The Stag.
A very versatile ship made for travelling and rescues that don't typically involve zombies in its normal usage; A more expensive version of the buggie, but can last a month flying about unlike its cheaper counterpart.
And Kaori and Jesse were on one. The cowboy setting up autopilot inside the tiny, 2-person cockpit, while Kaori simply explored the ship, before ending up in the kitchen for a small snack; A basement, a spacious dining room kitchen mix, a large common area, and 5 rooms to name a few features.
The duo's spacesuits were already off, and they were down to their typical attire as they flew. They had 3 hours until they reached the main government ship, The Pacific, so they had no need to wear such heavy, hot suits for an extended period.
Enzo, instead of joining them, stayed behind to be sure the threat was no more and that their doctor was remaining stable. Though he had already initiated a few small forces to begin searching free floating ships for any possible signs of life, while sending a bulletin out to the other communities of the Pacific to inform them who the terrorist is so that they don't fall for any trickery as well.
At first Jesse wasn't too excited about having to go on a detour than straight to searching for this Wim person, but when Kaori explained to him why he finally caved.
"A cure, you reckon it's true?" Jesse questioned Kaori as she rummaged through one of the several brown, kitchen cabinets looking for a snack. He had already found an apple to munch on, as he leaned against a counter opposite her to avoid getting in her way. He had offered her an apple as well, but unlike his fiancee, Kaori didn't much care for fruits.
The princess huffed, not finding anything good; if it wasn't fruit and veggies, it was food she didn't recognize or just involved adding water. She closed the cabinets empty handed before walking over to one of the dining tables and sitting down. She then planted her face into the pit of her arms. "Why should I know?" She questioned back, her voice muffled as she refused to raise her head. "I've been here for a day. I barely know who I'm supposed to be yet. I mean, we're heading somewhere so I can be told things about myself."
"Touche." He smirked, tossing his apple core into the organic shoot; separate to the incinerator for regular trash. "Well, I hope so anyways. I'd love to walk upon that floating, elegant dirtball without worrying about being gnawed on like a pig." Jesse walked over to the table and sat down next to her, removing his hat and setting it down upon the table. "What's it like?" He asked innocently, his voice instantly making Kaori rise from her depressive rest.
While she spent most of her time behind a screen unless it was vacations for work, she felt she owed him. "It's beautiful. And once this plague is gone, I'm sure it's even more magnificent to wander about." She began to imagine cities like her own, NYC, overtaken by nature.
Trees growing inside skyscrapers, vines growing up street lights, wild animals hunting the alleys.
"Have you ever ridden a bull?" He continued, trying to act cool but his fanboy side was coming out. Kaori could spot something of the sort from a mile away.
"No," she giggled, "but I've fought wars." she scrunched her face up as she exaggerated the truth.
Jesse's eyes widened, "a war? Which one?" While he wasn't up to date on his history, he knew she was too young yet to have fought any in her lifetime.
"All of them," she simply said, her smug little grin still plastered upon her face. "Though, I didn't even break a sweat. Master of everything too, from fist fighting to mecha-battles."
He squinted at her, doubting her every word, but still intrigued. "Elaborate," he leaned forward, resting his arms upon the table and his head in his palms, staring at her with the utmost curiosity. The only war he's ever experienced is and was the war against the virus reanimating the dead.
"I commanded a soldier from the safety of my own control room, and we have fought many wars together. Though, you can all me a bit of a sadist; anytime they died I just brought them back, occasionally making them look a bit prettier than before. Maybe even changing who they are altogether." It was obvious he was falling into a deep, deep spiral of confusing thoughts of what she could be talking about as she continued to explain herself.
"So, you had special powers in your past life?"
"Not over the soldiers; they were brainless creations made by companies. But I did have special powers over people that paid my bills." She stood up and stepped just behind her chair before spinning around like she was showing off a new outfit, even though she was only wearing her full bodysuit. With Jesse, she felt like she could be herself, "believe it or not, but people paid to watch my cute face."
"I wouldn't pay to see that," He smirked, watching her twirl about.
Kaori hastily stopped and stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, many did, and honestly, as much as I hate it, I'm really craving a hotdog from Johnnys"
To Jesse, everything she was saying was gibberish, and he began to think she had lost her mind; he just continued to listen to her, but was a bit taken aback by the thought of his fiancée being with someone else. "Johnny's? Is that your boyfriend?"
"No, my killer." She added dryly. "But it was also my biggest money maker." The cowboy raised his hands in defeat. He was effectively lost, so she continued on with her purposefully nonsensical way of explaining, gleaming.
Kaori twisted herself around until her back was facing Jesse, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her long, white hair flowing gracefully against her back. "Something about this," she pointed to her butt, "being half naked while I shoved a long, messy coney dog into my mouth, attracts quite a few people willing to toss a buck or two my way."
Jesse didn't flinch. "I've seen it plenty of times, and it's not something I'd personally pay for," he quipped, failing to fall for her make-believe stories. "But, before you, miss, I earned the right to see such a wonderful creation. That voluptuous," he bit his lip and grunted, "I'll miss it, not gonna' lie, but I'll move on." Kaori caught him staring a bit too long but she only grinned. It was just like her old life.
"I played video games and talked to millions of people at once, without actually seeing a real face." Kaori finally admitted before joining Jesse again. "But I was one of the most famous people in the world for it, and had so much money that I was drowning in it."
"Video Games?" the cowboy continued questioning her, "did you play the internet too?"
Play the internet? She wondered to herself, Is that obsolete now?
"Yes, I did," she confirmed, attempting to keep her laugh from breaking free.
Suddenly, the handsome cowboy grabbed one of her hands carefully in his, "just promise me one thing, Kaori." His tone had changed to being serious, and she picked up quickly that she shouldn't keep on with the back-and-forth banter. "Promise me you won't become failed. Whatever you do, please stay good."
Kaori reassured him she would, but in the back of her mind she was terrified. She was already a zombie. What if the zombie part took control? "Everything will be fine."