@cjk [ audio ]

[signifies]

Hello everyone. My name is Clark. I'll try and keep this brief.

Firstly, I've drawn up a blank list and placed one on the bulletin board on each housing floor. If those with medical expertise feel comfortable, they can put their name, residence here, and — if they have one — specialisation, in case of an emergency. We have several residents who aren't from the same point in time, so if you'd like to volunteer to update someone's medical knowledge, please mark your name with an asterisk.

Secondly, ah-- [ a bit of a laugh. ] I'm from Kansas, which some of you might recognise as being host to some pretty bad weather. Now, I'm not going to say I'm paranoid, but-- I like to think ahead. So, I've made up some kits with some of the usual survival paraphernalia back home and distributed them between floors. Feel free to help yourselves if you need them.

[ No one has to use them, but he’d rather everyone knows they're available. ]

Thank you for your time.

( all replies in audio unless otherwise stated )

Comments

[signifies]

[ Maybe he should wear a bell. ]

Do you know how to ride one?

[ They seem like they'd be more useful than cars or trucks. ]

[pundemic]

[She spins the front tire aggressively with her fingers. It rotates freely, from where the bike is hanging in its storage rack, with a pleasant sort of whir.

Then she gives him a Look.]

Yeah. It's not like they just stopped existing after the Infection, it's more like... you blow a tire, break the chain... that's it. You're never gonna get another one. Rubber's rationed to the military, they use it for their tires, so-- who cares about bicycles anymore.

[signifies]

[ It's not like anything stopped existing. People just focused on something else. ]

What about cars? A lot of those, or 'reserved'?

[pundemic]

[She huffs out a breath. She doesn't mind answering, of course, it's mostly the fact that it's just so much to fucking explain.]

There's abandoned ones all over. Most of them, you know... engine block's seized, tires are rotted, no gas, no battery, frame's rusted out. Sometimes you find one in good shape. Like... if people had a garage, or something. But that's only outside the Quarantine Zones. If there's a vehicle inside those that works, it's military.

[signifies]

[ He nods. ]

What about the news? Just updates on the weather?

[pundemic]

If you're lucky. Mandatory radio announcements we have to listen to at certain times of day, mostly automated stuff. No real newspaper. Uh-- there's, you know, an underground that passes out pamphlets. The Fireflies. They want to restore the branches of government that the military sort of... shouldered out, I guess, but there's not enough support to make it happen.

[She steps away from the bike, and shakes her head. Maybe in another life.]

C'mon, let's grab the rest of the stuff and get outta here.

[wingedman]

I'm ex-pararescue - Air Force special ops. Haven't been on active duty in nearly a decade, but I did two tours in Afghanistan before that.

[ A pause, and then: ]

I'm Sam, by the way. Sam Wilson. Floor two.

[signifies]

Nice to meet you Sam. Oh-- we're bunkmates.

[ Clark hasn't been around it, being too busy setting up a forest retreat in the ruins. ]

Would you be willing to teach someone else first aid?

[signifies]

[ It's no way to live, but what's the point of dwelling? If it happens on his world he'd like to think humans find a way.

Clark looks at the bicycle. Maybe soon.

He follows her. ]

Flashlights up ahead.

[pundemic]

Cool. Grab a bunch.

[Meanwhile she picks up a pack of AAs for herself. Her walkman could use a fresh set. Once she's satisfied they have all they need, she steers him towards a check-out.]

So what are you, a boy scout? You know all about camping and survival gear... was Kansas really that bad?

[signifies]

Never made it past my first merit badge.

[ He would've liked to feel part of something, but it didn't fit. ]

I travelled for a little while before I found my current job. Wanted to see the world.

[ If his father had been right, that human beings weren't ready. If someone got too close or realised there was something off about him, Clark could disappear. ]

[inthemoonlight]

Oh, good! I shall have to locate it in any case, and I can search for weather reports while there.

[signifies]

If you find anything unusual, would you mind sharing?

[pundemic]

Ever been to other continents? Europe, Asia?

[When the Infection happened, and they lost the abilty to maintain boats or planes as humanity fought itself into the ground just to survive she has no fucking idea what's happened overseas. If somebody else found a cure, or is finding one now. There's too much disconnect. She still hopes that these people she's never met in these places she's never been have managed okay.]

[signifies]

[ Flying over them probably doesn't count. ]

No, just North America. I liked Canada a lot.

[inthemoonlight]

I would be happy to do so. After all, you have taken the time to put together items to help us. It's the very least I could do. Oh, and out of curiosity, what do these kits contain?

[pundemic]

[She wrinkles her nose as the teller scans their items.]

Then you didn't 'see the world'. You saw like. A tenth of it.

[signifies]

Think of it this way. Now that I'm a reporter, I might get paid to travel.

[ So, he wins. ]

[staystrong]

[First aid supplies are super important and she wants to stock up on all the things.]

Yeah, sure. What all do they have in them?

[signifies]

Flashlights, radios, food, and water. A small first aid kit. There's some extra room if you'd like to add something to it.

[signifies]

Food and water for a few days, rope, tarp, a small first aid kit, a flashlight, and a radio.

[ A little more than that, these are the most immediately useful items. ]

[advanced]

I'm going to take one. Thanks.

[signifies]

No problem.

Should I put some extra food and water into it?

[ He's just assuming this person lives outdoors, else why need something portable. ]

[advanced]

[He hesitates on answering that, not sure how much he trusts the offer. But in the end, hunger wins out.]

Yes.

[signifies]

Do you need anything else? There's still room in the box.