Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

I was still in mid-sentence before Tatiana straightened her posture and looked me straight in the eye. I faintly smiled when I saw her attentive look but then I continued to finish my sentence.

"Umm, the first order of the day is for you to come eat with us! You must be really tired from your trip. Come on, I'll introduce you to everybody!"

As soon as I said that, Tatiana's body relaxed as she faintly smiled and showed her tired expression. She must've been driving and fending off the dead by herself for quite some time and the fatigue was just starting to set in. When I turned around and started guiding her to the pool area, I thought we were walking side by side but she was exactly walking with an arm's length behind me.

"Tatiana?"

"Sir?"

"Why are y-you?"

"Oh, protocol."

"Sure..."

'Great… a chaperone...'

I sat on one of the chairs by the poolside and the people who've just woken up threw me weird and surprised looks because Tatiana was still standing behind me. However, the solution couldn't be more simpler as I turned around and waved her over.

"Sir?"

"You'll do as I say, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, here me out. Chill, relax, loosen up, don't be so stiff, and smile a little. Just do that bodyguard thing when we're outside. The only one you'd have to worry about inside these walls is me and probably that old man, maybe. Sit down, once everyone's here, we could start eating."

Tatiana's expression started to lighten more and more as a few of my folks approached her and introduced themselves. It didn't take long before the kids came down with Kaley and the rest who seemed to have just been woken up, and I managed to introduce Tatiana before the kids circled around her.

Aya exclaimed, "Wow~ Your hair is so yellowy~! So pretty!"

"Like margarine!"

"Uh-uh! It's like butter!"

"A banana!"

Tatiana was so fucking speechless.

I instantly facepalmed, "What the fu- It's called blonde! Remember that!"

Aya was the only one who nodded a few times while the rest of the kids ran away while and kept chanting, "Blondie~ Blondie~ Blondie~"

After a short while, everyone was finally present and we started handing out plates and utensils. I handed a plate to Kaley first but Tatiana was staring at them almost uncomfortably. When I handed her a plate, she tried to refuse but her stomach growled incredibly and she embarrassedly accepted it.

Kaley was right next to me when we fell in line though she was giving me a weird expression.

'Is she still thinking about yesterday? Hmm… nevermind...'

For our breakfast, we had scrambled eggs and eggplant omelets with a side of banana ketchup for the dipping sauce. It was paired with fermented fish paste and as always, eaten over steamy hot rice. Coffee and hot chocolate were also prepared on the side and everyone was welcome to add milk or sugar.

Zeus was in a corner, already busy with his own bowl, wagging his tail and eating loudly.

When we finally sat down and started eating, Kaley nudged me and prompted me to look at Tatiana. We got amused when we saw her eating voraciously because her cheeks were filled with food like a chipmunk, a strong contrast from her looks and her name. She finished her food in an instant but Aunt Sharon waved her over and gave her seconds.

"R-Really?!"

"Yep! Just eat and come back if you want more!"

Words couldn't describe Tatiana's face at that time and it didn't take long for her to get her third helping. Kaley and I continued eating with a smile while we watched her but it didn't take long before Tatiana approached us after her fourth plate. She sat down on one of the empty seats and started eating with us.

Rin and Olivia greeted Tatiana with a simple smile but her face was too much of a mess to figure out whether she smiled back. With that said, Rin handed her a clean handkerchief to wipe it all off and she just nodded a few times after gulping more food.

Tatiana turned to me, "Sir, is this all of you?"

"No, we have more people still at their own houses. We're gonna clear the last stretch today so we could focus on rebuilding the place. We…" I told her the rest of the plan and she listened attentively.

When we all finished eating, I announced a few things loud enough for everyone to hear.

"To the people who will I bringing later, rest for a bit and we'll head to the squatter area past the radio station. Two teams of three people will head on each side of the squatter area while another team of four people will stay and watch the road. We have a new addition to our team so we'll have to change or swap a few people accordingly."

Oscar interjected, "Who'll it be then?"

"The first team will be composed of me, Kaley, and Tatiana while the second team will be composed of you, Mark, and Jared. The people watching out on the road will be composed of Unc Zardon, Dong, Arnel, and Jenny. I said that you'll just be watching out but you'll essentially be the backup if anything else happens, got it?"

Nicole raised her hands, "I-I thought we'll be coming with you?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. After thinking about it, there will be just too many blind spots in the area and I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on all of you. Besides, Jonathan and Esther wouldn't be coming as well but I'm tasking you with watching the fence with Allan and quite possibly, Lois."

Lois instantly interjected after hearing his name, "W-What? Why me?"

I shook my head as I chuckled, "Jenny will be coming with us so stretch your bones for a bit. I'll hand you the same rifle so don't worry about it too much. Once we arrive, you could go back to your little hole."

"F-Fine… don't blame me if I fall asleep..."

Nicole chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll be there."

"Dammit..."

I clapped my hands to get everyone's attention once more, "Okay, everything good? Any questions? Sugg- Russel? What's up?"

Russel looked excited, "Yeah, Dad said I could come with you today!"

"Unc Did?"

Unc Zeidrick chimed in, "Yeah, I did."

"Okay, but you'll stay with the team on the road and you don't go off on your own, got it?"

"Got it, bro. I could borrow that shotty, right?"

"Of course, that's yours."

"Great! I'll just use that for now."

"Sure. Oh, one last thing. To the group that would be heading inside the squatter area, shacks and shacks of houses were just built very randomly so be very careful once we step inside. The flooring isn't too good either because a fair bit of them was just made with light materials or random objects."

A few more questions got answered but Raphael walked towards me.

"Hey, Oscar said that you might have some work for me? It's got something to do with his SUV? It's that H1 Hummer, right?"

"Yeah, he's wondering if it's possible to mount an M134 on top of it. We'd like it to come up the roof but could still be detached at will and vice versa. Furthermore, he'd like the person manning it to be able to turn it at all angles but I'm wondering if it's possible to be operated from the driver's side."

Raphael's eyes widened in shock, "W-W-Wait, an M134?! That's a minigun, right?! And you want me to mount it on that?!"

"Yep. Calm down, dude. Is it possible? I'm thinking of going to you first because if it's not feasible, the old man would think of some crazy way to do it by himself. It might destroy everything in the process especially when he starts working with Unc Zeidrick. Those two together could be something else in the engineering department."

Raphael took a moment to calm down and he placed his hand under his chin, "Theoretically, it will probably work but I'd need more data. It's not as easy as mounting it willy-nilly so I'd like to get my hands on the M134 and the H1 so I'd be able to make some sort of draft. With the right tools, I'd be able to finish it in a few days but there's no guarantee."

I patted his back, "That sounds great already. Just tell us if you need anything."

"Sure, sure."

Raphael went back to his room to get some of his tools while I turned around and saw Tatiana right behind me. We were standing right next to her Humvee and I remembered that I still haven't assigned a room for her and all of her gear was still inside her vehicle.

'I thought I told her to stop following me...'

"Tatiana, I forgot to assign you your quarters because we started eating. We still have a lot of rooms available so you could pick anywhere you like."

"I'd like to stay in your house, sir."

"What?"

"Protocol. I'll happily take a couch as long as I'm closer with you."

"Here you go again..."

"Sir?"

"How about this… are you okay with bunking with someone? She's a woman too and she always keeps her room neat. Our rooms are on the same floor and that's as close as you get. Is that okay?"

Tatiana stared at me for a second and said, "That's acceptable."

"Okay, let's look for her. You met her earlier. Remember the handkerchief?"

Tatiana just nodded at me before we found Rin still by the poolside and drinking some coffee with Kaley and Olivia. Zeus was with them and laying by their feet but their gaze turned to us when we arrived.

"Hey Rin, remember that talk about room assi-"

"Of course! I'm fine with bunking-"

"It's decided then. From now on, Tatiana will bunk with you."

Rin almost spat out her coffee but everything from Olivia's cup sprayed everywhere. Kaley was shocked as well but she was caught in the crossfire. With that said, Rin kept on looking at me and Tatiana alternately with a flushed and concerned expression.

I calmed her down, "It's okay, the fight earlier was just a little spar."

Tatiana interjected as she turned to Rin, "More like a test but I wouldn't do anything to you."

Rin pursed her lips as she looked at us once more, "O-Okay then… if you say so..."

"Okay, that finally settles it. I'll be in my room, Kaley and Olivia will be on the next while-"

Tatiana interjected once more, "I want to be in the next room."

"Why? Is it protocol again?"

Tatiana faintly smiled, "Correct. A simple move is enough, correct?"

Kaley cut in and she seemed to be getting annoyed, "Can I know what this protocol is? Hmm?"

Tatiana turned to Kaley with a faint smile, "Very well. I was told to carry his burdens and follow every word he says but aside from that, I must ensure his survival and any threat to his life must be dealt with accordingly. The only way I could be closer to achieving that was if I'm closer to him as much as possible."

Kaley started having a staring contest with Tatiana. She seemed to be looking for nuances if Tatiana was lying but it seemed like something entirely different was at play. Rin and Olivia seemed to be looking at me to intervene but I had no fucking clue about this type of thing.

Tatiana spoke up, "Is there a problem?"

Kaley exclaimed with a hushed tone, "What do you mean by being 'closer', huh? Are you interested in him?!"

Tatiana got taken aback but she smiled as she covered her mouth, "Oh… You're his partner, correct? I see what's going on… don't worry."

Kaley just realized what she said as she turned red, "I-I-I-I'm… u-umm..."

"Please understand, I don't interfere with anyone's business… Well, unless I am told to."

"W-W-Wai- does that mean if he told you that- umm… because you said..."

Tatiana chuckled, "Oh, that depends on him but as I said, I wouldn't interfere unless I'm permitted. Besides, why would he go for me if you're his partner? To be completely honest, he's attractive, strong, and quite possibly… extremely intelligent. The last one is just a feeling but it seems like you're the same. I love that in a woman..."

Kaley's eyes widened as she blushed, "W-Wait… a-are you a les-"

Tatiana chuckled once more as she cut her off, "Not exactly, I go both ways."

Kaley was still processing everything as she started blushing but Rin got red through her neck the moment Tatiana winked at her. Olivia was clueless as always but their reactions definitely answered a lot of questions.

"So, how about this then?" Kaley proposed a different arrangement.

I nodded a few times, "Sounds great. Are you sure?"

Kaley side-eyed me once more, "Hmph! M-Maybe..."

The room assignment changed where I'll be staying with Kaley in my room, Tatiana in the other, and Rin and Olivia in the last one. I for sure thought that Rin would bunk with Tatiana but she chose to bunk with Olivia instead. Besides that, Olivia was scared of sleeping alone while Tatiana just moved in very recently.

"I believe this to be a fine arrangement. I hope we get along really and some of you a little more..." Tatiana smiled as she turned to Rin once more.

"S-Sure..."

"Me too!"

"Shut up Olivia, you got the wrong idea..."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Fine… I'll tell you later..."

"O-Okay?"

After everything got settled, I looked at Kaley and her lips were pursed into a smile. I wasn't sure about what she was thinking but we headed upstairs with everyone. Rin helped Kaley and Olivia with moving their stuff while I helped Tatiana with her luggage. She had a few bags and a separate case of weapons but I'll be sure to check them later.

Reaching my room and seeing all of Kaley's stuff, I decided to clear a cabinet for her and give her an extra key. I helped her in arranging them but she just pushed me away and told me to just help with her guns once I got ahold of some of her underwear. It got chaotic for a short moment but she kissed me once more when we were done.

Kaley muttered, "S- So, we're sharing the same room…"

I chuckled, "Well, you did think for a day, right?"

"Y-Yeah… I'll p-probably say yes but you know… I'm just kinda p-preparing myself that time..."

"Well... I snore though, just a heads up."

"Hmph! I know! Did you forget that I tucked you in last time? Oh, right. I kinda move around when I sleep… I doubt you could dodge them in your sleep..."

"Hah! You saw me from the window, eh? Want me to teach you? It'll be tough though… you up for it?"

"Of course I am! I'm not as good as you but I'm also a quick study! Not only with hand-to-hand but I'd like to at least learn the basics with your tanto! I'm kinda good with a gun but it'd be better if I learn other stuff, right?"

"Yeah, that's the way. Let's get ready, for now. It's almost time."