Infected

Infected civilians roaming the streets.

> *"It seems that the virus... this virus... is now bringing the dead back back to life, and causing them to attack any living being."*
>
>

--Unnamed Newscaster, reporting on the infected.

The infected are an enemy constantly encountered throughout the Garry's Mod Zombie Apocalypse series. The infected models are based off from a game No More Room in Hell however some also seem to use a modified form of the Half Life 2 citizens.

## About

The infected are not undead beings, but rather citizens or military personnel that have been infected with a unnamed virus. They are similar to the infected from the game Left 4 Dead but have a much more frightening appearance and only have running abilities when just turned. The virus seems to decay flesh over time but only to a certain extent. Unlike the headcrab zombies, the infected are the only type that can spread the virus to a person, but only through bodily fluids such as saliva.

## Pre-Apocalypse

Prior to the outbreak, the virus was created in an underground military bunker in a lab by a company known as the Triple A Corporation. As David Hawkings sees, when he explores the underground labs of the base, there are various containers full of an unknown biological contaminant. According to General Robertson in Season 5 Episode 7 the government used a shell company by the name of the Umbrella Corporation as a scapegoat for the virus, and show the government as innocent. It's not known why the virus was being created in the first place or what it was going to be used for. Judging by the fact the development of the virus was being supervised by the U.S Military, it's possible that it may have been a project for a chemical weapon.

It's unknown as to how the virus managed to spread in the first place, but regardless, it did. Residents of cities all over the United States started to show signs of the infection. At first, the news reported the infected as rioters, either to keep the public from panicking or simply out of cluelessness. However, when the infection began to grow out of control, with hospitals being over-complicated and police being overrun, it was reported that the virus was in fact not only killing but bringing those killed back as zombie-like creatures.

## Post-Apocalypse

After the outbreak, infected are as common as ever in the post-apocalyptic world, due to their easy method of spreading the virus through bite. This is unlike their counterpart, the Headcrab Zombie, which appears to be dying out due to being reliant on Headcrabs to spread the virus. Whenever Infected encounter Headcrab Zombies, or vice versa, the two will attack each other viciously.

In the most recent season of the series, the infection strain appears to have mutated, making the military's cure for the virus useless. The infected now are not only stronger and faster, but those who were previously immune to the virus can still be bitten and turned into an infected.

## Types of Infected

There are various types of infected encountered by the survivors throughout the series.

### Walking Infected

The walking infected, hence their name, are infected who walk to reach their prey. On it's own, a walking infected is not much for a survivor to worry about. However, in a large horde, even the most well-equipped of survivors would be wise to avoid them. Generally, walking infected serve as a distraction for the survivors while runners or more dangerous infected reach them. The walking infected generally appear to be normal citizens, however, they can also be military soldiers, another subtype of infected.

### Running Infected

Running infected are, obviously, the essential the opposite of the walking infected. Running infected are only those who were recently infected. Instead of walking at their victims, they will sprint at great speeds to reach them. They are not quite as fast as Fast Headcrab Zombies, but are still a challenging match for the average survivor. Even on their own, running infected pose a great threat, as they can be just as tough as walking infected, except now sprinting at their targets.

### Child Infected

Child infected are children who fell victim to the virus. They can run just as fast as a running infected, however, due to their small size, and being a moving target, are quite tough to hit. Not only being physically tough to hit, but it would likely be morally tough to pull the trigger on a child, even if it is infected, for some survivors.

### Soldier Infected

Soldier infected are a unique subtype of infected. Quite clearly, they are members of the U.S Military who were killed combating infected. They can be either walking or running infected, except even more deadly. Instead of wearing normal civilian clothes, these infected are geared in full military-grade armor, including knee pads, a combat helmet, and a kevlar vest. This makes the soldier infected harder to take down with small-caliber weapons. Soldier infected are most lethal when running, as not only are they somewhat impervious to most small-arms fire, they also have the ability to run.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://youtu.be/-FIM4c1pG\_g?list=PLl7tPKKmq7yEHF06oa-45Gdu8QE97IxPF&t=499
2. ↑ https://youtu.be/q8yDqkvlDmU?list=PLl7tPKKmq7yEHF06oa-45Gdu8QE97IxPF&t=1334