When I woke up, I found it was dusk or dawn. I wasn't sure if one was better than the other. The nest was still intact, and I moved a few vines to see outside without making a hole in the nest. I watched the horizon for a bit, admiring the colors that filtered through the sky. The overall sky was purple that flowed into a pink to orange. The pink was a dusty hot pink, making it look more red. A few clouds I could see were a bright pink color. When I noticed that the sun was setting, did I make any movement? I reached into my bag and took out a fiber bar. It had enough nutrients to keep us alive for a while. I ate slowly, still watching the sunset. When the barley was done, I closed the vines and my eyes. The world was thousands of thoughts away from me again.
The next time I woke up, I felt like I wasn't nearly as tired. I opened the vines a bit. It was dark outside, and the world was quiet. I didn't know how long I was out. Now that my brain had any functioning power, I began wondering why I hadn't turned into a zombie by now. I did not know how much time had passed between when I'm bitten and now, but I knew it was longer than needed to turn. Something about this was waving a red flag in my head. I moved to sit up, but when I felt pain, I settled on reclining on the rounded edge of the nest. I moved to back up a bit, so that I was sitting. It hurt, but not as much as I thought it should. I moved where the vines had opened to be in my new line of sight.
"O-" my voice was barely whisper "Ahh open," I commanded. I looked at the status screen. I was stuck here until I could move without losing my mind with pain.
Noa Sanders level 41 Health: poisoned, injured
Nature's sugar baby: level 35
poison Resistance: level 25
Feather steps: level 5
Something about this was off. I know it poisoned me before because of something I ate. My skill should have nullified the poison by now. Had I eaten something while I was unconscious that I shouldn't have? I wonder where I was on the map right now. I racked my brain about what to do next.
I sat like that until I could hardly feel the pain in my arm. Exercising my arm to get my pain receptors to numb. I was extending all my fingers as much as I could, closing them into a fist. I cried in pain for the first few hand stretches. As the sun rose and the sky grew lighter, my arm didn't hurt as much. I pulled the vines away from my view, looking at the world around me.
While looking around, I saw a building to the right of me. It looked like a comment block from here. Ignoring the building, I looked for where the campsites might be. The campsites were nowhere to be seen. I could stay in the tree for a while, but it felt like I would end up dead if I did. One actual option is available to me. I tried to move to get a better look; leaning closer to the side of the cement building. I was trying to look over the edge of the nest to see if there were zombies around.
It took another day of rest before I felt like I could move. My arm still hurt and had to remain as stationary as possible. My bag was back on my back, which was the hard part of this mission so far. The vines move me to the ground. I walked to where I saw the building. Keeping an eye out for anything around me as I walked. I was slower than I had been before, but I had to get somewhere that would help.
It was getting dark when I finally made it to the building. I was tired and didn't know what this place was. From all the documented records of the tower, no one had ever seen a building here. There were zombies everywhere after zone 10. It was impossible to get through them without getting the attention of a massive horde. I couldn't be that far away from spawn, but the rest of the areas were pretty well recorded. The doors and windows were all shut behind a metal gate.
"How do I get in?" I asked the plants. They reacted in my mind before they physically moved. I have lifted towards a window that had its gate broken. It was on the third floor of this thing. I grabbed onto the window seal, I stepped onto it before pushing off the vines and into the building. I took out my handgun and kept it raised while scanning the room. It was an office with a large rosewood desk. I flipped the chair behind the desk over. There were papers scattered around the room. They thrust the coffee table and couches against the door. I saw a metal nameplate because glinted with the remaining sunlight. 'Syretia Garland' is written on the plate. I moved over to the cabinets and opened them. There were binders filled with papers. I took one out to read it, but it was in a language that I didn't understand.
It was getting dark, and it would be too dangerous to turn on the lights. If the electricity still even worked in this place. I called to the plants to me; they entered the building the same way I did. Through the window living a nice easy-to-follow/climb trail to me. I thanked them and told them to rest as I would be safe in this place for the night. The plants reluctantly retreated into the darkness outside. I settled on one couch, still shoved against the wall. It wasn't a bed, but it felt good to lie on a soft surface. The vines were great, but they weren't a cushion. I thought this would be the best sleep I had since trial one. I felt guilty about being the only one in the tower to say that.
Though I was comfortable laying on the couch, I wasn't able to sleep. Only the tell - tell sounds of something walking was beyond the door. Whatever the person in this office was running from had, it was outside the door. It would walk next to the door with clumpy steps, walk somewhere else for a bit. Just as I nodded off, the steps would return and wake me up. I kept up that routine all night, unable to get any proper sleep. I could tell that this was going to be a mistake. We had nothing to lose by sending the information through emergency channels.
When the sun finally rose, I got up and was moving the furniture. I spent all night getting used to the pattern that the zombie outside the door had. I was ready. It took all morning and bits of the afternoon to free the door from its block without gardening notice. Tired and drenched in sweat. I had a plan to kill the zombie outside the door. I called the plants to get ready to catch me. Flung open the door, turning to run out the window. Once my feet left the ground, the vines wrapped around me and pulled back. I turned to look.
There was no zombie. I would not let down my guard because I didn't see it immediately. There was always the chance I opened the door too early, and it wasn't as close as I thought. Lifted my gun and lined up on the opening of the door, as best as I could with one hand.
Waiting for a while before I felt that same prickling sensation that things weren't right. I closed the vines, creating a nest around me. I left only room enough for me to see into the room. It I saw it, the sick blue zombie peek out from the left side next to the window. It had been hiding from sight and like right on my tail when the plants pulled me out to safety. I opened the door either too soon or it was fast.
The zombie found my eyes with its own soon after that realization. It had dark brown eyes where the pupil, like all other zombies, had melted away into the iris, making them bound during the day. At night they had better sight than the living. Inside the nest, I carefully lifted the gun, trying to not draw attention to it. I didn't move the gun around the opening of the vines that I made to see. I tried to line up the shot from behind them without an opening. Asked the plants to forgive me as I shot. Bullet cut through the plants and I felt a sting of pain from them. The zombie moved back, hearing gunfire, but it was too late. The bullet pierced its jaw, which was already hanging by the skin, taking its attention off me. I moved the vines out of the way, shot again, and again. The zombie fell back onto the floor, but it did not convince me it was over. I stood up and aimed for its head again.
After that, I turned my attention to the vines holding me up. Laying the gun down and turning to the damage. I apologized to the plants and used my skill to help them regrow quick. It felt wrong to hurt the plants around me after they protected me for so long.
After healing the plants, I entered the building again. I walked into the hall to see the elevator doors. Found a key card swiper instead of a button. Having already searched the drawers and cabinets of the room. Knowing it didn't have a key card in that room. I look around and saw another door to the right of me. I tried looking to see if there it was another way out of there. There had to be emergency stairs, right? I turned to the corner closest to the office. There were another two doors, the same amount apart as the office and its neighbor. I walked to the end of that hall to see that I could only turn right. With the same two doors on the left side. At the end of a corridor, the same thing before it is the corridor with the original office. It is a giant square with only one way out.
I tried the handle of door number one, the one next to the office. It locked. I went back to the office to pick up the nameplate. I hit the handle until the handle broke and I could unlock the door. It is another office, which didn't surprise me. I searched the room looking for a key card or anything written in English. There wasn't one in here, so I walked to door number 2, on the left of the original office, to restart the process.
It wasn't until the sixth door that I was losing my faith in this building. I tried the handle, and the door opened. It opened to a staircase down. I groaned in regret for not trying all the doors first. Taking a breath, I used the nameplate to jam the door open. I did not want to get locked in this place.
Walking down the steps, I saw the door to the second floor. Pressing my ear to the door, and I could hear something in it. I turned and walked down the next flight of stairs to see the main floor door open. I stopped on the stairs and looked out into the void. It was pitch black, as they had blocked all the windows. The only light was the red emergency light from the stairs. Even though the plants weren't with me, I had a bad feeling about it. I turned and went back to the third floor. I used the nameplate to open the last door. It was another office. I searched for it anyway; I was looking for anything that I could use. A floor plan, a key card, something that would help me make my next decision. Unfortunately, there was nothing but papers that I couldn't read.
Without another way around it, I searched my backpack, hoping I could find something to be of use. I found firecrackers that Sargent Payton forced us to carry. They weren't part of the items we could bring, but she still shoved them into our bags. 'You'll know when to use them, if you ever have to,' she shared after getting a few looks. I smiled, thinking about Sargent Payton and her group. If I could guarantee that I was under her command, I would join the military after this.
Lighting the firecrackers, and fling them into the void. I saw them light up after hitting the ground, making loud crackling sounds. I raise my gun while forcing myself to listen to anything that wasn't cracking. The first bang came from above me. Whatever on the second floor noticed me. Now finding out if there was something here that would notice me. I waited a while until the cracking stopped walked into the void. The banging on the second floor still gave me the ambiance that I didn't want.
I moved to where the firecracker had landed, knowing that the floor wasn't obstructed. I stood over the dead firecracker listening and ready to turn if any new sound happened. After a moment, I lit the next firecracker and threw it. I saw more of the room and heard a loud bang, followed by a crash. I turned my gun to the stairs while ducking into the darkness. Lifting my left hand to help steady the gun while aiming.
A huge zombie that came crashing down the stairs. It looked like it was almost seven feet tall. Wearing a security uniform. It didn't even glance at me as it charged towards the firecracker. The moment the shock left me, I lined up again and took a shot. I hit the zombie in the head, but I knew that wasn't a gaiety, that it was dead. I didn't wait to line up and take another shot when the zombie turned to me.
It took another two shots before I could kill the massive zombie. listening to the now silent world around me. I took a good guess that there wasn't another zombie hanging out in the darkness. Made my way back to the staircase to put the firecrackers away and take out the flashlight I had. I didn't want to use it, as it would have drawn attention to me. Attention would make it easy for the zombies to ambush me. But after all that noise, nothing came out of the shadows or took the chance to attack me.
I wandered the floor looking for a light switch. I found it behind what looked like a front desk. Flipped it and the lights blinked on. The room I was in was the entrance to the building. I could now see where the front doors were blocked. Unlike the offices, the computers here looked intact, so I tried to turn them on.
The computer came to life. There were three words along with four boxes. I still couldn't read what it was saying. Leaving it for the time being; not knowing what it would do if I got the answer wrong. I searched the desk and found a key card. It for an Aniketos Goyathlay. It was better than anything I had found so far.
PING PING
"Congratulations! You gained the skill named 'Lucky'. This skill will allow you to get the rarer forms of your skill evaluations."
I looked at the pop-up before ignoring it and moving on. I didn't have time to deal with a skill that didn't sound like it was going to be much help.
I wondered, looking at the different rooms and seeing that on this floor that they all had a key card needed. I used the key and could enter a few rooms, but not all of them. The first one I entered was a hallway. I walked down the hall when I came to a room that had glass on one wall. I pushed a few buttons before the glass lit up and showed me what was on the other side. It is a mini forest room full of plants. I would have mistaken it for the outside world if it wasn't for the white cement sky I saw. I pushed a few more buttons before I could hear a static click. It is like pressing the button to talk through a walky-talky.
"Hello?" I questioned. I let go of the button. It only took a moment before a petite woman came running out of the mini forest. Her long pitch black hair pulled up into a bun. She looked to be a young woman.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" her voice rang out. She looked at both ends of the window. Her eyes scanned over me as if they couldn't see me. It must be a one way mirror.
I pushed the button, the static sound began again. "Hello, I'm Noa" I called out.
The woman collapsed tears rushing down her face like a damns been opened. "OH THANK SCIENCE!" she exclaimed. I waited for a moment for her to calm down. I wasn't sure what to do with a survivor. I don't remember there being a survivor in the reports, or this building. Once she stopped crying, she called out, "Are you still there?".
My hand reached for the button again. "I'm still here. If you need a while longer, I'm not going anywhere."
"NO! I mean, I want to get out of here," she stated rubbing her hands on her thighs.
"Sure, how do I get you out?" I asked, looking at the buttons in front of me.
"The entrance on the left wing wall," she said, turning to what I assume was the west. I had long seance lost sense of direction.
"Quick question. How do I get to the west wing?" I blurted, before she got too far away. That question made her freeze, before slowly turning to me.
"You're not with the lab?" She asked, wide-eyed. Her face drained of color.
"No, I found this place after running away from the zombies," I answered.
"Zombies? They're not zombies." She scoffed at me. She glared at the window, though her face didn't regain any color. "They are victims of mutated drugs. If I could get out of here, I can save them," she claimed. She sounded confident in her ability.
"You can cure them?" I asked. It was hard to believe that those things could be cured. Not with flesh hanging off their bodies, only connected by a strand of skin. That and many others that were missing limbs or jaws.
"I've been working on the cure since I got locked in here," she claimed, her voice wavering a little. I wasn't gonna leave her here but I didn't have a way to get her out.
"I'm gonna get you out," I assured "I have questions. I can't read the language here. You're all the clues I have,"
"You can't read Tazen? But you're speaking it so well" She asked, moving back to the window.
"I'm speaking English." I said confused. I don't know another language, even with the Spanish classes I took in high school.
She sighed before walking over to me. "I'll write the words you're looking for. I'll write the backwards to me so just memorize it" she said taking out a marker. Instead of memorizing it, I opened my bag and took out the palm sized notebook. I didn't think I would actually use it. When were we going to use a note book during the life or death trails anyway.
"Okay, here's what we'll do. I'll show you the words for 'west', 'habitat room', which is where I am, and 'blue clearance' That's the level of key car you'll have to find to open the door. I would give you mine, but it's in here with me." She said, looking over at me or where she thought I was. She wrote the words on the window. As she wrote she told me the directions to where she was.
"Sounds good, uh, what's your name?" I asked sheepishly. I should have asked earlier.
"Mindy Hathor," She smiled "It's nice to meet you," she said. Before walking of to where the door was. I wondered if I was going to make it to her in time. After all anything could happen in this place. With zombies all over the place. In video games she would be dead before I managed to make it over to her. With that thought my skin prickled. To lose the one chance at leaving the tower alive… I didn't want to think about it.
I got to work finding the west hall. It was easy now that I knew what I was looking for. The first locked door was the one in the main hall. Luckily for me the zombie on that floor did have a key card. Unluckily for me it was a red clearance. Looking up where I came in from I knew one more zombie that might have what I'm looking for.