Nightmare City

An American television reporter who races to warn the public about a mysterious nuclear incident. He leads with courage and a sense of duty, pursuing the truth even as authorities try to shut down information. His endurance and relentless optimism drive his attempts to rescue his wife and broadcast the crisis live.

A corrupt Civil Defense general who prioritizes control and secrecy over public safety. He clashes with Miller and the media, and he orchestrates plans that allow the outbreak to spread for political or strategic reasons. His cold pragmatism reveals the dangers of power when faced with a disaster.

General Murchison’s daughter, traveling with her husband when the outbreak hits. She embodies the civilian vulnerability amid catastrophe and becomes a casualty of the infected, underscoring the personal cost of the crisis. Her fate marks a personal amplification of the disaster’s reach.

Jessica’s husband, who shares a tense escape with his wife as the city falls. He becomes a casualty of the infected, illustrating the abrupt collapse of everyday life and the fragility of relationships under siege.

Dean Miller’s wife and a doctor who treats victims in the hospital. She embodies medical hope and practical compassion, working under pressure to save lives while the city disintegrates around her. Her collaboration with Dean highlights the personal stakes of the outbreak.

Murchison’s official aide who becomes entangled in the crisis. He attempts to coordinate responses but must confront the nightmare at home, where his wife Sheila becomes infected. His arc traces duty, denial, and the harsh acts demanded by a city in collapse.

Major Holmes’s wife, kept at a country house during the outbreak. She encounters infected intruders and represents the civilian cost of the crisis. Her fate intersects with the military response, highlighting the personal dangers faced by families in wartime-like chaos.

A civilian character who encounters the infected during the early chaos and is killed, illustrating how the outbreak touches ordinary people beyond the main protagonists. Her presence adds to the sense of random, indiscriminate danger in the city.