(Untitled)

[ghost_of_00]

Characters: 00 (ghost_of_00), Qi (enchainement) and later Stellaris (lingeringlegacy)
Date/Time: December 5th, morning
Location: Fisher Island
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Summary: How does I survival instinct?

Comments

[enchainement]

Something about the nature of what was going on had distracted Qĭ. Distracted her badly. She'd been nearly the last tor realize she could do something new; where there was one, suddenly there were three, but only with one voice between her.

The first time she'd done it in front of her brother she'd startled the poor medic badly.

Who was to say why she hadn't followed Simon to the Wilderness during the impromptu evacuation, but it was probably for the best that she hadn't. It definitely was for 00's best interest that she showed up anyway.

Death is inevitable was not the sort of thought one came across and ignored, anyway.

The ability of division by three turned out to be useful against zombies. For the most part, she'd avoided them; unthinking alive not dead not alive things made her head hurt in ways she didn't want to be comfortable with.

The mob of zombies surrounding her prone friend were dealt with in short order - several of them more or less dismembered and chucked over the side of the bridge where they simply existed in free fall for a while. Qĭ ended up crouching over 00, while the other two of her watched out for more zombies incoming.

To say 00 didn't look good was putting it lightly. "You're not okay." The question was, was 00 even awake or aware?

[ghost_of_00]

The pain... slowed. New pain stopped happening, but existing pain was still there. The sounds became different. Thuds, tearing flesh, something rushing through the air in a doppler effect. 00 lifted her head and concentrated on identifying the person now looking down at her. Qi. Where had she come from?

"No," she agreed, noting the strain in her own voice. Pain, making itself evident. Why? Because it hurts, was the only answer she could think of. Too much hurt to wonder why injuries nowhere near the larynx manifested themselves in sound.

She hadn't even started wondering how Qi had dealt with the zombies so effortlessly. They had been there, now they were not. 00 couldn't think of any other information that might be relevant... wait. Could she stand? She wasn't going to die immediately, which meant she could get medical attention. But as with her other question, the only answer was it hurts.

[enchainement]

It was an unconscious act, an un-self conscious one even, to reach out and touch 00's cheek. "Not sure you should move. I could carry? Harder to run that way but we might make it." Two islands between them and the access point. Could she really carry someone that far?

Something told her she could, if she had to. If she remained separate then they would be safe, but 00 would have to decide for herself. For the moment she tried to help the other girl to her feet. "It hurts because they hurt you."

[ghost_of_00]

Touch. A gesture of affection? Contact? Reassurance? 00 wasn't sure. It hurt. Yes. Five zombies had become twelve. She tried counting how many sources of pain there were, but it was too difficult. More than three.

"I don't want to put you in danger," she said. No. Qi should be safe. 00 had fought zombies to defend others. If someone died because of her, it would be... wrong. Yet the memory of the boy returned. "But I don't want anyone to cry."

[enchainement]

Any. All of the above. Did it really matter? Qĭ didn't think so, or at least it wasn't important in the light of everything else going on. "I am always in danger." Mostly from herself but that was kind of the point.

"If you die people will cry. And who will clean all the things?" Up you get 00. Carried or supported, they will make their way to the Access Point if it takes all of her energy. "You'll get better, you'll see."

That reminded her that telling someone that 00 was hurt was likely in order. The one of her standing ahead scribbed something in the leather bound book while she tried to make sure that 00 wasn't going to fall over or start coughing up blood right that moment.

[ghost_of_00]

Stellaris would need to clean more. But she might cry. Would she? 00 didn't know. Kagerou might. She didn't know if Composer would, either. His music would turn sad. It was sad when his music was sad.

Her leg muscles hadn't been damaged, and she hadn't lost enough blood that she couldn't stand, so long as she had support. But she couldn't stop from gasping as movement caused more pain to flare from the wounds. If she walked, it would be too slow to be safe.

She looked ahead at what appeared to be another person. No. Qi was in front of them, writing in the journal. But Qi was here, keeping her upright. "Who is she?" 00 asked, this question suddenly dominating her thoughts.

[enchainement]

People would cry, Qĭ was sure of it. That's what people did when they lost things that were irreplaceable, and sometimes even things that could be replaced. Might not be tears on their faces, it might be the inability to laugh or sad music or a loss of voice, but it was crying all the same to her.

The gasp was enough to tell her that walking wasn't an option, which meant carrying 00. Any one else her size would probably have problems with it, but Qĭ had faith in herself. Or something along those lines. "Me. She, her, me." Up you get, 00. "There is usually two, sometimes three, it happens but it doesn't happen like this. Only one to speak with so I suppose I'm the origin point? Hold on we're going to run."

[ghost_of_00]

...Oh.

00 didn't understand. There were two copies of Qi. One to speak with. Did they other two lack souls? Something tightened inside her. Are they real? Is it possible for one soul to have three bodies? The self, extended outwards, yet still confined in physical form. How? Why? It tugged at her thoughts but she couldn't find a way to understand.

Pain. Loss of blood. Exhaustion. Thinking is difficult. She would think later. And now she was up off the ground... 00 held on. The fundamentals of the situation were simple. Qi had arrived and would attempt to bring her to safety. If that was successful, her wounds would be treated. If that was successful, she would survive.

It was a logical chain of thought, without any details added.

[enchainement]

Maybe when 00 was better, when these things were gone, Qĭ could try explaining how a division of the mind apparently became a division of the visible self at the Tree's whim. For now, however, the question had been answered and there wasn't a lot of time for elaboration.

So they ran, all three of them. Two for offense, one to keep 00 up and off her feet. They encountered a few pockets of zombies but they were dealt with fast enough that they couldn't engulf the rescue party.

Eventually they crossed the bridge back to Wellspring and the her up ahead waved at the party waiting for them.