Play@YSDC

Z-Day - 10:14 AM Central Time - In the helicopter, northwest of Brownson
In the helicopter-
Erica pulled back on the stick until the helicopter rose to a comfortable altitude and leveled off. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!" she called over the noise of the rotors, banking the chopper to the east.

"How much fuel did you manage to get aboard?" asked Bob.

"Close to ninety percent. We'll come up about thirty miles short of Omaha with what we've got aboard, so we'll have to find somewhere to refuel en route."

"It would have been less if it hadn't been for Sean. That was a close one, but he made sure we got out. It's too bad he didn't make it..."

"We can't afford a close shave like that again; there's not enough of us to fight off more zombies. You'll have to choose a refuel place very carefully." Says Brigetta.

Stephanie slightly nods in agreement.

OOC,has anyone from the chopper done visit CDC before?

ooc,Is the centre in the countryside or a zombie-infested town area in Omaha?

Brigetta considers the practicalities of getting to the centre unscathed.

"Erica we must land somewhere safe for the extra fuel so we can land on the CRC building. We can't hope to get through the city on the ground." Brigetta says.

10:15 AM
In the helicopter-
"You got that right," said Erica, opening the throttle. The chopper sped off to the east to the north of Brownson, following Route 30. "Boy am I glad we're in the air! I didn't like being on the ground one bit. I know of several airfields between here and Omaha, and at least one of them should still be operational and have the fuel we need. I didn't have the fuel to get anywhere else before, but I do now, thanks to you...and Sean. Without him and his rifle, we wouldn't have had much chance down there."

The helicopter had a GPS navigation system, and Bob was able to bring up a map of Nebraska.

"The GPS satellite system hasn't been working for a while," explained Erica, "but the maps are still stored in memory; they just can't be updated. Should still be fine for our purposes. There are two airfields I have in mind that are 200 and 210 miles from the T-Bone, respectively, and we have fuel for almost 370 miles. Omaha is almost 400 miles away, so there's no way around refueling." She indicated the airfields on the map, in central Nebraska near Kearney, but not too near. The closer one was several miles south of I-80, on the other side of a lake. "This is the one I'm aiming for first. If it's been overrun, we'll try for the second. We can try to raise them on the radio when we get closer, and we'll keep an eye out for alternatives."

10:16 AM
In the helicopter-
"The flight to Omaha should take about three hours," said Erica as she sped east, "but that's not counting the time it takes to refuel. The airfields I have in mind are well away from any urban areas, which will help."

The helicopter approached Sidney, flying past it from the north. Some of the fires had died down, having burned themselves out, though many were still going. Wrecked vehicles littered the streets below, and ghouls were crawling all over them searching for their next meal. More of them streamed out of the ruined city in all directions. Even from high above, the sorry state of Sidney was evident.

A streak of orange shot upwards across the sky to the right of the chopper. "That was a signal flare!" Erica said.

OOC,Everyone may roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.

"Do we need to worry about it?" Stephanie replies back to Erica.

ooc,spot hidden; [dice]0[/dice]

"We can't afford to worry about it." States Brigetta.

Spot hidden,[dice]0[/dice]

10:17 AM
In the helicopter-
Stephanie knew enough about Sidney to identify the building based on its location and height. It was the headquarters of Cabela's, the large company that sold camping, hiking, and hunting gear.

"That's Cabela's," said Erica, also recognizing it. "Their headquarters is in Sidney. Makes sense that somebody would survive there. Plenty of guns and ammo. Brigetta's right, though, there's nothing we can do. We don't have time or much room to spare, and it's too dangerous. Even if we could pick up one person, we couldn't fit any more, and there might be some violent disagreement as to who gets to be aboard, including us. They're probably well armed, and they could take over this chopper by force. There's no way I'm landing there." Erica kept the chopper on its eastward course and quickly left Sidney behind, flying over the eastern edge of the ruined city. More ghouls were heading away in that direction too.

"I'm so glad we're not trying to drive through that," said Bob.

"I think that makes all of us," said Erica. "Say, how about I put some music on? It's going to be a long flight." She took out a CD and put it in the player, and soon the strains of "Don't Fear the Reaper" filled the cabin.

10:18 AM
In the helicopter-
Erica flew eastward over farmland. There were just as many of the undead heading east out of Sidney as there were going west. A short distance ahead, a few deserted-looking streets and buildings became visible on their left. "We're coming up on Sunol," she said. "It's a small town on Route 30 about six miles east of where we started." She frowned. "Looks pretty well trashed, too. Not as bad as Sidney, but it's a lot smaller."

Brigetta got to work on her laptop during the flight. It would be a long enough flight that she expected to be able to finish by the time they reached Omaha when factoring in the time spent refueling. There was a power outlet in the cockpit into which Bob plugged the power cord when she passed it to him. That would keep her laptop fully charged and not drain its battery.

Brigetta worked hard, focused on her laptop. She ordered all her findings and summerised them scientifically and in layman's terms. This was in case she herself didn't make it; maybe someone else could carry on her work. She also disabled the laptop security so it was easy to access. She then started writing out the method for the cure.

10:19 AM
In the helicopter-
The chopper zoomed by Sunol in an instant, and then it was gone. The town was nothing more than a blip on the map.

Brigetta looks up from the laptop. "You know, the zombies are the result of a biological attack from aliens. I have here a rudimentary decoder for their language; I'm hoping to send a message back into Earth's orbit to halt the attack." She looks at their faces, "sounds preposterous doesn't it?"

10:20 AM
In the helicopter-
Erica kept flying eastward, following Route 30. "It does," she said, "but if you'd told me yesterday everything that was going to happen this morning, I'd have said that was preposterous too."

"Well, if I don't make it for some reason, it will be up to you three to spread the word about the aliens; tell everyone you meet. At least then everyone will know the truth and maybe, one day, find a way to fight back." Brigetta looks solemn as she looks down at the world below; now forever changed.

10:21 AM
In the helicopter-
"You're going to make it," said Erica, filled with determination as the chopper flew onward. It passed over Lodgepole, for which the river that flowed past it was named. It was a little larger than Sunol, but in no better shape. If anything, it was worse.

"Do not let yourself down like this, it will get better once we reach CDC" Stephnie talks to Dr. Hausman.

10:22 AM
In the helicopter-
"That's the spirit, honey!" said Erica as the chopper soared past Lodgepole. "We're all going to make it."

"We sure will." Bob kept his eyes peeled and looked forward to be of use.

"We have to." Brigetta replies, flatly. But she is glad of their support; she couldn't do this without them.

10:23 AM
In the helicopter-
"Goodbye, Cheyenne County, hello Deuel County," said Erica. "We've crossed the county line. We'll be coming up on Chappell in a few minutes. There's an airfield south of there, Billy G. Ray field. I'm not counting on it being okay, but it can't hurt to check." She got on the radio and tried to contact them, but there was no response.

"We should only stop for fuel if it looks safe and quick to pump. I suppose an airfield will have a dedicated pump so faster than filling from drums?" Brigetta asks the two experts.

10:24 AM
In the helicopter-
"Yeah, it would," said Erica, banking the helicopter around to the right to follow the road to the southeast. "We also don't need that much more fuel. We'll be over Chappell in two or three minutes. I'll try to raise them on the radio now." She opened a channel, but there was no response. "Well, that's not a good sign."

"No; it means we must expect the worst." Brigetta starts to look out the window to check the general situation below.

10:25 AM
In the helicopter-
The chopper flew on toward Chappell. There was still no response on the radio.

OOC,Everyone may roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.

10:26 AM
In the helicopter-
Everyone but Brigetta saw the airfield just south of Chappell across the highway as the helicopter approached the town. A swarm of people coming from Chappell were slowly walking across the grounds. Erica shuddered. "Yeah, we won't be landing there," she said.

OOC,[b]Bob[/b]'s Spot Hidden roll (70% skill) in the helicopter: [dice]0[/dice] [b]Erica[/b]'s Spot Hidden roll (68% skill) in the helicopter: [dice]1[/dice]

"Are there any military airfields on the way?" Brigetta asks. "A helicopter with rockets would have been useful." She smiles.

10:27 AM
In the helicopter-
"There are a few small airstrips," said Erica as Chappell faded into the distance, "but nothing big until we get to the eastern part of the state. That would be Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, but we don't have the fuel to reach it yet."

"I suppose you've already tried to raise the military on the radio? Our mission is crucial; the military ought to help." Replies Brigetta.

10:28 AM
In the helicopter-
"I tried earlier," said Erica, "but they have their hands full just staying alive."

"Get back on the radio, open broadcast or whatever you call it. Say 'Aliens are attacking the planet and we must send a message asking them to hold off the attack."

ooc,Does Brigette understand the link between the aliens and the zombies?

"I am not sure how that would help our safe passage to CDC." Stephanie reacts to Dr. Hausmann.

"It won't. But the more people that know the better. If I don't make it my work cannot go down with me." Brigetta says vehemently.

10:29 AM
In the helicopter-
"People will think I'm crazy if I say that," said Erica. "I'm not sure they'd be wrong, either."

Dr. Brigetta Hausmann,You may make a Persuade roll to try to convince her. The base skill is 15%. You've hypothesized that the aliens are the ones who have caused the dead to rise up and attack the living, and that the underground creatures which are native to Earth called in the aliens somehow. You believe that by deciphering the alien language and transmitting a signal into space as if it were the underground creatures communicating with them, you can convince the aliens that their mission is accomplished and get them to leave. That won't do anything about the dead that have already risen, but it should keep new corpses from becoming zombies.

Persuade,25[dice]0[/dice]

Brigetta shakes her head,
"And this isn't a crazy day already? I reckon they'll think you are perfectly sane and will be glad to hear that someone has a way out of this mess.
If there's anyone down there connected to Nationsl Security then they may well know what I'm talking about already; there are creatures down under the earth's crust who are intelligent enough to transmit a message to the aliens.

It's a joint attack. If we can send a message to the aliens that the attack has been successful, it might just buy us enough time to regroup and counter attack. Really, what have we got to lose?"

10:30 AM
In the helicopter-
"Well, when you put it that way, all right," said Erica. "It's not that I don't believe you; I do. I just have my doubts anyone out there will, but it's worth a shot. Who cares if they think I'm crazy?" She broadcast Dr. Hausmann's message on all frequencies, but there was no response.

"Is it possible to broadcast this message by your passengers, Erica?, I can speak into radio with a certain interval till we reach our destination" Stephanie coins the idea among peers.

10:31 AM
In the helicopter-
"Sure, darling," said Erica. "That's a great idea! Just switch places with Bob and sit up here by me so you can reach it. I'm sure you're a lot more convincing than I am."

Bob shrugged. "If you don't need me as co-pilot for a while, I'll switch seats," he said. He climbed into the back, which had an empty seat in the middle for him, to allow Stephanie to get up front. The empty seat reminded everyone that Sean hadn't made it.

Stephanie gets familiar with radio before starting to broadcast Dr. Huasmann's message while taking a break in between.

Dr Haussmann sits quietly, working on decoding the alien language whilst also quietly mourning poor Sean; she was determined his death would not be in vain.

10:32 AM
In the helicopter-
Bob slid over to Stephanie's old seat in the back, while Erica showed Stephanie how to use the radio. She picked it up quickly and broadcast the message.

OOC,[b]Stephanie[/b], please roll Persuade.

10:33 AM
In the helicopter-
Stephanie broadcast the message. While she heard no replies, she was sure that anyone listening would take it seriously. What anyone else could do about it was unknown, however.

"Any towers nearby Erica, which could have picked up our message" Stephanie ask Erica about the radio communication.

10:34 AM
In the helicopter-
"Well, I don't think anyone was staffing the one at Chappell any more," said Erica. "There's Julesburg, Colorado's airport, some distance to the south. They may still be operating, Julesburg's fairly small and isolated. The next nearest ones are a long way east of here. There's a tiny, isolated field a ways northwest of Ogallala, and there's Searle Airport just west of the city."

"...and are we supposed to be heading south...?" Stephanie tries to confirm direction with Erica.

Brigetta is thinking hard about viable alternatives should the Omaha lab be overrun much like the airfield.

10:35 AM
In the helicopter-
"No, we're heading east to Omaha," said Erica. "South is out of our way, and we don't have the fuel to spare to go check it out. There's no response on the radio. If it hasn't been overrun, maybe whoever was there bugged out, but we can't know which."

Brigetta knew that CDC headquarters in Atlanta was an option, but there was always the chance that it too would be overrun. It was also much, much farther away and therefore harder to reach, plus it would take more precious time.

Brigetta sighs and sits back, her thoughts drifting back to Sean; the way he last looked at her and then her last sight of him as he lay in the scrub fighting off the infected.

10:36 AM
In the helicopter-
"Let's try to contact Olson Field," said Erica. "It's the nearer of the two airfields I have in mind about halfway to Omaha, about ten miles southwest of Kearney. I think we're close enough to raise them now. You want to give it a try, Stephanie?" Erica gave her the frequency to use.

10:37 AM
In the helicopter-
"That's okay, better if I contact them," said Erica. "Olson Field, this is NSP Seven-Eight-Romeo to tower. Do you copy? Over."

"Roger that," replied a woman's voice. "This is the tower. I read you. Over."

"We're about an hour away and need some fuel when we get there. Are you capable of refueling us? Over."

"Hold on and let me check. Over."

OOC,Everyone may roll Psychology. The base skill is 5%.

Brigetta

5%,[dice]0[/dice]

10:38 AM
In the helicopter-
The woman's voice came back on after a minute. "Yes, we have sufficient fuel reserves," she said. "We can spare some for you. You're welcome to land here."

"How secure is the field?" asked Erica.

"We're holding our own. There's a contingent of National Guard here keeping us safe."

OOC,[b]Bob[/b]'s Psychology roll (5% base skill) about the woman: [dice]0[/dice] [b]Erica[/b]'s Psychology roll (5% base skill) about the woman: [dice]1[/dice] This concludes Chapter 1. Zombie Apocalypse will continue in Chapter 2: The Quick and the Undead.

The story continues in Chapter 2, in the following thread:

Wild Blue Yonder