Play@YSDC

Posted: **Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:56 am**

The helicopter engine hums. Above, black storm clouds roil with flickers of lightning lighting up the sky. There is a dim light, patches of sky that allow some light through. The helicopter idles on the hospital rooftop, the searchlights lighting up the gloomy rooftop and the ash particles that float about, obscuring vision at a distance of about fifty yards. The co-pilot watches the surroundings tensely. Things had gotten real quietly after the nurse and the suited man had come and taken away the other cop to come and get them a payload of children.

When the pilots had first brought the helicopter to the hospital, their spotlights had illuminated a boy in one of the windows, shortly before the wall collapsed - though the child had not fallen. It's been about three or four minutes since the other officer left but it feels longer.

Posted: **Sat Sep 15, 2007 5:12 am**

Cael looks to his co-pilot and says, "Hey Stephen, why don't you see if you can get Officer Jacobs on the radio again. I'm sure it was just interference that blocked the signal before. It's been an awfully long time to be out of radio contact, we have to know what's going on. He better not make me get out there with Rachel (his rifle's name) and blast holes into anything." Cael tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace, it was this damn ash that was making things so much worse than it needed to be.

As Stephen tried to radio Officer Jacobs, Cael leaned on the dash looking out into the sky, hoping for a brief let up with all this ash. However his thoughts drifted to what the nurse had said, Things? What in the hell could she have possible meant by that? Either he was hearing things or he should really pay better attention to what was being said. With the radio going off in one ear, the engines roaring and people shouting it was any wonder he could hear anything at all.

Posted: **Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:43 am**

Stephen attempts to make the call but all he gets is an odd crackling sound. It isn't surprising. The radio has been acting up for awhile. One of the few places they'd managed to contact with any reliability was the local police station. Everything else ... quiet. The military base they flew around - taking great care not to fly over it, the fuel pumps they got more juice from, everywhere else.

Posted: **Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:37 am**

Cael sighed and shook his head, he didn't want to take off but he didn't like sitting here either. He took off his helmet and ran a hand through his short auburn hair trying to decide whether or not to get out and scout ahead for the others. "Stephen, hold the fort down, I'm going to go for a look." At that he moved to a panel and unlocked it and drew out his rifle.

"Now if I'm not back in ten minutes... come and rescue me! I'm not kidding! You come and save my ass!" Cael stated, a look of seriousness on his face. At that he jumped out of the chopper and moved towards the stairwell and turned on the flashlight mounted on the weapon.

Posted: **Thu Sep 20, 2007 6:36 am**

"Wait, what are you nuts?" Stephen shouts. "One by one they all go down into that place? Look, if he's not back in a few minutes we go and get a LOT of cops to come help us. I ain't sitting in this shit heap alone."

If Cael continues on, Stephen merely cusses at him.

Posted: **Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:06 pm**

Cael stops and considers Stephen's logic for a moment. As copilot he could easily fly back on his own if he needed to and the people down inside the building might need the extra hand, plus firepower. "Stephen, radio for back up now, don't wait. If you can't get through then take off. Just make sure you come back! We'll need an evac for sure, I don't expect to walk out whatever's left of the frontdoors. One of the reasons I'm going is I have better training than Officer Jacobs, if something is down there they stand a better chance with me there, I have to help them."

At that Cael heads off into the hospital.

Posted: **Thu Sep 20, 2007 3:09 pm**

Andrew comes face to face with a blood-spattered eight-year-old girl who holds the roof top door open.

Posted: **Thu Sep 20, 2007 3:34 pm**

Cael stops dead in his tracks and stares at the girl for a moment. Then he shakes his head, grabs the girls wrist and runs back to the chopper and puts her in. Once she's secure he heads back.

Posted: **Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:13 pm**

Dahlia furrows her brow at Cael. "Well helloooooo to you too!" she says, wrenching her wrist away. " But nobody drags me anywhere without my permission." She stops dead in her tracks on the roof before he's tried to move her, and peers out into the darkness of the roof.

"Who the heck are you?" She asks him.

Posted: **Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:35 pm**

When the girl wrests her wrist back Cael doesn't try to grab her again. Instead he says, "I'm Cael O'Reily, I'm one of the pilots of that helicopter, I'm a policeman. Let me get you on that bird and my copilot can take you to the police station while I'm down there looking for the others... You did see another police man with a lady dressed like a nurse and another man didn't you?"

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:03 am**

"Huh???" It takes Dahlia a moment to register what Cael is talking about. After all she's seen today, she's feeling a bit hazy.

"Um....I don't think I know what you're talking about. I've been on the 1st floor....um......we could really use your help down there cuz all the kids that are down there.....they um....." Dahlia trails off blankly. How could she possibly describe what happened to her, without sounding slightly loony?

"They're.....all wet? And um.....they....well you probably wouldn't believe me....." Dahlia stands there fidgeting, looking nervously at the helicopter, and then back to Cael. "C'mon." she grabs his hand to lead him into the staircase.

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:46 am**

Cael was about to object, if he could at least get this little girl to safety he'd at least saved one child but it was the way she spoke that made him hesitate and realized he needed to follow her. "Take hold of my elbow and stand behind me, just direct me where to go." Cael instructed waiting to make sure she was protected, "By the way what's your name kid?" Cael asks.

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:27 am**

"Dahlia, my name's Dahlia." she answers him. "So you're a police officer? Like....um.....a good guy?" She asks him this warily, looking him up and down, then as quick as she says it, dismisses her own question and takes his elbow. She goes ahead of him, however, ignoring his order to walk behind."There's been weird stuff going on, Cael. Like, reaaaaaaallly weird!" she says, and starts down the stairs. "First there was this metal thingy that ripped kids apart..." Dahlia shudders as she scampers down the stairs, "it had huge big metal arms and there's lots of blood and guts in the children's ward right now." She stops midstep on the stairs and turns around. "It's not pretty, by the way. Have you got a weak stomach?"

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:44 am**

"Well Dahlia I'm glad you found me and yes, I am a good guy. If I wasn't my mum would whomp the wholly hell outta me. She's Irish and has the stereotypical temper of Irish women. So don't worry kid, as long as I'm around I'll look after ya. To answer if I have a weak stomach, no on that, me mum's Irish." Cael smiled broadly and concluded, "and she's a stereotypical Irish cook."

Cael frowned a bit as Dahlia led the way but he figured he could push her behind him fast enough if he need to. "So how did you get to be here? Were you sick or visiting someone who was?"

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:31 am**

"Mmm....I had my gall bladder out two days ago, " Dahlia replies, "And by the way...I love your accent!" She smiles, amidst her blood spattered face, and flashes a coy look, then continues down the stairs. " Well anyways, I'm glad to hear you're not going to woof your cookies, cuz it's pretty gross down here. After that wiry thing ripped apart some of the kids, we were trying to pull out the other kids and get them out to safety. But then.....well it's just that......they got kinda wet. Like for no reason. And I don't think it's safe down there, but....um...."

Dahlia trails off thoughtfully. "Say, how many bullets you got in that gun?" she changes the subject very matter of factly, pausing again on the stairs down. "Like, is it one of them fancy things that you don't have to put more bullets into all the time? Not that I KNOW for sure that you'd hafta use it...but um......well you might want to be ready anyways." Dahlia stands with her hand on her hip, very know-it-all like. Inside, she shakes with adrenaline. It's just like those movies I watched at Samantha's sleepover....'cept now I'm in it!

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:08 pm**

Cael squats down so he's eye to eye with Dahlia the look on his face is very concerned. He wasn't sure what wiry thing she was talking about or what she meant by, "they got kinda wet." What he did know was that this kid was covered in blood, someone else's for that matter and he still hadn't heard back from his officer and that nurse that showed up. "Hey listen Flower..." Cael's mother used to call his sister that, that was before her young and untimely demise. "What's the chance I could get ya to wait in the bird? Sounds like you've been through Hell already. All I need to know is what floor the kids are on."

He knew that she wouldn't take the offer but he had to try. No kid this young should ever have this much courage and strength. He smiled to himself and thought, 'When this one grows up, she's going to be one tough S.O.B.' Then a little voice in the back of his head piped in, 'Assuming she does grow up.'

Cael aimed his weapon down the stairs and squeezed the trigger slightly to activate the flashlight, looking ahead of them the way seemed clear. "Unfortunately this is just a standard HK UFC, great weapon against the normal baddies out there but I'm not so sure how it'll fair up against wiry things. My pistol is a HK MK23 but again, not sure how well it'll fair. Anyway, let's get going, we have quite a mission before us, terminate all hostiles and rescue the good guys, sounds like a good time." Cael finished with a smile, at that he stood up and started to head down the stairs.

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:26 pm**

Andrew wrote:Cael squats down so he's eye to eye with Dahlia the look on his face is very concerned. He wasn't sure what wiry thing she was talking about or what she meant by, "they got kinda wet." What he did know was that this kid was covered in blood, someone else's for that matter and he still hadn't heard back from his officer and that nurse that showed up. "Hey listen Flower..." Cael's mother used to call his sister that, that was before her young and untimely demise. "What's the chance I could get ya to wait in the bird? Sounds like you've been through Hell already. All I need to know is what floor the kids are on."

Dahlia shakes her head. "Nope. I don't think I even WANT to go in the helicopter. I mean, maybe.....but um....d'you know Joel? HE said that it'll crash to the ground cuz of all the ash in the sky. Are you sure it's gonna be safe??"

andrew wrote: He knew that she wouldn't take the offer but he had to try. No kid this young should ever have this much courage and strength. He smiled to himself and thought, 'When this one grows up, she's going to be one tough S.O.B.' Then a little voice in the back of his head piped in, 'Assuming she does grow up.'

Cael aimed his weapon down the stairs and squeezed the trigger slightly to activate the flashlight, looking ahead of them the way seemed clear. "Unfortunately this is just a standard HK UFC, great weapon against the normal baddies out there but I'm not so sure how it'll fair up against wiry things. My pistol is a HK MK23 but again, not sure how well it'll fair. Anyway, let's get going, we have quite a mission before us, terminate all hostiles and rescue the good guys, sounds like a good time." Cael finished with a smile, at that he stood up and started to head down the stairs.

Dahlia pipes up, "Um.....I forgot to say that the wiry thing is gone. Now it's OUTSIDE....so um.....that's another thing about the helicopter that I'm scared about. Anyways the only weird thing in the children's ward right now is that the kids are dressed like olden times and they're all wet. OH....but then there was this crazy nurse too...."Dahlia laughs nervously....."and....um....." Dahlia trails off, then wrinkles up her nose. "Is this making any sense to you? Maybe you should just come see yourself." This time she goes behind Cael, following him down the staircase.

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:57 pm**

"No, I don't know Joel but I do know he's wrong. I mean I flew here in the helicopter and I didn't crash, right? Sure it makes it harder to see but it isn't any worse than a hard rain or thick fog and with my instrument panel telling almost everything I need to know, I honestly barely even have to look out the window." Cael said with a reassuring smile. "Besides, one of the best damn copilots in the world in sitting in there. You know he was in the Army as a pilot, used to fly into war zones with people shooting at him. You'd be safer with him than you would be with me. You've gone through a lot today, I just want to make sure you'll be alright."

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:07 pm**

Dahlia wrinkles her nose again, trying hard to remember Joel's words, "Well he said that the ash could get inside the helicopter. And that then it would crash. But I don't remember why. Like inside the engine I think? But the big wiry monster went out the window, and it's probably still out there. It could grab hold of the helicopter really easy, y'know. Like one smack from it's arm and Jill's legs were in pieces....it was really gross what it did to the kids too. But I hope it's not still out there, cuz if I could get away from the hospital....well I just might. 'Cept my mum won't know where to find me then....." Dahlia gets quiet then and walks down the stairs in silence.

"Do you think there's people still alive outside there? Like if you were in your house....d'you think you could survive?"

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:31 pm**

Cael winced as Dahlia mentioned the girl getting her legs ripped off. It was bad enough for adults to die in such a fashion but for children it was inexcusable. "The chopper will be fine, I promise. When we get back it'll still be there, she's a tough old bird." Cael looked around as they descended the stairs and wished he was in a different place. He wasn't a coward by any means and he was a pretty good 'above and beyond' kind of guy. However he wasn't so sure he was ready to see a bunch of dead children and he could feel the dread settling into his bones. 'No matter what, Flower has to survive.' He thought to himself.

"I don't know if I could survive if I was at home. It would depend on a few things, who was around me, what items were available, who was I being attacked by and so forth. However I'm sure there's a lot of people still alive." Cael said trying to sound reassuring.

OOC: I need a quick debriefing on what's happened. I'm not sure if Cael knows about anything other than the strange Ash or if reports of monsters have been widely reported. So far I'm playing him as if he knows nothing and this hospital thing is some sort of freak disaster. In his mind he thinks the girl is telling the truth from her point of view but the wiry thing was a snapped cable that lashed out or something of the like.

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:46 pm**

[O.C. Let's wait for Laraqua to post. At some point we may hear someone banging on the door from the inside. We've gone down quite a few flights by now...let's just wait for her.]

Posted: **Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:02 pm**

OOC: LOL, I was thinking the same thing actually!

Posted: **Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:13 am**

OOC: Roll for Listen. Success means you DO indeed hear a banging on the inside of the door. The door won't open properly, though, so even if you do hear and decide to act, it'll require a roll on the resistance table - your Strength as the active stat, the door's resistance as the passive stat (the rusty door has a Resistance of 11 - thus pushing against it is like pushing against a Strength 11 person). So yeah, Andrew, you'll need to create a new sheet.

Posted: **Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:43 am**

[O.C. Listen 40%...rolled 38]

Dahlia pauses for a second, then puts her hand out to Cael's arm. She grabs hold of his arm, "SHHH!!!!" They stand in the dark for a moment, and Dahlia listens carefully. "Did you hear something?" she asks? "I could swear I heard someone banging..."

The dim light of Cael's flashlight is enough for her to see the door in front of them. "We must be already here....I betcha....maybe it's Jason!" She tries the knob of the door. "It won't budge!"

She bangs herself against the door, but can't get enough strength behind it. "Maybe you wanna try?" she asks Cael.

Posted: **Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:02 am**

OCC: I'm at a stand still right now. I don't know anything about CoC, I don't have any books and I have no idea how to make a character. Plus even if I had a character infront of me, I have no idea what I'm supposed to roll or how. Sorry if this gets delayed, I've basically said the same thing to Laraqua as well.

Posted: **Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:47 pm**

OOC: I have a listen skill I can roll but I don't see a dice roller on the site. How do you go about rolling? Do we just roll regular dice and use the honor system? If so my Listen is 45% and I rolled a 29.

Then how do you go about rolling a strength check for the door?

Posted: **Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:13 pm**

OOC: Ok, Rolled on Invisible Castle. Listen check (1d100=3) Str check (1d100=73) Not sure if this is done right. I have a Str of 14 so on a D100 I have to roll under an 11? If so I failed miserably.

"I hear something as well." Cael simply said and then added, "Hold on Flower, let me get that." At that he took two steps back and shouldered the door.

Posted: **Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:17 am**

The door shudders beneath the blow but remains in place. Andrew and Dahlia can no longer hear anyone shouting on the other side.

Posted: **Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:45 pm**

"Damn door is really stuck, wish I had a portable ram." Cael said as he rubbed his shoulder. "Well we could try again but all seems quiet now which I'm guessing is a bad thing. Why don't we go down another flight and check the door there?"

Posted: **Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:34 pm**

"Ok" Dahlia replies, and turns to continue down the staircase. "I don't think we would've wanted to be there anyways, cuz of those weird kids there. Did you wanna pull some of the kids up to the roof? Is that why you came down?"

As they descend the stairs the temperature seems to get colder. Dahlia pulls her warm coat around her and shivers. "It gets colder the lower you go." she says simply, and looks at Cael's clothes. "We had to look for lots of warm sweaters and stuff inside. Are you warm enough too?"

Posted: **Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:52 pm**

Looking up the stairs at Dahlia for a brief moment, Cael nods his head, "Yes, well originally I just came to find out what was taking the police officer so long. Before I met you a woman and a man came up to us and told us that they had kids they needed to get aboard the chopper. That was about 5 minutes before I met you. With the radio all schitzy I had to come down and see what was going on. I was hoping for a simple evac but I guess not."

Cael was about to continue when he felt the cold as well suddenly, his adrenaline had been pumping and he hadn't noticed it until it was mentioned. "I really can't wear much more than I am, to much bulky clothing will make my skills harder to use. Besides, the cold will help me to stay focused at the task at hand. Just make sure you stay as warm as you can." He paused and turned to her and said, "Wait. What weird kids?"

Posted: **Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:23 pm**

Dahlia stops in disbelief, "You know, they're all wet....and they're dressed like olden times?" She looks at him blankly, wondering if he'd heard everything she'd said before. "They're weird, you know, like we have to figure out who's who now between them because some of them are all wet and they walk really close to you. I left when they started that. I don't know if they were the ones that got caught by that wiry thing or if all the kids are like that now. I know I'm not! So I hope that we can still save some of them."

Dahlia chokes a bit at the thought of her friends in the children's ward being in danger. She hadn't spent long there, after having her surgery, but the boredom of laying in bed resting was aided by the friends she made laying in the beds next to her. "Listen to me, Cael. Some of the adults here think that taking kids away from the rest and making them into sacrifices will make all the ash and the monsters go away. I've been telling the others we have to keep the kids together. But now I'm not so sure that's the best thing, you know? I had a book that told us all about the hospital and what was going on inside it. The doctor's wrote it before it all happened. The book got destroyed when the kids went all wet and weird. Like the book was right there in front of me and next thing I knew it was soaked. So I need some help because a nurse ran off with Charlie, he's only 5 years old and now he's all by himself, and that's a really bad thing in this place. The kids have to stay together to be protected, but we have to be careful cuz some of them are like.....weird. We have to figure out which ones are good and which ones are weird. Do you get it?"

Posted: **Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:30 pm**

Cael's mind reeled at the possibilities of what there weird wet kids could be, Dahlia was right though, they needed to sort this mess out and fast, before things got any more south of cheese than they already were. "Alright Flower, what floor were the kids on that you were with? We'll start there."

Posted: **Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:58 am**

Cael's walkie-talkie buzzes. "Hey, Cael? Anyone? You still up there? We could use a little help down here," says Constable Radcliffe.

Posted: **Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:26 pm**

OOC: (1d100=35) For the portable ram check against the door.

Cael smiled as his radio squawked at him, "I hear ya Radcliffe, the roof door is jammed up here but I have a CO19 kit up here in the bird. I'll bust this door down and get moving, what's your position?" Cael shoulder his weapon and ran into the chopper and told Stephen what was going on and asked him to radio headquarters as to the situation here.

Grabbing the ram he ran to the door and slammed the ram into it. Once the door opened he wedged the ram in place to hold it open.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:04 am**

The door pops open, revealing the darkness of the stairwell.

"The third floor," says Radcliffe into the walkie-talkie. "Can we meet you on the stairs? And I hope that banging sound was you..."

Another voice murmurs in the background of the walkie-talkie.

Radcliffe, again: "Yeah, yeah, let's move it..."

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:12 am**

"Yeah that was me unsticking the door and yes, the stairs would be just fine. I am also bring down an 8 yr old girl named Dahlia, codename.." He looks at Dahlia and smiles, "Flower. See you in a few constable"

Cael slings the strap around his neck and shoulder and holds the weapon in an offensive position, "Alright Flower, you ready then?"

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:15 am**

Footsteps sound on the landing below.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 4:34 am**

Cael trains his weapon below him and gentley pushes Dahlia against the wall, in a loud whisper he calls out, "Radcliffe?"

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 4:37 am**

"Yeah, we're coming up," says Constable Radcliffe. "We're..." A sudden cry, cut off with a grotesque gurgle.

"Run!" shouts a woman's voice and a set of footsteps comes charging up the flights of steps below.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 4:50 am**

Cael's eyes shot up in alarm, "Flower! Stay put!" He shouted as he ran down the stairs, his weapon leading the way.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 4:55 am**

Sarah runs for all she's worth, adrenalin coursing through her body. She runs faster than she has ever run before, just on the edge of panic. As she bounds up the stairs, Cael comes into view ahead. "Get back upstairs!" she calls, her chest heaving. "It got Radcliffe...too late for him...we need to get out of here!"

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:00 am**

"Run past me, I'll cover you and grab the kid." Cael shouts, trying to remain calm although he could feel his own adrenaline pumping. He moves as close to the side of the railing as possible and fires a three round burst toward the next floor. (Assuming Sarah is out of the way.)

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:05 am**

Sarah sprints past Cael and up the stairs with lightning speed before he even raises his rifle. "Careful!" she warns him. "Aidan's coming behind me! Don't shoot him!" She sees Dahlia up ahead. "Quick! Back to the chopper!" She ignores the ache in her muscles and runs for her life.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:20 am**

Cael radios his copilot, "Starter up! We need to get out of here... fast! Stephen, do you copy?" At that Cael starts moving backwards up the steps, ready to bolt at a moments notice.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:27 am**

Dahlia stands amongst them, flabbergasted, and stammers out, "Huh?? What...what's going on...um..."
She looks entirely disoriented and slowly follows the group. She checks over her shoulder for whatever might be headed up the stairs. Then she hurries to catch up, and heads towards the chopper.

Tears stream down her cheeks as she meets up with the group, and she stands next to Cael, shaking.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:28 am**

Sarah keeps running up the stairs, her legs and lungs burning with the effort. "Thank God you're okay, Dahlia!" she says between short, sharp breaths. "We've got to go!" She's operating on pure instinct. There will be time to think and cry later - if she makes it out alive.

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:34 am**

Stephen starts the rotors going and gives a crisp: "Whatever," into his walkie-talkie which, for Stephen, was a clear affirmative.

OOC: Now let's wait for TheKingInYellow. If he followed Nurse Sarah, he'd be about ready to come around that corner...

Posted: **Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:08 pm**

"Don't whatever me! This shit is about to get real heavy! I want that chopper a few inches off the ground, ready for people to jump in and take off!" Cael shouted, anger and anxiety rising.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:16 am**

OOC: My apologies about my infrequent posting. I think I should have the time to post more frequently from now.

Aidan follows behind Sarah, lagging by fault of his own weak constitution. His head held down and a thick sweat trailing down his forehead and neck, he falls to his knees to hack out a throaty cough, dropping the golden spike to his side.

With some effort he gets to his feet and grabs his weapon, only having a moment to lament having left his briefcase behind. He staggers to the others. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... ... Let's go."

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:24 am**

"Yeah, yeah," says Stephen with a chuckle over the radio. "Whatever."

Cael stands on the Fifth Floor landing. Footsteps come from behind him. All who are on the landing are brutally exposed as the staircase sits in the middle of each floor. A noise comes from behind the stairwell, footsteps, someone approaching.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:25 am**

Dahlia looks at Aidan worriedly and takes a small step back from him.

"Are....are you s.sure.....you...you're ok??" She stammers, and looks wide eyed at him for a moment. "How come you keep carrying that?" she asks, pointing at the golden spike.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:25 am**

Aidan nods, panting heavily. "I'll be fine."

He holds up the spike, looking at it almost nervously. "I... One of them is afraid of it... I don't know why, but she was terrified... I'm hoping that the rest also fear it."

Hearing the footsteps, he tightens the hold on his little charm.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:50 pm**

"Look guys, we can chit chat later once we're safe in the chopper but we have to get to the roof first. Get running and I will do my best to cover you!" Cael moves past everyone so that Dahlia, Sarah and Aidan are all behind him and he's looking down into the stairs, his flashlight showing him probably little.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:55 pm**

[O.C. Ok now I really am confused...Laraqua posted we're already on the roof. There is a staircase leading down, but we're not in it....we were running away from it. So we're currently standing on the roof, close to the chopper....unless I'm mistaken again??? ]

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:26 pm**

OOC: I thought we ended up going down the staircase and right now were standing in the stairwell.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:17 pm**

OOC: I thought we were in the stairwell on the fifth floor, going up to the roof.

Posted: **Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:32 pm**

[OOC: I think the rest of us are on the stairwell leading from the fifth floor to the roof. Cael was deliberately bringing up the rear, so he was still on the fifth floor. In Andrew's last post, it looks like he moved down those stairs past the rest of us so that he is covering our retreat, guarding the stairs.]

Sarah's mind finally catches up with her legs, and at last she realizes that she could have been running not just away from danger but straight into it too. She redoubles her efforts to run up the final stairway leading to the roof and out to the chopper, panting heavily and bathed in sweat. She leads the way up, remaining alert to her surroundings and gripping her weapons intently.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:44 am**

[Okay, now, I assumed that once Dahlia and Cael got the door open, they moved into the stairwell to meet up with the constable. They didn't get very far at all. Now, unlike most stairwells that are enclosed, this stairwell is enclosed only by railings. It is in the center of each floor, after all. Other than about six or seven steps that pass from the fifth floor ceiling to the rooftop door landing, the rest of the steps are most certainly in each floor. Thus, those on the stairs can get a good view of the surrounding floor and the surrounding floor can get a good look at you.]

Sarah reaches the rooftop and can see the bright lights of the helicopter as the rotors increase their pace.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:50 am**

Sarah stops to catch her breath, waving to the pilot and then turning to look back down the stairs. "Keep going, Dahlia and Aidan! You're almost here! I'll cover you from up top!"

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:09 am**

OOC: Thank you Laraqua, that's what I pretty much thought.

Cael in full combat mode just starts yelling "Move!" over and over as he walks backwards up the stairs. As soon as the last person is behind him he turns and runs as well. He didn't plan on dying today, at least not yet.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:23 am**

Once Cael starts up the stairs and Sarah is certain that the others will make it safely to the top, she turns and runs for the helicopter. As she does, she puts her gun back in her pocket and her knife in her handbag. She stops when she gets to the helicopter so she can help Dahlia aboard before she climbs inside herself.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:10 am**

Aidan follows behind, gasping hard for air. Grasping his side, he pushes through the roof door and and staggers towards the helicopter, flopping himself through the door.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:19 am**

"Yo," says Stephen appreciatively as he sees Sarah, his face hidden largely behind his helmet. He tsks as Aidan falls into the helicopter.

As Cael moves back up he sees a teenaged girl start coming around the stairwell, clutching at her throat with one hand - stemming the flow of foaming blood - while reaching for him with the other.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:55 am**

Dahlia scrambles into the helicopter, and wipes tears from her cheeks. She hadn't really wanted to be the first to try the helicopter after what Joel said, but it sure beat being out there with all the strange crazy people tonight.

"What was down there, Sarah? Like how come you were all running? Was there something chasing you?" She sits in the back of the helicopter, clutching her jacket around her and smearing her tears down her blood streaked cheeks. Some tiny part of her was still brave in this moment, and yet the most of her just wanted to break down and cry.

Posted: **Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:43 pm**

"Yeah, something was chasing us," says Sarah, sitting down beside Dahlia. "I didn't even see what it was, just a shadow. There was no warning. Poor Constable Radcliffe...it just sliced him open and dragged him down through the gap in the stairs...he never had a chance...I was standing right next to him...it could have been me..." She longs to break down and cry too, but she knows she can't. I have to stay strong, she thinks, for Dahlia's sake. How's she supposed to keep it together if she sees me lose it? She struggles to hold her tears back, but a few escape. She hugs Dahlia to comfort her. "I'm okay, though, Dahlia. We're all going to be okay now. We're going to get out of this awful place. Where did all the others go? When we got back to the Children's Ward, everyone was gone! Do you know what happened to the other children, and Nurse Hammond and Jill?" She notices the blood on Dahlia's face. "Are you all right, sweetie? Were you hurt?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:27 am**

Laraqua wrote:As Cael moves back up he sees a teenaged girl start coming around the stairwell, clutching at her throat with one hand - stemming the flow of foaming blood - while reaching for him with the other.

Cael looks at the teenager and for a split second goes to grab her but realizes quickly that she'd just die in his arms. Instead of letting her die slowly, Cael puts a round in her head and runs for the chopper. As soon as he slides in he yells for Stephen to take off and moves toward his own seat. Once situated he takes the controls. "Is everyone accounted for and buckled into their seats?" He asks.

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:35 am**

Sarah buckles Dahlia in and then straps herself in. "All of us are here," she says. "Dahlia and I are strapped in. Aidan, are you all right? You buckled up? Say, chaps, is it okay if I call my dad back on my mobile phone? I'd like to let him know I got out of the hospital so he knows I'm safe and he doesn't try to get there to rescue me, and to fill him on what's happened. I know on airplanes they don't want you to use them, and they say it could interfere with the electronics or something. If it's a problem I'll just wait until we get to our destination."

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:02 am**

Cael smiled and said, "Didn't you see that episode of Mythbusters? A cellphone won't cause any of the instruments to fail, I think airlines just don't want you to use your own phone because then you wouldn't have to pay to use theirs. Please, by all means, call your pop and let him know your safe. The only problem you'll run into is the sound of the rotors possibly drowning out his voice."

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:08 am**

"Thanks!" says Sarah, smiling herself. She takes her cell phone out of her handbag, turns it on, and calls her father's cell phone.

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 3:48 am**

Stephen lifts the helicopter off the roof.

Sarah's phone call gets through.

Stephen chuckles. "Got a message while you were out, Cael. Seems like there's a military outpost within fuel range that are willing to take in refugees."

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:26 am**

mr.handy wrote: She hugs Dahlia to comfort her. "I'm okay, though, Dahlia. We're all going to be okay now. We're going to get out of this awful place. Where did all the others go? When we got back to the Children's Ward, everyone was gone! Do you know what happened to the other children, and Nurse Hammond and Jill?" She notices the blood on Dahlia's face. "Are you all right, sweetie? Were you hurt?"

Tears stream down Dahlia's cheeks unchecked now as the helicopter lifts off, and she cries silently. After a few sobs and hiccups she answers Sarah, "I'm fine. I wasn't hurt....but that wiry thing splattered blood all over me and then I went back in to help and I got more on me....and I just.....I just......I wanna go hooooooome!" She dissolves into audible sobs then, looking out the windows of the helicopter and watching the hospital grow smaller and smaller. A wave of relief flooded over here, and also a desperate uncertainty of her family's survival.

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:32 am**

"It's okay, Dahlia," says Sarah while she waits for her father to pick up. "Just let it all out." She allows her own tears to flow freely. She reaches into her bundle of medical supplies, takes out a couple of moistened wipes, and cleans the blood off of Dahlia's face.

"Hello?" comes Lionel's voice on the other end of the phone. "Sarah, is that you? Are you all right?"

"I'm better than all right, Daddy!" gushes Sarah. "A helicopter came and landed on the roof and evacuated some of us! There's also a brave little girl named Dahlia and a child welfare worker named Aidan. The pilot just said we're going to a nearby military outpost. Maybe once they drop us off they can come back for you and the others at the cinemaplex."

Lionel sighs with relief. "That's wonderful news, angel! I'm so glad you got out of there. We're about to head for the superstore now. I'll ask the man who works there if there's a way to access the roof and if a helicopter could land on it. There are 49 of us here, not counting Mark. He appears to have buggered off. Technically fifty, as there's a pregnant woman who's near to term. I'll have to stay with her in case she goes into labor."

"Mark..." says Sarah, twinging from the memory. "That was the ambulance driver's name..."

"This is a different fellow, but that reminds me. I think I know what those mushroom things were, but I don't think you'll like it."

"Probably not, but you'd best tell me anyway. We'll need to know."

"I believe they're some form of eggs that contain the parasites' offspring. That must be how the creatures reproduce."

Sarah goes pale and quivers in her seat. "Oh, God. No wonder it felt like...you know." If those things had gotten inside me... she thinks, trying to shake the mental image of hideous creatures growing inside her belly and bursting their way out. "It's a good thing I was wearing protection."

"Quite. We're getting ready to leave in a few minutes. Anything else new at your end?"

"Gosh, where do I start? Well, after I got off the phone with you earlier, I went with Leroy and Joel to the kitchen. I got a bigger knife there, but we didn't have a chance to gather any food or water. Karlene came after us with a knife. It must have been one of those parasite-infested people who got her and dragged her out of the ambulance earlier, only she didn't have a mask on. We retreated into the kitchen and locked the door, then left by another door and managed to get upstairs." She continues recounting her terrifying ordeal.

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:32 am**

Cael nods in acknowledgement of Stephen's statement and asks him for the coordinates to the outpost. Once the coordinates are received he sets course. It's not difficult for Stephen or anyone to realize that Cael is being quiet and has a blank stare to him. Shooting that girl shook him up a bit.

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:32 pm**

Dahlia can't help but overhear Sarah's conversation, and the thought of whatever eggs she was talking about getting stuck inside of someone.....

She can't contain it any longer. Quickly she pulls the small travel sickness from the back of the seat in front of her, opens it, and starts to wretch.

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:37 pm**

Aidan looks out the baydoor windows, taking in the destruction, seeing his home in ruin. How in God's name could this have happened? It doesn't make sense. He can't help but wonder how many of his friends and family are alive. He can only hope as many of them survived as possible, though death and life seem to be about as good as the other right now.

Dahlia's wretching breaks his concentration and returns him to wretched real world. "Hey," he starts, "You all right?"

Before the question even finishes leaving his lips he realizes that it's a foolish question to ask, but it's out there.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 12:54 am**

[OOC: Only Lionel mentioned the eggs, not Sarah. I wouldn't think Dahlia could hear his half of the conversation, and he didn't even mention that they could get inside someone (that was in Sarah's thoughts, not her speech), but I'll go with it.]

Sarah squeezes Dahlia's hand. "Hang in there, kiddo," she says. Then she speaks into the phone again. "Anyway, Joel's mum had survived in the gift shop, and the two of them texted back and forth on my phone. Also, the people who got the contaminated water in their mouths all turned into some weird kind of zombies. They go around collecting materials and building things, and they can't be reasoned with. There was a nurse on the ground floor like that, and Carson was one of them too. When we got back up to the dispencery, he was still constructing some kind of barrier.

"Then we heard a gunshot coming from the second floor, so we went up there. That's when we met Aidan, a volunteer named Jill, and a bunch of the kids in the Children's Ward. Some doctor had sedated the children earlier, and a huge monster made of wires had snatched up several of them and broken out through the wall. The shot we had heard was Jill firing after it had left. She gave me the gun, which she had found somewhere, and told me about the helicopter on the roof. She had been cut by the wires, but I managed to treat her wounded legs.

"I went back down to the dispencery with Leroy and Joel and gathered the kids' meds. When we went to check on Carson, we met a man in a black hooded robe with a shotgun who called himself Tanar. He told us about the zombies and said not to let them bite you, or you'll become one. Then suddenly Carson said 'need more' and 'incomplete' and tried to attack me! Tanar blew him to bits point blank and saved me, but Carson was still moving and there was no blood whatsoever. Tanar sent the rest of us back upstairs, but Joel got angry because he's in denial about the monsters and stormed off downstairs, and Leroy went after him. That's the last I saw of them. I think he went to try to find his mum. I hope they're all right.

"When I got back with the meds, I met Nurse Hammond there. She told me who Tanar really is, but I promised not to tell anyone. I called the lift to get to the roof, but someone...or something, had ripped out all the buttons inside. Then I heard the chopper start to take off, so I raced upstairs. Aidan followed me, but I had to run ahead. I knew it was risky, but nobody else could have done it. I was the fastest runner, and Leroy had given me the access key to the roof. I made it up there just as they were about to leave."

"I'm so proud of you, Sarah," says Lionel.

"Thanks, Daddy. Constable Radcliffe from the chopper came with us back down to the Children's Ward, but the place was deserted. We went up to the third floor to look for the others, and I saw a woman I thought was Jill go through the Training Room and lock a door behind her. I called out to her, but when I heard her cackle I knew she wasn't Jill. I heard a little girl screaming on one of the lower floors, and we were going to head down to look for her. Radcliffe called Cael, the co-pilot, on the radio, and he started down from the roof. Then something I couldn't see slaughtered the constable and dragged him away downstairs. Aidan and I ran up to the roof fast as we could. Cael covered our retreat. Dahlia had made it to the roof and was with him. I heard footsteps behind us, so I know we were being pursued. All four of us got in the bird and we escaped from that awful place. I don't ever want to go back." Best of all, I got away from my stalker, she thinks. Whether it was really Lyle, or just some other sicko who knew all the details, I'm free of him.

Sarah takes a deep breath after all her talking and stifles a yawn. "I should probably let you go now. I love you so much, Daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart. I'll call you back when we're safely in the superstore. Call me when you get to the outpost, or any time at all if you want to talk."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later. Bye!" Sarah disconnects her phone, then puts it away. She leans back in her seat and tries to relax. It has been an exhausting day to say the least. She had worked most of an 8 hour shift to start with, then had witnessed the end of the world as she knew it. Next an inhuman thing had molested her and bloody nearly impregnated her with those parasitic mushrooms, and her nightmare had just been beginning. She had been running around terrified, getting attacked by more monsters seemingly at every turn, and barely escaping death - or worse - a number of times. She could scarcely believe she had survived so far. It's like someone's watching out for me, she thinks, protecting me. Like a guardian angel or something. Maybe it's my mum! If Lyle can come back from the dead, why can't she?

Sarah's eyes slide shut as the throb of the rotors washes over her. I'd better rest now while I have the chance. Who knows when I'll have another? I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time caring for wounded soldiers.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 1:56 am**

The helicopter ride seems slow and sombre. The city streets pass beneath them in a grey and ashen blur. Eventually, they close in on their co-ordinates inside one of the less built up areas of the city. The ash is much thinner here and you can easily see the leafless branches of the many trees and bushes that dot the landscape. Beyond these trees is a high, stone wall, topped with barbed wire and beyond that is an ocean of lawn. A large grey building, about two-storeys high, and quite probably was someone's mansion before it was an outpost, is visible beyond. There's a helipad painted onto a flat section of the roof.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:33 am**

Cael sets the chopper to hover and starts to flip through the radio channels looking for the outpost. Once he finds them he asks for permission to land.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:36 am**

He gets a rather terse reply allowing him to land. Several armed soldiers come out onto the helipad to await their arrival.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:51 am**

Cael nods his head, thanks the person and heads down for a landing.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:54 am**

Sarah rolls over on her side. Faint sunlight touches her eyelids and they open. She finds herself lying in her own bed, safe and sound, though drenched in a cold sweat. "It was just a nightmare!" she says to herself. "Oh, thank God!" She climbs out of bed and rushes to the window, basking in the light of the newly risen sun. "Boy, do I need a shower."

Sarah walks into her bathroom, her bare feet padding on the tile floor. She shuts the door and turns on the water in her shower, making sure it is nice and hot. She looks at herself in the bathroom mirror while she waits for the water to heat up. She can still see the fear on her face, and her hair is a mess, but she looks none the worse for the wear. She slips off her nightgown and her underwear, then hangs them from a hook on the bathroom door, then tests the water with her hand. Good, just the way I like it, she thinks.

Sarah steps into the shower and closes the glass door. The hot water cascades over her body, and steam begins to build up on the glass. She leans back, letting the water soothe her aching muscles and plaster her hair to her head and shoulders. Sighing, she shuts her eyes and loses herself in the moment.

"Sarah..." whispers a voice. Her eyes fly open, and she looks around with fright. That sounded like...Lyle, she thinks. She shakes her head. No, it couldn't be! I must be imagining things. That horrid dream...

"I missed you, Sarah..." says the voice again, a little louder. Sarah backs into the rear wall of the shower, her eyes bulging in terror. She crosses her arms over her chest and starts to hyperventilate. The glass door is covered with steam, and she can't see through it. For a few seconds she stands there, stock still. Then she finally works up the courage to open the door and peek outside.

The bathroom is empty. Sarah steps out of the shower, grabs a towel, and wraps it around herself, shivering despite the warmth. She glances at the steam-coated mirror, and is shocked to see that someone has written on it by wiping the steam away with a finger. The message says: "SARAH YOU BELONG TO ME FOREVER" in large letters.

Sarah yelps, stepping back. Then she shrieks in alarm when she glimpses the reflection of Lyle standing behind her in the mirror. She spins on her heel, ready to defend herself - but nobody is there.

"I've got to get out of here!" she says, pulling open the bathroom door. No sooner has it opened a few inches than an invisible force wrenches it from her hands and slams it shut. No matter how much she pulls on the knob, it will not budge. Terrified, she backs away until she steps into the shower again, steamy water falling all around her. Blood is pounding in her ears, and her heart is beating a mile a minute. Then the shower door slams shut, sealing her inside. She wrestles with it, but it's just as unmovable as the bathroom door had been.

Sarah turns around and grasps the faucets to shut off the water, but they won't move either. When she turns back to the door, Lyle is standing between it and her. She screams, again and again.

"Hello again, Sarah," says Lyle.

"No, it can't be!" cries Sarah. She flattens herself against the back wall of the shower. "You're dead!"

"That is not dead which can eternal lie." Lyle presses up against Sarah, pinning her to the wall. She struggles, but he's too strong for her. He moves his face right up to hers and opens his mouth. She screeches when she sees that it is full of horrid, fleshy mushrooms. He clamps his mouth around hers, and her muscles freeze up. He thrusts against her repeatedly, slamming her into the wall, and she can feel one of the mushrooms enter her mouth and slide down her throat...

Sarah awakens with a start at the sound of Cael's voice. She is once again seated in the helicopter. She takes several deep breaths, slowly recovering from her nightmare as the chopper sets down.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 1:50 pm**

As the chopper touches down Cael relaxes and lets out a deep sigh, he unbuckles from his safety restraints and removes the helmet. He reaches into a pocket and draws out a cigarette and lights it, leaning back in his seat heavily he inhales and seems to melt a little more. "Ah shit, that was an experience."Turning around in his seat he looks at his passengers, Dahlia especially, "You ok Flower, thought I heard someone getting sick back there." Then looking to Sarah and Aidan he says, "What about you two? Any of the blood on you yours?"

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:58 pm**

Dahlia smiles weakly at Cael, then notices him light his cigarette.

"I'm ok I think. I just...." she pauses, looking at him take a drag of his cigarette, then continues, "You shouldn't really smoke, Cael. Dontcha know it's bad for you?"

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:31 pm**

Cael looks at the cigarette, "You're right you know. I think it's about time I quit anyway." He said and then crushed it out. "Flower... do you know where your family is at? I'm sure they're worried about you something fierce."

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:27 pm**

Aidan gives himself a quick once over. All things considered, he is in fact alive and well. His legs ache and chest ache from fatigue, but save for a few incidental scratches he's okay.

"I'm, actually, good." He says, sounding quite surprised by it himself. "So then, where are we, exactly?" He asks, unbuckling.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:42 pm**

"We are at a refugee outpost my copilot Stephen here found on the radio. Glad he did to because only place I knew to go was the police station and it's crammed." Cael stated. Looking out his window he sees the armed escort moving in on their position. "Soldiers are running up to us, everyone remain calm, I'm sure this has become standard procedure." Cael stated as he loosened his Glock in it's holster.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:59 pm**

"I ... See..."

Aidan folds his hands into his lap and tries to be calm, but the situation makes him feel like he's gone from one peril to another.

Posted: **Fri Oct 05, 2007 11:20 pm**

"I'm okay too...now," says Sarah, gradually coming to her senses. She's had nightmares about Lyle before. They had greatly decreased in frequency after his death, but her recent experiences had brought it all back to the forefront of her mind. She is relieved that Cael has extinguished his cigarette, but then she sees his hand move to his holster and her worry returns.

Sarah recalls having seen 28 Days Later, when survivors had reached what they had thought was a safe haven run by the military in eerily similar circumstances. To their horror, they discovered that it was in fact a trap, and the soldiers abducted the women. A tingle of fear returns, as she knows all too well that sometimes the worst monsters are the human ones. They'd better not try anything with me! she thinks. Oh, who am I kidding? These guys have the numbers and the firepower. If they want to have their way with me, there isn't anything I - or any of us - can do to stop them. She rests her hands on her lap, appearing calm but fully alert and ready to reach for her weapons should the worst happen. I'm probably just being paranoid again. These are British soldiers, and the collapse of civilization isn't that far along. They wouldn't do anything like that...I hope...

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:07 am**

Andrew wrote:Cael looks at the cigarette, "You're right you know. I think it's about time I quit anyway." He said and then crushed it out. "Flower... do you know where your family is at? I'm sure they're worried about you something fierce."

"I don't know where my family is, but I think if they have a phone I could try phoning them. I wonder if they're ok too," she says, as she looks out the window.

Dahlia turns to look back at Cael, and beams as he puts out the cigarette. "You know what Cael? I think," she says, stressing the two syllables as though her opinion were of utmost importance at this point, "that you're gonna be MY hero!" She smiles widely at him again, practicing her eyelash batting that she'd practiced dozens of times before in the bathroom mirror, and grins at him happily.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:13 am**

"Mine too," says Sarah, grinning. She looks over to Dahlia. "You can borrow my mobile to try to call your family if you like. Do you know the number?"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:33 am**

"You may just very well be mine, too." Aidan remarks, though it's clear his attention is directed on the armed men.

Seeing the others calling their loved ones, he can't help but feel like he should call his father. But right now he doesn't know if he could handle any more bad news than's already on his plate.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:15 am**

A Captain comes leisurely strolling passed the other armed and ready soldiers. He grins at the contents of the helicopter before turning and giving the pilot an awkward salute that he somehow found quite funny. He didn't have the demeanor of a Captain. He had the demeanor of a private or a sergeant, knee deep in the war and having had it with rituals and regulations. In fact, the nine soldiers who had crowded the helipad didn't have perfectly clean and arranged uniforms.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:22 am**

Sarah watches the captain and the soldiers nervously, waiting for the pilots to speak first. Is this lot for real? she wonders, her earlier fears bubbling to the surface. After what's happened, anyone could put on a uniform. Still, they do seem to carry themselves like soldiers, and I wouldn't expect their uniforms to be clean. I know I must look a sight.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:28 am**

Dahlia's watched enough movies to know that these soldiers were very strange.

"Umm.......does anyone know these guys already? Cause they don't look much like real soldiers."

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:52 am**

Cael tips his head to his three passengers and says, "Not at all a problem, I'm just thrilled that we got you guys out." He smiled and added, "I never been anyone's hero before." He then get's out of his seat and says, "Wait here, I'm going out to talk to this guy. Stephen be ready to take off if anything strange should happen."

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:08 am**

The Captain leans back on his heels, hands clasped behind his back, as Cael gets out of the helicopter. "Don't worry, I'm a real soldier. I was only a Sergeant till an hour ago when the Captain and all other higher ups got taken by the things in the cages. We got the other higher-ups locked up in a few rooms in the base. It's been a long night." He peers up into the ashen sky and then gives Sarah a knowing look. "By the law of 28 Days Later and many others movies, any evil things I plan to do will be foiled by these pilots, so I should probably shoot all of the men dead."

"But then I really can't be bothered doing all those evil sorts of things." He frowns. "Policemen, eh? We could use a few inspectors around these parts." He then motions towards the mansion. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the most bizarre castle in hell."

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:17 am**

Sarah can't help but laugh awkwardly. "It's like you're reading my mind," she says. "I'm sorry, I...have trust issues. I'm Sarah Carpenter, a nurse from Mercy Cross Hospital, and I'm very very very lucky to still be alive. I daresay I could be useful as well. Things in cages, you say? I haven't run into any of those, but I've seen a lot of things you lot need to know about. There are also a lot of other survivors out there that need rescuing. How many more people can this place support, and do you have any fuel for the helicopter?"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:28 am**

[img]http://aussie_news_views.typepad.com/aussie_news_views/images/2007/04/28/29_4_07_well_grab_harry_and_make_br.jpg[/img]

OOC: Best I could do for a piccie, sorry if it's wrong.

"The mansion's population got reduced considerably when the military's playthings got loose ... though don't worry, I really doubt they had anything to do with what's happened here." He smiles. "At least, this base didn't. To be honest, I think we could probably survive a couple months with what we have here if it's just us lot - though the meat and fruit will need to be eaten first. With additional food and medical supplies, we could probably last much longer with more people. There are sixty bedrooms here, in all." His grin broadens. "Good to see a regular nurse, too, that way we don't need to deal with medical workers here. Don't suppose that kid over there is a doctor?" He smiles at Brianna.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:37 am**

[O.C. Piccie works for me

, and I think you mean Dahlia]

Dahlia giggles shyly and follows the group.

It's really weird that he knew what we were talking about in the chopper.....I'm not sure I really trust this guy......

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:40 am**

"Dahlia's a little young for that," says Sarah, "but she's brilliant. Give her time, and who knows? I don't think it'll be a problem finding enough people to eat all that fruit and meat. There are about fifty survivors across the street from the hospital. And if you're looking for a doctor, there's one there: my father, Dr. Lionel Carpenter. There are other survivors in the hospital too, but it would be extremely dangerous to return there. We lost a constable to something horrible. I didn't even see anything but its shadow, and it got him before anyone could react." She pauses. "What exactly happened here? Why are the higher-ups locked away, and what's the problem with the medical workers?"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:44 am**

[img]http://aussie_news_views.typepad.com/aussie_news_views/images/2007/04/28/29_4_07_well_grab_harry_and_make_br.jpg[/img]

"She looks tough enough," says the Captain, holding out his hands to help Dahlia off the helicopter. "I'm Captain Daniel Blackworth." He looked down at his medals sheepishly. "Well, Sergeant Daniel Blackworth. Whatever. I'm commanding officer here and these good lads are my troops. The others, well, to hell with them really... They can wait. Your friends by the Cinemaplex can't. I guess we should go fetch them. A proper doctor is a hard asset to lose, let alone a bunch of civilians who are doubtlessly bristling with all sorts of obscure knowledges we need. Like a cook. A decent cook can go a long way with morale." His grin broadens. "Can't half tell I'm a Sergeant, can't you?"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:54 am**

Dahlia looks at Daniel for a moment in silence, then narrows her eyes. She puts a hand on her hip and looks at him curiously.

"Hey! How do you know so much stuff about what WE know? We didn't tell you much yet.....but you already know things....."
Dahlia backs away from Daniel slowly, then looks at Cael and Sarah timidly. She begins to shake her head, frightened.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:00 am**

Sarah holds onto Dahlia tightly and makes sure she stays in the helicopter. Her eyes narrow. I never mentioned the Cinemaplex... she thinks. And he knew I was thinking about 28 Days Later, too. Then her gaze meets Daniel Blackworth's, and she knows that somehow he knows what she's thinking this instant, so there is no point in remaining silent. "Cael, get back in fast!" she shouts. "I never said anything about the Cinemaplex!"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:01 am**

"Yes... You did." The Sergeant just smirks a little, his eyes twinkling. "How many mobile phone calls do you really think have been made in the past few hours?"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:04 am**

Dahlia looks at Daniel incredulously, then back to Sarah, like a frightened deer caught between two predators.

"That's called eavesdropping ya know," she says matter of factly to Daniel, "and it's pretty RUDE to do it!"

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:06 am**

He raises his hands apologetically. "We needed to see if anyone was alive out there. We thought about phoning Sarah but ... judging by how many freak phone calls happen we weren't sure if the message would be successful. We've had much better luck with radios."

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:14 am**

"I never mentioned 28 Days Later, either," says Sarah, "but I thought it. You didn't get that from my phone conversations. You have been reading my mind! I insist that you stop it this instant! There are private things in there, things I don't want someone I just met to know..." Tears form in her eyes. He knows all about Lyle! she thinks.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:21 am**

Blackworth arches an eyebrow. "Look, lady, I don't have time for this. You want help in rescuing your dad or what? 'Cause if all ya wanna do is go for another joy ride in your little bird then fine. I've got more to do with my day then send a few of my men to a place they might not come back from."

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:29 am**

Sarah begins to cry. "Please," she says, "you know exactly what I've been through. Go easy on me, 'kay? You know full well I want my dad safe and sound, but I'm going to need some assurance that I can trust you." She looks to Cael for guidance.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:45 am**

Dahlia shakes her head, looking up at Sarah, and she slips her little hand into Sarah's in an effort to be reassuring.

A lump begins to grow in her throat however, and it feels like it's rising and growing until she fears she'll explode. Before she knows it, tears stream down her cheeks. "How can we trust you, after all we've seen? How can you ask that of us?!" she says loudly, almost accusatively. "We've seen very weird things tonight....and then you show up and know more about us than....." She squeezes Sarah's hand tightly all of a sudden, shaking her head defiantly. "No, no I just......no I don't like this at all."

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:05 pm**

Sarah hugs Dahlia, keeping her brimming eyes on Daniel Blackworth. My most private thoughts, she thinks, laid bare and exposed. He knows all about me, but he's told us bugger all about himself and the situation here. We could be walking into anything. If only he'd at least be honest, admit he can read my mind, and tell me how he's doing it.

Posted: **Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:11 pm**

Aidan steps out of the helicopter, his hand still holding his spike like he expects he'll need it.

"Yes, eavesdropping... That actually makes good sense." His voice is cheery and excited, as though completely ignoring the tension going on between the the group and Blackworth. He extends a hand to the new man, making proper introductions. "Aidan O'Connell, Child Protective Services. So then, you know what's going on in the city?"

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:08 am**

The soldiers seem to now be paying more attention to the surrounding environment than to the helicopter, though a few continue to pay attention.

"Let's go inside. Standing out in the ash can't be healthy," says Blackworth. "And we've all had a long day. Not to mention but I'm pretty sure dinner's on. That's what made me think of 28 Days Later, actually, the fact that the closest thing we have to trustworthy cook ... can't really cook. We have soldiers who can but they're not so shaken up that they can't resume active service. At least we have good ingredients."

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:25 am**

Sarah takes a deep breath and climbs out of the helicopter. I hope I'm not making a mistake, she thinks. I'll take the risk that they do have nefarious designs on me after all for the chance to rescue my father. She looks Blackworth in the eye. But if anyone harms one hair on Dahlia's head - well, you bloody well know what I'm capable of! "Actually, I think the ash is probably the remains of the people who were disintegrated when the storm hit," she says, extending her arms to help Dahlia out of the helicopter. If he can read my mind he'd know that - unless he's just trying to pretend he can't. "I noticed that it's thinner out here, which makes sense because this area seems less populated than the area around the hospital. Probably harmless, but still disgusting. My mask keeps me from having to breathe it in, but you already know there's a much more important reason to wear one. I'll have to check to see if I have some more in the bundle of supplies I salvaged from the ambulance. I didn't have a chance to grab a proper medical kit - I was far too busy trying to keep anything from grabbing me! I'm not sure if my father and the other survivors are still in the Cinemaplex or if they've already gone to the superstore. If not, would it be best for them to stay there and try to get on the roof? I can call him to let him know; I should probably tell him we've arrived safely anyway."

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:39 am**

"I'd assume rooftop landings would be safest simply because its harder for others to reach," Blackworth peers up at the wan light that escapes from the thick, grey clouds. He shoves his hands in his pockets and turns to head back through the door.

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:44 am**

"Yes, I know that," says Sarah. "What I meant was, should I tell them to stay in the Cinemaplex and use that roof rather than the superstore's roof?" She glances back at the others before following Blackworth. "Coming? I don't want to go in there by myself."

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:52 am**

"Depends on the rooftops," says Blackworth before Cael can respond. "Most roofs can't support a helicopter - not just because of a peaked shape or whathaveyou but because the rooftops aren't reinforced. Judging by the roads, finding a safe place to park will be no mean feat. If you want my bet? Tell them to get to the hospital. Either that or find something large enough that a clumsy bird with a big tail can set down in the dark."

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:58 am**

"Easier said than done," says Sarah with a shiver. "Even if they make it there, just surviving the trip to the roof would be iffy. I'll call my father back now and let him know. The people with him might know if one of the roofs over there will support a chopper." She takes out her mobile and gives Lionel a call.

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:28 pm**

"The hospital may not be a bad option, actually." Aidan chimes in. "If we take a few armed men with us, we would be able to gather needed supplies in addition to rescuing the others.

Not to mention that I could grab my briefcase.

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:40 pm**

Sarah looks terrified at the prospect. "You want to go back there?" she asks, color draining from her face. "We barely got out of there in one piece. I don't know if I could ever go back after everything that happened there. I feel terrible about all the people we left behind, but we should probably leave the rescuing to the professionals. I can draw a map of the hospital and fill everyone in on what can be found where, and the last places I saw the others, though."

Posted: **Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:42 pm**

Dahlia looks from one person to the next. No matter what's happening...I just know they're gonna leave me behind....

"Leave the rescuing for the professionals? Isn't that what he is?" she asks, pointing to Blackworth. "I say you should go try to get more people out from the hospital. And maybe you can convince your dad to drive to the hospital and get up on the roof." she adds, looking at Sarah cautiously.

Dahlia looks from one to the other, and then hangs her head. "But you're gonna need lotsa room in the chopper, so where am I gonna go?" she asks, then looks back to Blackworth timidly.

Posted: **Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:05 am**

"You should stick with me, Dahlia," says Sarah, offering her hand. "I'll look after you, and I'm sure Cael and Aidan will come with us too. These soldiers are the professionals, yes. You're right that they'll need as much room in the chopper as possible to fit everyone they're rescuing, so they can't bring a lot of people. I wish it were that easy for my dad to drive to the hospital, but it's so dangerous to even set foot outside. One woman at the cinemaplex didn't even make it ten feet before...My dad warned her not to go out, but she didn't listen. Plus, you'd never fit fifty people in anything smaller than a bus, and I don't think they've got one. It's also hard to see through the ash. As for me going back to the hospital with them..." Sarah shudders. "I'd hope the soldiers have a medic who could take care of anyone who's hurt and who is also trained as a soldier. If they don't..." She swallows. "I guess I'd have to go with them, in spite of the risk."

Posted: **Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:44 am**

Cael listened to the conversation exchange and remained quiet throughout, he had nothing to put in except maybe a boast about his flying skill, he could easily hover a chopper a foot off the top of a roof for a evac rescue, no need to actually land the bird.

Cael looked to the captain and said, "I'm a damn good pilot and even on a rooftop that can't support the weight of my baby, I can do a evac easily, with my eyes closed and half asleep. My bird isn't big enough to carry a lot of people as we know, do you have anything larger, a UH-60 or maybe even an old UH-1Y? If not we might be able to modify my chopper to fit in a few extra people."

Posted: **Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:52 am**

Sarah brightens considerably at Cael's words. "That's a great idea!" she says, looking expectantly at Blackworth and trying to size him up. He knows the innermost secrets of my heart, she thinks, but I can't tell what's in his.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:29 am**

Cael smiled as Sarah brightened at his idea but it wasn't a smile that lasted, "Captain, you realize you look an awful lot like the prince right?" Cael stated still with a smile on his face and then it faded into a more serious expression. "How many men strong is your facility here? What type of equipment do you have available to you and if the shit hits the fan could you expect backup in a reasonable amount of time? What kind of defenses do you have in place that can protect the innocent and enfeeble when the shit goes down? I've heard about your wonderful stash of ingredients but when it gets heavy, throwing a tin of raspberry jam at someone might not be the best defense there is. Cael stated not moving from the door of his chopper, one hand on Flower's shoulder. "I'm sorry to get so inquisitive on you but I have to know whether I can trust this facility with the lives of these people, especially Dahlia's."

Then he squatted down so that he was at Dahlia's level and said, "I honestly don't know right now where you'll go when I leave again. A part of me wants to make sure you stay with me, another part wants to make sure you're no where near me since I know I'll be headed into a combat zone, I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt. However we'll cross that bridge when we come to it... okay?"

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:42 am**

"If there's room for me, Cael, I wanna come help." Dahlia says bravely. "I can stay and help the people you rescue into the helicopter maybe..." she says uncertainly. "And trust me....I've seen weird stuff already and I think I'm good at helping. But if you need me out of the way, then I guess there might be something for me to do here too..." she looks at Blackworth again, and feels like the insides of her are melting out and running down. Inside she feels empty, hopelessly worried about what she might find inside this strange place, without anyone familiar to be with her.

"Maybe I should call my mum...." she says, the thought of her family making her feel sick. What if they're dead....what if they can't come get me when I ask them to....what if there's strange things at home too....

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:08 am**

"You can borrow my mobile to call your mum once I finish talking to my dad, Dahlia" says Sarah. "I don't want you to get hurt either. If we do both end up staying here, maybe you could help me look after people who are hurt."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:17 am**

Cael looked a bit surprised as if he just remembered something and reached into a pocket on his flight suit and withdrew his cell phone which he handed to Dahlia, "There ya go, giv'em a call, I bet they're worried sick." Then he looked to Sarah and said, "Good idea, I think she'd be a great helper, to smart not to be."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:25 am**

Sarah nods, her eyes sparkling. "Would you like to learn how to be a nurse, Dahlia?" she asks.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:30 am**

Cael smiled again, he didn't know these people long but he felt a certain connection to them, like soldiers in a battlefield, then he looked to the Captain for answers.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:57 am**

Dahlia beams at Sarah and nods, "Yup, I'd like to be a nurse someday. I don't even get grossed out by blood or anything!" She smiles at her. "Did you know I already know some science stuff?" she says proudly, straightening herself to look as tall and grown up as possible.

"Thank you," she says as she takes the phone from Cael, and starts dialing her family's phone number, listening into the receiver.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:07 am**

"That's wonderful, Dahlia," says Sarah. "I'm certain you're going to be a great helper!"

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:12 am**

While the phone is still ringing, Dahlia adds, "Except that...um.....I'd really rather be a doctor." She wrinkles her nose up as she said it, as though she'd told Sarah she wanted to be a nurse simply to spare her feelings.

Do I sound mean? No....I don't do I? Girls can be whatever they want.....

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:19 am**

"I should have been a doctor," says Sarah, half to herself. "Daddy always said I have the hands of a surgeon. I guess I was always afraid I'd do something wrong and patients would die. I've been thinking lately about going to medical school. Guess it's too late now."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:33 am**

"We've got ourselves a good quality field surgeon hunkered down in a basement somewhere," says the Sergeant ruefully. "Need to get him back." Then he frowns and turns to Cael. "What prince?" His gaze flutters down to Dahlia's and he tilts his head to one side and takes a little step back. "Hey, whatever the little girl wants to do. I get the feeling that we have Newt right here. She'll probably out-live us all and not just because she's younger." Then he turns back to Cael. "If you can hover, then I suppose you can pick them up from the front doors even. Never thought of that. Helicopters were never my style."

"As to the question of defences, some of that lawn out there is mined and the three-foot thick, twelve-feet-tall concrete walls are topped with electricified barbed wire. Inside we got a whole bunch of our own monsters in lock-up along with some of the more inhuman kind. We're encircled and we're rotten at the core but this place has plenty of supplies, including medical supplies - just not enough to hold fifty people indefinitely. Fortunately, there's a lab downstairs - hydroponics - that can provide a little more food. It's a terrible place but it's the only place we got. I challenge you to find better."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:45 am**

"I wouldn't risk the front doors if the survivors can get to the roof," says Sarah. "The area outside the cinemaplex is crawling with those parasites." She looks closely at Blackworth. "I think Cael means you look like Prince Harry. I see the resemblance now." She shivers at the mention of monsters. "You already know about the monsters we ran into at the hospital. Do you have any of those here, and what other kinds are there? Are you sure they can't get out? This field surgeon of yours, is he suffering from post-traumatic stress by any chance? Maybe I can get through to him. I've got a touch of it myself, so I can identify, plus I've had some psych training. First I'd better call my dad back and tell him not to leave for the superstore if he hasn't already." She dials his number on her mobile.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:50 am**

One of the soldiers lets loose a barrage of machinegunfire. The noise is loud enough to make non-combat types flinch.

"Let's go inside," says Sergeant Blackworth. "Lock up the chopper and we'll talk in there. Anything's safer than on the roof." He leans in to mutter to Nurse Sarah, his hot breath a moment of warmth against her cheek. "Prince Harry? Is that a good thing?"

If anyone starts to move off, or talks to Dahlia, they notice a glazed expression in her eye and her face is somewhat slack. OOC: This will wear off the moment Trixie posts, and is a stop-gap measure and a clue for now. So, until Trixie arrives, do with her character as you wish!

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:54 am**

"Well, yeah, I think so," says Sarah, nearly jumping when she hears the gunfire. "He is rather cute. I...uh...I mean..." She blushes and looks away, then notices Dahlia's slack expression. "Come on, sweetie, we'd best get indoors!" She takes Dahlia's hand and follows Blackworth.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:02 am**

Sergeant Blackworth gives a grim smile before heading off toward the door. Something dark and rubbery, a winged insect of mammoth proportions, swoops down to the sound of gunfire and the Sergeant ducks out of the way before unslinging his flamethrower. "Civvies first," he said with a wry smile.

Steven, the helicopter pilot, locks up his bird. "Don't you fire that at my baby!"

"Sure will!" says Sergeant Blackworth, as one of the soldiers lets loose a burst of submachinegun fire. Something inhuman screams above.

"Whatever," says Steven, grinning. He comes up behind Dahlia and Nurse Sarah, a hand on each shoulder, hustling them indoors.

The door leads into a corridor guarded on the inside by a sweating, balding private clutching a rifle. Behind him sits a gaunt man in pale blue slacks and a long-sleeved shirt. He gives them a lazy smile and rises. "There's a lounge room this way. Fridge, too. Don't got beer, though."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:04 am**

Dahlia looks back at Blackworth and her eyes widen. She jumps for a split second, then stares at him silently for a moment, searching his face, and shifts from foot to foot uncomfortably. She looks for all the world like she's lost in her own thoughts. She shivers a bit and a deeply bothered look crosses her face, as though she's just seen the road to hell.

She follows Sarah as she's guided towards the door, but her face is expressionless, as though she weren't really listening or hearing anyone else.

Suddenly she snaps back to reality and looks at the others with a dark look. She begins to step back from the group, her eyes set on Blackworth intently. She bites her lip and clenches her right hand, then relaxes it, then clenches it again, and furrows her brow as though she's confused. The sound of gunfire rings in her ears, and she stares at Cael's firearm hanging off his belt for a long moment. She backs away numbly, deftly putting one foot behind the other in an effort to get away.

I have to get away from here.....

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:14 am**

Sarah gasps when the flying insect swoops down, picking up her pace and hurrying inside. When Dahlia comes to her senses, Sarah looks concerned. "What is it, honey?" she asks. "What's wrong?" She's looking at Blackworth, she thinks, recalling his earlier intrusions into her mind. She concentrates on trying to block him from reading her thoughts, though she has no idea if it's working or even how to do it. Maybe she looked into his mind - and it looks like she didn't like what she saw!

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:18 am**

"What's wrong?" the man snickers as he looks over his shoulder at the two. "I guess she didn't like that there was no beer!" He takes the third door on the right into a small lounge area with two two-seater couches, one three-seater couch, a coffee table, a mini fridge and a microwave.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:19 am**

Dahlia looks at Sarah wide eyed, her unresponsive mouth paused in an 'O' while she stares at her with dark eyes that seem to penetrate Sarah's, showing fear mixed with pain. It makes Sarah's skin crawl. She looks at the man looking over his shoulder as though he's non existant.

"Uh....what?" she asks, still backing away from the group. She looks at Sarah for a moment as though she doesn't even recognize her, then back to Blackworth in sheer terror.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:23 am**

Blackworth disappears out of sight of the door frame. More shots can be heard.

"Git inside!" comes a shout of one irritated Yorkshireman.

"Fine, fine," says Steven, trying to bring Cael and Aidan with him.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:24 am**

Dahlia's terror is contagious. Sarah finds herself breathing quickly, all of her senses screaming at her to flee this place. She kneels down beside Dahlia and whispers: "What is he?" she whispers, glancing back at Blackworth while trying to keep him out of her mind. "Is he even human? Did he try to read your mind too?"

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:33 am**

Dahlia looks at Sarah for a moment, and then blinks. "He's done....some.....really bad things." she says simply, then slips her hand into Sarah's. She shudders deeply all of a sudden, and closes her eyes. "Ooooh....." she moans, thinking of the memory. "It was.....ooohh....." A look of distaste crosses her small features.

Dahlia opens her eyes and blinks again, small tears forming in the corners. "Sarah? Please....please don't leave....me alone with him, k?" She looks at her trustingly, and shivers again. "He's still human, like nothing really gross, but he's been a soldier right? So he's done some really yucky things." And Sarah? Um.........do you have a gun?" she asks her suddenly.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:41 am**

Sarah hugs Dahlia tight. "I promise," she whispers, trembling, "I'll never leave you alone with him. I'll die before I let anyone hurt you." She clenches her teeth. "I've still got my gun, but only four bullets. He knows I've got it too. He knows everything about me. He can read minds. Try to concentrate on keeping him out. Maybe it'll work." Sarah shakes. Oh, God, she thinks, maintaining her mental shield. What if he does want to do something horrible to me?

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:43 am**

Aidan follows behind Blackworth flinching as though he's going to jump out of his skin with every burst of gunfire. It's clear that his nerves are frail.

"So then... What is the plan? You seem to be well fortified in here. Are you expecting a protracted occupation? Have you heard anything from outside of London?" He holds his questioning for a moment, mulling over the possibilities. "What about outside of the city? Are other parts of the country in similar circumstances?"

He isn't sure he wants to hear the answer to the question.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:17 pm**

Cael unholstered his sidearm and began to inspect the weapon, he checked the clip to make sure it was loaded still and put it back. He then switched the safety off and cocked the weapon. Even though Blackworth was out of sight Cael said, "Sargent Blackworth, do you have a larger helicopter here or am I going to modify mine? We have a bunch of people in need of an immediate evacuation and I'd like to get going as soon as possible. I'm sure Sarah would like to see her father soon as she can."

He then turned to Dahlia, "You get ahold of your family Flower?" He asked.

Then it occurred to Cael that there were supplies in his bird that they could probably use. He stood up and whispered to Sarah, "It's not hard to see that you and Flower seem to be nervous, I haven't caught everything you've said but if half of what I heard is half true then that's good enough for me. I have a small med kit and ammo on my chopper, let's get back there and see if we can get out and go rescue your dad. You can reload your gun while in flight." It wasn't hard to see that Cael still held his weapon, that had just been cocked and ready to use.

"Stephen, go back to the bird and radio headquarters, I'm sure dispatch is going nuts wondering where the hell we disappeared to. I'll meet you out there in a few minutes." Cael instructed, only hoping that Stephen felt the vibe and knew what he truly had meant.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:12 pm**

Dahlia looks nervously from Cael to Sarah, and watches Cael with the gun carefully.

"Can I hold it?" she asks him suddenly, and reaches out. Her eyes are fixated on his gun. "I won't pull the trigger, I promise. But I just wanna hold it for a sec, k?"

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:24 pm**

With a bit of alarm Cael whispers, "No, absolutely not, it's very dangerous. Besides... I may need it to protect you."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:57 pm**

Sarah nods slowly, standing and putting her hands in her pockets. She grips her pistol tightly, the butt of the gun reassuring in her hand. "It's dangerous out there," she says softly, "but it may be more dangerous in here if you know what I mean. My gun's a .38, so I don't know if you've got the right caliber or not, but we'll see. I'm really good with a knife, though." Her natural adroitness and her precise knowledge of human anatomy made sure of that. "Is there going to be enough room in the chopper? There's a pregnant lady in the Cinemaplex with my dad who's very near to term, so we'd need to bring her with him, and anyone else who isn't in the best of health. We can't just leave without Aidan, though."

An icy chill runs down Sarah's spine, and her flesh crawls with the thought of what could happen to her here if she stays. I think Blackworth was flirting with me outside, she thinks, making certain to keep her mental barrier in place. He may have a thing for me. That could be good, since that gives me some measure of influence over him, but it could also be very, very dangerous for me. He's in charge of this entire garrison, and with his ability to read thoughts he knows what everyone's going to do before they do it. I'm not sure what he's capable of, but he could be truly nasty if he wants to be. Dahlia said he's done awful things, and it sounds like it's worse than just the ordinary awful things one does in war. Was one of those things rape? Sarah feels her knees go weak. Oh, no...no wonder she was so upset...got to get out of here...

Sarah collects herself, stands up straight, and takes out her gun. "I don't think we should eat or drink anything here just yet," she adds quietly. "They might put something in our food to knock us out." And I could wake up tied to Blackworth's bed! Oh, God...

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:05 pm**

Looking into her sparkling eyes, Cael handed Sarah his combat knife and nodded slightly. "If we get back to police headquarters there's another chopper that can probably help us out rescuing people there, for now, let's just worry about our own skins. As for .38 ammo, it's possible, not used much anymore though but there might even be a spare Glock in there, I'm sure I put a backup in place." Cael said quietly as he made his way towards the door they came in through.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:21 pm**

"Th-thank you," says Sarah softly, wrapping her free hand around the hilt of the combat knife. It is perfectly balanced, and the crossguard means she can use it to block attacks too. The polished metal gleams in the light. She feels less afraid, but only a little. "It's...beautiful. Dahlia, you should go between me and Cael so we can protect you from both sides."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:17 pm**

"Why can't I have my own weapon?" Dahlia asks, her arms crossed sullenly in front of her. "Daddy let me fire his shotgun lots of times you know," she says to Cael, looking at him from under furrowed brow. "Besides, if I'm gonna be any use at all in the helicopter, I might need to protect myself. That way you can go off and find the survivors, and no one needs to babysit me. " She rolls her eyes, and sticks one leg out in a precocious fashion, as though trying to look cool.

"I really think you guys need to start treating me like less of a baby you know....if you needed me to help you guys out, I should have something.....anything to protect myself....and possibly you guys too if you get in trouble. I've seen Jill get in lots of trouble while trying to save people Cael. I may be a kid, but I'm not useless. It's not like I'm gonna blow random heads off or anything."

"And another thing....I don't think we should rule out taking Blackworth with us quite yet. I said he did yucky things right? But we might need him to do more yucky things. There seems to be people walking around that aren't supposed to.....you know....be alive? Like somebody's gotta help kill 'em."

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:29 pm**

Cael listens to Dahlia go on about weapons and needing to defend, he knew better than to try and persuade her otherwise and he knew there wasn't a chance in the Hells that he was giving her a loaded weapon either. He quickly moved over to the drawers by the microwave and started rummaging through them until he found what he was looking for and then moved to Dahlia, "Here Flower, this is the only weapon I'll give you." At that he hands her a plastic disposable spoon.

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:08 pm**

Dahlia stamps her foot angrily and throws the spoon back at Cael furiously.

"I've been the one to help you know! You only just got here....you didn't see what we were fighting in the hospital, or what I did to out trick that big wiry beast.....you didn't see it!" she narrows her eyes at him and clenches her fists tightly.

"Alls I'm saying Cael is that we're gonna have lots of trouble come our way. And I'm little and can get hurt quickly if one of you isn't around."

Dahlia takes a deep breath and tries to calm herself down. That wicked temper again....mum always said it would get me in trouble, and Cael has only been nice to me so far.....but it really doesn't matter anyways....i'll just do what I want when he's not looking.....

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:20 pm**

Cael gave a disapproving look, "That was quite a tantrum there Flower but that spoon is the only weapon I'm giving you. I'm not going to be the one held responsible for giving a kid a loaded gun, no matter how bad the situation is. Ask Aidan if he thinks you should have a weapon of that magnitude, being a child service worker I'm sure he'd agree that guns are best left to adults... but hey, I could be wrong."

OOC: What? She didn't like the spoon? I thought it was hilarious!

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:25 pm**

"She does have a point, Cael," says Sarah. "When I was...um...attacked in the ambulance, I was totally helpless. There was a little boy with us who picked up the pair of scissors I had dropped and tried to help me. He wasn't able to, though, and it was Geoff who saved me, but if he hadn't been there...We don't have enough guns to go around, though. Dahlia, don't you still have that knife from the hospital? If not, I've got an extra one you can use if you promise to be careful with it."

She pauses, then thinks about what Dahlia had said earlier and lowers her voice. "I think Blackworth would need to stay here, since he's in charge, but he'd be sure to send soldiers to help. Are you sure we can trust him after what you said? Who did he do the yucky stuff to? Was it just bad guys, or did he do it to women or children?" Maybe I misjudged him and we can stay here after all. I've got 28 Days Later on the brain...and Lyle. I'm just so scared of being betrayed again...

Posted: **Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:48 pm**

Dahlia fetches her little knife from her pocket, and shows it to Sarah. She looks a little defeated, and miserable, but nevertheless bites her lip at any further 'temper tantrums', as Cael called them. "I just thought there might be an extra gun here....you know....so that I have one too" she whines miserably.

"Anyways, Sarah, I don't think he did anything to women and kids, no. It's really...um....gross...how he killed the three people I saw him kill, but they might've been bad people. I also saw him rescuing somebody, so he can't be all bad." Dahlia's head swims and she closes her eyes for a moment, trying to gain back her equilibrium. "He'd probably come in handy against anything super bad, you know?"

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:00 am**

Sarah sighs deeply in relief. "That's good to hear," she says. "I think it's okay for us to stay here after all, which is good since I can't imagine where else everyone could fit. When you said you were afraid to be alone with him, I thought...all sorts of awful things. I was so terrified of what he might do, but I needn't have worried. He's a soldier, and soldiers sometimes have to do awful things to enemies in war. It is good to have him on our side. I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I'm sorry. I guess this is why people shouldn't read other people's minds."

Sarah hesitates, then lowers her voice. "I...I had to do something yucky like that once too. I had to kill a bad man, a man I used to like. He wasn't always bad, and he wasn't entirely bad, but he...he turned very mean. And then he...he tried to..." Gosh, how can I explain to Dahlia what he did to me? she thinks. "He tried to hurt me in the worst possible way. I fought back, and...and somehow I won. I didn't want to kill him, but I had no choice. I even tried to save his life aftewards, but...it was too late." A few tears drip from the corners of her eyes and roll down her face.

She looks at Blackworth with newfound respect, and lowers her mental defenses. I'm so sorry I feared the worst about you, she thinks at him. I was so wrong. I see now that we have much in common.

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:04 am**

Cael shakes his head, holsters his weapon, takes a seat and props his feet up on the table. He puts his hands behind his head and closes his eyes. "Wake me if anything interesting happens or I'm needed." He said, a slight annoyance in his tone.

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:12 am**

Sarah relaxes too, for the first time in what seems like ages. She puts her gun back in her pocket and sits down at the table. She then returns her new combat knife to its sheath, unzips her coat, and attaches the sheath to her belt so she can reach it if needed. She sighs again, trying to push her morbid thoughts out of the way and think about happier things. We're going to save my father! she thinks. And soon I'm going to get to see him. She takes out her mobile and tries to call him again, hoping she can get through.

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:23 am**

"Dahlia, if you're done with my phone I'll need it back please." Cael said.

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:47 am**

[O.C. Dahlia tried to call home but there was no post from the keeper about it...should I assume she got through?]

"Sarah, you shouldn't trust Blackworth too implicitly. Having him around is one thing, but the way he killed those people? He's capable of putting a lot of pain in people. I still wouldn't want to be on his bad side."

While Cael's eyes are closed, Dahlia approaches him quietly, and puts one finger on his gun. Then satisfied that she'd at least touched it, she sticks her tongue out at him, starts to snicker and begins to dance around.

"I think it's still ringing. Hold on." Dahlia puts the phone to her ear again.

[O.C. Ps Andrew....no I didn't think the spoon was funny!

Dahlia's got far too much of her own mind to put up with being mocked for being 8....

]

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:10 am**

[OOC: Sarah has also been trying to call her father, and I've been waiting for the Keeper to say whether the call got through.]

Sarah nods to Dahlia. "Yeah, you're right," she says. "I often trust the wrong people, and then I overcompensate by not trusting anyone. It's okay to trust someone, but trust needs to be earned. But I no longer think he wants to hurt me that way." Well, he might still want to tie me to his bed, she thinks, but only if I were a willing participant. She gives Blackworth a sidelong glance and a slight smile. And that's not going to happen, so you can just stop thinking about it. I don't need to be a telepath to know what's on your mind!

Posted: **Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:22 pm**

As Cael leaned back he thought of his own childhood. His whole family had been cops, mostly NYPD, he was the first in his family to become a cop in England. He remembered sneaking into his father's room to play with his revolver, he remembered the way it felt in his small hands, the texture of the grip against his palm.

He couldn't fault Dahlia for wanting a gun, not with what was going on but at 8 years old? Could she even hold it properly? They were made for adults. Wouldn't the recoil cause her to miss horribly? Possibly even cause her to drop it and cause further damage to herself or someone around her? Cael knew that a gun was a bad idea for her but he wasn't her father...

He could easily remember the beatings from his father when he was caught playing with a loaded gun. He remembered the baton crashing on his head, the split skull, broken cheek bone and smashed nose and that was just the first time, there were several more injuries. His teachers must of thought he was quite the accident prone kid.

He sighed heavily, and thought about his father's funeral. He was gunned down in the line of duty investigating a murder. Apparently the mafia didn't want him looking into it, shot him down like a dog and dumped his body in the Hudson River. After his father died, his mother struggled to keep things together for almost four years until she broke down and moved her two kids to London where her parents lived. Once they had been enrolled in school and were settled in, she shot herself with the very revolver Cael used to play with as a child. No one was sure how she got it past everyone.

His grandparents after that were very estranged to Cael and his little sister. They were considered half breeds to the well to do people they lived with. The fact that their daughter, who was brought up with the finest education that money could buy, married a dirty Irishman made them want to vomit, the fact that they had two children together made them want to commit murder, however they didn't. By that time Cael was almost seventeen and his sister twelve and for the most part they were ignored. The only thing that their grandfather did and Cael was sure it was more out of cruelty than anything, was retrieve the gun that killed his mother.

Cael felt horrible when he left his grandparents home but knew that he had to in order to save his sister. He worked his fingers to the bone and eventually enlisted in the Army once he turned eighteen. He ended up sending his sister to the cheapest private school there was but she was now free of their grandparents. Every last cent he made he sent to her. When she became old enough she began to work during the summers and ended up paying for tuition herself, vowing one day to repay Cael for all he had gone through and done for her.

It was after his enlistment in the Army ended that Cael went to London's police academy and became a cop. 'What a fucking life.' Cael thought to himself.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:34 am**

Blackworth is well out of sight though there are several photographs of soldiers together - one of which contains him him - so Sarah could give that one the glances. We'll assume the man in light blue who led you here left, as I'm sure you all wouldn't have that conversation with him in the room. As to the phone calls, let's assume Dahlia's on the phone and it's been ringing all that time. At this point, the phone cuts out as its been calling too long. OOC: Who was she calling anyhow? Her parents are dead.

Steven responded to Cael's request by raiding the fridge with a noncommital grunt. OOC: For simplicity's sake, Steven is a part of the party with no real secrets. You may control him whenever you feel the need - he's not very verbal but he'll largely obey. Anyone may post for him whenever they like, including me. He got a bit nervous after some of the talk but ended up far more relaxed, took off his helmet and had a sit down.

Blackworth ushers Aidan inside, a little cross - perhaps because he had lingered out with them. The other soldiers fall in behind them and the door is shut, bolted with an ordinary bolt and has a large makeshift solid steel bolt plank put onto two makeshift brackets for added reinforcement. He leans against the wall beside the door, massaging his temples. Glancing up when the man in blue arrives, he gives a short laugh. "So many questions... No plan. Very protracted occupation. We're practically outside London ... other than that cop shop? Not a whole lot. Country the same? We tried contacting the American army. We, uh, we got through. The woman on the radio's not quite the same. Didn't ask what she heard."

OOC: The others in the little meal room can hear all this and can exit into the corridor to see the soldiers milling about - they can't see Aidan or Blackworth through them - though they can hear them. There are soldiers watching the corridor so you can't sneak off. Those who raise their guns will be shot. Does Nurse Sarah reveal her weapon? The soldiers guns are half-raised if anyone's gun is in their hands, this means that they get to shoot first - your legs are in range.

"No other helicopter, I think someone asked about a helicopter, though we got a real good land vehicle. I know where we can get a better helicopter. That's if it's not full of lean, mean soldiers who aren't comprised of 30% lean, mean women to keep the men in line." He cracks a smile at his lame joke.

One of the three female soldiers out of the group that the party has so ready seen groans. One just looks bored.

Blackworth frowns, still massaging his temples. "The main issue is fuel. I don't think we got helicopter fuel about here. You'll need to fuel up if you wanna make it back to that hospital and return here. In the meantime, we've taken over the officer's bedrooms which is probably something you lot will prefer. You guys can take the bunk beds - four to a room, more if you drag in mattresses onto the floor. They're cramped but if you're feeling paranoid, they'll do. Of course, it does make it easier to lock you all up or pin you all down if you decide to go on a murder spree. Paranoia goes both ways, y'know. We'll need to assign a babysitter for you lot when you wanna go walkabout. Make sure you aren't all nuts or sent by them above. Those who wanna come make some decisions, fall in at the meeting room. Everybody else, go to your usual stations. Those newcomers who wanna go for an explore, talk and walk with me and I'll assign you someone suitable. You want communications? We got 'em. You wanna look at the defences? I know who you go talk to. Medical? Well, we can dig up that surgeon no doubt though the nurses, bless their souls, got eaten. You wanna look at the rotten core? Permission denied. Half will make you go nuts and the other half are in isolation till we work out what to do with them. Let's keep our focus, people."

Blackworth frowns. "Oh yeah, guns. Some of you no doubt got 'em. I wanna see some police I.D. for those who got the guns to make sure you are who you say you are. Everyone else has to surrender their guns and knives to the cops or the soldiers or to their rooms. Your choice. I respect our internal security force, the cops, too much to let paranoia rob them of their arms but nurses, children and others don't get the same priveleges. I don't know who the hell half of you are and after the surprises today, I don't want a jumpy civvie killing one of my respected soldiers. If this means we can't be friends, feel free to leave."

As if to punctuate his statement, something slams into the door.

"Any questions? Any complaints?" Blackworth smiles as though expecting plenty.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:56 am**

[OOC: I think you're mixing Dahlia up with Brianna again. Brianna is the orphan. The fate of Dahlia's parents is still unknown. Also, did Sarah manage to get through to her father on her phone yet? She had put her gun away in one of my earlier posts. The only thing she's holding in her hands is her mobile phone.]

Sarah cringes when Blackworth mentions that the nurses got eaten. "Uh, the nurses here got eaten?" she asks. "Eaten by what?" She's afraid to hear the answer, but not knowing is even scarier. "What happened here, anyway? What did the officers do, what kinds of monsters are there besides the ones we already know about, and what are 'them above'? Dahlia and I can share a room. I'll let Cael carry my weapons when I'm not in my room, but when I'm in there I'd like to hold onto them. One of the knives is his anyway." At least I can hold onto my pepper spray, just in case, she thinks. "I'd like to go to the meeting room first. How about you lot?" She looks at Dahlia, Cael, Aidan, and Stephen, and allows Cael to take her weapons when he's ready. "Will you please stick close to us in case something happens?" she asks Cael. That way if we're attacked by something he can both protect us and hand out our weapons quickly, she thinks.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:08 am**

Blackworth seems surprised by her compliance and it takes a full moment of silence before he speaks again. "Let's go to the meeting room first." He peers over his shoulder at the door. "They can hear us. We'll give it 48 hours - then if we judge you fine you can all get handguns. We'll even teach Dahlia how to shoot."

OOC: Neither Dahlia nor Sarah's phone gets through. Both just ring out.

He heads for the meeting room, accompanied by a female soldier and a male soldier who bring up the rear, their guns pointed at the floors but at the ready. So far, none of the privates have spoken. There is an anxious silence to the air. They pass the elevator and go down the stairs instead, down one floor, then through a series of corridors. Blackworth staggers, falling against the wall, as though his left leg just gave out. He clutches at his forehead and winces. The male private makes a move as though to go to his side (does any PC?) - the perceptive notice in this moment a strong sense of camraderie - but the private changes his mind as his gaze flickers over the large crew of refugees in front of him.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:12 am**

Sarah moves to Blackworth's side, concern on her face, making sure not to make any threatening moves. "What's wrong?" she asks. "How can I help?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:15 am**

"S'allright," mumbles Blackworth, more reeling off the wall than standing. He looks at the others with a glazed and confused look in his eye and his gaze once again meets Dahlia's. Then he turns and starts staggering down the corridor as he unscrews the lid off a bottle of unmarked pills.

OOC: Medicine rolls to diagnose a possibility.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:20 am**

You don't look all right, thinks Sarah, looking Blackworth over closely. And what are those pills you're taking? Hmm. I've seen symptoms like these before, I know it!

"Are you sure you're all right?" asks Sarah. The familiar symptoms were too close to home. Her mother had displayed some of them in the time leading up to her death. She had thought they were migraines, but she had been dreadfully wrong. "You were in such pain. It could be a sign of a stroke. I should examine you." But still, there's something different about them, she thinks. It seems to be affecting his cerebellum. Possible side effect of excessive use of psychic powers? Or maybe... She recalls that he had looked at Dahlia before he had had his seizure. Maybe a side effect of getting a taste of his own medicine. I wish I knew what those pills are. I wish my father were here! "What medications are you on?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:54 am**

Cael already didn't like this guy, he understood where he was coming from but still though the guy an asshole. He moved to a seated position and then stood and threw two forms of ID on the table, his old military ID and his current CO19 ID. He then put his hand out to take Sarah's gun and his knife back.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:57 am**

[OOC: Sarah gave Cael her gun, his combat knife, her butcher knife, and any small knives left in the bundle of medical supplies back in the small room.]

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:16 am**

Once they were in the meeting room and the door was closed, Blackworth seemed able to compose himself. The room is large and rectangular, with wood-panelled walls with a number of portraits hung from them. There is a side cabinet of rich red wood, locked, with a coffee machine on top. At the head of a table is a slide projector, a pulldown canvas for the projector to display across and a whiteboard. A laptop sits to one side, connected to the projector. The table itself can seat twenty five on large, comfortable, wheeled chairs. The table is also a rich red.

Dahlia looks quite out of place on one of the large chairs. A tin of hot chocolate that sits by the coffee machine also seems quite innocuous, particularly as it is home brand. Three more soldiers who are different from that met before and are dressed in different uniforms enter as do six in uniforms that quite clearly are for noncombatants. Only four out of the whole lot are armed. The man and woman soldier, armed to the teeth, stand by the doors. Blackworth takes up a cane that is propped up by the heavy door and walks to the front of the table.

Blackworth examines Cael's ID carefully before limping over to the front of the table and picking up a big, black texta. "First question?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:19 am**

"No complaints." Aidan says in response to Blackworth's rules. His tone is definitely defeated- Perhaps it's all for the best, but this isn't the haven that he had hoped for. He makes a clumsy attempt to tuck th the golden spike in his jacket.

When Blackworth stumbles, Aidan goes to help him up at first, but already he feels paranoid. He decides making sudden movements at the commander doesn't bode well for him. Instead he stays back and let's the soldiers handle it.

What's the next move? Where do we go from here?

Following into the meeting room he feels a wreck. He feels more like a prisoner than a refugee. He takes a seat as far away from anyone as he can manage, and waits to see what happens next.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:23 am**

OOC: Yep she sure did, sorry about that.

"Yeah of course I'll stay close to you guys, I've got no plans but to get out of here and rescue some people." Cael answered Sarah and then stated to the person who answered him about the bigger helicopter, "I'd like to check that out though as soon as possible. Hell Steven could go and inspect it even, he's a good pilot, only reason he's still a co-pilot is because he's legally missing a few certificates for a full license."

Cael drew his knife from out of it's sheath and began to do a few mindless tricks with the blade, spinning it in the palm of his hand, flipping it end over end and such, 'Where do you guys go for a smoke around here?' Cael whispered to one of the soldiers.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:24 am**

Sarah raises her hand. "I have a question," she says. "Actually several, but I'll start with one. You've made several references to events that took place here earlier, but those of us who just arrived don't know what you're talking about. Would you mind filling us in on what exactly took place here?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:27 am**

One fellow starts up the coffee machine and picks up his hot chocolate tin with loving familiarity. He gives Blackworth a wink and then goes to crouch beside Dahlia. Psychology roll reveals a sense of brotherly camraderie. "Oi, missy, ya want a bit of hot chokkie?" he murmurs.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:33 am**

"We'd taken in some coma patients," says Blackworth. "We were investigating the cause of 500,000 such patients. Some weird ash cloud blew in from the south-east. It destroyed most of those outside. Luckily this building is pretty much sealed. We were safe. Unfortunately, at the same time, some of the people got free of their cages. Only they weren't people anymore. At least, that's my assumptions considering that little, if anything, remained of the people who came in here."

"Me and my soldiers were just doing routine guarding. I did wonder why we were dragged here and not sent to Iraq or some other forsaken country. We got out those we could from the cage section and locked it down. Basement level 3 is off limits. Luckily, they've got their own ventilation systems so they can't escape out here. We're toying with the idea of switching off the air supply but so far haven't been able to bring ourselves to do it. As far as we can tell, they killed the people who hurt them and they tried to kill the people who shot at them. Seems fair. I'd have done the same. We're waiting on some signs of sentience. Got a few trusted personnel watching the cameras."

"As for the rest of those involved, the higher-ups tried sending us all out on a few suicide missions. Capture stuff for further study. We refused and the loyalists shot at us. We shot back. We, what's left of we, won. The rest are all in the jail cells on Basement level 2 - not far from their pets. Any more questions?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:37 am**

Aidan watchs the subtle interaction between the soldiers. Brothers in arms, something he's read about but doesn't have much real knowledge of.

Turning to Blackworth and listening to his story, the entire account frightens the hell out of him. "You mean to say that... We're sitting atop of untold amounts of... them?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:40 am**

That chap and Blackworth must be chums, Sarah thinks. Almost like brothers, but they don't really look alike.

Sarah nods. "Thank you," she says. "I have another one. What do we know about what we're up against? I take it everyone here already knows about the monsters we encountered in the hosptial from the mobile intercepts, but if they don't let me know and I'll fill you lot in. What monsters have you come across, and what do you know about them? We briefly saw one of those flying insect things out on the roof. You also mentioned that something...ate the nurses here." Sarah can't help but shake a little. If there's something with a taste for nurses, she thinks, I ought to know about it.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:44 am**

"Only twelve now," says one. "They kinda turned on each other. These twelve appear stable. Mutants of some kind. Ever seen Resident Evil? That T-Virus? Yeah, looks like they were making that thing that says 'STARS!'" She blushes. "Sorry, we gotta look a sight to you guys. We're, uh, veterans, and not really what you'd call, uh, polished. Never been much for drills. Too good at my job." She chuckles. "I'm Sergeant Anna Blaize. I've largely taken over Communications and Security. I'm co-commander here, much as Blackworth likes to pretend I'm not. That other fellow is Sergeant Morrison, that Cockney beggar is in charge of Personnel and Medical. We're the only three sergeants remaining. Blackworth is kinda just in charge of ideas and explanations. He's good at talkin'."

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:57 am**

"Wait? They're building something down there? ..." Aidan clasps his hands together nervously. "They were building things at the hopital, too. The nurses were building a... lattice?" He stops himself, almost feeling silly for bringing it up, but his in his mind he's already thinking about the situation.

Do they all have some sort of compulsion for building?

He recalls a study he read about parasites that affect the behavior of their host. Usually it's parasites that change the behavior of insects so they make themselves more available to predators so the parasite can be introduced into a bigger host. Perhaps, it's something similar?

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:59 am**

Sarah smiles at the female soldier, feeling at ease around her, though she can't really get a good impression of her. "It's nice to meet you, Anna," she says. "I'm Sarah Carpenter, a nurse from Mercy Cross Hospital. I suppose I'll be working for Sergeant Morrison, then. I was the one who made those telephone calls, but I can't seem to get through to my father now. It just kept ringing. Did these...mutants get that way from drinking the water? There were some like that in the hospital. And...other things..." Do they all know about...what happened to me in the ambulance? she wonders.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:07 am**

"No, not building, not building words that say STARS, it's a, well, it's what this really big mutant in Res Evil used to say," Sergeant Blaize says, trailing off. "They're not really doing anything. They seem to be, well, waiting. No idea how they turned up like that. All the records are in there with them. Can't access their databases from up here. That level's all sealed off. Only thing we got control of is the air supply." She shrugs. "I'm sure Sergeant Morrison would just love to have a nurse on board. Rather than one whacked out surgeon." She frowns. "Hey, would you prefer if we put the whole soldier act on? We got used to being at ease in the week since it all happened. But if it makes y'all uncomfortable..."

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:13 am**

Aidan feels silly for jumping to conclusions, though the apparent truth doesn't seem to make more sense.

"So then where do we go from here?" He asks, half to himself.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:23 am**

Sarah grins. "I don't mind if you stay at ease," she says. "It actually makes me more comfortable than if you acted all soldier-like all the time." She thinks for a moment. "Yeah, I remember that game, and the monster. Nemesis, innit? Ooh, that one was really scary, stalking me throughout the whole game. It was so satisfying when I finally got to take it down. I might be able to help the surgeon out too, maybe bring him around. My father's also a doctor, so if we could bring him here..."

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:30 am**

Cael laughs at 'The whole soldier thing.', "Hell, just a few years ago I was honorably discharged from the Army as a Company Sergeant Major, I out rank all of you! I was in for ten years in Special Operations or Blacks Ops, whichever you prefer. I was the sniper in my team." Cael then gets up and heads to the coffeemaker without saying anything further. It seemed like more intel on the larger chopper had fallen on deaf ears.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:54 am**

"Last lot of people who out-ranked me are in jail," says Blackworth cheekily. "Since you're military, you got any advice?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:10 am**

"Not that you haven't already done sergeant, trust me though, there isn't anyway in the Hells I want command of this outfit, it's all yours. I just thought it was a bit funny was all." Cael stated and then added, "I need to get my bird fueled up and start ditching some unneeded things in her, where's the fuel depot?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:49 am**

"Hartley Range is the nearest place which services helicopters. It's a bit further out into the country but it should see you back all right. Take a few of our fuel drums and fill 'em up too for later. Haven't heard anything from Hartley Range, mind, but it could be worse."

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:31 am**

Dahlia has remained quite quiet throughout the walk to the meeting room. She'd noticed Blackworth fall, noticed the look he gave her, and his pills he popped right after. Ha! Gotcha....I hope it hurt.... She feels guilty right after for feeling this way, but it was evident to her that he shared a way of knowing other's thoughts. It made him......dangerous.

She sits in on of the chairs, legs swinging back and forth above the ground, and listens to the adults talk. Blackworth said they'd teach me how to shoot! Yes!!! I wonder if it's anything like Daddy's shotgun. The first time Dahlia shot his gun, it kicked her back right onto her butt, and she laughed it off, but it really hurt. She just didn't want to say anything. If she'd whined, Daddy'd never let her shoot it again. So she smiled and talked big about the fun she had, and rubbed it after when his back was turned.

She's been clutching Cael's phone this whole time, having forgotten it was still in her hand, and looks at it strangely for a moment before flipping it closed and passing it back to him. No answer....I wonder why.....are they dead?

Laraqua wrote:

One fellow starts up the coffee machine and picks up his hot chocolate tin with loving familiarity. He gives Blackworth a wink and then goes to crouch beside Dahlia. Psychology roll reveals a sense of brotherly camraderie. "Oi, missy, ya want a bit of hot chokkie?" he murmurs.

The closeness between the two is lost on her, but she smiles at him. "Yes please!" She grins and jumps up to help.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:07 am**

Morrison smiles and lets her help. "You remind me of my kid sister," he mumbles. "She was a darn sight more withdrawn. Poor thing. I'll bet you're a real tough one, though. We'll need steelly-nerved people like you to help with the effort. A lotta adults get a touch of the nerves and it's no good. Wanna come help me with Personnel?" He gives her a level, serious look. "This ain't a blow-off assignment. Kids are like cats, good for nerves. You'd make a better counsellor than I ever would. Help people remember what they're fighting for. Unless you got some other secret skill you're good at? Don't s'pose you're a master chef?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:12 am**

"Ten years in special ops, huh?" says one fellow to Cael, out of uniform but with the distinctive bearing of a soldier. "That ain't nothin'! What kinda wars you been in anyway?" The man looks from Cael to Steven.

Steven just quietly assembles a pyramid out of paper clips. He was terrible in civilian matters but he was a darn good pilot. Some thought him autistic. He was starting to look at.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:16 pm**

Looking at Steven, the man looked bored to death, "Hey Steve, you want to go and get the bird re-fueled? Get you out of here and doing something I know you you'd rather be doing. If not let me know and I'll go."

He then turns his attention to the man that's out of uniform, "Wars? You wouldn't know a single battle I've been in unless you have a top security clearance. Special Ops don't fight wars boy, that's what you grunts are for. When the shit hits the fan and they need the best, that's when me and my team roll in. If we show up at your door, chances are you've done something real bad to bring us there."

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:17 pm**

Laraqua wrote:

Morrison smiles and lets her help. "You remind me of my kid sister," he mumbles. "She was a darn sight more withdrawn. Poor thing. I'll bet you're a real tough one, though. We'll need steelly-nerved people like you to help with the effort. A lotta adults get a touch of the nerves and it's no good. Wanna come help me with Personnel?" He gives her a level, serious look. "This ain't a blow-off assignment. Kids are like cats, good for nerves. You'd make a better counsellor than I ever would. Help people remember what they're fighting for. Unless you got some other secret skill you're good at? Don't s'pose you're a master chef?"

Dahlia looks at him undecided, but the minute he mentions cooking, she wrinkles up her nose. "Ugh....mum used to make me peel potatoes for her.....I HATE cooking...plus I'm no good at it. I always manage to burn myself on the stove."

"But I'd like to help you with personnel....I think. It sounds like fun. Do I get to intimidate them?" Dahlia grins, clearly kidding, and accepts the warm mug of hot chocolate gratefully.

"Um.....are there any other kids here?" she asks suddenly, remembering the book and it's disturbing foretellings of children sacrificed.

Posted: **Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:34 pm**

"I think I could help out in Personnel too as well is in Medical," says Sarah. "I've had psych training, and I could help boost morale. And I know from years of nursing that a pretty smile can be as important as medicine sometimes." She puts her own phone away. Why doesn't dad answer the phone? she wonders. He picked up not that long ago. At least he knows I'm safe. I just hope he's all right.

Play@YSDC

Ash - Cael

Ash - Cael

Re: Andrew - Cael

Re: Andrew - Cael

Re: Andrew - Cael

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