Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

After that incident, even if it ended on a lighter note, from the looks a select few were exchanging, I assumed that they were having second thoughts about wanting to hear the whole story—because they already had more than an inkling about it, and it was enough—or they wanted to know more than everything… including the behind the scenes footage and the director's commentary.

But yeah, there were a few changes to our plans and one of them was to explore more of the areas we haven't been to.

Though with the time we had left before sundown, we only managed to visit a couple of their production plants that processed their produce to either dried goods or these varieties of juices packaged in colorful juiceboxes.

I'm not sure as to why they still needed to put them in those colorful packaging but hey, it does make me a little more thirsty seeing them in vibrant colors compared to an old cardboard box.

'I guess they still have a lot those printed out and yeah… their customer base is a little… umm… bleak at the moment… They're probably good for a while and they could just keep some for display— Who am I kidding… Who are they using these displays for…'

In any case, we did stop by the ranch to visit Rogue and a few other animals and to pick up our custom leather boots and clothes—but most importantly, I was there to pick up my very own custom lifting belt from Clyde.

I've only used what was available last time but the difference of using commercially-made products compared to his had at least a 5%-10% difference—and I was just talking about the lifting straps.

I put up some numbers before—in regards to how each accessory could increase our total lifting capacity—and I'm more than fucking excited to see what I could put up with something that's commercially supposed to give me a 10%-20% increase in my total.

Realistically speaking, I'm expecting to get close to stepping my foot onto the 800-pound club but as Sebastian advised, I just need to be a little bit patient when it comes to producing results.

But yeah, it didn't take long before we all headed back and for some fucking reason, Sebastian decided to do "story-time" behind the garage where we were supposed to work out, and he even set up log chairs around a campfire PLUS the food and drinks he promised us.

In all fairness, it IS cozy and toasty as fuck but let's just say it was a setup for what he was about to say—and yeah, his younger blood brothers also showed up right before he started:

"Alright, everyone settled in? Everyone good? Everyone okay? This is a very~ good time to tell this tale from way, way~ back— no, not as way~ back—though it is—but… let me restart. This is a very, very~ good time to retell this story from my childhood because of what everyone helped us achieve today…"

Then he leaned over and assumed a pose, "You see… these eyes of mine used to be so… so used to the dark because contrary to that certain book, in MY beginning, there was no light… Well~ There is from time to time and I only discovered that it was only at nighttime, when she visits, because she… even if she needed light on the way down to my 'room', she also needed them on the way up and to move around upstairs because there was absence of it…"

And as Sebastian continued, he told us that the four metal rods sticking out of the corner in the basement was the place he was chained down—though he could move a few feet around—which enabled him to have an area of the room to excrete or expel waste, sleep, and to eat.

"Before any of you asks as to why I get visits even though I already have everything in the world? Well… I did say I was taught herbalism to a degree and I'm an expert in it… But yeah, some of the 'food' dropped down to me contained everything she could collect and process in the mountains, and she needed to examine not only me but my waste to see what the effects were to my body. However, call it a blessing or a curse, it didn't take long before I got used to what she was giving me so aside from upping the dosage, she brought a control group to have a umm… fresh 'perspective' on her concoctions…"

"Wait…" JP trailed as he seemed to be thinking deeply of something, "I'm sorry but…"

"Go on… You can ask me anything you want…"

"It's just… s-seeing your body earlier and this story d-doesn't add up as much… Sure, she fed you poison or simply just vile concoctions but—"

"Ah! Why does my torso look like it was ripped open by a bear?"

"Y-Your words but… sure."

Sebastian chuckled, "Well… for some reason, even when I was still by myself, she knew the times when I was about to die—either by my own hands or by her concoctions, and she had every trick in the book to bring me back every single time. Honestly speaking, it got harder to do it when I got company because the ones before them would scream or yell if something was wrong with me, just me, not the others. I did say there were more of us but other than me, everyone's free to get out of that hell by their own means. I guess I'm special in a way… I am her son, after all…"

"...!"

Hearing that piece of news made everyone shocked to fuck but Sebastian just said it so casually like the term mother and son didn't mean a lick in his vocabulary. But yeah, he added more gruesome details as to why his body looked like that because as proud as his "mother" was of him for being able to stomach all her concoctions, he became an ingredient himself.

"Yeah, of course, she opened me up to see how I was able to survive that long. And again, call it a blessing or a curse but as I obtained immunity to certain poisons and venoms, I lost part of my liver among other things and I didn't even know that my pee was actually black—which was something I only discovered when I got out… I don't even wanna call it lucky but as it stands now, I was also very lucky to not be carrying around a colostomy bag… no offense to those who had them but I wouldn't be able to perform my duties as properly if I had something like that on me…"

Alexa interjected, "B-But you're as strong as—"

Sebastian cut her off, "As strong as I am, it wasn't because of what was done to me. On the contrary, several doctors told me that I should've been dead long ago and wouldn't be able to live as a normal person but here I am now… Technically I wasn't living as a normal person now but it's a tad better than a normal person would, in my opinion, don't you think so?"

"H-How did you get out though? How did you all escape?"

"Ah… I dislike saying it multiple times in a single day but call it a blessing or a curse, having these immunities came with a set of responsibilities…"

"Responsibilities?"

"You see, we weren't exactly sure as to how we got out before—even now—but us four concluded it to her mishandling of her instruments."

"What?"

"Umm~ How do I put this… Oh! If you get bitten by a snake or something similar, it is recommended by yours truly to keep or trap whatever it was that bit you or poisoned you because that'll give you the highest chance to make something to counter or make an antivenom of whatever it was inside you because doctors have to know exactly what ailed you to make a proper response to it. Sure, just remembering the shape and color of the snake is fine but if you can catch it, why not?"

"Wait… so mishandling… she accidentally poisoned herself with—"

"Yes. One day she just rushed down the stairs in a panic but to us, it's an open invitation to retaliate. A chance like that doesn't come very often or at all but it was safe to say that it was more than a monumental task because four barely kept alive, chained kids versus a grown woman who just happened to be poisoned with all her tools was still a mismatch. You see, as close as we are now, we still fought over who gets fed that day but it also became a crutch at the most critical moment…"

"H-How so?"

"I hope this next bit of information doesn't change your perception of me but at that time—no, ever since I woke up in that place, I was always hungry… So… Let's just say that after an unknown amount of time, we finally had a full meal…"