On a Piping Run I

I decided to go to Hydrodynamic's warehouse and grabbed some food along with one of the shotguns and a couple of boxes of shells before telling everyone my standing orders.

"Alright, I'll try and be quick but I may take a day or two to get the supplies, so I need you all to strengthen the inter-building transport pulley system to allow for the transfer of supplies and people to help condense the buildings together without touching the ground and setting the nest off. Other than that, just focus on getting every armed and those who can use weapons trained." I say grabbing one of my bug-out bags and heading to the ladder before Marcus, Lawerence, Miranda, and Don pull me to the side.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go out there on your own?" Marcus asks.

"Yeah, we nearly died in that police station, what if out there is even worse than the station?!" Lawerence adds in shock.

"Well, if you have any suggestions on how to get enough water for hundreds of people in just two days, I'm all ears." I ask them, leaving them silent.

"Don, how long can the water stretch if we cut everyone to the bare minimum?" I ask him.

"Maybe, we could double our time, but I wouldn't recommend it. People are pretty discontent already and I don't think that is going to help matters." Don replies.

"If they want to live they're going to have to learn to adapt. We can't go wasting supplies like we've been. Implement the limiting and start consolidating all the supplies into as few buildings as possible." I order.

"And what should we do if a bigger horde or the nest wakes up and tries to attack us? Are you just going to tell us to 'go with the flow' like last time?" Miranda questions me.

"You hold the buildings as long as you can, if it seems like the barricades will fall, gather everyone for a big push through the infected. That way some of you will survive and try and find a military camp if there are any left." I say putting myself through the window and hanging from the rope ladder.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, just hold out and I'll get everything we need." I give them one final reassurance before going down the ladder and heading to my car. It's an old, 2000 Brick Le'Smithy, a 4-door sedan that I got for cheap from a friend of a friend.

I start the car after a few prayers and jiggling of the key to get ol'Betsy started and I start making my way through the ruined streets and abandoned cars toward that burned-out section of town where I knew some of my friends lived. Occasionally seeing some of the shambling zombies wandering the streets occasionally following my car before losing interest as I speed away.

As I pull into their apartment block I notice that a number of the apartment buildings have already caught fire and have begun to Peter out with a few make shift tents with the G.D.C.A. logo on it. Hmph, the Global Disease Containment Agency, what a load of shit, a multinational organization that cropped up when COVID hit its greatest exposure and lethality rates. Fat lot of good that did.

[Why do you hairless chimps seem to squabble over so much when faced with disaster and destruction? (⁠*⁠・⁠～⁠・⁠*⁠)] I see Pima ask.

'Because we're selfish, stupid, and illogically emotional… And those are what make us what we are.' I say wistfully as I head toward my friends' apartment.

[How are those things to be proud of? Are you right in the head, host? (⁠ ͠⁠°⁠ ͟⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠°͠⁠ ⁠)]

'Probably not… But I'll try to explain, our selfish instincts drive us to find, explore, and take for ourselves. While the drive is selfish, the discoveries and resources we make end up benefiting those around us. Our stupidity lets us ignore the dangers of our actions and fight for what we desire even when the danger proves too great and an intelligent being would balk at the risks we take. And our logic-defying emotions drive us towards great works and acts on behalf of ideas we claim to be greater than ourselves.' I say crossing the threshold of their apartment building's entrance.

[You have a remarkable ability to make your inadequacies seem less detrimental than they actually are. I would be impressed… If you wouldn't have been dead without my assistance… Several times. ᕙ⁠ ⁠(⁠°⁠ ⁠~͜⁠ʖ⁠~⁠ ⁠°⁠)⁠ ⁠ᕗ] Pima replies.

'Twisting facts is another skill of us hairless chimps.' I laugh silently while slowly slinking through the halls, aside from some blood on the walls and floor, while the halls are completely empty of bodies. I make my way up the 2 flights of stairs before reaching the third floor which seems to have not a drop of blood or sight of undead giving me hope that my friends are fine.

*Knock*

*Knock*

*Knock*

And I hear a light growl on the other side of the door followed by several yaps, and I hear "Prince! Shut up, we're trying to sleep!" I hear a friend of mine shout.

"Kully! Brother, open up! The apocalypse is calling!" I joke as I realize he and his wife Chanen are probably fine.

"Oh shit! You're alive, give me a second!" I hear him shout as several of the locks and deadbolts on the door click over and the door opens.

Revealing a middle-aged man, who comes up to my chest and and is very thin and wiry, almost to a level of concern had I not known he was on the thin side most of his life. His hair is short as he recently go it cut and his mustache and goatee that he's been growing out has finally gotten long than his hair. With his trademark thick dark glasses covering his eyes.

"Missed ya brother! Got your message and decided we otta hunker down with Prince and Diva until the military or someone comes by. Glad it was you who got here first come in, we got most of our stuff packed." Kully says motioning me inside as Prince, a golden-haired sausage of a chihuahua jumps at my legs trying to get scratchies before Kully continues, "Chanen is sleeping, harsh summer class load you know? She had just finished the term paper when all this went down and I figured if the end of the world wouldn't wake her up, she could use the sleep."