(You know...in retrospect, i should have expected for this to happen...
I mean...this is Saya we're talking about here)
Thankfully, the mask absorbed most of the impact as the book crash-landed on my face...
I shake my head until i can focus my eyes again and look back at Saya
Her face...pretty much a pink-haired tomato
"Ok ok i get, no pink tornados, so please, no violence in the library"
She just huffs and turns her head back to the textbook
"Still...Why must i be the only one with a weird nickname..."
I say as i open the book she just threw at me
"Because you're..."
"An idiot, i know..."
I cut her off as i keep looking at the book
(Talk about a short fuse...the only way to tell her a joke is by posting it online and sending her the link from a safe distance...)
I tried not to chuckle as i kept looking at the book's index
And then...it hit me
(...Posting...videos...wait a minute)
"Hey, are there any recent videos uploaded in there?
You know, post-outbreak"
I look up at Saya as she stops writing and turns to the phone
"Yes, if you go at the main page the latest videos are from a couple of hours ago"
She keeps tapping away at the phone as she speaks
(...hmm...i wonder)
"Did you watch any of them?"
I ask again
She lifts her head and looks at me
Her face still had a slight shade of red on it
Nothing like the 'tomato' red she had a minute ago though
"No, we don't have time to waste remember
You said so"
She said as she kept looking at me
"True, but right now this could be our best...and only chance on finding information on what these things are
Out of all the people in the world, somebody with medical knowledge should have had the chance to well...post something...anything"
I close the book as i speak
She just keeps staring at me for a few seconds before picking up the phone
"There are millions of videos here, how are we going to find something like that without wasting all of our time"
She waves my phone as she speaks
"Easy, look for the most viewed videos from the last two days with tags that match what we want to find, things like
Virus, infection, bacteria, dissection, medical...you know"
I point my finger at the phone as i lean on the desk
She lets off a sigh before bringing the phone close to her face
(Why didn't i think of this earlier...
Actually, why didn't SHE think of this earlier? Ain't she a genius or something?)
And a few minutes later
Her eyes go wide
"Found something?"
I ask
She just passes me the phone without saying anything
I take it and look at the screen
The words
'Scientific explanation for the new unknown pathogen'
Typed on the search bar
Under it
An unending number of videos
Most of them looked the same though
Recorded by a cellphone in the middle of a street
Except...for the first video in the lineup
That one was taken inside a laboratory of some sorts
Under the name 'ADSGNF'
And well...weird name aside, the video it self...had more than three billion views
That was..three billion...in two days
I glance at Saya before looking back at the video
And press the play button...
The video started with the shuffling sounds of a camera being set up
Then, a man in a white lab coat walked into view
He looked like in his late fifties
His hair was a medium shade of gray and he was wearing a pair of thin round glasses
"My name is Alex Xenogios, i'm a pathologist
Me and a group of fellow doctors were inside our workspace when this...outbreak started
And now we have been stuck here for what...two?...three days?
Matters not...from what we have been informed we not getting rescued...not before we die of starvation, dehydration or this...infection
And as the facility is overrun and currently working on backup power
Figured...i should let people know what we found out before it's too late for us
Before any of you get your hopes up, we don't have anything close to a cure
We don't have the necessary personnel...or equipment to even try"
Alex raises his head and looks behind him before looking back at the camera
"Not anymore"
He takes a deep breath before grabbing the camera by what i suspect was a tripod and begins walking towards a corpse that was tied up on an operating table
Its torso was cut open, internal organs in full display
Also, it was missing its right arm
The corpse turns its head towards the direction of the camera and starts groaning as Alex moves near it
'Ok as you can see...the subject is...still 'alive' and oblivious to the fact that it's missing its front ribcage'
He shakily leaves the camera and positions it so we have a clear view of the corpse
"So what did we find...for starters, for anybody still wondering, the infected, are in fact...dead
This 'thing' right here is nothing more than a husk that is being controlled by...something...a virus?...a parasite?...bacteria?
We don't know, what we do know
Is that whatever it is, it's in the brain"
He walks away from the camera for a few seconds
And upon returning he brings a lump of meat near the camera
A heart
"You all know what this is right?
It's a heart...his heart"
He points at the corpse
"Even after removing the main method the body uses to circulate blood...nothing changed...because these things don't use blood
The moment they get up again they have no heartbeat, no blood circulation
That is also why they don't die even if they get their limbs chopped off
Blood loss means nothing to them
What we also found was"
He turns around and grabs something from the small operating table that was set next to the corpse
And then brings it close to the camera
A syringe...
He then stabs the corpse with it and proceeds to draw blood until the syringe was full
Pulling the syringe back he shows it to the camera again...and after taking the needle off...he puts the tip of the syringe in his mouth
And empties the contents
(...I am...actually seeing this?...)
He winces as he swallows
"UGHH...It tastes like shit...
But...it is not infectious, blood...blood is not infectious
Only saliva can spread this...like some sort of beefed out super rabies"
He starts speaking again, while his expression remained that of a person who just ate a lemon
"They don't use blood...yet they do not decay...
No...actually...they do decay...but only partially...
Their nervous system, for example, still works as if the person never died
And their muscles, are also still functional...and if any of you noticed that these things tend to occasionally become much stronger than expected
That is because their muscles no longer work under the normal human limits any more...limits that were normally used to avoid overexertion
Now...from all the tests we have done, the only thing we could conclude...which is pretty much a speculation mind you
Is that whatever has invaded the host's brain, is also nurturing the nervous system and muscles to keep them running"
And as the doctor keeps speaking the camera's battery sign starts flashing
Signaling that it was close to running out
"Also, cutting a limb after a bite...won't work
Save your self the trouble and pain
The person you see chained up on the table...
We cut his arm off in less than a twenty seconds after he got bit, you can see how that ended
And...lastly...people that died from other causes, such as gunshots or bloodloss
Do not get up again...now...there is a chance that this facility is just not contaminated by whatever this is
But then this also means that the infected don't spread the disease by any other means other than a bite, as we were already overrun when we witnessed that people that died by other methods did not get up again...
If...if that is also true for the outside world...
Then...there is a good chance that the virus might be lab bred...as whatever this is...it has a very bad way of transmitting itself...
And for it to spread globally...so fast...without the ability to travel by air...even if it did 'hijack' our methods of long-range transport like planes and ships to spread itself
It should not have popped up everywhere at the same time as it did...
...But...again this is just speculation...there are too many holes i can use to prove my self wrong..."
He brings his hand on the camera
"I don't expect to survive this...but to whoever is left alive, may God be w..."
And the video got cut...the camera probably run out of battery
I just stayed there looking at the 'replay' sign on the phone
"Lab...bred?"
Saya was the first one to speak
I don't know if i was actually more surprised than i expected to be
As i could only hear her from my right ear
"We should take this with a grain of salt...As he said...it was a speculation
But...even if it is true...there is nothing we can do about it...don't let this cloud your judgment and derail you from the task at hand"
I speak up as i lift my head and look at...an empty chair?
(huh...?)
"Ughh...i know you don't have to tell me...it's just...
The idea that all of this is happening because a bunch of idiots decided to fuck up everybody's life..."
She speaks up again
And again...her voice comes from my right side
I turn my head to the right to find Saya's face right next to mine, still looking at the phone
"OH HOLY F! when did you even..."
I shout as i lean my body back
She winces and turns to me with a glare
"Ughh don't shout at my ear idiot
I kept telling you that i can't see the video but you ignored me"
She says as she frowns
"Ohh...sorry...i kinda got sucked in, didn't hear a thing"
She rolls her eyes with a sigh as she pushes her self away from the desk and walks back to her seat
"Figured as much...can i have the phone back now?"
She extends her arm as she 'asks'
I just nod and slide it to her
(...Well...
That was quite the bomb to drop in my face internet
In the anime, nothing was ever mentioned on how all this started...so i don't know what is going on either...shame the author died mid-production...
I could have had a very big advantage if there was an actual end to the manga with an explanation...or a place that is a verified to be safe haven or something...
But as i said to Saya..i need to focus on the task at hand...what's the point of knowing...if i die tomorrow)
I return my focus to the book about the H.A.N.E.S
After reopening it and reading the index
I turn to the page that had information on emp range and the damage it can cause
(So...based on what the book said
A well placed high altitude blast...can pretty much fry a whole country as big as the US
It also mentions that small scale items like phones should normally withstand an emp
And they also included most cars in that group
Hmm...weird...seeing as in the anime both phones and cars
Hell even the gun dots got fried
...Actually...that got me wondering...
Are...solar panels affected?)
I pull out the second phone from my pocket and open it
Then proceed to open the browser and type
'Emp on solar panels'
And after a couple of good hits and a quick read
It pretty much tells me
That solar panels are mostly unaffected
But it would still kill the batteries and the such
(Hmm...nothing too freaky if we can find working batteries in a store
...I will keep this in mind
It did say something about diodes, wiring and a controller
I have information on what all that crap is from the notes i jotted down from the other videos...
But i got no idea what they are right now)
I put the phone back in my pocket and continue reading the book
(Power plants ...fried
Telephone lines ...fried
Anything hooked up on the main power grid... bigger chance to fry
So things that are not on the grid...and are not powered up... have hypothetically, a higher chance of survival...
So...raiding an electronics store after the blast...might not be such a bad idea after all
...It does say that the military also has emp proof electronics
Which makes sense...i mean even our humvee is supposed to be emp proof even if it is kind of custom made
As i noticed it has ignition keys... normal military ones do not have keys if i remember correctly )
"Why are you reading that?"
A voice snaps me out of my thoughts, i raise my head to see Saya staring at me
"Whatdya mean?"
I ask
"I mean exactly what i asked...
Why are you reading about EMP?"
She asks as she points at the book with the pen
"Uhh...good question...i just picked it up after watching that video without thinking
And then one thing brought the other..."
I say as i close the book
(I did manage to read what i wanted...so it should be fine skipping the rest...for now at least)
Saya just sighs as she rolls her eyes
"Some times you act like the most irresponsible person on the whole planet..."
She turns her eyes back on the textbook
"Ehh..."
With nothing to say i just lean on the desk and i try to see what she was writing
"Say...did...anything happen while i was gone?"
I ask as i sit back normally
Saya looks at me and raises an eyebrow
"Anything?...anything like what?"
I look at her before shrugging
"If you have to ask me to define you 'anything' then i guess nothing did happen..."
I pull out the second phone and stare at the browser's text insert box
(So...while i was gone..the group did not fight?...that's good...
Means me being here changed something to the better)
After that, both of us stayed silent for some time
I used the second phone to search for more information on emp and how to deal with it
Though..everything ended with the same info...either military-grade stuff...of a faraday cage
Both things...out of my reach...making the cage would make me too suspicious on why i wanted to make something so specific, only to have an emp go off sometime after
And then...military-grade stuff...heh...yea good luck with that
So i decided to switch to something different and search for more things you can do without electricity
(Though you never know...maybe after finding Rei's mother and arriving at that school where her dad was in we won't have to do anything
Maybe we'll get extracted by the army and get sent to a refugee camp or something...
Though that would lead to other problems...
...God...even in the middle of the apocalypse, i still hate being around a lot of people...
Talk about hardcore antisocial...)
Saya sighs as she stops writing
I lift my head and look at her
"I think we need to leave..."
She speaks up as she raises her head
(Hmm...leave...she means the estate?...so something DID happen...
Maybe that part with the mechanic and Kohta?
Or did she actually fight with the group and got manhandled by Takashi...though that would make little to no sense if used as a reason to leave the estate)
"You mean leave the library?"
I ask as i tilt my head
Saya just frowns
"No you idiot, i mean the estate..."
She lowers her head
"Your...explanation about staying here when we were in the yard with the rest of the group was actually pretty much head-on...
Staying here would put us under the whims of the adults...and they see us like we are just a bunch of useless kids...dead weight to carry around..."
She kept staring at the textbook as she spoke
I lower my head and look at the closed book next to me
(Well...that is...true...but is doing nothing really that bad?...i mean
We won't be in constant danger and will have food...and probably electricity
Though i guess...we will have to deal with a couple of bad apples...
Even if are not really ' just kids' anymore
But i guess Saya will flip out if i tell her that...)
I lift my head to see Saya staring at me
"Well...leaving...is an option
As long as we can get supplies and a target destination
Ammo...food, water...fuel...lots of fuel
You don't know what a gas guzzler the humvee is, which is going to be a major problem if we don't have a surplus of fuel"
Saya just nods
"The car is already ours so we should be able to leave with it...
I could...speak to my parents about the supplies..."
She averts her eyes from me as she speaks
(She is not even sure her self if her parents would agree huh...not surprised...supplies are not something that will come about easily now
And i can't ask for supplies as payment for that crazy-ass mission either...as it was my idea and Yuriko was obviously against it
I'm gonna be like them annoyingly forceful window cleaners if i do that...
And yea...no...end of the world or not..i am not doing that)
"We also need to consider the pros and cons of each decision
Leaving lets us make our own decisions...along with also being obviously less prone to being overrun because there will be less noise produced
But will also mean we will have to constantly scavenge for supplies and we will mostly have to stay on the run
As with a small group we need to find an already well-fortified place to hunker down
A place like that...will most definitely be already occupied
and if not...will be a prime target for...not so friendly people"
Saya just stared at me as i spoke
No snarky comebacks or groans of annoyance
"Staying here will...will probably keep us relatively safe and give us a steady supply of food
Along with electricity...as we don't know if out there everything still has power
But..it will lock us down...
We won't be able to...look for Komuro's and Miyamoto's parents for example..."
Saya looks back to the phone as she nods
"Also..there is something else i need to tell you...this has nothing to do with staying or leaving though
It has to do with you and the group"
I say as i get up from the desk
Saya looks back at me with a frown but stays quiet
"I understand how you feel about your parents...
But you must not snap out in front of Komuro or Miyamoto the same way you did with me"
Saya's frown...deepened but she stayed quiet
"In difference with me, whose family is on the other side of the globe...
Theirs might be far...but they ain't beyond reach like mine...
If you snap at them about your parents...who are here, alive
They will lash out back at you...
Because they still don't even know if their own parents are alive or not
And...you know...the hardest time is usually the one you have to spend waiting"
I start walking towards the door
Saya just looked at the phone in her hands
Not saying a word
(Out of all of the times she could act meek...it had to be now?)
I turn around
"After all...the only one allowed to piss off everybody in the group...is none other than the penguin
...Wouldn't you agree...Saya?"
I say as i lift my hand to head high and point at my self with my thumb
Saya lifts her head and looks at me before looking away
"...idiot..."
She lowers her head again and stares at the phone
"The one...and only"
I turn around and walk towards the door my finger pointed towards the ceiling
(And i just changed my title to 'clown ninja penguin'
Well...as long as our little chundere stays out of trouble...
...Now...what time is it?)
Upon exiting the library i reach for the second phone in my pocket
And find nothing...
(I forgot it on the desk?...ehh whatever
There sound be a clock around here...or i am just going to ask some random dude
I get the feeling that Saya will throw another book at my face if i go inside now)
With that, i start to aimlessly wander around the mansion
(I also need to figure out what to do with the emp blast...
How can i make Souichiro emp proof the barricades?
Right now they use the forklifts to move the giant cinder blocks or whatever the crap these things are
If they are going to have a barricade open after the emp falls...yea trouble it the horizon)
I keep thinking as i walk down the hallways
(Wonder where the rest of the group is at
Saeko is probably with Souichiro...and...from the looks of it...she might be getting a new sword...
Or...she is at the dojo thinking of ways to kill me for being late...hope it's not 1 pm yet...
Shizuka...probably the second floor?...i remember she went through a crisis while staying here in the manga...something about with her age and helping people?..or being a role model?...i don't remember...it was something that made her depressed though
Kohta... somewhere tweaking his guns ...i just hope he stays out sight from the adults...lest we have the whole 'gimi your gun' charade
Saya is at the library...unless she has teleportation skills
Rei and Takashi are probably in a room or something
And Alice is hell knows where...running around with Zeke i suppose?)
I decided to go to the second floor, maybe i would meet with Saeko on the way, see if she is still pissed at me
Or well that was what was my initial aim
As after i got to the second floor and started walking around i spotted out dear airheaded nurse though the windows
Leaning again the balcony
(Is she?...)
The only time we see her on a balcony in the manga was when she was in her midlife crisis...
(Can't have our airhead depressed now, can we...)
I nod to my self and head towards the room that led to Shizuka
And after reaching the room, the door wide open, i walk inside and head straight to her
As i got closer i could her sigh
I..uhh...pretty much crept up next to her until i could look at her face
Apparently ...i really am a ninja
Because either she just ignored me...or she never realized i was there
The other thing was...she was holding a smartphone
(Hmm... a phone?)
I lean in and look at the phone's screen
(She is searching the internet?...guess she did take my words seriously huh...then why is she...)
I focus on the written text...
(Hmmm?...
...How...to run...fast...when...you have...giant...boobs...)
I quickly put my hand in my mouth to hold back my self from laughing...
But...eh...you know...mask
"PPPFFFTTTT!"
I quickly turn around as i lean on the marble railing and keep my other hand on my mask, to where my mouth would normally be
Shizuka reacted with a loud 'EEP' probably getting startled by my sudden 'appearance'
I quickly calm my self down and turn to her...
And uhh...
Shizuka was holding the phone with both hands as she was leaning over the railing...while she was...bending over in a rather provocative way...
She turns her head to me and puffs her cheeks
"Uuuu...you should not sneak up on people like that Serpfiferi, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
She 'glares' at me while...still staying in that pose
"...Uhh...you are going to fall if you stay like that...
Also...it's Sepfier...you remember i already told you can call me Naier in the bus...right?"
I say as i lower my hand and try not to stare...too hard...
Shizuka finally pulls her self away from the railing
And turns to me
"B...but...I am a teacher..."
She lowers her head and looks at the phone as she speaks
(No...you are a school nurse...and what does that have to do with my name anyway?)
"Fine...then please...just...stop feminizing my already weird surname...
Hell...call me ninja penguin if you must...just sto..."
...And...
As Shizuka opened her mouth
I instantly regretted my words
"Ninja penguin!"
She cuts me off
(...I regret everything...)
"Would you kindly...just tell me what time is it..."
I ask as i shake my head
Shizuka lifts a finger as she opens her mouth again
"Hmm...OHHH YES
You must be careful, being late on your first date with a girl is bad manners"
She says as she looks at her phone with a serious face
(My brain...)
"You know it's...uhh...forget it...just...tell me what time it is please"
I sigh as i just stop trying
"Eleven and ten"
Shizuka answers
"Thanks"
I turn around and wave at her as i start walking away
"Have fun at your date!"
She shouts while i had my back turned to her
(..You know...i would normally be enjoying this right now...if i didn't know that Saeko gets her kicks by turning people into mush...
...Anyway...i got some free time... what should i do...
Hmmm...well i still need a change of clothes...guess i will pay Yuriko another visit...though i don't know if asking her for clothes is the correct thing to do...it feels like i'm asking a boss what shirt color i should buy...but...i have not seen any maids walking around...soo yea...Yuriko it is
And...then i also need to find out how the barricades work...i could ask Souichiro...but Saeko might be there, i should not risk interrupting them
So, first Yuriko then time for a trip to the barricades
I nod to my self and start moving towards the room i last found Yuriko
Once there i knock on the door and speak up
"Uhh miss Takagi, it's Naier...again"
A couple of seconds later
"Come inside"
I heard Yuriko saying from over the door
I open the door slightly and look inside
"Sorry to bother, it's actually a lame question but uhhh...
Where can i find some clothes?...preferably black...
Also, you might want to burn the bed i used...you know...for good measure"
I look around the room as i speak
She looks at me for a couple of seconds
"Well...i guess it was partly my fault you didn't get the chance to change and clean up yesterday...
Hmm...
Will you stay somewhere for the next hour?
If not then come here in an hour or so
I should have some clothes for you
Just tell me what size i should ask for"
Yuriko keeps looking at me as she speaks
(Hmm i will be outside sooo)
"Uhhh...medium?...and i will come here"
I thank Yuriko and close the door
Then head down the stairs so i can exit the estate
(Hmm...
So how do i go about this thing now...
Should i ask some of the guards roaming about?
Fat chance they will tell me jack though...
...hmm)
A couple of minutes later, i was out of the estate's main building
And started heading towards the main gate
To my luck, i saw a jeep driving away towards the said gate as well
(Jackpot)
The jeep, after leaving the estate's front gate kept moving forward
Until it took a turn to the left about three?...intersections down the road
Exiting the estate my self...
Was no real trouble...probably because i was also carrying the rifle with me
Though i did get a couple of side glances from the guards
(Kids with guns huh...
wonder if Souichiro said anything to them, staring aside nobody tried to do anything)
After leaving through the main gate i kept going forward until i took a turn to the left at the same intersection the jeep turned to some time ago
And now i could see a forklift in the distance, closing down a barricade as well as a jeep that was parked in the right corner
(Bingo)
I start walking towards the barricade
And upon closing in, i spot the same two guards i met yesterday
(Are these two stuck in perpetual guard duty?
No matter...this is good)
"You two are stuck in guard duty again?
Who did you piss off to suffer this fate!"
I shout as i keep walking
The guard that was not driving the forklift turns around
And waves at me
"OI, Ninja boy!"
After reaching the barricade i walk up to the guard
"Naier"
I say as i point at my self
"Nahhh, Ninja boy sounds better"
The guard speaks up as he folds his arms
"What are you doing here anyway?
Off to another secret mission?"
The second guard speaks up as he gets out of the forklift
"Yea as if, i already have my group shouting my ear off because of my last 'secret mission'
They will probably tie me up to a pole if i go off on my own again"
I say with a shrug
"You gonna let the girls tie you up to a pole?
Damn, you're one kinky dude"
The guard next me nods to himself as he speaks
"At least i'm not stuck in permanent guard duty"
I fold my arms and stare at the nodding guard
"You wish, this is actually...much better than the alternative
Driving out there surrounded by them ugly bastards
All we have to do here is switch between the barricades and open them to let the cars in or out"
The guard by the forklift speaks up
(Hmm...switch barricades?...interesting...)
"Huh...what you mean switch?"
I ask as i look at the guard by the forklift
"Yeah man, i mean...if we used all three exits at once we would get surrounded in a matter of hours
While like this we keep rotating the noise around causing all these freaks to constantly move around
And it helps on keeping the roads relatively clear for the cars to pass"
The guard next to me starts explaining
(So...we have three exit points that get rotated...)
"So what, you move the forklift around every hour when you need to move to the next barricade?
I mean i have not seen any other forklifts around here"
I ask again as i turn my head towards the guard that was next to me
"Nah each barricade has its own forklift, they are just far apart
If you go straight from here you will find the next barricade to your left hand
And if you keep going straight after that you will find the third barricade on your left hand again
The reason you could not see the other barricade
Is because it's one intersection to the right after leaving the main gate of the estate"
The guard next to me point his finger behind me as he talks
I turn around and look at the street that extended straight ahead
(So...if we have three barricades...and is the right one...
Two things left to know...rotation times...and how to manually close a barricade...the forklifts...will be out of action after all)
"Still isn't this risky?"
I say as i turn back and look at the guard next to me
"Huh..well everything is risky now"
The guard answers
"No..i mean from what you are telling me...the only way to manage the barricade is with the forklift...what if it gets busted while the barricade is open?"
I ask as i fold my arms
The guards look at each other
Before turning back to face me
"...What are the chances though...guess we just push the forklift up to the hole to block it or something"
The guard next to me shrugs
(...Or something?...that's all?...no plan?...just...or something?
Ohh...this is bad...still...i fail to believe Souichiro has no backup plan for this...
So...last question)
"So you guys will move to another barricade after some time and keep rotating like that ?"
I ask again
"Yep we will go to the one in the center in about one hour as we been here for about two hours or so
Why? you're interested in sticking around here and becoming a Ninja Guard boy?"
The guard chuckles to his own joke
"Nahh...just wondering how this whole thing worked...this is, after all, something like our first..and also the last line of defense..."
I say as i shrug
"Don't worry, you are safe in here...safer than being out there"
The guard by the forklift speaks up
(Yea...for now...)
I just nod
"Well.. i'd love to stick around, but i got things that need doing...
Good luck"
I wave at the two guards as i turn around and start walking away
(So...lets reconfirm all this...
First...three barricades
One here, one straight from here and to the left after one intersection from the estate's main road
And one ever further off and again to the left
Each barricade that gets used has its own forklift
And they rotate around them every...three hours...hmm Shizuka told me it was eleven and ten...so i guess it's about eleven and thirty now
They told me they gonna move in an hour...so that makes it...twelve and thirty for the switch then a switch every three hours
...Now...the main problem...
Do they seriously have no backup plan for manually blocking the barricade other than using the forklift?
...I will have to think of something...i am not going to leave anything to luck...not this time...not when the whole estate is at stake...not when this could be my proof that i can change the way things play out)
I keep moving past the estate and head straight towards the other barricade
And as the guards mentioned, one intersection straight after i passed the estate and to my left
There i saw the barricade with another forklift as well as another jeep
(Hmm...the barricades have jeeps parked next to them?
...I am pretty sure that this was not the case in the anime...then again, the only barricade we did see there...looked nothing like the ones here
That one was a narrow downhill road
And while these roads are also one way...
They are much wider, to the point that two cars could...hypothetically squeeze side by side
...I guess...in the anime they were aiming to use a barricade that was not normally 'used' to kick Shido out?...
Or it was the same barricade they used to let him in...it would explain why a forklift was present there as well
...no matter, i'm wasting time thinking about this...
Focus on the task at hand)
I move closer to the barricade and peek inside the jeep
(...Keys are in the ignition?
These guys are really lax when it comes down to their cars
First the ones in the powerplant and now here
...Hmm if there is a jeep on the last barricade as well
I will take a guess and say they are there for safety
A fast escape if things go south
...Shame they will probably be useless after the emp
Though...they are like a lookalike model of a Mitsubishi Type 73
That car was supposed to be pre 2000...so...it...might work after the blast?
If they didn't add any custom electronic parts post basic production that is
Now...one last thing)
I open the jeep's door
Release the handbrake
And try to push it by placing my shoulder in the jeep's door frame
The jeep... albeit a bit slow, did move forward
(Hmm...as a last-ditch effort i could use the jeep to block a hole in the barricade...if things get to that)
I nod to my self lift the handbrake and close the door
Then turn around and leave
And at the first intersection, i turn left
(I should check the last barricade as well, just to make sure)
As i kept walking down the road i looked at my rifle that was hanging on my side
(I also need to get my self a close-range weapon
The knife is nice and all...but it gets my hand way to close to the face of whoever is trying to bite my fingers off
And i don't think my gloves can save me if i stick my hand in a corpse's mouth
...I saw that some of Souichiro's men were walking around with katanas...
I wonder if i can get a sword for my self?...though...i suspect the ones that had a sword were high-ranking members
As not all of the guards had swords with them, an example being the guard duty duo)
After passing a couple of intersections a barricade with a forklift appeared to my left again
And just like before, a jeep was parked by the barricade
(Well...that seals the deal...time to get out of here)
I turn around and start walking back towards the estate
(...I should also return to Yuriko to get my new clothes before my...uhhh
'Date' with Saeko...
...Maybe i should also ask for a full-body riot suit while i'm at it...)