"One, we haven't attacked you.
Two, we are talking to you.
Three, we don't look like the zombies during any of their stages."
They heave a collective sigh of relief.
"It's good to see people who have survived so far. I'm Charles, these are the few survivors we've managed to find. We're sorely outnumbered and have no idea what's going on up top; we've been down here for over a week."
"Hello. I'm Eli, he is Stojan, and she is Ashley. We're organizing a resistance against the ghouls. how is your food and water holding out?"
"We might last another three months or so on what we've got here."
"I would suggest you use those three months to build a wall around this area and stock up on food for the winter. I would be willing to help you people by clearing the area of ghouls, guarding the trips into town, and training you how to defend yourself in melee."
Get your persuasion score?
It's 1@5.
"Whoa, wait a second. You can't just come in here telling people what to do. That's Dr. A's job. Talk to him."
He motions you deeper into the shelter.
I go to talk to Dr. A
You find him.
It's hard to miss him, he's an elderly dark skinned man in a white lab coat plugging away into a handheld computer system. He tells you, "I'm Dr. Abbickadefgijeckylminopkristoovwyxez. Most call me Dr. A."
Wow. I thought my last name was long...
"Hello Dr. A, I'm Eli.
I wold like to offer my help with clearing the ghouls around here."
Dr. A responds to you, "I'm currently..."
He doesn't continue for a few moments, and still hasn't looked at you.
"I'm currently working on devising an antidote, but it's not going well. I would say we should, er, clear, the, ah, ghouls, as little as possible. They were once people, with families, even if they don't seem to be now. I'm sure there's a way to help them."
"An antidote? I would like to help with that. Do you have a test subject.
Did you work for Hardcorp? Can you tell me more about the disease?"
"I've got a few blood samples, but nothing live.
"I didn't work for Hardcorp; was this their doing?
"The disease has a predictable life. It begins by infecting a live host -- that is, a host with living cell matter it can consume. In humans, the liver and kidneys shut down within minutes, and serious vomitting ensues. It then quickly multiplies, feeding on the host, and takes over motor control. This is stage 1. After the first blood meal, the organism continues to reproduce and takes over body organs, including the brain, heart, and digestive system. Black skin discolorations appear on the skin's surface, usually starting from the extremities. At this point, it is considered stage 2. At this point and before, the organism seems highly averse to ultraviolet radiation. As the organism continues to multiply, it slows in progression and alters the very way it metabolizes the energy from its blood meals, shifting from a full assault on the body, as much of the matter is dead or dying, to focusing solely on the blood meals from other hosts it requires. During this stage, they vomit profusely, disposing of remaining tissue, bone, and organ as the organism takes on its own life. At this point, it is highly unlikely any attempt at healing the afflicted will be possible. Due possibly to the metabolic changes, those in stage 3 do not seem to be averse to ultraviolet radiation as the previous ones were. Once stage 3 has run its course, the disease turns inward upon itself, altering yet again. Those cells which are deemed unfit are consumed to make room for the stronger. They no longer require blood meals in stage 4; however, they still are extremely violent towards humans and will attempt to spread the infection. We have seen a few people in stage 4 ourselves. Theoretically, in stage 5, or what I refer to as end stage, they will have mutated into some sort of gelatinous being that does not resemble a human whatsoever. We have not, however, seen any such being, so that is just a hypothesis of mine based on studying what samples I have."
He shows you his samples in test tubes and beakers.
The first is labelled "control."
The second, "stage 1". It resembles the first.
The third, "stage 2", is considerably darker than the first two. It closely resembes the blood of the child you killed.
The liquid in the vial labelled "stage three" is a dark blue or purple color.
"Stage four" contains a black translucent liquid.
"Stage five" is half full of a congealed, black substance. As you look at it, a strand of it abruptly slaps the cork in the top, and it rises, then falls again. The doctor shudders.
"I hate it when it does that."
"This is was what Ashley's father was working on in Hardcorp. What's the vector for infection? Is there anything else you can tell me? Would a captured one help?"
"I am not sure whether it can spread through airborne routes. I know factually that if you get a tiny drop of even their saliva in even a shallow cut, you will have hours before stage 1 begins."
"How many hours does it take to reach stage 1?"
"Well, Eli, it depends. I suppose the best answer is that it takes as long as it takes for the individual to lose motor control. It could possibly be as fast as two hours or as long as after the liver and kidney failure has already caused them to die.
"I was hit twice about 60 hours ago. The infection time is shorter than that. Right?"
The doctor seems alarmed. "You think you may be infected, and you came here?"
Ashley walks up beside you and goes to say something; she then sees the vial labeled "end stage", grabs your arm, points, and asks, "What is that?"
"Well I assumed that I was uninfected after 24 hours and not dieing. can't you take a blood sample to check?
Ashley, that is what the ghouls turn into."
Dr. A is approaching you to take a blood sample, and Ashley tells you, "We have to leave now. That thing is alive, and that means the others must know exactly where it is; haven't you seen the way they communicate?"
I let him take the blood sample.
"Ok, that's a good idea. let's go. I'll be back to see the results"
once we get outside,
"Hold up a bit. I have some information that I need to share with you two."
I explain to them about how i got here, what a verser is and the worlds I visited.
I'm showing them Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu to help prove my point.
Ashley flat out believes you. "That unbelieveable," she tells you. "So, you never really fully die? You just go to another world? That must be awesome... having the freedom to do whatever you want, with no one to tell you what to do."
Stojan disregards Ashley, and says to you, "Are you feeling alright, Eli? Have you been hit in the head recently, or eaten anything weird?"
"I guessed that you wouldn't be easy to convince, Stojan.
Ashley, Can you name a blatantly impossible technique Kenshin used in Ruroni Kenshin besides the secession technique?"
I demonstrate the technique as safely as I can.
"I guessed that you wouldn't be easy to convince, Stojan.
Ashley, Can you name a blatantly impossible technique Kenshin used in Ruroni Kenshin besides the secession technique?"
I demonstrate the technique as safely as I can.
She responds to you, "I thought they were basically all blatantly impossible, but apparently Stoi... apparently he disagrees."
"Just call me Stan," Stojan tells her irritatedly. "Eli, seriously, man; you can't believe that you're from another world?"
Time for page 6?
Ven conmigo a la pagina seis
"I would have a hard time believing it myself if it wasn't for my first world.
the orange grass and octagonal moon were a dead giveaway.
But, let's look at this logically.
When we first meet, I was running from a horde of ghouls.
If I was a native of this world,I would have known the danger associated with the night.
If I knew the danger, I wouldn't have wandered around without a car.
If I was a native of this world, those would be very stupid things to do.
after that, Have I ever seemed that stupid to you?"
Stojan answers you, "You said you just didn't remember. Wouldn't it make more sense that you're completely f------ crazy than that you're from another world?"
Ashley says, "Regardless of who Eli is, he's telling us this. We can either believe him or not, but we have got to get away from this place beforet he ghouls get here; I wonder why they haven't struck yet."
Stojan answers, "That doctor must have found a way to keep them from communicating."
Ashley responds, "I don't think so. I think they're planning something."
What time of day is it?
Where are the vectors for my equipment?
"Crazy or not. Here we go."
I get into the driver seat, let them get in and head towards one of the vectors in the direction of town.
It's now two thirty. There are several vectors, all equipment-based.
I'm heading to ... I'll get them tomorrow.
I'm heading back to Ashley's house.
Ashley is sitting shotgun, in the front seat with you, and you keep catching her staring at you; every time you look at her, she looks away quickly, smiling and blushing.
Stojan is taking a nap in the back of the van.
I continue driving with my face blushing.
You get back to Ashley's house, park in the garage, Ashley opens her mouth to say something to you, and Stojan asks, "So, what now?" You hadn't realized he was awake again.
"We rest and sleep for now. Tomorrow I was planning to search for my possessions.
We should grab more supplies too."
Stojan responds to you, "That sounds like as good a plan as any. I guess we're going to give up on the fallout shelter?"
Ashley looks like she feels guilty.
"We'll head back there in a few days. that should give the doctor enough time to find out I'm not a ghoul."