Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

"The six of you can come inside now. Diego, stay here since we need to have a talk." I said after looking at each one of them.

"H-Hey man, I don't want any trouble, alright?" Diego said.

"Is there something wrong with him Sky?" Kaley asked.

"Yeah, something is definitely wrong with this asshole. Asshole, take off all your clothes." I said.

"Woah! Woah! Hey man! Be cool, alright? I'm not gonna take my clothes in front of all these people here okay!" he took a step back.

"Then fucking leave this place." I said.

"Sky… he seems a pretty chill guy, I think we shoul-" Mark said before I cut him off.

"My place, my rules. I will personally drive you to the DDR camp there but I highly doubt they'll accept you with what you're carrying." I said sternly.

"W-wait, Tatiana checked him earlier." Kaley said.

Diego started to sweat profusely and his eyes darted left and right. He suddenly gave a few involuntary ticks and he looked very different from the person before. Kaley was observing his every movement and she was wearing a different expression.

"C'mon man, I'm clean alright? Just, j-just lay it easy man!" Diego stuttered.

"Okay, don't take off your clothes. Hand me your bag first." I said.

He gave me an almost unnoticeable smirk and he threw it at me.

"Knock yourself out." Diego scoffed.

"Idiot." I thought to myself.

I opened his bag and I dropped all the contents on the pavement. The bag was empty but there was still some weight to it.

"C'mon man, it's just clothes and a bit of food there alright?" Diego said but his nervous ticks were still occurring.

"Gonna go down swinging huh?" I said as I turned the bag inside out.

There was a seam hidden inside and anyone wouldn't be able to see it if you didn't turn the bag over. I cut it open and a few syringes and a plastic bag with a white substance fell out. Diego looked at me in shock while the others did as well.

"Still shooting yeah? I'll be taking this with me and flush it down the toilet." I said then the atmosphere tensed.

Diego suddenly placed his hands behind his pants and he pulled out a small metal piece. He suddenly lunged at me with crazy eyes.

"Sky!" Kaley shouted.

"Damn it." I thought to myself as I drew my blade quickly.

A glint flashed.

A dull plop followed.

"AHHHHHH!!! YOU FUCKING PRICK!!! I'LL MURDER ALL OF YOU!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Diego's right arm fell off his body and blood started to spray out. He once again rushed towards me with a crazed look but a gunshot rang out before I managed to knock him out.

A red mist of spray appeared for an instant.

The body fell limp on the pavement and blood was flowing from the openings of his head. I looked at my side and I saw Tatiana had her pistol out while everybody was frozen on the spot. I just nodded at Tatiana and she did the same while she holstered her pistol.

People went outside when they heard the gunshot and they were shocked when they saw the display.

"Holy shit, the fuck happened here? Kid?!" Oscar exclaimed.

I waved the packets of meth in my hand then I pointed at the shiv on the dismembered arm and Oscar understood.

"Fucking junkie." Oscar was wearing a furious look.

From Diego's bag, aside from his clothes was a small weighing scale, a few rolls of cash, a lighter, and a notebook were hidden. Oscar dispersed the crowd and the only ones left outside aside from me were Kaley and Tatiana. Allan and Jenny were on the catwalk with a few people but everyone was silent.

"Let's move this thing outside first." I told them.

I brought the pedicab out and I placed the body on it. I notice that Tatiana was rubbing Kaley's back and Kaley won't look at me but she was trembling.

"We'll talk later yeah? Help me with the fence." I asked.

We three worked in silence and we burned the body after I took everything of importance from him.

I broke the silence when we reached the gate and I said, "Sorry, you shouldn't have seen that."

"W-What? H-Hold on, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I deemed the guy to be included to live with us. It would've been so much worse if you didn't check him." Kaley stammered.

"I'm sorry too. I didn't know where he got this shiv I-" Tatiana chimed while holding the weapon.

"Drop that shiv now!" I interrupted Tatiana. I had goosebumps in my body when I saw her casually holding it.

"Huh? But-" Tatiana looked confused.

"Drop it! For the love of all things living!" I shouted.

"She must've not noticed where he pulled it out from." I thought to myself.

"W-wait why?" they were now confused.

"You didn't see where he pulled that from? He used to be in prison." I said.

"Umm, so?" Kaley said.

"FUCK!" Tatiana cursed.

"I told you so." I thought to myself.

When Tatiana heard the word 'prison' she immediately threw it away. It landed outside the fence and it bounced a few times before sliding off. She now had an angry and disgusted expression plastered across her face. Kaley was still confused so I decided to tell her about the prison wallet.

"You don't get it do you? It's becau-" I said to Kaley then I was cut off.

"It was hidden inside his ass! That's why I didn't see it! AHHH! FUCK!" Tatiana shouted on the top of her lungs.

"First time I saw you explode like that, HAHAHAHA!!!" I laughed.

"W-wait, ass? You mean t-th- Ew! Why would he put it there?!" Kaley exclaimed when the truth was finally revealed.

"Prisoners used to hide things there like knives or drugs since security would confiscate contraband if it was seen inside their cells. It took both of you a long time before you got it. Oh man..." I explained as I was holding my laughter back.

Tatiana went to a faucet and washed her hands thoroughly. She decided it was not enough so she headed to my house and she looks for soap and a drink to forget about it.

I looked at Kaley then I said, "Hey, you don't have to worry about it. That guy has been in and out of prison and he could fool anyone if you're not familiar with the guy. He was the one who was selling to my cousin and that's why I know him. He tried to sell to me too but I reported him."

"But why did he act like you're best friends? He never knew that you reported him?" Kaley asked.

"He's an abuser of those things for a long time. He's very unstable when you try to take his substances. I probed to see a reaction and a reaction is what I got. He never knew it was me. It was a good call for Oscar to not let them in yet." I explained.

Tatiana finally joined us and she said, "You could've told me sooner."

"I did. You're the one who wanted more explanations, hah! What did it smell like? HAHAHAHA!!!" I teased and laughed maniacally.

"I didn't smell it! FUCK!" Tatiana stormed off.

We headed to the pool area and almost everyone was there. They all wore solemn expressions as they looked at me. I explained to them what I know about Diego and what happened before we killed him. Allan also explained what he saw from his perspective about what happened and they eventually understood the situation.

"I'd like to remind you all to be careful with who we interact with outside. We don't need to be hostile, just vigilant. Always be ready to react when something happens. We shouldn't be too lax or too optimistic that we will always meet good people. Let us make it a rule to hold the newcomers first on the first layer of the fence before we let them inside the compound." I said.

Kaley was wearing a sad expression and I was thinking that she still felt responsible for what happened. I tried cheering her up but I felt that she wanted to drop the subject for now.

"Well, this is the first time someone not infected was killed. I tried disabling him but Tatiana made the decision. Can't blame her though, It's the right call. I'm still thinking I could save everyone I encounter. I need to toughen up a bit more." I thought to myself.

Everyone still had solemn expressions even when the food was being brought out. The food smelled good but seeing a dismembered arm and a head spilling out gray matter would make anyone lose appetite.

"Old man, is the president's line always open? Can you call him after lunch?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's not the one always answering it but sometimes he just picks it up from whoever did." Oscar replied.

"I might have found something that they haven't noticed yet." I said as I told him about the sentries.

Oscar gave me different expressions when I relayed my findings to him.

"You sure that that's what happened kid?" Oscar asked while the rest of my group confirmed it.

"Damn, I'm not sure if they've discovered it but they never told me of that yet. It could be another version of it though, we're not sure." Oscar added.

"That's a valid point too. They would've probably noticed that those things do that the first time they encountered them." I replied.

"From the broadcasts, all they've said was they discovered them. There was no mention of their findings. Could they be hiding it?" Kaley asked.

"Well, could they be hiding it then?" Johnny repeated what Kaley said and he looked at me.

"For what reason though? Aren't we supposed to help each other?" Rin chimed when she heard our conversation.

"Easy. Those who solve this thing first will rule the world. As easy as that." I said with a straight face.