( 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

[controlledvariable]

[Steph is just going to stay by Ellie's side, half her focus on their surroundings incase anything leaps out at them.]

You come from a place with things like these?

[alonetogether]

Hell no! [Deep breath. She stops pacing and forces herself to calm down and stop yelling. If these things are attracted by gunfire, they're probably attracted by other kinds of noise.] Not like these. Yes, infected. But they actually die when you kill them.

[controlledvariable]

[Not yelling is a good start, and Steph relaxes a little, though keeps glancing around to check nothing is lurking.]

I'll admit I'm making guesses here, but it seems like these are the kinda zombies that are undead, which means you can't technically kill them. You've gotta destroy the brain.

[alonetogether]

[She just stares at Steph.] Undead. Like, reanimated-corpse-style. That's... [Stupid. Ridiculous. Impossible.] Some serious Halloween bullshit.

[controlledvariable]

Tell me about it.

[Her smile quirks into something a little wry, but she at least feels like things are settling.]

The only zombies I've had experience with were technically sort of reconstructed corpses made by aliens, so...

[Normal zombies are also weird.]

[alonetogether]

[A laugh that is only a little hysterical.] I totally wouldn't have believed that before today.

[controlledvariable]

I should leave the talk about the multiverse until later then, huh?

[since, you know]

[alonetogether]

The wh- no, leave it for later. [She rubs her forehead.] ...I'm Ellie.

[controlledvariable]

Batgirl.

[Her grin is a little crooked because - she knows that probably seems ridiculous.]

You wanna stick together for a bit? Seems like you have more experience with this sorta stuff than I do.

[alonetogether]

Batgirl. Okay. Sure, why not. Batgirl.

[ She won't admit that the whole costume thing is kind of cool. Deep breath. Exhale. ] Yeah, I would. I was trying to just... I dunno, find a car and leave, but maybe exploring is a good idea.

[ She could have taken one of the compound cars, but that increased the odds of someone following her pretty dramatically - and if there's one thing the cannibal interlude has taught her, it's to be more careful about being tracked. ]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph offers a small smile, just a little one, since she figures grinning right now will probably make her look a little crazy, all things considered.

But also:]

I dunno if leaving's a good idea, at least there might be a clue to how we got here back at the compound.

Since Rikki brought up alternative universes:

[alonetogether]

Yeah.

[Joel. Joel. Joel Joel Joel.

She can't really be in a different universe, right? She can't be. Rikki was nuts, Batgirl is calling herself Batgirl, all Ellie herself needs to do is get back to-

Get back to winter. Get back to infected that act like infected. Get away from giant robot soldiers and purple dogs and messages about the end of the world that make no sense.

She jams her fingers into her hair.]

Shit, shit, shit.

[Deep breath.] Okay. Sure. Let's.

[Vague gesture down the street before she starts walking.]

thx rikki

[controlledvariable]

[Steph nods and follows beside Ellie, keeping a watchful eye out, but really most of her concern is directed towards the girl beside her.]

You doing okay with all this bullshit?

[alonetogether]

I'm fine.

[She snaps it, then bites her lip. And then swears under her breath because she just bit her split lip and now it's bleeding again.

Whatever.]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph huffs a laugh, letting some anxiety creep into her voice.]

I'm sure as hell not. This stuff is way above my paygrade.

[alonetogether]

[She doesn't care she doesn't care she doesn't caaaaare.

Ellie tries very very hard not to sound curious, to sound completely uninterested.]

You actually get paid to do the whole costume thing?

[controlledvariable]

[Nailed it.]

God, I wish. Unless you count getting paid in hospital visits.

[HAaha.

ha.]

But nah, it's a figure of speech, this stuff just isn't what I usually deal with. I don't even have an arch nemesis.

[Yes she does it's her dad.]

[alonetogether]

Arch nemesis. [ She says the words like she's testing them out, then she gives a little laugh. ] Man. You're making me miss my comic books.

[ Which of course makes her think of Joel and the way he always finds them for her. She sucks on her bleeding cut gingerly, worry clouding her focus again. ]

We should check the houses. For like, newspapers or diaries or something.

[controlledvariable]

Aw, come on, you like comics and you didn't eve say anything about my suit.

[Steph is going to pout, but it's fake and teasing, just trying to help put Ellie at ease.]

And yeah, I've been doing that, can't say I've found much so far.

[alonetogether]

It's okay. [ Her tone is lofty.

It is totally awesome. ] ...What's in the belt? Bombs and stuff?

[ She eyeballs the houses around them. ] No newspapers or anything, huh.

[controlledvariable]

[Steph makes a face like I know you're playing, girl.]

I guess you could call 'em bombs. Some are actually explosive, but some freeze, others are electrified. The goop ones are pretty fun, especially watching someone try to get the stuff of them.

[Is she showing off now?

A little.]

Some newspapers, but it seems like everything happened pretty quick. I've been thinking about taking some computers apart and hauling the hard drives back to the compound to see if there's anything interesting on 'em.

[alonetogether]

That is so cool.

[ So much for being casual. Steph she wants to see you use every single one of those things okay? Okay? Okay. Good. ]

Creepy. Where I'm from people at least like, had some warning. It didn't do any good, but nobody woke up with the world suddenly over.

[controlledvariable]

[Ha!]

Hang around and maybe you'll get to see it in action.

[The important part, for Steph is hang around, because she doesn't like the idea of Ellie running off on her own.]

We kinda just woke up with the world suddenly over.

[She makes a face.]

I found some bodies that weren't, you know. But they didn't tell me anything.

[alonetogether]

Oh yeah.

[ She rubs her arms, not that she's cold. Even the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing under her winter layers is almost too warm for this weather. ]

How old? Could you tell?

[controlledvariable]

Less than a week.

[Which could mean anything, but the suicide, if nothing else, suggests that the world only went to shit a little while ago.]

I'd check the zombies if I could, but for all I know the don't decay the way normal bodies do.