Pluribus
Pluribus - a speculative fiction work exploring themes of survival, identity, and human connection in the aftermath of a mysterious virus.
Questions (7)
Are animals affected by the virus?
Animals are not joined or controlled; they remain outside the hive but can act as carriers (e.g., the rat seeding the outbreak).
Why are the others so nice?
Their niceness is a deliberate, persistent recruitment strategy to win immunes’ consent to join.
How did the virus spread?
Two-stage spread: saliva/close contact first, then aircraft-dispersed aerosol to accelerate and synchronize joining.
Who are the others?
“The Others” are the joined human collective—the entire post-Joining hive, not a leadership subset or nonhuman entity.
Why is Carol immune to the virus?
Carol is canonically one of a tiny natural immune cohort, with no in‑universe mechanism given; later rules and tailoring explain why she isn’t converted, not why she’s immune.
Why did Zosia have a heart attack?
Zosia suffered a drug-induced cardiac arrest immediately after thiopental injection, with her recent trauma amplifying the risk; the hive’s surge was a reaction, not the cause.
Why did Zosia kiss Carol?
Primarily a calculated charm offensive: Zosia kisses Carol as a strategic escalation to steer and anchor her, with genuine care possibly coexisting but not overriding the tactic.