After martial law was declared, Quarantine Zones were set up by FEDRA and the US military to protect the remaining uninfected population of the United States by separating them from the infected. Over time, most of these zones fell to the infection, local uprisings by the inhabitants, or were simply abandoned after running out of supplies. At least a few remain operational, with the authorities still in control. In other cases, Quarantine Zones have been converted into bases by groups such as the Fireflies and Hunters.
Locations
The Zones are generally located at strategic positions in each city, including the waterfront in Boston, high ground accessed mainly by a few bridges for Pittsburgh, and the local hospital for Salt Lake City. Other important factors would include availability of military resources and the presence of a sizable refugee population.
Known Quarantine Zones
- Atlanta (Last reported operational and military-controlled[1])
- Boston (Operational, military-controlled[2])
- Chicago (Fate unknown)
- Dallas (Fate unknown)
- Denver (Last reported operational and military-controlled; a helicopter, piloted by Captain Regan and her crew from the 4th Infantry Division crashed at the Colorado Mountain Plaza while returning to this QZ[3])
- Detroit (Fate unknown)
- Hartford (Abandoned, implied by Sam as being Hunter-controlled.)
- Los Angeles (Fate unknown. Riley, perhaps jokingly mentions saving up for a vacation there)
- Pittsburgh (Abandoned during uprising, now Hunter-controlled[4])
- Providence (Abandoned or destroyed; graffiti stated that it was "burned")
- San Francisco (Fate unknown, although the Firefly biologist came from there[5], suggesting that it is controlled by the Fireflies)
- Salt Lake City (Abandoned, partially Firefly-controlled with the local hospital serving as the main base of Firefly operations[6])
- Springfield (Fate unknown)
- Woods Hole (Fate unknown)
History
Background
During the interim twenty years between the prologue and the main game, the Fireflies, the militia group demanding the return of a democratic government, have staged both successful (Salt Lake City) and unsuccessful (Pittsburgh) uprisings against the Military's control of the Quarantine Zones. Others have been abandoned by the Military due to a lack of resources or population to protect. Those still in the hands of the military are heavily protected by armed forces, as seen in Boston.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is possibly an operational quarantine zone. During the later stages of the Pittsburgh uprising, a Colonel in the Atlanta QZ had command over Pittsburgh's remaining forces. This suggests that some high-ranking military officers in Pittsburgh had relocated to Atlanta during the uprising. Therefore, Atlanta was presumably more stable than other zones at the time, and it may still be standing.
Boston, Massachusetts
By 2033, Boston is the most well-known operational quarantine zone. The city is still heavily guarded by a sizable military force 20 years after the outbreak.[7] The military has increased security in Boston (including more checkpoints) to prevent the Fireflies from gaining a foothold in the city.[8] There are still cases of infection that occur in the city, but the authorities often cover them up and downplay the actual amount. In the city, there are also attacks committed by Fireflies.[9] Boston can be considered a safe place in comparison to other QZs, since it wasn't a total warzone most of the time. By the end of the game, the Fireflies withdrew from Boston after a long series of losses. Many survivors also attempted to sneak into the Zone, with some becoming infected along the way.[10]
Chicago, Illinois
The status of the Chicago QZ is never stated explicitly. The Fireflies were recruiting there when the University of Eastern Colorado lab was functional. If it was operational at the time, these Firefly recruits would have likely been civilians from the QZ. However, it may have been abandoned, with the Fireflies simply recruiting local survivors.
Dallas, Texas
The Firefly sentry from the University of Eastern Colorado mentioned veteran Fireflies returning from this zone.[11] This suggests that fighting between Fireflies and the military occurred there. It is possible that the veteran Fireflies recently defeated the military in Dallas. However, the Fireflies there may have abandoned their efforts, as the same Sniper's Nest Log mentions a supply dump returning from the same QZ.
Denver, Colorado
Denver is possibly an operational Quarantine Zone, given the 4th Infantry Division was stationed there at the time of Captain Regan Francis' departure. Relatively recently, a military helicopter from the Denver QZ crashed into the Colorado Mountain Plaza while returning to the Zone. The situation in Denver must have been relatively stable, considering the military could afford to send one of their helicopters on a rescue mission a good distance from the Zone.[12]
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford was known to have been becoming more and more unstable, with the zone being in the midst of falling apart. In the Boston QZ, people there often talked about the situation in Hartford.[13] Desperate refugees from Hartford were starting to try to enter Boston, often while infected. Hartford was later confirmed to have been abandoned by the military, seemingly making it the most recent Quarantine Zone to have collapsed.[14]
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh was abandoned by the military after a civilian revolt that lasted 14 months[15] and occurred roughly 4-5 years before the events of the game, judging from the presence of skeletons. The citizens of Pittsburgh became angry about the shortage of food, and suspicion that rations were being withheld.[16] Though, after the uprising, these citizens eventually degraded into the hostile survivors known as Hunters.[17] The citizens now patrol the city regularly in search of other survivors ("tourists") to hunt down and kill for supplies.[18] The hunters attempt to clear buildings of infected, in addition to guarding the entrances and exits to the city.[19] This makes Pittsburgh similar to an operational QZ, albeit one that is controlled by hostile survivors and not soldiers.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City was occupied by the Fireflies about 10 years into the outbreak and it is currently run by the group.[20] However, it seems that they only patrol inside and nearby the hospital so, unlike Pittsburgh, they have not managed to clear the city of infected to allow them to control the whole city.
References
- ↑ Abandon Zone Note
- ↑ The Quarantine Zone
- ↑ Salon Note
- ↑ Pittsburgh (chapter)
- ↑ Snipers' Nest Log
- ↑ The Firefly Lab
- ↑ See here
- ↑ The Quarantine Zone
- ↑ The Fireflies bomb a checkpoint and engage in a heavy firefight with them shortly after
- ↑ Note to Brother
- ↑ Snipers' Nest Log
- ↑ Crew Photo
- ↑ Whichnston wrote to his surperior, mentioning the influx of survivors from Hartford and how many were infected. Two others discussed a man trying to get in with fake papers.
- ↑ Sam and Henry left Hartford due to the chaos. See the Warning Note for more information.
- ↑ Abandon Zone Note
- ↑ Graffii mentioned it all over the walls
- ↑ Pittsburgh (chapter)
- ↑ Several men stake out the highway, waiting to bait passerbys by feigning injury
- ↑ Many constantly mention looking for Infected, two seem killing a Clicker
- ↑ The Firefly Lab, Firefly's Recorder