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Ryu was understandably upset when I relayed the news that we were fucked from all sides to him. Without a transport off Ania, it was us against a poisoned world teeming with the undead. Ryu asked me to leave him alone for an hour or so while he assessed the situation. I spent the time doing push ups, sit ups and getting my ruck organized and cleaning my FAL, which had been neglected the past couple of months and damn was it showing. The barrel had become a smooth bore with how much gunk was built up inside the rifling and the bolt and bolt carrier were visibly degrading from the rust and the trigger...where the hell do I start there? In the condition it was in, every time I pulled it could have well been my last. If it had failed, the gun would have run away on full auto or send something flying through my skull. So taking note of the problems, I stripped my gun completely down and gave it a much needed restoration. I cleaned the barrel out completely and refreshed the chrome lining with a special formula I always carried with me, cleaned and polished the bolt, derusted and cleaned the trigger as well as cleaning out the gas block. Once all that was done, I washed my Fal with hot soap and water before putting it all back together and lubing it up. Once everything was said and done, the gun cycled much, much better than it had and almost seemed to have a new life in it.

I had just finished up with that when Chy came and got me.

"Hey Skyline", she said, "Ryu's waiting on the hotel roof, he wants to talk to us, all of us."

"Okay", I said standing up, slinging the FAL over my shoulder, "any idea where anyone else is?"

"I already rounded them up", she said, "only lose end left is you."

She grinned.

"I'll always be a lose end", I grinned back, "as long as I'm Hunting someone will want my head on a plate."

"You don't say?", Chy asked as we walked from the parking garage to the hotel. We stepped inside the lobby where Mike, Allen and the others were waiting. Everyone looked tired, maybe not physically tired, but mentally it was starting to get to us. Unlike in the lab where we had the luxury of sort of taking things easy, here on Ania we did not. Alcatraz looked like he'd been hit the hardest, maybe not mentally, but definitely physically. He was standing a lot taller now, even though he was using Matt as a support and his skin had the same red tint it had the first time he'd lost his exo.

"You look like hell Alcatraz", I noted.

"It's the lack of an Exo", he said, "I'm not used to going around without it."

"At least this time your systems aren't going haywire", Matt said.

"Let's see if we can get to the roof without trouble", I said as we split off into the two elevators, taking them both up to the roof, where we found a small command post like set up. There was camouflage netting, crates of ammunition, a few guns and a ham radio as well as maps of the area. Ryu was standing near the edge, looking out over the parking lot, his hands crossed behind his back, the extra length of his head band and his long white hair were flowing in the wind. We approached him and stopped maybe two or three yards from him. He took a deep breath.

"My friends", he began, "in my years in charge of the Order Of The Shadow and in my years as a Martial Arts master, I have seen much war, much suffering. I have seen famine, pestilence, displacement and corruption at their worst. And, though it dishonors and pains me to admit, I too, was guilty of the actions that caused some of these events to transpire. But never in my 86 years upon this planet have I seen a disaster of this magnitude. This parasite....this....evil, known as Agent 41, must be expelled from this planet and it's people, however, I fear I cannot do this alone."

He turned around and began to pace, his eyes still closed.

"Without the resources of a functioning governmental body and military force, we lack the capability to go on the offensive against Agent 41, however, given the nature of our location and the attractions and public services available here, I see a well of resources for us to exploit, as long as we can use the one thing that the undead have no need, use or care for...."

"Knowledge and ingenuity", I commented.

Ryu stopped and looked at me, "yes, indeed Skyline. Your Master taught you well. I know of a well of fuel very close by. At the bottom of every fueling station tank sits three inches of gas that the pumps cannot get to. Given the recent onset of Agent 41, I believe that this gas is still in perfect usable condition. Of course there is still the matter of retrieval and transport."

"Could we find one of those water pumps, the kind they use to drain ponds and pump it that way?", Matt asked.

"We could", Magellan said, "but you'd want to be able to use the same rig to transport it as well as pump it."

"A thought dawns Magellan", Ryu said, "we could make the use of a Water carrying truck to pump and carry the gas."

"We could", Magellan said, "of course there's the matter of finding one and then prepping it to hold fuel instead of water."

"Hotel maintenance equipment consists of several power washers", Ryu said, "with these we could easily flush any contaminants out of the tubes and piping and in the heat of Ania's day cycle the tank would be dry and ready to go in as little as a half hour."

"Of course", Magellan said, "now this leaves us with a food issue."

"Our best course of action for the long term is to attempt to establish crops as well as fishing and bird hunting", Ryu said, "birds and fish can be easily obtained by any of my men, however planting crops will require much more effort."

"I see the hard part as getting the dirt back here", I said, "if we could find a front loader or a backhoe, something of that nature, we could move a lot of dirt a lot faster than we could by hand."

"Couldn't we pick up heavy equipment like that the same place we find the water truck?", Alcatraz's asked.

"Most assuredly", Ryu said, "although, the possibility of finding their fuel tanks drained occurs to me."

"So we take a Jerry can or two of diesel fuel with us, just enough to get the damn things back here", I said.

"Yes of course", Ryu stated, "now, let us just hope that the water isn't shut off. If that happens, we will have no choice but to go into town and I fear to even think about that."

"Why?", I asked.

"You must understand Skyline", Ryu said, "the city of Calos is a giant slum. It was a very dangerous place before the outbreak, even with my men policing the streets 24/7 and gangs of civilians who aided them. When Agent 41 struck, nearly all of the city's residents were infected and quickly mutated into the Primal Type Xenomorphs that spread the infection to every possible corner with haste. I was unable to keep a lid on the spread and cordoned off the city, leaving only one route in, the land route. The remainder of my men who seem to be immune to it patrol the river and guard the land route attempting to catch and kill all of the dead ones who escape and sending the uninfected survivors here."

"Run that by me again?", Sarah asked, "you say that you have men who seem immune?"

"Yes Ms. Hayes", Ryu said, "I have failed to inform you of this?"

"Yes", Sarah said flatly.

"My apologies", Ryu said, "my mind is not what it once was. I can arrange escort for you to meet these men immediately if you so wish."

"Yes please", Sarah said, "do your medics have the necessary equipment to take blood samples?"

"They do", Ryu said, "I will alert them you are coming immediately, I recommend taking at least two body guards, activity from the dead ones and bandits has been high in that area. Here are some military grade cartridges for use in the market downstairs, I recommend you purchase a rifle, ammunition and any other miscellaneous gear that you could need. I feel that you will be in the field much in the coming weeks."

"Skyline, Matt", Sarah said taking a box of ammo from Ryu, "you guys are coming with me to meet Ryu's men."

"That means the rest of us will go and try to retrieve the trucks", Magellan said, "minus you Alcatraz, no offense."

"None taken Magellan", Alcatraz said, "Ryu, if you'll allow me a radio so I can at least maintain contact with them, I'd appropriate it."

"I will grant your request", Ryu said, "now let us depart, we have but a mere hour and 15 minutes before sundown and I wish everyone be back by then."

With that, we departed. My team met in the bottom lobby where we got maps of where it was we were going and then everyone but Sarah and myself departed. Sarah spent the ammo that Ryu gave her quickly, but wisely. With the 250 round belt, she purchased an M4, 300 rounds of FMJ 77 gran ammo, a red dot sight, a set of grenades and throwing knives, some food, two canteens and one of Ryu's surplus stealth suits, which was basically a black version of what I had with full finger gloves.

"Ready to go?", I asked as she finished checking her gear and getting everything situated.

"I hope so", she said sighing nervously as we walked out the door, "I'm fucking scared, I've never handled anything bigger than a 9mm and I'm worried I'll have to use it. Last time I was in the field, Mike had an entire Marine team as well as two people who were assigned just to protect me."

"I doubt you will", I said, "but on the off chance something happens, remember, those people are not at piece and the only way they can be helped until we have that cure in hand is with a bullet."

"Hell of an outlook on things sky", Sarah sighed.

"Sure", I said, "it sucks, but I'm also very aware that everyone survivor we save and every infected we can spare is one less who is lost to 41, don't look at it from who we have to put down, but who we save and how many infected we can spare."

Sarah didn't answer me. There wasn't any question that she was afraid to use that M4 and I found myself offering a prayer that she wouldn't have to, but I didn't doubt her judgment, nor her ability to use it effectively if it should be required of her. We walked to the front guard post where the medical truck was idling behind the tank that we had ridden on to and back from the lifeguard tower.

"Prince Skyline", a 17 year old looking girl said saluting me, she had on what seemed to be a white version of the stealth suit with a red cross on each shoulder. Her partner was a Male Xenomorph that seemed to be only about a year younger.

"At ease", I said, "are you the driver of this truck?"

"yes sir", she said, "Ryu gave word that you were coming. Are you ready to depart? It's a 30 minute drive there and back."

"Yes", I said, "let's leave immediately."

"Sir yes sir", the both of them replied entering the truck. Sarah and climbed up on the tank as there wasn't room in the truck due to all the medical equipment.

"Get gassed up?", I asked the tank commander.

"Yes sir", he said as the tank lurched, "got a full tank good for 420 miles."

"Great", I said, "I have a feeling we'll need it."