( OPEN ) GAME START.

[monstermasher]

▶ WHO: Everyone.
▶ DATE: July 9th, 2015 (Day 1)
▶ WARNINGS: Blood, violence, general zombie horror.
▶ SUMMARY: You've met with a bad... however that line goes. Welcome to Earth.

GOOD MORNING!

---

Please try and ignore whatever it is that you just heard. It should only last for up to a minute... maybe.

It... it is morning, right?

There are no windows.

There's a light, but it's barely considered one. The compound runs on a solar generator, but that doesn't mean it has a lot of power. The light seems to be hanging from the ceiling, swinging precariously. That's when you might actually start to wake up, sit up, find the things that are familiar to you... and then some of the things that aren't. It'd be wise to explore the small room you're in before leaving through the steel door, but there's nobody around to tell you that.

Outside is a tightly knit compound, just as dark and metallic as the room. The hallway you're in houses dozens more doors identical to yours, and if you're unlucky there may be more people poking their heads out through them, just like you. There's a dull glowing sign that reads MEDICAL BAY but not all of you remember being hurt. Some of you may be just fine, apart from the memory of the sound you heard when waking up.

The Medical Bay is stocked with enough medicine to last a couple of months. There's almost everything that can be found in a hospital. Somebody was thinking ahead.

Outside of the Medical Bay are more doors, some are even locked—many aren't. There are living quarters, a food storage, a kitchen, some laboratories; even a room full of computers and nothing else, all with a screen asking for a password. There's only two doors out of the compound, a vehicle bay with what appear to be a few military jeeps and trucks, and the front doors. It's on the inside of the front doors that something is painted in bright red, flecked with what smell like blood:

DO NOT GO OUTSIDE WITHOUT A GUN AND WATER.
GUNSHOTS ATTRACT THEM.
HOLLOWS IS 1.3 MILES NORTH OF HERE.
GOOD LUCK.

And on the outside of the doors, if you choose to open them:

THE WORLD ENDED JULY 3RD, 2015.

Now... how long ago was that? And where is this place? Luckily for you, Hollows is a small town that can be raided. It hasn't been too long since the apocalypse—surely you'll be able to find something there. Batteries, food, weapons, maybe some people—and what you're guaranteed to find. Them, whatever that means.

Outside of the compound there's a fence with a single gate. Nothing can get past this unless you let them in for tea, so be careful. There's a shooting range and a large shed full of weapons and ammo, enough to last two months if you're careful. Guns, knives, anything that would be used by the military and police is hidden away in the shed. There are even a few hunting bows with arrows.

If you climb up the ladder to the top of the wall, there's enough room to walk along the top. There's definitely something moving in the distance, something you should definitely be worrying about. Maybe it's time to get a good look with a sniper rifle...?

Oh.

It's gone.

Maybe it was just a trick of the light. Regardless, it's impossible for everyone to stay in the compound forever. There are nefarious things at work! The choices are to go to Hollows, stick around, or go somewhere else. Really, the world is almost a blank slate. Maybe more of a used slate, but still yours to explore.

When the night comes, you should be hiding. The screamers, the ragers, whatever the hell they are, are running full tilt through the streets and across the landscape, running through anything in their way, ripping apart anything alive. If you don't make any noise, they won't notice you. Especially since they're stuck listening to each other. But if you get noticed by one, it won't be long until a horde forms... you might be able to outrun one for awhile, but they don't seem to let up on their breakneck pace. Maybe someone should have told you how to kill them.

OOC NOTES.

---

There will be zombies in Hollows. Whether you meet them on the way there is up to you. Apart from the undead and the animals (maybe somebody should let those poor creatures out of their houses) the town is completely deserted. In fact, the closest thing you can find to a human are the bodies of those who died without being bitten, and there's even few of those. You can find anything you'd find in a normal town here, and are free to loot and raid the houses and stores—the cops won't be coming, after all. The power is OFF apart from what you can find that is solar powered or still has a charge. If you're lucky and find another town while exploring the first few weeks, you might find an area that still has power—thank hydroelectricity.

Just keep in mind travel time... and travel expenses.

You have creative freedom over everything else. The world is open. The only stationary places are landmarks and cities—if you want to go to Texas and talk to the poor astronauts stranded up in space, it's there. (Might be a long trip, though...)

If your character can figure it out by geography before getting to Hollows, the compound is located a few hours from the west coast, in California.

The way to kill a zombie is blunt force to the head. The head doesn't need to be removed, but significant damage needs to be done to it. This does not include the throat—it needs to be a headshot.

There's also a glaring hint. The computers in the compound, asking for a password. It is impossible to hack at this time. There will be more on this later!

Finally, if your character is exploring outside of the compound (or extensively inside of it) there's a comment here for linking me the thread. You can also PM me! I'll be ducking in with what your character may or may not have found, via a response to the actual RP thread.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS please direct them here!

Comments

[usavatar]

[His eyebrows twitch upward. He knows what. He looks what. What. At least she didn't go for the gun. Slowly:]

Have we met?

[He is FAIRLY SURE he would remember someone like her.]

[debts]

[ It's not so much that she stares at him than stares past him. Her expression settles into a sort of absence— it's clear that some sort of decision is being made, but it's hard to tell on what side of the divide it falls. Especially when she looks right at his eyes like that. ]

No.

[ She says eventually. A shrug, and she hitches the strap of the medical bag over her shoulder, tapping one final key on the computer before reaching for her gun. ]

I guess not. [ And, because melodrama isn't genetic: ] I'm Natasha.

[usavatar]

Wait-- [Is she leaving? He stands aside, not wanting to look like a threat, but he can't help the crease of a frown forming between his brows. This doesn't add up. Nothing about this place or the people in it adds up.] Do you know where we are? Oh, I'm Steve. Rogers.

[For heaven's sake. He clears his throat and tries that again.] I'm Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you.

[Hopefully.]

[debts]

[ Her expression shutters. It settles on something a little amused, her mouth pulling up at the corners but not reaching her eyes. ]

Hi.

[ Her talent at hacking isn't quite this sophisticated. Or rather, this is more sophisticated than it lets on, for being found in some bunker. There are questions (how is she here, where is Steve, when did all of this) but getting out seems more important. Action first. Why second. ]

I did a little scouting outside, but I want to climb the wall. Come on. I could use another pair of eyes.

[ Natasha Romanoff does not leave Duckling Rogers behind. ]

[usavatar]

[He makes a quiet, surprised sound before falling in next to her, shield-arm hanging loose at his side.] Sounds good to me.

[A moment of silence, then:] Do we know much about this place yet?

[Yes he is already shifting to the collective we.]

[debts]

[ Natasha notices. It's kind of cute.

She shrugs in response. Yes, very verbose. One hand on the grip of her gun, she tenses around corners but otherwise seems to know where she's going. Which, yeah, Natasha does— one tense track around the perimeter and through all the doors, and then circling back around to actually go inside the rooms. Second time's the charm to the outside wall. ]

Somebody left us instructions. I don't know if it's worth trusting. I'm going to guess it was evacuated— maybe a research facility of some kind, I think I saw a lab. I don't know what this place is and why we're here. There's a single gate outside. [ She glances at him. ] Who knows if we're being kept in or something's being kept out.

[ That's a lot of 'I don't know's. ]

[usavatar]

Instructions - you mean the stuff on the doors, or something else?

[Evac would fit with how well-stocked and secure this place seems to be. Which begs the question of what they were researching, and why they left. He shivers.]

Or both.

[debts]

Stuff on the doors.

[ Luckily, hallways are more or less easy to navigate, particularly when there's only two doors out of here. And one of them is out into the vehicle bay. It's not far off. ]

Steve. [ A beat. One footstep in front of the other, shoulders tightening occasionally. ] What's the last thing you remember?

[usavatar]

[Again, that sharp twist of uneasiness. Wanda asked the same thing.

What if. What if.

His tone is sharper than he means it to be:] The last thing I remember is the Commandos playing disc-toss with this - [he lifts the shield] - and almost clocking Colonel Phillips.

[debts]

Hm. [ A mindless noise. Her eyes flicker between the hallways, the walls, the occasional door. Distracted, even with what she's going to say next. ]

I like your uniform. [ It doesn't really sound like a compliment, nevermind heartfelt. ]

[usavatar]

[ For some reason, he feels guilty.

Steve drags a hand through his hair, taking a cue from her and watching their surroundings instead of his new partner. ]

Thanks. [ Under his breath: ] It's nice to have one that fits.

[debts]

Or having one at all.

[ Her eyes catch his, a brief smile there with her arched brow. Outside is warmer, the air slightly acrid, but they have to go through the front doors.

And it's hard to miss the message. All things considered, Natasha shrugs. Sure, she's seen it before, but this time she voices the reaction. ]

That's dramatic.

[usavatar]

[ He smoothes a hand protectively over his tie before catching himself.

He eyes the message again as they go past. ] Definitely that. And not very helpful.

[debts]

I guess that would make it easy.

[ She shoulders the door open without much preamble. Outside: the gate, the wide expanse, the little shooting range. The shed. Natasha stands a little to the side and cups a hand over her eyes until she glimpses the ladder that she's aiming for, each footstep cautious and sure in the same breath. ]

[usavatar]

[A soft laugh. He follows her, watches her sidelong, tries not to compare her to Peggy in the way she moves. They have the same sort of air surrounding them, like everything within sight had better be afraid to put a toe out of line. He admires it.]

What are we looking for? [He has a few ideas, but he wants to know what she's looking for.]

[debts]

Leverage.

[ Literally. It's not a joke but there's the slight inflection of it. She readjusts the strap of the medical bag over her torso rather than just hanging off her shoulder, then puts one hand on the nearest rung. Pauses.

Then steps aside, eyebrow cocked. ]

Ladies first.

[usavatar]

[He grins, slides the shield a little farther up his arm - he should have left his tunic inside - and starts hoisting himself up the ladder.] Question is - how many of the people here are lying about where they came from?

[He glances down between his feet at her.] And how many people are there, I guess.

[debts]

[ She'd thought about that. It'd be the perfect way to keep tabs; plant a mole, wait, see it grow. Natasha understands the benefits of a deep cover scenario.

Pointedly, Natasha doesn't look up at Steve's legs. And/or thighs. And/or butt. There's more important things, here, and Duckling Steve warrants a different reaction than the Steve who pulled her into the cloisters of Project Insight.

Which is really a pressing issue. Steve, this, whatever happened to him. ]

You know, [ she starts, stepping up the rungs. Step. Step. ] You still sound like you.

[usavatar]

Um. Thanks, I think. [ He gets to the top and heaves himself on to the walkway, before turning and offering her a hand up. ] Does that mean you don't think I'm a spy?

[That is mostly a joke.]

[debts]

[ She takes it without so much as a beat of hesitance, hauling herself up. Her head turns this way and that like she's stretching out her neck, and immediately orientates herself by cupping a hand over her eyes.

This excursion has more than one agenda, though. One, because supersoldiers have eyesight better than she does; better senses, too, and she wants to know if Steve's himself by more than just name. Physicality can be faked as can voices, faces. Superserum? No such luck. ]

Jury's still out.

[ It doesn't sound threatening, but her smile isn't really a smile either. Natasha squints into the distance. ]

Mostly empty.

[usavatar]

Mostly. [He follows her gaze, frowning at the movement he sees at the edge of visibility. He leans over the wall and squints at it, getting slightly better focus.]

...People. There are people out there. Just moving around. [He leans back, gripping the edge of the wall with both hands.] Something's... It's not right.

[More than everything else that isn't right. The disinterested wandering makes his skin creep.] They might need help.

[debts]

[ Her hand immediately starts out. The back of a gloved hand hits him square in the chest. Who knows when she had time to take out a pair of binoculars (and what else she has in that medical bag). Taking her arm away, she curls her hand into a fist to balance the binoculars on as she glances out.

Nothing. But she knows better than to think Steve's hallucinating.

(Jury's sort of still out, though.)

She sets the binoculars down. ]

From what?

[usavatar]

I'm not going to fall. [It is mostly amused, but his amusement fades quickly.] They could be sick.

[Which, you know, there's that whole issue of possible contagion, but if there are people out there that need help he's not going to just leave them.]

[debts]

[ "They could be sick." Yeah, and you still want to go out there, Steve. She frowns, not so much struggle showing on her face as it is trying to piece things together and realizing she doesn't have enough information.

She hates that feeling. ]

And you think going out there is going to help them?

[ It's not antagonistic. Right now, it's just a question. ]

You don't know if you're immune.

[usavatar]

[ He gives her a look that conveys something along the lines of but but but! ] We have medical facilities. Supplies.

[ They can at least share. ]