"Bet I'm in deep shit. Last time I got called up to main office was around what, 8 weeks ago? Damn... This guy is either gonna give me a shitty job to do or a shitty expansive lecture, like I'm some sorta dog.
His 'honorable missions' are the last thing I need in my life right now. With the amount of stuff I have to clean up already it'd be a pain in the ass to do anything else. If my pretty little hands have to clean any more brains off the walls I'm gonna force feed this asshole screws for breakfast. I'm sure he'll like his french toast with a side of molten metal to start off the morning just right. Maybe some crispy crickets dipped in almond milk will make for a nice side dish.
It's been 3 weeks and all I do are chores, what a fucking headache.
Are my pranks so good that he does this on purpose? No better way to get back at me I guess" - He lets out a silent chuckle.
"I mean, it doesn't make sense to me. He calls me his right hand and then makes me do gutter shit tasks? Says it's a privilege to clean 'mortal remains' for the good of the Colony? Piss right off. A 'right hand' doesn't do shit like this. Then again, I'm not really sure what else I'd do. Nobody volunteers to do these jobs anymore, so I guess it falls on me.
Maverick's the other poor bastard that keeps trying to save us from death out of boredom. He even went out of his way to speak to Rhys himself to alleviate all the tasks that I have.
I'm grateful to him honestly. But Rhys had to say no.. Go figure."
Deep breath.
"Ahh... Whatever.." Kayden murmurs.
Stepping into the office reveals a series of individuals lined up afront the boss' desk, waiting for orders. One of them seems familiar, a short girl with a black ponytail, dressed in a thin white shirt, black cargo pants tucked into her military boots. It's Reyna, his selected soulmate.
Kayden: "The hell is this?" He inquires, being quite surpised by all his friends being present.
Rhys: "Kayden." The boss retorts. "Please get in line, I have a mission for everyone present in this room." - He states, fixing his tie and adjusting his own jacket.
Kayden listens as he lines up with the others.
Rhys: "You are all to explore the Contamination Zone recently discovered by Maverick and his team. Although they are the ones who found it, he made the choice to return to the Colony due to the low amount of supplies the team had upon finishing their mission. Which means the seven of you are the second and only optimal team to explore it."
Kayden is on a comfortable level with Rhys, so he often forgets to read the room, and that he can't have normal chatter with him in matters as formal as this one.
Kayden: "No way Reyna's going, I wanna keep her safe in case you forgot."
Rhys: "I'm afraid that is not possible."
Kayden: "Why the hell not? You can't just do anything you want Rhys."
Rhys: "Actually, I can. Because I, Kayden, am the one responsible for this Colony, just in case you forgot."
Kayden grits his teeth.
"Fuck off."
The boss signals Kayden to stand down, and due to the rules established by him inside his office, people are only permitted to speak when he allows them to, to keep order during formal meetings. Kayden broke those rules.
Rhys: "With that minor misconception out of the way, I'll now explain again why the seven of you were chosen to be here today.
For starters, you have all been to previous expeditions. Therefore, your familiarity with the outside world is far superior to that of someone who has never left.
Secondly, most of the experienced Scout teams are busy checking the subway system for any nests the infected might've left behind during their last horde, and I would be out of my damn mind if I ever sent the other teams, composed of only 3 rookies, into a Contamination Zone just because they're available.
And finally, to satisfy your concerns Kayden, Reyna is among the most intellectual people in our Colony, on par with Mell and Amina, who are also present here today. So grouping the most experienced people in the colony together after Maverick's prized team is absolutely essential. We cannot depend on one expedition team alone to carry out all of our Zone missions.
Kayden: "Yeah I got it." He shrugs his shoulders. "They're my friends so I know what they're capable of."
Rhys: On top of that, it would be detrimental to this mission if I were to exclude any member from this team, Reyna included. If I were in your position I would be just as concerned, but since this isn't her first rodeo, I'm sure she'll know what to do when the time comes."
Kayden: "I said I got it Rhys!! It's not my damn fault nobody else wants to go on expeditions cuz it's 'Oh so dangerous', I get we're the only poor bastards willing enough to put our lives on the line for these missions nobody but you wants!! I got your point so just shut your damn mouth already! My freakin' head hurts."
He pauses before a long sigh.
Kayden: "How am I supposed to stay calm when you ask for my help then force shit like this on me?" He scoffs
Rhys: "It can't be avoided Kayden."
Kayden: "Then fucking warn me before calling my girlfriend and my friends for a suicidal mission."
Rhys: "You wouldn't have come open-minded if I told you."
Kayden: "Fuck you mean open-minded? You keep making shitty decisions." He barks back. Face starting to get warmer.
Reyna: "Kayden. He isn't the one who made the decision, I am." - She exclaims. Unable to allow her name to be mentioned blatantly like she isn't present in the room. "I came here by myself when he said he wanted a team to explore a Zone. So I volunteered."
Kayden: "What the hell happened to the screws that tighten your head?? What is this, a tea party to fuck me over?"
Reyna: "Take it easy and breathe!! I'm not doing this cuz I wanna have fun. It's as Rhys said, we're the best team of people in this Colony after Maverick's to get the job done, we all have the skills needed to succeed too. On top of that, we've all been outside before, the only difference is that we're with our friends now."
Kayden: "Is that supposed to make me feel better about this whole thing? Going out there is fucking suicide!! And now I have to walk into the face of death with the people I most care about? Besides, you told me you wouldn't go on an expedition again Reyna, was last time not enough to open your damn eyes?"
Reyna: "Fuck does that mean? You think I'm not shitting bricks right now?"
Kayden: "Well you volunteered!! Seems to me like you fancy seeing dead bodies!"
She pauses. Deep breath.
Reyna: "Listen. I chose this because there's no one better to do it!! It's been 2 years Kayden, it's about time to let go."
Kayden: "Maybe I don't wanna let go!! Maybe you just shouldn't do any of that stuff regardless Reyna!! Maybe you should just.. stick to what you're doing already.. Something you're good at... Away from dangerous shit..." He frowns at the floor, pinching his eyes.
Reyna: "..."
"I see"
Kayden: "Listen Reyna... I-"
Reyna: "Piss off." - She interrupts. "My bad I wanna help save lives instead of clamping papers down with a piece of fucking wood soaked in ink. You should know that better than anyone else."
Kayden's stare turns milder, the frustration he felt towards her a moment ago feels unjustified. The deed is done. Foul.
Kayden: "Whatever.. Doesn't matter what I say anyway. Boss's orders." He frowns.
Rhys: "Thank you for understanding."
The other members stare at Kayden, who's expression is far from serene.
Rhys: The Contamination Zone is located about 2 miles from our nearest subway station. With all the gear you'll be carrying it should take about 45 minutes to go underground, straight line from there until you reach a silver door at the end of the tunnel, there's no mistaking it.
Your mission is to collect samples of the unknown environment within the Zone for research. Since this is the freshest one we have ever found, we need to collect every sample we can possibly get our hands on. That being said, Kayden, you're in charge of this team, and the seven of you are to leave in two days. Are there any further questions?"
The big guy in the room, dressed in a leather jacket and slightly worn out cargo pants , takes a step forth and salutes Rhys.
???: "With all due respect Rhys, I believe Kayden is unfit to be the leader of this team, or any as a matter of fact."
Kayden: "The fuck did you just-" Rory and Billy, his other two friends, grab him before he could speak further.
???: "He has shown to be unstable in several occasions before this one and doesn't seem to be able to separate personal matters from work."
Rhys: "Is that so? Well. Do you have anybody better in mind then, Zachary?"
Zach: "Yes sir. I suggest myself to lead this team.
Everyone in the room, but Rhys, struggles to keep their composure. The sweat dripping down their faces, the side looks towards each other, the gritted teeth and foul expressions.
They speak louder than the silence.
The boss walks around his table to stand in front of him.
Rhys: "Zachary. Active criminal record. 3 people killed in the span of a year, all of them deemed 'accidents'. Several cases of injured civilians under unjustified violence on your part."
He holds his hands behind his back and stares up at Zachary.
Rhys: "Do you believe I'm leaving the most important team of Scouts I have after team Alpha in the hands of someone who purposely hurts civillians for fun?"
Zach: "Better off than Kayden."
Rhys' expression changes.
Rhys: "You speak too much." He states, then returns to his chair. "Kayden is in charge, any objections?"
No hands raised.
Rhys: "Good. If there are no further questions then you can all go home."
Mell: "I have a question sir."
Rhys: "Yes Mell?"
Mell: "Since Kayden mentioned it I got curious. Why does no one else want to take this mission on? Isn't this a golden opportunity to explore a fresh Zone and make a breakthrough in the creation of a cure?"
Rhys: "Hm. It is indeed. But to answer briefly, and honestly, each Zone that pops up out of nowhere tends to be completely different from the last, not only in terms of composition and layout, but also due to the unknown infected that have caused it to emerge. So it is always very difficult to discern what exists within each Zone.
Many people see expeditions into Contamination Zones as complete suicide missions, claiming that they're too dangerous for humans to venture into. Whoever takes them on is either crazy or possesses some type of death wish, as you may have already heard."
Mell: "And what do you think of those claims?"
Rhys: "I find them to be unfruitful. The research we conduct is extremely important. As I see it, the only way to create an adaptive cure to an adaptive virus is to possess fresh adaptive samples of said virus. As cruel as it sounds, the truth is that there are going to be sacrifices, no matter how many precautions are taken."
Kayden scoffs.
Rhys: "But just like the virus, we adapt and evolve while keeping our humanity intact. That is why I don't force anyone to go."
Mell: "Well.. If that's the case then, what does our team mean to the people of the Colony? Are we seen as courageous Scouts that are risking everything to find samples with the potential to save lives? Or are we just some sort of laughing stock?" She grows a frown. "Like we're some crazy , stupid, simple-minded fools that play catch with death?" She questions.
Rhys: "..."
"Whatever they think doesn't matter. You are all dismissed."