Until Days' Light

[Junk Angel]

Still looking roughly from the nights escape and sleep Petra was the prototype of a person who'd rather right now, in this very moment be oblivious to everything that happened around her.
Slowly sipping at the hot tea, she try to keep the happenings of yesterday's night out of her head.
Naturally to no awail. But it was different now then in the first days since the outbreak. The things were more distanced now, somehow not as terrible anymore.
A human could really get used to anything and everything.
The others were discussing what to do next. Naturally the first course of action was clear. Stock up on more food and then get on the move, hopefully find a secure location before nightfall. Before the dead would get ready once more to hunt.
"So which way are we going to go? You guys probably know the area better than I do."

[Mandalorian]

Peter

Peter went through the duffel bags and pulled out a can of Corned Beef Hash. "well it isn't the most balanced breakfast ever but it will do" he took out a military issue can opener and began to open the can. after he had it open he went over to the stove and started to go through the shelves until he found a frying pan. he then put the pan on the stove and began to cook up the meat.

"I might as well start explaining while this cooks up" he sighed slightly "I still don't know alot about this disease btu ehre is what I do know. One, it can only be passed through bodily fluids, now the most common way this happens is from the infected saliva coming into contact with the blood stream. Two, there is no way to have a permanent restince to the virus due to the fact that it has a high mutation rate, but it is possible to destroy the virus before it can start to take effect using the treatments."

He took the pan off the heat and put the Corned beef on to five plates, at the same time morgan started five cups of tea steeping. Peter laughed slightly "breakfast is on. I'll continue after wards, you guys should have already known that." he grabbed one of teh plates and a cup of tea and sat down.

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Sam

Sam smiled slightly as he grabbed a palte and a cup and sat down next to Peter, "I hope there is a sporting goods store in town. We could stalk up on dehydrated food, grab some camping gear, and some more weaponry."

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Morgan

Morgan sat down as well and looked out a window "It looks so calm out there, hard to believe that so much has changed" a small smile spread across his face "We adapt so fast, I'm still tryign to figure out whether thats a gift or a curse"

[MyNameDidntFit]

Mick blocked out the bantering of the others as he took a plate of the canned food and gazed into it, almost longingly, for a minute.
He picked up his spoon and took a mouthful, the taste seared his tongue as his mind flashed back to Vietnam.

Someone cracked a joke about the shit taste of the corned beef, must've been one of the fucking new guys; none of the other men still had the humour for that crap joke. Only the one sitting next to the FNG laughed and even he stopped the moment he saw no-one else was grinning. The FNG grimaced and looked down at his plate. A moment later he was given a real reason to grimace as someone screamed Charlie as a gunshot echoed from the jungle, followed quickly by more and every single soldier hit the deck and started crawling for cover and a weapon... Everyone except the FNG. He sat slumped over his food with a hole in his ribs. Just another dead FNG now.
By the time the day was out Mick was one of the five who got the honour of bagging and tagging the corpses... It was something you never got used to... When you seal a man in those plastic bags its almost as if you're the one sealing their very death with the zipper.

The memory suddenly broke and Mick spat the beef onto the floor beside him, his eyes closed and he rested his head on a hand as someone asked what was wrong, he didn't know who and he didn't care. But they kept asking.
"Nothin'..." he paused, "The food's just like 'Nam."

[Junk Angel]

Petra took a bite and shivered for a second
"Ugh corned beef, that's really something only you guys can appreciate. But what fills fills I guess."

And then Mick spat his own out.
"Nothin'..." he paused, "The food's just like 'Nam."
"Pfew, I was afraid it was something I said. So how much the same and how different was Nam, when compared to this?"

[Mandalorian]

Sam

Sam grimaced slightly as petra asked her question. He knew that a lot of Vets hated to talk about there experiences because they still lived those experiences in there dreams. Hopefully Mick was one of the ones who had let teh past stay in the past.

Morgan

Morgan was oblivious to most of the conversation slowly eating the corned beef on his plate, he was the only one who seemed to enjoy it even a little bit. He took a swig of the now lukewarm tea and then looked out the window again "we might want to start moving soon, it looks like it must be seven or eight o'clock"

[MyNameDidntFit]

Mick looked to Petra as she spoke the question. For a moment his mind flicked over how to answer it before he responded;
"There's two differences, kid. One; the enemy aren't people. And two; no-one I love can die this time," as he spoke that sentence he noticed a twinge of guilt in Petra's eyes, "They're already dead."
The last three words seemed to make Petra wish she'd never asked the question.

Morgan broke into the conversation suddenly, it seemed he had been oblivious to everything;
"We might want to start moving soon, it looks like it must be seven or eight o'clock."
Mick shot him a glance before looking over to Peter, "We aren't leaving to this gentlemen here tells us what he knows," he paused for a moment but continued when Peter said nothing, You've been putting it off for long enough. I want to know what you know and I'm bloody sure the others do too. Now start talking."

[Mandalorian]

Peter

Peter sighed slightly. "The short answer is that we have little hope." he raised his hands slightly to signal the others to silence "Its a fast mutating virus, who ever made this thing must have used the flu virus as a base, I had four samples at the lab... all where slightly different. This means we can kill it but actually building up a immunity will be impossible, so no vaccines. Not only that but... it could change, at the moment it can only be transferred through bodily fluids but it may go airborne, or maybe even worse it may start to get less specialized on what species it effects"

Peter let the information sink in for a minute "now from what I've been able to gather this virus was originally designed to effect monkey's. Humans and chimpanzees have a 99%+ DNA match so the fact that it transferred from there isn't that surprising, however it may start to affect creatures with less of a match. I doubt it will effect anything other then mammals, but I don't need to explain how bad it would be if Rats started to be effected by this."

Peter paused again "ok well that was the bad part, but I highly doubt most of that will really effect us. It wont cross the species barrier for a while, and the best minds in the world are working on this problem" he didn't bother saying the obvious those that are left "But there is another problem... The virus was originally designed to enhance the human body, and to extend the life span. It may just be doing this... The cell cultures I had where repairing themselves at a almost miraculous rate." He stopped talking and looked down at his now almost empty plate "We can't be sure of killing these things, I don't know how much damage it would take"

[MyNameDidntFit]

Mick looked grimly at the floor for a moment before looking up at Peter and slapping the side of his M4, "There ain't nothin' that a 5.56 to the forehead wont stop. And that's comfort enough for me."

A small, genuine smile crept into his face as he checked the rifle's magazine and snapped it back into place.

[Junk Angel]

"So we can expect them to outlive us? What do they feed on, once they've found everything in sight?
They have to run on something don't they?"
Somehow, ought of sight of the others, her hands still slowly grasped and ungrasped the handle of the pistol she as given.
It was an oddly reassuring feeling, to hold the gun. Somehow maybe it would always be best to let at least one round inside whatever the case just to be sure.
It might be better than the infection.

[Mandalorian]

Peter

Peter nodded briefly, "yes they do need food, but... well if there body regrows its very possible that there upper level brain layers may as well... This may turn into more then just a infection... We could be the first species to actually produce its superior"

He took a deep swig finishing off his tea "well its better not to dwell on possibilities. Lets get moving. if we want to reach LA before the frost falls we better hurry"

[MyNameDidntFit]

Mick stood abruptly, "Right then."
He grabbed his bag and quickly moved to the front door and grasped the handle, easing the door open slightly and peering out.
"If you got cold feet, let it out now. I don't know about the rest of you but if someone freezes up I ain't savin' his ass so you wanna be sure you're ready," he looked over the others as they got to their feet, "Let's get moving then."
As he finished his sentence he slipped out the door and into the front yard.