Surf Scabs

Surf Scabs are a hostile coastal variant of Zommice commonly encountered throughout the shoreline districts of Metro Mao during and after the Outbreak.

Often spotted near abandoned beaches, ruined resorts, flooded piers, seafood districts, and collapsed boardwalks, Surf Scabs are recognizable by their decayed fur, twitching eyes, oversized teeth, and violent attachment to damaged surfboards.

Though widely mocked by survivors due to their ridiculous appearance and unstable behavior, Surf Scabs remain fully infected undead organisms and are considered dangerous in large numbers.

Multiple shoreline casualty incidents across eastern Maomao Country have been linked to uncontrolled Surf Scab swarm activity.

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ORIGIN

The first recorded Surf Scab sightings occurred during the early coastal spread of the Outbreak.

According to archived shoreline reports, infected rodents became trapped inside flooded surf storage facilities containing contaminated seawater, abandoned food supplies, fishing debris, damaged electrical systems, and unstable chemical runoff from nearby coastal establishments.

Extended exposure to shoreline contamination produced mutations distinct from ordinary Zommice strains.

The resulting coastal variant became known as the Surf Scab.

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SPECIES CLASSIFICATION

Threat Category:
Coastal Zommice Variant

Threat Level:
🐾🐾🐾

Primary Habitat:

• Beaches
• Flooded piers
• Tide pools
• Seafood districts
• Drainage canals
• Resort ruins
• Collapsed boardwalks

Diet:
• Dried fish
• Snack crumbs
• Emergency rations
• Electrical wiring
• Living creatures
• Unidentified glowing objects

Behavioral Traits:
• Travels in unstable swarms
• Frequently crashes into nearby objects
• Attacks living creatures on sight
• Steals unattended food
• Displays obsessive attachment to surfboards
• Bites fishing equipment repeatedly
• Screams at seabirds without visible cause
• Circles shoreline zones for extended periods

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THREAT BEHAVIOR

Despite their absurd appearance, Surf Scabs remain highly aggressive infected organisms capable of overwhelming isolated survivors through swarm behavior.

Surf Scab activity increases significantly in the presence of:
• movement
• loud shoreline activity
• exposed food supplies
• fresh injuries
• panic behavior
• nighttime fishing activity

Common targets include:
• fishermen
• beach scavengers
• stranded tourists
• isolated survivors
• small animals
• unattended supply carriers

Survivors are strongly advised not to underestimate Surf Scabs simply because they “look stupid.”

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KNOWN WEAKNESSES

• Fishing spears
• Pier hooks
• Long wooden poles and shoreline sticks
• Fishing nets
• Structural surfboard damage
• Strong rip currents
• Extreme heat exposure
• Intense reflective light and sudden shine
• Katol (mosquito coil) smoke and concentrated repellent fumes

Surf Scabs possess highly sensitive post-infection eyesight and become temporarily disoriented when exposed to concentrated glare, reflective surfaces, or powerful flashes of light.

This weakness was accidentally discovered during a shoreline incident involving Mao007, whose unusually reflective combat outfit reportedly caused an entire Surf Scab swarm to collide directly into coastal rocks near East Metro Mao.

Witnesses described the event as:
“Very bright. Very stupid.”

Extended exposure to katol (mosquito coil) smoke also appears to severely irritate Surf Scab respiratory systems, causing unstable movement, coughing fits, and swarm confusion.

Night fishermen across several shoreline districts reportedly burn oversized katol coils near camps and supply zones to reduce nighttime Surf Scab activity.

Some survivors describe the smell as:
“Effective. But terrible.”

Surf Scabs also display severe distress when separated from their surfboards and may begin spinning violently in shallow water before collapse.

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FIELD SURVIVAL NOTES

Direct engagement with Surf Scab swarms is strongly discouraged without shoreline equipment.

Survivors commonly use fishing rods, nets, spears, pier hooks, long sticks, and wooden poles to knock Surf Scabs off balance or force them back into open water before swarm escalation begins.

Cocomiw is particularly known for fighting Surf Scabs using improvised shoreline weapons, especially fishing rods, tide hooks, sharpened pier sticks, and long wooden poles collected from damaged beach structures.

Most recorded encounters reportedly begin after Cocomiw’s naps are interrupted.

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COCOMIW’S NOTES

“The ocean teaches balance.

Unfortunately, these creatures skipped the lesson entirely.”