The next days before the game passed quickly. Lindsay was still avoiding me, although she seemed to be getting along with everyone else pretty well. She and Emma had been hanging out consistently since they were introduced. Meanwhile, Allison, BT and I were discussing our future plans, as well as how we could try to bend my upcoming game into our favor. The problem we were running into, the lack of information, was proving more difficult to resolve. No one we could find had gone through one of them yet, although we had found a few who would more than likely be alongside Lindsay and I.

I had tried to talk to them, but every single one, without fail, had made some sort of excuse to go elsewhere. They ranged from the mundane such as "I need to get food, but maybe after" to the bizarre response of "You will not steal my secrets mole person." That one had come from a man wearing a tinfoil hat. Where he had gotten it or why it hadn't been taken away by now was beyond me. Maybe the aliens thought he was harmless or that it made him look unique? So far no one has found any way to get clothes other than these robes, and it's making it look like everyone is chilling at a sauna. Hopefully Xix will consider allowing us the luxury of actual clothing, although I doubt it's very high on their priority list.

"Anyway, apocalypse games. What are we thinking for this? Hopefully we are talking slow moving shambling Walking Dead apocalypse, and not Apocalypse Now type stuff." Honestly, the only reason anyone ever died in the show to zombies was either for dramatic reasons or due to straight stupidity. The zombies were more scenery than antagonist, and we would probably be fine in that case. It would just be a larger combat map, but that doesn't feel like the spectacle the audience would be expecting.

"I'd hazard a guess there's going to be some sort of expansion on the rules. In the case of your zombies example; letting the players be zombies with special powers, or giving them control somehow. As deadly as I think it would be, it would be interesting to watch. Also, you are overthinking this. Just take things as they come. It worked out in our game" BT said.

"Ugh. None of this helps me. I can't plan for something so broad! And I only have a couple more hours before the game starts...." Maybe I was trying to hard to figure out something that there wasn't an answer to.

"You are going to burn yourself out with stress before it even starts at this rate." Allison said. "Especially if you are just going to stay up here and mope the whole time. We can go do something fun, or at least, as fun as can be expected here. There's alcohol I guess? Maybe it will take your mind off things? I promise you'll be back before we even get close to the start time. Scouts honor."

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"You were a scout?" I asked.

"Nope, just thought it make it more believable. Did it work? I wasn't kidding about you having plenty of time though." She said. She wasn't wrong about it working, I had gotten pulled out of musing, and while I wasn't really in the mood to party, I didn't want to keep going down the rabbit hole either.

I let them drag me off. A little time relaxing couldn't hurt right? A couple hours passed, and only after looking down at my wristband did I realize how close to the time I was. I quickly dashed away from the table we all had been sitting at, hearing a "Come back safe" from Allison as I ran. I reached the door just in time, looking to try and find Lindsay in the large crowd of people. I grew more and more worried until eventually I made out someone that looked like here buried deep near the front of the crowd.

I pushed my way towards her, but as I made it through about half of the crowd The door opened, and there was Xix, standing with all four of his arms upraised. His voice boomed out "Welcome to the advent of our most popular game to the Human group. I'm so glad you all could make it, and those of you that couldn't arrive on time, I apologize for the guards that were sent to collect you, but I was just too excited for the game, and I didn't want you to miss even a single bit of it.

"In fact, I'm so excited, that I will be revealing the rules of the game, without spoiling the extra special surprise. You sixty four participants will be entering the games from different starting locations, determined randomly. You will be given a false backstory, as well as a new identity that will fit that backstory. The only thing that will remain the same is your gender. You are not allowed to reveal your true identity to any other participant, and should you do so you will be eliminated.

"But this year we are adding a twist to our typical formula. Along side you there will be highly advanced AI playing characters also participating in this scenario. These NPCs, as some might have heard them referred to, will also be active participants in the games, but will not help or hinder anyone with whom they don't have any reputation built up. Kind of like real life, you can't convince these NPCs without helping them out. The objective of this game? Simply don't be eliminated. Should be really easy right? Well, that's where our apocalypse comes in. You won't just be fighting against our monsters, but also against each other."

"There are no role given traitors in this game, instead everyone will have an equal chance of betraying you. We provide anonymity so that those who wish can betray without consequence. If you wish, your entire group gathered here could get along and win, if you can find enough food and water to sustain yourselves, and also avoid the monsters. When food starts running low, or when the danger is high, can you really trust those people around you to serve the best interests of the group? Let's find out."

The guards spread out, and began escorting us to our pods.