Futuristic 25th Century Zombie Apocalypse (1x1)(Private)

[ShadowWolves]

In the wake of the 25th century war that pretty much destroyed the planet and started the zombie apocalypse, survivors have been living in specialized zones called Bubble Zones. These zones have 2 purposes in mind, one is to keep the citizens that live in the bubble zone safe, the second purpose to keep the zombies out. In between the zones are areas known only as the wasteland which have held small towns, suburban areas and old ruined cities that were lost to the zombie plague and never really recovered by the survivors and taken over by the zombies. But there is hope recently close to the end of the 25th century a specialized team was established to combat the zombies in the wastelands and drive them off the earth if at ever possible. The reason for this new team creation is that the zombies are starting to ramp up their attacks against bubble zones and it is feared that if the zombies get enough in their ranks they will be able to overrun and consume the bubble zones. The specialized team established and trained to fight these undead creatures are known only by this acronym Z.K.S they were established in a special bubble zone known as zone 86-16-90

Master Gunnery Chief Gareth Owens of the 26th Tactical Division was just going over the new assignment he had been given by command, he would be leading a new squad, having recently been promoted to his new rank, was surprised to learn that most of, if not all of his squad was going to be rookies. Just barely out of the training academy and had no field experience whatsoever, but he knew that the rookies would learn and he would do his best to make sure they were able to come back from every mission alive. He also would make sure that they could preform their jobs to the standards that was expected of them. He just hoped that the rest of his division would fair better without his guidance, most of the younger members of the squad came to him before every mission they went on, for advice and how best to handle the situation ahead. They seemed to look up to him as sort of a parental figure, for whatever that was worth, He just usually told them that they needed to focus on their jobs and to come back safe, he felt that was the advice he could give them. It seemed to work most of the time, but today, was gonna be different, he was gonna be leading a squad into battle, something he hadn't done since...well since the days that he had been assigned to train new recruits that came into the division. Most of his superiors seemed to see him as a trainer, not a field operative. Sometimes, he wanted to take their noses and punch them so hard that they would break their skulls. But he never let that go beyond what he would consider reasonable force.

"Hey their Chief, you doing all right there? New orders huh? Looks like your finally getting to lead your own squad." The young officer who had come up to him, he was the grizzled vet of the division. They all knew it, that's why they seemed to just ask him for advice, even some of the senior officers seemed to ask him for general advice. He had been turned over for promotions so many times until finally, one of the senior officers had stuck up for him and had complained to the top brass about how Gabriel was being excluded from being promoted, even though he had the most time in the division and didn't deserve to be treated in such a manner. It was true, the 26 year old had put in some 8+ years or more to the 26th tactical, when he could have gone and joined a platoon where he knew he mattered and knew they would be appreciative of his skill set and what he had to offer. The entirety of Z.K.S knew about his history and seemed to respect him for it. He didn't think his history was that important, he was a warrior, a fighter and a dedicated individual.

Gareth had black hair and black eyes, that if you looked into them and tried to find a soul, you could swear that there was no soul in his body, just a husk of a man, ready to receive one. But yet his compassion and all the other human needs and feelings seemed to show when no one was looking, or if he was in private, he wouldn't just show his feelings to anyone. He was tall, for his age anyways, he sometimes felt that his height was a little too high, because he rose up above some of the other members and he didn't like that feeling of being seen as higher than anyone else. He preferred to fit in, not be different from the pack. He carried his custom SCAR-25 HB-CAR wherever he went, he even slept with it, magazine out and chamber clear as well as on safe of course. He wasn't a dumb ass, he knew what would happen if the gun dropped and it was loaded. he was always wary of people.

Regardless though, he was to get to know his new squad, so with a sigh and a second of intense silence, he got up, threw on his tactical gear and checked his weapon. He walked to where he had been told to meet his new squad and once he got there, he waited for the transport to come in and greet them, the recruits were being flown in from the academy to his sector and he would just greet them and do his best to not seem too intimidating to them. But, if he had to get down and dirty with them, he would. Although he might not be expecting one thing, which was to lead females into battle, he never knew what it would be like leading the opposite gender of them, if he got a whole squad of them, then he wasn't sure he would be up for the task, but he would still try regardless.

 

[low fidelity]

"Well, your results have been exemplary, Rivera. Physical fitness exams, marksmanship, training drills; you could've been top of your class if it weren't for that temper."
Jude bit her tongue to keep from speaking out. He was right, of course, but she wouldn't admit it. She kept her back straight and taut, hands at her sides, as the sergeant continued.
"Nonetheless, you'll be shipped out to the 26th Tactical Division in a couple days time. I'm sure Owens will straighten you out. Dismissed."
"...Thank you, sir."

The interaction played over in her head, repeating itself like a broken record. It was almost dreamlike. Her years of hard work had paid off, and they accepted Jude request into the Z.K.S. straight out of the academy, though her mean streak had definitely followed along. It was a bittersweet accomplishment; when she told her father, chest burning with pride, he cried quietly and made her promise she'd come back. It was a promise she couldn't keep and it sat like bile in her stomach, only furthering her anxiety. Around her, the other new recruits chatted among themselves, but the air was filled with that same nervous tension all around. Flying headfirst into the unknown. She was surprised to see a pretty even division of males and females within her new squad. Some of them were familiar faces from her graduating class, others not. One thing was certain; most, if not all, were proud to serve for the greater good. Maybe it was a basic motivation, but Jude was the type of person to see something wrong and say, 'Damn it, I'll fix it myself then.' She saw the problems plaguing the world, lack of security and safety, growing worries of their bubble zones being breached, and enlisted for the cause without a second thought. Jude's self sufficiency and her bad attitude meant teamwork would be difficult for her.

The ginger sat back in her seat, watching the world fly by out the window. It was pure wasteland outside their safety zones. Buildings full of rot and ruin, caved in, scattered over empty streets. Seeing it from their plane's birds eye view was quite the sight. They should've been landing soon, if her timing was right. She sat silent amidst the growing excited chatter, eyebrows knitted together, face stony and serious. The 'resting bitch face' that Jude pulled off so well was a defense mechanism for her. Her stature meant barely anybody took her seriously, given that almost everybody towered over her with ease. At least when she was standoffish, the teasing would relent a bit. And it was true, as her drill sergeant always pointed out, that she had awful anger management. It didn't mean she was incapable of being decent though. Jude just wanted to do her job and perform it well, and if someone got in the way of that, then dealing with her fury was purely their own fault.

"Why the angry face? You sure they didn't send you on the wrong aircraft, hun?" A voice piped up, and the recruit next to her nudged her arm with a sly grin. Of course, the guy was built like a brick house, taller than her even when they sat down. In her head, Jude relished the thought of kicking his teeth in for a good minute, and he spoke out again before she could retort.
"C'mon pipsqueak, they really let you join Z.K.S?" A couple of chuckles filled the air along with his own.
"Hey man, you don't know Jude. Girl gets scary." Another amused voice piped up, one of her old classmates.

"Maybe he's right," Jude smiled. The girl leaned in, a calloused hand grabbing the scruff of the guy's neck, the way one would hold a baby kitten. "Cut it out, or you'll be shipped back home in an ambulance craft." And she sat back again, relishing in his fearful surprise. The others laughed, but he backed off without another word, and Jude enjoyed the rest of their flight with peace and quiet.

The plane began to descend, and Jude felt the headrush as their seats shook with force. Soon, they met the ground none too gently, everyone rocking in their seats as they rolled to a stop. She could see outside the window the guarded walls of the bubble zone, some official buildings, and people awaiting their arrival. Once the aircraft's door opened, they all unstrapped their seatbelts and marched out in a single file line. The chopper's blades still spun with force, and she could feel her hair whipping around from the wind, wild and unruly. Not the best look for first impressions. Some recruits carried backpacks, others with bags or personal effects. Jude lugged along her duffel bag, containing basically everything she owned in life. Some clothes, her uniforms, and a sentimental family photo tucked away at the very bottom.
"Come along, get a move on." One of the officers barked, and they were filed along on the tarmac until they stood before Gareth and other officials. Jude stood up straight, shoulders squared and hands behind her back. She curiously looked Gareth over once, twice, before an official spoke up.
"Rookies! Welcome to Zone 86-16-90. If you lot all survive, here you'll be reporting to Chief Gareth Owens, of Z.K.S."

 

[ShadowWolves]

Gareth looked over his new recruits with a bit of anticipation, he wiped a sigh of relief from inside of his mind, he had not gotten a full squad of females, although some other chief's had not been so lucky in the past, regardless though, he was here to do a job and that was that. He was not here to hold hands to any of those under his command. He would be firm and strict, but fair and respectable when needed. He looked over his new recruits with a bit of amusement as the senior officer of the base talked to the new recruits and told them that they would be reporting to his squad. Once the officer had finished and turned around and handed over command to Gareth, he looked over each new recruit from where he was standing, before walking to a spot closer to them and going into a stance of at ease.

He then spoke in a firm and calm voice to the squad of new recruits "You recruits are now under my command as the Lieutenant said, but this is not the academy, this is real life. Real combat. I am Master Gunnery Chief Gareth Owens of the 26th Tactical Division. You will refer to me as Chief Owens or Chief, do you understand me?! I will not tolerate insubordination nor will I tolerate any threats of rebellion or chain of command that do not relate to any orders sent through the proper command channels. You will obey my orders and follow them to a reasonable degree, If you do not like my style of command, you may do one of two things, you may either choose to transfer to a different tactical division, or you may bring what you think is a legitimate concern to my attention. In this division, all opinions and suggestions are valid, but we still follow under the command structure and guidelines set down by Z.K.S command, is that clear ladies and Gentlement?!" He asked them and looked around before saying "All right, if there are no questions, then you will follow me to your crew quarters, single file and orderly line keeping close together while we go to your quarters." He said as he looked at them and waited for them to respond.