The Creep (Quantum Realignment Phenomenon)

The physical properties of the quantum enriched petroleum in the National Fuel Reserve were controversial from the start. Many hypothesized (correctly) the negative affects of such a substance mixing with the atmosphere. A drastic increase in temperature was certain. Nevertheless, dissent fell on deaf ears. Desperation guided the policy makers' hands and they pushed forward with the Fuel Enrichment Initiative despite the warning.
Of all the predicted side effects of an accident like G-Day, no one expected Quantum Realignment Phenomenon, almost always called "the creep." The name derived from the slow and deliberate pace at which the creep swept across the landscape. As the drifting winds carried the quantum enriched petroleum throughout the land, exposure to "particulate" was unavoidable. Although symptoms were most severe in the most particulate-dense air (like in Rosepetal), inhalation of any amount would trigger symptoms of the creep. 
These symptoms ranged from extreme discomfort to death, mostly in the elderly. Children suffered the least although Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was very common for pregnant mothers who contracted the creep. Bleeding from the eyes and mouth was widely reported and seizure was present in nearly all cases. As the green sky spread across the earth, the creep spread with it. This biological metatoxin is assumed to have affected the entire planet.
After the explosion, a media blackout was ordered to squelch the images from Rosepetal and the surrounding Petropolis. The effects of the creep were dubbed too horrifying for public viewing and the authorities feared mass panic. However, as a proper PR response was being calculated, a video shot from a phone in Rosepetal leaked to YouTube.
The video's rapid release and gruesome realism were so convincing that it's authenticity was questioned by few. Like a herd of antelope sensing a predator, people stirred in a fever pitch of anxiety despite the alleged "quarantine" of Petropolis. Two days later, Diane Robertson said the famous words: "It's spreading," and mayhem ensued.
Category:Societal Woes