Vyral

Chapter 0: Part 1 - Move on

"Bet I'm in deep shit. Last time I got called up to main office was around what, 8 weeks ago? Damn... This guy is either gonna give me a shitty job to do or a shitty expansive lecture, like I'm some sorta dog.
His 'honorable missions' are the last thing I need in my life right now. With the amount of stuff I have to clean up already it'd be a pain in the ass to do anything else. If my pretty little hands have to clean any more brains off the walls I'm gonna force feed this asshole screws for breakfast. I'm sure he'll like his french toast with a side of molten metal to start off the morning just right. Maybe some crispy crickets dipped in almond milk will make for a nice side dish.

It's been 3 weeks and all I do are chores, what a fucking headache.
Are my pranks so good that he does this on purpose? No better way to get back at me I guess" - He lets out a silent chuckle.

"I mean, it doesn't make sense to me. He calls me his right hand and then makes me do gutter shit tasks? Says it's a privilege to clean 'mortal remains' for the good of the Colony? Piss right off. A 'right hand' doesn't do shit like this. Then again, I'm not really sure what else I'd do. Nobody volunteers to do these jobs anymore, so I guess it falls on me.
Maverick's the other poor bastard that keeps trying to save us from death out of boredom. He even went out of his way to speak to Rhys himself to alleviate all the tasks that I have.
I'm grateful to him honestly. But Rhys had to say no.. Go figure."
Deep breath.
"Ahh... Whatever.." Kayden murmurs.

Stepping into the office reveals a series of individuals lined up afront the boss' desk, waiting for orders. One of them seems familiar, a short girl with a black ponytail, dressed in a thin white shirt, black cargo pants tucked into her military boots. It's Reyna, his selected soulmate.

Kayden: "The hell is this?" He inquires, being quite surpised by all his friends being present.

Rhys: "Kayden." The boss retorts. "Please get in line, I have a mission for everyone present in this room." - He states, fixing his tie and adjusting his own jacket.

Kayden listens as he lines up with the others.

Rhys: "You are all to explore the Contamination Zone recently discovered by Maverick and his team. Although they are the ones who found it, he made the choice to return to the Colony due to the low amount of supplies the team had upon finishing their mission. Which means the seven of you are the second and only optimal team to explore it."

Kayden is on a comfortable level with Rhys, so he often forgets to read the room, and that he can't have normal chatter with him in matters as formal as this one.

Kayden: "No way Reyna's going, I wanna keep her safe in case you forgot."
Rhys: "I'm afraid that is not possible."
Kayden: "Why the hell not? You can't just do anything you want Rhys."
Rhys: "Actually, I can. Because I, Kayden, am the one responsible for this Colony, just in case you forgot."

Kayden grits his teeth.
"Fuck off."

The boss signals Kayden to stand down, and due to the rules established by him inside his office, people are only permitted to speak when he allows them to, to keep order during formal meetings. Kayden broke those rules.

Rhys: "With that minor misconception out of the way, I'll now explain again why the seven of you were chosen to be here today.
For starters, you have all been to previous expeditions. Therefore, your familiarity with the outside world is far superior to that of someone who has never left.
Secondly, most of the experienced Scout teams are busy checking the subway system for any nests the infected might've left behind during their last horde, and I would be out of my damn mind if I ever sent the other teams, composed of only 3 rookies, into a Contamination Zone just because they're available.

And finally, to satisfy your concerns Kayden, Reyna is among the most intellectual people in our Colony, on par with Mell and Amina, who are also present here today. So grouping the most experienced people in the colony together after Maverick's prized team is absolutely essential. We cannot depend on one expedition team alone to carry out all of our Zone missions.