Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Malachi said everything with indifference but each one of us subconsciously looked at the figures who were sleeping soundly. This was maybe the first time that they were given the care that they rightfully deserve while expecting to give nothing in return. However, reality was often disappointing and Tracy had to make a difficult decision.

She stared right at her daughter's sleeping figure before turning to Malachi once more.

"I… I need more time--"

"If you spend more time with her--"

"I know! It's just… just..."

"You can't or you wouldn't? We've talked about this and you already--"

"I know what I said! I just--"

"Do you really think-- Nevermind… If you want to raise her and live a 'normal' life, it would be better if we part ways now--"

"Hey! What are you--"

"I'm giving you an out."

"WHAT?! After all we've--"

"You're the strongest person I've met but you can't just bring a child to--"

"Now what the hell does that mean?!"

"You know what it means. Being always on the move, not having a proper place to lay our heads on is not a place for a child… especially yours. That's just the reality of the situation, I'm sorry."

"You! You--"

"Or you could just do what you told me what you're gonna do when the time comes. They're probably gonna do the same thing to the others once we leave. You're probably the one that's gonna do it, right?" Malachi said as he turned to me.

I nodded faintly but Tracy was still having an inner turmoil with her thoughts. Saying something you're gonna do and actually following through with it were two completely different things. Kaley and Cynthia were torn the same way but having your own child in the mix was unimaginably difficult.

He continued, "You've bathed them, clothed them, fed them, and so much more… I think it's time to put them to rest. They've suffered enough and it's gonna take more than just bringing them out to the surface to fix what years of abuse did to them… It's already hard to deal with something emotionally, but if you also add the physical aspect of it because of what they did to their--"

'Hmm?'

Malachi just stopped speaking mid-sentence as we watched his gaze turn to the figures sleeping soundly. However, one of them wasn't sleeping anymore because she was now wide awake, sitting upright, and staring right at us with a somber expression.

'Shit...'

She was one of the figures who were in the older bracket and judging from her physical appearance, she seemed to be around the same age as Olivia. However, their experiences weren't the same and she had more scars than the rest of them combined. Some were still new, healing, a few months old, or more, but aside from her limbs missing like the rest of them, everything was still intact.

Kaley stood up and tried to approach her, "H-Hey, do you--"

The figure was shaking but tears started to fall down her cheeks, "I… I want to l-live… I want to live! P-Please-- I-- I heard w-what y-you're gonna do to us r-right a-after but-- I… I… I don't wanna die yet~! I-I'll do e-everything you want s-so please, please, please~ I-I-- My n-name is A-Amy… I-I was taken h-here a f-few years a-ago-- I d-don't know e-exactly h-how long a-and-- Please… J-Just-- I w-wanna s-see my m-mommy..."

Everyone was just stunned on the spot because… in our heads, we already decided on what we should do to them, but we never entertained the fact that one of them wanted something different. If I was one of them, I would've wanted to be laid to rest and be done with it, or wish I'd be lucky the next time around. However, not everyone had the same mindset.

To be fair and completely honest, I was 100% in agreement with what Malachi was saying but even if we were in charge of both our groups, we still had to hear everyone's side... even if that side wouldn't be able to do anything if we follow through with our decision.

The two of us were still thinking of what to do next but Kaley took charge of the situation.

"A-Amy… you said your name was Amy, right? I'm Kaley… H-How come we never heard you speak e-earlier?"

"I… I was a-afraid… scared… I t-thought the b-bad guys will be c-coming a-again… I thought… W-What's happening? W-Why was it so l-loud earlier? W-Why didn't they--"

"It's alright now. We never did anything bad to you earlier, right? We're the good guys--"

"B-But… I heard… Y-You were gonna--"

"Yes, b-but… Amy. Listen to me, okay? We're not-- This will be difficult to understand but you gotta listen to me. Can you do that for me?"

"O-Okay..."

Kaley sat right next to her and she carefully asked some questions before trying to explain to her what happened on the surface while she was here. At first, I thought it would be difficult for her to understand most of what Kaley was saying but unlike the others who had the same experience as Tracy's daughter, she was the only one here who had another life before getting kidnapped and then taken in this godforsaken place.

She knew of a life that others don't and something could happen entirely different.

Even Malachi couldn't believe what had happened because he decided to stay longer and listen to the rest of her story.

Despite all of that, her memories of her past were still blurry but what she could still recall was her own name, her mother's name, and the school she was attending before she was kidnapped. It was already miraculous to know that her mind still stayed intact after all these years, but what's more crazy was that I might just be able to reconnect her with someone she really wanted to see.

Kaley was still trying to dig up more information about Amy when I excused myself while already contacting Iskoh through our sat phones.

It just kept ringing for the first bit but I finally made contact.

-

*bzzt*

[Hey, I've been trying to contact you but it always connects to your soldier Vera--]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"Shut up for a moment and bring your records. I--"

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[Don't tell me to fucking shut up, you shut up! Who the fuck brings a bunch of injured people to my--]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"That'll be another story, I'll tell you all about that later! Listen! Did you bring up your records yet?! I fixed that for you, you owe--"

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[Yeah, yeah... I got it right here. Who do you want me to look up?]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"Amor Benitez. Mother of Amelia Beni--"

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[How did you know that name?! How--]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"Just tell me some good news Iskoh..."

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[I'm not even the mayor at that time but I know that case like it was--]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"Hey. This isn't about you. The sooner you check her records, the sooner we fix this shit. Do you have it or not? And don't fucking lie to me, I know it's there? What do you got on her?"

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[Kid... I don't know what to tell you but Mrs. Amor killed herself after a year of the police not being able to find her… I'm sorry but you have to give me something now. Did you-- Hello? Kid?]

*bzzt*

-

I sighed heavily for a moment before I tried to compose myself. I thought we would at least get something good from all that's happened from a supposed material run, but it was all just one fucked up news after the other. I never felt so helpless and I wasn't even the victim in this situation.

-

*bzzt*

"We just found Amy… She's… She's here..."

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[Wait, WHAT?!]

*bzzt*

-

I started telling Iskoh everything that happened and even if he was so fucking silent from the other side, I could still hear his troubled breathing. He was just sobbing at one point and I decided to stop relaying everything from our phones.

I told him that we would drive to his place and spend the night before I ended the call.

The call between me and Iskoh wasn't that long but the time it took to finish that said call was time enough for the people involved to make a decision.

To my surprise, Tracy was the first one to leave the basement but she didn't bring anyone with her. However, Malachi followed and he was carrying a small figure covered by a large blanket but something in the shade of red was staining the white cloth. It was one of the moments I saw him with a pained expression but he continued to bring it up while I entered the room they just left.

We exchanged a few words and even if they're gonna leave sooner than I thought, I was sure that it wouldn't be the last time we would meet.

I saw them disappear from view and then I entered the place they just left.

On one side of the room was Cynthia keeping Amy from looking in the direction Kaley was at and tears were flowing down their cheeks.

'Fuck...'

I instantly rushed to stop Kaley from what she was doing but to my surprise, her knife didn't have a drop of blood. Almost half of the figures who used to be sleeping were laid to rest, and it didn't take long before realization came. Kaley was just holding her knife in place but she could never do it on her own.

Kaley had put down people before but not like this. I actually breathed a sigh of relief that Kaley didn't do it but this thing still needed to be done.

'Malachi or Tracy probably did this… and mine's the other half...'

I told them to bring Amy up the surface before I drew my knife and closed the door.

My knife never felt so heavy and it felt like the time when I was in Derek's residence and the time we were in Arca Yard.

All I could do was block everything I was feeling before I sunk my blade at the side of their head and watch their breathing stop.

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