We finish up eating breakfast and I clean up the table, “We need to have a talk” I tell the group. “Yes, I was wondering when you were going to bring this up” Doug said in a serious tone, both Alexia and Helen looked at him inquisitively. “What our plans are” he says to the two of them, they both turn to me. “Now before you jump to any conclusions on your own, let me make this clear. I don’t mind you here, frankly I prefer it. I was going a bit crazy being alone and all. But in this time… “ “In this day and age you have to set up counter measures for any possible scenario that could come into play” Doug jumps in. “Yes, exactly. Say for instance, if this shelter were to be damaged in any way, this whole building would become unstable within a few days.” “But I thought you said the whole building was safe, was that a lie?” Helen asked. “No I didn’t lie, thank you very much. However, I never explained to you why the building is safe for now. And I know this because the scientist, Lisa was her name, and I tested some theories out while living her since the end happened.” “You lived with a scientist, where is she?” Helen raised her eyebrow. “She died… about a month ago, I’ve been alone ever since. We had been working on a way to fight the germ, and I think she got close to a treatment, possibly a cure. And I think she may have infected herself to test it out.” “For her not to test it out on someone else… were you two close?” Alexia cut in this time. I smile “You could say that, as far as I could go at least. She was kind of like a second mother to me, that is how ever far 3 months could take us. I do know that she enjoyed my company, I admired and respected her for her intellect.” “Huh, you say she was like a mother to you, and yet you can’t say you loved her?!” Helen looked a little frustrated. “Emotions, what a fickle thing. I’ll try to explain it better later If we stick together, but for the quick version. I’ve seemed to have lost a range of emotions throughout my life, and parental love is one of them.” I explain but they don’t seem to comprehend the meaning, (but seems romantic love is still possibly intact, but that’s probably at a instinct level). “Anyway, back to these… lamps” Doug motioned for me to continue, “Yes. As everyone should know by now, the creatures will burn in sunlight. And being as stupid as they are, it’s also made them scared of any other type of light source. So Lisa and I did some investigating. They can only survive in the heat, which makes the sunlight a weird factor. We can feel the warmth of sunlight on our skin, so it should help them live, but in fact it doesn’t. This is caused by the UV rays, just like how our skin burns after a while, so do they. But do to the mutation, it takes away all barriers that the skin provides, making them burn quite a lot faster. So Lisa and I rigged up the solar lamps that are used to clean contaminated water with some solar batteries. This away they can charge up during the day when we don’t need them working, and emit UV light at night. Yet the only probably is, the batteries seem to be malfunctioning and use the energy right away, and the way to stop that was to hook up a blue-tooth link with the computers in here. So if the computer gets damaged, no more UV protection for the building.” “Aah. So when they find the building unprotected, it won’t be too long until it’s infested and knocked down” Doug catches on, “Exactly” I confirm.

“And in case of any reason for the shelter going down, power or food running out. Lisa and I set up to go pack stuffed with all sorts of things that we might need in the so called wild now.” “So if we were to stay, you want to make some more packs to store away” Doug says and I nod back. “And it’s better to do it sooner rather than later, since this wasteland is unforgiving of laziness.” I can’t help but snicker at my own words “Even though I’ve been sitting around for the past month” I mutter.

“Alright, since we have some time before full sunrise, let’s do an advanced introductions. I’m a little curious about you guys.” I state. “But I guess I can go first. Let’s see, first my name is Nick Brigin and I’m 20 years old. My former job was at a consultants firm and I dealt with research into basically everything the company had their hands in, but main consisting of medical, technology, law and etc. But when the meteors struck down, I stuck around here and helped Lisa out with her research and to keep this shelter going. And with that I continued my learning in medical, since who doesn’t need medical help in a apocalypse” I chuckle. Alexia was fidgeting so Doug spoke up “Well since we’re married, might as well do ours together” He looked to Helen and she nodded “ We’re Doug and Helen Pike, I’m 28 and she’s 27, I was a Forest Ranger for around these national parks and Helen helped me with it, so we know how to survive in the wild” I open my mouth to ask a question “also we’ve been married for 5 years, if that’s what you were wondering” I smile happily, curiosity killed the cat as they say. I look over to Alexia who has her head lowered, “It’s okay, tell me what you feel comfortable with. It’s not like I can search up every detail now, Internet’s gone” I grin. She raises her head “Um, I’m Alexia Misk and I’m… 19. I was planning to go to college for Architecture.” “Really? That’s cool, I know I could never keep my focus on that. Mad props” I smile at her. We sit in silence for a minute, “Enough of this. I’m dieing to know, How do you guys know each other?” I point at Alexia and then at the couple and back to Alexia. Helen stares at me (Did I finally snag the line there?) suddenly she begins to laugh, “It’s not as exciting as you want it to be. We met through a chain of friend a few years back, and have been friends since.” I admit, I’m a little disappointed. “Okay, if you done with your questions” she pauses waiting for me but I let her continue “then I have a question for you. What did you mean earlier by losing your emotions?”. (Figured that wouldn’t pass people as easy as I thought it would) “rrr, um…” I scratch the back of my head “I’ve developed what most people would call a low EQ, which mean Emotional Quotient. It for one limits my understanding of other peoples emotions, but the bigger problem. My capacity for emotions is limited and in the worst case, non at all. I feel joy and happiness, also a little sadness when Lisa died but it didn’t last more than that day. I have a harder to no experience with more complex feelings like depression or extreme jealousy. Though the one that I definitely kept is partnership, or in your terms, a romantic lover. But I did a bit of research through psychology and medical, I’ve had time lately to ponder deeply on subjects. I’ve come up with the theory that finding a ‘mate’ is more a primitive instinct that flourishes on the emotion of love.” Everyone’s just looking at me with blank looks, “I’m sorry for blabbering my finding, I have been only for a month” “So in a sense, we’re also your savior” Doug laughs.

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We spent the next hour stuffing 3 packs with dried food, clothes, and other gear that would help us if worse comes to worse. “In regards to staying here, I’ve talked over with them and agreed to stay here for the time being” Doug told me. “No ETD huh, it’s all good. We’ll discuss it further when the need arises” I reply. “We are however extremely grateful for the safe place to stay at. And for that I want to Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m not sure if you know how bad it is out there, but for us to be able to relax, even for a little snippet of time. It’s relieving beyond words.” I put my hand on his back “Even if it looks like I inherited this place, it isn’t mine. So I don’t have any more of a right to stay here than you guys do. But I am glad that we get to share it for this moment in time” we smile at each other. We finish loading up the packs. “Alright, I want to take these upstairs and to show you were they’ll be at if the time ever arises to actually need them. From there, your free to do whatever. I’ve tried to stay out of here during the day to conserve as much power as possible during the last month, so I do ask you to try and do the same. The less time we spend in here, the longer we have to stay safe. Also the restrooms do work in the college, so the only need to come back here is food.” “I want to tour the building and see what’s all here” Helen says. “Cool, we can make plans upstairs. Let’s go” I pick up a pack and Doug picks up the other 2, we head to the library.

“Why do you lock the door? No one else is here” Alexia asks. “Lisa and I weren’t the only ones in the group when the meteors hit. There were several others, though some of them left right after that first night in search of family and friends. I was on a business trip when all of this happened and frankly was just lucky that the library was one of the first places I decided to go check out. But anyway, the hotel I was staying at was hit by one of the bigger rocks and crumbled to the ground, I had no place to go so I stayed here with a few other people. There was panic on the street, literally, so I just stayed at the library and shelter. The next few days was when the fun really started to happen, at first I thought zombies, stupid book. Within the month, our little group was investigating the disease and over time 2 of the people in the group got infect. For some unknown reason, they let us study the mutation that accord, though we promised them that we wouldn’t let them fully turn into one of those creatures. The was only 3 of us left. And about 2 months after civilization fell, we had an intruder when we weren’t expecting it. The result was Lisa and I were the only ones left here, and after that intruder we started to code lock the door.” By the time I was done with the explanation we were at the doors to the library. We walked to one of the offices on the side of the library. We put the packs but the other 2 that were sitting against the wall, we exited the room and I shut the door. I walk over to the receptionist area and I leaned against the desk. “So what is everyone planning on doing?” I ask. “We’re staying here for now right?” Alexia asks and Doug nods. “Then… I want to take a look around the library a little more, is that alright?” “of course” I grin. “I want to tour the building too… But we should stick together…” Doug looks at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with Alexia. I’ll probably more help to her since I know the library like the back of my hand now. You two go on your date” I look at my watch which I acquired from the shelter “Be back here in 4 hours for lunch” I grin sarcastically, Helen rolls her eyes. They walk off, hand in hand (yeah that’s right). “So, do you want a formal tour of this place?” I ask Alexia, she shrugs in response (soooo helpful). “Well the tour begins at the door, If you will so kindly head that way, ma belle” I motion my hands to the door with a bow. I hear a sigh as she walks past me, I follow in pursuit. I wedge the doors open for the grand tour and she stands just slightly outside. I face the receptionist desk and with my arms open wide “This as you can see is the receptionist desk in which people greet new comers as it is the first thing they see”.

From behind me I hear a muffled scream, (What?) I turn my body to see behind me. A man has one hand over Alexia’s mouth and the other has a knife, against her throat. “Don’t move, or she dies” he smiles a horribly disgusting grin at me.