Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Yuriko's squad gathered around the fire, their hearts carried a fragile but growing ember of hope. Even as the pyres crackled in the cold night, the flames seemed less a symbol of despair and more a mark of resilience, a promise that those they had lost would not be forgotten, and that their sacrifices might yet pave the way to salvation.

In the hours that followed, the estate buzzed with subdued activity. Yuriko's squad began cataloging their remaining supplies and strengthening the perimeter. Kohta worked meticulously to assemble more effective defensive weapons, muttering to himself about "anti-mutant deterrents" while Saya argued over the finer points of resource allocation with Rei. It was the kind of normalcy that, a few days ago, would have seemed insane but now felt like an act of defiance against the chaos surrounding them.

Maki's recovery became the focus of hushed conversations, her name spreading like a spark through the group. A few survivors timidly approached Guldrin, asking about the crystals and whether more could be found. He didn't offer them false hope, his replies curt but not unkind. "We're not at the miracle stage yet. Let's see if she's still stable in the morning. The crystals come from the glowing zombies or the massive abomination class zombies."

Saeko observed him from the shadows, her violet eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and admiration. She approached as the night deepened, carrying her katana with the ease of a graceful, seasoned warrior. "You have a strange way of inspiring hope," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hope is dangerous," Guldrin replied without looking at her. "It makes people reckless."

"True," Saeko said, stepping closer. "But it also keeps people fighting. And we need fighters now more than ever."

Guldrin finally turned to her, his gaze piercing. "And what about you? What keeps you fighting?"

Saeko's smile was faint, almost sad. "The same thing that keeps you moving, I'd imagine. A purpose. A belief that, no matter how dark the world becomes, there's something worth protecting. The thrill of a changing world, and a chance to be free, unrestricted by the norms which used to bind us."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence filled with the distant crackle of the pyres and the occasional murmur of the others. Then Saeko tilted her head, her expression curious. "Tell me, Guldrin. Do you ever wonder why you were spared? Why you're here, in this madness?"

Guldrin's lips curved into a wry smile. "All the time. But wondering doesn't change anything. I'm here, and that's all that matters." He wanted to laugh, 'If only you knew I didn't come from this world, and that things would have been very different had I not. I am nearly certain the system had a lot to do with why Shiro and I were spared.' He thought to himself, but had no intention of saying it.

Saeko nodded, her gaze lingering on him before she turned and walked away, her footsteps silent as a shadow.

As dawn approached, the estate seemed almost peaceful. Maki stirred in her cot, her complexion far healthier than the night before. Emily monitored her closely, her small form perched on a nearby shelf. 'Her vitals are steady,' Emily reported to Guldrin through their shared mental link. 'If there are side effects, they haven't shown up yet.'

"Good," Guldrin thought back. "Keep an eye on her. We can't afford any surprises."

Yuriko joined him shortly after, her face drawn but determined. "We need to test those crystals further," she said. "If they really can counteract the infection, they could be the key to turning the tide."

"Agreed," Guldrin said. "But we need to be smart about it. We don't know enough yet. And we need a steady supply, which means finding more of those glowing bastards."

Yuriko frowned, her gaze distant. "We'll need a scouting party. Volunteers only. It's too dangerous otherwise."

"I'll go," Saeko said, stepping into the conversation with her usual calm confidence. "I'm one of the best fighters here, and I can move quietly. If there's a chance to secure more crystals, I'll take it."

"I'll join you," Kohta added, adjusting his glasses. "I've got the firepower to back you up. And someone needs to keep the brains of this operation safe." He shot a glance at Saya, who scowled but didn't argue. "I didn't say I was going… But… Fine," She huffed, "I will go, I planned on it anyways."

Guldrin considered the three of them, then nodded. "Fine. But stay sharp. These things aren't just walking corpses, they're evolving."

Yuriko outlined the plan, her voice firm and authoritative. The scouting party would move out at first light, searching for any signs of the glowing infected and gathering intel on their behavior. Meanwhile, the rest of the group would fortify the estate and prepare for the possibility of an attack.

As the sun rose, casting its pale light over the estate, the survivors moved with renewed purpose. The air was heavy with tension, but it was tempered by a newfound determination.

Guldrin watched from the balcony as Saeko, Kohta, Saya, Rei, and a few others set off, their figures disappearing into the neighborhood. He felt a flicker of unease, but he pushed it aside. They knew the risks. All he could do now was prepare for whatever came next.

"Emily," he said softly, his voice carrying a note of resolve. "Keep watching Maki and monitoring her for any changes beyond what we are used to. If those crystals really are a gift from the world, or whatever's left of it, we need to understand them. Fast, because soon, whether I like it or not, I will need to consume that green crystal. Before that, we need to understand more, and evolve as far as possible."

Emily's voice was calm, almost soothing. "Understood. And Guldrin... you're doing the right thing."

He didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The road ahead was long, and the battles to come would test them all. But for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the future didn't seem quite so bleak.

—-

The morning had barely given way to the afternoon when Guldrin's thoughts shifted from the task at hand to the weight of what awaited them. He knew the world around them was about to become far more perilous. The whispers of a war for survival that would turn the city to ash had been traveling fast around the camp, and in the undercurrent of those warnings was an all-too-real feeling that they were on the brink of catastrophe. 

It was clear, more than ever, that there was no room for failure. A handful of survivors had taken refuge in the kitchen, rationing their share of water and powdered food, while others moved about with a determined, almost robotic focus.

Yuriko came up beside him as he stood at the edge of the estate, staring out at the chaos beyond its boundaries. "You seem concerned," she said quietly, folding her arms across her chest as she surveyed the fortified perimeter. The makeshift barriers of scrap metal and wood, combined with the grim expressions of those stationed behind them, told their own story of what had transpired since nightfall.

Guldrin didn't respond immediately. His mind spun with possibilities, calculations, and what-ifs. There was no luxury for doubt, not now. "I'm thinking about what to do next, this place is on its last legs, I know it is your family home but after that attack, it is as good as gone." he finally admitted, casting a sidelong glance at her. "It's isolated enough to keep us safe, but it will require every ounce of what we have left to make it secure." He took a long drag on his blunt as he pictured their next steps in his mind.

Yuriko's face hardened with resolve. "We need somewhere we can regroup. If we move to the warehouse you spoke of to Saya, we can consolidate supplies, build a stronger defense, and maybe even prepare for what's coming next."

"I know," Guldrin said, his tone brokering no argument. "And it's going to have to be soon. The longer we stay here, the more exposed we are. We can't rely on hope alone, not anymore. Saya may have told you what we said about the warehouse, but let me elaborate on that… Shiro and I own a warehouse at the docks, it is fortified and should be safe. At most someone has tried to take it over, but I am confident that wouldn't have worked for them. We had state-of-the-art security systems and locks, I don't believe in two or three days that they would have been able to crack it."

Before Yuriko could reply, a sudden buzz from the small television in the corner of the room caught their attention. It was an old set, practically an antique, but still working enough to keep them informed. Most mainstream TVs were obsolete since the cable companies had been shut down due to no one running them, but the satellite TVs still worked. The muted chatter from the reporters was replaced by the distinctive sounds of emergency sirens in the distance. Guldrin's stomach dropped; he could feel the tension spike in the room, the air thickening as a voice cut through the static.

"—possible nuclear strike reported over the city. Authorities have confirmed the launch, but reports are still coming in—"

The words were enough to trigger a wave of panic, muffled gasps, and quick movements echoing through the room. Guldrin stepped forward, eyes locked on the screen as a grainy image of the sky above the city flickered to life. A contrail stretched out like a line of thread, leading to a bright, ominous glow. The crowd shifted, some pulling back, some leaning in closer, hands trembling as they searched for answers in the grim details that followed.

And then, something unexpected happened. The feed shifted, a crackle of static overtaking the image, followed by an eruption of white light. An audible gasp swept through the room as a second image appeared: a surge of fire blooming in the sky, the nuke intercepted midair and detonated with a shocking force.

The first realization hit Guldrin like a blow. That wasn't just any intercept. That was a system meant to automatically intercept attacks, a powerful system, one that had likely been established long before the infected began their rampage. And yet, even as he felt a flicker of hope, it died as quickly as it came. The aftermath of the explosion left an eerie silence, followed by the dimming of all the electric lights in the room. It was as if the pulse of the city had been struck dead, an entire body of life rendered still.

"Power's out," someone whispered, eyes wide with fear. Then, suddenly, the TV went black. The dim light filtering through the cracks of boarded windows turned a reddish-brown color, the reality of a broken world now more apparent than ever. The murmurs escalated to frantic questions, but before anyone could voice their fear, an ear-splitting screech resonated from the sky. It was a sound that no one had heard before, deep and vibrating, sending a shiver through the room. Guldrin's heart skipped as he glanced up at the sky just in time to see a second flash. This one was larger, more violent, as though the heavens themselves were being torn apart.

The electronics stuttered and died, leaving only the raw, primal noise of human panic. Guldrin's mind raced, connecting the dots between the two strikes. "EMP," he said, though his voice sounded distant, as if the words were caught somewhere between his throat and the surreal reality unfolding before him. The first nuke had been intercepted midair, but the second had made it much closer before being intercepted. The closer proximity murdered all electronics in the area, "We just lost all electronics connected to a battery and circuits, phones, laptops, power systems, antennas, and car electronics. All gone…"

It was an act that would not only disable their communication but leave them stranded, defenseless against whatever horrors lay in the shadows. As if on cue, a chorus of screams erupted from the distance, mingling with the groan of nearby structures that were beginning to fall under the strain of impacts. The intercepting missiles seem to have not all hit their marks, and now they had to worry about runaway missiles crashing into the town.

The cacophony brought Guldrin back into the moment, and he turned to Yuriko, whose face was pale, a flicker of understanding dawning in her eyes. The electricity was gone. Most of their radios were useless. The only thing they had left were their weapons and each other. They may be able to scrounge together a few two-way walkie-talkies, old radios, and some other antics, but that was it for now.

"Change of plans… We need to move. Now," Yuriko said, urgency threading her words. He nodded, thoughts shifting to the warehouse again. It was no longer just a place to gather supplies, it was a fortress they needed to reach before the chaos spread. To do so, they needed to get the few vehicles they had running, which meant replacing the fried electronics, thankfully Letty had taught Shiro and Guldrin so much about getting vehicles of all kinds up and running.

Guldrin didn't waste another second. He sprinted toward the garage with Shiro already hot on his heels, their determination mirrored in the urgency of their movements. After years of working together, Shiro and Guldrin were always on the same wavelength. 

The garage was dimly lit, the last traces of natural light filtering through cracks in the walls. Scattered across the concrete floor were tools, parts, and a few partially disassembled vehicles they'd salvaged before the outbreak and had stored them inside their inventory.

"We need to check the ignition systems first," Shiro said, her voice tight with focus as she dropped to her knees near a stripped-down SUV. "If the EMP fried the starters, we're dead in the water."

Guldrin nodded and grabbed a voltmeter from his inventory. "Check for burned-out wires, too. If anything's melted, we'll have to strip and replace it. The wiring harnesses are going to be the hardest part. Focus on the vehicles that don't have many circuits, the Humvee should be fixable too."

Together, they worked quickly but methodically, their training and experience shining through. Shiro's nimble fingers dismantled the dashboard of the SUV, carefully tracing each wire to the ignition. Guldrin, meanwhile, inspected the engine bay of a nearby truck, searching for any sign of damage to the electrical components.

"Starter's toast," Shiro muttered, tossing a fried solenoid aside. "We're going to need a replacement."

"Same here," Guldrin called back. "Check the stash from last week's scavenging run. I think we picked up a couple of spares."

Shiro's eyes darted to her inventory, where crates of salvaged parts were stacked. She pulled them out and rummaged through them, muttering under her breath. "Found one for the SUV. What about you?"

Guldrin had already moved on to testing the alternator. "This one's intact. We'll need to swap out the battery, though. The EMP effectively cooked it."

Minutes turned into hours as the two worked tirelessly, replacing fried starters, rerouting damaged wires, and testing components. Shiro's laptop proved invaluable; its survival in the Faraday case, which she refused to leave without, allowed her to pull up schematics and guides for each vehicle.

"We're lucky these are older models," Shiro said, wiping sweat from her brow. "The newer ones would've been bricked entirely. Too much reliance on electronics."

Guldrin grunted in agreement as he tightened a bolt on the truck's ignition coil. "Yeah, Letty always said old-school is better when the chips are down. Looks like she was right."

By the time they got the first vehicle up and running, a battered but sturdy pickup truck, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. The engine roared to life, the sound echoing through the garage like a victory cry.

"One down," Guldrin said, his voice edged with exhaustion but laced with satisfaction. "Two more to go."

The second vehicle, a modified SUV, proved more challenging. Its fuel pump had also been fried, and they had to cannibalize parts from a wrecked sedan outside. Shiro crawled under the vehicle, her small frame making it easier to maneuver in the tight space, while Guldrin handed her tools and offered guidance.

"Try it now!" Shiro called out after reconnecting the new and repaired pump.

Guldrin turned the key, and the engine sputtered to life. "That's two! Let's get the last one."

The third vehicle, the Humvee, it was by far the easiest to repair. Its mechanical components had weathered the EMP better than the others, and within half an hour, it was running smoothly. Guldrin leaned against the hood, wiping grease from his hands.

"We did it," he said, his voice heavy with relief. "Three vehicles ready to roll."

Shiro smirked, though her eyes were shadowed with fatigue. "Now let's hope they're enough."

Yuriko appeared in the doorway, her expression a mix of urgency and approval. "You two are miracle workers. Miki and Saya's group hasn't returned, and we've lost all contact. We need to move now."

Guldrin exchanged a look with Shiro. "We're ready. Let's load up."

The survivors worked quickly, loading supplies, weapons, and a few jerrycans of fuel into the vehicles. Guldrin took the driver's seat of the pickup, with Shiro riding shotgun. Yuriko climbed into the SUV, while a handful of others piled into the Humvee, of course, Shizuka drove.

As they pulled out of the estate, the eerie quiet of the city enveloped them. The streets were littered with debris, abandoned vehicles, and the occasional shambling figure of the infected. The glow of fires on the horizon cast flickering shadows, a grim reminder of the chaos that had overtaken the world.

"We'll take the main road as far as we can," Yuriko's voice crackled over the scavenged and repaired walkie-talkie they'd rigged to work with the vehicles' short-range radios. "Saeko's group was heading toward the industrial district. Keep your eyes peeled."

Guldrin tightened his grip on the wheel, his eyes scanning the darkened streets. "Let's just hope we're not too late."

The convoy moved cautiously, headlights dimmed to avoid drawing attention. Every sound seemed amplified in the stillness, the rumble of the engines, the crunch of tires on rubble, the distant wails of the infected.

As they approached the industrial district, a faint flicker of movement caught Guldrin's eye. He slowed the pickup, squinting into the shadows. "Shiro, you see that?"

She leaned forward, her sharp gaze narrowing. "Yeah. Something's moving up ahead."

Guldrin tapped the brake, bringing the convoy to a halt. He reached for the radio. "Yuriko, we've got movement up ahead. Could be them, but stay alert."

The group dismounted, weapons at the ready. Guldrin and Shiro took point, moving cautiously toward the source of the movement. As they rounded a corner, they froze. Ahead of them, Saeko and the others were huddled behind an overturned van, their faces grim but relieved as they spotted the approaching group.

"Took you long enough," Saeko said, her tone light despite the tension in her stance. She gestured to a nearby building. "We've got a problem. The infected are swarming in there. There's something they're after, and it's keeping them occupied, but it won't last."

Guldrin's mind raced. "What is it?"

Saya stepped forward, adjusting her glasses, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "A cache of supplies and dead bodies. And something else, crystals. Glowing green ones, just like the one you said you found before from that giant abomination. We killed a boated zombie together, after we had gathered around 10 red crystals, but when we spotted that green glowing zombie drop a green crystal, it was like all the zombies could sense it, all the zombies bee-lined toward it. They seemed hell-bent on stealing the crystal, so we closed the gate and abandoned the building, but by now, they had accumulated around 40 zombies all fighting to get to the crystal, almost instinctually. They seem to crave it, to want it for some reason… You may have been right that they are evolving from these crystals, if a glowing zombie got this green, I suspect it would evolve immediately."

For a moment, the group stood in stunned silence. Then Guldrin nodded, his expression hardening. "We need to kill the zombies, gather all the reds we can get, and force our way in… We're getting those crystals. And we're getting out of here alive."

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)