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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Apr 2, 2013 22:52:56 GMT -8
First Entry:
AUGH this is so boring. It's pretty weird laying around in someone else's room with all these people. Sarah & Nat's room, I guess. It smells like dog in here. Sarah is really chill and nice, that Nat kid makes me 2nd hand social anxiety-riffic just by looking at him.
Joe & Becky are here for the moment, I get the feeling they'll be able to get out of here a lot sooner than me. Maybe they're just hanging around to keep me company. Because, my company is so very rich and desirable.
Becky is surprisingly cool, I still can't believe she sassed at a monster. I was proud of myself for not shitting my pants, and she can be all 'meh' about a freaking demon? That's intense.
I'll probably have to meet with Emmett sometime, though everything has been so wild that I've gotten out of it so far. I'm trying to not be too messed up about it, because it doesn't seem real in the slightest. It's easy to imagine that the people who are gone are just over at the other building. It's hard to even remember who's gone... Hector is the worst. Well, I don't want to think about that anyway.
Sometimes I think about the people who are actually literally 'gone', like Peg, Jonah, Dr. Victor, Ione, Derek, Beau... I hope they're okay. I don't hold out a lot of hope for Ione & Derek since Hector but... Sometimes I wonder if they did something. That sounds horrible, I can't believe I even thought it. They were being so irrational though.
OK, this is mad depressing. NEVERMIND.... for now. Until I get bored. I wonder if Stevie can drag that VCR up here?
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Apr 2, 2013 23:01:42 GMT -8
Second entry:
Got some bandages off. Luckily almost all the wounds are superficial, other than the whole lung thing. Bryce comes to visit me sometimes, but he's always whining about "it smells like bandaids in here, wah wah." Well, actually, he's taking it a lot better than I would expect. He gets along with most of the people up here but he always makes a run for it when Bebe comes around. I dunno why...
I should do more thinking about the plans of the enclave, I feel like a bad president. Marie and Thierry assure me everything's in good hands, but it makes me feel all antsy. Not like I don't trust them, I just don't feel like I'm earning my keep.
Hey I wonder if I remember how to draw Homer Simpson...
**CRUDE HOMER SIMPSON DRAWING**
Yup, I still got it. I need a nicer pen though, I wonder if I'll ever find another Gelly Roll pen, those have the best action! Ohh I'm so boring. Okay okay umm, I should write about something dramatic and secretive here so I can be outraged if someone steals this and reads it.
Hmm...
No I got nothin'. Well, I have some secrets but I'm not gonna write em here. Nope nope nope.
Let's see, what are my favorite foods?
1.) Cherry Pie
2.) Apple Pie
3.) Chicken Teriyaki
4.) Those little steam bun things, with the red stuff inside
5.) Peppermint patties, but only the big ones
6.) Peanut butter, in general
7.)...
OK now I'm going to get hungry. I guess that's a good thing. Am I less skeletal yet? I wish we had fruit. Mike 'n' Ikes are the closest we're getting here. Are we all gonna die of Vitamin C deficiencies? Oh yeah. Tang. :(
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 25, 2016 21:40:03 GMT -8
SUBPAR BACKSTORY... Seth knocked on the door to one of the many apartments as he and Stevie cleaned
out the floor. To Seth's shock, the door parted and a wobbling young man looked
through him.
Oh god... he looked so alive, no blood or anything. So sad...
Seth tightened his grip on the golf club.
Seth-
"Geez, you poor baby... Why's it gotta be like this..."
Sad Zombie-
"Whuh...?"
Seth realized that the alcohol-stinking fellow was not a zombie, but clearly he was
too impaired to register the events around them.
Seth sighed and dropped the club.
Seth-
"Hard night, huh? It's okay man, we've got this all covered.
Wanna go back to bed?"
The man teetered at the door a bit and looked around vaguely. Seth noticed a toppled
pill bottle next to a whiskey bottle on the couch behind them. He widened his eyes.
Seth-
"Are you okay, man? Do you need help?"
The man tried to focus enough to respond, which was maybe a good sign but he
didn't have the wits to answer yet.
Seth-
"Hey, maybe you should come with me. We'll get you some food or something."
He waited a bit longer, and the man finally composed a real thought.
Sickly man-
"Wh-why the violence?"
Seth-
"You've been inside this whole time?"
The man gestured as if to scratch his head but didn't have the strength to get his
hand that high.
Sickly man-
"Uh... yeah. There was a fight... They just don't stop... shooting. It's like,
hours or more?"
Seth let out a puff of air.
Seth-
"It's... Okay, I don't want to say zombies. But, it's zombies, dude.
They try to kill people, and when people die, they come back.
We're trying to make this building safe so nobody ends up like that."
The man rubbed his temple, his hand finally mustering the power to rise above the
collar bone, fingers crossing a black vein snaking lightly below the skin there.
Sickly man-
"Urr, like a ri-ot. I'll... I'll go."
He followed Seth out. Looking back at the apartment before they left, Seth regarded it
as highly strange, but not worth investigating at present. It was nearly empty but for
stock furniture, with a management welcome card on a bare shelf and dust and cobwebs
everywhere. Flies buzzed lazily, drawn to his alcoholic sugars. Seth put an arm on the
man's back, afraid the sad guy might pass out at any moment.
Seth-
"So yeah, I'm Seth. And you?"
Sickly man-
"Bryce."
They walked to the stairs, Seth stopped to rap twice on a door, then open it.
Seth-
"Kenny? It's time."
Another young man joined them in the hall, stepping nervously.
Kenny-
"So Seth, uh, who's... Hey guy, who are you?"
Bryce looked confused and shrugged.
Kenny-
"OK."
The three went into the stairwell and immediately felt a bit ill about it. The smell of blood
and incipient decay washed over them. By now, Seth wasn't fazed, but the others slowed,
staring in shock at the blood-drenched streaks and footsteps ahead.
Seth-
"Yeah, it's nasty downstairs, luckily we're going up."
He tried to put on an air of casual confidence, and started that way himself.
Kenny pulled Bryce by the arm. 
Kenny-
"C-c'mon dude, let's get the fuck outta here."
The blood streaks faded to pieces of footprints, then barely anything by the time they reached
the top floor. Stepping into the hall, they saw a few people, who waved them over. It wasn't like
there was anything else to do up there, so they went.
Lashonda-
"Colombo's team ain't back yet. I'm sure they're fine."
The three men went into the apartment's community center, with bright grey skylights
filtering down onto about a dozen people.
A man with a stout build, authoritative air and katanas greeted them.
Stevie-
"Snake! Good job. Any trouble?"
Seth-
"Nope. Well, not much at least."
Stevie-
"Of course, not for a pro like you. Hey!"
The man- Stevie Menkowicz, greeted the two new guys and invited them to greet the others.
Then he entered a private conversation with "Snake."
Stevie-
"Hey, whaddya think of Columbo and Quentin? Think they can handle any shit?"
Seth-
"I dunno if I'd leave a baby with them, but I think they're competent to fight."
Stevie-
"Haha. Well said. Lemme see... Yeah, we oughta wait for 'em to get back before we get
into the shit, y'know, hashin' out who's the boss and what we're gonna do."
At a quieter volume, "And if we're gonna show 'em... the news."
Seth grimaced a bit and nodded.
Seth-
"I don't know if anyone should see that, but yeah."
Stevie-
"Wanna?" He gestured to a quieter corner. Once there he added, "Can we keep a secret
like that? I say, don't show everyone but tell 'em the gist and ask if anyone's gotta see it,
feels like they need to."
Seth-
"Hm... yeah, wonder if there's anyone who could actually make sense of that weird shit.
I don't get it at all. Maybe you're right."
Stevie-
"Plus maybe someone else saw it live and could use confirmation that they aren't just
going insane."
Thierry, a young Afro-European man, approached with a restrained smile.
Thierry-
"Gentlemen, anything you'd like to share with the group."
Seth glanced at Stevie for his reaction.
Stevie-
"We'll just wait until everyone gets here."
Thierry-
"Well, we may need some comforting before that. There is a lot of fear in this
community center."
Seth-
"Does someone need some help? Maybe I can talk with them before we start."
Thierry-
"Well, we all know Daniel is a mess, and Jaclyn is cranky as hell. Doretta, I don't even
know what's going on there." He pointed at their chests accusingly, "What you did
just then, you looked at each other when I mentioned her."
Seth-
"Heh, I don't think she'd want any comforting from me, but who knows."
Stevie-
"Maybe we'll tell ya about it later, but yeah. I can't exactly comfort Danny either.
This situation is all kinds of fuckin' insane. I guess I'll take Doretta. Thierry, you help
Jaclyn & Snake gets Danny boy."
Thierry-
"Did not know I had signed up for this human resources position, ahem."
Seth-
"Seems like you got enough confidence for the job, I'm sure you'll do fine."
He winked and moved toward his task.
The thick plexiglass of the sky lights and two sets of thick doors kept all but the loudest
of outdoor chaos from reaching the ears of the worried crowd. The tension was there,
as people accustomed to being seen as leaders each tested the waters of assuming control.
The common fear of these sorts: a distrust of the competence of other leaders. Others
were just feeling a tightening grip of hopelessness as the notion of being trapped in this
building overcame any hopes they'd have of reaching loved ones elsewhere.
Columbo and Quentin had returned with bloodied weapons, a mature woman and
a tiny baby in hand.
Floretta-
"Aww, a baby!"
Columbo-
"Is this it?!"
Seth-
"I'm sure we'll find more. Um, Floretta, would you like to help the baby?"
Floretta-
"You know I would! Uh," she looked to the mature woman, "Where are...?"
Kerry-
"Her mama didn't make it." Her eyes were slightly wide with shock and dread
recollection, "Maybe the father is OK. Only at work, she's Jaylyn Marley."
Susie-
"God! I know Sharey. She's dead?!"
The old lady nodded slightly.
Stevie-
"Come on people! We gotta calm down!"
Sharma-
"Who boted you leader fat man? I am buery good manager and--"
Derek-
"We need someone with people skills and bitchin' abs to calm this crowd down!"
Jaclyn-
"Hey! Shut up long enough to hear them talk, then argue about it.
Life's too short, especially now."
She gestured brutally at the others as they began to move lips and no words
came out.
Stevie-
"Man, I don't even wanna anymore. Take it away, Snake."
Seth-
"Well, okay. I'll try...
Hey everyone, if I haven't met you already, I'm Seth." He gave a quick side-eye to Stevie.
"I'm really glad you're all here and we are all okay as we can be given the situation.
I'll try to be quick- we don't wanna tell anyone what to do, I don't think anyone considers
themselves a leader, and they probably shouldn't. No one signed up for this, we just want
to make this building a safe place, so maybe we can try to go out there and help other
people. You don't have to do anything you don't want. You can stay in your apartments
but we're gonna toss the unoccupied ones for supplies which you can have too.
I hope that we can all try to work together and help each other out and that we can help
other people too."
It took a moment then someone spoke.
"Abdul here," said a man with a rich deep voice.
Abdul-
"Perhaps we should all here what is going on. It seems some of us still
do not know."
Seth-
"I can tell you what we know, anyone feel free to add on..."
He explained the zombie situation as best he could.
Some jaws dropped and gasps were had. A lone 'I told you so,' was rasped.
Seth-
"Me and Stevie have a tape, something that was on TV we can show it to
some people, but it is very shocking and grisly. Can't make any sense of it,
but maybe someone else can. Someone talking about why this happened, maybe."
A murmur began.
Jaclyn-
"Hush!"
Eddy-
"I saw that. Yeah... I can't recommend it to anyone else but I'll tell you
what was in it."
Stevie-
"Hey, alright, show of hands, if some creepy, gory terrorists had a video explaining
why they did this, would you wanna watch it?"
Within a few seconds every hand went up except Daniel.
"Okay, I can rig it. So... say, ten minutes?"
Seth went up to Bryce while Stevie set up the video.
Seth-
"Are you sure you want to see this, man?"
Bryce-
"Yeah, man... Ya gotta watch the news..."
Seth-
"I could tell you what's on it. It's pretty disgusting."
Bryce-
"Like that old Vietnam shit?"
Seth-
"In a way, only... weirder. People living when they shouldn't.
Really scary."
Bryce looked like he didn't understand but shrugged.
Seth-
"I'm going to go wait with Daniel. You can come with if you want to.
I can't see that again."
Bryce-
"Oh... No, I gotta watch the news."
Seth shrugged back and noticed little Zoe in the crowd to watch the video.
Seth-
"Hey, kid! No way... You come with me."
Zoe-
"Hey, I gotta watch a news too."
(mummy video)
When the tape cut back to Dennis, Stevie stopped it.
Stevie-
"So, eh, the point is - the thing to take away I think - is that this weirdo - and his
'we' - whoever they are - they took credit for this. But these zombies we're fighting,
they're easy to get away from and easy to kill, once you know what you're doing,
so if that's the best these freaks can do, fuck 'em. I think, seeing this video, it lets us
know who to go after, when the army gets its shit straightened out, right? So all we
gotta do is live through it, and it's a big 'fuck you' to these dudes, all by itself.
Someone wanna let Snake know?"
Seth appeared in the doorframe with Zoe and the broken man Daniel at his side.
Seth-
"I heard."
Stevie-
"You, uh, wanna?" He began to receive angry gibberish from the peanut gallery.
Seth-
"Okay. Why don't we give everyone a chance to speak, if they want?" He called out to a guy.
People began to say their piece. Several people voiced concerns about leadership and
seemed to distrust the judgment or perhaps even the presence of Seth and Stevie.
Seth refused any accusations of his "being a leader" or wanting to tell people what to do.
They were, of course, free to do what they wanted.
Seth-
"For me personally, I want to help people here, make this a safe building,
and try to help as many people out there as I can. If you want my help,
I hope you will join Stevie and me, but you are free. We won't make you
do anything."
Jaclyn-
"Fuck! Just do what they say... This bitching is boring."
Derek started to say something misogynist and cut himself short when some angry
glares began.
The power shut off. Byoooo.
Seth-
"...Well, that was to be expected."
Kenny-
"Shit, what about refrigerators?"
Seth-
"Yeah, they will stay cold for a while, but that food will go bad.
Freezers will last longer. Better run your bathtubs for water...
Damn, we need light too. Augh."
He rubbed his head wearily.***
TASKS
* Bust down all empty apartment doors
* check for zombies
* run water
* gather perishables
* preserve food
* " party"
* look out - signage
* light
additionally…
* Scavenge-first aid,' supplies,' tools, weapons
* create storeroom- food, supplies
* ability to cook
* clean gore
People began to get together at last, and accomplish some important things.
For their part, Stevie and Seth began to bash in any door without an answer,
while other strongmen did the same on other floors.
Thierry came up with a string-based way to communicate from the roof to the
garage downstairs, and with Derek helping push back or distract zombies
they admitted more refugees to the building. The rest of the people trailed behind
the building sweep crew, tending to all the needs on the list. Scavengers quickly
equipped every group with at least one light source.
The taking of the building began.…
A darkened hall. Stevie and Seth moved carefully, Stevie with an LED lamp
tape to his shoulder.
Stevie-
"This seems like, I think, a spelunking video."
Seth-
"Spelunking? God. What kind of weird fetish is that?"
Stevie-
"Totally hetero. Dudes going in caves."
Seth-
"What about a man cave?"
Stevie-
"Are there limestone formations in those?"
Seth-
"If there is, we better call a proctologist? I dunno. Lost the metaphor.
Hey in this scenario, which one of us is Sam Jackson?"
Stevie found the door locked with no reply.
Stevie-
"The first one to die? Hold onto your butt."
He bashed the door open.
The apartment itself was well lit by the waning sun coming through the blinds.
They moved quickly through the rooms, but cautiously through doors, looking for
signs of mayhem. This apartment was left vacant for a workday that never ended.
They moved on, across the hall. Another door slammed open. An empty apartment.
And on again, empty again.
They bashed their way into another, this one about half as messy as Stevie's, with
no signs of violence but the owner's whereabouts mysterious. Seth was looking in
a bathroom with Coke cans and wadded tissues scattered on the floor, he heard
a dragging step that suddenly put him in mind of a stepper non-Stevine,
indeed undead.
By Stevie's tone, he didn't notice it.
Stevie-
"Yeah, it's funny, Snake, I-"
Seth-
"Stevie!"
A zombie moved to bite Stevie on the back of the neck, but the warning was good and
he managed to wriggle out of the way of the bite. Still, the thing had no sense of
the limitations of its form, holding onto him with a strength it probably lacked in life.
Seth ran over, trying to decide whether he should yank the thing with his bare hands
or try to brain it. The braining seemed like the best idea, though risky, given the tricky
circumstance. The zombies gnashes were surprisingly fast, and one would surely hit
if this went on much longer.
Seth took the zombie down with one heavy swing of the golf club and the two men stood
panting in silence for a moment.
Stevie-
"...Wonder if I'll ever get a chance to pull your fat out of the fire for a change…"
Seth-
"Better turn up the hearing aid."
Stevie-
"That… Just… Where did that one come from? NO way it was in here."
Seth-
"Maybe it was hiding? Can they do that?"
Stevie-
"Naw, no way… Shit, maybe."
Stevie looked at the door - now open, though they closed it behind them. "Or they could open doors."
Seth-
"That's creepy… Well, I guess a dog can open a door."
Stevie-
"Yeah, like… Anything people can do constantly, maybe your body'd
remember even if your brains were junk."
Seth-
"I hope they can't unlock doors too. Well, better not give them keys…"
Stevie-
"Ha ha."
Stevie's laugh had less power with the ruined dead woman at their feet.
They kept on.
Darkness fell and the building was as secure as it could be. The rooftop scout looked for
survivors to let in, switched out regularly. Inside, people worked through the dark hours,
getting anything they could out of the now 100% zombie-free building. The people who
couldn't have a flashlight after the divvying use lighters or such for short solo excursions,
but mostly labor parties worked around shared light sources and stayed together.
Stevie and Seth had rest and a meal before getting back to work, after the earlier labors.
They sought the lower priority supplies from apartments, tossing them into boxes or other
makeshift containers and piling them in the halls for later pickup.
They were back on the floor where Stevie had nearly been taken. They still had only Stevie's
light between them though Seth now had a lighter for backup. A note was tacked to the door
of her room they were about to enter.
"The tub was bloody - washed with a bleach + alc , filled."
They remembered the bloody bathtub from before it was cleaned, surmising it was the
semi-final resting place of the zombie that had attacked Stevie.
Stevie-
"Heh, what a conscientious crew we got."
Seth-
"Yeah, I really hope we can stay like that. I wonder how many other groups
like us are out there, probably not a lot."
Stevie-
"Maybe more than you think. People can be smart when they gotta be
and these things are stupid."
They went in and went to work.
At Stevie suggestion they hit the bathroom first to get the sad spot out of the way.
It was a pretty modest haul, and then to the rest of the house. As they left the bathroom
Seth noticed a streak in the pale LED with floor suggesting the cleaning outside the tub
was more expedient and less scrupulous.
They tried to make sure they did it right, to make sorting the stuff easier for the next
folks in the chain. They couldn't slow consider what it was they were doing because of
the simple horror of it all. This was a young woman's home this is her keepsake girlhood,
these are from college. This was a person, then a zombie that they dispatched a few
hours ago.
Stevie was sweating a lot. Toward the end, he took over some easier sorting duties
in the hall, leaving Seth alone in the apartment with the LED lamp, to scan for anything
they missed. Seth thought about the bathtub, that woman died there, she killed herself?
Why? Had she seen the horrors and couldn't bear it, something else? Too creepy…
Maybe they could have saved her if she just lived.
The city still wasn't settled, as deep night set in. Occasional gunshots or vehicles
shrieking through the streets sounded, sometimes the zombie horde would begin horrid
wave of moans and choking noises. The roof of the 403 building was patrolled by
a rotating shifts of survivors, looking for living people within the range of rescue. Inside,
worried and tired people tried to reach an understanding of each other before succumbing
to exhaustion. To keep their activity less noticeable, they stayed in just the rooms of the
top floor, plus some in the community center, sleeping on stolen mattresses or just
blankets and sleeping bags.
Many could not sleep just yet. Stevie was gone to nod, but Seth took in the candlelit
scene, people awkwardly talking in the dark.
He could talk to whoever he wished. He did.
Jaclyn was nursing some nearly cold tea. Daniel was finally acting more self-aware
and sensible. He was drinking whiskey slowly with Susie and Kerry. Abdul was talking
to Sharma, and Thierry about who should lead. Bryce and Kenny were talking about
drinking and drugs.
Seth-
"Hey Daniel, you look like you're feeling a little better."
Daniel-
"Oh, yeah. Thanks-uh, Snake, thanks for trying to help.
Just don't ask me ab-about anything like, what happened,
if you don't mind.
Seth-
"Of course not. No need to dwell on that kind of thing, anyhow.
You doing okay with the work?"
Daniel-
"Oh no I… Got out of most of it."
Seth-
"Well that's okay. It's most important for everyone to be
healthy and safe, and seems like you're doing better so
it's worth it."
Daniel-
"That's nice of you to say. Yeah… I think I might be able to do okay
but… I-I can't wait for us to be out of here."
Seth-
"Oh… Bad memories, right? I bet."
Daniel-
*nods*
Seth-
"Where would you go? I mean, if you could do nothing
was an issue."
Daniel-
"If nothing was an issue? Cancun was nice.
Where would you like to go?
Seth-
"I guess I've been too wrapped up in survivalist mode to remember more
than a 5 mile radius. It's stupid, but I really liked it here. I haven't been
many places besides Ohio and here though."
Daniel-
"Doesn't the weather get you? Ha ha…"
Seth-
"Haha, yeah not much cause to let the top down right?
Ohio ain't nothing to write home about either. Oh well.
Maybe we'll get to go somewhere cool someday."
Daniel-
"Yeah, Cancun all the way. Till the surf zombies drive us away."
Seth-
"Sounds like an old movie. If somebody teaches damn zombies
to surf before I do, I'm gonna be pissed."
Daniel-
"Why would you teach zombies to surf?"
Seth-
"I meant-oh, ha, yeah. Maybe a good tourist attraction, give them
something to do with their un-lives, I dunno."
Daniel-
*starts to look rummy and agitated*
Seth-
"Anyway… Hey, you like cars?"
Daniel-
"Yeah… I got one downstairs. Audi Quattro, it was real trendy
like five years ago."
Seth-
"Oh nice, those pretty fast? My car is ridiculous but I love it. '65 Mustang,
pretty good shape. Probably got a little fucked up but I guess it's no time
to worry about a paint job."
Daniel-
"Wow…"
Seth moved on to Kenny and Bryce.
Bryce-
"Hey it's Snake, the big hero. Cool, bro."
Seth-
"Ha, big hero? What sort of rumors are these?"
Bryce-
"Ah it's just what everybody says."
Seth-
"Oh weird… Well, how are you guys doing? Not using up
all our fuel, right?"
Bryce-
"Wut… Oh yeah. Ha ha."
Kenny-
"It's medicine!"
Seth-
"You guys share with the big hero?"
Bryce looked Bogart--ish
Bryce-
"Oh… Yeah sure."
Seth-
"I won't clean you out, don't worry."
He took a drink.
Bryce-
"I haven't had a chance to talk to you. Since I got straight, thanks for
getting me out of there, I guess, but I don't remember much."
Seth-
"Oh yeah, of course. Sorry I was all aggro at first, you were really out of it.
You feeling all right now?"
Bryce-
"Yeah, maybe we talk about it a bit more later. So, what's your line, man?"
Seth-
"… Ah you know,washed out of the minor leagues a couple years ago,
actually didn't quite make it that far even. How about you?"
Bryce-
"Washed out of naturopath school."
Seth-
"Oh yeah, I went to school with some guys who switched to that. No good?"
Bryce-
"Wut ha ha… I don't even know where to start. Kenny?"
Kenny-
"Car salesman. Never settled on a major."
Seth-
"Pretty lucrative line of work though, fat lot of good a BA in Lit does you.
Besides thousands in debt."
Kenny-
"You would be amazed the crazy shit my money goes into."
Seth-
"Oh? I've known some crazy guys but I'm always up to be amazed."
Kenny-
"My boss had it where it was basically mandatory for us to help him
make it rain at Dream Girls. An expensive tax."
Seth-
"Ha ha indeed, hey Bryce, you look young. You've been out of
the house long?"
Bryce-
"Nah, I uh, help out my folks."
Seth-
"Nicer kid than me. What do you like to do?"
Bryce-
"Guess I don't really have any interests anymore."
Kenny-
"You should watch TV-… Aw man, what a bummer."
Seth-
"Maybe sometime we can get a generator going and watch
some movies."
Bryce-
"Nah… Building generators are crazy noisy."
Seth-
"Maybe charge of one of those stupid portable things, I got one for
Christmas one time."
Bryce-
"Hey, what's… What's going to happen?"
Seth took a moment to think.
Seth-
"Well, ideally like this… We get this place as good as it can be,
then we go out to try to help people get more supplies. After that,
who knows, find a better building? Army finally earns its keep?
Not sure."
Bryce-
"It looks like they won… What are we gonna do?"
Seth-
"Those creepy kids? No way. They killed a bunch of innocent people, sure.
But we are alive, right? Those things are stupid and they are a bunch of
psycho kids. We can be smart and work together."
Bryce-
"Yeah… But what happens when there's nothing left eat except
rats and zombies?"
Seth-
"They didn't zombify plants too. We can find ways to make our own food,
and Twinkies."
...
Thierry-
"Ah Seth, it's good to see you."
Abdul-
"Yes, I will be very pleased to meet you."
Sharma-
"Pft."
Seth-
"Hey guys, how's it going?"
Abdul-
"Delightful, circumstance excepted. I am Abdul-Rahman,
but Abdul is fine for ease."
Seth-
"Hi, Seth Clemens."
He shook Abdul's hand.
Abdul-
"Pleased. I was just discussing with these men of your prior acquaintance
the best way to lead in these trying times. There's still some contention,
but I believe we are advancing towards a consensus."
Thierry-
"Ha, if you say, Abdul."
Seth-
"Oh yeah? Well you know, everyone's fine to do what they want to.
What do you guys think the best thing to do is?
Thierry-
"Abdul thinks it's too dangerous to let people have freedom
in a war zone, and makes a pretty good case."
Sharma-
"Yes, dis is whert I'be sayjing."
Seth-
"That might be true in a war zone, remember these are all civilians.
I don't know, I don't think anyone wants to order people around.
People gotta be free."
Abdul-
"In the time of war every citizen must fight to survive, and must be able to
look to one for leadership."
Thierry-
"Ah, the most convincing thing you'd said was that bit about how we
don't want people to be free to open the doors or draw attention as example."
Seth-
"Yeah, that makes sense. Safety should be everybody's priority. You guys seem
pretty with it. Maybe we'll have to talk about are the ideas sometime.
What do you guys think would be the next thing to do, once it seems safe here?"
Sharma-
"Ve must go ont to our famberies and take care of our own."
Thierry-
"Yes, that could be awful, but better than not knowing. I'm lucky to not be
so attached to people in this country, and not about to get overseas.
But other people…"
Abdul-
"I disagree with these, but you are right to be more concerned with
immediate security."
Seth-
"Yeah, I know for me, I don't really have family around here. But the first thing
I'd like to do- when it seems safe enough - is look for people who need help.
There's probably a lot of people in bad situations."
Thierry-
"Yes, that is a good point."
Abdul-
"All things in good time. But for now, we should contrive some manner
of leadership. What you say?"
Seth-
"Yeah, I was thinking tomorrow, we all have our different tasks
we gotta do. Maybe we can sort that out you know? Who is good at what.
Up to now it seems like we've been just running around doing the
next thing we gotta do. It could be nice to be organized about it.
Like sign up sheets and rotating schedules… Yeah…"
...
Jaclyn-
"You're going to have to fight people at some point, Snake,
and it's probably going to be soon."
Seth-
"Damn, uh… You mean people in the literal sense?
What's going on?"
Jaclyn-
"You're the man. You got this deal together, so it's your responsibility.
If it gets taken over by some creeper, that's your problem to prevent…"
Seth-
"Well, maybe so. Are creepers trying to…" He glanced over at Abdul and company.
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