Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 11d: Go Home, Young Man

[Dan Hawkins]

"Got another couple if you want one. I don't really need them anymore, I just bring them out of habit."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC

"I told you," the man who had been talking to James said irritably, "we go up there, clean them out regularly. Who do you think does that? Us poor bastards who can get bitten and infected? No, They do that, or at least the ones who can do it safely themselves."

James replied, "Good for them. So what you've got a genuine mystery." James added, "I hate mysteries."

James looked at the volcano and speculated for a moment then asked, "Have super powered zombies been a problem up there?"

[Dawn OOC]

"Yeah, we got 'em," Mitch said but his voice was irritable. "People I've known all my life bowing an' scraping... fools. I'm too old to see the world end. Just too old for this." He didn't look too old. He looked tired more than old.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The woman - who still hadn't shared her name for being all talkative - said to Myf, "I don't see why it wouldn't be allowed. The research that you share might help us, and vice versa. Hoku will have to clear it, but I don't see an issue."

The man nodded. "We've had one. We think it came from somewhere else, since it crawled out of the ocean. They killed it, and that was the last we heard of one. The other islands haven't had any issues."

[BlueNinja]

Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC

"Yeah, we got 'em," Mitch said but his voice was irritable. "People I've known all my life bowing an' scraping... fools. I'm too old to see the world end. Just too old for this." He didn't look too old. He looked tired more than old.

Adam grinned. "No bowing or scraping for me, thanks. I'm just a guy, who can blow zombies to pieces by pointing a finger." He winced after he gestured. "Ow. Headache."

Glancing over at Mitch, he waves around the empty buildings they walked past. "How many people are surviving here, anyway? It seems like you have lots of room."

[Dawn OOC]

Mitch shrugged. "What, you expect me to remember some numbers? Over two thousand over six islands; we don't know what the folks on Lanai are doing, or how many there are o' them. They're their own place."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

After being rebutted by the man, Kristin kept quiet and followed the others, just watching the surroundings. The air was different here, the sounds different. It was nice, calming. It was almost possible to believe there were no zombies here. She wondered what that other island was like, Lanai, the woman called it.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan Whistled. "More than I expected." He shook his head. "I don't bow to anyone either, nor do I expect any. there's far too few of us left for that sort of nonsense."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC

The man nodded. "We've had one. We think it came from somewhere else, since it crawled out of the ocean. They killed it, and that was the last we heard of one. The other islands haven't had any issues."

James said, "More evidence they're connected to geography or some process somehow. There's an area where they just seem to pop up and it's not a stupidly big city. That's worrying, if there's something that can pump up a normal zom then there's a lot of zoms around."

James added, "And if I can ask, what's your name?"

[Dawn OOC]

The man stared at James. "I don't follow. Pumping up normal zoms? Super zombies just are. And there aren't a lot of zombies around." He peered at the big man speculatively. "You don't hear real well, do ya?"

Before James could respond to that, their road met up with another. Coming up the other one was Dan and three strangers. The old man with them waved, shouting, "Aloha! I see you found some party-crashers, too."

Every resident in James' group bowed to the old man, who looked irritated. "Knock that off!" he snapped. He looked at Dan. "People want to revere you and then never listen to what you say." He turned back to the crowd. "Get up I said."

[BlueNinja]

The bald man grins broadly. "Now I understand what you were talking about." Chuckling, he reaches for the girl with him, and swings her back up onto his shoulders. "And here I thought you were just irreverent."

Looking at the others, he extends a hand towards the other white man. "Name's Adam, Adam Jeffries. This is Julia," and the girl on his shoulders gives a small wave. "We, ah, sort of swam in from Vegas."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

The oddly mature-bodied, muscular teen waved back at Julia, giving her a small, melancholy grin. Kristin remembered her father and older brothers swinging her onto their shoulders just like that. She missed Joshua and Jacob, one killed by zombs, one by her hand.

"Hi, I'm Kristin-"

Sudden tears brightened her eyes and she chewed on her lip, silently cursed her hormones, all out of whack from her condition, while surreptitiously scrubbing them away with a broad shoulder. Thinking about her other brother and her father, still out there, alive, maybe dead, she realized she didn't care about finding them.

It hurt, that she didn't want to find them, still angry that they had left her, angry at herself for refusing to believe they would do such thing. Angry and sorrowful about what had happened, looking for them. The nightmares of that time still haunted her.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded. "Hey." He looked to Myf. "Morgan's at the airbase still, checking things out." Mitch and I met in the generator room, and Adam and Julia in the Surf. You mind looking them over and making sure they're alright Doctor?"

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC

The man stared at James. "I don't follow. Pumping up normal zoms? Super zombies just are. And there aren't a lot of zombies around." He peered at the big man speculatively. "You don't hear real well, do ya?"

James' eyes widened with surprise then narrowed with irritation. Idiot. Super zombies just are. Wonderful statement from someone who has NEVER thought of where they come from or worried about how to fight them.

Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC

Every resident in James' group bowed to the old man, who looked irritated. "Knock that off!" he snapped.

James hesitated, started to bow then stopped. And that must be a Reincarnation.

Originally Posted By: BlueNinja

Looking at the others, he extends a hand towards the other white man. "Name's Adam, Adam Jeffries. This is Julia," and the girl on his shoulders gives a small wave. "We, ah, sort of swam in from Vegas."

James shook hands firmly and answered, "James DeBeer. This is Kristin and this is Doctor Myfwany."

With curiosity James added, "Vegas? That's one heck of a swim. And how is that even possible with it being land locked and all?"

[BlueNinja]

Adam catches the tail end of the zombie conversation, and shakes his head. He doesn't know what makes a zombie into a super zombie either, but shouldn't the locals at least worry about how best to fight them?

He shakes James' hand, and nods politely to Kristin and Mwfwany. "That's ... sort of a long story. The kind better told after I get a nap and a couple of aspirin."

Julia chimes in, "We made it here because uncle Adam is special. He can teleport!" She then cranes her head forward, looking down at him. "So, why'd you drop us in the ocean, anyway? Didn't you remember the beach or a hotel or something?"

"Oi, watch it, bratling," he teases her back. "It's been a long time since that spring break trip to Waikiki. We're lucky we made it at all. Imagine if I'd tried for the Grand Canyon and missed." In response, the girl sticks her tongue out at him, and then loftily raises her nose in the air.

[Dawn OOC]

The group traveled up the road, which grew steeper as they progressed. Along the way, they found crews sacking and dismantling houses, tearing them down carefully. Those with construction could tell that they were salvaging them for parts. And everyone could tell they were also moving bodies out of the buildings, respectfully wrapped in bindings.

Julia was just starting to slow down as they reached a large building. Most of the crowd stopped outside, but Mitch continued up the stairs. After a moment, the visitors followed him.

Inside was a hallway. Mitch stopped and shouted, "Aloha, Hoku! You've got guests. Come on down."

There was a moment of silence, then a pillar of flame ascended from the floor. Out of it stepped a young man, clearly Hawaiian by appearance. He looked at them and said, "Aloha. Visitors?"

[BlueNinja]

Adam carefully set down his niece at the top of the stairs, taking her hand and stepping inside before her. The pillar of flame made her jump, but when the Hawaiian man Hoku stepped out, she whispered, "Cool," and gave a slightly more sincere smile than the locals had seen yet.

Adam nodded respectfully. "Adam Jeffries, and my niece Julia." He glanced over at Mitch. "I, ah, don't mean to pry, but just how many other powered people do you have here, anyway? I mean, the enclave in Vegas had over four hundred people, but I was the only one."

With a look at James, Kristin, and Myfwany, he shrugs. "Maybe we just drew the short end of the stick."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan takes everything in, clearly someone with skill was directing all of this.

When he was intruduced to Hoku he nodded. "Captain Dan Hawkins, United States Marine Corps."

"Pretty nice setup here."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

The pang of regret passed as suddenly as it occurred, replaced by a mild pique. She watched the people removing the bodies, green eyes hard. There hadn't been enough for them to bury her mother or Joshua and she didn't want to think about Jacob anymore.

Inside the large building, Kristin took a step back when the flare of flame rose up from the floor, lips pressing together as she refused to take another, forcing herself to let go of the axe sheathed across her back. She wasn't afraid.

"Hi, um... Aloha, I'm Kristin Mackenzie." The man was young, very handsome. Not that she cared about that. Behind that friendly smile and those dark eyes, he probably liked burning things.

People.

Girls.

Calm down, Kristy, he wasn't at Paradise, you don't know him, he doesn't know you. Don't... Don't freak out again.

She gave him a small, hesitant wave, barely more than a twist of her wrist, hand near her shoulder, lips curving into a shy, crooked grin. "Hawaii, er... uh... Oahu? Oahu, it's very nice here." She took a deep breath, held it, then released it slowly. "Very... fresh."

[SalmonMax]

Myfwany nodded and offered a hand.

"Aloha. We're visitors, yes. We came to see what the situation was out here. It looks like you've done very well for yourselves. It's good to see. I'm Myfwany Shattuck, a doctor. It's good to meet you."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: BlueNinja

Julia chimes in, "We made it here because uncle Adam is special. He can teleport!" She then cranes her head forward, looking down at him. "So, why'd you drop us in the ocean, anyway? Didn't you remember the beach or a hotel or something?"

James waited for the banter between Julia and Adam to finish then said, "Teleport? Other people too? Now that sir is a useful power. Color me impressed."

Originally Posted By: BlueNinja

Adam nodded respectfully. "Adam Jeffries, and my niece Julia." He glanced over at Mitch. "I, ah, don't mean to pry, but just how many other powered people do you have here, anyway? I mean, the enclave in Vegas had over four hundred people, but I was the only one."

With a look at James, Kristin, and Myfwany, he shrugs. "Maybe we just drew the short end of the stick."

James shrugged and said, "We're from the mainland, and I'm not sure. Without communications two groups could be pretty close and we wouldn't know. Right now we have like a dozen or so but we're from all over. You're welcome to join us by the way, we take everyone."

"I think it's just as time goes on..." More and more of the normals die. Let's not say that."

[Dawn OOC]

Hoku justed looked at James for a moment; James remembered he hadn't introduced himself and quickly supplied his name. Hoku nodded. "Welcome," he said, his voice oddly compelling. "It's not often we get guests of your caliber, or even living guests. If you are seeking to take resources back with you, we can't allow that. Our people need them until we can establish a food store."

The stone floor next to him suddenly shifted and moved, and a form rose from it. It solidified itself into a young man who leaned over and whispered into Hoku's ear. The newcomer seemed to have skin of rock and his eyes glittered like jewels instead of flesh. He straightened as Hoku frowned. "Is one of your number at the Air Force base?"

[Dan Hawkins]

"Yes, he is. He's former Air Force, and a good Friend, He's probably looking for signs of his comrades."

It was as much as Dan was willing to say, let alone say how important Fox really was.

[SalmonMax]

"We split up when we arrived," Myfwany filled in. "And we didn't come for resources, though we might talk about trading if you're interested. Also, I'd like to visit your doctor or anyone with scientific training to see if we can exchange ideas. I've mostly been busy with keeping our people healthy, but I've been working on the zombie plague problem as well, on the side. Assuming you have anyone here with similar work, maybe we can help each other."

[BlueNinja]

Adam steps back near the door, Julia protectively behind him. He glances back and forth between the two groups. "Um, I'm not sure what's going on here. My niece and I came here - by ourselves - escaping the zombie horde that is right now overrunning what's left of the Vegas enclave." He glances over at Dan and James. "Hell, I don't even know where this base is." Julia stands behind him, obviously unsure what is going on, other than people keep appearing from the floor.

[Courier]

James nodded in agreement to what Dan had said to Hoku and added, "It is an honor to meet you. Mostly we're here to gather information. There's a number of effects which were clearly world wide, zombies and supers, but others are less clear. If I may ask, are you having problems with your crops?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

When the rock-man rose up from the floor, Kristin warily stepped back near the door, opposite Adam and Julia. The guy with the gemstone eyes was as freaky as that four-armed man at the Refuge, who always talked in a whisper, Walker. Both of them had creepy eyes.

While Dan, James, and Dr. Shattuck explained why they were there - without really telling them why - Kristin chewed her lip and flexed a leg, pressing against the ground. Two people had already come up out of it, through Fire and Earth, and she didn't want to get sucked down into it. When she caught Adam and Julia glancing at her, she gave them a sheepish grin and stopped, leaning against the frame of the entrance, arms crossed, trying to seem nonchalant.

[BlueNinja]

Julia keeps watching the blond bombshell for a moment, as her uncle turns his attention back to the rest of the novas in the room. When nobody seems to be watching, the girl gives the teen a cautious thumbs-up.

[Dawn OOC]

The two men relaxed. Hoku said, "Wana'ao can sense all the things that move upon the earth, with some effort. He sensed your arrival, and we were worried about having someone else on the island. But if he is with you, and you bear us no harm, then he is fine where he is.

"Doctor, I would be happy for you to explore our medical facilities," he continued, nodding to Myfwanny. "If there is any information we can share, we will be happy to share it with you. This is to benefit of us all."

He looked at Adam and said, "You are in Hawaii, in the former city of Honolulu. Aloha.

"James, we have no crops," Hoku added, waving at the large double doors which opened into a lavish garden. "Hawaii provides enough food for us all."

[BlueNinja]

Adam grins a little sheepishly at the local novas. "Yeah, I know where I am. It is a bit of a walk up from Waikiki. And it's changed a bit since I came here on Spring Break senior year." Pausing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't mean to impose, but is there a bed, or at least a comfy patch of lawn, that I could borrow for a few hours?" He glanced down at Julia. "And maybe a bathroom?"

Once he's done talking to Hoku and Wana'ao, Adam turns back to Dan and James. "I hope we can talk later about our respective enclaves, and everything else." He cut off a yawn before it could really get started. "But I've been fighting zombies since about two last night, plus the walk and the headache I have from overextending myself.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC

"James, we have no crops," Hoku added, waving at the large double doors which opened into a lavish garden. "Hawaii provides enough food for us all."

James gave a half smile and said, "So maybe it is local, or maybe it's a crop thing. Well, at least there are alternatives. Thank you..."

James mental gears finally started moving and he frowned and looked at Adam. James said seriously, "Wait a moment. The Vegas enclave is being overrun right this minute??? And you open... gates... doors(?)... whatever... leading to other places?"

"I'm invulnerable, absurdly strong, and can leap for miles. If there are uninfected people stuck in rooms there I could save some of them. Could you open a door and put me through?"

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin returned the young girl's thumbs-up with a small grin and a thumbs-up of her own, the muscles in her arm rippling impressively. When the double-doors opened onto the garden, Kristin turned her attention back to the proceedings - she should probably pay attention to what was going on.

Her large, jade eyes widened at the sight of the vibrant garden, and she took several quick steps to the door, inhaling the fresh scent. Things weren't growing well at the Refuge - or growing at all - so she had been reluctant to plant of her and Ashley's seeds. But this was proof that things could still grow. It only seemed that cultivated crops were being affected.

Her family had grown things for local sale. Though the majority of their crops were grown with standard practices, a growing portion was being converted to organic produce. She didn't see what the big deal was - organic produce didn't taste any better, organic pesticides weren't any safer than synthetics ones, and it took more land to cultivate beside. But the demand kept rising and the price had been commensurate to the effort.

I'll have to check again, but a quarter or a third of our seeds are certified organic with good to high yields. Organic crops can't be much different stuff grown wild, can it? When we get back, maybe we can go look for organic farms, see if anything is growing there. Probably family farms, not the big commercial ones. If there is, we can start converting... There is more than enough space to grow purely organic food stuffs, now. The last thought was filled with a melancholy that was growing old.

When James starting talking about the Vegas Enclave, Kristin turned back and listened, posture taut and poised. Looking at her, it would be generous to say her face belonged to a sixteen year-old - an absolutely stunning one at that - but Adam couldn't help but see that her body was most definitely a woman's - perhaps early twenties - with powerful, sculpted muscles, yet still retaining the impressive curves of a centerfold. The way she moved bespoke a strength and grace far beyond human.

"I can help too," she offered sincerely, a hand going to the improvised steel haft of her axe, "I'm good at killing zombies."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Kristin Mackenzie

"I can help too," she offered sincerely, a hand going to the improvised steel haft of her axe, "I'm good at killing zombies."

Taken aback, James clearly opened his mouth to object the pregnant woman wants to walk into a massive combat mission? then he turned away and asked,

"Adam, what exactly is the situation? Define 'overrun' please. How many zombies, how many people."

[SalmonMax]

"Kristin," Myfwany murmured, "That's not a good idea, and I'll explain why a little later."

She didn't show much more reaction to the news of an enclave under attack, or the other revelations so far. She mostly seemed to be listening intently, as if she were in a lab already, studying.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan was torn, part of him wanted to go help too, but splitting up even further wouldn't be advisable. He did at least agree that Kristen didn't need to rush into it.

"If anyone goes with him, it should be me Kristen. You stay with Myfwany."

He looked at James. "You could save a few, but even together we couldn't save as many as you think. We'll need everyone to make a real difference."

[BlueNinja]

Adam blinked at the sudden outpouring of help offers, clearly surprised. How many of these people would have looked the other way if they saw a mugging or a carjacking before Z-day? he thought. Giving a quick shake of the head to clear his thoughts, he started laying out the situation.

"The Vegas enclave had a little over four hundred people. For the last two months, zombie attacks have been coming more frequently, and in greater number. Last night, somewhere over a thousand reached the car wall we'd built. Regular zombies aren't a problem, but there's some that can teleport."

He took a deep breath, wiping a hand over his face, while the other held his trembling niece. "From our first encounter with the teleporting zombies, I've roasted well over two dozen. Half of those were just last night, and there were more of them when I left." Adam leaned hsi bald head back against the wall behind him. "The teleporting zombies seem to need line-of-sight, but their skeletons are fairly resistant to bullets. So they'd get right up to the wall so they could see through the cracks, then they'd be inside. Each one killed a handful of guards, and pretty soon our walls were weak enough that the regular zombies could start pushing it over.

"I had to be careful where I was throwing my bombs, to not risk destroying the wall along with the zombie horde outside of it. Sometime this morning, I ran out of ammo, just about ran out of juice, and retreated to the buildings to try and save my family." He shook his head again, tears starting to leak from his eyes. "I saw one of the teleporting zombies grab my wife and vanish before I could take aim. And when I reached my sister, one of the regular ones was already making a meal of her."

Julia spoke up quietly. "Uncle Adam shot the zombie, and then shot mommy so she wouldn't have to suffer anymore." Her words are wooden, flat, and her face stays hidden behind her salt-crusted hair.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan listened impassively. His information was an hour old. "You've already been gone from there an hour. Do you think anyone is still alive, given what you know of the zombies Adam?"

[Courier]

James whistled. 1000 zombies and a pack of teleporting super zombies is big time trouble. Super-zombies, pleural.

James said to Dan, "It might not matter. This sounds like confirmation that super-zombies reproduce true. Teleport is nasty enough I think we need to squish it before it spreads any further."

James said to Adam, "Do you know if they're smarter than normal?"

[BlueNinja]

Adam looks at Dan first. "Honestly, I don't know. I was a tow truck driver before the zombie apocalypse started, so I made sure we had some good vehicles. If people got in them, drove out, maybe. But inside the compound," he trails off and sighs heavily. "I doubt it."

He looks up at James. "They don't seem to be smart. They still won't open doors, or climb anything more complicated than a flight of stairs. But they seem more, I dunno, cunning? If you're on one side of a wall, regular zombies will clump up at the spot nearest you and push on the wall. Teleport zombies will start circling the wall looking for a way in." He shudders, remembering the casino. "They'll try to flank you." He takes another shaky breath before meeting James' gaze. "I'm not in any shape to go back there. And, well, no offense," he says aside to Hoku, "I'm not leaving my niece anywhere just yet."

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin scowled, seeing the way James, Myfwany, and Dan all looked at her when she offered to help, hearing them make their excuses why she shouldn't go. Her hands closed into angry fists, arms tensed and bulging, her cutely pointed chin jutting with a pout.

"Just cuz I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm made of fucking glass," Kristin muttered with furious irritation. "I can go if I want - you can't tell me what-" but the 'grown-ups' had already turned their attention from her to listen to Adam explain the situation with the Vegas Enclave.

Kristin growled with frustration. She said she'd bear the damned baby, but she didn't like that everyone seemed far more concerned with it than her. She's the one that had suffered, the baby just... was. After she heard Julia's wooden voice however, Kristin gasped, her rage and frustration instantly melting away under a shared pain.

She had held her own brother down with a strength greater than anything human, his teeth gnawing at her wrist, and hacked his head off with a single stroke of her axe. That he had purposely gotten himself infected because he was jealous of what she could do only make it hurt that much more.

Her face reddened with embarrassment as she felt sudden tears brighten her eyes again. Not wanting the others to see her tears just after telling her she shouldn't go to Vegas to help kill the zombies, Kristin turned on her heel and dashed off deeper into the luxuriant foliage of the wild garden, her speed twice that of an Olympic sprinter. Branches slapped at her arms and tore at her shirt, but she hardly felt them. It took more than bullets to hurt her now, yet she was ever tender to the wounds that struck beneath the skin.

[SalmonMax]

"Kristin..." Myfwany couldn't finish before the girl...the impulsive, frustrating girl, had run off.

"This is why I never had kids," she muttered, then gave an apologetic smile to the other people around her. "If you'll excuse me, I'd rather not let her run around without supervision. I'll bring her back here as soon as I can catch her."

With that she trotted off after Kristin at a brisk jog.