The Apocalypse: Race For The Cure

The Early Stages

"Well how about just one question then?" She drops her pen again and looks at me.

"One." She says and crosses her arms over her chest expectantly.

"Okay. What is someone so young doing working in this boring place?" I ask. She narrows her eyes at me before chuckling and turning back to her file.

"This boring place is gonna be where the cure for AIDS and Cancer are discovered. And I don't work here, I'm an intern."

"Why?" I ask.

"That's two questions." She says and looks at me. "And who said I was young?"

"How old are you?"

"That's three questions." She picks up the pen and starts writing again.

"Okay, one more question." I say with a smile. The mysteriousness that's dripping from her couldn't be more sexy.

"Fine." She turns to me and says.

"Are you single?" I ask smirking. I don't normally have a problem getting a girl, keeping them...that's where I lack experience.

"Sure." She nods and turns back to her folder.

"Wait, so does that mean I can-"

"You said one more, Ashley. You're not playing by your own rules." She smiles at me.

"Do I have a shot?" I ask bluntly, cause I mean come on. Who has time to beat around the bush these days.

"How old are you?" She asks me.

"Sixteen, but I'll be seventeen in-"

"No shot." She answers, cutting me off.

"Oh come on, that's not fair. My age means absolutely nothing." I try.

"It does when you're my bosses daughter and underage." She says without turning to me.

"So you're old?" I ask her with a smile. She tries to stop herself from doing the same. She drops her pen and turns her head slightly to look at me.

"I'm twenty-one, and you most definitely do not have a shot with me, Ashley." She smiles as she gathers up her things and walks out.

"We'll see about that." I yell after her.

–

"Ashley." A voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Huh?" I turn and see Angel standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey Angel." I greet her with a smile as she comes in and shuts the door behind her.

"Hey." She smiles back. "I um..." She pauses and looks at Rebecca who is trying to break free of her restraints. "I talked Kyla, she told me who that is." She thumbs in Rebecca's direction.

"Oh." Is all I say.

"Don't worry." She throws her hands up, shaking them. "I'm not gonna tell Spencer or anything, I just... I wanted you to know that if you ever needed to talk or anything, I'm here. I've been told I'm a great listener." She smiles for good measure.

"Thanks." I nod and return the smile.

"So..." She starts, sitting in the chair closest to me. "Did you want some help with all this? I was kinda a science geek in high school. Granted I didn't graduate or anything but Senior year you don't really learn anything anyways." She says and we both chuckle.

"True." I nod. "I'm not really sure where I'm even gonna start." I tell her honestly.

"Right." She nods.

"I mean, I know what I need to do but there's so many variables that come into play. I don't know how I'm even going to heat the virus at the temperature I need it to be to kill it."

"Doesn't a place like this have a back up generator system or something?"

Why didn't I think of that?

"It does, in the basement." I tell her.

"Well let's go down there, get it running and get started on making this cure." She says cheerfully.

"One problem." I say, realizing something.

"What?" She asks confused.

"That's the one place we haven't cleared. There were thousands of people who worked in this building. I'm sure hundreds stayed behind. The basement is where they would have fled if something was happening." I tell her.

"You're saying-"

"Yeah." I nod. "The basement is where we need to go but there's a possibility that it's flooded with walkers. Hundreds of them."

"Great." She says sarcastically.