Chapter 47: I See Dead People.

I was still chuckling when the shimmer took me.

It just felt, so good. To be recognized and appreciated. It was a bliss so profound that it penetrated deep into my soul.

‘First, I save everyone in the Warehouse. Then I change the future and rescue even more people. Now I can heal myself and others on top of that. Oh yeah. Its all coming together.’

Nobody back home would have wanted a mind-controller around. But a versatile healer and buffing specialist? That would be a whole other matter. It would be like having a Shifter around, without the added risk of having your face chewed off.

There was still the matter of these powers being completely unknown in my earth though. It was probably nothing. A lack of proper documentation, made worse by the inherent rarity of Telepaths.

However, if there was some sort of conspiracy….

‘Then changes will have to be made. I will not give up on my dream and I refuse to sit idly by while people die from monster attacks. I will change the whole world’s perception of Telepaths when I get back. And I will get back. Periwig has another thing coming if he thinks his overly powdered (Gnome) is going to keep me from my family. No one is going to stop me. Not him. Not Randall. Not Anezka.’

I tried to get up, only for my muscles to scream. It was as if tiny needles had been inserted all along my limbs and down my back. Pinning in place as if I was a butterfly in some collector’s cabinet.

I grunted, and was surprised to find sparks within my fog rising up the second the sounds escaped my lips. The total range was around 8 kilometres or so. 500 metres from levels 1 to 5. 2,500 metres from levels 6 to 10 and 4 kilometres from levels 11 to 14. Plus, another bonus level from my Title.

There were roughly ten thousand beings resonating within that range. Meandering about aimlessly or stuck within or underneath a variety of vehicles.

They, weren’t animals, as far as I could tell. They felt too primal. Too stupid for that to be the case. Like dumber versions of centipedes if that were possible. At least the bugs had had some inkling of awareness. Both of themselves, and their surroundings.

These signals were in constant pain, but could not muster up the cognitive effort to determine the cause. In fact, they felt more like the robot bulls than anything else. Lines of code reacting to stimuli within certain parameters. Only, the bulls had more flexibility.

I could see these sparks within [Mental Map].

Some of these signals were, hitting their heads against walls, or stumbling into fences. Drawn to me like moths to a flame. Not caring about obstacles in their path.

Moreover, there were a few who did adapt. Leaping into action and switching from slow, ponderous gaits into dead sprints within seconds of hearing me.

They looked human, only they weren’t.

‘Ah. Right. This is Monique’s world. Meaning these are zombies. And I can’t move.’

Yes. That’s what they were. Still living humans who had been mutated past the point of no return. Constantly suffering, yet unable to muster any conscious thought.

The younger, weaker version of me would have panicked.

This new me drew on [Insight] in order to see 20 seconds into the future. One for each of the 19 ability levels and one extra stemming from [Insight]’s accompanying Title. I saw and confirmed which of my abilities would work. Then I sent out my fishhooks and burrowed them deep within the outlines of the zombies.

“Kneel.” I said, calmly voicing my command.

Those that could physically complete the motion, did so. Those that couldn’t, did their very best to try.

“Come towards me. Slowly.” I ordered.

Three dozen zombies were at my side almost at once. The sad remains of their shoes or bare feet slapping against the ground in such a way that squelches could be heard all around me.

I willed my backpack ring to activate. Dropping my dagger on the road.

“Pick it up.” I told the nearest zombie, a man dressed in white strips that might have been a tank top at some point.

He did as he was bid. Dead fingers curling around the hilt.

“Put it in my hand.”

He obeyed once more.

I tried to close my own fingers around the hilt, but the pain was simply too much. I cursed internally, before turning to Buddy.

‘Hey Buddy, can you wrap yourself around the knife?’

‘Sure thing Sully.’

That done, I turned my attention back towards the dead, or rather, heavily mutated man.

“Here’s hoping you count as warm blooded.” I sighed. “Drive my arm into your eye socket.”

The zombie acquiesced. Relief flooding what was left of his nervous system as the blade pierced the brain.

I felt relieved too.

My wounds were healing faster. Much faster. The telltale sign of Shifter powers at work.

Breathing became easier and I felt some clarity returning to my eyes. However, my arms and legs were still too sore to walk properly, even after giving it a few minutes.

It didn’t feel like needles anymore. Instead, it was as if I’d been working out non-stop for days on end. Pushing myself further and further instead of resting or switching up my exercises. Until it all culminated in a throbbing agony that prevented me from continuing.

“Which is so interesting. Maybe the aches are coming from my stuffing too much Psy into the abilities at once, or maybe they’re coming because of their low level. Or it could be a combination of the two. It could also be due to my own lacking physique. Charlie’s future self did mention that Enhancer abilities scaled off what his body was capable off without them. Which is why [Enhanced Training] was so valuable. The problem with that hypothesis is that I’ve been running and climbing non-stop for the past month, so my body shouldn’t have been that out of shape. What do you think zombies?”

“Eaeaeeaugh.”

“Oooooaasghaggh.”

“Goouurgh.”

“Hmn. Yes. That could be it. Meaning this soreness could translate into explosive muscle growth. After all, I did strain the muscles until they tore and I am healing them with a Shifter ability. I wonder if I could leverage this into getting Shifter or Enhancer without taking the thing’s mind into my own.”

I would certainly need to experiment with those ideas later.

Telepathy was proving to be far more versatile than I’d realized and I had proven it could be used for good. Becoming more acquainted with these new powers and the way they interacted with the others, would mean becoming stronger. Something that needed to happen if I wanted to get back home and protect my world from the other aliens in the Labyrinth.

‘No. Not just my Earth. I need to protect the other Earths too. Dusty’s, Charlie’s and yes. This one.’

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Bleak as things seemed. There were still people here that needed saving.

I had to get a move on.

I stood on shaky legs after that. Sinking the blade into three more zombies in order to trigger [Regeneration] again.

It helped. A little. Though the soreness never faded completely.

“Now then. Where are the seniors and where is the pharmacy?”

My attention went back to my map, but that didn’t go anywhere. Almost all the buildings were in a state of heavy disrepair. So much so that I genuinely couldn’t tell which one of them might have been a pharmacy or which one might have been a skating rink or whatever else.

Worse, another survey of all the signals in my fog told me that there weren’t any non-zombies around here. At least, not within my range.

I turned to the nearest zombie.

“I don’t suppose you know where I could find normal people?”

“Uughourhggh.”

“Right. Never mind, I guess.”

I looked left, then right. Noting that the few signs still standing were in English.

That narrowed things down a little and it would help if the System’s translation effect didn’t work outside the Labyrinth.

I did look at some cars that seemed mostly intact, but knew that gas typically degraded within three to six months. Monique’s world had been dealing with zombies for far longer than that, according to her memories.

No, the real find was a bicycle shop with its roof caved-in. Most of the bikes inside had been crushed and it did look like a fair number of the ones that were spared had been looted.

Thankfully, I did find one. It was, smaller than I would have liked. But beggars couldn’t be choosers.

I got on it and started pedaling along the road. Commanding the zombies under my sway to end their own suffering as I rode. I would have ordered them to hunt other zombies, but I couldn’t be sure that they’d be smart enough to tell the difference between one of their own and a normal human.

Better safe than sorry.

My fog picked up new signals every minute. Mutated animals crawling along the alleys or flying through the sky. All of them suffered the same fate as the rest.

It kept happening, over and over. Until silence had conquered the broken remains of the city.

That pattern kept repeating for another, thirty minutes or so. During which I found another few thousand human zombies and a couple dozen super zombies. The same kind Monique put down in the vision I saw of her.

I ended up having a much easier time of it. Ordering them to stop while I took the opportunity to spam [Mental Bolts].

No levels though.

I was about to stop for a break, when I finally found a human within my fog.

‘Hey! Hey you! Don’t panic. My name is Solomon and I’m a superhero. I’m here to help. Wait right there and…’

And they’re running. Because of course they were.

I sighed and kept pedalling. Pushing my body harder.

Thankfully, the person in question didn’t seem to be in a position to run very far, so I caught up within a minute.

‘Look, I know this is weird but…’

‘Stop talking! I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy! I’m not hearing voices in my head!’

That, brought about far more sympathy than I was ready for.

‘Okay. Listen to me. I can prove I’m real. A real person with real superpowers. I’m seeing you in a…basement. Go upstairs.’

‘The zombies will eat me!’

‘No. They won’t. Because I killed them all. You’re perfectly safe.’

‘You’re lying! You’re a figment of my imagination! You’re trying to get me killed! To make me give up! I won’t do it. I’ll never give up! So many people died so I could be here. I can’t let them down!’

I paused, considering the issue whilst pedaling through the corpse-filled streets.

I could dominate him.

Not permanently, of course. Just long enough for him to realize that I wasn’t a figment of his imagination. I’d been, stubborn. Until now. But controlling those guys in the burning building had literally saved their lives.

A bit of leeway might be warranted.

Then I recalled how I felt when Granny Golden did it to me and shelved the idea.

I was a good person.

I would not control innocents unless there was no other way.

[Delusion] seemed like a really bad option. Like, a really bad option. The psionic damage might kill him outright, given that he was a normal person. Even if it didn’t, it would just enforce the idea that I wasn’t really here.

That left the little trick that helped me unite all the survivors in the Warehouse.

I called upon [Suppression] and shared my memories of the Labyrinth. The ones that made me look good, at least.

The man, did not take it well. Indeed, he choked on empty air for a few seconds, before collapsing backwards on the floor.

I cursed and forced myself to move faster. Maneuvering past the wreckages of burnt-out cars and trucks and buildings.

It wasn’t long before I sensed more human signals. These new ones were hunkered deeper underneath the earth, in what looked like a network of tunnels beneath the city. There were forty or them in total. All releasing a steady feeling of despair that saturated the very air around them.

These were the emotions of people who’d given up long ago. Staying alive out of a sense of obligation to those that couldn’t.

I tried reaching out. More gently this time. Introducing myself slowly and calmy. Making sure to point out that the others could hear me too, meaning that I wasn’t a hallucination.

‘Very well, stranger.’ The oldest of them answered after a few rounds of confirmation. ‘We’ll send someone upside to check things out.’

‘Absolutely! Feel free to check my work. I’m here to help in any way I can.’

I slowed down the bike then. Massaging my aching legs as I sat down at a corner to take small break.

Three of the survivors had gone up several flights of stairs. Opening up slight cracks in their barricades to see the world beyond their borders.

They took in the silence. The lack of mutated birds crowing around the area. They also took in the now unmoving bodies.

The sight shocked them to their cores. A deep, primal fear of the unknown sending chills down their spines. Two of them allowed the fear to conquer them.

The last changed her tune. From terror, to hope.

She clung to the small mote of fervent passion. Bolstering it in her heart for fear that it might go out. For fear that this could all be a dream. For fear that she could find herself back in the dingy basement with dwindling supplies and no prospects for long-term survival.

‘It’s not a dream.’ I assured her. ‘All the ones you see are dead and they won’t be getting back up.’

‘How?’

‘I told you. Superpowers.’

Her mind went blank. I felt her resolve stiffening immediately after.

‘What do you want in return?’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘I asked you what you wanted in return. This, I’m looking at a dead juggernaut right now. I’ve seen those things throwing tanks around like they were toys. It’s the reason none of us could go out and scavenge for the past week. You, you killed it. There wasn’t even a fight. Otherwise, we would have heard. You killed it without it being able to put up any kind of struggle. That power, I don’t even know what I’d be doing if I had it. Now, I’m young, but I’m not stupid. I know help never comes for free. So, I’m asking you. What do you want from us? Is it supplies? Because we don’t have anything to spare. If its other things…’

‘No. I am not that kind of person. I really am helping you because I want to. Because it’s the right thing to do. Because I’m a good person. I’m a good person. I’m a good person. I’m a good person.’

‘…….’

‘Hello?’

‘Nothing. I’ve seen this before. Isolation can be…difficult. Don’t worry about it. You’re good. Its good to know there a good people out there. Thank you. You’re more than welcome to join us. We’ll help in whatever way we can.’

That was odd. I did feel genuine gratitude coming from her, but there was also a lot of, pity?

Well, whatever. They know I’m on their side now and they know I’m coming to help. Good vibes all around.

‘Oh, one more thing.’ I asked, suddenly recalling the objective. ‘You wouldn’t happen to have any seniors with you, by any chance?’

‘Old man Geller is getting on in years. Why?’

‘Oh no reason. I just want to help him get to a pharmacy as soon as I’m done helping you all as much as possible. Also, there’s an unconscious guy out in basement two blocks down. I’d appreciate it if you helped him.’

‘Huh? Pharma… what? Wait. There’s someone else in town? Is their name Jude?’

‘I don’t know. Never got their name. They seemed very, fidgety though. If that rings any bells.’

‘Yes! Oh, my goodness! He’s alive! Thank goodness! Oh, I can’t believe this! Thank you! Thank you so much!’

‘No worries! Happy to help!’

I laid back with no small amount of satisfaction. Revelling in the genuine gratitude that made its way to me.

‘Oh yeah. I could get used to this.’

My eyes found the cloudy skies above. The thick grey clouds rolling lazily in the winds. No doubt preparing for a violent rainstorm.

Excellent timing on their part.

Heavy rains would give the people coming out a decent chance for survival if they managed to set up a bunch of empty rain catchers outside to replenish their water supply. Even if they didn’t, I could probably fix up something in an hour or two with the right tools.

‘Yeah. That sounds nice. I mean, I can’t just up and leave after completing the objective. Not when I haven’t been made aware of any time limits. I can still do so much more to help the people here. Giving them powers through [Insight] is obvious, but there’s also what Jacob said. About me empowering objects with abilities. If a diary can take fingers off an Enhancer, then what about a gun? Or, a drone.’

I recalled the floating robots back at the Labyrinth. The ones who’d so brutally exterminated the minotaurs. They, had probably been firing [Force Bolts]. It was possible that a Telepath ability could endow Projector abilities. After all, some people back at the Warehouse got Shifter, Projector and Enhancer as second Types, despite me not having any of them. And Jacob did say the diary floated away.

‘Right. Have a look around and see what you can pick up along the way. Nothing too heavy for now. Focus on things that could be both lightweight and useful.’

With that in mind, I allowed myself another five minutes of rest, before standing up and having a look around.

Some of the surrounding shops and buildings hadn’t had zombies within them, so I didn’t have any picture coming from [Mental Map] outside of what the growing vines and mushrooms gave me.

It wasn’t much and there could very well be caches of goodies still laying around for anyone to find.

I went into one building, finding nothing but desks and powerless computers. Then I went into another one next door, and found shelves that had been thoroughly cleaned out.

‘Must have been a mom and pops shop.’ I reasoned. ‘Probably got looted in the first few days of the outbreak.’

I made to leave, when I started smelling something through Buddy’s own transmitted senses.

I smelled, something burning.

I whirled around, only to find a single ember, floating in the air. It just, stayed there. Perfectly still. In the middle of the shop.

Casting a shadow against the floor.

A shadow that seemed, to dance.