OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
Ryder found himself grinning at her little smirk. So he had been right about her trouble-making. Though it wasn't really trouble-making of course. There was nothing wrong with having a good outlook on life and positive demeanour. No, those were all good things. They just weren't when it came to a 6-foot tall drill sergeant who took pleasure in making people cry. Ryder had hated basic. He wasn't that kind of guy. He handled it of course, and it never messed with him mentally, but he certainly didn't enjoy it. There was nothing productive about a grown man screaming and throwing a temper tantrum. He knew it had to be done and he knew the reasoning behind it, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it.
"Did they stick you with a nickname?" In his experience, almost everyone he knew who went through basic and made an impression earned a nickname. Some were great, some were most definitely not great. He leaned back in the water, trying to float as he spoke up again, "Mine was Rodeo." A smile came to his lips at the memory, "I personally think the whole Wyoming kid and R name thing was too easy of a target but that one lasted through graduation." He hadn't been called that in years. The few people who knew about it had long dropped out of service, had been moved halfway across the world or had passed away.
Ryder asked about her job and watched a moment as she tilted her head in thought. When she brought up the Cougar Ryder grinned, "I love the Cougar. I've been in a 6X6 but I heard the base is getting a few of the 4x4 versions. Smaller design...well...hell I don't need to tell you that." He figured she could probably run circles around him in her knowledge of the vehicles they had hanging around.
When she mentioned the LARC-V he whistled impressively, "Nice. I haven't been in one of those yet. Only seen them in training manuals." He thought back to all the vehicles he had been in. Unfortunately, there had been a lot. The places where he had been sent required them, though none to date had demanded a tank, and for that at least, he was grateful. "I think my favorite that I've driven is the M1117 ASV. Doesn't go very fast, but she can do some damage and take a beating." He let his mind think back to the last time he had been in one. It had been in Kuwait, on one of his last mission runs. It had been peaceful and wasn't a place he'd mind if he had to go back. If he got to go back.
She asked if she should have saluted him and he shook his head, giving up on trying to float and instead moved to the side of the pool, leaning against it, submerged to his chest. "Nah. Don't worry about that shit. Unless it's someone with a lot of bars, stars or command, don't worry about the saluting. Maybe under normal circumstances, but with the level that the base is at right now, if some ass gets mad that you didn't salute them you tell them to come see me." If there was something Ryder hated about this job it was when people who got the tiniest bit of authority acted like pompous asses. There was a damn pandemic going on and the last thing that this base needed was for someone to be saluted so their ego wasn't hurt. He had seen cadets get promoted to unit leaders and become nightmares to those one level down from them. That was a sure-fire way to get on his bad side.
Rhiannon asked about his job and he mirrored her from earlier, his head turned to the side in thought. "Being able to come up with a solution that gets the job done with little to no casualties." That was it. That was his favorite. When he could come up with a solution that was outside the box, when he could solve a problem before it became a problem, that was what he lived for.
Ryder then brought up her avoidance of authority and he found himself grinning when she laughed. "That...is very unexpected." He grinned at the idea of the small, happy girl in front of him causing trouble. He would have never pegged her for the sort and he had to admit it was a little intriguing. "How in the hell did you wind up in the military?" He shook his head softly.
When she put her hand to her chest, her face lighting up he found the grin returning. Was it possible to be near her without grinning like an idiot? He wasn't sure, but he did find her amusing. "Sounds perfect." He made a mental note to check up on the place. "What about sides? This place in my hometown used to make the best beer-battered onion rings, all by hand, perfectly breaded. It was hell before PT but man were they worth it." He hadn't had a greasy burger and onion rings in so long it felt criminal.
A smile tugged at Ryder's lips as she commented on him being country. That wasn't something he particularly liked to identify with now. If given the preference he'd much prefer people saw him as the soldier and not the country bumpkin. Not that he was ashamed or embarrassed of it. No, it just wasn't something he particularly liked people knowing about him. A grin tugged at his lips and he nodded, "Of course. Don't tell me you never learned to ride a horse. What was all that hick talk earlier about hmm?"
Ryder nodded when she commented about getting the shot. He had then turned, holding the gun to her. She gave him a questioning look and he chuckled, "I'm sure you'll do fine." He then shrugged before continuing, "And if you do shoot me, I get hazard pay and you get a great article. It's a win-win either way." He was kidding of course, there was almost no way she could actually mess up badly enough to hurt anyone. The way the training room was set up was specifically designed to prevent any of that. He was about to give her a little more encouragement when she took the weapon from him confidently. Her stance was cautious but confident and his lips pressed together in surprised awe.
She agreed with his suggestion about the military toys and he pulled out his walkie, slipping the volume up and speaking into it. "Adams this is Hall. Is the Osprey in the hanger?" A voice came back over the line almost immediately, "Affirmative Hall. Osprey is in hanger." Ryder pressed the button again, "I'll be there in fifteen with press." The other voice gave an affirmative before the line went dark again.
Ryder slipped the walkie back into one of his pockets and turned his attention back to Ezra. "You're in for a treat." He was happy the Osprey was there. It was a gamble on if it would be or not, they tended to use it randomly when the other choppers were too small or when the landing wasn't secure. She had gotten lucky and he was kinda happy he'd get to show it off. While it wasn't his favorite chopper they had at the base, it was an impressive one.
Ezra mentioned she had taught herself how to shoot and he watched silently as she switched the weapon's safety off and aimed. The target was pierced in the lower quadrant of its torso and Ryder whistled, "Impressive. It'd get the job done." He nodded in appreciation once more before taking the gun, ejecting the remaining bullets, and opening the door for her. Ryder walked to the woman at the desk and handed over the equipment before signing both of them out of the range.
He walked out after thanking the officer and motioned down the hallway. "The vehicle and equipment room is where we store most of our assets. There's a weapons building that's connected to the main room as well. We currently have a wide range of assets including Humvees, ATVs, LTATVs, cougar 4X4s, MATVs, HEMTTs and helicopters." He continued walking along making sure he never said any specifics or numbers. That wasn't something anyone without clearance needed to know.
The pair came to another secured door and Ryder swiped his key, holding it open for her. "And this....is the V-22 Osprey."
Ryder gave a small chuckle when Ezra commented about their jobs. He had to agree with her when it came down to it. It wasn't always easy and it wasn't always fun, but damn if he wasn't made for it. He didn't comment on the civilians always finding something to complain about. He, whole-heartedly, agreed with her of course, but he strongly doubted his superiors would want him even jokingly agreeing with the public being frustrating to the reporter. No, they had an appearance to maintain and bashing the public wasn't in any way helpful to that.
Ryder was thankful when the woman waved away the issue and began talking about something else. Praise wasn't something he took easily. Especially not when it came to anything educational. He'd high five superiors all day long if they were impressed with the way he got supplies or a tactical position nailed down. If it was about something he talked about or did the math on? No thanks. He wasn't comfortable with that in the least. He supposed if he had to dive into that, he'd guess it was because his GED was still a sore spot, but thankfully the job didn't require him to do many speeches or perform many academic tests. He could stay as quiet as he pleased about things like that which suited him just fine.
Ryder shook his head, "Nah. But I never forgot to re-check my carabiner during a high ropes course ever again. I promise you that."
He walked with her inside and waited patiently as all of the paperwork was handed over and filed. The woman at the desk gave him the nod and he walked with Ezra into the room. He glanced over as he asked her what she needed and he listened carefully. Ryder nodded before picking up the weapon and aiming it, his eyes focusing on the target before him. "Let me know when you're ready to move on."
He waited for her signal before moving slightly so she could get behind him to get the second picture. He aimed the weapon, "Discharge in three, two, one." He paused just a small second before he squeezed the trigger, the bullet landing in the upper left chest space. It would be a deadly shot if acted upon a human. He had thought about doing a head-shot but thought maybe that was a little too combative for a newspaper or journal article. Ryder lowered the gun, immediately putting the weapon on safety before putting it on the small counter and turning to face her.
"Yeah, I grew up shooting. Not a fan of hunting, but I like the sport of shooting. In Wyoming I had to be a good shot to protect our herd sometimes." She asked him to do one more with more of her instruction and he nodded, "Yes ma'am." He picked the gun back up, sliding the safety off and aimed, waiting for the sound of her voice. When she gave the command he squeezed the trigger. "Did that work or do you need another?" He glanced back at her for a second before moving his attention back to the gun. He slid the safety back on and turned to her, holding it out. "Now it's your turn. Have you ever used one before?"
If he had to guess, he'd say she had. She didn't look like the kind of girl who shied from guns and clearly they didn't scare her. Though he wasn't sure how well she'd be, he would have guessed that if she had to, she could get the job done. She seemed straight-forward and brave. She seemed like the type who might carry one of her own if he was being honest. "Once we're done here we can head to the equipment and vehicle area, lots of neat stuff there that might look good in your article."
Ryder found himself grinning at her little smirk. So he had been right about her trouble-making. Though it wasn't really trouble-making of course. There was nothing wrong with having a good outlook on life and positive demeanour. No, those were all good things. They just weren't when it came to a 6-foot tall drill sergeant who took pleasure in making people cry. Ryder had hated basic. He wasn't that kind of guy. He handled it of course, and it never messed with him mentally, but he certainly didn't enjoy it. There was nothing productive about a grown man screaming and throwing a temper tantrum. He knew it had to be done and he knew the reasoning behind it, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it.
"Did they stick you with a nickname?" In his experience, almost everyone he knew who went through basic and made an impression earned a nickname. Some were great, some were most definitely not great. He leaned back in the water, trying to float as he spoke up again, "Mine was Rodeo." A smile came to his lips at the memory, "I personally think the whole Wyoming kid and R name thing was too easy of a target but that one lasted through graduation." He hadn't been called that in years. The few people who knew about it had long dropped out of service, had been moved halfway across the world or had passed away.
Ryder asked about her job and watched a moment as she tilted her head in thought. When she brought up the Cougar Ryder grinned, "I love the Cougar. I've been in a 6X6 but I heard the base is getting a few of the 4x4 versions. Smaller design...well...hell I don't need to tell you that." He figured she could probably run circles around him in her knowledge of the vehicles they had hanging around.
When she mentioned the LARC-V he whistled impressively, "Nice. I haven't been in one of those yet. Only seen them in training manuals." He thought back to all the vehicles he had been in. Unfortunately, there had been a lot. The places where he had been sent required them, though none to date had demanded a tank, and for that at least, he was grateful. "I think my favorite that I've driven is the M1117 ASV. Doesn't go very fast, but she can do some damage and take a beating." He let his mind think back to the last time he had been in one. It had been in Kuwait, on one of his last mission runs. It had been peaceful and wasn't a place he'd mind if he had to go back. If he got to go back.
She asked if she should have saluted him and he shook his head, giving up on trying to float and instead moved to the side of the pool, leaning against it, submerged to his chest. "Nah. Don't worry about that shit. Unless it's someone with a lot of bars, stars or command, don't worry about the saluting. Maybe under normal circumstances, but with the level that the base is at right now, if some ass gets mad that you didn't salute them you tell them to come see me." If there was something Ryder hated about this job it was when people who got the tiniest bit of authority acted like pompous asses. There was a damn pandemic going on and the last thing that this base needed was for someone to be saluted so their ego wasn't hurt. He had seen cadets get promoted to unit leaders and become nightmares to those one level down from them. That was a sure-fire way to get on his bad side.
Rhiannon asked about his job and he mirrored her from earlier, his head turned to the side in thought. "Being able to come up with a solution that gets the job done with little to no casualties." That was it. That was his favorite. When he could come up with a solution that was outside the box, when he could solve a problem before it became a problem, that was what he lived for.
Ryder then brought up her avoidance of authority and he found himself grinning when she laughed. "That...is very unexpected." He grinned at the idea of the small, happy girl in front of him causing trouble. He would have never pegged her for the sort and he had to admit it was a little intriguing. "How in the hell did you wind up in the military?" He shook his head softly.
When she put her hand to her chest, her face lighting up he found the grin returning. Was it possible to be near her without grinning like an idiot? He wasn't sure, but he did find her amusing. "Sounds perfect." He made a mental note to check up on the place. "What about sides? This place in my hometown used to make the best beer-battered onion rings, all by hand, perfectly breaded. It was hell before PT but man were they worth it." He hadn't had a greasy burger and onion rings in so long it felt criminal.
Ryder stretched his arms, leaning to one side as she asked what gave her away. "You're too happy." He replied with a grin before stretching to the other side. It felt damn good to let the stress of the day go. "You clearly haven't been in this place long enough for it to break your spirit yet." He was kidding, mostly. This job wasn't easy and if someone said it was, no matter what career they had chosen to take in it, they were lying. This job made you see all kinds of heartbreaking things, it made you push yourself past what you thought you could ever physically or emotionally handle and asked things that you never thought you'd be asked. Every choice you made inside this career affected someone. It wasn't an easy place to be in. Not that he hated his job. In fact he downright loved every minute of it, but it did take a toll.
She asked if he had been there long and he nodded, "Almost nine years. Four more months until my contract is up. Probably sign on for another four years. How about you? What's your MOS?" He didn't think he had seen her before, but that didn't really mean anything. He had people in his own MOS who he rarely saw. The base was big and assignments were around the clock. There was no telling what shift someone was on. Ryder watched as she swam around for a moment before taking up a spot near him.
Rhiannon mentioned the base was a good one and he laughed, nodding his head in agreement, "You're not kidding. This one's better than the usual ones I'm stuck at too. The scenery isn't all that great, but it beats miles upon miles of sand."
He braced his arms on the side of the pool and lowered himself in. The water was cool and he went under, coming up near her, but not too close. "So where are you from?" He was a little surprised there was no one in the pool other than the two of them. "Have you gotten a chance to check out the city yet?" He had been out a few times of course. The last time he had his heart set on a burger and he still hadn't been able to find a place that could live up to his expectations. He had planned on scheduling a trip to go and visit some places undercover, but the riots had brought all that to a screeching halt.
Ryder had put in a full day's work today. Unfortunately, it was all done sitting behind a desk. Normally his job required him to be in the field, training hand-to-hand or using weapons. He had a very physically active work life and he enjoyed it. Today, however, things were different. The latest riots had demanded more of his time behind a desk. He had to work with analysts and strategists to plan and prepare for the next few months coming. Rioters had made off with supplies and weapons. Nothing that was scary of course, but just enough that it made his job even more of a pain in the ass.
He had spent most of the day pushing paperwork, his only reprieve being lunch and dinner and then it was back at it. When he felt it was time to call it a day he couldn't leave his desk fast enough. He had showered quickly and then grabbed a pair of swimming trunks and a towel. He left his phone in his room, not wanting to be bothered. He had thought about working out. The idea of letting some of the frustrations of the day go while he pushed himself physically seemed like a good idea. It was just too damn hot. He didn't want to deal with people at the gym or the heat of outside so the pool it was.
Ryder walked in, glancing quickly over the surface and not seeing anyone. He turned back towards the wall near the door and put up his towel, slipping off one of his shoes. A voice called out to him from nearby and Ryder jumped, "Shit!" He turned quickly, a smile on his face as he noticed the girl in the water who he had missed upon first inspection. "Not as long as you apparently. You scared the hell out of me." He turned back to his stuff and kicked off the last shoe before moving to the edge of the water. The girl introduced himself and Ryder chuckled as he sat down by the side of the pool, his legs and feet in the water, "Nice to meet you Rhiannon, I'm Ryder."
The water was cool and he took a good deep breath in as he tried to relax his body. The pool had been a good call. "You must be new." It was a guess on his part of course. She was too friendly, too smiley and happy for him to think she was on her second tour. No, if he had to guess, he'd bet that she was still in her first years of service. Not a recruit of course, but not too far out of basic either. He had been wrong before, but she just looked too damn happy.
Ryder let out a small laugh when she mentioned that journalism was about pissing people off. "Well hell, maybe I should look into a career change." He was kidding of course. He doubted he'd have the patience or charisma to do her job. He doubted he'd have the patience to do any job that wasn't the one he was currently doing. The military suited him, and he hadn't felt regret since joining. Sure, just like any job, there were aspects of it that he wished he could change. On the whole, however, he was happy with his choices.
Her question didn't faze him, and he found himself easily replying, "Just a precaution. I don't think too many taxpayers would be pleased if we didn't plan and prepare for any and all situations." They weren't psychics, they couldn't read and see into the future. They could, however, analyze data, consult professional, and prepare. That was what they did, and they did it well. Did he personally think the precautions would be used in any real-life scenario? Sure. This virus wasn't known and every day brought new challenges with it. He could see a number of scenarios coming to life that they'd have to handle, but thankfully he wasn't paid for his opinion. He was paid to do his job and it certainly didn't involve giving his two-cents worth to a reporter.
After he spoke about the military presence he was a little surprised to see her looking earnestly over at him. When she mentioned his little speech was good he felt the uncomfortable feeling of heat warming his cheeks. "That is very kind of you." He cleared his throat and stupidly found himself glancing at his feet like an idiot. Ryder wasn't the brainy sort and he was very comfortable in that knowledge. He could do a lot of things well, but book work wasn't one of them. To hear her go on about his little speech was uncomfortable to the max for the boy.
He was thankful when the conversation moved to her sewers story and he glanced over curiously as she spoke about it. "I don't blame him. The closest I can come to that is when I had to do a week in laundry duty. It wasn't as bad as a sewer but washing the undergarments of 125 soldiers after a twelve-mile ruk isn't roses, I promise you." He had a relaxed grin on his face as they walked through the door.
She asked about getting a picture of him at the shooting range and he laughed, "No bribery necessary. You need to sign a release form first though." He walked over to where a female officer sat at a desk and asked for the form. She handed it over and he offered it to Ezra. "Standard stuff. Ensuring if something goes crazy that you don't sue us into next week." he grinned before signing his name onto the bay entry form, holding the clipboard to her. "One more signature to get access to the bay." While he waited for her he signed out ammunition, grabbed two sets of earmuffs and pulled out his service pistol. He then moved to Bay 3, holding the small door open for her.
The shooting area was separated into bays, keeping the noise volume low. Each bay was private, with enough room for 3-4 people to fit inside. Each had a target a few yards from the shooting area. Ryder stepped inside and looked over at her as he began loading rounds into the gun. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"
Ryder shook his head at her question before replying, "Nope. I grew up in a little cattle town in Wyoming. Far cry from city life." He had moved all around the globe since leaving that little town. He hadn't looked back, that was for sure. There were parts of the world that occasionally reminded him of that quiet small town. A few places overseas that brought him back to ranching, though it was usually sheep instead of cattle. Still, he hadn't missed it. He had never felt a desire to go back and that suited him just fine.
He listened along as she spoke about where she was from, grinning when she called herself a hick. "Well, from one hick to another, screw what they think." He didn't know exactly what she was talking about. He had zero information about local politics, especially when that subject was narrowed down even smaller into journalist local politics, but he did know what it felt like to be un-liked. When he first joined, his accent had been thick and he had caught more hell about being an uneducated hick than he had thought possible. The first few years were a learning curve of throwing punches and figuring out when to keep his mouth shut. The first year had gone by though, and the men who he served with were closer to him than anyone in his family had been. It was a rough road, but it worked out.
The pair walked along and Ryder kept the pace natural and relaxed. He had thought their little field trip would be quick through the hallways, but he didn't mind slowing down so they could take their time, there were worst things he could be doing right now. She was at least friendly, and quick, which was even more apparent when she asked a question about the base getting over-ran.
He laughed lightly, and for a brief minute toyed with the idea of making a joke, knowing his superiors wouldn't be appreciative. "Well, it's highly unlikely that will happen. Some guys with much higher IQs than me designed this place to withstand lots of emergencies and lots of people. However, should anything happen that would require the base to reach its capacity...there's a naval aircraft carrier within four hours away that can hold an additional 6,000. Another eight hours away with a capacity for 10,000."
The name of the ships came immediately to his mind, he could probably recall their captains as well, but that wasn't knowledge they wanted to share. The ships were performing other operations and they needed those operations to continue. If the wrong person got knowledge of that information, they could put the city and everyone who lived inside of it in serious danger.
He glanced over at her when she gave a soft laugh, commenting about the base. He couldn't blame her, it wasn't exactly a four-star hotel down here. When she continued on, speaking about the military's overreach he listened carefully. This was the kind of thing he knew he needed to keep his wits about him. He hoped she wouldn't try to spin the article and use what he said against the base, but more than simply hoping, there wasn't much he could do other than to answer her questions as clearly and truthfully as he could.
He turned to her, pausing so he could meet her eyes, "We were ordered here to protect and serve the citizens of this country. The men and women in this base have all made oaths to each and every person out there, to defend and protect. More than half of us have served in conflicts where we were willing to lay our lives down for every man, woman, and child out there. We didn't come here to harm anyone. We didn't come here with any hidden agendas or plans. We're here to serve and protect. It's as simple as that."
Were there instances of overreach? He honestly didn't think so. He was called to do a job and he did it well. If there wasn't a need for them, they wouldn't be here. End of story.
He watched her for a moment as he asked his question before walking along, swiping his card to open the door that would take them to the training facility. When she brought up the sewers Ryder laughed, "Ouch. Well now you've got me curious." He motioned towards the set of doors that lay in front of them that led to the training area. "Here is the indoor training area. You might have seen the outdoor fields while you were coming in. They're used for ruck runs among other various physical training. Indoors you'll see our shooting range, combat training room, gym, and pool." He waited for her to walk inside before stepping in himself.
Ryder felt a smile tug at his lips when she followed through with his humor, making a small joke of her own. He felt his shoulders relax slightly. Perhaps the day wouldn't be so damn long if they could keep this up. It didn't hurt any that she was also cute as hell. He began walking with her and glanced over as she turned on a small recorder. He made a mental note to speak clearly, he figured the last thing she'd want to deal with was deciphering his Wyoming accent when she went through her notes later that day. Not that his accent was very southern or anything super irritating. He had never had anyone comment on it, but he also knew when he got involved in something or when something demanded his attention he had a tendency to speak quickly.
She asked if he had any family here and he shook his head. "No ma'am, it's just me here." He took a few more steps before looking over at her, "Most civilians who live on the base are married to soldiers or, of course, children of soldiers. To the north of our training field, there's a housing complex. A neighborhood of sorts for civilians to be close but not inside the actual base." He didn't know too many civilians who were living on the base. His job kept him much too busy to go off hanging out with people who he wasn't ordered to be around. He only knew of one female in his unit who was married who had a husband living on the base. Most of the people he was around on the daily didn't have personal lives, at least any that were serious enough to ask someone to move on base for.
They began walking together and he noticed the little flinch she gave a second before she asked him to call her Ezra. He understood that. He thought they were about the same age and if he hadn't been in the military he would have been annoyed at someone calling him Hall instead of his name too. He had been in the military so long though that it was odd to hear anyone actually call him by his name. Two completely different worlds. "What about you Ezra? Are you from here?" He wasn't familiar with any of the local news channels, he had no idea if she was from out of town like him or not. Seemed like a normal enough question to ask.
He walked forwards with her, down the hallway. It wasn't too much of a walk, not to get where they needed to go first at least. She didn't seem like the type that would balk at the idea of walking around a lot so he didn't bother to ask. The whole trip would take them around 6 miles there and back. If she wanted to see more of the outdoor areas he would suggest taking one of the smaller side-by-sides of course, but inside he didn't think it was too warranted. She asked about the capacity and he nodded, "Well, I'm glad I haven't killed you with boredom yet. And yes ma'am, that's to handle an influx of people whether during emergency situations or training and testing."
Ryder tilted his head to the side in thought as she asked if it was strange to live underground. He had been in strange places for all of his career, it was just another base to him. It didn't really affect him anymore. "Honestly, it doesn't bother me much. We all tend to stay very busy around here, and we're here to do a job. Our primary concerns are about the civilians of the city, doesn't matter where we have to be, whether it's a few thousand feet underground or in the middle of a sandy desert. That's the job." He looked over at her again, "Plus, we do a lot of training outdoors and patrols around the perimeter outside. We're not always down here in the hole. I'm not that pale am I?" he moved his arm in front of him, like he was inspecting it. He had worked outside for most of his life, he usually had a perpetual tan. "What about you? Is being underground the worst place your job has sent you?"
Ryder looked up as the yellow taxi pulled into the base. He put on a nice polite smile, reminding himself that this thankfully wouldn't last all day. Reminding himself that the quicker he got on with this whole thing, the quicker he could get on with his real job. A blonde girl got out the taxi, a bright lanyard tagging her as a visitor hanging around her neck. He nodded at her question, "Yes ma'am. That'll be me. My name is Ryder Hall, Special Forces Warrant Officer.I'll be your guide for your visit today."
He watched as she moved towards him, mentioning that she'd normally shake his hand. Ryder gave a soft laugh, "No worries ma'am. You'll find we're not too strict about formalities here." He waited a moment, glancing over to the taxi to see if anyone else was pouring out of it. He hadn't had any experience with a journalist or anyone or thing related to the media before. He wasn't sure how many people should be expected for something like this. He half thought a camera guy would be in tow, but as she adjusted the items she had on and around her, he noticed the camera case.
She asked about taking photos and he waved it off, "Nah, feel free to take as many photos as you'd like. We're not visiting the UFO research lab today." he gave a half-smirk hoping she wouldn't be too irritated by the comment. He knew this morning was going to suck, but it'd suck even harder if he was stuck with someone who had a crappy sense of humor.
He gestured to the front entryway she had just come from. "Welcome to Zone 9 Base. This is an underground military base that houses training facilities, operation command centers, an armory, a mess hall, barracks and an infirmary. Our capacity can house upwards of 300,000 bodies at any time but typical running numbers usually aren't near that. Our normal operating numbers range in the area of 150,000. That number consists of enlisted personnel, civilian employees, civilian family members and contracted workers." He had the facts memorized already, of course, no need to carry around the facts and figures sheet that they had given to Carson to keep on his person.
Ryder had turned that back in after glancing at it for all of five minutes. Maybe a regular enlisted guy might have needed it, but any officer worth his weight would know it already. "We're going to start with the training facilities if that works with you miss Littlejohn?" He walked in the direction of the nearest door, sliding his badge into the scanner. The light turned green and he opened the door, holding it out to her. "If you have any questions feel free to ask, I'll try the best I can to answer them."
He walked through the door and down the steps, going down the hallway that led them further underground. "This complex was built 2,000 feet underground and is protected from natural and unnatural movement such as earthquakes and missile attacks thanks to the springs that the base is built upon. There are roughly 1,000 springs built into the base grounds to help shield the base as well as prevent any operational impact movement. We are also the only military base able to withstand an EMP hit in the continental United States." He continued walking along, another grin coming upon his lips as he glanced over, "You still awake over there?"
Ryder's day had started off fairly normal. He had gotten up before dawn, jogged with a few other handful of other soldiers who were up. He had showered and grabbed breakfast and reported into the assignment check. It had taken a hard left turn from there though. While he was waiting for his paperwork for the day, one of his direct commanders had come into the room and pointed at him sharply before leaving out the door.
Ryder, of course, had jumped up and followed the guy out the door, his face filled with curiosity and confusion. He knew he wasn't in trouble of course. He had done this job for far too long to think that. He knew what he was doing and he made sure that the guys under him knew what the hell they were supposed to do. It was an efficient chain of command that he had down to perfection. No, his first thought wasn't punishment. His first thought was what the hell do they have in mind now? He had been shipped all over the world and had been put into many a situation that didn't exactly fall into his job description more times than he could count and they all started out like that. One little point of the finger, one folder tossed your way and that was it.
He walked in silence with the commanding officer as they passed from the briefing room, and further on past the training hall,still in silence as they moved into the upper officer's quarters. It wasn't a place that Ryder liked to visit a lot though he had the clearance. It was filled with older guys who couldn't finish the PT test if their lives depended on it. The guys who talked about war, but never saw the action themselves. They were the higher brass that he would never be, at least not if he could help it.
He nodded to the few men who bothered to pay him any attention before the officer stopped, handing him a folder that was on a desk. Ryder opened it up, looking at a picture of a blonde girl. 24 years old according to the file. Journalist. "Sir?" He asked, looking up questioningly. The man sighed, 'Sorry to do this to you Hall but you're on babysitting duty today. We had pegged Carson for this but he tested positive for the virus this morning. You're next on the list. She's doing a story on the base, Command thinks it'll be good to boost our image. We want you to show her around, answer questions. Do you understand?'
Ryder nodded, "Yes Sir." The man dismissed him with a wave of his hand, 'she'll be here in an hour.' Ryder nodded and walked out of the Officer's Quarters. Playing tour guide wasn't high up on his list of things he was looking forward to, but the military had never cared much about his feelings before and he doubted they'd be starting anytime soon. He had sighed in annoyance as he read briefly over her file. Nothing interesting stood out from her career so he doubted she'd be too much of an issue. He changed from his civilian clothes into his uniform, turning her file back into command before making his way to the front of the base.
The area where she would come in was a central location and as good a place as any to start. Ryder checked in with the front to make sure she wasn't there yet, giving them notice to send her into the front access point where he was waiting. Ryder leaned against a nearby humvee while he waited for her car to arrive, his mind wandering to Carson and who exactly had gotten the short end of the stick today.
Ryder walked along in the night with the kid. He was a different one, and Ryder kinda liked that. If he was being completely honest he would have admitted that he appreciated the fun in getting to chase someone, of course, but it was more than that. The kid was willing to take his licks, which surprised him. Normally the kids who he had the unfortunate luck to deal with tended to be rich brats. The kids who asked him if they knew who their father was. They were the kind of kids who grew up to be the kind of men who thought the world revolved around them. The kind of people who tended to think they were above the law.
When the guy said he was prepared to face the consequences Ryder made an over-exaggerated, albeit impressed face. "Well good on you then. Although..." He sighed before speaking up again, "You know they're not going to let you out of this one easy. I'm no lawyer but you're probably looking at some federal charges. Might be a good idea to get your facts and reasons together on this one." Ryder was glad he wasn't a cop. He didn't have to read the Miranda rights or worry about charges. Nah. All he had to do was patrol the perimeter and haul in anyone stupid enough to break in. Check and check.
The kid then sighed and asked him his name and Ryder raised an eyebrow. That hadn't happened before. Granted, usually the people he came into contact with rarely even knew he was there before making his presence known, the rest rarely saw past the uniform. It was odd to have one of his charges ask who he was. Even more strange, the kid then asked him what his story was. "I'm Ryder. Born and raised in Wyoming, cattle farm of course. Enlisted, and that's about the end of that." There was a whole lot more to the story of course, but he thought his little cliff notes version was alright. "Nothing too exciting here man."
He watched as a set of lights in the distance moved from the base towards the gate. Guards doing patrols, everyone playing their part. It was oddly assuring to him, the precision and the unfaltering way that everyone behaved and did their job. It was something you could set your watch to, something you could depend on. "So, you gonna level with me about what's going to pop up on that screen when they search your name or you gonna keep me in suspense?"
If Ryder could have done things differently, he would have had a whole list of things prepared not to do. Do not offer her help. Do not ask her for directions. Do not asses the situation. Do not even attempt to make amends. Though, he supposed if he could do it all over again he would just write 'do not engage' on the top of the dossier and passed her file along to someone else, anyone else. Unfortunately for him, do-overs weren't a thing and he apparently wasn't charming enough to sway her opinion of him. He had to stand there like an idiot, all but begging this complete wild-cat of a woman to listen to him. Anyone could see that this wasn't going to end well.
He watched as her shoulders slumped. That had hurt a bit, defeat. It was like seeing a small little animal realize that it was caught by a large predator. He didn't like the taste it left in his mouth. He never had. This wasn't the first time he was asked to do something for his job that wasn't easy. He had hauled people in, captured them in the night, broken down defenses, and shattered homes. That was all apart of the job and more, and that was just how it was. The guys like him had to do those hard things that other people couldn't stomach so those other people could sleep safely in their beds at night. He did it without complaint and he did it without hesitation. That didn't mean it didn't seep into his brain late at night though, that those gestures and tears didn't have any effect on him. He was human just like anyone else. He just didn't get the luxury of always playing the hero in the story.
He watched as her face became stoic, he could almost see the wheels that were turning in her mind. "Brianna. We need to go, okay?" He didn't like being out on the street in this position. There was no telling what she would do, what she might scream at him and he knew if he just reached out and picked her up he might be met with opposition if she began yelling about it. Ryder didn't want to flash hid badge any more than he had to. He wasn't undercover of course, but it was never a smart thing to go waving your position around for any and all to see. His hands went for his phone, to call a car for them, but his tiny moment of not watching her kicked him in the ass as she took off like a shot. "Dammit," the curse word came out of his lips before he began sprinting after her.
She was fast, annoyingly so. If he hadn't had that moment of hesitation he might have easily caught up with her, but with it...she was well ahead in their little game of cat and mouse. He watched as her lithe form moved in and out of people with ease. People who continued to turn to stare as she passed and in turn, subsequently blocking him. He had pushed past a few before shoving off into the street, which wasn't that busy.
He watched as she ducked down a street and he followed, trailing after her. He jumped easily enough over debris that was littered along the stretch she had chosen and he kicked it into high gear to get even with her. "Brianna stop. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life on the street?" His pace matched hers and he kept a foot between them as he looked over at her. He knew she couldn't keep this up. Not the run, and not this life. He glanced ahead and saw a group of people near the exit of the small street they were on. He wouldn't let her get that far. If he needed to, he would take the choice out of her hand. All it would take would be one swipe of his leg, and he'd have her hoisted over his shoulder like a bag of dog food. Mentally swearing one more time he tried offering her one last olive branch. "Come with me. Please."
Ryder was letting his mind wander to breakfast tomorrow. It was only a few handful of hours away. He never knew what they were having of course. Military bases weren't like elementary school lunchrooms where they distributed out the meal plan for the month. It was take it or leave it and normally he wasn't too picky. He could take the standard rotation of what they deemed food. On nights like tonight though where he had skipped dinner, his stomach rebelled at the idea of simple scrambled eggs and toast. He wanted something solid. He knew he didn't have anything on rotation tomorrow morning so planning a trip into town seemed like the best plan of action.
He and the kid moved along the terrain. The night wasn't too chilly, nor too warm. He mused that this place might actually not be so bad had it not been the epicenter of this modern-day plague. His thoughts of food were interrupted by the kid talking about something being haunted. Ryder looked over at him, "Oh yeah?" He looked back at the terrain while the kid began talking again. When he made a joke about social media Ryder chuckled, "Hey I'm not that old." In all honesty, he was terrible at social media, but he did know what they were. He just didn't like all the fake posts and smiles that they attracted. He liked being real with people and truthfully didn't see a point in making things seems better than they were. What did that benefit?
"I get it. Got to give the fans what they want." He didn't understand the appeal in the least, but he didn't care enough about it to criticize. To each his own and whatnot. "If I were you, I'd get some close shots of the house but go into one that's not actually in the quarantine zone. They won't know any better and you won't be facing federal charges. Wouldn't get to see my handsome face either, but you gotta weigh your options I guess." He looked back over at the kid, a grin tugging at his lips, "What do I know though?" He halfway felt bad for the kid. Kids did stupid shit all the time and this was just another rung in the ladder. This one though, breaking into a federal military base during quarantine, might follow him around for life. When he talked about money Ryder laughed lightly again, "Look man, I get it, but if you have charges against you the chance of getting a good job that makes good money drop like crazy. You've got to think more about what you want in the long run, not what you want right now." He thought it was weird telling a stranger that, Ryder never was one for giving people life advice, but he kind of liked the kid. "Followers will come and go but a good job can set you up for life."
Ryder watched as she crossed her arms. She wasn't biting, not in the least. His mind quickly ran into overdrive trying to think up a way to make this easier on her. Tried working out a new plan to get her to talk to him but none held water. She wanted him gone. She looked tired and she was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when he had first met her. She wasn't in a good place mentally, and he knew those conditions only made it harder for him. She told him the best thing he could do for her was to leave her alone and he nodded, "Yeah. I know that, I get that." He sighed.
He glanced around them. There were more people out and about in the walkway than he would have preferred. He wished she had listened to him and sat down. He wished she had dropped her anger enough to hear him out. He could have slowly led into his job, slowly let into the reality that she would be coming with him, no choices about it. Instead she had tried to kill him with her glares, tear him down piece by piece with her words.
Ah to hell with it, he thought irritatingly to himself. "I can't though Brianna." He tried to speak softly to her, he tried to convey a calm gentleness. He met her eyes, hoping she could drop her cursed anger for him a minute to rationally listen to him. Ryder unzipped the jacket he had been wearing, opening up the right side of it where a military ID was clipped in. "I'm a warrant officer with the military. Your visa was flagged." She had to know, surely she had to know there would be no way to get around this. That she was going to have to come with him, at least if she planned on staying out of trouble. "I need you to come with me. We need to get some questions answered." There weren't too many options that she would be looking at of course. She would be deported and that was all there was to it.
