Prologue
Both a refresher to those that played Lifeline and an introduction for those that didn't
Underground bunkers never felt so safe. The damned zombies were pests, but they couldn't use shovels as far as Agent Lange knew. The man savored every step he took in the facility. One more blissful moment that he didn't need to worry about a zed jumping out from the shadows. "We have the five VIPs in confinement right now," Lange said to the woman walking beside him. "Black Friday delivered, ma'am. We're setting up a proper lab for them to work in. Until then, they're under heavy guard. We can't be too careful."
Evelyn Morgan nodded thoughtfully. The woman looked downright haggard, like she hadn't slept in a week. Agent Lange was willing to bet that was at least somewhat accurate. The Lieutenant Governor of Washington had been scurrying around the state trying to fulfill all of its needs. Governor Bingham was officially MIA as of two days ago, so she might have even more on her plate than she anticipated. "I was briefed on the works of Thomas Horn," Morgan said. "As much as anyone knows of his works, that is. The man was researching the disease that caused this outbreak."
"Dr. Horn was hiding something," Agent Lange said casually. Morgan cocked her head, eager to hear the rest of the agent's analysis. "From everything the witnesses say, the good doctor killed himself to avoid being taken into our custody; not because he was bitten. If he knew anything about the Black Fever, he would know that." Morgan nodded, her mouth taut.
"Either he was a fraud and all of his work is useless... or he was responsible for what happened to the world," Evelyn Morgan did not seem particularly disturbed by the news. Lange noticed that her eyes were emotionless... disconnected.
"At least partially. But yes, that is what we are thinking. Once the VIPs can get to work, then we can find out which option is more likely."
"And I will remain here until that happens," the Lieutenant Governor stated. "And if I'm to do that, I believe I should be briefed on the living VIPs." Lange nodded and showed her a clipboard he was carrying. Morgan saw the faces of five people lined up.
"VIP One is Timothy Hall," Lange began. "Hall headed Danforth's morgue. He received bodies with suspicious... irregularities on them, before this whole thing started, and studied them before the world broke down. Horn was interested in the man, so we are too."
Morgan nodded. "The Undertaker. Next?"
"Dr. Dan Bogatz and Dr. Julene Horn are the next VIPs. Bogatz was an old acquaintance of Hall. They wrote several papers together, before their feud drove them apart. Julene was Dr. Horn's ex-wife, and was teaching medicine at a university before all this. Both will provide valuable insight into Horn's work and thought process."
"The Rival Professor and the Jilted Lover. Excellent. And?"
"Number four is Madison Grant. She was Horn's protégé, student and lover. She was likely working with Dr. Horn on his experiments with the Black Fever. The two reportedly shared... everything."
Morgan smiled wryly. "She sounds lovely. Who is this woman, then?" The Lieutenant Governor pointed at the portrait of an older, rotund woman frowning profusely.
"Well, that's Michelle Martin. She headed Danforth's Human Future Fund. HFF was funding Dr. Horn's research. Martin isn't a scientist herself, but she is a corporate woman. She should know something about the work she was funding. The only thing..." Agent Lange paused.
"What is it, Agent?" Morgan asked, trying to keep her poker face.
" HFF is not the company I would want researching the Black Fever, Madam Lieutenant Governor... and Michelle Martin was reported to be acting very suspiciously when she was recovered from her office. I mean, the woman stayed in HFF's office building after the goddamn apocalypse. What was her motive for that? What was she protecting?"
Evelyn paused, and then looked to Lange. "Agent, there's something you should know..." the woman was cut off when the pair reached the end of the hall where two men were standing guard. They saluted the two officials immediately.
"You can ask any more questions to Black Friday's command, Ms. Morgan," Lange smiled and nodded to the men. The door opened, revealing three people in military fatigues. Morgan immediately recognized them as the ground team from Danforth.
Morgan walked forward, looking rejuvenated at the sight of these soldiers. "My god, from everything I've read from your reports... I half expected you to be ten feet tall, with lightning bolts shooting out of your eyes." She quickly laughed it off, and scanned the two men of the group. One was young, black, with a sly smile on his face. "Private Royell Vincent," Morgan nodded in greeting. The other man was native Hawaiian, slightly older. Morgan noticed his kindly eyes. "Sergeant Kilohana Young, nice to meet you." Morgan's eyes finally rested on the woman. She appeared in her late thirties, with dirty blonde hair tied roughly behind her back. The lines in her face were deeply set, making her look like a statue. "And you must be Alicia Hawkes."
Hawkes rose from her seat and saluted. "Madam Lieutenant Governor."
"At ease," Morgan smiled. "It is good to see you, but I'm afraid we cannot waste too much time on pleasantries. You did good work in Danforth, soldiers, but your country still needs you."
Hawkes frowned, and suddenly looked bashful. "I know that we were ordered to nuke the city, ma'am," Hawkes acknowledged. "I didn't go through with it... as you obviously know. Vienna Cho disarmed Sasquatch's bomb under my supervision. I take full responsibility."
Evelyn paused, and then let out a small laugh. "Never abandon that conscience, Major Hawkes. That is what I am here to talk to you about. All of you." Morgan looked around, almost as if she was nervous someone would overhear her. "You did right by disarming the nuke."
"Ma'am?"
"This... Sasquatch. Kelly Eldridge III. I understand you never got official confirmation of his position in Danforth?"
"No ma'am. Eldridge assured us he was Special Forces. We didn't have much room to question, ma'am, not with official channels down," Hawkes said.
Morgan nodded solemnly. "I see. Well, I'm sorry to say that 'Sasquatch' never existed, Major. He disappeared as soon as the helicopter touched down in the capitol. There is no record of a Kelly Eldridge III as working for the Federal Government. You were lied to."
"What the fuck?" Private Vincent rose from his seat. "Uh, ma'am. You're telling us a civilian tried to nuke the city?"
"Not just a civilian. Kelly Eldridge works for a company known as the Human Future Fund. I think you ran across it. We believe that he was under order to nuke the city to destroy any evidence of HFF's implicit actions."
"Implicit actions of what, ma'am?" Hawkes asked.
"Of causing this outbreak," Morgan answered. "Now, you need to tell me everything you remember about Sasquatch. Finding him is our best lead to ending this plague and saving the world."