Aberrant: Dead Rising - A Good Start [Complete]

[Dan Hawkins]

May 13th

They'd been pretty clear that he wasn't really wanted around the first time. He'd come back just the same, his Humvee loaded with supplies and of course tools.

He stoppled at the entrance and waited to be admitted.

He was hailed by one of the women standing Sentry duty. "What buisness do you have here?"

"I am Captain Daniel Hawkins of the United States Marine Corps. When i was last here I promised supplies and aide to this enclave in trying to ensure the people here had a good chance to fend for themselves. I've come to make good those promises."

He waited paitiently to be admitted or not, either way he'd tried to do what he said.

[Dan Hawkins]

A LAtina came to the gate to let him in. She brandished a large shotgun that Dan regarded coolly. "I'm Sharona, I'm the one in charge here. You can do what you came to do, but two women are going everywhere you go, and they will be armed."

He nodded. "I understand. Where would you like the supplies I brought?"

She called his two guards over, a Redhead named Bernadette, and a tall black woman named Keesha. They both had shotgus and kept them ready to go. They led him to the small depot room and He set down the eight crates of medical supplies and canned food.

Next he had them take them to the garage. There were an odd assortment of vehicles there, and evenmore outside that obviously didn't run.

The gasoline reserve was only about half full. He made sure the pum worked, and then moved on to the vehicles. There was an assortment of SUV's and a couble of large cars. CLearly Josh had been busy because these vehicles bore no lawenforcement markings. In the garage there was a bus. It was a gas sucking monster he knew, but it could transport up to 60 people at a time if necessary. Knowing the supply of parts he had weren't suited to fixing it, instead he focused on the obviously better maintained Prison vehicles. He ate through half his repair part cache fixing up 3 of the vehicles to prime condition, an after a short lunch he repaired two more that had minor issues. Satisfied that 5 Vehicles was enough of a supply run force, he moved on.

Under intense scrutiny he inspected the Prisons' armory. The heavier weapons were gone, They'd been thourough when they left. The blace was far from defenseless, with a plethora of sniper rifles, riot shotguns and pistols. He'd brought back alot of ammunition that first night. The pair of sentry guns in towers were there, though they'd had very limited ammunition beforehand.

Satisfied they could defend themselves, he moved on to his final area. The main generator for the Prison needed some work, and would be th primary drain on gasoline. "He did what he could to optimise it's usage, and sighed as that took him till well after darkness fell.

He emerged from the depths of the prison with his guards to find Sharona waiting there.

"It will work for a time, but you're going to need more gasoline. I've got five vehicles in the garage fixed up and good to go, Keesha and Bernadette know which. Your Armory is solid for anti personnel and anti-zombie, just save the big guns as a last resort as that ammunition is hard to come by."

He waited to see if she said anything. He had at least three armed women there, able to draw a bead on him fast.

"A couple of questions. One, You were the guy who executed those guards, What are you some sort of robot? Your Face didn't change at all as you pulled the trigger, I watched."

"Two, Why'd you come back and do all this? You didn't have to, You don't owe us anything. You have to know that not everyone here wasn't a lawbreaker."

Dan looked at her hard, his steel grey eyes hard initially, yet softened as the Marine Spoke. "I am a Marine, Sharona. My duty is to protect people. I was trained to kill, not needlessly, but when the safety of others warranted it. Those men were my enemies. The stories I've heard has lead me to wish they didn't get the benefit of so quick an end."

To answer your second question, I came back because I promised I would. My word is always good, it always has been. I know that some of the women here actually were imprisoned here before Z-day. That doesn't matter anymore. The torment and torture you all suffered through, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I felt that if you truly wished to try to make a go of things on your own, then it was my duty as a Marine to do what I could to help you. It's not pity, not at all. Like it or not, There are far too many living people in this world. You all haven't shot at me yet, and I'd be a poor excuse for a Marine if I didn't try to help you all protect yourselves."

He looked around. "I didn't come here to protect you, or tell you what or how to do things. That's all up to you. I just came here to make sure you had all the tools you'll need to do those things on your own."

"This doesn't have to be my last visit. I would be happy to offer proper training on repairwork, and the use of firearms, even personal defense."

"Out of the goodness of your heart."

"Once you all start making supply runs, I can see if there's something you have that I need. We can work out an equitable arrangement then. I'm not in any rush."

He kept his voice even and flat, never once giving off an appraising or senual tone. The last thing he wanted them to think is that he'd ask them for other favors. They'd been through enough of that. In his own small way he was trying to show them men weren't all like that.

[Dan Hawkins]

Sharona looked at him and nodded. "You can come back, Hawkins. We'll need to know how to do what you do for ourselves."

"Fair enough."

He climbed back up in his Humvee and drove off, leaving paradise alot happier than he had the first time. He was proud of their desire to stand alone, and of them in general, for being wise enough to not reject a genuine offer of assistance because he ws a Man.

He returned again that week, and twice each week following, bringing some supplies from his own runs, but mostly to show them how to do proper maintenence. He was happy with it, knowing in his heart that what he was doing would help them all in the long run.