Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

A few houses outside have solar panels installed in their premises when Oscar first came back from the Depot and my group acquired a few solar generators. The ones whose houses didn't have them yet was handed their share and there is plenty to go around a few times. However, acquiring more solar panels is needed not just for comfort but for various reasons. I searched in my head a few more places that might contain them but the closest is really Wilcon's Depot. We might search blindly on their warehouse but it beats going to more obscure places which we haven't explored yet.

"Does Ana have solar panels like us?" Ken asked me.

"I dunno, why don't you borrow Jared's phone?" I replied.

Ken's eyes lit up as he turned his wheelchair to face Jared.

"Your phone, how much?" Ken said.

"Huh? Why would you want this phone?" Jared said while keeping his phone tight on his pocket.

"That's the only connection I have with her! I just want to ask if she has power over her place or not. So, I have this shotgun I only used a couple of times. Wanna trade this for that?" Ken pulled out the shotgun I gave to him before.

"You really want to trade the only gun you have?" I asked him.

"I never go out anyways! Besides, it's mine now, right? I can do whatever I want with it." Ken said.

"I thought you brought down your firewall?" I asked.

"Yeah! Still no contact with her!" Ken replied as he raised his own phone.

"Don't you think you're going a little strong?" Jared asked.

"Me? Preposterous! Wait... I might be and I'm starting to annoy her. Let me try again, oh dear goddess of mystery! I came before thee with humble heart! My... my... I... ah- walls of fire~ has been brought down by this lowly peasant so that you might gaze upon my humble self oh goddess~!" He started to sound weirder by each word.

"How 'bout that?" Ken looked at us.

"..." Jared and I.

"Why don't you just start with a simple 'hey'? I think that thing you did could be reserved for maybe a second date? I think?" I said.

"Pssh! Why would a simple 'hey' work? That's the most boring thing I could think of!" Ken replied while rolling his eyes.

"Ana, hey." I said normally.

[Yeah? Power just ran out and I started to set up my generator.]

"The fuck?!" Ken exclaimed.

"She's really around these parts or she just knows our situation and she's acting. Wait, am I overthinking things again?" I thought to myself.

"Ahem! Ana, hey." Ken said.

Nothing.

"AHEM! Ana, hey." Ken said with more bravado.

Still nothing.

"Fuck you Sky." Ken rolled over my toe.

"The fuck dude?! It's not my fault she doesn't want to talk to you!" I exclaimed while rubbing my toe.

"Why don't you just freaking start a harem already since most of the girls here only wanted to talk to you! Huh?!" he exclaimed as the few people near us took a look at him.

"Easy there Ken..." Jared said.

"..." Ken and I.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" the both of us laughed heartily.

Jared then got confused.

"We always joke like this, don't mind us. *chuckle*" Ken said.

"We're weird, don't mind, don't mind. I'll pay you back for rolling over my toe though. You'll never see it coming." I added to what he said but he just smiled at my last remark.

The people watching us bicker either shook their heads or rolled their eyes at us. The broadcast finally started and the president once more appeared on the podium he is always at, still wearing his combat gear. I thought he would begin speaking but his hand is on top of it and it is seemingly gripping the podium too tightly. He slightly pursed his lips after he made a long exhale.

"Philippines... I just received the report that the government of Japan... has collapsed..." he said.

I suddenly had a million thought in my head about the people I knew over there. Old man Kaiseki, Aoi, the mountain, and everything else I knew over that place. I can't seem to hear the rest of his statement and I'm just staring at the screen blankly.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! Wait, it just said the government, not the whole country. I know somehow it would eventually come to this but still. Are they still alive? Well, it's highly unlikely for them to drop dead that easily. It's where I learned a few things. Did they even receive my email? They never responded but I think it's just the coverage. They're in an elevated place and they're in the provinces. They're definitely safe and they would have an abundance of food from the mountain and the sea below. They definitely are safe, definitely. Definitely..." I tried to calm myself as I tried to listen to the report once again.

"The report came from the last plane that has just arrived here a couple hours ago and they have only brought a few soldiers and mostly their scientists with all of their research. The Philippines will welcome them to our ranks and we will treat them as our own. I'll try my best to fulfill the duty of their... Prime Minister who just passed a few days ago. Even if all you are in different soil and your country has fallen, Japan isn't its land but it is its people. The faster we solve this thing, the faster you all could go back and with the help of us, reclaim back your land!" The President proudly proclaimed.

It's a bit cheesy speech but the dead eyes of the people on one corner has started to get a little spark as they looked at our president speaking towards them. The other things he reported was mainly a few more updates on our country which we already know. The broadcast ended and then the follow up videos started to get played over and over again.

I turned the TV off and I placed my hand subconsciously on the top of my katana.

"CCW Class in a few minutes." I said to the people there and they got excited.

It has been a while since I taught them and I think the mention of techniques from my last lesson sparked something from inside them. I grabbed several pieces of papers and markers and I waited for them to gather towards the gym on the 3rd floor.

"It's been a while. Are you okay? They said Japa-" Kaley said but I cut her off.

"Yeah, they're fine. I'm sure of it." I replied then I handed her a paper and a marker. The other people who came were handed the same thing and they all grew confused. Kaley was about to ask 'Who's they?' but she didn't have the chance to.

"Umm, Boss... what are we gonna do with this? Are we having a test?" Rin asked but I shook my head.

"Write eight strokes on it and eight points. It could be from any angle, direction, length and etc. Place it on the stand here and we'll begin. Make the movement as the thing that is most natural for you." I told the group.

They still give a look of confusion towards me but they slowly picked up the pen and they scribbled on the piece of paper. Russel was the first one to finish and there are random things drawn on this piece of paper.

"Good." I said.

"Uh... now what?" he asked.

"Remember the first lesson? What's the most important thing?" I asked him.

"Oh! Being a control freak." he said confidently.

*thunk*

"Control... control..." he trailed as he rubs his head.

"Now try to do the same movement with your weapon. I did say to do the most natural movement for you, right? Try to copy what was drawn on your paper." I instructed him.

He slowly lifted his wooden sword with one hand and then he tried to imitate the random lines that he drew. It was super slow at first as he tried to align the movements perfectly as much as possible.

"Good. Now faster." I said.

He tried it.

"Faster." I said.

"Okay!" he replied.

"Faster." I said.

"Hmph!" he exclaimed.

"Faster!" I shouted.

"Hold on a minute, why are we going faster and faster?! Can we at least do a little bit of-" he stopped.

Then I drew my katana.

*slash*

*slash*

*sl*slash**

*sl*sl*slash***

*sl*sl*sl*slash****

*sl*sl*sl*sl*slash*****

He almost fell to the ground as I slashed towards the piece of paper that he drew on. My motions have no extra movements at all and I traced everything on the piece of paper. The cuts made is just the exact length and shape towards where the lines are drawn and the stand stood perfectly still as I did it.

The fan that is scanning around the gym finally reached the paper and blew a bit of air on it and the paper revealed the cuts that I made. It started to ruffle around and it finally fell on Russel's lap. He picked it up and he is just staring at it blankly and the whole gym is quiet.

*clink*

I sheathed my katana on the scabbard.

"Shit." Russel muttered.