The #doomroom I found myself in was not complicated to navigate, so that made my choices easier. Despite unplugging, I knew the two main directions I could go. @pixel_princess and @astrowave were in one direction. @cyberneticflare and @photon_binary were in the other.

I also knew that @cyberneticflare and @photon_binary were closer, probably just beyond that door I had sealed shut. That was my destination. I had to trust that the other two would be fine, and this was frankly my best chance at survival.

The glen10 was gorgeous. I wasn't expecting the kickback, but I realized that it was probably because my "plugged in" self would have been adjusting the stability using my biotic implants. Unplugged was a different sensation, but I adapted quickly enough.

My first shot caught a zombie-man in the neck, sending a juicy bit of blood out behind him, and then a pool drizzling out the front. I stepped aside as he toppled forward. I wish I could say that was intentional, but I was aiming for his head. Whatever. It worked.

Because of the kickback, I was paying more attention, which means my shooting got worse. The zombies were closing in, but not so fast that I felt like self-destructing. I would need to plug back in for that, and it would take a moment for the system to boot up. I'd probably be better off just bumping a bullet in my brain.

But that was a last resort. I needed to secure these memories and get the hell out of here.

As I deftly missed my charging targets, I noticed that they had started pulling wires out of themselves.

They must have known that I was unplugged.

A virus can spread digitally and physically. If I was "online," they would be using the sensory overload and other attacks to get at my system wirelessly. I was protected now, being unplugged. But they could still jam a wire in me to store the malicious code. Sure, unplugged I would be protected, but as soon as I activated my tech, I'd be infected just like them.

I wondered for a moment if they could force me to turn on. But I didn't have time for contemplation.

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My human heart rate was sky high. I didn't need sensors to tell that I was going to panic soon.

A few more misses as I tried to get the next closest zombie. I nearly dropped my pistol.

"Motherfucker!" I shouted.

I grabbed it firmly, rose the glen10 again in both hands, and fired. This time I clipped it in the shoulder. It winced and jerked, but otherwise didn't seem to care.

"Stop paying attention," I told myself. "Run and gun. Trust your instincts."

I really wished I had a shotgun.

Or a grenade or two.

I ran toward the zombie I had clipped in the shoulder, ducked his whirling right arm holding the wire, and bashed him in the back of the head with my gun. Thud!

Satisfied that at least he fell to the ground, I continued running.

I'm quick and I'm agile. You want me to chase a mouse? I'll catch that cute little guy in no time at all. I felt slower unplugged, and I won't lie, I probably peed myself a little bit. But the muscle memory and overall training of my physical body still made me a force to be reckoned with. Slender but strong. I'm not going to punch anyone's lights out, but it will hurt, and I'll be gone before you know it.

I charged forward, now just firing with my random gut feel as I got low the ground and scrambled.

Bam! Zombie headshot.

Spin and dodge. Bam! Bam! Bam!

Elbow to the face. Sorry whoever you are/were. Phump!

Whirly spin, dive forward to avoid the one behind me. Four more in front and others closing in. But I could see the door maybe 20 paces away. I started spinning and firing randomly.

Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam click click click.

I swapped clips.

bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam click click.

I reloaded again.

bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam click click click.

I swapped clips again and ran the opposite direction, hopping over some of the fallen bodies. They pursued me, limping, slushing blood, or dropping from lethal wounds. I ran really fast in that direction.

Then I pivoted the other way. I had to be faster than just about everyone in this room, zombie or not. I led them on a little chase away from the writhing mess from my bullet tornado. Then as I changed directions, I started to get out in front of most of them.

And that's when I headed back to the mess of bodies, adroitly hopping over them, almost a gleeful skip, toward the door I had sealed shut. Four or five were still in front of me, so I didn't have a clear path, but I was getting the hang of this glen10. I politely clipped them one by one, adding them to the pile of bodies.

And while I could skip over them, the mess of zombies following me was not as successful. It just took a few of them to trip in order for the others to start piling on.

It was a zombie stampede turned into a scrum of bodies on the floor behind me.

I unlocked the door and reached to slide it open, when a zombie I hadn't seen tackled me.