Chapter 18-The Woman On the Screen

Michiru closed her eyes and savored the moment. She hadn't played since the world changed. Too busy surviving, too busy keeping quiet, her violin was always safely tucked away in her bag. It would still travel to wherever Michiru went, but it was silenced.

She pressed down on the strings and felt nostalgic. The gentle vibration of the wood against her neck was familiar, soothing...It reached all the way to the bottom of her heart.

"I am sorry." Michiru uttered an apology as the rain continued to descend. The violin would certainly not survive after this.

Up ahead, she could see two figures running full speed, away from her and the zombie crowd. Mako had stopped momentarily when she realized Michiru had deviate from the plan, until Setsuna finally talked some sense into her.

"Just you and me now..." Michiru said to her beloved violin. The only thing left of her old life. She had held this and performed in numerous concerts, received thunderous applause. This would be her last conversation with her oldest friend...


Setsuna looked out the window and breathed a sigh of relief seeing Michiru still standing. The crowd underneath had increased exponentially. Why was she still playing? She should stop now and try to get out.

"Almost there..." Mako's muffled voice came out from behind the computer.

Setsuna returned her attention to the outside world. So far, Michiru's plan was working, drawing all the zombies toward her, leaving the lab building empty and safe. Thanks to her quick thinking, Setsuna and Mako was able to get to the third floor in record time.

The gentle hum of the computer came on, followed by Mako's excited holler.

"Okay, my turn." Setsuna settled down and started to type. "Mako, you keep watch."

After entering several passwords and passed the security clearance, the screen flickered and then Setsuna was in. She didn't tell the others but she didn't exactly have the clearance for this. It was Mamoru's passcode.

"Uh oh..." Another security question popped up. Setsuna frowned and narrowed her eyes. Then her eyes widen in excitement.

"What? What? Can you get in?" Mako asked without turning her head.

"The protocol changed since the last time Mamoru logged in. That could only mean one thing...someone is still maintaining this network's security. Someone, somewhere in another lab, is still alive..." Setsuna didn't miss a beat in typing. "Unfortunately, I don't have the last item. So I will be hacking into their network. This might take a while..."


The violin groaned and cracked, squeezing out the last note as it died. Michiru sighed and cradled the violin in her bosom. "So sorry, my old friend."

The zombies stopped momentarily when the music stopped, but then they resumed in their quest for human meat with new frenzy...their arms reached out, clawing in the air...

Michiru sighed and sat down on the cold, wet concrete. She opened her bag and put her violin back in. What should she do now? She didn't exactly plan this. As she rummaged through her bag, her hand touched something strange and she pulled it out...

Her eyes widen and tears welled up. It was a firefly origami. Hotaru must have snuck this in her bag. On the back, she wrote, "papa and I will be waiting."

Michiru kissed the origami and placed it back. She wiped her tears and then got back up. She couldn't just sit here and wait for her death to come. She needed to fight through this and get back home.


Seconds ticked by and the silence outside was getting eerie. Mako peaked out the window and saw Michiru packing up. The music had stopped. The crowd underneath was getting bigger and bigger still...

"How much longer?" Mako asked. She was feeling restless. Perhaps she could go out there with the grenade? And then fight through whatever's left and save Michiru.

The frantic typing of the keyboard answered Mako's question. Setsuna was still not in yet...

Mako started to pace. If Ami was here, maybe she would have a solution by now. Mako bent down and look through her supplies. Two handguns, a few boxes of ammo and two grenades. Would that be enough to fight through hundreds of zombies?

"How much longer?" Mako asked again.

"Almost..." Setsuna replied without missing a beat. "Okay, wish me luck." She said as she pressed enter.

Suddenly, the screen flashed and the webcam was lit. A woman wearing a lab coat appeared and looking alarmed. "Who are you?"

"My name is Meioh Setsuna. I used to work in this lab. I have important information to share. Who are you?"

"That is classified." The woman replied coldly.

"Is your lab functional? How many researchers are left?"

"That is classified." Same answer, no answer.

Setsuna drummed her fingers on the table. She appeared calm but Mako knew she was getting frustrated. Mako could see her thinking, calculating...

"What information do you have? Perhaps we could be of assistance." The woman offered.

Setsuna closed her eyes and sighed. "We have a survivor. She was bitten by zombies and she lived to tell the tale. My partner and I took some blood samples and we were positive it was antibodies for the zombie virus. I am taking a huge leap of faith here by telling you this. If I could get her to you, maybe we can work out a vaccine?"

The woman gasped audibly. Her cold composure dropped away. "Show me."

"She is not here. She is safe somewhere else. Please tell me your lab's location so we can get there." Setsuna looked worried now.

The woman sighed. It was her turn to be paranoid. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't. I don't know if I can trust you either. So, how do you propose we solve this dilemma?" Setsuna raised her voice, unable to contain her frustration now. "Look, this girl will save the world. Please help us."

"Hold on. Let me speak with my supervisor." The woman left the screen. Moments later, a different sat down.

"Tell me everything you know. Show me yours and I will show you mine." The older woman demanded. Setsuna clenched her fists, but she obliged. She recounted how Usagi didn't turn after a zombie bite, how the wounds healed over time and a whole bunch of science stuff that Mako didn't understand.

After a long and lengthy interrogation, the woman in charge finally nodded. "Okay, we are located at a secluded location. However, we can meet up in a neutral location, I will send out a small team to retrieve you guys. Be warned, if you are lying, we will take appropriate countermeasures."

"Understood. Thank you. What's your name?" Setsuna jot down the information quickly.

The woman hesitated a bit and then relented. "Just call me Dr. M for now."