I sat on my chair in the diner parking lot, massaging my temples. Looting the kitchen had been enough to give me a headache with the rescued pair in my ears constantly.

There was a high chance Sally was actually insane. The living bubble of optimism hadn’t popped yet, and she seemed unphased with the end of the world happening around her. Even the corpses and dead lying around her place of work hadn’t budged her positive attitude. Other than pining for her boyfriend and pestering me in awe as I vacuumed up useful items into my Inventory, it could have been any other day for her.

Doris was the complete opposite. Clearly a woman who had seen plenty in her years and was used to putting in plenty of her own elbow grease to get by, she was incensed with the current situation. While the waitress had hopped about asking me a thousand questions, the owner of the diner had spent the time cursing out every other nation state on Earth, assuming they were the cause of this catastrophe.

I had tuned both of them out the best I could, on account of actually being worried I was going to become a fucking zombie.

//Bernie: You will turn if you die.

//Bernie: Plus you will lose 10% max HP every day…

//Bernie: Until you die and become a zombie.

//Bernie: That is what Richard says… I’m sorry, dear.

A ten-day death sentence. Pragmatically, I was more likely to die to some other bullshit before that happens… and the reduction in my health made that even more a possibility. Apparently, the zombie curse was magical in nature, which is why the Full Restore hadn’t done anything. Seemed arbitrary, but sure.

My request for a method to get rid of it was met with silence. The answer still pending.

So, I had sat in the parking lot, partially hoping that my brain would just explode and make this process easier. The other part of me was trying to push a lid on the situation and keep everything under control.

“I’m sorry if I’m a bit much. I yap when nervous.”

I let go of my fragile skull and looked up at the slight woman. “There’s a lot to be nervous about.” I sighed and slouched in the chair, uncomfortable. “No need to apologize, I’m just… I’ve almost died several times since we last spoke.”

“More zombies?”

“Plagued ratmen. Goblins. Some asshole Pokemon thing.” I closed my eyes. Maybe I was the insane one. “Worst of all, I threw up all that food I ate.”

“Damn. No wonder you’re feeling like shit. I’d offer to cook more… but the diner has some health and safety concerns. We would not pass inspection... again.”

I pulled a face and opened an eye to see that she was grinning ear to ear. “Are you always this insufferable?”

“Yep!” She put her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels like she was proud of the fact. “My mom always said I’ll only stop when I’m dead, but I reckon I’d keep on going.” Sally paused at the end of her statement, perhaps remembering that she had family somewhere.

“In the city?” I asked, catching the thread of her thoughts.

She shook her head and wrinkled up her nose. “Out of state. They moved about six months ago after my nineteenth, for my pops’ work. Theo and I got our own place. I tried calling him over the night, but…” Her eyes went over to the ruined city. She didn't seem to clock that the whole world was in the shit, and her parents were in danger no matter where they were.

I leaned past her to see the owner, who was still wearing her cooking apron. “What about you, Doris?”

She looked up from the large handbag she had been digging through. “Nobody, really. Would live in the diner if I could. Work is all I have, and now they’ve taken it from me.”

While I assumed she meant the aliens, the continued mutterings in a dialect I didn’t recognize hinted that she was still aiming blame toward the wrong group. How easy was all of this going to be to explain? She didn’t look like she understood video games, or much pop culture references. Something I’d need to delegate to Sally or Bernie.

My looting spree through the diner had unveiled enough food for the four of us to last a week. Water was a worry until I found enough containers to fill and stuck them in my Inventory. Assuming the plumbing line remained working, we could come back here to top up. I’d also taken a few stools and furnishings from around the place. Miscellaneous kitchen utensils. Not especially useful, but I had the space for them. I went through the cupboards and stole the toiletries and linens. If the bunker was going to be a temporary home for us, then it needed to be more comfortable.

I avoided the internal question of whether I should encourage the pair to get into the STAR pods. They wouldn’t be able to see or interact with Richard without it, and wouldn’t have much fighting chance in the world… but they could also just straight up die from the process. It seemed cruel when they had just been saved.

“Do the monsters respawn?” Sally glanced around the diner premises with a hand over her brow to shade her eyes. “The shotgun only has three shots left, and I can’t hit the broadside of a barn.”

The weapon looked old and barely functional. Breach loading, single shell shotgun. If she could get the System to upgrade it to her starter weapon, then it might turn into something more useful… then I could take it for myself, if she wanted to stay put in the bunker.

“No,” I said. “This area is considered safe, at least for this phase. We should get you to the bunker, though. Some monsters roam and I don’t want to get caught out.”

They agreed, but what choice did they really have? I had somehow become shepherd to the weak, something of an irony given my usual skittish nature when it came to social pressures. I stood up and stretched. The bite wound was still sore, despite the rest of me healing up. With how fast everything had gone, I didn’t even remember getting bitten.

Had it been worth it?

It was hard to be angry at myself for finding the two women, even if they were irritating. The apocalypse had enough victims, and perhaps this selfless act would earn me some preferential treatment from the System. Slim chance. I paused as I lifted up my chair and cursed under my breath - I hadn’t even looted the zombies yet.

More fool me if the bastards dropped the item that could remove the curse.

I worked my way from the diner interior to the edge of the wave of mulched corpses, picking up whatever the undead offered. Most of them had nothing of value on them. Occasionally, a couple of gold coins. Two bandages. An Antidote. Several pieces of common gear with no stats that I didn’t even care to investigate - they just went into my Inventory for now.

Nothing to cure the curse.

“I can’t wait till I can see what is going on,” Sally said, watching me crouch beside groups of body parts. “I spent about three months last year completely drowning in isekai, VRMMO, and RPG media. Maybe I could be that annoying side character that tells you the solutions to all the puzzles before you have a chance to work out the answer?”

My eyes just remained looking into the blank orbs of the half-pulped skull of one of my victims. Lucky them. I blinked and looked over at the waitress. “I’m not as dense as I look, you know?”

“Oh? Apologies for assuming. What’s your favorite game?”

Images of the summerhouse flashed through my mind. The old console on the patterned rug. Two glasses of iced orange juice. The giggles and arguments with my brother. I winced and pushed it all away.

“We’ll yap later.” I turned from her and nodded at Doris. “Your car still working? It’ll have to go off road for a while.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“She’ll be mad as a mule in heat with all this sand,” the diner owner’s response came as she glared at her vehicle. “But rather that than irritating my dodgy ankle.”

I nodded, for lack of anything to really add to that conversation. A working vehicle would be a huge boon, although I wouldn’t be able to roll it through much of the desert. I turned my head to the road leading toward the city.

It had become partially obscured by layers of sand. The apocalypse had caused the open plain to become short hills of rock and dunes, obscuring the line of sight across the distance of it. There didn’t seem to be anything that had tried coming this way, escaping the city. I wondered if that meant it wasn’t possible.

I turned back and caught the keys out of the air.

“Good reactions,” Doris said shrewdly. “If my life is in your hands, then so be it.”

If anything, that made me feel less comfortable with my situation. Thankfully, the pair had accepted my explanation of the zombie curse, and hadn’t executed me on sight. While Sally had been eager to accept me, the owner had her reservations. In fact, if I hadn’t praised her cooking, I might have been left with the rest of the walking dead splayed across the ground.

Her mode of transport was an old station-wagon. Sturdy and reliable, even if it did complain more than my own van had. Sally explained that Doris usually gave her a lift home after last shift, because she didn’t drive. On account of failing her test three times... this year. I was starting to feel less irritated with the over-sharing now that I knew it was because of nerves. Her sparkling personality was a mask for the real dread she was feeling.

Maybe I could just have three scouts to reveal the map even quicker.

The vehicle pulled forward, and I took it toward the shallowest incline to take us into the desert. This time, I was in no rush. Without knowing any other way of getting transport out here, I didn’t want to ruin a second vehicle. Slowly, we left the diner behind.

Past the goblin camp that I had torn to pieces. Bumped over the dune near the burned-out house. The bunker came into view, but we had spent the whole journey in silence - for one good reason.

The horizon ahead of us, composed entirely of the city itself. Smoke and dust clouds obscured parts of it. Flames flickered from somewhere deeper in. It was imposing and dire. If there were many survivors, they weren’t flashy or overt about still existing. From the outside, it looked as though a bomb had hit it, and none were left alive.

I rolled the station-wagon to a stop and pulled up the handbrake. Engine off. Part of me wanted to make a quip about home sweet home, but I found my tongue wasn’t eager to break the silence.

“Never seen this bunker before,” Sally mentioned, popping open the back door to step out. “I mean, it’s out of the way… but it’s kinda visible to the road.”

“Some things become background noise,” Doris said. “Like the notice that says which pans go in which drawer.”

“Always with the pans in drawers.” Sally rolled her eyes.

I held my breath and left the station-wagon. My eyes lingered around the bunker before checking the surroundings. I had to make sure… it was a compulsion.

//Scarlet: We’re here. Everything okay?

//Bernie: Yes.

One of the least convincing yes’ I had heard lately, but perhaps I was projecting. It was difficult to read tone from plain text. If there was a problem in the bunker, he would surely tell me outright.

Without saying anything, I went over to the door and opened it up. Ushered the two in and shut it behind me. Even Sally was quiet now. The weight and apprehension of the situation was never more real than this. For me, I felt sicker with each step down toward the enclosed space.

I liked roaming the wastes. Even though it was dangerous, I had control of my fate. I could fight and move. Down here was like a tomb. One now filled with my last ties to humanity. And some holographic prick.

Second door opened up.

“Bernie!” Sally rushed in, awkwardly unsure if a hug was appropriate or not. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“No doubt thanks to my cooking,” Doris added, trying to play off that she was thankful to see him as well.

I turned my attention to Richard off to my right as the trio exchanged chatter. He had his arms crossed, concern across his face. Although he was facing me, his eyes followed the waitress for a while before fixating on me.

“Can’t fault you,” he began. “You-”

“Save it,” I interrupted, drawing the eyes of the others. “Hey, you two can’t see this wireframe asshole, right?”

They looked between me and the empty space where I was gesturing.

Sally wrinkled up her face. “Like, literally… or?”

“Alright, well, it’s going to look like I’m talking to myself, but Bernie can see and hear him, so I’m not crazy, okay? Bern, try to update them on everything you can?”

He gave me a nod and started talking with the confused pair.

I gestured for Richard to move closer to the corner of the chamber. “Find me a cure for this,” I whispered. “Otherwise you know what will happen. It could end up worse than just me dying.”

My Guide bit his lower lip and glanced over at the group. We didn’t need to say it out loud. They were dead if I perished. While that sounded rather self-centered, I was right to have some ego about this. It wasn’t just about being level 4 with a decent selection of skills and gear - it was my mentality. The sort of stupid asshole that would dive into a zombie horde to save two others. I chose to ignore the possibility that I turned and killed them myself. Sounded like something I'd do.

“Your best bet is to head to the west,” he replied. “Bernie started scouting that way before knowing what he was doing, and there’s potentially a neutral shop there.”

“Somewhere to spend my gold?”

He nodded, his wireframe form shifting slightly. “There is a chance they will sell Curse Removal, or could point you in the direction of someone who can.”

“Ten days,” I murmured, more for my own benefit. It seemed like an eternity with everything going on. If only it was my sole problem…

“If it’s any consolation, you were lucky it was only one bite. The curse is compounding, meaning you could have had even less time.”

I rubbed at my forehead. Silver linings and all… but it didn’t exactly make me feel better. I was one bad move from it being three days, or even an instant switch. “Fuckin’… fine. West it is. Get Bernie scouting as soon as he can. Let me offload some supplies before I go.”

He nodded, but I didn’t allow him a chance to respond.

Over by the pods, I offloaded ninety percent of the food and linens. Water containers, soap, and towels. I chucked one of the water flasks over to Bernie, the waitress catching it for him.

“I’m fucking off west to find a cure,” I said. “You can route messages to me through Bernie.”

“Oh, you’re going to the motel?” Sally asked, furrowing her brow.

“Motel?” If I had known about one, then I might not have even passed through the diner.

She nodded. “There’s another road into the city parrel to the one here, about a two miles out west. It’s not… a great place…”

Doris added some colorful expletives in her native tongue, although I couldn’t tell whether that was Eastern European or Puerto Rican.

“We aren’t fans of theirs. The guy who owns it is a sleazy dirtbag,” Sally translated diplomatically. “I figured you might be going there for the showers.”

“Showers.” The word echoed around my mind, as well as the chamber. I was planning on leaving to avoid the awkward task of deciding on if the two would accept the STAR, but if there were working showers at this motel… fuck, and actual beds… that was an even better excuse.

Richard stepped into the side of my distracted view. “I’ll remind you that populated centers are likely to have worse monster spawns - much like the diner.”

I felt like reiterating the fact that showers were involved. Maybe he wouldn’t understand, being as he was an intangible being… but I’d press him on his real identity at a later date. He seemed nervous about the inclusion of the two newcomers, and I wanted to be petty and let him stew over that.

“Keep inside the bunker. I’ll be back before night.” I gave them all a nod, excusing myself.

Sally wished me luck, but they were all too overwhelmed with everything to stop me, even if they wanted to. Two twirls of large handles, and I was outside again, able to breathe.

I had fed them and provided them with safety. That should be enough. Now they would just be a burden to me. Shut up. I shook my head out. Old habits died hard, and I was making excuses. Would they be in the firing line from being associated with me? So paranoid. There was no chance his lapdogs were still tracking me down. Money meant shit in this new world. Revenge, though?

Unfortunately, I knew one asshole who was even more petty than I was…

With a glare at general existence, I turned and started off toward my ruined van. My body itched from the dried and flaking gore. My hair was matted with grease and blood. My senses were shot from the bile and burning. I would get a shower, even if it was the last thing I ever did in life.

My vehicle was in a sorry state, looking like it had been stuck in position for years. In eyesight of the bunker, it had fallen at the final hurdle. I gave the hood a gentle pat as I moved around it. Over the years, it had served me well. One of us deserved the rest. Around the back, I popped open the doors and looked inside the darkness.

Lightbulb popped into life with hardly a thought, illuminating the shaded back of the vehicle.

[Lightbulb 2]

The size of the ball of light increased slightly. I paused and swore under my breath, realizing that I hadn't assigned my level 4 stat points when in the bunker. Too eager to run from responsibility. I shook my head once more and focused on the task at hand.

Up on a rail in the top corner of the inside, I unraveled a black tie. Popped my collar and started affixing it around my neck. There was zero benefit, really, other than bringing the outfit together properly. Last time I had rocked this look, I had been on top of the world, flinging cards and knocking back iced liquor. How things could change on a dime.

Rooting through the bags back here, I was able to dig out some spare clothes. Underwear, socks, and another white shirt I didn’t know I had. All needing a fresh wash, but I wasn’t sure the apocalypse cared that much. A scour of the rest of the van didn’t bring up much else worth taking. A pen, the bobble-head cat ornament, a small fan that had run out of batteries, and a bottle of warm beer.

The last keepsakes of a life lived on the run.

I rolled my eyes and shut the doors. Such a dour outlook. It was no wonder I…

My brow furrowed, and my eyes went up to my Inventory. To Threadcutter.

Richard had said I was only able to pick up items that had been affected by the incoming System. The axe appeared in my hands.

That meant something must have spawned around my van.

I turned slowly as the ground nearby started to vibrate.