The Zombie Apoc-Fur-Lypse, Group 4, Scene 3a
The Zombie Apoc-Fur-Lypse
Group 4, A Harrowing Event
copyright 2010 comidacomida
Sam turned the lorrie engine off once he had a chance to close up the back of the rubbish bin;
with the limited amount of diesel he wouldn't be able to keep it running during the group's trip
through the sewers. Jeff had already climbed back out of the cab to see his brother off.
"Keep him safe." James noted, resting a paw on Jeff's shoulder.
"I will." both Sam and the young husky said at the same time. Uneasy smiles spread around the
group. Jeff moved over to join Sam by the cab of the lorrie as the rest of the group assembled.
"Alright..." noted Steve, emerging at last from the rubbish bin, "Found it." he was holding the
bloody pipe he had earlier discarded. As he caught several glances he shrugged in response,
"What? It could still come in handy." Nobody bothered objecting.
"Here." Sam said, handing a large, heavy-duty torch to James, "You'll need this more than I
will." The Sergeant nodded, accepting it.
Tommy, who already had a torch, handed his to Dezzi, "Here... it's heavy enough that you can use
it for a club."
"Well... to be honest..." Dezzi answered, accepting it, "I really don't want to meet any zombies
in the sewer."
"What we want and what we'll get won't always be the same thing." Andy offered, disassembling
his field medical kit into two separate halves and attaching them to either side of his waist
with his belt.
"In that case..." Steve noted, handing his torch to Andy, "You keep the way lit and I can focus
both paws on my pipe." The paramedic accepted the torch, checking its weight and heft... just
in case.
With little more to be said, Steve and Thomas knelt down and worked a cover loose from the
sewer. One at a time, first James, then Andy, followed by Dezzi, Thomas, and finally Steve, the
group descended into the blackness below.
"Be careful, James... please." Jeff called quietly after him.
Sam stood to the side, and rested a paw on the teenager's shoulder, "Alright, Jeff... let's get
inside the cab. It's safer in there than it is out here."
"Not by much." the husky announced, but there was no further argument as the two climbed up into
the lorrie.
The wait wasn't exactly easy. They both spent a lot of time gazing out the windows, fidgeting,
and all around being impatient. After a span, Sam started emptying his pockets, resting his
belongings on the dashboard against the windscreen. He pulled out his keyring which had two
keys: one to his flat and one to his car, "Not sure if I'll end up needing these again." he
mumbled under his breath. He took out his wallet, which was zipped up in a plastic bag. It was
the first thing that caught Jeff's attention.
"'ey... what's the deal with that?" the husky asked.
"With what?" Sam questioned, looking to Jeff.
"Why'd ya put yer fold in the plastic?"
Sam took the plastic bag off of the dashboard and turned it around in his paws, "Well... I work
with rubbish all day... pockets get dirty, and there's some stuff in there I want to keep
clean." he handed the bag over to Jeff, who turned it around in his paws. On the back side of
the wallet was a picture of Sam with two very young raccoons.
"Got a few kits?" the husky asked.
"Yea..." Sam said, sitting back in his seat and letting out a deep breath.
"So 'ow old's this pic anyway?" Jeff asked, looking at the little boy and little girl in the
picture happily staring at the camera, one on either of Sam's knees. Sam looked decidedly
younger in the picture.
"About two or three years." the raccoon replied.
"Oh..." Jeff looked at the picture a moment longer before handing the bag back to Sam, "So...
'ow old're they?"
"They're both eight... twins." he replied, starting to load his pockets again with everything
he'd taken out.
"Oh..." the husky nodded, "Are they... do ya think...?" he was unable to finish the thought.
"They're down in Kent... I don't know how far this craziness goes, but I hope..." the raccoon
paused, taking a deep breath, "I'm sure they're okay... I know they are."
"Then when we're done at the university, 'ow about we go south?" Jeff asked.
Sam was quiet for a short while but, after a minute, he slowly nodded his head, "We'll see..."
he sighed, "We'll see."
Jeff opened his muzzle to say something, but Sam added quickly, "Better get some rest, Jeff...
take it while we have a chance because there's no telling what we'll be dealing with next." The
husky just nodded after a moment and rested his head back on the seat.
* * * * * * *
"I don't care what you guys say, I still think this is an improvement to the back of that
lorrie." Steve said in a straight-forward manner. It had taken the group a few minutes to get
their bearing, but, once they were certain the best way to get under the power relay they went
straight to it.
Thanks to the help of the torches, the group was able to occasionally pick out stenciled words
on the wall at every intersection. James pointed out after the third set of words that one
appeared to be an abbreviation for the power relay, and they followed it in near silence...
right until James came to a sudden halt, "Fuck."
"Whats wrong, Jame--" but Andy's voice left him as the torch light fell upon a wall of corpses
shambling toward them.
"Back... back... back!" James quickly said, starting to move back towards the rest of the group.
"Forward! Forward!" Dezzi shouted, looking back from the direction in which they came, his
torch lighting up another wall of zombies.
"Should have wanted harder, Dezzi." Steve announced, moving to stand next to him, brandishing
his pipe.
"Wait!" Andy spoke up, and he aimed his torch higher than the zombies ahead of the party,
illuminating a ladder beyond them, "Look! There's a way out!"
"There's zombies in that direction, Andy... I wouldn't call that a 'way out'." Steve stated,
glancing over his shoulder.
"It's our best chance." James stated. He glanced back at Steve and Thomas, "Can you two keep
those off of our ass if we try to get through up here?"
"Just keep moving that way and we'll fight falling back." Thomas stated.
"I'd rather fall back a lot faster." Steve answered, adjusting his grip nervously on his pipe,
"One or two zombies is one thing... but there's a god-damn billion down here."
"Dezzi... stay back with them and give em some light." Andy noted.
"Damn... oh damn..." is all Dezzi said, his torch shaking in his paws.
James' gunfire signaled the beginning of the chaos. His gun rocked repeatedly in his grasp,
bullets spraying into the zombies. Many were struck, but it hardly even slowed them. Amidst
the shots, the Sergeant managed to drop two of them.
"They're on us!" Steve shouted from the back of their tightly compacted group as the zombies
pressed from both sides. He swung his pipe in wide arcs in an attempt to fend the zombies off,
but they pressed closer, heedless of the weapon. The wolf managed to crack open one of the
zombies' skulls before he was grabbed by his jacket... but the zombie appeared more interested
in getting by him.
"Oh damn... oh damn... oh damn..." Dezzi breathed, quickly swinging his torch back and forth at
the zombie closing in on him. The attacks were batted easily away by the decomposing cat and it
opened its mouth wide, lunging for him. Dezzi screamed, but Thomas quickly interposed himself,
launching a one-two hit, striking the cat in the knee with a resounding crack, then grabbing its
head and bringing it down into his rising knee. The zombie collapsed, its nose pressed into its
skull.
"Move faster!" Thomas encouraged of the leading survivors, pressing against their back as the
party continued its slow progress forward.
"One's got me!" Andy shouted from the front, trying to fend a faceless zebra off as it grabbed
at his wrist holding the torch. It began pulling him away from the others, further into the
crowding zombies. James turned quickly, striking the zombie on the wrist with the butt of his
pistol as he ejected his spent clip. Andy took the opportunity to pull his paw back, and slam
the zebra in the head with his torch.
The light shattered, but the zebra stumbled back. Seeing his opportunity, Andy quickly shouted,
"Come on!" and he shouldered his way through the thinning line of zombies, rushing past them
toward the ladder.
"Fuck! Fuck!" James shouted, fumbling with his gun as zombies pressed him all around. Dezzi
screamed as zombies grabbed at him; he had been unable to keep up with Steve and Thomas as they
backed further down the tunnel.
"Damn it! Come on!" Steve shouted to Thomas. The fox nodded, and both paused in their retreat,
reentering combat to help Dezzi and James.
"JAMES!" Tommy shouted as the husky's struggling form disappeared beneath a wave of zombies.
The fox leapt forward, punching at the back of one of the zombie's necks. His first two fingers
jutted out in front of the rest of his fist, creating a resounding crack as he separated the
creature's vertebrae, effectively snapping its neck. He followed up with a sharp turn of its
head, sending it into the sludge at the bottom of the pipe like a piece of twisted taffy.
The three other zombies on James quickly rose up and turned to face Tommy. Without even a
pause, the fox leapt into the air, kicking both feet outward as he jumped forward, catching the
first two shambling corpses in the chest, sending them stumbling backwards. Landing in a
crouch, he waited until the third zombie, a grime-encrusted weasel, was almost on top of him,
and he sprang upward with his fist leading the way.
The zombie's head snapped back, and the fox thrust his paw out forward, fingers leading the way.
The strike of the blow pushed his blunt claws into the weasel's throat. Once his fingers were
embedded in the thing's flesh, he clenched his paw and pulled, taking the weasel's wind pipe and
esophagus with it, jerking the creature's spine until it popped. The zombie collapsed,
unmoving. Tommy knelt down to help up James, who was bleeding profusely with numerous bites all
over him, "Come on... up... quick!"
Dezzi was backed against a wall, fending the zombies off with his torch as they grabbed for him.
He was half pressed into a small cleft of pipe, managing to avoid the worst of the groaning,
growling mob. Steve was quickly upon the zombies... and, with their backs turned, they made
excellent targets for his pipe. Several quick swings later, the dog's arm was covered in blood
up to the elbow, and the pipe was oozing with it. "Move yer arse." he growled at Dezzi, who
stood there stunned.
"Move it! Fast!" Thomas shouted, stumbling forward with James leaning on his shoulder. The fox
flicked up one of his feet, spraying the zombies ahead of them with a load of sewage. The
cadavers hardly appeared to notice, and they pressed their advantage. Dezzi, in a sudden surge
of motion, raced past Steve and slid by Thomas. He grabbed hold of the ladder leading up and
started climbing like a cat going up a tree to escape a dog.
"Well... it's about fuckin'--" but Steve couldn't finish his comment as skeletal paws dug into
his shoulder, pulling him further into the tunnel away from the party, "AAGGGGGGHHH!!" he
screamed.
James shrugged Thomas off of him and stumbled back, raising his gun toward the zombies that
swarmed Steve... but three more rose from the sludge around him and bit into his arms.
Thomas looked to the ladder, and the several zombies that separated him from it... then looked
back to Steve who was fighting valiantly to free himself from the claws of his assailants. He
glanced to the policeman, then back to the German shepherd... he took a deep breath... and turned back to
his belabored companions, "I'm coming..." he rasped.
Being closer, Steve received help first. The fox vaulted into the air, one of his feet leading
the way. The zombie gripping the shepherd's shoulder took the kick in the head, knocking it
away from Steve. Thomas followed up by grabbing the neck of the second zombie on the dog and
yanking its head toward him at the same time he put his down, delivering a massive headbutt to
its forehead. Not stopping to assess his success, the fox grabbed the zombie by the shoulder,
using its momentum as it came toward him to toss it head-first into the wall... its unmoving
form slid down the pipe, a red streak following it.
Tommy knelt to help Steve, gazing further into the darkness as James' screams echoed back to the
group, his gun sounding once... twice... three times... a fourth time... then silence. "No..."
Tommy wheezed, looking back, "no..." and he lowered his head, but only for a moment. He turned
to Steve, "Go..."
Steve stumbled forward, pausing as the remaining zombies separating the two of them from the
ladder closed ranks, and began stalking toward them. "Which way?" the German shepherd panted,
blood seeping out of his shoulder.
"Right." Thomas said, and he didn't bother waiting as he leapt onto the two zombies on the right
side of the tunnel. He grabbed the one on the left, a leopard by an ear, and the faceless zebra
by its mane, and quickly pulled their heads together, knocking them backward and giving him a
chance to shoulder through. Steve was just a few paces behind... but, in his injured state, he
was not quite fast enough.
The leopard had stumbled back into the other two zombies, all but clearing the way for Steve,
but the Zebra reached out and grabbed hold of the dog's coat. Letting out a cry of surprise and
alarm, Steve spun about and brought his paw to bear-- it was the one with the torch in it. With
an explosion of light, the metal tube broke against the zebra's head... and it let go. The
wounded shepherd stumbled to the ladder and he worked to climb up it even as his friends above
pulled him to safety.
"They're still coming!" Thomas called.
"File... cabinet..." Steve gasped for breath, moving a shaking arm to point at one within his
field of view. Andy and Thomas moved quickly, grabbing the heavy storage cabinet and dragging
it over to the opened grate. They blocked the hole and waited... and waited... and waited...
and all was quiet.
As soon as the group was reasonably confident that the zombie threat was, at least for that
moment, resolved, Andy quickly grabbed his medical supplies and began working the shirt off of
Steve.
"You know... usually I don't let just anyone undress me, doctor..." the German shepherd grinned
sheepishly, eyes a little blurry.
"I'm a paramedic, not a doctor." Andy responded simply, pulling out a syringe. He began to fill
it with fluid, "and you're delirious."
"No... no... I'm okay." Steve continued, feebly lifting up a paw toward him. Andy patiently
pressed it back to his side.
"Just calm down-- you've lost a lot of blood. Now sit still; I'm going to give you something to
help with the pain." Andy ordered, and slowly slid a needle into the injured dog's arm.
"Ow..." Steve gasped, the goofy grin disappeared from his muzzle. Andy drew out cotton swabs
and disinfectant then began treating the wounds. Steve winced at the treatment each time the
disinfectant touched a wound, "That stuff hurts like hell."
"That's a good sign." Andy offered, "It means you're responsive to stimuli... so you haven't
lost as much blood as it looked like."
"Yay me." Steve mumbled, resting his head back against a wall as he gazed toward the ceiling,
"Hey... there's a light on." he commented.
Andy stopped in his care of Steve for a moment as he too gazed up, "Hmm... I was a little too
busy running for my life to really notice." and he went back to work, pulling out some gauze.
He started wrapping Steve's wounds, "But lights on in here mean that the relay station is still
connected to the power grid, I guess... so we're in the right place for restoring power to the
city."
Steve nodded, "Alright... help me up." and he began to squirm.
Andy pressed him back down to the ground, "No... sit still for a few minutes... Thomas and Dezzi
and I can--" he paused, turning to the other two members of the group, who hadn't spoken a word.
Both Steve and Andy turned to regard the two. Dezzi was in the corner behind a tipped trashcan,
back against the wall, knees in his chest, and arms wrapped around his legs; he was shivering
uncontrollably and his eyes were gazing straight ahead. "I think he's in shock." Steve mumbled,
grunting as he adjusted position.
"Keep an eye on him," Andy said, rising up to his feet as he moved to Thomas, who was leaning
back against the wall opposite Dezzi, paws resting on the ground on either side of him, blood
seeping down into small pools by his knees. "Thomas?" he asked, kneeling down next to the
wounded fox, "Thomas... were you bitten?" Andy reached down and gently cradled one of the fox's
paws in his. The paramedic paused at the clean cut along his wrist but it didn't take long to
notice numerous furless scars in roughly the same area.
"Thomas... what's up, mate?" the wolf asked, taking the paw in both of his. He didn't really
need to ask the question; it was pretty obvious.
"We're fucked..." the fox said, turning away from him, "and I can't do a thing to stop it."
Andy looked at the ground next to Tommy and identified the instrument that caused the injuries, a piece of broken glass,probably from one of the shattered torches, "Listen, Tommy... we're not fucked... we're fine.
The zombies are down in the sewer and we're going to get the power going."
"James is gone." Tommy announced, shaking his head, "He was almost in reach... I didn't try hard
enough."
"Tommy... listen to me," Andy spoke up, "There's still the rest of us, and we still need you
here." he applied pressure on the wrist wound and pulled out a roll of gauze from his kit, "This
isn't your night to leave us."
"It's MY choice!" the fox growled, then quickly went limp again, tears dampening the fur on his
cheeks, "My choice..." he mewled softly.
Andy took the opportunity to finish dressing the fox's wounded wrist and moved quickly to the
other arm, repeating the work, but he paused as he inspected one of the old wounds, "This was
treated at a hospital..." the wolf spoke up.
Tommy didn't meet his gaze, "Third time I tried..." he sighed, "God damn paperboy... I didn't
owe him for three more days...he didn't have a right to come in... he called the paramedics..."
"If they brought you to the hospital then you probably had a psychiatric review." Andy said in a
neutral tone, starting to work on the second wound.
The fox nodded, "Yea... gave me some meds to help control my 'impulses'..." he laughed
humorlessly, "I figured it was time to start fresh, so I moved here. Big fucking mistake." his
new laugh was a little more genuine.
"Nah... if you weren't here then we'd be seriously bent-over." the medic offered a reassuring
grin, "I'm glad you're here with us right now." and he finished wrapping the fox's wrist, "Don't
you still have your medication?"
Tommy shook his head, "Nah... it was at my apartment." he sighed, "Doesn't make a difference
anyway... none of us are getting outta here alive... we may as well choose our own terms."
"My own term means being laid up in an old-folks' home, suffering horrible bed sores because I
keep pissing myself, then dying at 88 without dignity in a pile of my own feces." the wolf said
frankly.
Tommy laughed back caustically, "Is that supposed to make me feel better? Fuck... that's not
exactly going to help with depression."
"Sure it is," Andy replied, slowly stowing a used syringe, "It's supposed to distract you while
I shoot you up with a little something... it's a nootropic... an anti-depressant and an
anxiolytic."
"You're drugging me... aren't you?" Tommy asked, looking up at Andy.
"Only a little." the wolf smiled gently, "Don't worry... you'll thank me for it."
Andy and Thomas stared at one another for one minute... then two... then three... neither said a
word, and it was quite apparent that Dezzi wasn't going to snap out of it anytime soon. After
the long pause, Steve finally groaned, and slowly pulled himself to his feet, grunting as he
tried to settle into a solid stance. Andy opened his muzzle, just about to object when a
roaring scream broke the silence, and a pit bull in an orange jump-suit charged Steven, waving a
hammer over his head.
Steve turned, the shepherd feebly raising his arm to protect himself as the hammer descended in
a wide, overhead chop... but it never landed. Tommy landed in front of Steve, the German
shepherd's discarded, bloody pipe in his paw. In a single, smooth motion, Tommy thrust the pipe
forward, catching the pit bull in the chest. His charge halted, the pit bull came to a complete
stop. The hammer fell out of his paw and he looked blearily at Tommy, "You ain't a zombie..."
he murmured, and collapsed.
"God... he was alive." Steve gasped, leaning against a wall.
"And he was going to kill you." Tommy answered, turning to look Steve over, "You okay?"
"You killed him..." the German shepherd looked at the body.
"It was him or you." the fox stated without a moment's hesitation, "We didn't have a choice."
"Him... or me?" Steve looked up at Tommy.
The fox nodded, "Right... and I'd rather have you around." he leaned forward and whispered
something in the German shepherd's ear." Steve's ears went up, a very deep blush forming on
them, and he jumped when one of Tommy's paws pinched his rump.
"What'n'th'hell?" Steven asked, taken aback.
Tommy turned back to Andy and grinned, "Wow... thanks for drugging me." and he chuckled, heading
further into the power station, "Let's find out how to get this thing up and running."
* * * * * *
Back at the lorrie, Sam and Jeff were watching the windows of the power station.
"They're just wandering 'round." Jeff observed, peering across the cab to look out of Sam's
window, eying the shapes moving around, silhouetted against the windows.
"I guess if I was a walking corpse I'd probably just wander around too." Sam shrugged.
"Unless you see someone alive to eat." the teen added.
"Then I guess it's a good thing they're just wandering around, because if they started moving
really fast then it means they probably spotted the guys." Sam reasoned. The conversation
quickly faltered after the comment, and silence once more reigned supreme in the cab... that is,
right until Sam saw movement.
He gazed at the side mirror, uncertain of what he saw at first but, after watching it for a
minute he saw it again. The night's sky barely provided any light, but there was just enough
faint, bluish glow across the city street to catch sight of it-- a stumbling gait-- and it was
coming their way.
Sam looked at the key in the ignition, glancing at the side mirror as he watched the band of
zombies stumble closer. He swallowed hard against the developing knot in his throat. The
raccoon's fingers twitched as his paw moved to the key once but he pulled it back... then a
second time. Sam's paw hovered there as he gazed at the mirror, watching the zombies lurching
closer, one or two even breaking into a stumbling run. "Shit..." he murmured under his breath.
His fingers closed around the metal and the ignition and he swallowed again. Closing his eyes,
he counted his heartbeats, hearing it thunder in his ears. He opened his eyes and turned the
key one click so that the lights of the lorrie came on, and then his eyes slowly rotated toward
Jeff. The young husky was staring at the open grate where the rest of the party had
disappeared. Letting out a deep breath, Sam's paw slipped free of the ignition and instead went
to the air horn.
The lorrie let out a loud blast. Sam let it go a second time... a third... a fourth. Jeff
almost jumped out of his seat, "Fuck, Sam!"
"Zombies... they're coming." Sam cautioned, and Jeff looked in his own side mirror, all his fur
standing on end. He reached up and repeated Sam's earlier motions in rapid succession, pulling
on the air horn cable several times.
"Come on... come on..." Sam murmured and Jeff repeating the exact same words as they both
watched the open grate. The raccoon's eyes rotated forward as he caught sight of movement in
the light ahead of the lorrie. His muzzle dropped open as he saw a meercat leaping through the
air at the windscreen.
"Down! Down!" Sam shouted, sliding off the seat and onto the floor of the cab. Glass shattered
all around him and he grabbed at the teenager, helping to pull him away from the grasping claws
that were quickly filling up the space at head-level. As they both settled onto the floor the
doors began shaking as the zombies tried to force their way inside. "Quick, Jeff... get under
me." the raccoon urged, pushing himself up onto his paws and knees as he worked to pull the
husky beneath him and further against the floor.
"Just get down!" the teenager urged, but did end up sliding half under the raccoon, "ofuk..."
Jeff cursed quickly and loudly, covering his face as more shattered glass rained down onto the
seat next to them.
Sam heard the sounds of groans, moans, and snarls, and felt the lorrie shift as the zombies
crawled up onto the bonnet and began trying to cram themselves into the cab all at once. "No...
no..." he murmured, "Not like this... oh god... not like this."
<END SCENE>
Welcome to the first Harrowing Event out of all Apoc-Fur-Lypse groups. One or more members of Group 4 is now at 0 Plot Points. Here is where you really get to see how horrific an event this really is. The group will try valliantly to get into the Power Relay, but not without casualties. Hold on tight, because here's where the rubber meets the road.
What follows is a behind-the-scenes look at when and how everything went to hell in this scene, and a chance to save your favorite characters.
Sam has to make an Endurance roll when discussing his kits.
**Endurance (10) for Sam to keep it together.
Sam 7 + trait of 7 = 14 _ SUCCESS**
Sam manages to stay calm and collected._
Group heads into the sewers. Are there zombies?
This is a harrowing event. Of COURSE there are!
Roll 3d10 to determine the number of zombies the group must face in the sewers.
Roll of 6 + 10 + 7. There are a total of 23 zombies in the sewer.
The group has a chance to kill as many as possible before they're overcome.
**Agility roll (11) to hit with a gun, (12) to hit with a melee attack, (13) to hit if unarmed. Roll must be +1 over difficulty to kill. Each character may continue their attack until they fail to hit or kill a zombie.
Dezzi 2 + trait of 6 = 8 FAILURE
James 9 + trait of 7 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
James 6 + trait of 7 = 13 SUCCESS-KILL
James 2 + trait of 7 = 9 FAILURE
Steve 6 + trait of 8 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Steve 3 + trait of 8 = 11 FAILURE
Andy 6 + trait of 4 = 10 FAILURE
Thomas 8 + trait of 8 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
Thomas 3 + trait of 8 = 11 _ FAILURE**
The group successfully kills 4 zombies. 19 remain._
Can everyone manage to escape the zombies without being torn apart?
**Agility or Awareness (10 +1 for every 2 zombies) to avoid DEATH while holding them off. Target # is 20. Since no charater can roll a 20, each character involved loses 1 Plot Point and the difficulty is reduced to 15.
Dezzi 8 + trait of 6 = 14 FAILURE
James 3 + trait of 7 = 10 FAILURE
Steve 9 + trait of 8 = 17 SUCCESS
Andy 7 + trait of 4 = 11 FAILURE
Thomas 6 + trait of 9 = 15 _ SUCCESS**
Dezzi, James, and Andy will die unless they get lucky._
Dezzi, James, and Andy better be pretty lucky.
**Luck (10 + amount the prior roll missed the target #) to survive.
Dezzi 0 + trait of 8 = 8 Target number of 11. FAILURE
James 4 + trait of 2 = 6 Target number of 15. FAILURE
Andy 8 + trait of 7 = 15 Target number of 14. _ SUCCESS**
Dezzi and James are swamped by zombies but Andy gets away (-1 luck for needing the roll)._
Steve and Thomas have a chance to save the others.
**Tenacity [8] to get away while the getting is good.
Steve 2 + trait of 2 = 4 FAILURE
Thomas 3 + trait of 2 = 5 _ FAILURE**
Both reenter the fray to try and save Dezzi and/or James._
The group has to kill as many zombies as possible in order to give Dezzi and James, a fighting chance.
**Agility roll (11) to hit with a gun, (12) to hit with a melee attack, (13) to hit if unarmed. Roll must be +1 over difficulty to kill. Each character may continue their attack until they fail to hit or kill a zombie.
Steve 6 + trait of 8 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Steve 4 + trait of 8 = 12 SUCCESS-HIT
Steve 8 + trait of 8 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
Steve 5 + trait of 8 = 13 SUCCESS-KILL
Steve 9 + trait of 8 = 17 SUCCESS-KILL
Steve 1 + trait of 8 = 9 FAILURE
Thomas 8 + trait of 8 = 16 SUCCESS-KILL
Thomas 7 + trait of 8 = 15 SUCCESS-KILL
Thomas 7 + trait of 8 = 15 SUCCESS-KILL
Thomas 6 + trait of 8 = 14 SUCCESS-KILL
Thomas 1 + trait of 8 = 9 _ FAILURE**
The group successfully gets to Dezzi and James. They kill 8 zombies. 11 remain._
How hurt are Dezzi and James? **Vitality 16 to avoid taking a serious wound.
Dezzi 9 + trait of 6 = 15 SUCCESS
James 9 + trait of 6 = 11 _ FAILURE**
Dezzi gets a few scratches and scuffs while James is all but disemboweled (-5 Vitality)._
Can everyone manage to escape the zombies without being torn apart?
**Agility or Awareness (9 +1 for every 2 zombies) to avoid DEATH while holding them off. Target # is 15.
Dezzi 9 + trait of 6 = 15 SUCCESS
James 0 + trait of 7 = 7 FAILURE
Steve 5 + trait of 8 = 13 FAILURE
Thomas 8 + trait of 9 = 17 _ SUCCESS**
James and Steve will die unless they are lucky._
James and Steve better be pretty lucky.
**Luck (10 + amount the prior roll missed the target #) to survive.
James 6 + trait of 1 = 7 Target number of 16. FAILURE
Steve 4 + trait of 8 = 12 Target number of 12. _ SUCCESS**
James is swamped by zombies but Steve gets away (-1 luck for needing the roll)._
Thomas is the only one who can go back to help James & Steve.
**Tenacity [6] to get away while the getting is good.
Thomas 1 + trait of 2 = 3 _ FAILURE**
Thomas goes back to try and save James & Steve._
Thomas must kill as many zombies as possible in order to give James & Steve a fighting chance.
**Agility roll (13) to hit unarmed. Roll must be 14 to kill. Thomas may continue his attack until he fails to hit or kill a zombie.
Thomas 9 + trait of 8 = 17 SUCCESS-KILL
Thomas 4 + trait of 8 = 12 _ FAILURE**
Thomas gets to James & Steven and kills 1 zombie in the process. 10 remain._
How hurt are James & Steven?
**Vitality 15 to avoid taking a serious wound.
James 9 + trait of 1 = 10 Target number of 15. FAILURE
Steven 7 + trait of 4 = 11 _ Target number of 15. FAILURE**
James falls beneath a wave of zombies but Steve stays up, though heavily wounded -4 vitality)._
Can Steve and Thomas escape the zombies without being torn apart?
**Agility or Awareness (9 +1 for every 2 zombies) to avoid DEATH while holding them off. Target # is 15.
Steve 1 + trait of 8 = 9 FAILURE
Thomas 5 + trait of 9 = 14 _ SUCCESS**
Steve will die unless he is lucky._
Steve better be pretty lucky.
**Luck (10 + amount the prior roll missed the target #) to survive.
Steve 8 + trait of 7 = 15 Target number of 15. _ SUCCESS**
Steve manages to stumble past the Zombies._
Dezzi, Steve, Andy, and Thomas need to block off the sewer entrance to the power station.
**Ingenuity (12) to come up with a suitable barricade.
Dezzi 1 + trait of 1 = 2 FAILURE
Steve 9 + trait of 6 = 15 SUCCESS
Andy 2 + trait of 8 = 10 FAILURE
Thomas 4 + trait of 4 = 8 _ FAILURE**
Steve gets the group to move a large metal filing cabinet._
Andy must treat Steve's wound or else he may die.
**Ingenuity (18) or else Steve will die. Andy gets +2 because of his medical background.
Andy 9 + trait of 8 = 17 +2 SUCCESS**
Steve is stablaized and he comes-to. Steve only loses 2 Vitality.
Group reflects on the loss of Andy.
**Endurance (12) to keep it together.
Dezzi 1 + trait of 3 = 4 FAILURE
Steve 7 + trait of 5 = 12 SUCCESS
Andy 8 + trait of 9 = 17 SUCCESS
Thomas 9 + trait of 2 = 11 _ FAULURE**
Dezzi and Thomas begin to lose their cool._ _ Thomas permanently loses 1 Endurance; Dezzi permanently loses 8. Since Dezzi does not have 8 to lose, he instead loses 2 plot points and will only lose 2 Endurance._
Steve and Andy will have to calm Dezzi and Thomas
**Influence (5 + the number by which Dezzi and Thomas failed their Endurance rolls) for them to calm down.
Steve 1 + trait of 2 = 3 FAILURE
Andy 7 + trait of 4 = 11 _ SUCCESS-THOMAS**
Andy calms Thomas. Dezzi is in shock._
A crazed power station employee sneaks out of hiding.
**Awareness (11) to be given the opportunity to subdue him before he can hurt anyone.
Steve 4 + trait of 6 = 10 FAILURE
Andy 6 + trait of 3 = 9 FAILURE
Thomas 0 + trait of 9 = 9 _ FAILURE ** Nobody notices the worker._
The worker charges the group before anyone realizes what's happening.
**Tenacity (8) to kill the worker before he can harm anyone.
Steve 2 + trait of 2 = 4 FAILURE
Andy 7 + trait of 0 = 7 FAILURE
Thomas 7 + trait of 2 = 9 SUCCESS**
Thomas attack the crazed power station worker.
**Agility roll (13) to hit unarmed. Roll over 14 will kill.
Thomas 8 + trait of 8 = 16 _ SUCCESS**
Thomas kills the worker._
Does Sam notice the zombies in the street coming closer?
**Awareness (11) to spot the zombies.
Sam 9 + trait of 5 = 14 _ SUCCESS**
Sam catches sight of the zombies_ .
Does Sam drive off?
**Tenacity (12) to leave the rest of the group behind.
Sam 2 + trait of 3 = 5 _ FAILURE**
Sam doesn't drive off, and begins blowing the air horn._
The air horn attracts zombies. Sam will have to think fast.
**Ingenuty (12) to fortify the cab against zombies.
Sam 2 + trait of 6 = 8 _ FAILURE**
Sam and Jeff are subjected to zombie attacks!_
Can Sam and Jeff avoid any serious damage?
**Agility (12) to get away from the windows and avoid the zombies' grasp. He will need 14 or higher to also save Jeff.
Sam 9 + trait of 5 = 14 _ SUCCESS**
Sam manages to protect Jeff and evade the zombies... but for how long?_
No one in this chapter loses a Plot Point because there is a Harrowing Event taking place and, alas, James Matrix is meeting his end in this chapter, and it may be possible that more characters are going to lose their life as well. Here is a chance for all readers (contributing and non-contributing alike) to help try and save their favorite character(s). Though James will die, it may yet be possible that maybe... just maybe... he has something to contribute.
During this Harrowing Event, rolls will help a character survive but what it really comes down to are Plot Points. The more Plot Points a character has the better chance they will have to survive. Since no plot points are lost this story, everyone has at least 0... but they will probably want more than that. This is where readers come in.
Non-contributing readers may still provide a single vote for the character of their choice they would like to survive; the character with the most votes will automatically gain 1 plot point. Please note that any Plot Point sent toward James Matrix will instead provide more meaning/drama to his death than what was already provided... otherwise, we have seen the last of him with no real heroic last-stand or meaningful self-sacrifice. But wait-- there's more! Characters now have the capacity to recharge Plot Points through the end of this scene! Contributing and Non-contributing readers may provide bonus plot points for any character by providing fan art (with a cap of up to 5 bonus Plot Points).
You heard me: FAN ART! Post a link to your fan art on this story page. You could have done it yourself or it could be commissioned. Fan art may be of any character or might be a snapshot from one of the scenes thus far... it maybe it could be a fake movie poster for the Apoc-Fur-Lypse, a la something from Left 4 Dead. Make it creative, make it fun, make it meaningful-- just make it! And you may want to make it quickly because the results of the Harrowing Event will be up next week! Also be sure to include which character you'd like to favor with a plot point! You have one week from the date this story posts.
Contributing readers also have an opportunity to earn 1 bonus Plot Point for their character either by submitting their own art or by doing a write-up of events from their contributed character's point of view (2-5 pages), either in the form of a journal entry, train-of-thought, or personal narrative. Providing a link in a comment to this post is the way to go! Heck... you may want to advertise it on your page to encourage others to come vote/contribute for you too!
Once all Plot Points are tabulated the character with the least number of Plot Points may still die (in addition to poor James Matrix). Among the remaining characters bad rolls and low Plot Point scores may result in even more deaths so snap to it, folks; you don't have much time!
Lets cross are fingers and hope that as many characters from Group 4 survive as possible... the conclusion of Scene 3, the Harrowing Event will be posted in one week's time. Good luck!