Chapter One: Sanctuary
A/N: Right so this is my brand new story which is kind of AU- set in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, possibly post TP since there are mainly characters from there turning up, although I won't exclude some other familiar names might crop up later on. I should also probably point out right now that there will be character death (or deaths!) later on. This is still a work in progress but I just got so excited about it that I put everything else on hold to get the first chapter up. Anyways, enjoy, more A/N at the bottom.
Oh yes and the usual disclaimer applies: I don't own LoZ or any characters etc.
The grimy and battered old monitor hummed into life, casting its' effervescent glow across the darkened room as the screen lit up.
The image of a woman appeared. She was a larger figured busty woman with dark skin and chestnut hair pulled into a tight, high pony tail, revealing glowing yellow eyes and a distinctive pointed nose upon her care-worn face. From her long ears hung several sets of heavy black earrings and her cheeks bore the tattooed freckles that were the customary trademark of her dwindling tribe.
"This is Telma, of the Kakariko Resistance" the woman said in a low drawl. "Please, if anyone is alive out there, make contact on this frequency"
A subtext appeared across the screen giving the radio frequency that she and her organisation could be reached on.
"If you be uninfected, please, make for the village of Kakariko, we will find you…..we can help you, you have nothing to fear from us, please…"
The woman's face hung in silence for a few moments longer as the message drew to a close, her face fixated in a silent, tearless plea to any that might still be wandering the goddess-forsaken lands.
May the three watch over them…..
Link trudged up to the heavy metal fence that surrounded the sanctuary, pausing every now and then to check carefully around him. He was often followed, but it was not the thought of simply being pursued that bothered him; it was the thought of a possible ambush.
The monsters that now dwelled in the land that was once Hyrule were no longer simply the bulblins, lizalfos and helmasaurs, although they still were around and all too happy to make their presence known. The monsters now posing the biggest threat were the infected; the mindless, animated souls of the former citizens of a once great kingdom.
He stepped up to the metal fence, checking around once more, before tapping in the eight digit code into the security keypad that hung to one side of the main gate. The electronic module emitted a loud buzz and Link pulled the gate open and stepped through.
Now for the part he hated most; he pulled off the heavy, steel reinforced boots and lifted the hems of his leggings whilst pulling down his thick socks so inspect his calves. The chill wind hit his hot, damp skin, instantly sending a trail of goose bumps up his legs, but this part was absolutely necessary. Link was checking his skin for the presence of tektites, the tiny robotic spiders that carried the virus, infecting their victims by burying themselves under their host's skin. This virus, manufactured artificially by the GANON Corporation, was responsible for the state that the land of Hyrule now found itself in; dark, powerless and poisoned.
Link sighed in relief as he found none of the distinctive scratch marks on his skin. He pushed back his displaced leggings and socks to once more cover the skin that saw less and less of the sun than he would have liked, and pulled his boots back on, not bothering this time to do up the straps.
Walking up to the thick, iron inner door, Link pulled a heavy red lever that stood fixed to the wall alongside it. The lever snapped back into position as soon as he released it, and a radio intercom crackled into life.
"Link? Is that you hun?" a low female voice cooed out of the metal mesh.
"Telma, you know it is, you can see me right?" Link answered impatiently.
"No, the monitor has been knocked out again"
Link sighed heavily; third time in less than a week that had happened. He had no idea who or what was doing it, but it annoyed the hell out of him, and, right now, he had bigger problems to deal with. He certainly didn't need to be wasting time reconnecting cables atop a corrugated iron roof.
"Telma" he called back through the receiver, "just let me in already. I'll fix it later"
The iron door emitted three harsh beeps from within, signalling that it was unlocked for the next ten seconds. Link grunted as he struggled against the weight of the handle.
It was a pain in the ass to open this thing every day, but unfortunately it was necessary. Link slipped inside the small gap he managed to open for himself, leaving the dark clouds of Hyrule field behind him.
Inside, the bunker was not exactly warm, but it was damn sight more comfortable than outside. The howling wind and incoming rain could not be heard through the dense concrete walls, and were instead replaced with the dull echo of the air filters and sounds of life from deep within the secure compound. Link removed his gloves and unclipped his constrictive armoured jacket, hanging it on a set of nearby pegs before stretching out and cracking his broad, muscular shoulders.
Damn that feels better.
Link stood there for a moment leaning up against the cold wall, still wearing the armoured pants and undershirt whilst he allowed the feeling to return back to his numb arms. The ache he felt was the result of the cold eternal winter that the land he called home was now suffocating slowly under, that and that damned jacket, thick and leathery with strategically placed metal guards. It had been made especially for him by Barnes, and was designed to be a snug fit for protection. Unfortunately for Link, this protection came with limitation on movement.
He stood back up straight and shook his hands lightly, in an effort to return the flow of blood to his calloused fingers, before setting about removing his boots and pants. Everything he wore seemed to become heavier with each passing day; the boots, the coat, even the gloves; but none of the items nor equipment he carried compared to the weight in his heart.
The air around him grew suddenly warm and gusted upwards towards the ventilation shafts, signalling that somewhere, down the metal staircase in the underground portion of the sanctuary, a door had been opened. Link leaned in over the handrail, and sure enough, a long rectangle of light cast itself on to the shadowy floor of the landing below. From somewhere down in the darkness, a small voice called up, carrying well up to Link's acute ears.
"Daddy, you're home" Tael squeaked.
Downstairs, Link scooped up the little child into his strong arms and twirled him playfully though the air above his head. The little boy squealed with glee, the delight spread across his angelic little face and his small legs kicking wildly in childish joy.
Link brought his son back down to his chest where he quickly found two little arms wrapped affectionately around his neck.
"Daddy, did you find Mommy yet?" Tael asked.
"Not yet my sweet" Link answered gently, "But don't you worry, Daddy, will find her soon"
Tael buried his face in his father's warm neck, soaking up the familiar musky scent. He missed the smell and warmth of his mother bitterly, but never cried over her disappearance; to stay strong for his Daddy, trying his best to help in the only way he knew how.
The sentiment of the tender moment was abruptly broken by the touch of a warm hand on Link's shoulder.
"Come on Tael, let your father rest now and have some food, that's a good little 'un, run along now"
Link set the child down who happily scampered off and turned to face the source of the voice, which he knew well.
"Telma" he cried, "what's the report"
Telma gestured her hand over to the other side of the mess hall, inviting Link to walk over in the direction of her workstation, an old wooden desk that was laden with beaten up, corroding computer equipment, radios and bits and pieces of all sorts of gizmos and gadgets.
Telma followed him over, signalling a young boy on the way over to fetch Link some food.
"Lots of action today, although not much that I could really make out unfortunately. Although, it shows that there are still plenty of us out there, Link"
Link looked at her doubtfully, making Telma roll her eyes at him.
"Come now Link, we can't start thinking like that now. Just think of all those we've rescued; why, there must be over fifty of us down here now"
"Fifty-seven" Link added glumly, "but the more we add to our numbers, the greater the strain we put on our own resources, Telma"
Link looked up at the tall Gerudo woman, his icy blue stare piercing through to her soul.
"Link" she began softly, placing her hand on his shoulder, "I know these past few months have been hard on you and Tael, but look at him"
Link glanced over to his son, who was merrily immersed in some kind of version of catch with a few playmates; the kind of game with complicated rules and variations that only children seem able to come up with on the spot.
"He has Zelda's strength" she continued, "And so must you, at least for his sake"
Link nodded at the Gerudo; he knew she was right, but things just didn't seem to be going their way of late, at least not in his eyes. A few people that he'd helped to rescue from the blight of the land had decided to abandon the stronghold and make off with as many provisions as they could carry just a couple of weeks earlier, that and the continuous damage that occurred to the external cabling. But the heaviest weight on Link's heart was the fact that his search for his wife was going nowhere. He'd scoured the lands within half a day's walking distance, and appealed to all that crossed his path for any news of her whereabouts, but to no avail. The heavy truth was that if she was out there, he was going to have to leave the compound for goddess knows how long to get to her; and that meant leaving the resistance without one of its' foremost leaders, and chief strategist, not to mention leaving his son.
Link was interrupted from his trance by a gentle nudge at his elbow. It was the young lad; Malachi, whom Telma had sent to fetch Link his dinner. Taking the metal dish, he thankfully sat down next to Telma's desk where she sat fiddling with some of the radio dials.
"Here, take a listen to this" she said, "this should perk your spirits up a bit"
Link paused his chewing to listen carefully to the recording that Telma had taken earlier. It was heavily crackled, but out of the fuzz Link could just make out a woman's voice. At first, his heart leapt.
Zelda?!
"H-h-hello? Can anyone….h-hello?" the recorded voice said.
Link heard Telma's voice come into the recording.
"Yes, hello, we read you"
"Hello…..my name is M…where are nearby, and should r…s evening"
The voice over the message dipped in and out of clarity. Telma's voice chipped back in.
"Hello? You're breaking up, please, can you confirm how many of you and if you are free from infection?"
"Yes, we are clean, there's just t…."
The recording fuzzed out to distorted sounds before fading entirely to static.
Link looked at her expectantly.
"What was I supposed to glean from that?"
"Sorry, it didn't record terribly well, but I'm pretty sure she said there are two of them, and they're both clean"
Link frowned, unimpressed.
"So two more mouths to feed on their way then, huh?"
"That's not the good part" Telma smiled. She was going to enjoy this, she couldn't wait to see the reaction on his face.
"About half an hour later, I got the woman back on the radio, a little clearer this time, only I didn't get the chance to record it….and get this; she told me she'd seen your Zelda!"
Link choked on his mouthful of food. He jumped up, coughing and spluttering globs of stew and bread all over Telma before he finally found his breath.
"Zelda! Are you sure that's what she said?"
"Well she didn't say it was Zelda exactly…."
Link's pounding heart sank.
"But..."she continued, "she did say she got the radio frequency from a blonde woman a few months ago. Seriously Link, wake up! Who else could it possibly be?"
Telma placed her hands on Link's shoulders, jolting him slightly, as if trying to shake some sense into him. Link's face was pale, but his heart was hammering. He looked back to Telma, nodding slowly.
"When do they arrive?" he asked tentatively.
"This evening, they should be here in a couple of hours, so why don't you get yourself cleaned up, put that little angel to bed and then meet me back here at eight"
Link could barely contain his excitement. After months of searching and despairing, hiding the truth from his only child, he was finally about to get a clue as to what had happened to his beloved wife. He was trying not to get too worked up over the news, after all, it could all lead to nothing. The blonde woman could have been anyone, and even if it were Zelda, this potential sighting was months ago. But then again it could give him the clue he needed to start searching for her beyond the immediate area of the compound; he would have some idea what direction Zelda had headed, so that was a start!
Link gazed lovingly over at Tael, sound asleep on his little cot, his thumb stuck firmly in his mouth whilst making little suckling noises in his sleep. He looked perfectly angelic! He had his father's bright blue eyes and sweet little nose, and his hair was beginning to form the signature bangs around his forehead that Link himself was known for. However, he also had inherited Zelda's warm smile and kind temperament.
Link knelt down beside his sleeping son and kissed him gently on the forehead.
Goodnight my sweet, Father will be back soon.
Link had actually toyed with the notion of telling Tael this newest piece of information, but decided against it. There was too high a chance that all this could turn out nothing new. At barely four years old, Tael was far too young to cope with that kind of heartbreak. No, Link had decided; that so long as there was the faintest chance Zelda was still alive, Tael must never give up hoping, not until she was back safe with her family.
"Nice of you to join me, Link" Telma laughed, as Link pulled himself through the hatchway that led to the lookout post.
"Sorry Telma, I just wanted to sit with Tael a little longer, in case he woke up"
"Out for the count is he?"
"Yeah….So any sign of our newcomers yet?"
"See for yourself" Telma smiled, handing him her binoculars.
Link steadied himself on the rickety flooring and peered out across the plain towards the gorge. He spotted two figures on the bridge, walking slowly in their direction. Link lowered the binoculars and squinted with his naked eyes towards the pair, then put the binoculars back to his eyes.
"That them?" he asked.
"I don't see who else it could be?" came Telma's frank reply.
"Doesn't look much like a woman to me"
"I know, but you can't tell from appearances Link, especially at this distance"
"Very well" he sighed, "Light the beacon and make sure there's some food ready, they're still probably half an hour away at least"
Link lowered himself back through the hatch and Telma glanced back over towards the approaching figures in the distance. It was true what she'd said, as from her viewpoint, it looked like they both wore similar garb to Link when he left the compound, all armoured and leathery, moving stiffly against restricted clothing. There was no way to tell either gender or race from this distance, let alone whether or not they carried any sign of infection.
Telma left the watchtower and joined Link in the mess hall, where he was discussing the latest developments with three of the commandants of the resistance.
"Rusl, please keep watch on the main gate, we have visitors approaching. They should not reach us for approximately thirty minutes, but please look out for any potential attacks on them" he ordered.
"Yes sir" nodded a bearded man in his late thirties; Rusl, "Shall I alert you when they arrive sir"
"Please" Link replied, before turning to the shorter man opposite him. "Barnes, do you have any idea what happened to the video monitor outside?"
"No sir" replied Barnes, "Could be some guays perhaps, although I didn't notice any lurking around when I did the perimeter check this morning, so who knows"
"Right, well we'll need to get that repaired first thing in the morning, if there's any infected skulking around, I want to know about it before they reach the interior wall"
"Yes sir, righto sir" Barnes chirped. Link turned to Renado, the last man, and the founder of the sanctuary compound that had become their salvation in these dark times.
"Renado, have we managed to restock since last week?"
"No Link, I'm afraid not. Very little grows on these sunless days, the cuccos do not lay as often as we would like and even our supplies of cured bulbo are beginning to run low"
Link's face crumpled; this wasn't the news he needed to hear, not when newcomers were literally at their door. They would need to go on another hunt soon, and hopefully find some fresh food supplies on the way. Although there was a reasonable supply of canned foods in the larder, Link hated to see the children living in the sanctuary go without basic necessities. It had been some weeks since they had tasted fresh milk, or any kind of fruit or vegetable that wasn't pulled out of a can. Still, they never complained, which only made Link want to try all the harder for them
Telma approached Link and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, sensing the worry and stress that burdened him.
"Link, why not take some rest and lie down. You've been up since dawn and these strangers will take some time yet to arrive, plus by the time they've removed their gear and had some food you could have an hour's sleep."
Link shook his head adamantly.
"No, I want to speak to them the moment they arrive"
It was clear to Telma that their leader was immovable on the subject.
"Well at least sit yourself down and let me make you some cocoa" she insisted.
Link looked up at the Gerudo woman with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Depends, are you going to make it with water out of the crappy instant stuff in a tin?
"Is there any other kind?" she laughed
Link smiled; at least there was always Telma's sense of humour to keep his spirits up.
Link was barely halfway through his watery cocoa when Rusl hurried up to him in the now quiet mess hall, where Link had slunk away to a bench in the corner. He sat, with both hands curled around the metal cup, absorbing the warmth that emanated from within the vessel, and both eyes fixed on the flickering lantern that sat on the table in front of him. When he heard his commandant's frantic footsteps he looked up in anticipation.
"Sir, they've just arrived" Rusl announced
Link leapt up, leaving his cocoa where it sat and rushed off eagerly towards the staircase.
They had to know something about Zelda, they just have to!
A/N So what do you think so far? I'm not decided on the title, so if anyone comes up with anything better I'm open to suggestions, although you may want to wait until we get a little more into the story, and trust me, there will be a few twists.
So basically, so far, a virus has decimated a futuristic (sort of) Hyrule, in which Zelda has been missing for some time leaving Link to care for their young son as well as lead a rag-tag band of survivors. Possible resolution comes with the arrival of two characters who may hold some clue as to Zelda's whereabouts.
Who are they? (Clue's in the title folks) Where did they come from? More will be revealed in the next chapter!
Thanks for reading, please R and R! xxxx