Chapter Seven: USS Freedom
It was a day later—at least Elyza thought it was a day later—when they allowed her to exit her small prison. She was escorted by the same soldier—Allister—who she'd seen several times since he'd brought her lunch the day before. He was a very friendly, older man who cared for her how she assumed a grandpa would.
He had explained to her that he was an experienced veteran in his late 50s who'd managed to sneak into the Vietnam War when he was fourteen by pretending he was actually eighteen. Allister told her that he looked older for his age back then, and he'd been in the army ever since. He wasn't married and he didn't have any kids, which shocked Elyza because she'd expected him to after the way he had treated her so nicely.
Allister escorted her onto the deck of the ship, from a lower story. The interior was made of metal and quite obviously everything had a specific use. Nothing was made for comfort or easy accessibility. There were computer monitors placed periodically down the hallway and small rooms and other hallways branching off on either side.
White PVC pipes meant for electrical use and round metal water pipes followed the two as they made their way up to the surface. Elyza didn't see any people as they headed up a set of metal stairs made of a perforated diamond-plate sheet. Her shoes made less noise on them than Allister's heavy combat boots that his camouflage pants were stuffed into.
"Hey, Allister?" Elyza asked.
"Yes, Elyza?" He replied in the same, serious tone.
She managed a small chuckle before getting serious once again, "Have you found anything on my friends?"
Clearing his throat, Allister looked away as they made the turn onto the first landing before going up the second flight of steps. "I'm not allowed to tell civilians about missions on shore."
Sighing in frustration, Elyza said, "Fine, but can you tell me about what's going on? Explain to me exactly why things have gone so crazy on land?"
Sighing, Allister opened the door, allowing the bright light of the sun to penetrate through. The intense brightness reflected off of the metal landing and Elyza was forced to rub her eyes when they pricked with pain. Once she recovered, she walked outside and enjoyed the warmth of the sun for the first time in a while.
Allister followed her outside and fell into step next to her. The sea breeze was inviting as the sun beat down, the heat rolling in waves nearly as intense as the rough seas beneath the ship. There was a wide open space before the two companions with a large sentry gun nestled in the middle of the two walls enclosing the interior of the ship. The muzzle of the gun peaked out between two metal shields to keep the operator of the gun well protected.
Elyza had never seen anything as large in her life as she moved around it. There were a few sailors dressed in Navy fatigues cleaning the deck and doing whatever it was the soldiers did while they weren't working. But none of them really gave the two a second glance because Elyza wasn't dressed like an average civilian.
When Allister had come to get her for their walk, he'd handed her a heavy Navy jacket that matched her pants. It fit a lot better than the pants did but didn't have any patches to indicate who owned it. These details were easily missed, especially when people were too busy to actually pay attention.
After a few moments of silence, enjoying the breeze and listening to the relaxing lap of the waves against the hull of the ship, Elyza spoke again, "Will you please tell me what's going on?"
With another sigh, Allister began to speak, "Well, it started nearly a month ago. I didn't know about it until a week ago when our commanding officer sent out a file on our next deployment mission.
"I guess that California had been having cases of…cannibalistic tendencies. But mostly from drug addicts and the homeless. Investigators assumed it was some sort of new strain of a drug. So as they investigated, things progressed even more until it was out of control. I don't know why the government didn't get involved until it was too late. But the disease spread quicker than the CDC could control." He rubbed a hand over his face, remembering how he'd felt completely shocked when he'd read through the file.
Elyza frowned, trying to process what Allister was saying as he continued, "So we deployed about a day a go. I'm originally from Minnesota so I didn't think it would affect the family I had left. We got updates every so often, the military had moved in, establishing safe zones throughout the state. There were several in LA but there were just too many people getting infected because they didn't know anything.
"The government kept it all hush-hush while civilians were blindsided and infected. Doctors left reports of people dying from the infection after getting bitten—because the infected desired human flesh. But, there were also reports of people dying—without being infected through any physical means, but they still came back as…as, well, zombies.
"I haven't experienced any of it yet, I've been left on the ship. But the reports scare me, I haven't been on shore yet, but still, all of this is…well, it's terrifying." He ran a hand through his hair once again and leaned over the edge of the ship, breathing deeply.
Elyza herself didn't have a clue what to think. She might have experienced the infected first hand, but she hadn't really understood the full extent of the disaster she was in. She blinked carefully, trying to come up with a response, "Hold on, what exactly do you mean by already infected?"
Allister shook his head, "I don't really understand it myself. From what the reports say, the disease is airborne, but dormant. So every single person has it in their system already and when they die—whether it's through infection or just natural death, they turn. The disease is then activated after death, which somehow manages to… I don't know, turn everything back on. Everything except the conscious. The only things that are present are the basic instincts of an animal."
Silence settled between them as they both got lost in their respective thoughts. Finally, Elyza broke it, "What the actual fuck?"
Allister wasn't really surprised by the outburst, even though he had only known Elyza for less than twenty-four hours he knew she was a strong young woman. He chuckled softly, "How old are you, Elyza?"
"What the hell, Allister? What kind of question is that after dropping a bomb like that on me?" Her eyebrows jumped up her forehead in her surprise at the random question. What kind of person talks about a freaking zombie apocalypse and then starts getting into personal questions? Was he nuts?
Shaking his head, "No, it's not of importance, we're safe here on the Freedom. So you don't have to worry about it."
That statement made Elyza frown. How could he think they didn't have anything to worry about? Especially after learning that the disease was spreading fast? That she could already be carrying it? That when she died, she could come back and start killing people without even knowing it?
Just the idea had her heart beating faster and the overwhelming sense of hopelessness brought tears to her eyes. She blinked hard and looked up into the deep blue sky, hoping that Allister wouldn't see her breaking down.
Allister placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know it's hard to accept the end of the world, because that is what's happening. But we can make it through. I've made it through a lot of things in my life."
"How are we supposed to make it through this? This is an apocalypse, Allister." She rubbed the palms of her hands against her eyes, pressing hard to get rid of the tears.
With another reassuring squeeze, Allister added, "We survive. We adapt and learn how to live in a world where we are they prey. Elyza, we are not going to be at the top of the food chain much longer. We're going to have to learn to be the hunted."
"How do we do that?" Elyza turned and met Allister's pale blue gaze, similar to her own.
"We train, well you do. I've been in the Navy for more than half of my life."
"What do you mean train?"
"I mean, I've spoken to my commanding officer and he is considering training all of the survivors that we find on shore. He wants people to be able to protect himself, but you'd have to switch ships. We have better barracks over on the USS Pearl Harbor. It would be best if you told me your decision now." He let his hand fall off of her shoulder and leaned further over the edge of the ship.
Elyza frowned, shaking her head. She wanted to stay, but she believed that she had learned how to survive from her dad. There were more important things to do, like finding the Jahas in Santa Monica or even going back in search of the Blakes and Finn. She had an agenda of her own and becoming a soldier for the US Navy didn't seem like the most appealing choice.
But before she had a chance to respond, Allister tried to sway her decision a little more, "Even if you think know what you're doing, you don't. You're not ready for what's being thrown your way."
"I want to get off of this ship. I need to get back on land."
Allister clenched his jaw, "Why do you need to go back?" He kept his eyes glued to the horizon.
"I have to find my family," Elyza responded strongly, with a slight edge in her voice.
Allister sighed, "Why can't you let us do the heavy lifting for you? Tell me where they were last and I'll put in a word with the commander. We can look for them."
Sighing, Elyza rubbed her eyes. "I have to find them myself."
Allister growled low in frustration, surprising Elyza with the sound. But before either of them could get another word out someone approached the duo from behind.
"Allister, what is she doing out?" it was a female voice, one that Elyza easily recognized.
The older man stood up straighter, turned around and nodded curtly at the doctor. "Dr. A, I was informed that she was allowed access to the deck as long as I accompanied her."
The doctor stood straight backed with an eyebrow raised doubtfully. Elyza rolled her eyes and leaned heavily against the railing, she really did not like this doctor. Dr. A's face looked so bored as if everything around her wasn't totally collapsing and the world wasn't coming to an end. All she really seemed worried about was getting the hell away from the patients she had.
"Yeah, it's not like you're the boss here," Elyza quipped and chewed on the inside of her cheek.
Elyza noticed the slight flare of the doctor's nostrils and the dangerous glint that flashed in her eyes. She smirked slightly at the effect she had on the stiff.
"I'm in charge of my patients. Which you are one of. So I'm suggesting that you get back inside and rest because your head is not healed," she didn't move a single step and the stoic, nonchalant expression whipped away any sort of irritation Elyza might have elicited.
Allister nodded stiffly, "Yes, ma'am." He grabbed the crook of Elyza's arm and yanked her towards the door they had exited to get outside.
Elyza protested loudly, "Dammit, Allister, you don't have to listen to her." She attempted to yank her arm out of his bruising grip on her upper arm but only managed to hurt herself more. With a growl, she stumbled after him, flashing a deadly glare at the back of the doctor's head.
The doctor didn't even turn around, only took the few remaining steps to the edge of the railing and leaned against it. None of the tension or stiffness exited her body as she did so, it was a very mechanical movement as if she was pretending to relax.
Allister yanked the door open and shoved Elyza through it. She stumbled and nearly fell onto the metal landing, forgetting the small step that entered the deck. "What the hell, asshole?"
"Sorry, she kind of freaks me out," he chuckled and grinned like a child, a mischievous glint in his pale eyes.
Elyza shook her head, chuckling huskily, "Yeah, okay. She's just a stiff ass."
"Yeah," he started heading down the stairs, "and you love to piss her off. Which isn't really a smart thing." He grinned, lightening the blow of his words. Obviously he didn't really mind Elyza making the doctor upset.
Unable to stop herself, Elyza grinned back and followed him down the stairs, "Do I really have to go back to the God awful room?"
With a sigh, Allister nodded, "I have duties to attend to, sadly."
They both fell silent as Elyza struggled to follow the directions they took back to her living space. The information would come in handy if she ever had to escape or leave on her own. She didn't want to have to leave, because she only really wanted to be safe, but her family came first. They always did, and the Jahas were her family.
Once they arrived together, Allister scanned his ID card over a small sensor that lit up green once he did so. He opened the door and held it for Elyza to step in before him, but he didn't follow after.
"Before I go, I just thought you should know that the commander sent out a small group late last night to find your friends. If it sways your decision any, they found your friends and are bringing them back here as we speak."
Elyza's heart skipped in her chest before pounding faster, "You mean you found all four of them?"
"Yes, they were hold up safely in a secluded beach house near San Pedro, just like you said they would be. None of them were injured according to the reports we've been receiving so they should be back by nightfall," Allister flashed her a small, well-meaning smile that had his eyes glistening. When Elyza didn't respond he added, "Well, I'll leave you to it. I'll be back in a couple of hours with a meal for you. Don't do anything stupid and if Dr. A stops in, don't give her any trouble."
With those last words, he let the door close and left Elyza alone with her thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The very next morning, after a restless night of nightmares plagued by the walking dead on shore, Elyza awoke with another headache. She was sure it wasn't because of her concussion because she didn't feel sick anymore, the way she had at first.
Even Dr. A had begrudgingly said that she seemed to be healing quickly after doing a follow up exam before dinner the night before. The doctor had actually sounded slightly disappointed, almost as if she was hoping there would be some sort of deadly complication that would end in Elyza's imminent death.
But Elyza didn't focus on that as she sat up, stretching her back and rubbing a hand over her greasy face. She still hadn't gotten a chance to bath since before leaving the Jahas' house and heading to the airport so she felt absolutely disgusting. I'll have to ask Allister if I'm allowed to bathe, she thought grumpily.
She didn't know what had awoke her, but nobody was entering her room. The only thing she'd managed to do when she was alone was twiddle her thumbs, worry obsessively about her family, and open and close the stupid pocket knives she'd be so graciously allowed to keep. Yeah, she might have stolen them, but they were hers. Nobody had a right to take them away from her.
But they think I'm dangerous, she reminded herself, smiling slightly. It would be to her advantage if they saw her as a cutthroat survivor who would do anything to keep on surviving. It made her unpredictable in their eyes.
Unable to sit there and just stare at the blank wall in front of her, Elyza stood and stretched. She had yet to change out of the clothes the Navy had provided for her and she didn't want to until she was able to clean the heavy layer of dirt and grime off of her skin.
After what felt like hours of flicking the small, colorful pocket knife she'd found open and closed, nobody had come to check on her. Her thumb hurt from trying to figure out the most efficient way to open the knife so she would be able to brandish the sharp blade quicker. There were several small cuts on her fingers from when she'd lost her grip or accidentally cut herself. She finally closed the blade and stared at the colors, sighing with frustration and boredom.
What could she possibly do that could entertain herself? She reached for the other, blue, serrated knife that was meant for more heavy duty use and opened it. To let people know that these weapons were hers, she deeply engraved Lex on the lower parts of either grip. After doing so, very carefully, to the smaller one, she rubbed her thumb over it to get rid of the left over residue.
Satisfied with the results, she continued on to the blue one before settling back down. No more than thirty minutes could have passed since she'd come up with the idea. Groaning again, she rolled out of bed and stood up, pulling her sneakers on—they had yet to provide her with combat boots, which she would have preferred.
She made her way to the door and knocked on it, "Hey!" She shouted, "I'm still in here, you know!" She pounded her fist against it harder until she was out of breath. Once she stopped, waiting for a response and looking out through the small, round window. Her vision was tunneled by the thin white lines on either side of the glass and the heavy metal encasing it.
Several minutes passed without a sign of anyone outside. The walls were beginning to feel like they were keeping her locked in and slowly but surely moving closer. Elyza didn't consider herself to be claustrophobic, but she was going stir crazy sitting in that prison for hours without a break.
Taking a couple of deep breathes, she screamed as loud as she could and slammed both of her fists against the door. Once she ran out of air, she stopped, stumbling backwards at the amount of energy her tantrum had exerted. She breathed heavily and sat on the edge of her bed, trying to get rid of the lightheadedness she was feeling.
Finally, after a couple of minutes, the pounding of several sets of boots echoed through the hallway and the vibrations reached Elyza's feet. She stood up once the sensor beeped someone's presence.
The door opened quickly and a gun greeted Elyza before she saw any person. Her hair stood on end and her nerve endings fired at the base of her spine. The view at this end of the gun was wholly terrifying. She cried out and jumped out of the way, holding her hands up. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the black hole she was presented with, where a bullet could come rushing out any moment.
Allister quickly lowered his weapon and turned around, "Its fine, guys. You can get back to your duties." He turned back around with a red face and clenched, angry jaw. "It was a false alarm."
He kept the door kicked open with his foot, but still blocked Elyza's exit. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" he spat venomously. "We thought that—somehow, an infected had gotten in here. That you were getting killed."
Straightening her spine until she stood as tall as her 5'5" frame could manage against his 6'0". Somehow, she even succeeded in seeming to look down at him even though she was really looking up, "I want to get the hell out of this damn cell. I need to bathe and I want to see the Blakes. I don't care what any commander says about it." Her voice was dangerously low and compelling.
Allister would have looked like he was raising a surprised eyebrow if he'd had much more than a couple of long white hairs peeking out from above his eyes. He didn't speak for a minute, only looked in Elyza's eyes, searching for any signs of compliance. "Fine, come on. I'll take you to the showers." He stepped aside and allowed her to exit before him.
Elyza confidently straightened her back more, trying to seem as though she had not just had a mild nervous breakdown. Allister didn't seem to think that she had, just thought it to be a ploy of hers to get their attention. She didn't know how to get to the showers, so she hesitated after a couple of steps, waiting for Allister to lead her.
He huffed at her, mildly annoyed at the amount of drama she went through. He replaced his pistol in its holster and gave her another small glare, "This way."
He turned left—in the opposite direction than they had taken the day before. Allister was guiding her deeper into the maze of the USS Freedom. Elyza desperately wanted to ask him about the Blakes and Finn, she wanted to know if they were on the ship, but knew it would be too much to ask. Allister was already majorly pissed at her anyway.
As the silence lengthened between them, the tension become more palpable. Elyza could sense Allister's discomfort and he finally broke the silence after taking a sharp right turn into a much more friendly area.
"Ask," he snapped stiffly.
Elyza thought about saying nothing and pretending like she didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but curiosity got the better of her. "Did my friends arrive like you said?"
"Yes," he sighed, "They did, but they are aboard Pearl Harbor. I need your decision now, if you want to see them today."
She narrowed her eyes, it was clear to her that Allister had tricked her. He had gotten her what she wanted most—well, one of the things she wanted most—and now to fully enjoy what he was giving her, he was forcing her to do what he wanted. Or what his commander wanted. But it was also apparent that she really didn't have a choice anymore.
"Fine, I'll stay and train or whatever it is that you want. But I'm not joining your Navy. If it's not obvious enough, I'm not even a citizen of the United States." The amount of irritation in her tone shocked even her, she didn't expect to seem like such a bitch.
With another exasperated sigh, Allister opened a round hatch and Elyza finally saw all of the people that the ship housed. There were twenty men and women that she saw—mostly men. Most of them were talking quietly and intently to each other, while a few others were making up beds or changing.
The low hum of voices was a nice change from the almost constant silence Elyza had been experiencing for the last several days. "How many people stay on board?"
Allister smiled a little, "Our capacity is 75, but we only have about 40 people on board. HQ didn't want to send too many soldiers in fear that we would find pure ruin, we've also lost several on shore. We weren't prepared for the dead to be alive. But now we are, and we need soldiers to help replenish our ranks.
"I kind of think that's why our commanding officer is being so lenient with the survivors. We're not sending people back to base because we need recruits. Who better than survivors, I guess?" He shrugged nonchalantly.
The barracks they stood in were organized meticulously. Rows upon rows of twin-sized bunk beds set perpendicular to the wall. They stood small intervals apart from each other, with just enough space to put short dressers in between. There had to have been over twenty on either parallel wall.
Only half of the beds seemed to be taken from where Elyza stood at the end of the hallway. The walls were gray and white with ridges and bumps curving into the shape of a boat. From the inside, it was a little disorienting at first but Elyza was beginning to get used to it—and the feeling of constant motion beneath her feet.
When she didn't reply, Allister began guiding her down the center aisle. He brought her to another door at the end of the would-be rectangular room with the sign of a woman marking which gender could use it. He stepped to the side and turned the knob, opening the door for Elyza to go through first.
"This is where I'll be leaving you. I will have someone bring you a change of clothes. There should already be supplies in there for you." He nodded towards the door, urging me forward.
Grateful for his help, she stepped around him, "Thanks, Allister. Sorry for throwing a fit earlier. I'll be out soon."
Allister nodded and let go of the door. "I accept your apology. Even though you're kind of an asshole." The grin he provided her softened the blow as he turned away to leave.
The bathroom looked like it was one of those communal places that you find in camps or gyms. Or prisons, Elyza added bitterly. To the left there was a section blocked off by tile walls with a gap in the middle for entrance. A dozen showerheads stood on either wall with waist-high counters in between for a very minimal amount of privacy. There were only half a dozen stalls and sinks to the right for actual bathroom usage.
Elyza didn't know if she was going to be lucky enough to have the place to herself for long, so she took advantage of the privacy quickly. Stepping into the first shower stall, she stripped off her fatigues, tank top and undergarments until she was completely naked. The exposure was a little nerve wrecking and embarrassing but since nobody was in there with her, she tried not to pay it much mind.
She balled up her clothes and tossed them away, grabbing at the bar of soap and bottle resting on the middle counter. Elyza grabbed the knob for the shower and pulled, turning it on. The water came out cold and she squealed, jumping back a little in surprise. But, she had to admit that it was one of the best feelings she'd had in days.
After adjusting the temperature a little bit, she spent the next twenty minutes scrubbing her skin so hard she turned pink. She probably put way too much shampoo in her hair for it to be healthy—it would probably be brittle afterwards. If she was honest with herself, she didn't actually care; she just wanted to be clean.
When she finally deemed herself dirt free, she shut off the shower—that had long gone cold. Towels were placed on a shelf embedded into the wall opposite of the showers, near the sinks. Elyza quickly scurried over to them, grabbed one and wrapped it around her dripping wet form.
Once she was dry, she waited for someone to come with clothing—since nobody had come yet. It was over ten minutes later that a female soldier with raven black hair pulled up into a severe ponytail entered with a stack of clothes and a comb.
Elyza tightened the towel around her chest upon the sudden entry, but leaned against the wall once she realized the person was no threat. The woman—or girl, she didn't look much older than Elyza herself. She had dark raven-blacked hair, olive toned skin and dark brown eyes. She was wiry and thin underneath her bulky clothes, which looked too large on her anyway. But her back was stiff and straight with a soldier's discipline.
"Here are your clothes," the girl said, standing a good distance from Elyza. She thrusted her arms out and Elyza took them, thanking her and squeezing the clothes to her chest. The soldier looked bored, if not even a little annoyed, at having to cater to Elyza.
"You're welcome." She nodded stiffly then turned around and left just as abruptly as she had entered.
Elyza stood there for a second before yanking out the undergarments provided for her. She put her own bra back on because she knew there was a very unlikely chance the one they had provided her would fit. It made her feel a little dirty, but it was worth it to feel more comfortable. She would just have to remember to clean it once she got the chance.
After she was finished dressing herself in a different—much cleaner and better fitting—set of Navy fatigues, she combed out her hair. She ran a hand through it to tousle it slightly from its straight wetness so it would dry in a much more wavy fashion.
She finally caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, which he had been readily avoiding. There were bags under her dull, obviously exhausted eyes. She looked drawn and her cheeks seemed sunken in, maybe she had lost weight. It wouldn't have been a surprise though—drinking had always made her avoid food and since she had been drinking for nearly three days before getting rescued she hadn't eaten much.
Rubbing a hand over her face and through her hair once more, she exited the bathroom with her soiled clothes and towel in hand. The barracks she entered were practically empty—clearly the other soldiers had duties to attend to. Elyza couldn't really expect them to just sit around. The world was ending as they knew it.
But she didn't have to worry about getting lost trying to find her way back, because someone was already waiting for her. It was a short, stocky female soldier standing at attention to the right of the bathroom, exposed enough for Elyza to catch sight of him instantly.
She relaxed considerably once she noticed Elyza and flashed an easy, pearly white smile at her, "Hey there, I'm Harper. I was told to take you up to the helipad after you were finished bathing."
Elyza nodded, whatever would get her to Bellamy and the others fastest. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be going over to the Pearl Harbor?"
Harper nodded her head, "That's where I'm from, we just came over to pick you up."
"Perfect," she nodded.
"First we'll stop by the laundry room and drop this stuff off then we'll head out." Harper grinned again. This girl was downright perky, Elyza realized with a little bit of displeasure. She didn't mind people being happy, but she did mind it when people were always happy.
As the two exited the barracks together, Harper began happily chatting away about how much larger the Pearl Harbor was. But the two stopped in their tracks as soon as a gunshot rang out further down the hallway.
A/N: Sorry for the late update. I hope the length makes up for it. Please leave a review! I'd like to hear what you think!
~Nina