Tonight The World Dies: Chapter Two
Okay, so this is chapter two of a short apocalypse type story I've been working on. It's taking me awhile, mostly due to a lack of desire to write, but I can't help but enjoy it when things finally come together. I think this is actually one of my largest chapters yet, and while it doesn't have a massive amount of action, I did my best to try and continue bringing out the characters's personalities. Hopefully those reading will enjoy. Death, violence, and zombies, will ALL follow en mass during the next chapter. For now... you get character developement 
As always, links to music will be posted that I thought fit the particular section to a certain extent.
A quick note. For those that have not read the first chapter of this short series, it might be a good idea to do so, so as not to confuse. http://www.sofurry.com/page/266451/user
Tonight, the world dies.
Chapter Two.
June 29th, 2011...
9:50 PM
Somewhere In Washington DC...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYyE2ItjRHE
Alastar trailed off for a moment, remembering that fateful day, the day of the outbreak, or at least the first signs of it. Brian and Connor both waited patiently, although Connor remained a bit more patient, the younger human male showed quite a bit of sympathy for the young drake. Alastar knew this, knew he could have probably taken advantage of it somehow, gotten things already, maybe even escaped, but... despite this, he knew he was dead in the long run. His survival so far had been because of luck, and quite a bit of ammunition. His family, at least those closest to him, were already dead. He had little to live for from this point onward, aside from the thrill, and he knew that eventually, even survival would likely become a menial task.
Alastar simply resigned himself for now. Even if he was dead, and even if he might get bored later, perhaps he could at least get revenge. That was the main thing that kept him going right now, that kept him talking, cooperating. If not for that one desire, that desire to avenge his family... He actually laughed at that thought, earning a confused look from both Brian and Connor. Hell, he sure didn't blame him, they probably thought he was going insane now, and rightfully so. The drake regained his composure, and the best poker face he could muster. No need to look like a little bitch in front of government agents, right?
"Well..." He began again. "Like I said, at least for me, all this began a few weeks ago. June 13th, I know I'll loath that day for years to come... if I live that long. My mother, for quite a few years, was what I called a drug addict. She wasn't an actual addict or anything, but with all the times she went to the doctor, and all the pills she took for various 'illnesses' she might as well have been. Hell, I didn't even know what half those bottles were for, they were probably causing most of her health problems, but like most women, she had it in her head that those things were hel---" The drake trailed off, noticing Brian's slightly confused stare. Connor remained focused, but Alastar could read it in both the human's eyes, and quickly got himself back onto track, knowing that pointless ramblings about his family life would get him nowhere. "Anyways, a few days later, we got a letter in the mail. I opened it first, took a short glance at it, started to throw it away, then read it more carefully. As soon as I saw "government order" I handed the letter to my father. Signed by the president or not, I didn't give a shit. Hospital visits were never my thing anyways, and about the only thing that would get me to one was a broken bone. Father did the same thing, took a quick glance at it, then started to toss it in the trash. I wanted to burn the thing, just for the hell of it, but that's where, looking back, everything went south. My mother came out onto the porch, and, curious as always, asked what it was we were both looking at. My father showed her, but she actually took the time to read it. I guess she got it in her head that she needed this vaccination, even though she had no symptoms. Went to the local hospital that day and got the shot... didn't tell my father, but she told me. I tried to talk her out of it, and when she wouldn't listen, I just kept it to myself. Parents argued enough already, I figured, why fan the flames... biggest mistake of my life..."
"So, how long did it actually take?" Brian broke in, a curious look on his face, yet he knew such a question to increase the tension in the room significantly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYEs60oMCk
"Same as everyone else... Three days since the time of vaccination. Over those next three days, she seemed fine, even said she felt great... I didn't think any more of it, and my father never even found out. It was on that third day that my own personal hell started..." The drake stopped, placing his head in his arms as he continued. "She got sick that third day... really sick... My father and I tried to take care of her, but we couldn't figure out what was happening. I think she went into a coma at that point, it was some time in the afternoon... can't remember the exact time. The thing I remember most clearly was going to the bathroom, then hearing my dad shout. It wasn't the usual shout of anger... that was the first, and only time I'd ever heard him shout, or scream, if you will, in fear... I froze for a brief moment, my heart pounding as I ran out into the living room. The sight that greeted me was like something out of a horror movie. My mother was biting my father's throat. She was latched on to his neck like a wild animal, blood was spurting everywhere. I just stood there, shocked, like an idiot, I didn't do anything... My father didn't even notice me. My mother was shrieking, even as my father tried to pry her away. It didn't work. I finally ran into my room... I didn't hide however..." Again, the drake trailed off, looking at Brian sternly, his eyes filled with tears "Do you know what it's like to have to shoot your own mother in the skull?"
Brian remained silent for a moment before he started to answer, but he was quickly cut off as Alastar continued.
"A soldier is told to go out and kill. He is told to murder people he doesn't know, people he has no connections with, to kill them outright simply because of a single reason. Sometimes that soldier feels remorse about it, but the continued desire for survival and victory keeps that soldier alive... I didn't kill someone I had no connections to... I killed the very person who had brought me into this world."
Connor was still watching, his face, for once, nearly expressionless. Brian knew where things were going, he knew what happened to those infected, what they turned in to. Glancing towards Connor, Brian motioned for the drake to continue, albeit he was starting to feel the weight of Alastar's story. It was hard to explain, his emotions right now. He'd watched hundreds die on the news, before the networks went down anyways, and it hadn't stirred much emotion in him. Now, this single story, coming from a creature of a species that he had hated his whole life, was actually bringing sadness to him.
"A single bullet, that was all it took. One shot to the head... her body went limp after that. My father was already dead by that point, at least, I think he was. His body wasn't moving, I didn't feel for a pulse... I was too afraid to get near him... It only took my mind a few brief moments to realize what had happened, but I still had trouble believing it." Alastar's voice hardened slightly, a bit of anger fusing with his words now as he raised his head and wiped his eyes quickly, trying not to show any weakness, yet he knew it was already a bit late for that. "I moved a couch over by the front door, locked it tight, then waited. It didn't take that long, not as long as I thought anyways, for the virus to reanimate my father's body. Sitting on that couch, it was like a nightmare as his limbs started to twitch. I couldn't help but to try and talk to him, to hope that I was wrong, a simple "Dad" was all I really said, but as he started to stagger to his feet, the look in his eyes told me all I needed to know. For the second time that day, I severed the physical connection I held with a parent, using my father's own gun to do the deed. The second time didn't hurt as much though... I guess I'd already accepted what was happening, deep down I knew it had to be done."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPPJXG9RUQc
Alastar didn't bother going into the details, and Brian didn't pressure him. Connor said he'd already heard this part of the story, or at least, Brian assumed by his earlier comment that he had. Brian raised a finger to interject, to ask if the drake needed some time alone, but he was cut off by another knock at the door. All three of the room's occupants turned towards the door as an older Caucasian male, human, and in his late fifties, entered the room. The man was quite tall, yet his build was that of a much smaller man, thin and wiry. He had a short beard and mustache, making him appear much older than he actually was. Brian immediately scowled as he recognized the man. Rafael Calhoun was the head of the entire facility, and the lead scientist among a group of more than twenty of America's most brilliant minds at work on discovering a cure for this plague. He was also, at least in Brian's personal opinion, an arrogant, self-absorbed, conniving, greedy bastard. Brian had watched this man worm his way to the top, whether through favors, or even blackmail, it didn't matter to Rafael. The bastard seemed to be willing to do anything to get power, yet his knowledge gave him all the bargaining chips he needed. Despite his greed and arrogance, all those in a position of power that oversaw this project agreed that they needed this man. Brian disagreed. Rafael looked down on basically everyone around him, every mistake was a capital punishment, every blunder, no matter how small, was reason enough to fire the culprit, to treat him or her like trash. Neither Connor nor Brian were on solid ground with this man, for they both saw eye to eye when it came to their opinion on Rafael. His lack of respect, even to those who had earned it, was something neither of them agreed with. The simple fact that he looked down on all those around him, just as he did now, set Brian on edge.
"I trust that you are not lollygagging, Mr. Alexander. Sooner or later, it would be rather nice to have the information I requested almost a week ago. I also trust that this... interview, will go better than the last one."
Brian had to resist the urge to punch the man, elderly or not, he could not stand Rafael, and judging by the look on Connor's face, the same thought was going through his mind as well. "... Yes, sir. As I said before though, I do not believe that we will retrieve any useful information from this particular method. This boy knows no more than the others, and"
Rafael cut Brian off with a simple gesture, his tone moving to that of a parent scolding a child "Now, Mr. Alexander. You have already let your concerns be known, and I have made it clear that your 'concerns' are of no value. Those who have been brought in to this facility have not contracted the virus, therefor, they must know something, and we will learn what they know. I trust you will finish this task on ti-"
This time, it was Rafael who was cut off mid-sentence. Brian blinked in surprise as he saw a small object bounce off Rafael's forehead. The man looked just as surprised as Brian as he bent down to pick up the object, coming back up with what looked to Brian like an empty shell casing. Brian looked to Connor, expecting to see a smirk on the younger man's face, but when he noted the same confusion showing on Connor's face, Brian didn't know what to think. It was then that he turned towards Alastar. His eyes widened a bit as he saw the drake holding a similar shell casing between his right index finger and thumb. Rafael apparently saw this as well, the man's expression darkening as he turned away and headed for the door.
"I expect to see this animal in a cell where he belongs once you are finished with him. I assume you will have no trouble accomplishing this task, Mr. Alexander..." With that, Rafael left the room, but the tension and hostility he'd brought with him did not.
"Asshole" This was voiced by both Connor and Alastar almost simultaneously, which earned an amused, if not somewhat surprised, look from Brian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQrVrUbFKsc
Alastar glanced from Brian to Connor, looking a bit confused as the tension began to fade after a few brief moments "So, what was that all about?" He asked curiously, his gaze focusing on Brian "What did he mean by The Last one?... Guess I should ask who the ass was as well. Might as well know the names of everyone Not to try and save..." The drake trailed off, glancing at the door once more, a hint of a smile on his face.
"The last time" Brian began "another subject, I mean person, was brought in, much like yourself. He had a similar case; family killed by the infection, hadn't taken the vaccine. However, this man had lost his sanity due to the things he'd seen. Well, most of his sanity anyways. He was able to give a brief account of what happened, brief being the operative word. Less than an hour in to the interview, he leaped to his feet, catching one of the guards in the room by surprise. It was... surprising, really, how fast he managed to wrestle the guard's sidearm away. Instead of opening fire on myself and the guard however, he put the gun to his head and killed himself..."
"Poor bastard, I can't even imagine what he must have gone through to make him lose his mind like that" Connor mumbled, shaking his head.
"Hm... Well, I'll try to avoid doing the same thing... assuming of course you don't put me in a cage..." The drake chuckled nervously, earning two slightly amused glances from Connor and Brian. He was doing his best to keep the mood up, at least above the point of complete despair, but even with someone to talk to, and in Connor's case, possibly even relate to... it wasn't easy. His tone, while joking, had an underlying hint of fear laced into its depths, and try as he might, Alastar couldn't deny that the idea scared him, possibly more than the zombies that now roamed the streets.
"Don't worry about that, Alastar, I think we can keep you out of jail for now. Shall we continue with your account?" Brian glanced back at the door, making sure no one was lurking.
Connor remained quiet, aside from the occasional chuckle as he thought back on what the drake had done to the director.
Alastar nodded, and while he quickly resumed his account of the past few days, his mind was becoming rather troubled over the events of here and now. "Well... After my parents were... dead... it took a while, but I finally regained my wits and started preparing for what was to come, as best as I could anyways. It wasn't like I really knew what was to come. I had ideas, thoughts on the possibilities, fears on what could be, and like anyone, fears of the unknown. Luckily, a good part of my family is what you might call Rednecks..."
Connor smirked, catching the joke, Brian however either didn't get it, or he didn't show it, content to remain in his seat, his chin resting on his hands.
"so we had plenty of... home defense devices. I had everything I needed in just over an hour; food, water, guns, knives, ammunition, everything. Somehow I managed to fit it all in one pack..." He mused, rubbing his forehead "Never would have thought I could shove that much shit into one bag. Guess from there, it was, shall I say... Your standard horror movie type setting?"
Both Brian and Connor nodded almost simultaneously, agreement was definitely in unison.
"How much detail do you guys want?" Alastar asked, knowing his story could take hours if he went in to detail about it. "The short version is that, after gathering everything I needed, I waited another day before leaving. By that time, everything had gone to hell. The roads were filled with cars, many of them abandoned. They were filled with bodies as well... not all of them as dead as they looked. I knew I'd never get anywhere by car, so I took my dirt bike and started heading south, trying to reach Virginia. That didn't go to well though. It wasn't the zombies that got me, it was my own government, right on the Maryland border... Well, you know the rest from there. Wasn't sure whether to be glad that I wasn't the only one alive, or pissed off because I'd been caught and disarmed by the same bastards who were supposed to be protecting me... The long version..."
Brian cut the drake off, shaking his head. "It's getting late. I'm sure you're as tired as the rest of us, and I think it might be time to take a break. I can set you up in a room... not a cell" Brian added quickly, the look on the drake's face relaxing a bit. "We can continue tomorrow. I figure, a single day won't make a difference, and, if you're as tired as you look..."
"You don't look so good yourself, Brian" Connor chimed in with a grin.
"... then you should probably get some rest before we continue. I don't think you'll be able to provide this department with anything we don't already know. Your story so far strengthened my suspicion; that the virus was manmade. The reason such an epidemic would be released on the public is something I can only speculate on, however. Connor, would you mind showing Alastar to room 36? I'm going to... go see if I can't take care of something..." Brian trailed off, his face expressionless.
The drake looked from one human to the other, shrugging. "Works for me. As long as it doesn't have bars on the windows or a padlock on the door, I'm fine"
"Nothing like that" Connor mumbled "It's not exactly a five star hotel with an Oceanside view, no mini-fridge or anything like that, but the bed is comfy, so you should be fine" Connor stood up, beckoning the drake to follow before grabbing his things. He looked to Brian, curious about what his friend was going to go do, but after a moment, he let the thought pass and led Alastar out of the room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySriyQaQi_g
About forty minutes later, Alastar was gazing around his new home, if it could really be called that. Connor stood behind him, smiling weakly. The room was bare, empty, aside from a bed and another door that Connor had said led to the bathroom, there was basically nothing in the room. At least, Alastar thought, it wasn't that small. He guessed it was about twenty by twenty feet, more than big enough for one person. "Well, you were right... it's definitely not a five star hotel..." The drake mumbled, sighing.
Connor almost looked hurt, yet a hint of sympathy shown in his eyes "It's about the best you can get, at least here and now. Unless you ran this facility, this is about as big as the rooms come. I guess you're used to bigger areas, but this is the best that you're going to get at the moment."
The drake shook his head, turning towards Connor, a thankful smile on his face "No, it's not the size, it's actually about twice the size of my old room. Guess I just miss home... Thank you, though, for doing this for me. I had it in my mind that I was going to be sleeping in a cell tonight..."
Connor nodded, understanding dawning "Well, there's not much in the way of furnishings in this place, but I may be able to dig up a TV somewhere, maybe even a DVD player."
"Huh... that sounds cool. It wouldn't definitely help pass the time, but... given the choice... Think you can just get my MP3 player back? It was in my bag with everything else. Hopefully it didn't get broken."
Connor shook his head slowly "Your equipment was all confiscated when you were cap--- escorted here... I don't have the clearance to get it back..."
Alastar nodded, sighing as he walked into the room "Guess I'll be doing without." He looked back at Connor hopefully "Got any cards? Maybe a few dozen games of poker are in order?"
This time, Connor nodded, grinning "That I can provide. I think we should save it for another day though. It's getting a bit late, and I don't know about you, but I'm beat." Connor yawned to emphasize.
The drake nodded, flopping down on the bed and getting a squeak of protest from the old mattress's springs. "I can live with that..." He yawned as well, his eyes drifting closed.
Connor smiled, nodding as he turned to leave, almost bumping into Brian, who held large black bag in his left hand. "Whoa! Sorry Brian, didn't see you there" Connor glanced from his friend's face to the bag, curiosity brimming "Did you finally lose it and kill Rafael?"
The drake glanced at Brian as the man lifted up the bag, shaking his head with a chuckle "No, I haven't gone that far yet, although... this is almost as bad." He walked into the room, setting the large bag down by the drake's bed and grinning "I decided to pay your things a visit, Alastar. Everything you were apprehended with is in there..."
Connor looked at Brian, the man almost looking fearful of what had just been said.
"Even my guns?" Alastar asked, practically leaping out of the bed and moving to kneel over the bag.
Brian nodded "Even your guns"
Connor grabbed Brian by the arm, practically dragging him from the room, only giving the drake a brief nod as he closed the door behind the two, leaving Alastar to with his cache.
"Are you nuts!?" Connor said once the door had been closed and they were out of earshot. "Rafael will have our heads!" Connor was on the verge of shouting "I mean, I want to help the kid and all, but this could get us shot!... or worse..."
Brian looked forlorn, shaking his head as he placed a gentle hand on the other man's shoulder "Don't worry about it. I'll take the blame for anything that happens. Besides, at the moment, only the three of us know about this. I don't know how to say this, but... I trust that Alastar won't do anything to make me regret this..." Brian trailed off, leaving Connor to finish anything he wanted to say.
Connor however, remained quiet, merely nodding as he gazed into Brian's eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke again "I hope your right..." he said simply, sighing. "Lord knows we've got enough problems on our hands without someone on the inside trying to kill us..."
"It'll be fine" Brian reassured his friend, pointing down the hall "Come on, let's get some sleep. We both need it"
Connor Nodded to this, and the two men separated, going off towards their separate rooms.
Back in his room, Alastar hadn't heard a word on anything. He was too busy hiding everything, making sure it was close at hand, yet out of view. He thought that perhaps it may have been a mistake to turn his MP3 on so soon, the earbuds he now wore made it almost impossible for him to hear if someone was at the door, but he didn't care. As he finally finished this task and sprawled out in bed, his mind drifted off to a more peaceful place as Country Roads began playing.
(For those curious... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k49paH8plfY )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtO8Nq95gjY
Alastar awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright. His mind had been plagued with horrifying dreams, depriving him of a good night's sleep. For a moment, he didn't know where he was, barely holding back a wave of panic as he gazed around the dark room he was in. He could barely see, his gaze darting around the small room, his eyes filled with fear, until finally, he remembered what had happened. He fumbled around for a moment, finally tracing the wire from his earbuds down to his MP3, which had fallen to the floor. Glancing at the time, he was surprised to see that only two hours had passed since he'd fallen asleep. He leaned back, sighing and shaking his head, trying to regain his composure. A moment later, there was a knock at the door, which startled the drake, setting his mind back on edge. He again fumbled around in the dark for a moment, finding his PT92 rather quickly, he held the weapon at the ready "Come in..." Instead of the door opening like expected, it remained closed, no reply coming from the other side. The room seemed to go deathly silent, and while Alastar's rational mind knew it was just an illusion, that part of him wasn't in control right now. The room even seemed to grow colder as the silence grew unbearable. Alastar looked from the door to his weapon, noticing that his hand was shaking. He tried to steady his aim, but even when he placed his other hand on the weapon, his grip continued to quiver. The chills that he felt soon spread through his entire body, and within seconds, the drake was quaking, unable to control the fear that he now felt. His blood chilled as the doorknob turned, sending an unbearable screech through the room, which utterly shattered the silence. "Get a hold of yourself, dipshit! It just needs oil..." His own words sounded unbelieving, small, weak... but he didn't have time to dwell on this fact. The doorknob turned again, this time, opening just a crack. Alastar again tried to steady his weapon, his finger squeezing the trigger gently. For a moment, he actually thought that, perhaps the wind had merely opened the door... but wind did not turn doorknobs...
Alastar stared in horror as the door suddenly opened, revealing a figure standing in the shadows. It took him a moment, but he quickly placed the figure in the doorway "C-Connor?" Again, he heard his voice, quivering and weak. "Come o-on, Connor... e-enough with the jokes... You got me..." A light suddenly shown on the figure, not much, perhaps moonlight from a window. His mind didn't recognize what it saw at first, instead turning to the notion that there had not been any windows in the room before. As he focused again on the figure however, his eyes widened. Alastar screamed as he realized what he was staring at. The figure before him was mangled beyond anything he'd seen before. Connor's jaw... no, this wasn't Connor... hung limply from the rest of his skull, which was missing about a third of its mass. Blood dripped from the creature's teeth, what few were left in its skull that was. Its flesh appeared to be rotten, strips of meat hanging from the creature's body like chains from a prisoner. Bone and muscle showed in many places, it was surprising just how much horrifying detail the drake could see in the dark. The thing was missing half of its left arm, the appendage severed at the elbow, leaving nothing but a bloody stump in its place. The face though, no matter what else he looked at, remained the worst. Aside from the disjointed jaw, its right eye was missing, leaving a hollow black hole in its wake. The nose was gone as well, apparently rotted away.
The moment of horror that Alastar had taken to examine the creature passed quickly, but not quickly enough. The creature suddenly screeched, the sound setting the drake's teeth to chattering as the rotting mass of flesh and bone lunged at him. Alastar shouted in fear, pulling the trigger on his revolver... Nothing happened. He pulled the trigger again... click... It was the weapon's only response as the hammer struck, getting no other reaction. Again, Alastar screamed, but it was both in fear and pain as the creature leaped atop him, claws that he hadn't noticed before suddenly tearing through his flesh before he could react. The hisses and growls did nothing to ease his pain as the creature tore into the drake, each slash at his scales brought another wail of terror from his lips, but it did not end there, only continuing to increase the pain that was coursing through his body. He knew it was over... Alastar knew he was dead, defeated, and that he would probably be the same soon as this horror that now sat atop him, slowly ripping his body apart. Another moment and he began to feel darkness overtaking him, his vision blurring at the edges as his blood flowed onto the floor below. Alastar was ripped out of this dismal peace however, choking out another gasp of pain as a bloody, clawed hand dug its way into his chest, ripping through bone, flesh, and muscle before finally reaching his heart. A pain filled his chest, unlike anything he'd endured yet as the creature grasped his heart, squeezing the life out of the dragon under it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY9Ou6jSzAY
Alastar's eyes fluttered open and immediately closed as a bright light shined on his face. He sat up slowly, glancing around the blank room, a paw drifting to rub at his head "Ugh... what a nightmare..." He dug a claw into the scales on his scalp, just to ensure that he wasn't dreaming now. The reassuring pain that followed was nothing like what he'd just felt in his dreams, but he knew this pain was real and not imagined, and would fade in a few seconds. The drake's eyes continued to scan the room, a hint of fear still showing in their sapphire depths. The dream realm still lingered in his mind, horrifying, even though he knew that it was nothing but a dream. He eyed the door warily as the knob turned, his arm darting under his pillow to grab his Ruger Security Six. He wasn't greeted by a monstrosity this time though, instead, Connor stepped into the room, glancing at Alastar curiously.
"You okay? I heard screaming, thought the base had been invaded..." Connor's gaze finally focused on the lingering terror that remained on the drake's face, his curiosity growing.
Alastar nodded after a moment, removing his paw from under the pillow before resting both paws in his lap. "Sorry about that... I hope I didn't wake the whole facility up..."
Connor took a final glance at the drake and shrugged "Well, it's 5AM, figured since you were up, might as well start the day. Brian has been up for over two hours already. He asked me to come fetch you so we could finish the interview up... I'll just pretend what I heard never happened..." Connor had a good idea what had happened, even if he didn't say so. "I see you slept in your clothes... guess there's no need to get dressed. Take a few minutes and get anything you need, then we'll head out and get this out of the way."
June 30th, 2011...
5:15 AM...
It had taken a few minutes for the drake to regain his composure, but after that, it was all downhill. He'd followed Connor down a series well lit corridors, and while he still didn't know where he was, the lack of windows was enough in and of itself to tell him they were obviously underground. Alastar found it odd that they really didn't pass any people on the way to the interrogation room. He had been told it wasn't an interrogation, but he knew, despite the hospitality given to him by the two humans, he was still a prisoner. He wasn't really sure how long he'd been walking before they reached the room, having been distracted by trying to memorize the route taken. Could have been a few minutes, or an hour, he wasn't sure, but it felt good to get some exercise, even if it was only walking. Brian greeted the pair with a cheerful "good morning." at the door, quickly sitting down in same position that he had been in the previous day. Connor, after showing the drake a chair, did the same. Alastar took his seat, glancing back at the door, yawning as he sat down.
"Well, I assume you both got a good night's sleep?" Brian asked, pulling out a manila folder and setting it on the table. "I wanted to go over the various symptoms of the virus today, even if you have already seen them. Perhaps we can come up with an idea, at least, a better idea, of what we're - - -" Brian glanced at Connor as the man's radio crackled with static. "I think you should take care of that before we begin"
Connor nodded and slipped the black handheld radio from his belt, listening a bit more carefully for a moment before depressing the call button and speaking into the radio. "Report" He stated flatly, obviously having no desire to be bothered right now.
Alastar listened in silence, yawning.
"Sir" The voice came through clearly. "I thought you should know, we have several security cameras down on the outskirts of the facility. Those down in maintenance believe it's just a minor systems failure, but I thought I'd let you know ahead of time that we'll be sending a small team out to repair them."
Connor listened in silence, suppressing a yawn as he answered "Equipment is always breaking down, Dave. Don't worry about it. Just get that team out there to repair it so we don't have some flesh eating bastards knocking on our doors without our knowledge. I'm glad you called me, but from here on out, save such things for the head of security. We can chill when the shifts change, until then, stick to the chain of command for the moment. Everything runs smoother when the rules are followed..." Connor didn't entirely agree with this statement, but he was talking over an open line... no need to get bitched at because he insulted a superior officer.
"Sir, very well, sir..." The radio went silent again.
Connor sighed and slipped the handheld back on his belt, looking apologetic. "Sorry, Brian, didn't mean to interrupt"
Brian nodded, grinning "New kids jump at everything, it's not a problem."
Alastar just remained silent, his thoughts beginning to wander... A hint of worry played on his face as he refocused on Brian, who opened the manila folder and began flipping through the pages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irnSaMbsb4w
And, as the end credits begin to roll, it is clear that this chapter's end is merely the beginning to the nightmare that will soon follow.