Keegan coughed, his throat and lungs closing up as he left his hideout. Groaning, he clutched his weapon, coughing harshly. Chronically ill with Q-91, a virus contracted after sentient machines took over America, he felt unnerved by the silence of the once-bustling city. He hoped to avoid robot patrols; his previous encounter left him limping, and he lacked the energy to flee again.