Realistic or Modern They did not fall from Heaven// Alien Survival RP

[davian]

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They did not fall from Heaven

Will you survive the invasion?

It began with the typical annual meteor shower, except it wasn't.
As the flashing lights crashed down to Earth, they landed and released creatures like nothing that this world has ever seen. This was followed by strange ships circling in the skies above.
Before noon the next morning, the president was holding a speech and admitted the future of the nation was uncertain, but that we must stand united against the threat.
The remaining residents of a small town in the South-East did just that. This is their story.

Plot summary:
Earth was suddenly invaded by hostile aliens who attack and abduct humans for reasons that are still unknown. Several citizens of a small town have barricaded themselves inside their local superstore, hoping to survive until mankind regains control over the invaders. You may choose to play characters young and old, of various origins and skills- initial survivors or newcomers, that's all up to you.

Setting:
ValueMart
The citizens of Eveton had always been divided, for various reasons, including the decision to build a town ValueMart. One thing they all had in common, however, was that no one expected it to one day save their lives. ValueMart comes complete with groceries, a clothing department, electronics (which are now nearly useless), a garden center, and a hunting section. The doors have been barricaded and are only opened for new arrivals; it will remain this way until resources run out.

Eveton
Eveton is a small town (-2000 people), with mildly hot summers and snowy winters. It has a high elevation and is surrounded by forests and gorgeous natural landmarks.

template by astraea​

Spoiler: Uncoded text

It began with the typical annual meteor shower, except it wasn't.
As the flashing lights crashed down to Earth, they landed and released creatures like nothing that this world has ever seen. This was followed by strange ships circling in the skies above.
Before noon the next morning, the president was holding a speech and admitted the future of the nation was uncertain, but that we must stand united against the threat.
The remaining residents of a small town in the South-East did just that. This is their story.

Plot summary:
Earth was suddenly invaded by hostile aliens who attack and abduct humans for reasons that are still unknown. Several citizens of a small town have barricaded themselves inside their local superstore, hoping to survive until mankind regains control over the invaders. You may choose to play characters young and old, of various origins and skills- initial survivors or newcomers, that's all up to you.

Setting:
ValueMart
The citizens of Eveton had always been divided, for various reasons, including the decision to build a town ValueMart. One thing they all had in common, however, was that no one expected it to one day save their lives. ValueMart comes complete with groceries, a clothing department, electronics (which are now nearly useless), a garden center, and a hunting section. The doors have been barricaded and are only opened for new arrivals; it will remain this way until resources run out.

Eveton
Eveton is a small town (-2000 people), with mildly hot summers and snowy winters. It has a high elevation and is surrounded by forests and gorgeous natural landmarks.

 

[davian]

ValueMart Shelter//1 month post-Fall//August, Wednesday morning

Mike Silverman (open for interaction)
In the dim lighting towards the front of the store, a pair of tired eyes observed a large calendar that had been pinned to what was once an advertisement, missing person's bulletin board. They belonged to Michael Silverman, one of the first of Eveton's residents to realize their best chance at surviving The Fall was to take shelter in the town's only superstore, before it was raided clean by looters and they were left with nothing. A rugged hand reached out to remove the pin the calendar hung by; Michael flipped back the page for July. The fields that made up the days had various things scribbled on them in black pen before they had been crossed out with a green highlighter. It was one of the shelter's ways to keep track of the time, as well as any significant events, and Michael would continue using it to track the days until they were liberated or annihilated by The Invaders.

After setting the calendar to August and pinning the calendar back to the bulletin board, Michael returned to his place at the front of the store to guard the entrance, carrying a large shotgun in his hand. Perhaps it was overkill - the shelter was secure enough - but he still wasn't quite sure if everyone on the inside could be completely trusted. The world was no longer a safe place to live without having ones doubts about others, even if they were former police members, teachers or preachers. Michael was one of the altruists, but he still knew in his heart that if it came to it, he would put his son and daughter first. At the moment he was waiting for the next person to wake up so that he could give up his position for the day and check on his children.

J Silverman (open for interaction)
As his internal clock was still functioning relatively well, and he could feel the hard surface of the superstore's floor beneath him, Jackson Silverman woke up just in time with the rising sun. He pulled the sleeping mask off his face and shifted his body to find that the air mattress beneath him had almost completely deflated. J bit back an expletive; his little sister was sleeping at the other side of their four-person tent, and he was already bad enough of an influence on her without putting bad language in her head. J sighed, sitting up and starting to roll the mattress up - he would have to go down to the mattress section to grab another, then to the car workshop in the back of the shelter to fill it with air. But not before finding a person he could trust to watch Juliet while he was gone.

He unzipped the front of the tent and stepped outside, keeping the deflated air mattress under his arm and made his way across the Car Accessories aisle to the fitness aisle, where a large pink tent stood. "Eva?" J asked softly, keeping a safe distance away from the tent.
"Silverman?" a faint, feminine voice replied.
"I'm sorry for waking you. I have to get a different mattress... Would you please watch Juliet for me until Mike gets back?"
The front of the tent unzipped, and a young woman with tan skin, dark eyes and a slightly untamed high ponytail stepped out into the light.
"Yeah, no problem," Eva said, smiling slyly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Good luck with the mattress," she mumbled. J nodded, turning away and heading to the other side of the store.

Evangelina De La Rosa (open for interaction)
Eva sighed softly, watching Jackson disappear out of her sight before returning her attention to the tent across from hers. She liked living near the Silvermans; although she could protect herself and had her own gun which she knew how to use, she felt much safer around the older man and his family. They kept to themselves, stayed quiet and didn't make passes at her, and that was all she really wanted from her neighbors in the shelter. She of all people knew that she could have ended up in close proximity to someone much worse. And she was grateful to stay this close to one of the people in the shelter who needed protection most of all.

Eva felt a deep sense of sympathy for Juliet - the poor girl was so young, and would miss out on so many experiences that she would have been able to have if the invasion had never happened. She had made it her personal mission to try and teach the young girl how to defend herself and live independently, and basic things her father and brother would not be able to teach her. As far as she knew Juliet's mother, Mike's wife had dipped out on the marriage, so she wasn't around to raise her daughter, whether or not she was still alive. Eva had no actual family in the shelter, so it was no problem for her to take Juliet under her wing, just like her adoptive parents had done for her. With a sigh, the young woman took a cross-legged seat on a yoga mat that she had stretched out on the floor outside her tent.

 

[Radio_Rat66.6]

Juliet woke up with a yawn. She rolled over onto her stomach and stretched out all her limbs. She slept like a little rock; a pebble. That made her giggle and sit up on her air mattress. She was wearing a pajama set from the boys section simply because she liked the print on it. It had cars and lightning bolts on it. She wasn't one for girly things anymore. She was when she was little, but then she grew out of them. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, finding J gone. She stood up in the tent, her small size giving her plenty of room to do so. She ran her hands through her mess of hair, catching on a lot of knots. She huffed and pushed it back behind her ears. She was thinking of cutting it out of pure convenience. It was cute and pretty when she was attending school and hanging out with her friends, but now it was just a nuisance.
She walked out of the tent she shared with J and her dad and found Eva sitting outside. "Where'd J go, Eva?" She asked, followed by a yawn. She rubbed her face and sat down next to her sort of sister. She was close to her like a sister, but they weren't related by blood and the bond only came around when they came to the Valuemart to escape the aliens. So it was an odd relationship, but one she valued nonetheless.

davian

 

[TheBucket]

Reverend Skies
The gentle rustling of tents near by, and the hiss of his own air mattress deflating slowly caused Johnathan to wake up. His eyes locked onto the top of his tent before he slowly positioned himself to be sitting on the edge. He took a deep breath before pushing himself up and out of the tent to stretch. He had a significantly smaller tent, due to him being by himself and finding that he didn’t need anything too large. He would have fathered the bigger ones, or even mid sized ones, be given to people who’d need it.

Next to his tent sat a suitcase with a code lock on it. He slowly knelt down besides it and fiddled with the numbers before it finally clicked and the suitcase popped open. He grabbed ahold of a button up and threw that on over the white tank top he already had on. Proceded by his over coat and clerical collar. He walked for a moment to a shelf and gently tipped over a metal can, using it as a sort of mirror to make sure he had dressed alright. He brushed back his hair and closed his eyes for a moment. Bowing his head in shame that he had yet to wake from this nightmare.

The Reverend then proceeded to make his way to the front doors of the super market where he saw Mike standing armed. Giving a calm wave, he approached the man with a smile. “Good morning mister Silverman, long night I suppose?” He asked. Johnathans voice was calm, and had a noticeable southern drawl to it. It was very welcoming, much like his stature and smile.
davian

 

[davian]

Evangelina
Seeing the front of the Silverman's tent open up again, Eva offered Juliet a warm smile as she stepped outside. "J's bed is broken," Eva replied, stretching her arms out above her head as she yawned. "He's getting a new one. I'll be watching you 'til your father comes back," Eva explained, stretching her legs out in front of her now, leaning forward and reaching out to touch her toes in preparation for her morning run. Sitting up straight again, she turned to Juliet. "How did you sleep?" she asked curiously, beginning her arm exercises. "Did you dream about anything?" Eva had made a habit out of asking the little girl what had happened in her dreams, since there didn't seem to be too much going on around the shelter these days. She was a tough woman, but still had nightmares about the invasion, tossing and turning in her sleeping bag and mumbling in her sleep.
Radio_Rat66.6

Mike
Mike had taken a long, sweeping gaze from one end of the store to the other, mostly looking for signs of movement as the first group of people started to wake up and leave their tents. Aside from the families, some had chosen to sleep near those with similar sleep and wake patterns for the sake of comfort; everyone was on high alert, and the smallest noises could be enough to wake them from their sleep. As he heard faint footsteps approaching from the distance, Mike was not startled by Jonathan's presence and casually turned his head to look in his direction before shifting his body to face him. "Good morning Reverend," he greeted the other man. "Long night, but it's about to be a much longer day," he added, glancing towards the nearly empty refrigerated foods section, which was once full of cheese and refrigerated meats.

It was one of the first sections the residents of the shelter had decided to use up, as they were rationing the perishable foods by order of their expiration dates. "I'm thinking we clean out the rest of the meat and dairy section for meals today," Mike suggested, looking back at the Reverend. "Save us some power, shutting those refrigerators off," he explained. Mike knew that it was only a matter of time before electricity in the shelter became unpredictable; for now it was still running, with the occasional blackout. Thankfully the superstore had powerful backup generators that ran while it was on, to charge batteries that could power basic necessities until the power returned.
TheBucket

 

[Radio_Rat66.6]

Juliet nodded softly. She kind of just thought of it as camping, but indoors. She knew that a lot of other people couldn't see it that way. She was just trying to get the most out of being somewhere new. She decided to follow Eva in her usual stretches, but she didn't want to run with her. She'd rather help J when he got back. "I slept pretty good. I dreamt about a garden. Trees grew tall and blocked out the sun. But you and J were there with me. We had fun playing in the grass." She smiled up at Eva. She sometimes heard her tossing in her sleep and it made her feel sad for her.
"Maybe someday we can all play in a garden like that." She giggled and stretched out her arms once more. She let out another long yawn and smiled.

davian

 

[HannaTheHippy]

Annie
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She was awake, yet decided not to make this known. She stayed lying down on the mat she was provided, on her side, listening to the people around her chatter about things she would have to deal with eventually. For now, she laid there, testing how long she could have her eyes closed before being asked if she was awake. Eventually, she got bored of this. She sat up, stretched, ran a hand through her hair, then swung her legs over the mattress to continue sitting on it, now on the side. She sighed quietly, observing everyone in their normalities. High alert, stressed out, but asleep for who knows how much longer.

She slipped on her shoes and stood up, smoothed out her skirt and tucked her knife within the waistband for safety purposes. Although knowing how to use a gun, she didn't feel it was very necessary. Plus, knives were a lot quieter, and in some cases, faster. With this, she began to circle around the people she saw were awake.

"Good morning." She said softly, grinning optimistically, a slight German tint to her words. While distraught about her dad's unspoken disappearance, she was gonna try and not let that take over. There were children here, she wanted to be some kind of role model, or something. She kept her head up in difficult situations, and while this was challenging, her smile was genuine as her attitude allowed.

Radio_Rat66.6 davian TheBucket

 

[TheBucket]

Reverend Skies
The reverend was glad to have been able to start a conversation. There were a few times where he had trouble, mainly with those who chose not to abide by his teachings. Of course he didn’t mind this much. He believed that everyone was entitled to their own beliefs. He did wish though, that those who did shove him off would instead look past his own beliefs and just converse. “Long days and long nights seem to stick with us as time progresses.” Johnathan said while nodding in agreement.

The two of them now had their eyes set on the cold food department of the super store. The once packed shelves were now barren with time. It was sad to see the stocks of food starting to dwindle, though thanffully they still had quite a large stock around them to suffice for a while. “That sounds like a very good idea Mike, perhaps if we have the bread to spare we can pass out sandwiches.” Johnathan began to make his way towards the refrigerated section of the store. His eyes glancing around at some of the people who were continuing to rise and converse with each other.
davian

 

[davian]

Eva
Eva paused in her movements, a soft smile making its way to her face. "That sounds like a beautiful dream," she said. The closest that they could get to the scenario Juliet described now was taking a trip to the garden section, but even that was only allowed at night as the top of it was open to let sunlight stream in for the plants. In an effort to stretch out provisions, they had decided to leave the fruit trees, vegetable plants and herbs out in the open so that they would hopefully continue to grow. Eva turned back to Juliet again, observing the young girl's slightly tangled hair.

"If your hair's giving you trouble sweetie, I can help you if you like," she offered kindly. Eva hadn't given up on her long hair yet, but it was an incredible amount of work to upkeep and clean on her water rations. She couldn't imagine how much work that would be for a little girl, not to mention uncomfortable, so the offer to help Juliet with hers was on the table.
Radio_Rat66.6

J
J walked quickly down the main aisle of the store, yet not quickly enough to draw attention to himself. There was no time for conversation, and he didn't want to seem impolite by ignoring people who had noticed him. He needed to make sure to stay on everyone's good side as much as possible, because given his appearance, he had always been in danger of becoming the scapegoat. And he knew that it would look bad to his father if he left his little sister alone; that he might suffer consequences for it even if Eva was one of the most capable and trustworthy people in the store. The hope was that he would make it back in time for the guards to switch out and breakfast; meals tended to coincide with a new guard shift.

As he passed the aisle where Annie slept, J heard the familiar voice of his ex-girlfriend saying good morning to those surrounding her. With a soft sigh, he continued on his way, certain that she hadn't seen him passing by. If she wanted to she could have tagged along, but if she did, J wouldn't know what to say to her. His father had warned him not to get tangled up in a relationship; it could lead to all kinds of problems, and it would distract him from what was really important. But it would make living in the shelter a lot more bearable to have someone he could be close to.
HannaTheHippy

Mike
Mike gave a nod in response to Jonathan's suggestion. "If you have the time to spare, see if there's not too much left to clear it out by today. I'll join you when my replacement shows," he explained. If there was one thing that he was grateful for, it was having a person in the shelter used to leading and feeding a large amount of people. In their old world such a thing had simply been an act of generosity; now it was key to their survival.

Mike had always liked going to church, but his attendance had dwindled while he was going through the divorce with his wife. It was one of the most difficult things about living in a small town - everyone's eyes were always on him it seemed; even more-so when he was going through a struggle. Combined with the nasty rumors Karla was spreading about him to gain their friends' favor, Mike was not sure whether or not he would still feel welcome. Not that any of this mattered now; everyone was struggling the same here. Compared to this, his old problems were a walk in the park.
TheBucket

 

[Radio_Rat66.6]

Juliet thought about Eva's offer. She did like having her hair long and pretty, but she knew it would become a pain later on as she grew up. She looked up at the older girl. "Could you cut it for me? Like, boy short? I don't want to deal with it all anymore. Before coming here I saw a bunch of ladies with hair cut short like a boy." She climbed back in her tent to grab a blanket. She wrapped it around her shoulders and went to sit beside Eva again. She got really cold at night and J offered to get her a blanket a while back. She was happy to have it, especially since she had gotten colder recently.
It didn't bother her since she was used to it, but it was August. It was warm outside. She should be warm. She pushed it aside and leaned against Eva. Her bond to the older girl was almost as close as hers with J. But she knew J longer so their bond is bigger.
davian

 

[BeyondDandy]

Luther Weldon

The subtle sound of a 1980's alarm clock rung on the beside counter. Luther's hand rolled over and tapped the snooze button, stopping the beeping right at 0500 hours. Immediately he uncovered himself, shifting his legs over the bed frame so he could sit up. He brought his hands to his face and wiped away the sleeplessness - as he did routinely. Looking up, he gazed at the mirror before him - staring deeply into his reflection. His dark skin prominent, his cleanly shaved face a product of order. Luther rose from the bed and slid into his slippers. He turned around to see the other side of the bed was empty, but the sheets were messed. He went on to clean the bed to near perfection - you could bounce a quarter off that bed. Moving into the bathroom, Luther brushed his teeth, washed his face, shaved and cleaned his edge up. He put on a dress shirt, slacks with a belt and dress shoes - wanting to look sharp before breakfast. On his way out of the room he felt a rumble from outside, but paid it no mind as it stopped immediately. He started for the kitchen, smelling the smokey sent of bacon and hearing the sizzle of it's oils. "He baby, good morn-"

His pause came from the realization that his wife was not in the kitchen. Confused he looked around, moving to the stove top to see the bacon burnt into a crisp. He quickly attempted to remove the pan from the open flame and slightly burned his right hand. He grunted in discomfort as he turned off the knobs to the stove and clearing the flame. He then heard screams from outside his house, light beaming through he drapery. Luther started to turn in circles as the yelling grew louder and lights appeared to shine brighter. Then he heard a voice in the front hallway, "I'm going to the store, I'll say hi to Mike for you."

Luther's eyes shot open as he hurried through his house as though a labyrinth. "Baby wait!" he called out, hearing the front door swing open. "Lela don't go out there!!" he called out, hurrying through the halls with a limp, but finding himself lost. He looked around not knowing where to go, sweat poured down his brow. The rumbling returned and the house began to shake, pictures flying off the walls and crashing against the wooded floors leaving glass everywhere. "I'm going to the store, I'll say hi to Mike for you," her voice came again.

Turning to his left, Luther saw the silhouette of his wife next to the front door. The door was wide open and the light shone into the house hiding her features from eyesight. "Baby, listen, don't go out there," Luther begged, slowly making his way towards her. "I'm going to the store, I'll say his to Mike for you," she repeated yet again, turning away from Luther and making her way outside.

"LELA NO!!!!!" Luther yelled, running towards his wife and into the light. The moment he stepped through the radiance, it all went dark.
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Luther let out a frightened sound as his eyes shot open and his body jittered in place. He held himself tightly onto the chair he slept on to prevent himself from tumbling over. He looked to his right and left to find himself between two aisles - he was still here. He pulled out a handkerchief from his dress shirt pocket and wiped his nose clean. Leaning forward he put his hands together to give a short prayer in the name of his wife.

Rising from the seat, Luther stretched out his limbs - sleeping on a chair wasn't optimal for someone his age, but the women and children deserved the tents and inflatable beds more than he did. Regularly, Luther started making his way down the frozen foods aisle, looking at their reduced inventory. On his way there he noticed the holy man in black. "Good morning Reverend," Luther greeted, giving the man his signature smile and patting him on the back. "Looks like were having some of this and some of that for breakfast," he joked lightly, not really knowing the type of meat that was left in there coolers. "Alright Rev. I'll see you around."

Luther continued to the front of the store to meet up with Mike. It was his turn to take guard of the front doors. Upon making eye contact with his neighbor, Luther raised his hand and gave Mike some love. "My man!" he said, embracing the like minded father of two. "How are you my friend?" he asked, hand on one of Mike's shoulders. "You look tired, or maybe it's just all that bear fur on your face," he laughed. The two men had been buddies for many years now, they clicked from the start. If anything, the situation they were in now made their friendship even stronger - necessary.

Interactions: TheBucket , davian

 

[TheBucket]

Reverend Skies
The reverend paused for a moment as he realized that Mike would have to stay. It had completely passed his mind at the time that the man was currently protecting their existence in making sure no one exposed them to the horrors of the outside world. He turned and smiled at Mike. Bowing his head for a second. “I have just about all the time in the world now.” A soft laugh escaped him as he said this. Thumbs tucking into his pockets. “Thank you for the offer, I’m sure I can use that help, especially once I get to making sandwiches.” The Reverend gave a gentle wave before continuing to walk off.

While taking his time sorting through the remaining cold and frozen meats and cheeses, he came into contact with Luther Weldon. “Good Morning to you mister Luther!” He said brightly. Contributing a soft laugh to what the man had said. “So it would seem.” He added. “Peace be with you my friend.”

Johnathan continued to sort through the meats and cheeses, lining them up an a white folding table. He shook his head at the little amount of food that was left from the cold section. Perhaps he had missed something? He couldn’t exactly figure it out, and it seemed to bother him quite a bit. He continued to pace through the cold and freezer section in an attempt to catch some extra meats or cheeses that he missed.

[Open For Interaction]
davian BeyondDandy

 

[Mitheral]

ValueMart Shelter//1 month post-Fall//August 1, Wednesday morning

Diane Matthews
Diane was a very new arrival. She arrived walking her motorcycle. She had worn a poncho covered with mud head to toe. Her motorcycle was likewise covered. The fact that she carried around a thick plastic bag filled with the same mud made it very clear this was intentional. She wore a good sized backpack filled with a wide assortment of goodies she referred to as survival needs. She had stopped a good distance off what she hoped was out of sight and pulled out some gear - a black box and some fishing reels, later stowing it away before approaching the black box away and going back to her binoculars to study the entrance of the ValuMart. The black box would prove to be a sort of spy gear - a broadband scanner with some sort of modification.

She pulled out a sling - the David and Goliath sort - and placed a pecan in it. Not as intimidating a noise - and less painful she ended up having to do another Duck and Cover act. She had been shown how to make one, but thus far she was batting 50/50 for timing her release. But she rationalized the learning of such a weapon to a matter of survival. And if Ayla of Clan of the Cave Bear could do it, so could she. Right?

She was rewarded by the pecan making it about halfway across the parking lot. She looked around the corner to see it she could see anything better to use for a ‘bullet’. A jawbreaker would have been nice. It would have been spherical. The pecan had too much drag. She sighed. Pebble it was. Well, in that case all she needed to do to get attention was literally hit the broad side of a large store.

It took three tries. The first rock slammed into the ground and shattered. The second one prompted another of her famous Duck and Cover acts. The third one missed the side of the store, instead sailing over and onto the top. She groaned, but stopped hoping they heard it.

She sent back to her binoculars and was soon rewarded by spotting the faintest of movement. Her spirit fell. She was almost hoping to find the place unoccupied. And people had gone into an US/THEM mode. She was terrified at the idea of walking into a bunch of crazies. Right about now she wished she was as badass as Michonne of Walking Dead complete with sword. In fact, she was so nervous she almost wished she was about to face off with a squad of bugs rather than this sort of unknown.

All she could do for now was wait.

(Open for interaction - especially Watch or J, ie a spokesman)

 

[davian]

Eva
Eva smiled and nodded in response to Juliet's question; it was sad, but she was glad that the girl agreed with her observation that it would help for her to cut her hair. She waited for her to return from the tent, staying still and allowing her to lean against her side. "I can cut your hair in an hour, but I'll let your dad know first," Eva explained. She didn't want it to sound like Juliet had to ask her father's permission to change her appearance, but she also didn't want Mike to react negatively to the change. However, she knew the man was reasonable, and therefore did not expect him to react negatively if she cut his daughter's hair for the sake of convenience.
Radio_Rat66.6

Mike
Hearing his good friend's voice caused Mike to perk up a bit, and he smiled as he rose up from his chair to return the embrace before taking a step back to surrender the chair. There was a laugh at Luther's comment before his expression became a serious one again. "It's the staying up and being alone with my thoughts," he said with a half-smile. "The time that's gone by. We're on month two... It makes you wonder how long we'll be stuck in this place." There was a brief silent pause, during which Mike could hear the faint sound of something making an impact against the metal gate where the shopping carts were kept. "Did you hear that?" Mike asked, reaching for his shotgun and stepping closer to the wall.
BeyondDandy Mitheral

 

[BeyondDandy]

“Don’t you worry now Mikey, everything will work itself out. We’ll find a place much better than this, I can assure that,” Luther repsonded positively. The older man’s optimism was gifted to him from youth, a characteristic that not even the falling skies could strip from him. Abruptly, a noise took the attention of both gentleman.

“Yea, it came from outside,” Luther answered to Mike’s inquiry. He quickly gazed through the storefront barriers, nothing but a crowded parking lot visible to human eye. The rundown cars were left behind by scarred survivors during the invasion. The batteries on most - if not all - were probably dead by now.

“I can’t see anything,” he stated - his hand reaching for his handgun. “What do you want to do?” he whispered in question. Luther looked over to ensure no one else heard the noise. Despite it being a month into the apocalypse, Luther had yet to see the beings that caused it. The only thing he witnessed had been the crashing meteors that destroyed towns and cities, but not the monsters that piloted them.
davian

 

[cosowarrior]

Gordon Prescott
"I know somewhere we could go," she had told him what felt like long ago. "I heard there were people occupying the ValueMart. They'd have everything we need."

Her voice was soft as a whisper, as though she was guarding this sacred information -- nothing more than a rumor, as far as they knew -- from the ears of their neighbors. She had taken his hands into hers. Her slender, delicate fingers seemed dwarfed by his large, knobby fists, and yet they were able to quell his trembling. Gordon hadn't stopped shaking since The Incident. He had been on campus when it happened, covering the Astronomy Club's annual shower viewing for the school's paper. He couldn't remember how it happened, how the chaos unfolded; all he remembered was running. He ran faster than he ever had in his life. He didn't stop until he got to his apartment just off-campus. Not long after, the building was sealed off.

Had he known the end of the world was near, he would have stocked up. He had plenty of bottled water to last him weeks, but not nearly enough food. He was fortunate for his neighbor, the only one with whom he'd grown close. The others in the building had no interest in rationing the food they'd bought for themselves and their families. Though they were stuck in the same place, it was every man for himself. Every one, except neighbor across the hall. She was compassionate. She took him in, and together they shared their supplies.

But it wouldn't last. As their food began to dwindle, desperation crept upon them like a shadow in a nightmare. She, far more courageous than Gordon ever could be, had begun sneaking out at night in search for food, news, and help. That was when she brought him the rumor. ValueMart. It was their best chance at survival, but he was too afraid. What if it wasn't true, what if the store was filled with those creatures, what if the people inside rejected them and they were devoured at the door?

She had promised to check it out, to see if it was safe.
She never returned.


And now he was desperate. The food was gone. None of his neighbors took pity. He had nothing to offer -- just another mouth to feed. Again, his thoughts turned to the one thing that offered any hope, the thing that haunted his dreams every night since her disappearance: ValueMart.

And so, Gordon packed his messenger bag for the trip. His laptop, which saw no use over the past few weeks, was removed and replaced by several bottles of water, a few changes of clothes, and his faithful leather notebook. He had heard that night was the best time to travel, but the thought of running blind in the dark, unable to see what shadows stalked him, terrified him to his core. Instead, he shot for dawn, when the rays of the rising sun were just barely bright enough to see by. He hoped the creatures, whatever they were, would still be asleep by then -- if they even slept at all.

He left that morning donning a tan overcoat and his brown scarf. The coat was far too hot for the season, but he thought its drab colors would help camouflage him in the grey of dawn as he moved out in the open. The scarf, wrapped tightly across his pointed nose and pale lips, would mute his staggered breathing and any startled cries he was sure to give out. No one noticed him go.

Gordon never realized how far the local ValueMart was from his apartment until he had to trek there by foot in the still of morning. The journey was slow. He didn't walk -- he crept as silently as his canvas shoes would carry him. Whenever he encountered something big enough to hide behind, he dashed. He found himself darting between abandoned cars, then stopping with his back pressed against their doors for several minutes as he listened and waited. Every little sound made his heart seize. He was sweating beneath his winter attire, but he felt frozen in his veins.

Finally, the massive superstore came into view. Its parking lot was emptier than usual, except for some stray cars whose owners had never returned for them. Gordon hesitated. That was a lot of open air to cross, with little to hid behind. By then, the sun was over the horizon, illuminating everything. Across the lot, something moved. He heard the tinny 'clank' of something striking the building and saw a creature of sorts, covered all over in mud, shift a distance in front of him. He froze as a cold horror permeated every fiber of his being. At first, he feared the worst: he had run into one of the very creatures he spent the entire morning avoiding, just as he finally made it to his destination. A second glance, however, made the situation clearer. He saw the figure raise what looked like a pair of binoculars, and he realized it wasn't a monster, but a human. Relief melted his despair ever-so-slightly. He was no longer alone! Perhaps, he hoped, this person could help him get into the building.

Gordon ducked behind an abandoned car some feet away from the person in the muddy poncho. Peering over the hood of the car, he hissed a quiet "psst" to get their attention. It was the only way he can think to alert them of his presence without totally frightening them. And if they were scared by his sudden appearance, the car would protect him from any defensive strike they might instinctively launch. He psst'd again and rose his hands to signify no ill-will. He wasn't the most threatening presence by far. A skinny, sallow man, blond hair matted down by sweat, pale blue eyes full of fear and earnest desperation. It was clear he was seeking help, not someone to mug.

Mitheral

 

[Mitheral]

Diane had spotted the movement well before the first ‘psst’. Hell, she had practically heard the guy before that. Okay, maybe not. From her position at the corner of the nearest building across the street she had had a pretty unobstructed view of the man darting from car to car as cover, then across the street. He had made it to across the street to the opposing corner some 30 or so yards away by using cars parked and abandoned here and there. Well, she was reasonably sure he wasn’t with the people in the ValuMart and sent out to scout her. But he might have been out on a food run or something. His fear could be an act. Though SHE was a better actor than that.

What the man did not know, could not know, was that the car he was hiding behind would protect him only a little better than tissue paper.

Well, if he was a scout, he was doing his job well. She couldn’t watch him and keep a close watch on the ValuMart at the same time. So .. what to do? One word. Discretion.

Out came one of her pistols - one handed as she didn’t have time to put the binoculars away. Now she understood why soldiers used to use a strap looped over their necks. She released it and let it flop on her chest. She kept the man covered while she stepped over to straddle her motorcycle. Then she swapped hands and started up the motorcycle, careful not to rev the engine and keep the rpm’s low.

Marines had taught her how to use the pistol. THEY were trained to be accurate at 50 yards. Well, Diane wasn’t a Marine. She was damned good for a beginner. Maybe beginner wasn’t accurate. She had a full year of training. But 30 yards still felt iffy. Truth was, she really didn’t want to waste the ammo on a human or a warning shot. So she continued to hold her fire unless the guy didn’t do something stupid.

She slid the pistol away to use both hands to ride and gave the bike some throttle. No high energy moves. She just wanted to withdraw a little so she felt safer. She wished the guy had done more than go psst. But there was no way he could have suspected she could read his lips. She allowed the bike to roll about 100 yards before turning around in the empty road and shutting the bike off, ready to use the binoculars or pistol as needed.

"Let's try this again," she murmured.
cosowarrior BeyondDandy davian

 

[davian]

Mike
Mike turned his head to take a glance through the barriers as well, but was unable to see any signs of movement outside. He looked back towards Luther when he asked what he suggest they do. "We wait. Let the others know and wait," he said, stepping over to the chair to pick up the baby monitor sitting next to it. "Eva? J? Anyone?" Mike asked, listening for any response from the other end. If he got no response, he would have to use the store's PA sEystem, but that was reserved for emergencies in case it could be heard from the outside and put them in danger.

Eva
Eva could hear static and a faint male voice from the baby monitor she had stashed in her tent. She pulled away from Juliet's side and leaned her body over her mattress to reach for it before leaning back out, holding the device to her ear. "Mike, is that you? What's going on?" she asked, fear beginning to creep in. Just in case she picked up her belt which still contained her gun, fastening it around her hips in preparation for an emergency situation.

Mike
There was a sigh of relief in response to hearing Eva's voice over the monitor. "Yes. We have sounds coming from outside. Potential survivors," he explained, speaking loudly and clearly. Mike frowned when he could hear another noise - the sound of a rumbling motor. Grasping his gun he moved towards the initial barricade, just behind the glass wall of the main entrance of the store; the main doors were barricaded as well. In the distance he could spot what looked like a young woman on a motorcycle, and also a young man crouching behind a car. Mike's eyes narrowed as he watched this odd scene.

"Looks like a conflict?" he suggested to Luther. "Nothing seems to be after them... I say we wait to see how they handle this before we let them in," he decided. There was a good probability that the people they were seeing would attack each other, in which case they were not the type of individual he wanted living in close proximity to his family or acquaintances. Mike picked up the monitor again. "Eva? Are Juliet and Jackson with you?"

Eva
In response to hearing that there were potential survivors, Eva's chocolate brown eyes widened and she brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. Survivors could mean rescue, new information about the state of the world... but it could also mean that they were in danger. That the little girl next to her right now was in danger. "Jackson's getting a new mattress," Eva admitted. "Juliet is with me," she said, looking down at the young girl. "What should I do?" she asked.

Mike
There was a slightly frustrated sigh from Mike, who had begun to pace back and forth and taking occasional glances outside. He decided that he would have a word with his son later; now he had more pressing matters to be worried about. "Stay with her," he replied. "We have enough back-up at the front. There's only two people out there. Still warn the others. Go tent to tent," he instructed Eva, hoping that the young woman would understand.

Radio_Rat66.6 Mitheral cosowarrior BeyondDandy (open for interactions~)

 

[cosowarrior]

Gordon Prescott
Gordon was surprised to find, when the person turned to look at him, that it was a young girl who was scoping out the boarded up ValueMart. Even more surprising, instead of greeting him, she pulled out a pistol. Instantly, his heart sunk. It was obvious that she was not looking for a tag-along. Given her demeanor and equipment, Gordon began suspecting the worst. What if she wasn't a survivor seeking help, like him? What if she was some sort of scout sent here to sniff out the premises before her gang came to ambush the occupants of the store? And here he was, a loose end caught in the cross-fire.

Gordon made no sudden movements. He barely even breathed. He watched as she moved to mount a nearby motorcycle, and he was horrified as the engine roared to life. This was no place for such sudden noise, out here in the open. Unlike her, he had no means to protect himself if one of the monsters were to hear. Terrified, he backed up slowly along the side of the car and cast a glance toward the ValueMart door. It was well-barricaded, but he thought he saw someone moving around inside. He looked back to the girl. A fight-or-flight response flared up inside him, and there was no mistaking which he chose. What was he going to do, charge a girl with the gun on a motorcycle? Wait for an alien creature to come and pick them off?

In a single motion, Gordon dropped his hands, turned, and made a mad dash for the entrance. He hoped that he was running fast enough to throw off her aim, that the cars blocked her view of him as he ran, that the person on the other side of the barricade would take pity on him. His legs felt numb, his feet clumsy beneath him. Gordon threw himself against the door, banging and pleading for them to let him in before something sinister was drawn to the commotion.

Mitheral davian BeyondDandy

 

[Radio_Rat66.6]

Juliet nodded. She could wait for her dad to get back. She glanced over at her as she was speaking into a baby monitor. It looked like a cute walkie-talkie. She was worried when her dad started speaking. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying. What was going on? She watched Eva for anything that she would need to know. "Are the aliens coming to get us?" Her voice was wrought with worry. Then she realized. "Jackie! We can't leave him alone!" She was up on her feet and running where she vaguely remember the mattresses being. She stumbled at first, but then she was on her feet and running as fast as she could.

davian

 

[Mitheral]

Diane Matthews
When she spotted the blonde man running in terror toward the ValuMart she stared for a moment a little bemused. That was not what she expected. Was he one of theirs? Maybe banished. Maybe a scout? She heaved a sigh and crnked the bike up. She had hoped to not run it this far into town, but the damage was already done. She gave it enough juice to roller her down the street again at a runner’s pace slowing to a halt where she had been before. This time she learned her lesson and turned the bike to leave before getting off. She made it a point to park out of line of sight again. Then she stepped out and brought the binoculars up to watch what happened.

The one thing she watched for most was one of the locals with binoculars. Maybe they were as scared as she was. There was the distinct possibility that they thought the same thing of her that she thought of the man running to them …

… and was now banging on the door pleading to be let in.

She let the binoculars drop and started using Sign Language. She had gotten pretty good in the past year. She gave a brief wave. Then she gave instructions to simply speak. As an afterthought she tried gestures given the likelihood that noone knew Sign. She pointed at her eyes, raised the binoculars and pointed at them, then touched her lips. After that she used the binoculars to watch for a response.

cosowarrior BeyondDandy davian

 

[HannaTheHippy]

Annie
----------------
Annie, after all the commotion from her peers, was now starting to become nervous. She looked around the room, eyeing everyone carefully, wondering if they were also nervous. About something, who knows. She knew bits and pieces of what was happening, banging on the front doors, people yelling and running every which way, panic and clamor. She slowly assessed the situation, not sure what she should do, or what position she was in to do anything in the first place.

She saw Juliet run, and knew she had a sense of urgency. Granted, after J and her splitting, she parted with his family as well, deciding not to get involved with much. But, now they were here, and there was really nothing else for her to do. Everything, all the grudges were in the past, and she could redeem herself with this, if it went well. If it didn't...She didn't wanna think about the black lash from J's family. Not Mike, not Juliet. For now, though, Annie had no choice but to try.

Annie sighed heavily, took the knife from her waistband, and took off after Juliet in a sprint. "Juliet, wait!" She yelled after her, trying not to lose her as she ran. God, the girl was small, but agile.

Radio_Rat66.6 davian

 

[davian]

Eva
Seeing Juliet take off made Eva's heart sink more than anything had in recent days. Mainly because Juliet was so headstrong that she knew she would not listen to what she had to say until they found her brother. Running after the girl down the main hallway of the store, Eva quickly caught up with Annie. "Survivors, outside," she managed to gasp as she ran. "Juliet, it's okay! He's safe!" she called after the young girl, hoping that was enough to get her to stop. "We can walk to him," she suggested, fighting the feeling of exertion to continue to speak.

J
Jackson had just reached the aisle where the mattresses were kept. He was looking up and down the shelf to see whether he could find one that would fit in their tent with the others, when he suddenly heard familiar voices and commotion in the main aisle. "Jesus Christ on a Sunday morning," he said to himself as he took a step out of the aisle to see his ex-girlfriend, the police officer who lived next-tent, and his little sister running his way, presumably looking for him. At first he thought that something had happened to his father, but Juliet looked more fearful than grief-stricken, so that was unlikely. He ran towards the group to meet them as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Eva, what's going on?" J asked, concern beginning to creep in.
"Your father found survivors outside," Eva stammered as she caught her breath. "Juliet must have misunderstood, so..." she nodded towards the little girl.
J smiled and knelt down across from his little sister so that he could look into her eyes.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm here," he said, pulling Juliet into a brief hug. He looked at the ground behind his sister rather than looking up at Annie; he wasn't quite sure if he was ready to casually speak to her again. That terrifying night was still flashing in his mind whenever he saw her, and he wasn't sure if he would survive, would it happen again. "Let's go find Dad," J said, pulling away and getting to his feet again. He took Juliet's hand and led the way to the front of the superstore, Eva following close by, hands ready to reach for her gun.

Mike
Mike continued to watch the scene transpiring outside, bracing himself for whatever might happen now. He knew that he would most likely have to open the shelter, especially when the young man ran towards the store and began to bang on the door. As Mike was a guard, he was capable of opening the doors without asking permission, but he still turned to a middle-aged couple that had shown up to watch the commotion.
"Would it be fine if I-"
"Go ahead," the husband said, and the wife nodded in response.
"He's harmless enough... Look at how worn down he is," she said, nodding towards the man banging against the door.
"And her?" Mike asked, pointing towards the young woman who was definitely armed.
"We have guns too," the husband muttered. "If she doesn't come in peace, we can manage."

Mike's brow furrowed, but he nodded to show that he had understood. He moved towards the first door of the shelter, undoing the padlock that kept it closed from their side, before moving into the mid-area and fastening a second padlock that would keep the initial door of the store closed to outsiders in case they turned out to be hostile. This made sure that both doors were never open at the same time. He signaled for the man outside to be quiet before reaching for the next set of locks, undoing them one by one until all three of them were opened, before pushing open the door and pulling the man into the store.

Mike took a step halfway outside the store, looking into the distance to see the woman making hand signals in the distance. He assumed that it was an attempt to communicate, which in itself, probably meant that she was coming in peace. Unable to properly understand sign language, but knowing basic symbols from decades of boating and fishing, Mike went with the most universally understood sign for "Peace", and that was holding up his hand with two fingers in the air. "Peaceful" he mouthed. Next, he reached out his arm in the woman's direction and bent it back to point at the store behind him. "Safe," he mouthed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Radio_Rat66.6 HannaTheHippy Mitheral cosowarrior

 

[Mitheral]

Note: Found the KW650, civilian version of the JP8. I couldn’t recall the number. But here is a short video to give an idea what Diane’s bike sounds like. She always keeps rpm’s low unless she is in a big hurry - like running from aliens.

Diane Matthews
Diane would later be grateful it was Mike, not J, who communicated with her initially. J might well have frightened her off. But as soon as she saw Mike start to sign she started Signing - a little too fast. Upon seeing his confusion she smiled and held up a finger in a ‘just a moment’ message. Then she pulled out her laptop, flipping it over to use as a small whiteboard. It booted up in a few seconds, but she had biometric security to go through. She typed a message in very large font readable at a good distance and held it up only doing a few words at a time. For the most part she tried to stick to yes and no type questions.

FEW ?
GUY YOURS?
IDIOT?
JUST KIDDING
RULES?

She didn’t wait for a response on the last part. Instead she held up a finger in another wait a moment gesture and put the laptop away. Then she dropped her hood and shifted her poncho a quarter turn, straddled her bike again and rolled forward on foot power until she was in a reasonable speaking distance. She could tell they were armed. But she kept her pistols put away.

Up close it was apparent that her poncho was not made from any ordinary material. It had been made from 2 bomb blankets and a fire blanket and weighed some 30 pounds. But it had already saved her life more than once. Then again, it had damned near been the death of her as well. There were claw marks on the back of it.

Diane's face looked strained. She had been through hell and looked like she was having a little trouble keeping herself together. “Diane Matthews. I’m tired and hungry.” It was more a statement of fact than a request. “You wouldn’t happen to have a NASA type xenobiologist handy?” She shook her head. “Tell blondie the worst thing to do is try to sneak up on someone and blindside them while whispering psst every few seconds.” A lip quirked upwards. “But I just didn’t know who he was and I have already been chased, shot at, and had to fight off bugs. It’s been a rough month.”

cosowarrior BeyondDandy davian

 

[Radio_Rat66.6]

Juliet ignored their shouts as she kept running. She needed to make sure he was alright. He came out of an aisle and ran over to them. Juliet immediately hugged him. "Jackie!" She smiled, glad that he was okay. But there were aliens coming. She heard Eva mention survivors. Survivors not aliens? She looked at both of them, realizing that J's old girlfriend was here too. She must have been the other person shouting at her. J let her go and stood up. She gladly took his hand and walked with him, still adorned in her pajamas. J was still in his too. He looked tired. Just like everyone else here. They had a long way to go before they could really be happy again.
"Eva's gonna cut my hair, Jackie!" She ran a hand through her scraggly locks. They had been silky smooth before all of this, but she just didn't have the time to keep it so anymore. "Like a boy! Short, short, short!" She smiled up at him as they walked to find their dad.

davian HannaTheHippy