Podpop!

[cityship]

[ooc: Newbie Helpers List | Instructions: Post your character with one post establishing them as being podpopped. Tag each other in groups of 2's, 3's, and 4's, to get some interaction to start with. If a thread doesn't already have 2 or 3 people tagged in, tag it with your character's podpop popping near the other people, rather than making a

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[zouichi]

His emergence from the pod felt much like his first disoriented steps into the world outside of the simulator. But although the former had also been a shock, he had at least been prepared for his eventual release and designed to function properly in his new environment. This time, he was mostly just covered in some kind of unidentifiable green slime.

And he was naked.

His fingers went reflexively to his side, but his pistol hadn’t miraculously been spared the fate of the rest of his possessions.

On some level, Zouichi registered the contents of the ship's message, storing it away for future use. Stacy, ship, fight the Ohm, Chosen. He had never heard of the Ohm: a new player in the scramble for survival?

His systems sensed no immediate danger, which was good, and the presences of human life, which was better. He turned towards the sounds of the others in the chamber, instinctively seeking those who needed assistance.

[i_sell_drugs]

Howard, now clothed in the plant thing that the tentacles provided - and aren't tentacles just the most charming and comforting thing to find when you're woken up in a pod of goo - notices someone who seems just a bit calmer to the rest. Someone who seems to have instincts beyond Howard's 'panic, scream and cry' impulse.

"Hey! You! Why why why is there a computer talking to me, why am I covered in goo, and is there a way to appeal to the board that picked us as champions and tell them it was a really bad idea?" he asks, nearly hysterical.

[zouichi]

"Where did you get that suit?" asked Zouichi, and then remembered that the man had asked him a question, and also that he seemed very upset.

"I'm not sure, but it didn't seem like making an appeal was really an option. Are you a civilian? I will do my best to make sure you are not harmed."

[i_sell_drugs]

I will do my best to make sure you are not harmed.

Okay, Howard likes this guy. Doesn't trust him, but Howard doesn't trust anyone, but he certainly likes the idea of someone looking out for him in case that weird spiky turtle over there or the tentacles try to do a number on him.

"There's tentacles over there that do things I'm really, really not used to tentacles doing, but they give you clothes, or you know, whatever this is because it's breathing but I think it's supposed to be clothes..." he takes a few deep breaths. The air smells awful but not all that much more humid than oceanside California. "I'm a civilian and I have no freaky powers. I can't be expected to defend myself."

[zouichi]

Zouichi nods in response. "I understand. If it helps, I also do not have any freaky powers. I'm a Synthetic Human designed for military applications. Would you mind accompanying me to these clothing-tentacles?"

[i_sell_drugs]

Well, despite all the weirdness in his hometown, 'synthetic human' isn't something Howard's familiar with. He's thinking something along the lines of a test-tube baby mixed in with the AI from Terminator: Salvation. "Right. Okay. No offense, but that's freaky enough, man. And um, sure, it's this way." He motions to where the clothing vines are.

[zouichi]

The tentacles were exactly as unpleasant as Howard had described, if not more so. Their organic, alien nature reminded him strongly of the N5S drones, but on the other hand, he was no longer naked.

He picked idly at the plantsuit, which was much thinner and lighter than his armor. He hoped it was more substantial than it looked.

"Much better. If I may ask, where are you from?"

[i_sell_drugs]

Howard's not entirely sure is naked is worse than the suits. The breathing is really upsetting. He doesn't like feeling like he's in a sock-mouth-flesh combo. "Long story. Have you ever read Lord of the Flies?"

[zouichi]

"Ah, yes. It was part of my educational program. A novel by William Golding, in which children are left stranded and their society quickly dissolves into infighting, murder, and tribalism. It was deemed important as a study of what might happen to humanity in a power vaccuum."

[i_sell_drugs]

"Well, when you put it that way...think of that, but with talking coyotes, an electric fence, flesh-eating worms, and a bunch of ten year-olds carrying machine guns. Oh, and a homicidal psychopath who has a tentacle arm living in my basement. Can't say I'm a big fan of the tentacle arm." He shudders. "What kind of world do you come from that you need to study humanity?"

[zouichi]

Talking coyotes? Flesh-eating worms?

Well, Zouichi did know a talking bear, so he supposed he couldn't judge.

"Where I come from, most cities are under lockdown to prevent the spread of a mutagenic virus. It's highly contagious and transforms people into mindless drones. However, the spread of the disease is now mostly seen as inevitable, and two out of three major powers are now attempting to infect the entire human race." He smiles grimly. "In some ways, I suppose it is also like Lord of the Flies.

"What happened in your world? It sounds like normal humans are a minority there."

[i_sell_drugs]

"Oh man, so a zombie apocalypse? I always thought people were joking when they talked about preparing for that." In a sick way it makes Howard feel better to know that his world isn't the only world that outright sucked. "Since you're synthetic, can you catch it?"

"Like I know. One minute it's life as normal, next minute all the adults are gone and kids are shooting lasers out of their hands. It's been that way for about a year." He shakes his head and waves his hands to signal 'no'. He's very expressive with his hands. "We're the majority, but that doesn't do a lot of good when the oldest people in town still aren't old enough to take a high school government class and anyone with powers can just throw whole churches with their mind when they're pissed off."

[zouichi]

A zombie apocalypse. For some reason, no one had ever really described it as such (it probably sounded too cartoonish and pedestrian, and scientists hated that more than anything). But that was basically what it was.

"No. I was designed to combat the drones, so it would have been foolish to create someone susceptible to the virus. There are even a rare few humans who appear to be immune to it; I was supposed to be tracking them down."

He considered what Howard had said. The adults were all gone? Did that mean they had disappeared, or that they were dead? It was difficult to tell. People with special abilities were not unheard of, and yet it sounded like perfectly ordinary human beings had suddenly manifested them for no obvious reason.

"If there are no adults, and no government structure, then I suppose your world is simply ruled by those who are strongest. And yet, you managed to survive."

[i_sell_drugs]

"To find a cure, right? Or a vaccine? Because that sounds like the smart thing to do, but obviously people don't always act the smartest when there's zombies and devastation everywhere. Just in general."

"I have my ways," he says cryptically. They mostly involve buying weapons and protection with illegal substances and being the best friend of one of the strongest mutants in the FAYZ. "We're working on that government structure thing. I'm part of the town council but you know, getting seven fifteen year-olds to agree on a constitution takes time. Mostly we're just trying to not all starve to death."

[zouichi]

"Toha is pursuing a vaccine, and the accommodators are the most likely source of that vaccine. However, I believe the other organizations are interested in N5S's regenerative power. They believe immortality is within their grasp, if they can properly perfect the virus in the lab."

Zouichi senses there's something Howard has left unsaid, but it's not exactly his nature to question the human beings he's supposed to protect. As an ordinary human in the face of extraordinary circumstances, Howard has somehow managed to thrive and achieve influence -- most likely something to be admired. "Will they be all right without you?"

[i_sell_drugs]

"Immortality? I mean, I'm all for not dying but who wants that? Shouldn't quality of life have like, some influence in this, since there's still a big scary zombie virus out?"

He opens his mouth to say something, then pauses. He knows full well Orc won't be, and Orc happens to be the only person he'll miss. He swallows and declares "well, according to Spacey Stacy they're all dead, so I guess it doesn't matter."

He doesn't believe that either. If he got chosen, surely Orc did too. They're a pair, fairly useless without each other, at least in his view.