Cyberpunk

Australia

Australia is a continent abandoned by humanity. Australian soccer fans brought the Ophio virus with them from Brazil, and Australia experienced the same fungal zombie outbreaks as the rest of the world. However, the Orphio virus mutated in the Australian environment to be able to infect all insects, not just ants. The number of Orphio victims skyrocketed as flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches became vectors for infection. The UN put Australia under a quarentine and forbade emigration or evacuation. The Chinese and US Navy fought a (short) pitched battle with the Australian and New Zealand navies who were attempting to escort a flotilla of refugees to New Zealand, and a standing order to destroy outbound boats and airplanes was ruthlessly enforced to prevent the spread of the pan-insect fungus. The coastal cities became deathtraps as the hordes trying to flee the country became infected en masse, filling the cities with fungal zombies. Interior cities and towns are presumed to have also succumbed as fungal bearing insects reached their areas, but little can be confirmed as communication systems broke down during the chaos. Recent satellite imaging shows intriging signs of human activity, but the UN has not been able to agree on a plan to contact the possible survivors.


Caucasean Australians who were abroad or able to escape before the quarentine have mostly integrated into the cultures of their adopted countries. A surprising number of Aborigines were able to escape the island and have formed a loosely associated mercenary corp based on tribes but with a strong ethnocentric center. A common clause in Aboriginal mercenary contracts is they will not fight other Aboriginal mercenaries.

Shadowruns to the former cities in Australia are dangerous but profitable. Research and equipment