It was the inauguration day of the city Piedra de la Luna. I was amongst the few who were absent. I was helping Excalibur with the fortification. I had come up with a few ideas to ensure the safety of the residents. I was keeping myself occupied because I am having flashes of Jasper. I had to overwhelm myself with work to push him out of my head. Abe came to see me and I was told to go to the city assigned to me. I said that I will go when the outer defense is sound. Right now there are several different ways that zombies or soldiers or those zombie makers infiltrate the place. This had him concerned. The council said that I should take all necessary means to secure the city.
Soren came to see me. He asked me if I was missing Jasper. My security looked dumbstruck. They didn't know what was going on. They listened to how Jasper was killed. They were pissed that Jayden had killed my better half. When the conversation was over Oleg came forward. I accidentally tapped him on the shoulder. He saw the pain I was in and he enveloped me in his arms. I don't know what came over me. I dissolved into tears. He saw the funeral and the stopover at Valentina. The ice cold reception. He mentally thanked Kiska and Eska for bringing me back. The others surrounded me and began to stroke my hair. An older man walked in with Batou and was told to mind his own business.
After I managed to get my bearings I tried to tap out of Oleg but he wouldn't let me. He said that right now I need someone to lean on and he is volunteering himself. Roland asked if he could take a turn to flit into my head. He said that he can find ways to help me cope with my misery. Everyone agreed that anything that is involved with Roland is a bad idea. Natasha took him by his ear and dragged him away. Oleg took me to the roof and asked me to remove the huge bats so he could watch the sunset. I waved my hand and they flew away. I sat on the edge as I heard an excited man call out sunbathing. That was till Igor said that the roof was occupied. He and a few groaned in dismay.
The man who tried to talk to me approached me again. He introduced himself as Link. He asked me if we could go on a date. I gave him a once over and said that he is not my type. Oleg is. Batou dragged him away from me with a scathing look at him. The man tried to explain how much he loved me. The man was warned to stay away from me. He defiantly asked why he can't have a chance to date me. He was told that I prefer soldiers. So I am most likely to fall asleep. He gave her a few dirty looks before he stomped off. He saw me talking to Batou and he asked him if he could put in a good word on his behalf. Batou made it clear that he will do no such thing. He gave him a few dirty looks before he stomped off to find someone who could help him.
Around lunchtime Link came for round two. I was about to punch him when Oleg stopped me. Link made the mistake of calling Oleg a very derogatory term. One that is so filthy that I felt like taking a bath. Both Oleg and Roland punched him in the face. He walked off sporting a bloody nose. Batou was applauding with pride. Link gave Batou a few dirty looks as he stormed off. He gave Oleg a pat on the back. He happily commended Oleg for his bravery. Natasha went to find Orion in the hopes of having Link booted from the Tsar. Roland wandered off to find his spouse. I went to take a shower.
By nightfall the others were talking about setting a perimeter around the surrounding tunnels in case the zombies found a way. I had to map the entire place end to end and draw a map which was duplicated multiple times. The work began for the railway system since the vampire had a more archaic style of transportation. The werewolves preferred the helix. The humans chose all terrain vehicles till a zombie hoard found a secret passageway. Then they turned to the railway as well. They chose a simple subway train. Soren chose an old steam train while I got the bullet train.
I was invited to visit Abe and I told him that I am busy with the security since zombies are practically coming out of my ears. The council insisted that I come since it was the one year anniversary of Tsar. I said when our nation's outer defense is re-enforced I will travel to the ends of the earth to please the council. But leaving right now would be suicide. Just then Walker ran to tell me that a group of mutts and intelligent ones had found it's way in. Soren left for Central but I stayed behind. After an hour or more of screaming these fiends finally dropped dead. I severed the link between me and Oleg. I extended my senses enforced with echolocation. I found several spots where these chompers could sneak in. A month later the holes were patched and things became more peaceful.
The railway lines to Central were done and I was ordered officially to come to Central for a ceremony to celebrate. I got on the bullet train and my guards got on the adjacent bullet train and the thing shot off like a bullet. The glass dome operator pulled a lever to open the passage to Central. The reception was astounding. People were waiting at the steps with flowers. I was escorted to the throne through a private elevator designated for me specifically. We spent the next hours discussing the formation of the magna guards, the Pretorian guards the dark knights and the red guards. Soon Orion called me asking if I could come back since a fresh batch of trouble had arrived. I hopped on the bullet train and zipped back to Excalibur.
The biggest problem after the zombies were the October guards. They would show up occasionally and try to infiltrate the fortress only to be shot dead. They guys can't take a hint. They are a bunch of masochists. The next problem was that some of the survivors were trying to smuggle contraband into the city. This caused chaos and almost disorder which almost led to a mutiny. A few days later the proposal of the detention center and the sterilization facility meant that the debate about the safety of the citizens was once more secure. The council felt that a detention center was overkill till I showed them that some have arrived with bite marks on their bodies. If they are allowed to roam free then the purpose of Excalibur is moot. This was to see if any would transform into those things. If they are isolated then they are easy to destroy. There were several security features placed to ensure the safety of those who were stationed. Which meant the design was changed over a dozen times. Each one takes into consideration the possibility to save lives instead of losing them. We had to pull all sorts of scenarios and the best possible outcome should be in case the zombies were trapped inside. The formation of the detention center took months but was proved worth it when several survivors changed into chompers and tried to escape so they could go on a kill spree. Thankfully I was nearby and put a stop to it immediately.
As the days progressed to months life got a little easier. The sun rises ushering in a new day with new possibilities and problems. The amount of responsibility may rise and fall but it is never dull. Sometimes things can go horribly wrong and being understaffed is always on the menu. Doing twice the work with half the work force was a challenge that had most people wondering whether or not it would be best if we were all kicked to the curb. Volunteers came forth and they were deputized and things were restored to a sense of normalcy. A few minor incidents later a well oiled machine formed. The new intakes were processed in stages to ensure the safety of everyone both in the facility and the newcomers. Gunfire can be heard from a distance. The growling of these beasties can be heard by the Nocturnals. The roar of engines approaching from the distance would send a few humans into a panicking frenzy. The others would be standing ready to pounce at a moment's notice as they were ready to face anything. A few were sent to therapy as they were jumpy at the slightest sound.
Once the fortress was fortified to the extent that no further construction was needed the focus was redirected towards the inland side. I was escorted to Piedra de la Luna and was shown around till I saw a penthouse I liked. The documentation took forever but now I have a place of my own. The guards got the floors below as part of the deal. I was given a butler by Ute and Gunther. I also got a plus one that was a certified germophobic. The two in the room would have me laughing in stitches or wanting to grab their necks and throw them out to the elevator. Oleg and Igor threw them out one time and weren't allowed inside for a month.
I was invited to a club and was dancing when a man came running. He was followed by a few zombies. The DJ saw this and made the announcement. Everyone ran towards the elevated platform or any high ground they could think of. I stood my ground and let out a scream and watched as these beasties fell dead. I extended my senses and found the rest. When all was clear everyone took a moment before they resumed dancing. A few tried to ask me to dance with them but I opted to take a seat. A few bought me a bunch of beverages but I politely declined. The next morning the incident was published online. Invitations started to pour in. I am not a party animal so I tried to decline but was told that this was to ensure the safety of the people. A few asked me if I had any preference. I told them that I like beef. Soon care packages arrived as thank you. I am going to need a way to find a way to make this work. Everyone is depending on it.