Chapter 3: Flirting With Disaster
The portal to the topmost chamber creaked open, dispatching a dire salutation to the master of magic waiting within. Calmasis preferred it this way. The best strategy of prevailing against zir former mentor was to strike fear into his heart. To be a great serpent leering hypnotically down upon a tremulous rabbit, relishing the horror in its eyes as it knew its ultimate moment had arrived.
Zazzerpan himself perched regally on the derelict throne, less akin to a terrified rabbit than an ravenous eagle. Calmasis faltered. Perchance s/he was to become the banquet tonight?
"Does something perturb you, Calmasis?" Zazzerpan inquired. His emollient voice belied fathomless malice just beneath the surface of his tone. Calmasis discerned that the leader of the Complacency would be the paramount challenge s/he yet confronted; the colossus s/he must raze brick by brick with only the potency of zir bare hands.
"Why should I be frightened?" s/he responded dispassionately. "One by one your disciples challenged me, and one by one they fell."
"But at what cost?" Zazzerpan's utterance reverberated throughout the colossal chamber, traversing the expanse to his erstwhile protoge and rebounding off the walls. Multitudinous voices returned, as though those Calmasis had murdered vocalized judgment from beyond the grave. "Each of your acolytes has succumbed to my traps. Eleven of the best and brightest minds known to wizardkind, now departed because you repined for supremacy."
"It was never about supremacy, Zazzerpan. You recognize this. It was about survival."
"Oh? And how do you conclude that?" Zazzerpan raised a grizzled eyebrow dubiously.
"You have become too powerful. Time and Space, Light and Void, even Life and Death bow before you. Though you have been benevolent so far, there is no reason to believe you will remain as such." Calmasis' androgynous face radiated coldness that could disquiet the reaper himself. "After all, when a hero has no one else to oppose, what is to constrain him from becoming a villain?"
Gentle twilight filtered through the window of the cluttered office as Rose finished yet another chapter of her elaborate story. She put her pencil down gently, stretched, and stood. As much as she loved writing, sitting hunched painfully in one spot for a long time was not fantastic for her back.
Some fresh air would be nice. Rose counted herself very fortunate indeed that her apartment complex had a courtyard. It gave her options for leisure. If she squinted hard, options made it possible to pretend, for just a little while, that she was not trapped with two hundred other people in a building amidst a sea of walking corpses.
Opening the office door, she stepped into the neatly organized living room and smiled. Roxy and Calliope were sitting opposite each other at the coffee table, a battered chess set between them. They were engaged in yet another intense battle of strategy, one which Roxy was clearly destined to lose.
Sure enough, Calliope moved one of her pieces, grinned triumphantly, and smugly stated, "Checkmate!"
"Oh noes, I lost again. What'll I do? My reputation as a nerd is ruined forever!" Roxy threw an arm over her eyes in mock agony, and Calliope tittered.
"Now, now," she teased. "Not many can reach my level of skill when it comes to chess! I've been playing my whole life, you know! Would you like me to teach you where you went wrong?"
"Nah, I think I'd rather flip the board over and go hide in my room for the rest of the day cryin'." Roxy ribbed back.
"Oh, poor Roxy! No need to cry! Perhaps I should come in and cheer you up, hmm?" Callie fluttered her eyelashes coyly at her girlfriend.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't mind some company," said Roxy, winking (wonking?) seductively.
"A-hem," Rose cleared her throat, and the two women jumped, blushing furiously.
"Oh, hey Rosie, you wanna play chess?" Roxy recovered quickly.
Rose crossed her arms , feigning offense. "If by 'play chess' you mean 'flirt shamelessly', then no thank you. I just wanted to let you know I'm going out to get some fresh air."
Roxy sniggered. "More like you wanna go find Kanaya."
"Baseless accusation," Rose said, stone faced.
"She's out in the courtyard, in case you were wonderin'," Roxy winked again with no subtlety whatsoever.
"My wife is free to go wherever she wants without my permission. I am going out for completely unrelated reasons."
"Truly?" Calliope teased. "That's unfortunate. She was looking quite lonely! I'm quite sure she would enjoy your company."
"Well, if that is indeed the case, I just might go check in on her," Rose replied, brow furrowed with mock concern.
"You should totes do that. It's too nice a night to spend mopin' in the bushes for hours," urged Roxy playfully.
Rose smiled in reply. "Moping in the bushes, is she? Well, then, I should hasten to her side. I wouldn't want her to think I didn't care. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways."
"Don't mention it, Rosie! That's what family does!" Roxy grinned. "You go take care of the wife, 'k? We'll hold the fort up here!"
"I would be very much appreciative." With that, Rose swept dramatically out of the room.
She didn't see the enthusiastic thumbs up Roxy gave Calliope the moment she left.
It was an unseasonably warm April night. Without the inhibiting effect of light pollution, the rapidly darkening sky began its show of thousands of stars. Off in the distance one could still hear the moan of the undead, but here in the courtyard the only sounds were of cheerfully chirping crickets and quiet laughter, as the people of the complex enjoyed the night breeze.
As Rose stepped outside, she immediately scanned the crowd in search of her wife. A large cluster of residents stood in the center near the fountain, where the cooking fire roared at full strength. The cook was preparing some sort of stew, judging from the cans scattered about, and hungry survivors stood around hassling her and staring longingly at the boiling pot.
A large generator purred in the far corner, powering the lamps which bathed the courtyard in a gentle glowing light. The halls of the complex were lit, as well. Individual power usage was strictly regulated, but public areas stayed lit all night until curfew. Another perk of living in an apocalyptic community, Rose supposed. You definitely learned to appreciate the little things.
About halfway across the courtyard to her right, Jade and PM were playing some sort of ridiculous game as WV watched. A small crowd had formed to join him in observing the strange spectacle.
Jade had a stick in her hand, waving it in PM's face as the mail lady stared in rapt attention. "Are you ready?"
PM nodded eagerly.
"Alright, then! Three, two, one, fetch!" As Jade threw the stick, both she and PM took off after it. They sprinted over to where it had landed, PM getting there first due to her longer legs. This didn't stop Jade, however. She jumped for the prize PM was holding over her head, grabbing it and pulling it down with her. The two dog-women ended up in a playful tug-of-war, rolling around in the dirt, each trying to get the advantage. WV keeled over with laughter at their shenanigans as the crowd watched in a mix of confusion and amusement.
In the end, PM let Jade have the stick. Rose supposed PM still considered Jade her master in some ways. If society ever rebuilds itself, Rose thought, it may be worth it to publish a paper on the long-term psychological effects of prototyping. Not that anyone would believe her in the first place.
She finally spied Kanaya pruning one of the bushes against the far wall. The former Troll seemed extremely wrapped up in her work, to an extent that she didn't even notice the bustling activity surrounding her. Rose approached, crossed her arms, and greeted her.
"So..."
Kanaya must have jumped at least ten feet, dropping her clippers in the process. Whirling around, she finally spotted her sneaky wife. She exhaled loudly, a hand over her heart, and responded.
"Rose! You frightened me!"
"I apologize, Kanaya. How am I expected to greet you when you are "in The Zone," as they say?" Rose inquired.
"Perhaps you could make more noise as you approach next time," replied Kanaya, feeling around on the shadowy ground for her lost pruners.
"I know from prior experience that blundering through the grass like a blind Ogre would not help at all," Rose stated as she bent over to help in the search. "When you're gardening you are lost to the world."
"I suppose that is correct. Perhaps I should pay more attention to my surroundings. It is simply so nice not to worry about the state of the world, I can't help myself. Ah! There they are!" She held up the errant clippers triumphantly.
"This is true. I feel the same with my writing. Escapism is truly valuable in times such as these." Rose straightened, brushing off her skirt. As an afterthought, she reached over and brushed off Kanaya's as well.
"Anyway, that is not what I'm here to discuss," Rose continued. "I have it on good authority that you have been moping for the last several hours."
"And whose authority would that be?" Kanaya arched an eyebrow inquisitively.
"Roxy's."
"I would warn you against taking Roxy's authority seriously on anything. While she is quite intelligent, she can often get the wrong idea about people." A thought seemed to occur to her. "Unless, of course, you are merely being sarcastic again."
Rose winked slyly, but said nothing.
"Ah, I see. I must apologize. You took me so off guard, I didn't even think of the possibility that you might not be sincere," Kanaya said. "Really, I should know better by now."
"It's alright, Kanaya. We all have our off days." Rose patted her wife gently on the shoulder, letting her know all was well. Kanaya smiled warmly in return.
After a minute or so of standing there in silence, enjoying the night air as well as each others' company, Rose asked, "So may I ask why you feel the need to prune your garden at eight-thirty at night?"
"I was simply bored. The rose bush didn't particularly need trimming, but it gave me something to do. Again, escapism."
Rose nodded. "It looks exquisite. You really do have a way with horticulture."
Kanaya bent down and pulled one of the tiny buds close so that she could look at it. "This seems to be a particularly good year for roses in general. I imagine it will look absolutely divine in about a month." She sighed. "At least one thing retains its beauty in this harsh, unforgiving world.
"I don't know, Kanaya. I think the world still has plenty of resplendence." Rose carefully snapped off one of the larger buds that was just barely starting to show its red petals. Minding the thorns, she gingerly placed the stem behind Kanaya's ear, then looked into her eyes.
"Now that," she said, "is true beauty."
Kanaya blushed furiously. "Oh my, Rose..."
"What do you say we find something to do to stave off your boredom, hmm?" Rose gently took Kanaya's hand.
"Oh! Well... that... sounds good." Kanaya stammered. Rose really did love flustering her wife. She was always so put-together, it was nice to see her let her defense down once in a while. Show off that she was human, just like everyone else (or at least, she was now).
Rose made off toward the entrance of the building, tugging Kanaya along with her. "Then let's go enjoy ourselves, shall we?"
They were halfway across the courtyard when a chugging, sputtering noise started up in the corner. Looking across the shadowy garden, Rose spotted the generator letting off smoke and sparks. It vibrated, getting faster and faster. Finally, with a flash of flame, it exploded. The edges of the courtyard were plunged into darkness.
The resulting sound was deafening. A resounding bang spread outwards, rattling windows across half the city. Echos threw themselves back and forth between the buildings for several seconds until at last, mercifully, all went silent.
Rose stood stock still, squeezing Kanaya's hand tightly and hardly daring to breathe. The other survivors were likewise silent, listening for the tell-tale sounds of the undead on the move. Outside the flickering light of the cooking fire, blackness surrounded them on all sides. It seemed to amplify even the most minute sound attempting to make its way to them, down to a rat rustling around in a garbage can beyond the wall.
Out of the darkness came a moan. Following it was another, and another, and then ten chorusing together. The longer one listened, the louder they became. Soon a cacophony of auditory chaos surrounded the hapless survivors. Rose suddenly remembered what she had hoped to forget: they were trapped here, and no one was coming to save them.
"Everyone get inside! Now!" she demanded authoritatively over the din. Though the group of survivors had no one true authority, Rose's status as leader of the best scavenging team in the complex granted her some clout. Without needing to be asked twice, everyone in the courtyard made a mad dash for the darkened building.
Rose and Kanaya remained behind, making sure everyone was out of the courtyard before deigning to enter themselves. As the last man darted inside, the noise around the building reached a fever pitch. Rose hesitated for only a moment to glance at the outer wall, just as the first Infected leaped over. Screeching in unison, two Hunters landed on all fours in the flower garden. They crawled stealthily toward their prey.
Rose knew they couldn't remain outside any longer. Two Hunters were more than enough to finish them both off.
"Kanaya, let's go!" Rose yelled, and darted inside. Her wife was right behind her. Just as she crossed the threshold, one of the Hunters unleashed another piercing screech. Rose slammed the door, and a loud thunk resounded from the other side of the thick metal as the creature impacted. In the safety of the building, she shuddered, realizing just how close Kanaya had come to being mauled.
The entrance hall was pitch black; any light from the campfire outside was blocked by the scrap sheets of metal covering all of the windows. The room rustled with invisible commotion. Survivors whispered to each other as they stumbled around in the darkness. A man swore loudly as someone stepped on his foot. Someone tipped over a lamp, which came falling to the ground with a crash. The sudden noise resulted in more panic, and the sound level mounted to mirror the discordance outside.
Rose gritted her teeth. At this rate, the panic would soon become uncontainable. She needed to calm everyone down. The quieter they were, the more likely the undead were to forget about them and leave them alone. And the last thing she needed was a stampede of scared survivors.
Someone had to grab their attention. "Excuse me!" she said, loudly but firmly. The commotion only continued, voices interspersed with chaos.
"That was my foot, asshole!"
"What was that sound?"
"Are they inside? Oh, God, they're inside, aren't they?"
Rose repeated herself a little louder. "Excuse me!"
Still, no one paid attention.
"We're all going to die!"
"It's too dark, I'm gonna freak out!"
Finally, Rose snapped. "EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"
The chaos continued, only louder for her efforts. What on Earth or Alternia did Karkat see in that method?
"ARF, ARF, ARF!" Somewhere in the room, a dog barked. All noise and movement ceased abruptly as everyone froze in terror. The only sound came from the zombies outside, pounding feebly on the walls of the building.
Rose was startled for a moment, herself. Had one of the undead dogs gotten in somehow? Then, she remembered to whom that bark belonged. She took the opportunity that silence offered.
"Thank you, Jade," Rose spoke loudly and clearly, trying to keep her words simple. "There is no need to panic, everyone. If we keep calm and use our heads, we can get out of this alive."
"Lalonde, half the city must have heard that generator go off. We're fucked!" yelled Tony the Guardsman from the back.
"The explosion was indeed loud, and there are surely innumerable infected outside. But so long as we remain inside with the doors bolted, there is no way they can reach us. If we stay quiet, they will most likely leave around daybreak," Rose counseled.
"What about Lickers, then? They could come in through the upper windows!" challenged a woman nearby.
"We can handle Lickers. There are very few in the first place, and a couple of shots will drop them quickly," argued Rose.
Weighing her options, Rose came up with a crude plan.
"Here are my suggestions. First, everyone should stay calm and return to their apartments. Notify anyone inside of the situation, and gather any weapons, first aid supplies, and light sources you can find. No open flames, please.
"Then, we should meet in the fifth floor lobby. It is wide enough for combat, so we can use that to our advantage. Set your light sources up so as much of the room is illuminated as possible. Once everyone is upstairs, we will block off all three stairwells at the fourth floor, and the elevator in the lobby.
"Children, the elderly, the infirm, or anyone else unable to fight should take refuge on the top floor. It's also a good spot for snipers, so I ask that residents allow them access to their apartments. We should block the stairwells there as well, once everyone is in place.
"Finally, be as quiet as possible. We want to avoid combat if we can. Snipers, please save your ammo for Tanks. They're the biggest threat here."
Some people moved immediately to do as they were told, feeling along the walls for the stairwells and exiting the room. Others remained in place.
"Who died and made you Queen of the Apocalypse?" The rough voice came from an unpleasant fellow named James Walton, and Rose had to keep from sighing out loud. She knew she would meet resistance.
"No one, but this plan makes the most sense. Unless you would care to volunteer another. Please, I'm all ears!" Rose said testily.
For a moment there was no answer. Then Walton grumbled, "Fine, fine, we'll do it your way. Controlling bitch." With that, he left for his apartment, and the others filtered out after him.
"Jade, PM, WV. Would you remain here and assist me in moving furniture to cover the doors?" The pounding outside was becoming more urgent.
"Sure thing, Rose!" said Jade enthusiastically. The three friends stumbled their way across the dark room, bumping into furniture. They took the opportunity to pick it up and carry it to the door where Rose and Kanaya were waiting.
"Do you happen to know the whereabouts of Roxy and Calliope?" Kanaya asked her wife fretfully.
Rose squeezed her shoulder to calm her. "The last time I saw them, they were having a spirited game of chess upstairs. There is no reason to think they may have ventured outside."
"You are certain? By the sound of it, going outside would be certain death," Kanaya worried.
"Positive. There is no need for concern," said Rose.
With Kanaya's fears appeased, all conversation ceased as they focused on moving the necessary furniture in the dark. They had to remain in constant communication in order to work together.
"Hey, this couch would make a good barrier! Help me lift it, Rose?"
"Of course, Jade. Please wait a moment while I find you."
"Oh, fiddlesticks!"
"WV, what's wrong?"
"I dropped this coffee table on my foot!"
"You shouldn't try to lift furniture on your own, Dear. Let me help."
"Oh, thank you, PM! You save the day yet again!"
They had only worked for a few minutes before rapid gunfire erupted several floors up. Rose dropped the corner the coffee table she and the Mayor were moving with a thud, glancing in the direction of the ominous sound.
"What now?" she asked with exasperation.
"I bet some Lickers got inside. Should we go check?" Jade suggested, voice calm and cheerful.
"Kanaya and I will go. The rest of you finish up here and meet us on the fifth floor." Rose brooked no argument. Feeling her way through the blackness of the cavernous lobby, she made her way to the stairway, Kanaya right behind her.
Climbing the stairs in the dark was a harrowing ordeal. Both women tripped several times on their journey upward, listening to the sound of battle growing closer with each stumbling step. Finally, they reached the correct floor.
"Hmm. Fifth floor. I don't know whether this is fortuitous or not," said Rose as she pushed open the heavy metal door to the lobby.
The room was in chaos. In the half-light provided by what lanterns and flashlights the survivors could gather, Rose saw numerous dark shapes flitting around. The people panicked, darting back and forth and discharging their guns without regard for safety. Baffled at what might have them in such a frenzy, she finally spotted small, light creatures flying back and forth through the semi-darkness. One dove, cawing loudly, to attack the scalp of a hapless woman in the middle of the room. She ducked down as far as she could, swatting furiously at her aggressor. A man nearby, presumably her husband, swung a croquet mallet at the feathery assailant. With a crack, the bird flew limply across the room into the shadows.
"Cease firing immediately! You are more likely to hit an ally than a crow!" Rose's shout was swallowed by the din. She had been afraid of this. Panic would likely be their death, not zombies.
A crow skimmed the air just above her head, and Kanaya yelled in pain.
"Kanaya!" Rose cried with concern.
She heard her wife's footsteps moving off rapidly. Moments later, a muffled chainsaw revved up several feet away. Rose was glad Jade had designed a silencer for it. Otherwise, Kanaya might have attracted even more unwanted attention.
Rose turned in the direction of the sound, prepared to go and help if she could, but some strange instinct stopped her. Sure enough, something darted just centimeters in front of her nose with a sharp thwip, embedding itself deeply in the door beside her. Rose raised her needles defensively, looking around for her elusive attacker. She spotted it crawling on the ceiling through a flickering circle of brightness cast by a discarded flashlight.
It looked very much like a skinned human, with bloody muscles revealed and flexing with coiled tension. Huge claws anchored it to the ceiling above her, showering the area beneath it with particles of fallen plaster. A hideous, eyeless head was turned at an improbable angle toward her. Its razor-filled maw discharged a slimy, rope-like tongue that extended into the darkness in her direction. That tongue is what gave the creature its name: Licker.
Recoiling its appendage with a second thiwp, it ceded its vantage point. Knife-like claws released the plaster, and it flopped to the darkened ground with a disgusting squelching noise. Though she couldn't see it, Rose could sense it crawling closer. She fumbled for her pistol, realizing that she was playing into the panic just as much as the others.
One advantage she had over them, however, was her status as a Seer. While she was certainly no longer a god, and she could no longer predict the future with great clarity, she was gifted on occasion with insight that others lacked. All she had to do was trust her gut.
Pulling the trigger, a pained growl rewarded her as she hit the beast. She shot again, this time without avail.
Her nerves screamed at her to duck. She did so, just as she felt the air move just inches above her head. Though she could not see, she knew she had just avoided getting impaled through the skull by the Licker's tongue.
Shoot. Miss. Shoot. Hit. The battle went on for over a minute, each assailant taking it in turns to attack. Rose winced as the tongue shot just past her leftshoulder, grazing the skin. From the angle of the attack, she finally got a good idea of the Licker's position, and she fired several times. Her reward was dying growl as the Licker moved its last.
"Rose! Was that a Licker? Please tell me you are unharmed!" Kanaya shouted from her place several feet away.
"Yes, but I'm fine. It is only a scratch," Rose reassured her wife as she moved carefully in the direction of her voice. "What about you?"
"I have suffered a number of abrasions, but nothing debilitating." With Kanaya's response Rose finally reached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Good. We can treat you as soon as this debacle is over. We will both be fine."
Fortunately, the chaos seemed to be dying down. After a final gunshot, the room lapsed into exhausted silence.
Rose took Kanaya's hand and made for the nearby flashlight. Picking it up, she cast its pale beam upon her wife, who winced at the sudden brightness.
Kanaya's face was covered in ugly-looking scratches and smudged with congealing blood. Rose gasped at the sight, but Kanaya simply shook her head.
"They are not as dire as they appear. I will take care of them later. Now please, allow me to see the flashlight so that I may check your wound?"
"Of course," Rose said hesitantly as she handed her wife the light. Now that she was the object of its focus, she could no longer see Kanaya's face, which she supposed she was grateful for. Mild or not, it pained her to see her beloved injured.
Kanaya examined the cut on Rose's shoulder. It was deeper than any of Kanaya's, leaking a trickle of blood but still fairly shallow. The former Troll sighed in relief as she gave the light back to Rose. "It does not appear to be too bad. Simply take care not to get anything in it before we can treat it properly."
"Of course," she said. Now that she and her wife were taken care of, she swung the flashlight out over the milling crowd.
Most of them looked like Kanaya, with cuts of various depths marring their features. This could be bad. Crows were one of the most notorious carriers of the virus, so if the injured were not treated soon, they would likely have an outbreak on their hands.
They paled compared to the wounds suffered by the Licker's victims, however. One woman leaned tiredly against the wall, a deep hole in her shoulder seeping blood all the way down her arm. A worried man attended her, trying to stop its flow with rags torn from his battered shirt. Even in the circle cast by the flashlight, she looked pale.
Another victim lay moaning quietly, bleeding out through a gruesome hole in his abdomen. A younger woman, possibly his daughter, held his hand, crying softly.
Kanaya snatched the flashlight from Rose. "Doctor Kromwell!" she yelled, hurrying over.
Rose frowned as she was plunged into darkness. Kanaya had apprenticed under Kromwell as a nurse for the past month, learning the trade so she could save as many lives as possible. If he died, they would have to rely on Kanaya for medical assistance. And while Rose respected her wife greatly, she doubted she was ready for doctor's work.
Rose only had time to ponder for a moment. She winced as someone beamed a flashlight directly into her eyes.
"OMG, it's Rose! You're OK! Holy shit!" a familiar voice crowed. She was swiftly gathered into a constricting hug.
"Hello, Roxy," managed Rose by way of greeting. Being squeezed was definitely not conducive to talking, so it came out strained.
"Roxy, perhaps you ought to let her go?" Calliope's British accented voice came from nearby. "I know from personal experience that your greetings can be quite painful."
"Oh, sorry!" Roxy immediately let her relative go. "I was just really freaked out. First there was that boom, then the Z's started actin' up, and you'd just gone outside and all, Rose. Then we came downstairs to investigate, everyone was flippin' their shit and shooting everywhere. I'm pretty sure I saw a fucking Licker on the ceiling, but I'm not sure."
"There was," Rose said calmly. "I took care of it."
"See, that's why you're so kickass, Rose! Freakin' tentacle tongue monster crawls up on you and you're like, 'Whatever' and just shoot that motherfucker down."
"I assure you, it wasn't that easy. Anyway, are either of you harmed?" asked Rose.
"We both got some scratches from those brainless feathery assholes, but nothin' big," Roxy reassured her. "So where are the others? Jade and PM and the Mayor?"
"I left them downstairs to barricade the doors. They should be here momentarily."
Sure enough, the heavy metal doors to the stairwell flew open, slamming against the walls. "Rose, are you there?" called Jade worriedly.
"I'm here. Please refrain from slamming the doors. We are trying to stay quiet," Rose cautioned her.
"Oh, right, sorry!" Jade said, embarrassed. Then, "What happened up here?"
"Licker and crows decided to pop in and visit," Roxy replied.
"Oh, hi, Roxy!" Jade greeted her cheerfully. "Is everyone alright?"
"We're all fine. Now let's work together to get everyone ready in case some real trouble starts up," said Rose. "Jade, would you be willing to lead the snipers on the tenth floor? Make sure any noncombatants are up there and the stairwells and elevator shaft are sealed. Remember, don't fire unless a Tank attacks. PM and WV, go with her to serve as backup in case of a security breach."
"Sure thing, Rose! Good luck and stay safe!" Jade took her leave just as quickly as she had arrived.
"Now to organize the troops," said Rose.
"Could I have everyone's attention, please?" she called out to the room. The low murmur of conversation ceased, each person listening carefully. It was a testament to how lost they were that they were even willing to listen to Rose.
"I would like to say, you all did very well during the attack. Casualties appear to have been minimal, and I would like to keep it that way. First, I need volunteers to assist me in blocking off all of the stairwells and the elevator shaft. Are all noncombatants and snipers upstairs?"
Silence was her only response.
"Good. If anyone of either group remains, now is your chance to get upstairs. They will be blocking it off shortly. As for the rest of you, I will need volunteers to help block the stairwells on the fourth floor and barricade the doors and elevator. This whole level needs to be sealed off."
There was some resentful muttering from across the room, particularly from Walton, but even the dissenters saw the logic in Rose's plan. Really, what else could they do?
"Kanaya, would you perhaps spearhead the medical effort?" asked Rose.
"Though I am new in the post-apocalyptic medical field, I shall do my utmost to care for any injured fighters. I will be in Apartment 515 if anyone should need treatment." Kanaya took her leave.
"Good. That is all I have to say for now. If anything changes, I shall let you know. Meanwhile, let's get to work," said Rose, and there was a flurry of activity as the survivors got started.