The group was overwhelmed by the zombies attacking them.
"We can't hold them for much longer," Mia shouted, while circling around Vicky and Clara.
"Clear a path to our bikes, we need to get out of here," Vicky ordered Mia. Clara used here powers and stomped her foot, and created a few seconds for her and Vicky to move towards their bikes. With Mia's help, they reached their bikes. The two of them got on their bikes, and attacked the zombies in the area.
"Icicle, we have to go now," Mia said, after noticing a large horde coming towards them. Vicky nodded her head to Mia, who then took point. The team rode away from the plaza. The horde kept following them, but were too slow to catch up to them.
The whole game was under attack by zombies. While Vicky, and the group rode to the base, zombies were attacking players, and vice versa.
The group arrived at the base. The entrance to the base was blocked off, by armoured vehicles, and Jersey barriers. There were soldiers behind the barriers, and on top of vehicles that had heavy weapons fixed to it. Zombies were trying to break through the barricade, but the soldiers were holding them back.
"The whole game is a war zone," Rachel said. Vicky, and the group helped the soldiers repel the zombies. A little time was available, until the next horde of zombies arrived, thus allowing the group to enter the base safely. The soldiers secured the entrance before the next horde arrived.
"That was crazy," Clara said. They were getting off their bikes after they parked.
"Clara! You're okay," Claire said running towards them. A sound of an object hitting a force field, was heard from above.
"What's happening to them?" Mia asked, looking up, where a zombie crashed onto an invisible field, and was falling in an arc.
"It's a force field, so that we don't have to worry about zombies falling inside the base," Claire replied.
"Where's the captain?" Vicky asked, turning to Claire.
"He didn't login. Non of the team members did," Claire replied.
"Did you try logging out?" Vicky asked.
"Yes. Turns out Manic managed to use the HUD jammer for everyone in the game," Claire said.
"So no one can log out?" Rachel asked.
"Yes," Claire replied, and continued, "Come inside, we need to talk about something."
Claire led the girls into her office room. She closed the door, and sat on her chair.
"What's the plan?" Clara asked, looking at Claire.
"I don't know," Claire answered. She looked at Vicky.
"We could try to disable the HUD jammer, and then find a way to stop the zombies from falling," Vicky said.
"We can try disabling the HUD jammer. We can't do anything about the zombies. That's all in the programmers hands," Claire said. She looked so hopeless.
"Well then we'll get the HUD jammer first," Mia said.
"I don't know if we'll be able to win this. I wish the captain was here. He'll know what to do," Claire mumbled.
"We'll get through this," Vicky said, trying to comfort Claire.
"Any idea where Manic might have connected the HUD jammer, to affect the whole game?" Mia asked.
"It has to be in a place that could affect the whole game, maybe at the centre of the town. There's that really tall tower," Clara said.
"How can we be sure that the whole game has been affected? I mean think about it. The game has a large environment. This is not one of those games with barriers to stop you going off the map," Rachel said.
"What if the jammers effects are only in this city? I don't think Manic would actually make players in the whole game to get affected. How else would he be able to login and out whenever he wants," Vicky said.
"How are we going to test your theory? There's zombies everywhere," Claire said, while making gestures with her hand.
"Claire. We're with Icicle, she's probably the best player, beside Manic," Clara said, trying to cheer Claire up.
"Okay. Let's say you guys do set off. What about me?" Claire asked, looking at the group.
"You should come with us too," Vicky said.
A deafening scream came from outside Claire's office. The group ran out to see what had happened. A zombie had found its way into the building, and was attacking the office members. Most of them were terrified, to even think of attacking the zombie. Vicky was getting ready to attack the zombie, when she saw an axe fling a few inches passing her head. She looked at the zombie. The axe had cut through its skull, but it was still walking towards them. Mia stood grinning from ear to ear, she was the one who threw the axe.
"Really?" Vicky asked looking at Mia.
"It was supposed to kill him, not make him walk around like he came out of a scary movie," Mia said. Vicky looked at Mia with a raised eyebrow.
"The zombie?" one of the staff members said.
Vicky walked towards the zombie, and cut its head off, rendering it harmless.
"You guys can go back to work now," Mia said, pulling her axe from the zombie's decapitated head.
"How did it get in here?" Claire asked. Vicky checked the windows. They were on a higher floor, so she was able to see the entrance of the base. The zombies had broken through the barrier, and was now entering the base.
"We need to get out of here, everyone needs to leave," Vicky said walking away from the window.
"What's going on?" Claire asked. She walked to the window, and stared out of it.
"Claire?" Clara said, walking towards Claire. She too proceeded to look out of the window. Mia and Rachel accompanied them at the window.
"There coming. We have to go now. We can't take the elevator, it's not safe. The stairs is not the best place either, but much safer than the elevator," Vicky said.
"How could the base fall? My father… What am I going to say to him?" Claire mumbled.
"Dad's not here," Clara said looking at Claire, and continued "I never really understood why you were so worried about making sure to play according to dad's rules. It's his game, if he wants he could rebuild this whole thing."
"You don't get it Clara. You never did. Dad trusts me. He doesn't think of me the way he thinks of you," Claire said. She was riled up by what Clara said to her.
"And what does he think me?" Clara asked.
"Someone who doesn't know how to get things done. Someone who cannot be TRUSTED!" Claire shouted.
"Could you guys STOP!" Vicky shouted, grabbing their attention, and continued "Argue later, or there won't be a later." A horde of zombies were entering the base.
"We need to go now," Mia demanded.