Chapter 3: Plot vs. Fate
Glenn, Rick, and I were steadily making our way to the car lot covered and guts and it worked out well. Aside from the putrid smell, it was like an afternoon stroll.
That is until the rain falls and along with it, the blood and sent. Our senses flared and our bodies went into overdrive, slaying walkers left and right. But I leave them behind, taking two steps and rolling over the gate.
I move straight for the key box. I grab the keys to the truck Rick uses to save everyone and start to look for the keys to the pickup truck next to it.
Glenn and Rick finally make it over the gate, and I throw them the keys so as to not waste time and I follow them in my own ride out the lot.
Making a stop to get a distraction car, I pull up beside Glenn and the cowboy.
"You two go back and pick everyone up." I told them "Tell Amy I left to follow the original route to get the stuff I need. "Tell her to keep our business to herself, Glenn. And I'll see her when I get back."
With that, I pull off to head to the police department in Zone one and follow the plan I had in the morning. I wanted to be quick, but the way things were going so far, the world had its own designs.
~~3rd Pov~~
Back with the main group.
The blaring sound of a car alarm rips through blocks of converging walkers. All the while, Glenn's having the time of his life. Hooting and hollering in enjoyment. Joying riding through the city in a stolen ride given to him by a cop no less.
"I love the fucking apocalypse!! Wooo!".
He overshoots the street and backs up to gain the attention of the horde. Once they catch on, he drives off at good speed to lead them away and create an opening for Rick.
On the now moderately clear street, Rick brings around the truck and backs it into the loading dock.
"Don't leave me. Don't leave me!" T-Dog calls out to the group. Running into the loading dock.
"They're here. They're here" he rattles off urging the group to open the bay doors. when they do. They hurriedly throw all the bags in the truck and jump in. On the road, the group looks at T-Dog with inquiring eyes and facial expressions.
He gives a silent response and looks a little remorseful before saying "I dropped the damn key."
Not really caring if Merle lived or died Amy looks around and asks Rick where Solomon was.
"He said to tell you "I'm going on the original route to get the stuff I need and keep our business to yourself. I'll see you when I get back" And then he left" Being the person Rick was he stated word for word the message Solomon wanted him to relay.
Looking over at Andrea and then back at Rick she just tells him, thank you. And the group remains quiet for the rest of the way back to camp besides warning Rick about Merle's brother Daryl.
Solomon's POV
The police department in Zone One was a treasure trove. Everything in this area was virtually untouched contrary to my worries. I parked the pickup and left it on the road before entering the police department. Pulling my sword, I start clearing out the Police station.
One by one walkers began to drop as I got comfortable swinging a sword. Section by section I clear the building. Besides the un-dead, the place seemed empty. I lock the doors and go back to the supply cage and fill a duffel bag with handguns and assault rifles. Next, I grab a shit ton of ammo and move everything to the garage door, then pack the bulletproof vest and explosive ordinance.
The one downside was I just couldn't seem to find any suppressors. To finish my stay in the supply cage I start taking swat uniforms and gloves of varying sizes. Civilian attire was good, but it just was made the same as uniforms made for action.
I only hoped all of this work would be rewarded when I got to the evidence lockup. However, when I arrived, I heard voices below the steps. So, I take out a flash bang and pull the pin.
Squeezing the spoon against the body, I call out, "Is any alive down there? I killed the walkers up here and I'm searching for survivors."
Waiting for a response, a man finally answered, "We're alive and armed. Just turn around and walk away!"
As if, I toss the flashbang, and once again, the warm sensation washed over my body and I could feel my blood rushing through my veins.
Kicking off the steps, I proceeded to knock them out while they were all stunned. There were three males and two females. It looks like the females were cops and the males were civilians. I take their guns and wait for them to wake up to have a little talk.
It was about 30 minutes to an hour when the whole group was lucid.
" Knowing that I could have killed you all, but I didn't. I hope you all behave yourselves." I look at their faces and a couple of them are a little frightened as if I was worse of an enemy than the walkers. I was but, I still feel a little offended anyway.
"Okay, here's the deal, I don't trust you guys. So, you all are going to get up, go into the supply cage and pack up all the narcotics and marijuana. Along with any cannabis seeds there. Oh, and if you find any melee weapons, I'll take those too. And if you are good, I'll let you all live. Deal?"
They nod in acknowledgment and head to the evidence cage to carry out my order as I watch them. They looked like pack mules when they were finished. Three large duffel bags each, leading the way to the auto garage where I left all the gear. Telling them where to drop it, I engage a brunette lady cop "You, with the face, dark hair cop lady. What's your name?"
"Uhm, I'm Em. Emma. But they all call me Em." She said,
"Okay Em. You all seem like good friends so, I want you to go out there and bring back one of those nice armored swat vehicles, while I get to know your friends. Can you do that for me?" She nods and tells me, yes, then walks out the door to find a vehicle.
"So, what's your names?" I ask
A burly middle-aged man answers for the group "I'm Max, this is my brother Finn, best friend Mike, and his fiancée, April. I'm married to the girl Em who just left."
'What an odd way to introduce your wife' I thought.
"Ah, such a big happy family, just trying to survive. Look, I don't mean you guys any harm, I just want this stuff to go on my way. And to hand you an olive branch, don't go to the CDC and get the hell out of Atlanta."
"And where are you going?" The blonde hair slim guy asked, He was the brother, Finn. Finn kind of looked like an older Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter.
"I'm headed up US-75 to make another stop, then I'm getting the hell out of dodge." I could see their looks of anticipation. "The world outside is tough and you're lacking. I know you want to latch on to strong people. But I can't protect all of you and head into a world of shit willingly because I find it amusing. So don't ask to ride along unless you are ready to die."
As I finished my warning Em walks back into the garage and presses a button to open the door, I guess she knew I'd slaughter them all without hesitation if she was dumb enough to try anything.
" The tank is full so it should be good to go," said Em.
"Good, now put the bags in the back and then step into the garage." I watch them comply and throw everything to the burly man, Max, as he stacked it in a way to keep space in the vehicle. Once I noticed that of course, I asked.
"So, are you planning on coming?" Max looks at me and says rather sternly "Better with a weapon like you than waiting to die in this station." I liked his honesty. I am a weapon. A rather unrefined one, but still a weapon. So, I caved and it couldn't hurt to have a squad of my own.
"Hahaha alright. 30 minutes to gear up, and pack your own weapons and ammo, April you find another truck to drive, and Em rides with me. Trust is earned Max but your honesty has given you a good starting point." Knowing that I didn't kill them already gave them a good amount of trust in me. Damn, this is getting complicated fast. I wonder what comes next.
Now on the road to the medical supply, it was getting close to midnight. We made a few stops on the way to collect more gas, food, and the little water we could find. But of course, when we hit the gas station, I grabbed boxes of rolling paper. Em laughed when she saw how excited I was.
Looking at the group I give them one warning, "Smoke the cannabis but If I find any of you getting high on the narcotics… That's a death sentence these days. That shit is to save lives." I smile to not give off too much tyrannical pressure, "Come on. We need to get back before the sun rises."
The medical supply was an easy hit. Not a lot of people think about medical supply companies when looking for medical supplies unless they work in the hospital. Most people just hit pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. Taking surgical tools, bandages, and disinfecting chemicals, we treated it like a smash-and-grab before getting back on the road to the survivor camp.
It wasn't until daybreak that we returned having made a couple of detours for convenience. I grab the radio and issue a few orders.
"Always stay with the vehicles, don't let anyone know the contents of the trucks. And none of you are cops. We already have two at the camp and it might mess with the power structure. We don't do politics. We're a fighting-based squad. Just keep your heads down we'll be moving on soon"
The other radios back to voice their understanding.
"Why?" Emma asked beside me. She had taken a look at the large group and was curious why they would leave.
"I'm not a fortune teller, but 100 people in year 1 is more dangerous than 100 people in year 10. What you see now is a backed-up cesspool of weakness, modern philosophy, and trauma. No strength, let alone will to even face the new world. Just like you and your family. Losers under a staircase."
Emma felt offended to her core but knew my words held truth. She couldn't protest, because I didn't lie.
Pulling up to the camp draws a lot of attention as we stop the trucks and get out. I tell my squad to hang back so I can get things straight. The first to approach was Shane and Rick.
"So, you made it back alive, cowboy?"
Rick laughs and retorts "I should be saying the same to you." Gesturing at Max and the others "Who are they?"
"I found them on my way back. They're good people. My people, so don't worry about it too much, we're not staying long." When I finished talking a scream filled the camp.
Max and my group were about to run to the scream with the others but I signal to them to hold back.
Carl and Sophia had come across a walker eating a deer. It was soon put down by the men and the newly returned Daryl. They made their way back to the camp and the first to come out of the woods were Amy and Andrea.
Amy saw me and ran over. Complaining about how she thought I had left without saying goodbye or worse that I had become 'geek' food. I gave her a hug and told her that I'd be leaving later. Andrea soon joined us and I introduced them both to the rest of my group
Finn obviously took a liking to Andrea like a bee to pollen. And she looked pretty interested in him. Andrea led the group down to the Quarry to wash the dirt off them, while I stayed behind to talk to Amy.
"So, when are you leaving? And where are you going?" She asks.
"I plan on leaving later today and maybe Fort Benning afterward… Staying in this place and getting comfortable with protection and resources isn't how you survive this world"
" Well stay for today at least. Leave tomorrow, what's one more day?" She places her hand on my chest. "Besides, Andrea wanted to take me fishing and with any luck, we could have a good meal tonight and spend some time together."
She then rises and plants a soft kiss on my lips.
"Alright, Just one more day," I told her.
She gave my bag to me and I threw it in the truck and stayed with the vehicles until the squad came back.
About two hours later the squad returns looking a lot more refreshed. "So, what is the plan?" Max asks.
"One more day. If something happens in this camp. Do nothing unless you are in physical danger. Or I tell you to. Do you understand?"
They all agree but I could feel their apprehension. In the following hour, A group left the camp with Rick to find Merle, while I lounged around. It was interesting to see the inner workings of the camp. The small details formed strong bounds and large rifts.
"Umm, Solomon…" Emma approached carefully.
I hummed in acknowledgment.
She took the chair next to me and we sat in silence for a moment.
"Here." she said, passing beer, "It may be your last for a while."
"I doubt that." I replied, "What we can't find, we can definitely create."
"That's not what Lori says. How'd you put it? Humans are to lions as Shane is to Simba. You believe we will digress into animals?"
"We never stopped being animals. Humans try to suppress their basic instincts and they think that makes us better. I never said stop being smart. Merely that we should stop suppressing ourselves for the better of the entire race. What do you want?" I finally asked.
Emma fell silent. She then said, "To know you. You're an odd one. Not only are you new to me, but to everyone else. We tried to ask this group about you but we only learned three things. You showed up naked, with no memory, and got physical with Amy within an hour. But now, she wants you and you rather people watch."
"Haha, so I'm a bit of an enigma."
"No. Just a stranger." she corrected. " If you don't mind… Did she do something wrong?"
"No. Just isn't the time."
"Okay. And Tomorrow? Do you have plans?" she asked.
"I'm open to suggestions."
"Well, most of our family was in the city, but Mike has a sister in Athens," Emma explained.
"And you want to know if I'd go?" I asked.
"If you say yes that'd be great. But If you can't, can we take the second truck?"
"I don't care. The one I want is the one I drove. But You should think about what you're doing. Athens is a long way and you started the day hiding beneath a staircase. None of you have experience, so be diligent as possible." I warned her as I stood up. I downed the beer in a few gulps and then took my leave.
After leaving Emma, I used what little daylight I had left and went into the woods. In a small opening, I sat against a tree and pulled the book on basic swordsmanship. Though I could understand the movements through pictures, all of the details were written in Hangul.
Flipping through the pages from cover to cover, there were 32 forms and 108 steps. I committed them each to memory, then I stood up and prepared to teach my body. Even with Eidetic Memory and superior comprehension, there is a difference between knowing, understanding, and being able to perform.
Drawing the Black and gold double-edged sword, with a crescent-shaped ring pommel, I took the first stance. It was oddly comfortable and my body moved without strain.
I realized that I was a newborn in a sense. My body didn't have the flaws of over tempered muscles or neglected flexibility. I was a new template.
I couldn't help but smile as I slowly walked into the second form and clumsily performed the third. Without stopping I performed my ugly dance in its entirety.
When I was finished I stabbed my sword into the ground and put my hands behind my back. Then I began to walk.
10, 25, 56, 89,108 steps. I then repeated it over and over again to build muscle memory. Before I knew it, time had left me behind.
Finished for the day, I return to the camp and find everyone sitting around a fire. Well, only the main group sat around the fire cooking up the fish caught by Andrea and Amy.
Amy seemed to have noticed me and her eyes shined under the small illumination of the fire. I shook my head once and she visibly deflated.
But I wasn't toying with the girl. In a dying world where people are few and far in between, it's natural to crave physical intimacy with someone you find attractive. But when it impedes your ability to survive, that's a problem.
Right now, I had to know what was driving the world. Before my rebirth and transmigration, I was a spiritual man. Now, my beliefs are written in stone and my awareness has reached a cosmic level.
So, I did my best to stay out of the plot and go along without opposing. So far the world has moved twice. Now tonight, I wanted to see if fate in this world is unchangeable. So, I watched.
"So, I gotta ask you man It's been driving me crazy" Morales addresses Dale
"What?" Dale asked
"That watch." Says Morales.
"What's wrong with my watch?"
"I see you every day, at the same time, winding that thing, like some village priest saying mass," Morales explained.
"I've been wondering myself," Jacqui added.
"I'm missing the point" Dale was obviously confused.
"Unless I've misread the signs, the world seems to have come to an end, at least hit a speed bump for a good long while," said Jacqui
"But there's you everyday winding that stupid watch," said Morales
"Time… is important to keep track, isn't it? The days at least. Don't you think Andrea? Back me up here" said Dale
Andrea chuckles and takes a sip of her beer
Dale took a short moment to himself and then went on to speak his heart.
"I like..." He began, " I like what, um, a father said to a son when he gave him a watch. That had been handed down through generations. He said, "I give you the mausoleum, of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs. No better than it did mine, or my fathers before me; I give it to you, not to remember time, but that you may not forget it for a moment. Now and then, and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it."
"You are so weird" Amy blurts out, causing laughter around the fire.
But I, on the other hand, took Dale's words to heart. Moments and dialogue later Amy got up from her seat and headed to the bathroom.
I took note of her movement, but I remained still, spectating. Not only was this a test for the main cast but the survivors I found at the police station.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I quickly jumped away and had my sword half drawn before I saw it was an Asian man. He smiles at me and holds up a book.
"Korean to English dictionary." I read.
"You saw me early?" I asked.
He nods and points at the sword. "Not basic. Good Korean Sword. You study the Imperial Constellation Sword. At the beginning of Joseon, the court sent a general's son to Imperial China. He managed to become a sword bearer of an imperial tutor. He then creates that technique."
"Who the hell are you?" I ask.
The man smiled. "I was a history professor on vacation. I come to the city to see an old friend and all hell breaks loose. My family and I are staying over there. But we plan to leave tomorrow. Taking a plane to Korea."
"Mmm." I nod, "So what is this about an Imperial sword?"
"The book. In English, it says basic swordsmanship. In Korean, it reads Imperial Constellation Sword Art. I figured you did not know after watching your clumsy moves. You were learning by image, right?"
I chuckled. "Smart man. I was but with this, my next training session should be better. Thank you."
"Haha. Say 'Gam sa ham ni da'"
I repeated his words and I figured he said, You're welcome, before walking away. It was a rather odd encounter, but nothing is odder than my existence. When I refocused on the main group, I watched for a few moments until Amy walked out of the RV, the timing was dam near perfect.
The walker grabbed her hair and sunk its teeth into her neck. She cried and the main group was hit with a moment of shock before they cried out to each other and began to scatter in panic.
"Lori, get him down!" Shouts Shane before pulling the shotgun trigger.
Bang!
Some yards away Rick and the returning Atlanta group hear the gunshots and sped up their running in order to help protect the camp.
Looking over, Max forgot everything I said as he ran to the campfire.
"Max, get the kids out of here, towards the RV" Finn shouts as he moves toward Shane.
"Come on, help me stop 'em before they get too deep in the camp," Finn called out to Shane as he put a hand on his shoulder.
Seeing that Lori and Carl were in good hands. The duo began to engage the party of walkers.
Speeding up their shot count, it didn't take long before they ran out of bullets and it was an up close and personal battle with the walkers. Shane starts swinging the butt of his gun taking down walkers. While Finn begins to Pistol whip them.
Finally, Mike and April begin to help and I notice two things. The first was the clutter of walkers was vast. If Rick doesn't return with more guns they might all die. But the newcomers I brought are really helping out. Except for Emma.
The only time she fired her gun was when the Walkers approached her.
Entering the fray, I sidestep to the left and give a downward slash into the back of a walker sending it into Shane's backside. I moved to slay a few more walkers then I sent another one at Shane. Shane let out wailing pain as the walker bit into his arm.
'Oh?' I thought, 'I figured he would slip free and survive another day.'
The sudden increase of gunfire coming from the woods was noticed. Rick's group had finally arrived to clean up the last 3 or 4 walkers since most of them were already put down.
After everyone was reunited with their family. And things settle down. I walk over to Amy and look down at her corpse.
"This world is something." I muttered, "The plot isn't ironclad. A mix of luck and skill…Maybe."
When I looked over to an infected Shane who was walking towards Rick when he finally got close it was too late. Shane grabbed the python from Rick's holster and pointed it at Rick. Backing away, everyone looked at the scene with confusion and worry.
"What are you doing, Shane? Put down the gun." Rick growled.
"I can't do that, partner. I'm infected. I can't stay around anymore, and I'm sure as hell not turning into one of those things" Shane then turns the gun onto himself and looks at Lori and then back at Rick. "Sorry, partner. Really, for everything. At the hospital, I hoped you would live, but if I had taken you, they would have shot us both. Still, I should have taken you with me. I should've tried."
Rick launches forward and as his hand gets near the python… Bang!
Shane's body dropped and the Python tumbled away.
"What a crazy fucking turn of events." I was genuinely shocked.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット