Austin

History[]

Pre-outbreak[]

Austin was the state capital of Texas. A typical American city, it housed schools, high street, restaurants, jewelers, supermarkets, gas stations and typical suburban neighborhoods in which its residents lived. Joel and Tommy Miller were raised and resided in the city. After Tommy served in the United States military, the Miller brothers worked together as contractors in the city, with their work always in demand. Joel also subsequently raised his daughter, Sarah here as well, where she went to school.^[1]

Post-outbreak[]

After the outbreak of Cordyceps brain infection in Jakarta spread to the United States, many residents in Austin who were exposed to food containing contaminated flour or wheat gradually transformed into deranged, animalistic infected humans who began to attack and kill or infect all uninfected humans on sight. When the outbreak occurred and eventually reached Austin, the city quickly fell into chaos, with many people either dying outright or becoming infected. While fleeing into the city, Joel, Tommy and Sarah noticed a farmhouse on fire. Tommy and Joel briefly remarked that it was owned by a man called Jimmy, the pair hoping he made it out alive.

Once they reached the city, the highway was blocked by dozens of cars, though the surface streets within the city were filled with men and women running for their lives. When the three crashed their truck, they fled through the streets on foot. They escaped most of the devastation--including a plane crash and it's aftermath--through an alleyway and exiting through a diner, although Sarah and Joel became separated from Tommy due to several infected.

When Joel and Sarah reached the highway, they were stopped by a soldier, who shot at them. Despite Tommy arriving and killing the soldier, Sarah was mortally wounded and died in her father's arms.^[1]