Ashley tells you, "They're all going to die, and I don't want to be there when it happens. As long as they've got that... that thing there in that test tube, no one there is safe."
"That's why I need to convince them to set up a good defense other wise Dr. A's research will be worth nothing."
Ashley asks you, "What are we going to do if they attack before our defenses are set up?"
"If they attack us here, we try to plow though them with the van and run.
If they attack us there... It would depend on how much defense was set up.
In the cases that we can't hold them out, I would try to cover the retreat and save as many as possible.
Or In the case where they're stupid and didn't make and preparations, I will try to get you and Stojan to the van and run."
Ashley says to you, "Well, we've already seen how well defended they were. There wasn't even as much as a lock on the door. They're just waiting to die there."
"That's true... we'll check up on them tomorrow.
Maybe they'll listen to me then. If not, it's no skin off my nose.
I'll try to get Dr. A to give me a copy of his research and we leave them alone.
Let's get some sleep."
Rest comes easily.
§
Would it be a good thing if Asley curled into your sleeping bag with you, or a bad thing? (GE roll question.)
It is a good thing.
You're woken up in the night by her squirming into your sleeping bag with you. You feel her soft, supple flesh against yours when she settles, and note that she's wearing naught but a t shirt and (you assume) panties.
"Good night"
I hug her as I go back to sleep.
She hugs you as well. The next four hours are comfortable bliss, and you actually have a good dream about being a dragon and flying about in the sky.
Unfortunately, Stojan wakes you up. "Let's go, Romeo. I've got to get some shuteye."
Ashley whines softly and pulls at you a little when you get up, but clearly isn't going to put up a fuss; she knows how it works.
The remainder of your night passes without interruption.
I eat breakfast and prepare for our trip to Best Buy and the fallout shelter.
Stojan asks if you know how to get to Best Buy, then says, "Guess I'm driving, then."
You arrive at the store.
It has what you would expect to find at a Best Buy.
With all the free hardware and software here, I do find it somewhat hard to believe all you're grabbing is a flash drive.
You're right.
I'm grabbing
The nicest labtop they have
A ruggedized labtop if they have one
A spare copy of Windows XP
the 5 largest portable hard drives
the 10 largest flash drives
That's it for now.
Ok.
You get a ruggedized laptop with quite decent specs by today's standards, your copy of Windows XP, 5 high capacity USB external hard drives and 10 high capacity USB flash drives.
Will that be all, sir???
That's it.
I can come back if I think of something else.
Right.
It's ten am. Any specific route you'll be taking?
Not really, the direct one I guess.
You mean to the shelter, yes?
yes.
The drive gets you there by two in the afternoon. You all go inside, down the stairs to the fallout shelter. Dr. A is glad to see you again.
"Still alive, I see!" He smiles. "I didn't find any infection in your sample, but what I found was even more curious. There's an unknown variable in your blood; no matter how many times I've tested it, I come up with only 99.9% of all known substances. I haven't been able to isolate the unknown."
"That's odd... Have you been able to determine any properties?
We have a large number of documents concerning the the organism you are studying.
They're from the scientist that was working on the organism at Hardcorp.
Would you like a copy of them in exchange of a copy of the research you have done so far?"
"You mean a sort of a, 'meeting of the minds,' as it were? Certainly, we can pool our information base."
"Ok, I'll go and grab a hard drive for you to copy your research onto.
While you're coping your research, I will copy everthing in the computer in the van."
You set up the system in the van to download to the external hard drive. It comes up on the screen that it will take six hours to upload all the information.
Inside, Dr. A's system says it will take five hours to completely upload.
I'm spending the 6 hours trying to convince Dr. A that it is a good idea to set up defenses around the fallout shelter.
Dr. A's response is that it isn't necessary to take any further precautions. He seems to think that they are very unlikely to be found here.
I tell him what Stojan and I have observed in the field.
I'm telling him about how they act like a hive mind.
He doesn't seem to understand how this means anything about security here being compromised.
I point to the blood samples.
"Those samples probably have a small bit of the hive mind with them.
When you get close to the cure, the hive mind will know because the cure will probably hurt the samples.
When it considers you a treat it will send overwhelming force to crush you.
If I'm wrong, It doesn't hurt your position, in fact it should help moral when it's done.
It'll allow these people to go outside with peace of mind."
I point to the blood samples.
"Those samples probably have a small bit of the hive mind with them.
When you get close to the cure, the hive mind will know because the cure will probably hurt the samples.
When it considers you a treat it will send overwhelming force to crush you.
If I'm wrong, It doesn't hurt your position, in fact it should help moral when it's done.
It'll allow these people to go outside with peace of mind."
Dr. A tells you, "These samples are certainly not sentient."
The end stage vial falls off the table and bounces on the floor with "plink". The doctor picks it up and puts it back in the holder where it belongs.
"If you insist, then do what you think is best; I assure you, though, we're all safe here."
"I can't do much without the cooperation of the people here."
I'm waiting until the data transfer is over with.
I'm waiting in the van.
The time passes.
Five o'clock, or, shall we say, seventeen hundred hours.
It will be dark out by the time the data transfer has finished. It's established as a three to four hour drive back home, and darkness has been falling at seven.
It looks like the transfer will be complete around eight.
I will talk to Ashley and Stojan to ask what they think we should do.
Ashley thinks the three of you should stay in the van for the night.
Stojan thinks the shelter of the building is safer.
I think we would be safer in the van.
If we are attacked in the shelter, we have to fight our way to the van.
If we are attacked in the van, we can simply run.
Let's get some dinner."
Bump
Bump?
A wise choice!!
§
Ashley volunteers to take first watch again. Stojan asks if the three of you should go in and tell them you'll be staying out here.