Meanwhile
July 20, 2075
1818 JST
Inside Alnitak's Infirmary
Rachel Cooper's Point of View
This smell, it’s not root beer. It’s gunpowder. Ow! My head still hurts! Um, ok, Rachel. Get your bearin’s! Alnitak is clearly under attack, but you’ve been informed of the plan so, get your butt up, grab your sniper, and flee to the mountain. And you have to accept the possibility that everyone who didn’t escape from ‘ere is dead. Growing up is so hard, Rachel, and it’s true that things don’t always work out how you want them to.
“Grah!” An undead growls from the doorway.
Oh. He must’ve been the person sent to rescue me. Sigh. You can’t make any noise. You have to be as quiet as a mouse, or else you’ll be killed by the Royals. The New World is like another math assessment, but makin’ even one error will cost you your life. You lack talents in any other subject, but you have yet to make a single mistake when it comes to mathematics. This proves that you’re capable of overcomin’ any obstacle thrown your way. Why? Because you’re a survivor, Rachel.
*
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Three minutes later
Outside the Infirmary’s Entrance
*
Holy moly! Corpses, Royals, blood, gunfire, smoke, and tear gas! According to Nala, the Alnitak tribe has a great distaste for modern weaponry, so it’s no wonder that things are so bad. There’s just too many obstacles in my way between here and Alnitak mountain, and of course, I have to help the villagers. I don’t have no choice but to fight. I’ll have to kill once more if I wish to survive. I’m so sorry, Lord. Please forgive me once more.
Wait! The moment I fire my gun will be the moment they’ll converge on my position. But I have to help somehow! Stop overthinking! Just get behind cover and start with the three hovering in the sky, Rachel!
They… won’t even feel a thing.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth as I shoot three shots.
Wait. Gasp! The school is on fire. Aayushi might be in there with the children!
That ting noise, was that…is that a grenade?!
Ow! This is the worst headache I’ve ever had in my entire life. Ok, get your bearin’s again. Your face is in the dirt, and things are super distorted. You can’t do anything like this, so just slowly… turn… arou…- Lord!
“Grah!” the undead growls in front of me.
Not good!
A Royal killed it?! Even worse!!!
Ew, he fell on you. He’s so sticky and smelly! Gasp! Stay still, Rachel. Don’t you dare move.
“You fools! I specifically ordered you to not blow the sniper up to smithereens,” a young woman’s voice shouts in frustration. “Ugh! Nevermind! We must continue our assault! We are so close to ending the Age of Zombies!” She continues as she flies away with the others.
The school! It’s… it’s burning down to the ground. Dang it, Rachel! You’re so useless. But what could you have done, anyway?! You’re not a muscular firefighter. You’re just a stupid, clingy girl who can’t even do anything without help. You can’t even protect the ones you love the most. You can’t protect yourself, your squad, and you can’t even protect children.
Wait. That sound, it’s… gasp! Adrian!