Residencies

After a brief surprise from her friend Leona, Pamela returned to munching, while thinking about future.

Soon her another room-mate returned, she was an unfamiliar brown-haired woman she had met just in the morning.

Just a single look at her screamed whistleblower.

" Do you know, the protestors stopped protesting! " The woman said while eating.

She was above average looking and the way she ate was graceful.

Also the clothes she had on, were from some popular brand. Making Pamlea sure that this woman had come from a good background.

But, the way she kept moving her mouth as if she always had something to say was irritating.

Still, she focused on the woman's words.

" What? Weren't they very aggressive? " Pamela was surprised.

" The few ones who were leading the protest had a meeting with Mr Alex, then... They came to some decision it seems. "

" What about the ones who are missing? Didn't their relatives make noise? " Pamela asked.

" Noise? You joke. Once the leading protestors stopped. Those women dispersed on their own. Some had to be persuaded forcefully but they also soon stopped, " The woman snorted.

She didn't have any relatives alive around here. Also, the woman knew that Pamela's husband had returned.

So, she talked without reserve. Feeling great!

But, then she said in a small voice, " The other room-mate of ours. Her son and husband actually didn't return. So, don't talk about this in front of her... "

Knock!

" It seems she is here, " The woman said as she stopped eating.

She then went to open the door.

The one who came in was a middle aged woman with haggard expression whose eyes held sorrow and helplessness.

The woman's eyes were also swollen, most likely from crying a lot.

After coming in, she silently went to her bed and covered herself in the blanket.

But, the sobs that could be heard from the blanket were clear indication of grief the woman was experiencing.

" Coward. Couldn't even stand up, " The brown haired woman whispered with a snort and continued eating.

Pamela also continued silenty, not approaching the woman.

After dinner, Pamela went out for some fresh air and to meet her dear husband.

She wasn't surprised to see the hallway of girl's dormitory mostly empty.

Most women were frail-minded and what they had seen for the last week was everything out of a horror movie.

So, they cooped themselves up in their rooms like typical otakus.

Only coming out to eat. Not even meeting up with their relatives in 4th tier residency.

Some women could be seen sometimes, but not many talked and mostly just gave forced smiles or nodded at each other.

Pamela had a staying on the 6th floor.

If she wanted to go down, she would need to use staircases.

The elevator was working but it wasn't for them to use.

So, she descended the staircases slowly.

She didn't have arthritis and was young, so the descent was not much tiring.

" Sigh... Going up again, will be tiring... " She sighed heavily.

At the main entrance of the girls' dormitory, her identity had to be checked.

Checking wasn't much.

Just her information was compared with the information in database.

Pamela stood in a small line where few more women just like her wanted to leave the 3rd tier residency.

" I heard, the 2nd tier ones don't have these check ups... "

" I'm staying at 4th floor. It's too tiring to come down and go up... "

" Why aren't they letting us use elevators... "

" I don't even have air conditioning in my room. I'm going to report this... My daddy is the..."

Pamela could hear that the people were full of complaints.

The two women checking the identities could also hear them, but they said nothing.

As if what these women talked didn't even matter...

" You! How can you people confine us like this? I don't want to wait in this line. I'm leaving! " As expected one of the few started making a racket.

The two women checking identities arrogantly looked at the woman making racket.

Next what happened was really horrifyingly civilized for these civilized people...

The racket causing woman had to be carried away to the infirmary, her situation unknown.

" Don't make problems here. We're already very lenient by only sending you to rehabilitation center. If someone in 4th tier residency dared to talk like this, they would have been killed at the spot, " The woman who seemed liked the in-charge here said.

" W-We're sorry Ma'am... " The women said, clearly afraid of the in-charge woman.

" I'm in good mood. So, I'll let this pass. Also, call me Lady Jill from now on. I have been promoted, " The woman named Lady Jill said proudly as if flaunting something, as she went back to seat at one side.

The two woman who were checking identities looked at Lady Jill's back in envy.

But, the started doing their work properly.

Pamela felt weird calling someone a Lady in this time, but she had no plans to not obey this Lady Jill.

After that, she quietly waited while eavesdropping on other's conversation.

" Lady Jill is actually very strong... She was escorting my vehicle yesterday and when a very strong zombie most likely a Stage 2 one appeared, she along with few others killed it! "

" So strong? She most likely is above Level 15 then... "

" While they're growing strong, I'm just Level 0. "

" Who stopped you, you can buy the weapons very cheaply. It just costs ten credits for a battle axe. "

" But, I haven't even held a kitchen knife... My daddy is..."

" Who cares. Let's register in a team and leave for zombie hunting tomorrow... "

Everyone in 3rd tier residency was informed of the Teams in the Exploration department.

There were few more departments and Pamela knew of Resources, Internal and External Security, Construction and medical departments.

Resources Department focused on food and water distribution. Pamela herself had a mandatory job there.

Security department was for security. The Lady Jill in front of her, most likely was a high level officer in Internal Security Department.

If there was Internal, then there was bound to be External Security Department which focused on the security of walls around the campus.

Construction department was as name suggested. Pamela's husband was forced to work under them as a worker to build walls and barricades.

Security Department was the one who 'protected' Or more likely controlled these men from 4th tier residency.

Forcing them like dogs to work!

Medical Department was for healing...

Pamela had heard about these department while just passing by and didn't know much.

But, Exploration Department was specially popularized in Tier 3 Residency.

Saying that the ones who will do good there, will be promoted to 2nd tier residency.

Of course department was popular, but everyone hesitated before going there.

After all for Exploration one needed to bet on their lives.

The department was simple...

For joining in Exploration, one just needed to visit their office in Auditorium and join any team they wanted.

Teams were made by the women in 2nd Tier Residency of course.

Since this was just first day of almost all the people in the campus, most women were only thinking about joining.

Line moved forward slowly.

After doing a thumb scanning, Pamela left the residential area.

The area outside was lot more chaotic and noisey.

It was as if, Pamela had just come to the lower class area from a high class area.

She silently made her way to the tent where her husband was supposed to live.

But, there she found something unexpected.

" You bastard! This place is now mine. Get lost! " A man wearing a brown jacket and with bald head had just kicked another man to a ground.

There were many men around the place, who were jeering and joking as they looked at the scene.

Pamela had to shove some men away to take a good look at the man on ground's face.

" Jason! " Pamela said loudly as she ran towards the man on the ground.

He was her husband.

" Why are you here!? " Jason dusted his hand which was full of scratches from the day's work.

He looked at his wife with painful expression.

This woman was living a life of luxury while he had to work hard just for a piece of bread.

Yes. The people in the 4th tier residency were forced to work, only then could them eat something.

Another way was to leave the camp, and come back with items outside which gave meager credits.

Jason was jealous of his own wife.

" Oh, you're his wife. Your husband actually owes me some credits. Will you pay instead of him? " The bald man said with an evil smirk.

" How much? " Pamela glared at the man.

" Pamela, it's none of your business. Get lost, " Jason as if afraid tried to send Pamela away.

" Well, it's just 100 credits, " The man said with a smile.

Pamela was shocked, " How does he owe you so much? "

Pamela's today's earning was just 100 Credits.

While, Jason's was only 20 Credits from which he could barely afford food for himself.

" We played a gambling game. He lost. Don't make me repeat again woman. Hand over the money or I'm breaking his legs now, " The bald man said.

He of course didn't dare to break Jason's legs in front of his wife who was from 3rd tier residency, but he could threaten well.

" I-I don't have that much... "

" How much do you have on your name? " The bald man asked.

" I-I have 57 credits... That's all i have, " Pamela said.

" Pamela you don't need to... " Jason said trying to stop his wife.

" It's okay... Just don't associate with such people again. Okay? " Pamela said sadly.

If it was for her husband, then these credits weren't anything.

The transfer of credit was easy.

They just had to go to the nearest booth, which had a computer.

The ones who didn't have a working phone could use these computers attached around.

Pamela hadn't used it before, but the bald man was very proficient.

The exchange was quickly done and the credits which Pamela had tried to save to get some better food items for herself and her husband were gone like that.

Pamela with sad heart went back to her husband, and gave him some food she had bought with her credits.

Jason was moved to tears, as he hugged his wife.

" If you face any problem... Make sure to tell me. I'll do my best to help you, " Pamela promised.

" Can't you take me in your place? I can just hide, " Jason suggested.

" No. That's impossible... Today someone tried that and was actually... Killed. Please don't try anything like that, " Pamela sincerely said.

Flash of contempt passed in Jason's eyes, but he hid it.

" I see... Then it's okay. You also tell me if you have any problems and take care, " He said.

" Yes. Take care, " Pamela and Jason chatted for a while.

Then they bid goodbye and Pamela left reluctantly.

A little far away two figures were watching the scenario.

" This is the fourth 3rd tier resident they have deceived. Shouldn't we stop them? " The feminine voice said.

" No. Master has only told to observe for some time. Besides, even if we stop this there are many more cases like this going on, " Said another girl.

They were Julie and Perrie who were part of Internal Security Department.

They had observed many places where the residents of 4th tier residency had blackmailed or forced their relatives to hand over the credits.

The case of Pamela now was just one of them.

They watched Jason laughing arm in arm with the bald man who had kicked him to the ground.

From the nearby sound recorder they knew that, these men planned to buy weapons with these credits and leave for Exploration outside.

Alex didn't stop these people from going out to fight zombies.

But, the residents of 4th tier residency had to submit at least some fixed resources before they returned from outside.

Of course they would get some credits for this work.

But, the matter was...

The area around Unison High in ten thousand metres was already cleared out by Exploration department in just one day.

For more resources they would need to venture further, from where returning alive was a question.

Such concerns were unnecessary for those from 3rd tier residency and higher, because each Exploration team will have at least one Level 15+ human.

" I wonder how many of them will return alive, " Julie laughed.

" You're right... Let's return to our post, " Perrie replied.

This was just the first day, and Unison High was bustling with a lot of activities.

As the Security Department members holding considerable positions they needed to make sure everything was going alright.