ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jun 29, 2022 15:56:55 GMT
Chapter 90: Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2018 (Z-Day+9)
Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, Hawaii
Life in Hawaii was difficult. We have been only here less than a week. We were refugees and we had our duties and responsibilities to keep the place running. Our food and water was rationed. Thankfully, the U.S. Navy has used their desalinators to provide us potable drinking water. So the past five days our routine consists of going to our shifts then back. As tempting as it was to swim at the beach in front of us or go hiking in hills of Oahu since Gabrielle likes to hike, the authorities have given an order to shelter in place for the time being. The beaches and hiking trails were closed. Only the authorities patrolled these areas in case of water-borne or wandering Infected.
However, it did not stop us from enjoying the little things. For the past few days, we've gathered some surplus Halloween decorations and costumes. Tonight, we'd be celebrating a small Halloween party at the Ambassador's suite. Public gatherings have been cancelled for fear of the virus popping out and spreading it before it could be contained. Zombie costumes were also banned. We were lucky that our shifts weren't scheduled for today.
"Hey, can you kindly pass me those strings." Mike said as he fixed the "Happy Halloween" banner.
"Here you go." I said. We were all busy decorating our room for tonight's "mini-party". It was a way to enjoy one of life's given fews. The others were putting on plastic Jack-O-Lanterns, ghosts, skeletons, and fake candles to give the vibe.
Jules came in with an icebox full of drinks. Opening it, the Frenchman took out some beer and some Burgundy wine.
"Hey, I thought there was a state-wide liquor ban?" I asked.
"There is for public drinking. But in here, no one's here to stop us." The Frenchman said.
"At least there is some alcohol to drink our hearts out." I joked.
Walking over to the counter to get more decors, I saw Gabrielle working on a small white hat along with some colorful props what appeared to be a green backpack.
"What are you making?" I asked her.
"It's Finn's hat." Gabrielle replied.
"Finn? From what show is this character from?"
"From Adventure Time. You don't watch it, do you?"
"Nah not much. I like it but I'm too lazy to turn on the TV at times." I said. TV has been bad recently that most of the time I don't seem to care.
She then gives me the most sincere and innocent smile, as if pleading me to go on an Adventure Time binge watching marathon with her. "You have to watch it! You're missing out haha!"
Giving in, I then said: "Sure why not? Takes things off the hook while we are here."
She then took out her polaroid camera and starts taking pictures of the place. I forgot to mention she did take photos of us using that during our night in that Huntington Beach condo. I asked her why she's using that and she simply said she wanted to make memories. Kinda strange, in a middle of a zombie apocalypse. Well partly justified since there's no way to upload photos on Facebook or Instagram when the Internet is down. She had a ton of photos in her bag. She was willing to make more. "She's just like me, wanting to make as much moments as possible." I said to myself.
*********************
That evening, we gathered
My friend Mike was dressed up as an operator with a scary clown mask, something that looks like from The Purge.
"En avant." The Frenchman said, pouring some drinks into the red plastic cup.
Gabrielle then came in her Finn costume. We couldn't help but comment how cute she looked in it. We then took many pics using her polaroid camera. Moments. Fun times in the midst of a global crisis.
She wrote on the space below the two polaroid photographs: Survivor Group - Los Angeles, CA - October 17, 2018 (morning) and Survivor Group - Safe Zone Charlie - October 17, 2018 (evening) on the day we met Jules in the LAX refugee camp. I found this kinda surreal.
"Umm, what do you plan to do with all these pictures?" I asked curiously.
"I'll keep it. Memories obviously." Gabrielle replied. "And I want to show my future kids what it was like to be caught in the middle of the Killer Pandemic."
"That's odd, but well, if our grandparents used to tell us of their stories of World War II and the Cold War, then I'm assure we'd tell the next generation of children what was it like."
It amazed me how she's the type of person like me: an extremely sentimental one. One that that treasures memories forever. I could understand why. Before all these happened when her and I were briefly companions in mountaineering, she just wanted to see and explore the world at young age. She got that dream after she graduated and passed the boards but then the Killer Pandemic occurred. Momentarily crushed, what matters all of us our alive. I know she wants to hang around with us more once the virus has burnt itself out and all the Infected are gone.
We then gathered around the table and held our cups high in the air.
"Here's to our Halloween Party in the midst of this apocalypse!"
***************
Author's Notes:
- In the Netflix Anime Japan Sinks 2020, the mother took several pictures on her polaroid as they journeyed across Japan to any functioning port. Her reason was simple, memories. The draft I wrote actually predated this by a year and what happened is purely coincental.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jun 30, 2022 17:15:56 GMT
Chapter 90: Requiem (Part 1)November 17, 2018 (Z-Day+30; one month since Z-Day)
Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center
Loudoun County, Virginia
It had been a month since the President, his family, and some important officials settled in this bunker near the Blue Ridge Mountains. The same could be said for the other cabinet members in Cheyenne Mountain, Raven Rock, Omaha, and elsewhere. Trump did not like the idea of staying in the bunker. In fact he was sick and tired of it. It was nowhere near comfortable as his hotels, the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, or even his beloved Mar-O-Lago resort in Florida. He was also not keen of abandoning Washington as the captain would abandon his ship last. However, the Secret Service had none of it and promptly dragged him into the Marine One. He kept the memory of the defenders of the White House and made a mental note to give a recognition to everyone that fought in the outbreak, post-humously or not. He wished they were safe down in the bunker beneath the historic residence or used those secret tunnels that allegedly connects to Camp David or nearby military bases.
He entered what doubled as an emergency meeting room, where he met with some DoD officers and CIA agents.
"So what's the update on the Infected around the world?" The President asked.
"Ever since we deployed the experimental flesh-eating bacteria agains the Infected, we've noticed some of them rotted faster than we thought." A military officer said. "Our allies both NATO and non-NATO and even the Russians and the new provisional Chinese government have reported the same thing. The Pandemic Wave has largely died down two weeks after Z-Day."
It was a bit of good news for the President. Now they had the option to retake the cities or the country or even just wait for all the shamblers to die out.
"Where should we start if ever we are gonna retake the country? And when is the earliest we can do this?" Trump asked.
"Mr. President, we've been in contact with Cheyenne and Omaha as well as what remains of the CDC and USARMIID. It would be roughly around late December or ever later January/February of next year when we can establish FOBs around the Western, Eastern, and Gulf Seaboards. I know this is longer wait but we want to engage those undead bastards when they are there weakest. As you can see from these satellite images, some of the earlier undead have seen reduced locomotion. Some are even outright crawling already."
"As much as I want this as fast as possible, we need to find the window of opportunity to would see reduced casualties. Manpower is not something we could abuse."
"Do we have any assets in the area that could at least attack these bastards from the air? To soften them up?"
"We have Predator UAVs above the major cities observing the movement of swarms. Some of the UAVs are armed with missiles. We can attack use some swarms outside the cities. I know Operation Cobalt called for the bombing of cities which did kill thousands of the Infected but did little to stem the ever growing hordes. Now that these Infected have just began shambling mindlessly, we can begin softening them up.
"Please do." The President replied. "I know everyone out here is wanting to get back at these bastards. "
"Sir yes sir."
***************
Bethesda, Maryland/suburbs north of Washington, D.C.
The creature shuffled slowly along with its brethren, unable to comprehend what was going on. Its senses were merely attracted to smell and sound. It had been rotting badly, that parts of its skin hanged off its fleshes. It could not speak, but rather make moaning noises. It was part of the horde that took the siege of the historic capital of the United States. With most of its food gone, turned into something similar at it was, or fled elsewhere, it had nothing to do but aimlessly shamble along with its unholy lookalikes.
It shuffled for a month, but the distance it reached was Bethesda, still part of the D.C metro. The swarms were moving out of the cities now, wondering where their food had gone. Though the cities still had lots of Infected roaming the streets, occasionally bumping to each other. Others blindly fell to their deaths as they roamed around rooftops, unaware of the effect of gravity among them.
Above them however was one of America's deadliest weapons used to hunt for terrorists in the Middle East. The creature had no sense of fear or does not even know what it is. It shuffled and shuffled along with the horde, heading into Maryland aimlessly. The camera of the Predator zoomed in closely of them, an army of over thousands of Infected.
Within minutes, the drone fired its missile. The creature didn't even know it was annihilated along with the ones near it. There were some that survived the explosion, being reduced crawlers or cannot move at all but still trying to claw at what it could claw. The UAV fired all its missiles before running out, killing thousands. Though the horde was not eliminated, it was significantly reduced. The drone returned to a classified airbase somewhere near the Appalachians, ready to rearm if needed to thin the hordes moving out of major cities.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 1, 2022 14:31:06 GMT
Chapter 91: Requiem (Part 2)November 18, 2018 (Z-Day +31)
6,000 miles away
JS Hyūga (DDH-181)
Near the Ogasawara Islands
Ogasawara Subprefecture
Tokyo, Japan JS Hyūga (DDH-181), which currently serves as the emergency headquarters for the Japanese government."Mr. Prime Minister, we got good news from our American allies." An aide to Shinzo Abe said. "They said the new experimental bioweapon has made these monsters rot faster meaning that the reclamation of our cities can occur as early as December of this year or by early next year." "However winter is coming up. That would mean they would rot slower." The Prime Minister replied. "Well yes there is that, but we could also use the snow to our advantages. These things freeze in the winter since their circulation does not function anymore. But we are unsure if it would even slow. We got the USAF monitoring the movements of Infected within the major cities using their UAVs. They said those things have become significantly slower and weaker since the deployment of that weapon." "Then that's a bit of good news." Abe replied. He knew managing a country of 122 million people spread out around metropolises with an unforgiving geography would be a nightmare. All those things the late Daisuke Sato did in his manga-turned anime Highschool of the Deadheld true that Japan was indeed screwed if a zombie apocalypse occurred. The SDF was one of the strongest militaries in the world that they could even repel a Chinese or Russian invasion of the Home Islands, but due to the nature of the virus, every world military was caught unaware. This bioweapon literally saved Japan and all overpopulated countries around the world. Abe could remember the night the outbreak was reported in the outer suburbs of Tokyo and Saitama. It was nightmare. The Royal Family was immediately evacuated to an undisclosed compound in Hokkaido while he addressed an emergency session in the National Diet Building. This was done while what police, SAT[1], and JGSDF personnel to protect the National Diet Building and the adjacent Kantei[2] from possible attacks all while the suburbs turned red. He finished his address and was hustled back to the Kantei but on the midnight of the 18th, both him and his wife along with various cabinet members were evacuated on the Kantei's helicopter to Yokosuka Naval Base aboard the JS Hyūga, one of JMSDF's helicopter destroyers. He remembered as his helicopter ascended, the crowded streets of Tokyo was warzone as SDF and police tried to battle the Infected. He guessed it was the same everywhere from Washington, D.C. to Paris as countries abandoned capitals to the ever growing hordes. Once he boarded the Hyūga, he was escorted to safe room which doubled as a makeshift office. The Hyūga became known as the "Floating Tokyo". As it sailed from the port with the receding fires of the Tokyo and Yokosuka in the background, it was escorted by the JS Kirishima, JS Hatakze, three Sōryū-class submarines (SS-505, SS-506, and SS-509), and the JS Tokiwa, a Towada-class replenishment ship to that would resupply them while they were at sea. The Hyūga set course for the Ogasawara islands, which is technically still part of the Tokyo metropolis. So in sense, the Japanese government never abandoned Tokyo. www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/45226767361Pre-outbreak photograph of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and the JS Izumo (DDH-183) conducting training in the Pacific, October 9, 2018 (U.S. Navy/DOD photo).The ship was in contact with the USS Ronald Reagan and her carrier strike group as well as the JS Izumo (an Izumo-class helicopter destroyer more advanced and expensive than the Hyūga-class) which was having exercises with the Reagan at the time of the outbreak. They were enroute to Ogasawara to further plan how to retake the Home Islands once the Infected had rotted out. ************************* Author's Notes: [1] Special Assault Team [2] Kantei is the simplified term of the Official Residence of the Prime Minister of Japan.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 2, 2022 11:15:24 GMT
Intermission #13: FEMA Bulletin for RefugeesIN CASE OF AN OUTBREAKPUBLISHED BY FEMA AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION   1. LEARN THE SYMPTOMS- Shambling and unusual gait - Moaning - Festering wounds such as complete removal limbs - Slight necrosis and grey skin - Homicidal aggression - Increased hunger for flesh 2. TAKE PRECAUTIONS- In case of sightings of Infected, report to the nearest FEMA representative, police officer, or military commander and make your way calmly to the evacuation point. If that is not possible, shelter in place by barricading all doors and windows and keep silent. It is preferable to stay on an attic or a roof while awaiting for rescue. Keep a ham radio or a smartphone in case. Authorities will identify themselves upon rescue. - Leave all non-essential belongings behind with the exception of food, water, medicine, first aid supplies, weapons, firearms, and ammunition. - As much as possible, avoid congregated areas. - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE OR GET INTO PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH INFECTED INDIVIDUALS! ALWAYS TRAVEL BY THE DAY OR IN WELL-LIT AREAS!
DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TRAVEL BY GROUPS OF ARMED COMPANIONS!3. SELF-DEFENSE (IN CASE ESCAPE IS NOT POSSIBLE)
- Arm yourself with a weapon- Aim for the head- Wash melee weapons after use (DO NOT GET INTO CONTACT WITH BLOOD) NOTE: - Gunfire tends to attract more Infected individuals. Only use this if one absolute needs to do so. Suppressors lessen the sound but will not completely muffle the gunfire. Conserve ammunition for tight situations. - DO NOT ENGAGE A GROUP OR HORDE OF INFECTED ON YOUR OWN OR IF YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY SUCCEED IN NEUTRAZISING THE THREAT. CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES WISELY!
REMEMBER, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!4. IN CASE SOMEONE GETS BITTEN - A bite wound is fatal but it depends where the individual was bitten. Bites on the limbs can be treated by swift amputation followed by immediate cauterization. Amputated patients have to be kept on guard for at least a month and must be placed in a secure location far from population centers.- If the wound is untreatable, do the following: 1. Stop the bleeding. 2. Quarantine the patient with armed guard. 3. Let the patient say their last goodbyes with their loved ones. 4. Administer last rites depending on patient's belief. 5. Upon expiry, vacate the room except for the armed guard. 6. Terminate upon expiry, preferably a knife through the ear. 7. Report to CDC officials for disposal of the body. ***************************** Author's Notes: - Inspired from the Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Poster.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 5, 2022 11:51:06 GMT
Short teaser
Here's a teaser for the next chapter. I am on a writer's block right now.
****************
The French soldier returned from guard duty. It was already late at night when he returned, everybody was asleep. A month into the outbreak, the curfew was still in effect throughout the State of Hawaii. Anyone but official security personnel had to stay indoors until their shift was done.
"Another day of guarding what remains of this safe-zone protected by the vast Pacific Ocean." Jules said to himself.
In the couch, he saw his Filipino friend asleep. In his arms was his friend, or should he say, his lover (even if they aren't official). She was secured in his arms and was resting on him as if he was the mattress. Both were deep asleep. They were only illuminated by the light of the laptop. Jules approached and eyed the screen, it was an episode of Adventure Time.
Jules smiled at the unofficial couple. "Aww how cute. She must have convinced him to go on a series marathon."
The Frenchman then lowered the laptop cover.
"Bonne nuit. (Good night)." He said, even if the couple weren't even together yet.
He then poured himself in a wine glass of Burgundry wine as to distress from a hard day of contributing the mankind's fight against the Infected.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 5, 2022 11:52:04 GMT
Chapter 92: Gaia's VengeanceThis is a connection to Chapter 72: Natural Help ******************** "Life finds a way." - Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park (1993) ******************** As cities fell to the hordes, the Infected made so no distinction between animals and humans alike. Animals were still meat to whatever virus hijacked their brains. They were also consumed. Slow-moving animals became victims to the Infected, along with those locked in fences or barns. For some odd reason, animals are not affected by the virus. Those bitten are not susceptible and usually die of blood loss or secondary bacterial infection from the wound. There were those animals that fought back, either by consuming the Infected or using whatever weapons they had at their disposal: teeth, horns, or even their own weight. Even better for the human race, animals consuming Infected flesh do not die! This baffled everyone from the CDC to those in National Geographic. No explanation could be found. It was only by whatever grace of nature or God that animals were not affected by the Killer Pandemic Virus. The human race was greatly aided by nature due to this fact. From the safaris of Africa to the mountains of California to the jungles of Africa, South America, and South Asia and the rough deserts of Australia, Sonora, the Middle East, and the Sahara, the animals fought back. In Africa, lions and hyenas would prey on a wondering Infected that strayed on their territory. Some hordes accidentally caused a stampede of a herd of elephants that became terrified by its presence. This was captured on footage by a Kenya Defense Force helicopter. Militaries in Africa reported the same thing. In the jungles, the Infected rotted faster as flies laid their eggs on their flesh and was consumed from within. There were reports of shark attacks on floating Infected all around the world's oceans. They couldn't swim. Some just drifted off the current, being fed by schools of fish while those that were beached became colonized by crabs or other kinds of bottom feeders. In swamps such as Louisiana, alligators were witnessed to be feeding on those that wandered. A similar story was reported in Papua New Guinea by locals were salt water crocodiles took on a group of 12 Infected. Buzzards were known to attack those wondering the deserts of the American Southwest.  Upon realizing this, humans used animals to their advantage. Military and police dogs were used to alert and bark for the presence of an Infected. They were trained to pounce on them while the forces would take them down while they are on the ground. Though this was considered inhumane, some where fed to crocodile farms and pig farms, as these animals attacked on carrion. Dolphins and sea lions, already in the U.S. Navy, were utilised once more to track Infected in the water. Horses, camels, and pack mules became even more useful in order to save fuel for vehicles. The ways of the old proved that it will never be obsolete. One thing was for sure for the human race in the War against the Infected, they were not alone. Mother Nature was on their side.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 6, 2022 17:00:42 GMT
Chapter 93: Just Do It, Man
November 22, 2018 (Z-Day + 36)
Hilton Hawaiian Resort
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, Hawaii
It's been a month that we have lived as refugees here in Hawaii. We all were getting used to our routine. Jules and Francis go on guard duty along with Trevor, Spencer's friend in the Marines. The rest go on to their shifts. Do this everyday and repeat. For the past month, I would view the beach from the balcony. The pristine blue waters of the Pacific were inviting. Alas, the beach was closed until further notice. I would see the cordon and the beach patrols making sure the rules are being followed.
When I was done with my shift, I usually retire back to the hotel room and hang out with my survivor friends. My wound has healed, thank God. It's been roughly a month since I last saw an Infected. This past few days, Gabrielle took me on an Adventure Time binge watching marathon. I can't believe she made me finish all 283 episodes of the 10 seasons and in just a week. She loves that show so much. Other than that, we'd go for endless hours of talking about our hobbies and interesting stuff about hiking. She told me all of her plans once this outbreak is over. She dreamed of hiking places and standing on narrow peaks. She also planned to take up Law after accounting, well planned to. We all do not know what to do with our plans. Everything's on hold. Survival. That's the only thing in everyone who is still alive right now. After my kiss with death, I can never be so happy to more than alive. At times, I just want to go to the balcony and scream towards the heavens to celebrate how precious life is.
"That's a lot of plans you got there. Of course, we'd support you in that." I said. "We'd even like to come with you in those adventures."
"Thanks guys. Honestly, you're one of the best people I'd ever have." She replied. "It's been only a month that we'd all been together. This outbreak took a weird twist."
Tonight her family invited all of us for Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately not all of us could be there since Jules and the rest of the armed guys would be on patrol. Nonetheless, we'd show up out of courtesy.
***********
So I went with the guys. I needed to get something out of my head. In fact, it's been bugging for a month now. The day I met our French friend in that temporary refugee processing center in LAX, he said the following:
"One way or another you got to tell her what you feel about her."
"You may have not another time to do it."
He's right. Life is a blessing and we do not what will happen the very next few seconds. I starred myself in the mirror in the bathroom, rehearsing what I would say later.
"You got this man."
"It doesn't matter what happens next. Millions do not have tomorrow to find out."
"Leave no opened books closed." I said to myself.
***********
Thanksgiving was a twist. Even with the majority of the canned food and a few fresh food, we were still happy that there was still food. It was one of life's given fews in this time of global crisis. Several refugees also celebrated on what they can, thankful for whatever God or belief for sparing them for another day. Others weren't so fortunate.
We all dug in, talked, and laughed. Her parents still could not thank us what happened a month ago.
After the dinner, we headed back to our room. Gabrielle was with us. She asked her parents if she could hang around.
She sat with me in the balcony as we watched the moon's reflection on the Pacific Ocean. Eyeing towards the sand, we saw beach buggies patrolling back and forth while up ahead over at the water, Coast Guard patrol craft could be seen with their searchlights scanning for any floating Infected.
Gabrielle the shows me the polaroid photos she took.
"That's a lot." I commented.
"Yeah, you'll never know when you can have something like this again." She replied.
"It's a beautiful weather tonight. Too bad we can't go stroll on the beach." I said.
"Yeah I know. Hard to believe we are in Hawaii but we can't even enjoy the beach or the hills."
Then we talked for a while before I opened up.
"Hey I have something to tell you, Gab." I said.
She looked at me back, somehow expecting what was to come. "Ah sure go ahead, if you have something to say, say it."
"The past month was crazy. We unexpectedly met then we raced down south to San Diego, meeting people along the way. Lives were lost and we will never forget their sacrifice. What matters is we are alive. Now for the past month we have been staying in Hawaii, it's fair to say I've seen you more as a friend. Past few days we've been talking and watching Adventure Time. I feel like we were able bond."
Her face turned pink, somehow touched.
"I knew." Gabrielle replied. "I knew this whole time."
"How?" I asked, puzzled.
"We girls can sense." She said, smiling. "I felt it too. So you're asking me out?"
"Yes. Yes I am." I replied firmly.
"Aww this is so sweet. I like you too Gill. You're really kind and all."
Just like that we looked like a pair of teenagers. This time however it was mutual and not alcohol-driven unlike that night in Huntington Beach or that stupid stint I did two years ago. Holding each other by the cheeks, we pulled each other's face closer until our lips made contact. It felt great. I admitted to myself before pulling out.
"So can we make it official?" I asked. I felt like time was stopping as I waited for her reply.
"Yes." All worries of the world just disappeared.
***********
"Good night, thanks for today, my love." I said.
"You too my boo. Good night." She replied.
We then embraced and kissed each other again as I then returned back to the room. Going inside, my other friends couldn't help but ask.
"Yes. I just did"
"What did she say?" Spencer asked curiously, Angela too was curious along with the rest.
"She said yes. We're official mate."
They then cheered. "Congratulations dude! You did it. You won her heart."
"Nah, we just matched." I replied.
"Well then, I'm going to bed." I said as I changed to something for sleeping. "Goodnight."
As I lay in bed, I could not help but think that the most peculiar thing occurred in my life. Finding love in the midst of a zombie apocalypse in Hawaii was definitely some Hollywood producers might want to make. It felt like all the problems of the Killer Pandemic just ended for me and her. I've never been so happy in my life. I hope this pandemic gets over so I can build a normal relationship with her. That was my last thoughts before I fell asleep.
***********
Author's Notes:
I am really not into drama and romance so I had to use the following scenes as inspiration:
- After the sunrise, a dawn of the dead fanfic – written by thecricketsarecalling, it details about Ana thinking about her life after losing Michael. Yes, in this fanfic, Ana and Michael get initimate.
- This particular scenes in Samurai Jack Season 5:
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 7, 2022 18:44:54 GMT
Chapter 94: The Peacemaker
November 25, 2018 (Z-Day +39)
Sino-Mongolian Border The man with the beard was dissatisfied. For once that his job of smuggler was profitable. The Mongolian government had managed to repel the waves of the dead breaking from China, finally able to succeed was a very big word, at most UlaanBaatar was not yet like the dead cities of Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, and most of the Chinese major cities. The Mongolian desert was already hostile, and now populated by zombies. The work of human trafficker was complicated, even more complicated with this cursed epidemic but here is that the Mongolian government had the audacity to try to control and to stop its juicy work. The rare Mil Mi-8 helicopters had turned out to be a nuisance, tracking down the columns of refugees and strafing them from above. Some might say that 10 fewer refugees in a column was a perfectly acceptable loss rate for a trafficker, even before the epidemic started, but the means of payment dwindled with the ravages that the masses of infected inflicted to China and the countries of Southeast Asia. The green dollar bills themselves were beginning to represent nothing really concrete. In fact what irritated the trafficker was above all that his work was worth nothing. This is why they had accepted the tempting offer (paid in gold bars) to escort this Chinese knot head across the desert. This man was to be a powerful man, perhaps even an influential member of the government. The slightly contemptuous trafficker took great pleasure in humiliating this man whenever he could. ******************** The former President of the People's Republic of China could hardly hide his rage at having arrived there. Alone, destitute and humiliated. Disowned by one of the worst crises, if not the worst health crisis ever seen, considered dead after the fall of Bejing and the destruction of the underground bunker, his work razed by the internal conflict between Maoist and pragmatic hawks. The most powerful man in China once was only a human shadow among the hundreds of thousands of ragged fled across Manchuria and Siberia to avoid walking death and bombs. The President could have tried to reappear on the political scene like a providential man but the political scene, all the political and economic organization of the People's Republic of China had shattered with this cursed virus. Military units fighting for such group of loyalists, reformers or just fighting to survive. The death of his last bodyguard, of his last faithful man had marked the end of the hopes of the President. The face swirled and almost hidden in order to avoid that the 'we do not recognize him' for fear of being killed or even massacred. The man had handed the last gold bars to this shaggy and screaming Mongolian trafficker. There was nothing more to hope for Xi Jinping. "Can be fair to avoid dying again." The former President cursed. ******************** It is estimated that more than 462,000 Chinese died in the Mongolian desert between 2018 and 2020, drastically increasing the number of infected in Mongolia. today peacekeeping and clean-up missions are still in progress, thanks to the combined efforts of the United Nations, the governments of the United States, Russia and the government commission of the two Koreas. Xi Jinping would never reemerge in the public eye ever again. ******************** Author's Notes: - Thanks to ukron for writing this chapter. To be fair, I was taken aback by this chapter. - To the admins, this draft has been around since 2018 so it would not count as "Current Politics". - Basically Xi Jinping became the next Puyi. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
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Post by ukron on Jul 9, 2022 3:37:21 GMT
Chapter 95: Incursion
Some time ago...
40 km south of Oahu, Hawaii
Pacific Ocean
A freighter that had been drifting for a month finally sank as she was consumed by the rough waves of the Pacific. The crew went down with all hands, all turned into the Infected. When the ship went down, the Infected on the decks spilled into the sea. The Infected could not swim however they could not drown. Some were wearing life vests and were drifting towards the direction of Oahu. The others went to bottom, where they roamed the seafloor. Many were crushed by the deep sea pressure while others fell victims to the sharks, fishes, and the crabs.
But there were still a few that managed walked on the reefs and continued to aimlessly wander towards Oahu.
*****************
Present Day
December 1, 2018 (Z-Day+45)
A patrolling U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon spotted a weird site of orange life vests in the middle of the Pacific. Using the P-8's high quality camera, they could see most of these were Infected. They crew of the P-8 then relayed the information to the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters, which promptly sent a Coast Guard cutter to investigate. Using the anti-submarine radars to map out the sea floor, the crew found that there was a horde of Infected headed towards Waikiki Beach on the sea floor. Hence the alarm was sounded and every civilian was to shelter in place. By some unfortunate incident, the shark nets around Waikiki were old and needed replacement. It was still being removed when the news of evacuation of the beach was ordered.
The cutter came closer and sent a small RHIB of MSRT operatives. The MSRT operatives then saw the Infected and promptly shot them on the spot, turning the waters around them into a red mist.
Still, some Infected managed to make it Waikiki. However, thanks to the information provided by the P-8, countless lives were saved. A group of 150 infected washed up ashore and were promptly met with a hail of gunfire. All of them were eliminated. Once data confirmed from maritime patrol planes, helicopters, drones, and other ships in the area that there was no immediate threat to Hawaii, the alarm was sounded off three hours later and everyone went back to work.
*****************
A few moments ago...
Jules checked the sight of his HK-416 rifle, aiming down to an Infected's forehead and killing it. The Frenchman had not expected this. It's been roughly one month and two weeks since he last saw the Infected in the mainland. The sight still disturbed him even though he along with the security forces and the civilian volunteers already knew the protocol on how to combat these creatures.
Gunfire rang, empty shell casings fell, and magazines were dropped. The battle continued on for an hour or so until all of the Infected were dropped. They waited for another long period of time before it was cleared. The defenders all cheered while authorities dressed in Hazmat suits came to pick up the waterlogged, rotten bodies of the Infected. Everyone gave pats to each other's back.
It was just another day at work and they have successfully executed their duties.
*****************
Later on that day, the officials of the state of Hawaii, the mayor of Honolulu, the police chief of the HPD, and Major Gabbard inspected the site. The bodies were being disposed while the blood on the sand was being sprayed with strong disinfectant followed by burning with fuel.
Due to quick response and disaster planning, the crisis was averted before it could even start. No casualties were reported.
The representative met with the defenders and thanked them for their service, the Frenchman among him.
*****************
When Jules returned to his station that night, he poured himself another glass of his alcohol. Today was a hard day at work. He gathered with his survivor friends.
"Hey buddy, heard you were on duty when the Infected came." Gillan said.
"Yeah, I was there. I killed several of them." Jules replied.
"Jesus Christ. After almost two months, we never expected to see those bastards to rear their ugly heads." Mike replied. "We can't pay to go off-guard."
"Well, welcome to the new normal." Angela added. "This is how it is from now on."
"So where were you guys when the alarm sounded?" The Frenchman replied.
"We were all at work doing our roles. We were evacuated and returned to our rooms." Gillan replied. "Unfortunately, several of us were separated and we could not reach them. We were left in the dark until the alarm sounded off. I tell you man, it's the worst feeling in the world when you are forced to wait and there's nothing you can do. Thankfully, Gabby dear was safe and we got to reunite later. I felt that the weight and worry was gone. I was relieved."
Jules sat down and passed on the glasses, offering it to his friends. They accepted and took a sip.
"I can't wait for this virus to be gone." Jules said.
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gillan1220
Fleet admiral
I've been depressed recently. Slow replies coming in the next few days.
Posts: 12,609 
Likes: 11,326
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Post by gillan1220 on Jul 9, 2022 5:39:25 GMT
Xi Jinping became the next Puyi.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
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Post by ukron on Jul 16, 2022 5:47:54 GMT
Chapter 95: Incursion
Some time ago...
40 km south of Oahu, Hawaii
Pacific Ocean
A freighter that had been drifting for a month finally sank as she was consumed by the rough waves of the Pacific. The crew went down with all hands, all turned into the Infected. When the ship went down, the Infected on the decks spilled into the sea. The Infected could not swim however they could not drown. Some were wearing life vests and were drifting towards the direction of Oahu. The others went to bottom, where they roamed the seafloor. Many were crushed by the deep sea pressure while others fell victims to the sharks, fishes, and the crabs.
But there were still a few that managed walked on the reefs and continued to aimlessly wander towards Oahu.
*****************
Present Day
December 1, 2018 (Z-Day+45)
A patrolling U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon spotted a weird site of orange life vests in the middle of the Pacific. Using the P-8's high quality camera, they could see most of these were Infected. They crew of the P-8 then relayed the information to the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters, which promptly sent a Coast Guard cutter to investigate. Using the anti-submarine radars to map out the sea floor, the crew found that there was a horde of Infected headed towards Waikiki Beach on the sea floor. Hence the alarm was sounded and every civilian was to shelter in place. By some unfortunate incident, the shark nets around Waikiki were old and needed replacement. It was still being removed when the news of evacuation of the beach was ordered.
The cutter came closer and sent a small RHIB of MSRT operatives. The MSRT operatives then saw the Infected and promptly shot them on the spot, turning the waters around them into a red mist.
Still, some Infected managed to make it Waikiki. However, thanks to the information provided by the P-8, countless lives were saved. A group of 150 infected washed up ashore and were promptly met with a hail of gunfire. All of them were eliminated. Once data confirmed from maritime patrol planes, helicopters, drones, and other ships in the area that there was no immediate threat to Hawaii, the alarm was sounded off three hours later and everyone went back to work.
*****************
A few moments ago...
Jules checked the sight of his HK-416 rifle, aiming down to an Infected's forehead and killing it. The Frenchman had not expected this. It's been roughly one month and two weeks since he last saw the Infected in the mainland. The sight still disturbed him even though he along with the security forces and the civilian volunteers already knew the protocol on how to combat these creatures.
Gunfire rang, empty shell casings fell, and magazines were dropped. The battle continued on for an hour or so until all of the Infected were dropped. They waited for another long period of time before it was cleared. The defenders all cheered while authorities dressed in Hazmat suits came to pick up the waterlogged, rotten bodies of the Infected. Everyone gave pats to each other's back.
It was just another day at work and they have successfully executed their duties.
*****************
Later on that day, the officials of the state of Hawaii, the mayor of Honolulu, the police chief of the HPD, and Major Gabbard inspected the site. The bodies were being disposed while the blood on the sand was being sprayed with strong disinfectant followed by burning with fuel.
Due to quick response and disaster planning, the crisis was averted before it could even start. No casualties were reported.
The representative met with the defenders and thanked them for their service, the Frenchman among him.
*****************
When Jules returned to his station that night, he poured himself another glass of his alcohol. Today was a hard day at work. He gathered with his survivor friends.
"Hey buddy, heard you were on duty when the Infected came." Gillan said.
"Yeah, I was there. I killed several of them." Jules replied.
"Jesus Christ. After almost two months, we never expected to see those bastards to rear their ugly heads." Mike replied. "We can't pay to go off-guard."
"Well, welcome to the new normal." Angela added. "This is how it is from now on."
"So where were you guys when the alarm sounded?" The Frenchman replied.
"We were all at work doing our roles. We were evacuated and returned to our rooms." Gillan replied. "Unfortunately, several of us were separated and we could not reach them. We were left in the dark until the alarm sounded off. I tell you man, it's the worst feeling in the world when you are forced to wait and there's nothing you can do. Thankfully, Gabby dear was safe and we got to reunite later. I felt that the weight and worry was gone. I was relieved."
Jules sat down and passed on the glasses, offering it to his friends. They accepted and took a sip.
"I can't wait for this virus to be gone." Jules said.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
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Post by ukron on Jul 16, 2022 5:49:08 GMT
Chapter 96: Sand and Blood
December 3, 2018 (Z-Day + 48)
Al-Tanf U.S. Military Base
Homs Governate, Syria
When the Killer Pandemic began, it was hoped for that mankind would for once put aside its differences and unite against a common foe. All those hopes instantly died when on-going conflicts still occurred since men of different allegiances and goals fought each other with the Infected caught in between. There were even coup attempts that would brought the world into nuclear wasteland but thanks to some like-minded people, the coup was put down for the sake of human cooperation. One of the greater tales of human cooperation was the defense of Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti, which would ring for the ages to camp.
In sense, the hope of mankind going as one against a threat from a horror movie became more of a reality. Countries that were previously enemies now realized the threat and cooperated with one another. However, there were still those factions that refused to cooperate such as ISIS, al-Shaabab, other separatist groups and some right-wing fundamentalist Christian groups.
Captain Allan Reynolds, SFOD-D, U.S. Army, looked around the base filled with roughly 150 special forces operators alongside some regular Marines as part of the Combined CJITF-OIR against ISIS that started in 2014. In the base were also some Syrian opposition forces and troops from the Syrian Arab Army. It was a strange sight. When the war began in 2011, these two factions would immediately shot each other. When the Infected first appeared, they still did. Syria was already a messy spaghetti of different factions pointing their guns at each other. However, as roughly two months have passed since Z-Day, it was finally enough to knock their senses.
Three crackles suppressed gunfire came from a Marine scout sniper. Captain Reynolds deduced some Infected wandering over the desert must have by chance neared the base. After al, this base was defending the nearby Rukban refugee camp.
The Delta Force captain walked among the vehicles parked in the sand. A mix of UH-60 Blackhawks, Humvees, MRAPs, some technicals, and T-72 tanks from the Syrian Army parked alongside each other. He then walked over to the tent where the base commander, Colonel Norman Marcus, who was discussing with some Syrian commanders and some fellow Delta operators on the defense of the base. Normally, a Marine colonel would not bark orders at a Delta Force, since the latter is in the Army. The Colonel had no orders to bark though.
"Glad you can join us Captain." The Colonel said as he pointed on the maps. Red meant zones controlled by the Infected while Black meant an ISIS stronghold. Human forces were now considered Blue.
"So what's the situation?" Captain Reynolds replied.
"More or less stable. Virus burnt itself out a couple of weeks since the biological weapon was deployed. Some infighting remains among different factions but mostly a ceasefire has been established with the Syrian regime and opposition. They have vowed to slowly reclaim territories where the Infected are less. They'd be leap frogging the country. Our main threat however is ISIS."
A CIA Special Activities Center operative entered and then dropped a folder.
"Sir, you need to see this." The agent said.
"It looks like the leader of ISIS is done for."
The Colonel looked at the pics and along with a tape of a footage.
"A Predator drone in the area around Idlib governorate was monitoring of the movement of an ISIS convoy trying to escape a large horde of Infected when they got caught in between another horde. They fought back frantically but eventually ran out of ammo. Some escaped but it appeared they left behind their leader."
Everyone then saw the leader of ISIS frantically aim his pistol, taking a few infected before his gun ran out. Before he could activate his suicide vest, the Infected piled up and tore him apart. His other members left him for dead. Everyone was shocked from the U.S. soldiers to the Syrian forces (both government and opposition) inside the tent.
"Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed. We need to report to Site-R and inform the President over at Highpoint SF about this. It appears that ISIS will now fall into disarray following the death of their leader."
"Well, there's some good news." A MARSOG operator said.
"Now that's one less pest to worry about." Another added.
"Get me Mattis on the line." Colonel Marcus said.
"Things just got a little interesting." Captain Reynolds added as he smiled hearing the good news.
**************
"President Trump and Defense Secretary Mattis confirm that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed by the Infected. Footage obtained from an American drone saw the leader of the most dangerous terrorist group try to escape but was caught in a futile last stand. This is a deadly blow to the terror group as it appears there is no clear successor. Reports of fighting in the Middle East continue but it appears the organization itself will disband in the following weeks.
We wil continue to deliver news as it happens. This is the FEMA Emergency Radio."
**************
Author's Notes:
- Yes, al-Baghdadi dies one year earlier compared to our timeline.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
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Post by ukron on Jul 23, 2022 4:54:29 GMT
Troubled Waters - New Orleans Part 9: Anarchy
October 19, 2018 (Z-Day + 2)
Outskirts of New Orleans
The butt of the heavy rifle fell once again on Karpov's body, blood covered his clothes but he did not speak. He did not want to speak.
"Fucker, are you gonna to tell you where they are?" Declared the captor with a deep voice .
The black man, a heavy man of 114kg, manifestly delighted to be able to let off steam on a man seated and blocked by chains.
"They?" No idea came to Karpov's mind whether they were talking about the army, aid services or other refugees. These were easy prey for these brigand.
"You don't want to talk? Alright. Jonah, Jonah come here you lazy person!" The black man shouted with a tone of authority.
Jonah, a teenager, can be 16 years old, a tall, fairly fine boy, who above all gave the impression of a sensitive kid. Not mean ... the kind good shy student.
"You little shit!what the hell were you doing?" The black man spat. "Well...I'll take care of the others, you watch him while waiting for Marvin to come back."
The teenager was going to say something when the adult interrupted him.
"If you miss, you will join the others in the ditch, understood?" The threatening person said.
The young man changed his mind as the brute slammed the door of the small shelter.
Karpov emphatically looks at the young guard, ready to glare at him, almost to base his intentions but the young man looked down.
"Is it true that you do this for fun?" Jonah asked with a strange tone of firmness.
"What? What do I do for fun?" asked Karpov. His Russian accent surprised the African-American teenager.
"To kill people of color and burn them...like you did to Uncle Steve?" Jonah asked.
"Do you mean to do like the KKK? Listen boy, I am a Russian citizen. I have nothing to do with it but if you think that I am responsible for this situation, you can shoot me."
The teenager seemed a little disturbed by Karpov's frank response.
"I have nothing, nothing more to lose anyway. The knights of the Klan have burned my house and the zombies have finished destroying everything?" Jonah replied with sadness and grief in his voice.
"The Klan, does it still exist here? I thought it was a bit of folklore?" asked Karpov curiously.
"They have always been here for a century now. They were just waiting for the right moment to strike. To kill all those who would not submit to their authority or to their racial conceptions. This is why we set up self-defense militias in order to protect our people of a new slavery." The teenager replied.
"You protect your people by killing and torturing innocent people. I saw how the brute reacted. It is not a militia, it is a band of brigands." Karpov added.
"Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to survive." The teenager replied.
"Only those who have never done that can say that. Listen, I did that when I was barely over your age in Chechnya. These are memories that will haunt me for always." The Russian added. "You don't speak like the people of the Klan, not like people in general,"
This is how Karpov sympathized with a teenager in a foreign country.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
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Post by ukron on Jul 23, 2022 4:55:05 GMT
Troubled Waters - New Orleans (LA) Part 10: Something burning into my heart
October 21, 2018 (Z-Day + 4)
Outskirts of New Orleans.
The night was long and the rather abnormal heat making sweat flow on the forehead of the man and his companions. It has been more than 2 days that they hunted down this group of bandits and plunderers who believed that minorities violated the purity of America. Hidden in the damp ground and teeming with vermin, the man felt the comforting presence of his M4 as well as that of these companions. The defenders of America were on the move and nothing could stop them!
Karpov was waiting...a kind of unpleasant languor had reached him while he was chatting with the young African American teenager. He had not saved anyone. Lt. Moyers, his daughter, his comrades-in-arms in Chechnya, all died because of him.
The fever was gnawing at him insidiously causing Karpov to remember things that no one should ever have done.
***************
23 years ago...
January 5, 1995
Grozny, Chechnya
Samir Saleh wants his revenge against the Russians. Of course for now he was just one of those countless jihadi fighters, a Tajik civil war veteran, but his name would soon sound like the ultimate name of the holy war for the Emirate. Soon the entire Caucasus would be under the control of the black standard of international brigades from all Muslim countries to fight the unbelievers, the infidels, and the crusaders.
But first of all, it was enough to mark the spirits. Those of his camp, in particular by showing so much that he was the ideal man, without fear, nor reproaches to fight and to conquer.
Filming the massacre of all Russian prisoners would be this indelible mark that would leave no one indifferent. Playing with the blade of his knife, one of the fighters of the Samir group could not restrain a smile when he saw Karpov and some other prisoners dragged and forced to face up on the ground. The final hour of victory was approaching for Samir and his men, that of death for Karpov, between confusion and fear of dying, and disgusts for having killed a woman and a child.
The smiling executioner advancing about to pronounced "God is the greatest" when fate saved the young Russian for the first time.
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ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
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Post by ukron on Jul 23, 2022 4:56:33 GMT
Chapter 97: Kintsugi
Kintsugi: the ancient Japanese art of mending broken objects with gold teaches us that if we choose to embrace our struggles and repair ourselves with love, we become more beautiful for having been broken.
- theycallmemummy.com
You know, the Japanese have a philosophy called Kintsugi. They take the pieces of something that's fallen apart, and they put it back together with gold. Imperfection can be beautiful, Lucy.
- Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos), The Man in the High Castle (S02E06: Kintsugi)
***************
December 7, 2018 (Z-Day + 52)
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, Hawaii
Today was solemn day for Hawaii for it marks the 77th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 77 years since America entered World War II and propelled them to become the next superpower through sheer resolve of obtaining absolute victory over the Axis Powers.
"There is nothing to fear but fear itself." I heard the quote of FDR play in my mind.
World War II was a great challenge for the United States and the free world and yet they managed to overcome it. This Killer Pandemic is no different then. Over the few days, we have heard of unusual alliances propping out in the Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond when it came to fighting the Infected.
For this year, there was only a simple ceremony held at the naval base of Pearl Harbor. Most of the resources were pooled towards keeping the population of Hawaii fed, clothed, and provided electricity including 2,000+ refugees that settled.
Before reporting for duty this morning, the radio played the Star Spangled Banner followed by FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech (which actually was said the following day of the attacks).
"Yesterday. December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan...
...No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory."
It was our usual routine going back to shift and to the hotel room. After I left my shift, I went over to the trading post to get some gifts for some early Christmas gifts. The thought of spending Christmas in a zombie apocalypse was strange. I noticed in the corner a broken Japanese pottery. It was not badly broken since it could be mended with plaster.
"I know what to do with this." I said to myself.
If there was anything I could relate on the story of how I met my girlfriend from distant acquintances to being a couple, it was this. There was a lot of broken stuff in between before both of us decided to pull this through from meeting her at the wrong time in college to this freaking zombie apocalypse that I could not believe we both survived in an unknown land! I believe that broken stuff made this in entire journey beautiful; something coming out of book. I wonder if someone could pick this story up and turn it into a movie or series LOL. Call me an idiot or not but I'm now starting to believe in what the Chinese say the Red String of Fate.
Surprisingly, the trading post didn't even charge me for it. They thought nobody would care for it so they gave it to me for free. I then obtained some lacquer and gold powder, ready to fix this broken pot to present to it to her as gift. Before that, I picked up a scratch map of the world since I knew it was always her dream to travel and explore all corners.
***************
I stayed late that night fixing the crack. It must have been around 1 am when I finally finished. I kept hidden and stored, ready to give it on Christmas day.
"The Japanese are right." I said.
Just like what Zombieland thought us, we should enjoy the little things.
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