Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 12d: The Box

[SalmonMax]

Myfwany shrugs. "It can't hurt to try, but it's a project I'll have to take a raincheck on." She glanced at Dan. "I'm going to be leaving the Refuge for a little while."

Quickly she added, "There's a medical research facility near Dallas that's still functioning, even if it's understaffed. It'll have the equipment and resources I need to finally start some real studies done on the zombies, the plague, the powers...all of it."

[Caninicus]

Whitebrook followed her glance to Dan and then back to her again, wondering why it was significant. It struck him that he didn't really know too much about where the zombies fit into an ecology. Certainly they at least functioned as a prey species, but did anything feed on them, or work to decompose their corpses?

Realistically, it probably wasn't going to be possible to exterminate every single last one of them; diseases had a way of cropping back up even after decades, and then there would be mutations of the virus. No, he was going to have to account for their ecological presence sooner or later. Mentally, he almost sighed. The list of things that needed doing just kept growing.

"Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, Doc. If you don't need me for anything I'd best get started on getting all these guys squared away. I'd appreciate it if you could direct me to that meteorological data you were talking about earlier, and a way to copy, record and review it.

Oh, and do you know anyone who'd take good care of a puppy?"

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded. Myfwany leaving was going to be a big blow for the Refuge. "Like he said, you do what you have to do. I'll help as I can."

He looked to Whitebrook. "Now that I can help with. I know a woman who as long as I've known her has loved dogs."

"The puppy will have to be trained abit of course, but She's more than capable of that."

He smiled. "I honestly think it would be a big help to her too."

[Caninicus]

Whitebrook hid a smile. He would make no wagers on whom would be doing the training and whom would be the trainee until he had met the lady in question. Even with his supposed ability to 'control' animals, he suspected that they had influenced him far more than the other way around. He had never even thought about ecology until he started talking with them.

"Very well, Captain, lead on to our little mission of mercy. Then, perhaps, we can see about supplementing your manpower with some native scouts and patrols and such."

[SalmonMax]

Myf looked a bit mystified. "I don't have meteorological data," she told Whitebrook. "You mentioned you were looking for some, but short of taking your own measurements..." She shrugged.

"If it helps, changing the weather doesn't seem to have much effect outside he area you make the change. Rain or snow can deplete moisture from the air, but it 'refills' just as fast. Powers violate physical law in many cases. It's hard to judge their larger-scale effects. Another reason why I try to hold off unless there's an immediate need."

"Also, Dan, I need to talk to you about my leaving, the arrangemets I'm making and...security."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan looked at Myfwany. "This is a military base, or used to be Myfwany. I'd give you good odds that there's a station here. We've never had anyone who could interpret it, so it's really never been an issue."

He nodded. "Alright. I figured as much. I'm certain you can handle yourself fine, but all the same, why take a risk when we don't have to?"