The media speculated on several possibilities concerning the nature of the disease. Some argued that radiation of cellphones and televisions was infected with a new synthetically engineered virus created by terrorists. Others thought that a virus corrupted the atmosphere following an impact of a large meteorite. Was this an evolutionary leap and the dawn of new humanity?
Many tried to escape the effects of the virus by using different protective measures: they wore face masks to filter the air and completely stopped using electronic devices in favour of more traditional means of communication. But it was all in vain: in just a few days what was once an epidemic became a pandemic unlike anyone had ever seen on such a global scale.
Survivors gradually began to change — after fifteen years of transformation, the changes became visible. The most noticeable metamorphosis occurred in the eyes of the affected — some began to glow, while others resembled black holes. To hide their unnatural looks and conceal the mutation, people started wearing padded clothing and sunglasses.
More than twenty years have passed since Crossout. Humans still remember their life before the disaster. As always, there are groups trying to recover the old world, while others enjoy the chaos and destruction. But there are those who are not human any more. They hide their faces behind masks, and their motives are unknown.
Not everyone in this world strives for chaos and destruction. There are also people who want to preserve our knowledge of the past, and the scouts from the Order of the Fallen Star are such people. These excellently armed and mobile solo soldiers have dedicated their lives to searching for artifacts and carriers of information of all kinds. No one knows where the Starburnts take the artifacts they find or why, but the curious Scar AB will pay decent money for any containers bearing their logo. New pieces are added to his artifact collection on a regular basis—the Wastelands hide danger for even the most battle-hardened veterans, after all. Scar AB is afraid that one day the Order will come for their artifacts, so his collection remains hidden. But on special occasions he puts up several well-protected exhibits for public viewing.
