decide:

• Reveal Jonas & his story to the public – risking mass panic.
• Hand Jonas over to the Medical Board – hoping they’ll study him rather than euthanize him.
• Escape Camp Hope with Jonas – ensuring his survival but making enemies of the authorities.
• End Jonas’ suffering – the most merciful choice?

Potential Endings

• Jonas is Killed: The Church of Hope and Town Watch take control, silencing the research. The party gains favor with the authorities but loses valuable scientific knowledge. The party looses favor with the Syndicate.
• Jonas is Exposed to the Public: Panic spreads, but it sparks a movement questioning old beliefs—for better or worse. The party gains favor with the Syndicate.
• Jonas is Taken by the Medical Board: The research may continue, but at what ethical cost? The party may uncover darker truths later. The party gains favor with the Doctors.
• Jonas Escapes with the Party: They leave Camp Hope behind, heading into the unknown with a sentient but unstable infected companion. They loose favor with all camp factions. They can convince Dr. Elira Vasquez to join them on their journey. But where will they go?
• Necropolis is a location where Jonas will not be killed and he will be studied to gain further understanding, but he will not be treated like a person.
• Defiance is a location where the party might be able to find Jonas a new home where he will be treated like a human, but he will not likely be studied as he won't likely be considered able to provide consent. Any research into his condition will be limited to improving his quality of life rather then discovering a cure or treatment for the larger population.