Xiao Yan bent his head gently sniffing the green leaf he held in his hand. Such a pure scent, far removed from the smell of the gathered corpses. He inhaled the aroma deep into his lungs willing for maximum diffusion into every cell his body contained.
The female elite in front of him watched his interaction with the leaf. His face was relaxed and his eyes closed, a faint smile painting his features, his attention wholly focused on this small piece of foliage. She broke out into a hearty smile.
"You are a strange one, eh?"
"How is it strange?" He opened his eyes to look at her.
"Everyone is running into the cabin in terror and you take time to leisurely pick up leaves."
"Our aircraft is demolished and the data destroyed, these leaves are the only valuable samples." Xiao winked.
Her face reddened unexpectedly, "Don't try to flirt with me, class B students hold no appeal for me."
"I suppose I should try to level up my research skills to an A."
"Give it up, it's not effort, it's talent." The other party was merciless.
"Well, what's your name?"
"What's the point of knowing my name? Maybe one day my name will be engraved on the monument, but you will not know that it is me. "
After the humans built and settled the Shire they spent nearly 50 years studying the comet virus. Eventually they were able to extract the most complex coding of the viral gene and create the X virus.
After the virus enters the human body, it quickly combines with human DNA enhancing physical ability and cell regeneration. This self healing ability is more than 12xs that of a normal human. Unlike the zombies, they do not lose any brain function or judgement. There is a heavy price though, those infected with the X virus will have no more than 10 years left to live. The X-virus is the key to the Special Task Force's abilities in combat.
"Although I am not a researcher, my memory is quite good. Are you sure you don't want me to remember your name? I was thinking one day I will be old and gray lounging in the artificial dalylight with a lazy cat on my lap. With no children to accompany me perhaps I will tell this story to my pet. I will describe this girl I once know with bright eyes, brown hair and a ferocious demeanor but unfortunately I won't know her name."
Xiao leaned forward, he knew his appearance was nothing special but there were always some females that would comment on his endearing smile. Even his friend Casey, no matter what his wrongs, as long as he flashed a smile Casey would forgive him.
"...... Liv. "As she spoke her name a blush crept up her face.
"Liv, I will remember." Xiao winked, and Liv averted her gaze.
Suddenly the radio kicked on and Marks voice boomed through the cabin.
"Hey, rookies--I'm sorry we can't send you back to the base right away, turns out we have a mission to finish!"
The calm of the students was disrupted at this news.
"We have to go to a 200 y old nuclear power plant to pick up some material."
As the population within the Shire increases, power became a problem. Xiao had long heard that the military intended to explore old power plants and other energy facilities in order to bring the resources back to the Shire.
Mark continued to speak.
"We had two technical soldiers to accompany us, but who could have predicted they would panic at the first sight of a zombie. Their hysteria got them eaten."
Collective shudders and gasps resounded throughout the cabin.
How could this man's tone be so jovial?The students couldn't help but suspect that the elite forces regarded the technicians' death a type of spectator sport.
"Have to be blunt. Don't worry we're not removing the nuclear reactor. Come with us, the earlier we finish the earlier we can go back."
"Is this guy joking?" The place must be crawling with Zombies--"
"Those zombies will eat us!"Say nothing! "
Everyone is talking over the other. Who wants to survive the crash only to die now?
As everyone chattered nervously the aircraft arrived at the old nuclear power plant.
Looking down on it from the sky, the steel covered structure looked desolate, like a sleeping giant waiting to be prodded.
Amid the dust, several zombies can be seen swarming the area. The sound of the engines seems to light their vacant eyes with hunger.
"Alright we have our job to do, who is going with us?"
The cabin was a dead silent.
"No one?! Just point me out someone."
Mark opened the door of the cab and turned to Captain White, who was walking along, "You have rank here, right?"
Captain White was silent and although he did not refuse, the expression on his face was taut.
"Another? Ah ... Who to choose? "
Liv looked sternly at Mark, "You are boring ah!"
"Then you!" "Mark's finger pointed to a senior student," You look smart! "
"I ... I'm not going to ... "
"Not useful?" Mark's grinning face suddenly became vicious, "then should I just throw you down from here! We're not in the habit of transporting trash! "
"You ... You're abusing your authority! It's a threat! "
"Who is threatening you?"Mark grunted, "I can throw you down as easily as I can blink."
"I'm not going!"
"Oh--"
Mark left the cockpit and stepped in front of him, unlatching his harness, Mark grabbed him up and dragged him all the way to the cabin door.
"Are you going to fall by yourself? Or follow us down? "
Mark's intensity scared the student so much he looked as though he was about to wet himself.
"Please stop!" They're still just students!" Captain White stepped forward to stop mark.
A cold voice broke through the cabin,"Mark, stop playing."
The inexplicable intensity emanating from that voice demanded obedience.
Mark grunted and released the student before turning to Captain White.
"Then choose one to come."
"I could go myself." Captain White is frightened as well but knowing that the students have no
experience he doesn't see how they will be of much help.
"What if you die? Then who is going to remove the material?"
Mark demeanor seems contentious, the more students are frightened the happier he is.
"...." Captain White had no answer for him.
"Pick one. Quickly." Mark barked, having lost his patience with the situation.
Captain white looked back at the students, everyone turned their head, averting his gaze.
Xiao looked out the window. As long as there was a living person, the zombie's attack was inevitable, it would be easy for so many to overwhelm the special forces. It was hard to say if they would be able to properly protect them.
With fluttering hearts, no one dared glance at Captain White's direction lest their name fall from his mouth.
"That...Xiao Yan. You come along."
Xiao felt like vomiting blood, he looked at the Captain's eyes in dismay, why him?
Thinking to himself, he recalled that just two days ago he had played bridge with the captain. It stands to reason that out of all the students Xiao was the only name that the captain recalled. What consequence is this? Such a high price for a small friendship. After such a disaster shouldn't he be looking forward to soaking in a hot bath with a glass of bloody Mary, eyes at half mast in relaxation and enjoyment. Instead...
"It's settled." Mark leaned forward as he spoke.
"What do you mean? What's settled?" No one asked his opinion. The students looked at Xiao Yan with a mixture of sympathy and relief that they were not the ones chosen. Others just went back to what they were doing as though nothing had happened. Xiao felt an impulse to just bail out of the plane completely.
At that moment the voice of the commander Heine penetrated the cabin again.
"Liv you are responsible for piloting the craft. Mark, lets go."
Liv looked at Xiao and said, "Come back alive."
Before he could process or react to the events piled on him , the hatch was opened and Captain White was dragged out by Mark. The two men jumped from the plane. The pile of rope, tied off at the door, unraveled as they descended.
Cold wind poured inside and everyone tightened their face against the chill.
Xiao felt his heart pound in panic.
"If you shout at all, I'll break your neck." Heine Burton's voice was right beside him. His eyes were a piercing winter wind, running over Xiao's nerves and instantly chilling his spine. Before he could even digest his remark, Heine's arm clamped onto his waist and he lithely leaped from the cabin.
As they descended, Heine tightened his grip around him with a force that threatened to crush his bones into dust.
The wind whistled through his ears and he felt like his soul was dragging behind his body. Xiao closed his eyes, too overwhelmed to make a sound or even breathe.
His body jerked as they landed, the change in inertia lifted Heine's golden hair. Xiao's closeproximity to the man allowed him a clear glimpse of his facial features. His brow was carved with exquisite detail and every inch of his face seemed perfected chiseled.
He loosened the arm circling his waist as Xiao landed. The abrupt halt caused him to face plant and he hummed in pain.
"Follow my every command. If you become a burden, I will leave you behind."
Heine turned, stretching his hand to his back unsheathing his cold blade. It caught the sunlight, the glinting reflection gave it a powerfully sinister appearance. Xiao hurried to catch up with Heine, following closely behind him.
Two zombies lumbered forward, saliva dripping from their open mouths as they moved toward them.
At the sight, Xiao's pupils contracted in terror and he could see the his torn body reflected in their deadened eyes.
Heine moved with a speed difficult to track, swinging his sword in tandem and the zombies head's fell, their bodies stopping short.
Xiao thickly swallowed back the excess saliva in his throat. Everything was happening too fast for him to process. He was awed at the spectacle.
So this is the ability of the famous Heine Burton, no wonder so many special forces worshiped him like a god.
Xiao felt as long as he followed behind this man, nothing in the world could harm him.
Lost in his awe, he suddenly noticed that Heine had moved too far ahead, Xiao has not kept up with his pace. At that moment a Zombie jumped down from above ready to collide straight into Xiao Yan.
At the sight his legs buckled and he fell into a kneeling position on the ground. The zombie's mouth was heading straight for his forehead.
He was dead.
He felt too rattled to recall much of his short life, but one thing is for sure, this zombie bite will be the brutal end of it.
Then a tip of a blade suddenly penetrated the zombie's throat, the upward angle pushing it through the corpse's brain.