I slowly made my way down, until I heard people speaking in low tones.
Sounds of scared people and worried ones were all over the place, these were the people who hid in the church from the abominations outside. Thinking that God is going to save them.
"Who are you?" I heard it come from behind me, I was even surprised that someone was actually able to sneak up behind me.
"I'm just someone here to help," I said.
"Help," the man said, "There is no such thing, as the world turned to shit, fuck that," he said.
From his cursing, I grinned, I already found him.
"Michal?" I said.
"Huh? Who the fuck are you, and how do you know my name?" he asked I could feel the end of the barrel getting closer to me.
I slowly turned around with both hands up, "Because we were partners, in our past lives," I said.
Michal looked far younger than I remembered him. He was wearing the black dress of a Father and was holding a rifle to my face.
The man looked at me with a face full of disgust, "The fuck are you spouting, explain yourself or so help me God..." he said.
"Well, you wouldn't know since, I'm from the future, but I can tell you a great deal about what's going on," I said.
The man looked at me like I was some weird alien but didn't speak.
"Here, a token of gratitude," I said as I pulled out my backpack.
"Don't move! Put your hands away! I'm warning you!" he said.
I ignored his threat but still slowly pulled something from my bag.
Once he saw what I pulled he slowly put down his gun.
"Huh, what do you mean by that, you know that I'm a man of the church!" he said, the words betraying his greedy eyes.
It was a bottle of wine, some really good stuff too.
"What, so you don't want?" I said teasingly.
"I suppose a glass won't be that much of a hassle, god is forgiving after all," he said.
I smiled at him and we headed into his private chambers.
There were many empty bottles of wine there, which he cleared rather abruptly and rapidly. And acted like there was nothing there.
"Anyway, tell me," he said as he pulled a couple of glasses and began pouring wine, rather he poured himself twice the amount as he did for my own cup.
Greedy bastard.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked as he began drinking.
"I'm someone who came to help, and before doing that I'll need you to come with me, simple as that," I said.
"Right, right, and I'm supposed to just say yes because of a couple of drinks? Right?" he said.
"Well, to be completely honest, yes, why not, I have more where that came from," I said.
Anyone with a molecule's worth of brain would have outright refused me and said screw you.
"Oh, okay, why not," he said shrugging.
I expected this.
"Nice, I have a safe place where you can go and you'll be safe from all this clusterfuck until the first phase is over," I said.
"Right, and I suppose we'll take all the people with us, that's going to be hard," he said.
"No, I can't take anyone else besides you," I said.
The words were a cold sobering reality for him as he frowned.
"So, you expect me to just walk the fuck away, and leave all these people here to die?" he said.
Yep, still the same old Michal, as long as he has people to protect, he'll never give up a single one of them. Though he can be the most infuriating person to ever be around, he down deep is a good man.
I sighed, this was going to be hard, "We can't take them, they're too many, I can't even fully guarantee the survival of just the two of us, but all of the people here? It's impossible, not to mention… they don't have the requirements."
"Ah, the Safe Zone," he said.
"You know about it?" I said, genuinely surprised.
"Yes, rumors spread fast you know," he said, "But I don't think I can do that, fuck that even. Who are you guys to decide the fate of people, don't start telling me shit about the greater good, I know more about it than you do," he said.
"Don't worry, I know you do. However, I can't take them in, they're weak, they're useless, nothing but mouths to feed, I'm not a saint, nor the messiah, I can't save everyone," I said.
"Then fuck off, we'll survive on our own," he said.
I frowned, he was being uncooperative, and if I make him more agitated he'll never join my side.
"If we stay here…" I said," The undead will soon break through, can you save them?" I said.
"No, but I'll do my best to keep them alive," he said.
And I knew he was speaking the truth, although vile, and foul-mouthed, this man, as long as he lived, no one dies.
I was in a tight spot, I can't save them all, it was almost impossible.
"How many are there?" I asked.
"About twenty," he said.
"I can take them in, but under one condition," I said.
"They'll have to earn their stay in the Safe Zone, I don't care if they toil and slave for it, I don't care if they end up cleaning toilets. Everyone entering the safe zone has to prove their Value. It's for their own good," I said.
"There are children there," he said.
"Anyone without a status screen is as good as dead when the next phase starts. And without contribution points, they can't have status Screens, so what's good is saving them when they'll do nothing to prove their value," I explained.
"You'll have to tell them that then," he said. "And unless you convince everyone to leave this place, I'm not going," he said.
"You really were and still an annoying bastard," I said.
"You're acting as you know me," he said.
"I told you before, I'm from the future, Father," I said, "Might as well call you by your real name, Michal Zane Abraham," I said.
Michal frowned, "How do you know my full name," he asked.
"Because you told it to me, the day you died. Anyway," I said. "I'll do my best."
I then got out of his office and headed down.
The people downstairs looked at me dumbfoundedly, they realized I wasn't someone that belonged to their group.
And before I could even speak, "It's you, what happened, did your safe place get run over now you came here to hide!" it was a woman.
The same woman I kicked out yesterday along with her child.
'hmm, they survived actually, impressive.'
"I came here to offer you a place in the Safe Zone, and no it's still fine," I said.
"Why should we trust you, you threw us away like we're garbage yesterday," she said.
She sure does know how to hold a grudge.
"Yesterday and today are different, however, the stay won't be free," I said.
"We can't get a thousand points! That's suicide! You want us to die! Just leave us alone, we're fine here," she said.
That was an obvious lie.
"So you think you're fine," I said addressing her and the rest of the people here.
"For how long? A day? Two? Maybe for a week, then when your food is over, what will you do? Go out and scavenge? When you're surrounded by a horde of the undead? Or wait, can you even survive for a week?" I said.
And immediately as a confirmation of my words, the undead began battering at the doors and windows of the church.
"These are weak undead, but they'll grow stronger every day, while you'll grow weaker, and weaker, from malnutrition, fatigue, and anxiety. They'll break one day, and you'll all fall prey to them, then how are you going to survive?" I said.
Then looked at the crucifix, "Pray as you may, no god will save you from this fate if you don't save yourself," I said.
The words were heavy, and they knew it because they prayed and prayed and prayed some more, but no one came to help.
"I can offer you a road of survival, but unless you walk down this road, you'll die," I said.
"What do you mean? Say we agree to go to the safe zone, how are we going to escape this horde?" one of the people in the church said.
"I'll be responsible for that, but first, I need you guys to know something, I have said it before and I'll say it again, staying in the Safe Zone isn't free, you'll have to earn your stay, if it's killing monsters, scavenging for food, cleaning clothes and making food, you'll have to work for it. Nothing is free, not anymore, now do you want to stay here, or do you want to survive," I said.
The group was agitated, here looked safe, but it was only safe for now, outside was dangerous, but there was a promise of a safer place.
What would they do?
"If we follow you…" the woman said, "What guarantees that we won't die on the way?" she asked.
"Nothing, actually there is a very big chance that you all might die, but that depends on your will to survive," I said simply and clearly.
The words were heavy, and the people here knew, there was no such thing as an easy way out.