Chapter 3, Downtown
Walking out into the bright sunlight was a painful experience. Couldn't they have saved me at night or something? Suppose I'm not in a position to be picky though... Looking around, I can see a dramatic difference in the state of things than just a mere week ago. It was iconic. Destroyed cars littered the streets, some crushed by chucks of brittle building that fell during the military's failed siege against the infected city. Manhattan was now officially a Red Zone. I wondered briefly how many survivors were scattered throughout the ruins, desperate for guidance or the faintest amount of help. A shame, really...
"So, Artemis, are you immune?" The war veteran got straight to the point, didn't he?
"I wouldn't know." I lied. I knew I was immune, but they didn't need to know I was Patient Zero. "I haven't been bitten yet."
"We heard it became airborne on the news before the station was taken over." This lady has been nothing but helpful. Kudos to her. That's a pretty difficult attitude to have during the apocalypse.
"Hrm..." I mumble, contemplating. "Well, I believe I have properly introduced myself. Won't you all give me the same luxury?" I look about questioningly. Despite them calling each other by name, I knew nothing about any of them. Knowledge is power, so I might as well get to know them.
The veteran again took the lead. "The name is Bill." Wow, wasn't that an exhausting introduction.
Next was the young lady. Suppose she felt compelled to follow suite. "I'm Zoey, nice to meet you." I shook her hand, instantly smiling in a common courtesy not exchanged often enough.
"Name's Francis." I didn't even look at the guy before he started. I see the other man look at him in distain. He must have been waiting to go next. I chuckle in mirth. How childish. A rivalry during times like these? I suppose everyone gets through the day somehow.
"Hello, my name is Louis. It's nice to meet you." The man confidently shook my hand, a charismatic approach about him. Guess it's the years of probable business rubbing off on him.
I yawned, looked about the city, and then back at the group. "Well, since all that's out of the way, where are you all headed?"
Bill spoke up. "We were traveling southward. Heard on the radio that there were regions the infection hasn't reached due to the swampland. Apparently zombies can't swim."
Well then, it seems like we're heading south. Brilliant. I gave a questioning glance to the weapons blatantly displayed by each survivor. After all, I couldn't fight using the... "Benefits" the infection granted me. They'd shoot me on the spot, sentient or not...
No one got the message. Sighing, I supposed that I could just improvise when the time came. No one said a little improvising was bad, right? Psh, only our lives on the line...
And thus, this little odd group and I began our journey to paradise. Well, as close to paradise as one could get in the zombie apocalypse.