Deadland

Chapter 9- Boom

(Tw!! Mentions of Suicide)

"Vi, power down the main screen and workstations." "Powering down main screen and workstations." 

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea steps closer to Dr. Jenner. 

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal." 

"Or the wrath of god?" Jaqui interrupts. 

"There is that." Dr. Jenner admits. 

"Jesus so we came here looking for answers and all we got were hangovers?" I roll my eyes and scoff. 

"Somebody must know something. Somebody somewhere."

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" 

"There may be some." Jenner pauses, "People like me."

"But you don't know, how can you not know?"

"Everything went down. Communications, directives-all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it's not just here. There's nothing left, anywhere? Nothing? That's what you're really saying, right?" Adrea interrogates.

Dr. Jenner doesn't respond, he just looks at the ground. 

"Jesus." I whisper. Alyssa looks up at me. "So everything's over? We're all gonna die? No where's safe?" Her lip quivers and I can see genuine fear in her eyes." "No, 'Lyss. There are safe places, I promise. We are all going to live until we are one hundred and two years old and have wrinkly skin and have no teeth." She gasps and covers her mouth, "But I like my teeth." I shrug, "Well, take good care of 'em because when you turn one hundred, they're all gonna fall out in your sleep." 

"Adrian! Stop scaring her." Shane croaks. I pretend not to hear him; I can barely even look at him. 

Everybody looks like they're about to throw up at Dr. Jenner's words. 

Daryl rubs his eyes, "Man, I'm gonna get shit-face drunk, again."

 "Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question but- that clock, it's counting down. What happens at zero?" 

"The..." Dr. Jenner hesitates. "Basement generators, they run out of fuel." 

"And then?" Rick asks. 

Dr. Jenner doesn't respond, he just walks away. 

"Vi, what happens when the power runs out?" Rick calls out.

"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." The auto-mated voice answers.

"The fuck does that mean?" I ask, looking around. 

My dad, Glenn, T-dog, and Rick decide to go check the generators in the basement.

"Adrian, c'mere." Alyssa motions for me to follow her to the rec room. 

"Lookie." She hands me what might be the most detailed drawing of her and I together, when I was teaching her how to use my bow and arrow in the woods. 

"Holy fuck." "Language!" "Sorry, but jesus. This is good, 'Lyss." She smiles brightly. "I made it last night after I put you to bed like a child." I smile lightly, "It's amazing." I look at Alyssa. "I'll put it in my backpack." She smiles even wider. "Yay, that means it's important." I scoff, "Of course it's important, Alyssa. God damn this should be in an art show." It's made by lead pencil, but everything is individually shaded and colored in. 

Without warning, everything shuts down. Alyssa looks at me with wide eyes. "Hold on." I look out of the rec room, as does everyone else. 

"What the hell?" I ask, looking at Dr. Jenner as he's walking down the hallway.