Heart-Pounding Collab (3)
"Y-Yeah... I can hear you, Moteok."
I answered for now. She's older than me, so ignoring her would go against my principles.
'Please come. I'm dying. Seriously dying. Waaah. Save me. Save me. I'm hungry.'
I scratched the back of my head. Truth is, I had no choice anyway. Gotta go. Gotta go. Following the angel's words is the right call. Sigh, gotta head to heaven... Amen.
"Where are you? I'll come to you."
'Oh! I knew I could count on you. I'm at the gas station right now. Hurry!'
"It'll take me a bit. No car. Gotta walk."
'Huh? Oh, then I'll come to you. I'll come. Send me your map coords.'
"Got it."
The second I called out my coordinates...
'On my way. Sena, don't hang up. I'm seriously coming. Almost there already.'
Should I run now? This situation feels really bad. Even I can tell that much, dim as I am. I'm not that stupid or oblivious. I get it... I just can't say it outright or shut it down.
I know...! But to get to heaven, I have to follow the angel's advice. She's already bestowed divine revelation. Find the vaccine with Moteok.
Vaccine... Finding the vaccine is tough. There's this monster called the Vaccine Zombie—black hazmat suit, white mask—that spawns somewhere. But hunting it down doesn't guarantee a drop. This server's at 3% chance. My editor had it set to 15% originally, but the Zang Alexandria Library librarians complained it was too easy, so it got nerfed.
Can we really pull this off? I'm no pro, that's the problem.
'On my way. Why'd you go quiet? Did you leave? Can you hear me? Hello? Hello?'
"I-I'm... here."
'Phew... I feel sick... Got bandages? Bandages... Bandages...'
I opened my inventory. Plenty of bandages. I'd stocked up.
"Got tons of bandages."
'Thank goodness. Be there soon. Any second now.'
"'Taking her cuz validation addict'? I don't have that!"
What validation addiction? That's a frame job. Frame. Trying to paint me as a needy VTuber. Me? Where? When did I ever seek validation? They'd hem and haw or clam up if I asked. "I seriously don't. Frame... Frame no-no."
Chat, yeah, whatever. Hate all you want. I'll crush that hate. Frame me like that. I don't fall for it anymore. I've grown a ton.
"Getting... vicious? Am I getting vicious now? Stop the framing...!"
They spam question marks at first, then apologize to me. Yeah. Can't do bad stuff. Gotta apologize if you're wrong.
"Got it...! I'll come back...! Pbbbt."
"Sena. Sena. You there?"
A voice suddenly crackles through. I turn on the radio and reply.
"I hear you."
"Not the radio. I'm outside."
"Huh...? Oh. One sec."
I head toward the sound. There's a yellow car rumbling there. Ride this around? That's straight-up suicide. Walking's safer—the thing looks wrecked.
"Y-You drove this here?"
"Yeah. Nearly died."
I check Moteok's status right away. Most of her body's wrapped in bandages.
"Bitten?"
"Scratched. Not bitten."
Bite: 100% zombie. Torn wound: 25%. Scratch: 7%. But with four bandaged spots, no miracle means zombie for sure. Should I waste a precious vaccine on her? I seriously wonder... No. No. Angel's principle. She said it. Gotta find it. Give it.
"Hand over your Zang-type bandages first. Here, mine."
"Bandages... Okay."
"I'll do it."
"No, let me do yours."
"...I can do it."
"It's fine. I'll treat you!"
I need to see with my own eyes. All scratches? Then straight to vaccine hunt. If so, Moteok deserves it. Heh, figures. Can't all be scratches.
"Ow... Ow... Cold..."
"..."
"See...?"
"Yeah..."
One bite, two tears, one scratch. Basically a zombie already.
"What happened on the way?"
"A lot... Happened."
"Job...?"
"Petty thief."
Ah, explains the car. "Wanna hotwire another? Zang-type?"
"...Y-Yeah!"
"Hop in. I'll grab a good one on the way."
"Yup!"
I got swept up in Moteok's pace and agreed before I knew it. I climb into the passenger seat.
The car starts slow... Vroom... Bang. Stops.
Engine dead?
"Aigoo, car died? I'll restart and push it."
She restarts and we roll again. Scary as hell. In real life, I'd cling to the overhead handle shaking. " Zang-type. Favor?"
"What?"
"Wanna sleep. Drive for me?"
"Ah... Sure."
I'm still a newbie driver badge... Newbie driver? Oh! Right. I'd wreck if I drove. Dodged disaster.
"Oh yeah, I'm newbie driver."
Slow driving debuff: lower speed, speed cap. Problem: too slow, zombies clog you. Last week, tried busting through a horde as newbie driver, got stuck and died. Asked viewers—they said the debuff blocked it. Remove it? Nah, good value, they said...
"Newbie driver? Oh. What now?"
"Uh... Yeah?"
Don't ask me! I don't know either...!
Silence falls.
"Uh... I'll sleep first. Guard me?"
"Got it. I'll scout perimeter!"
"Ooh! Awesome, Zang-type."
"Ehehe."
Experience teaches. Editor died last time 'cause no scout. One must watch. Both sleep, one dies.
I scan around, bashing zombies. One... Two... Few at first, but killing draws more from the woods.
Walkers are fine. Sprinters suck. They blitz in fast. Nearly bit. Pop out of nowhere—no answer.
"Whew, close call. Moteok, you asleep?"
"Just... a bit more... They'll go away."
We reach the Large Mart. She stuffs food in her pockets right away. I check chat...
Grab cans and items casually.
"Where next? Hammer? Torch?"
"Hm. Right. Find survivors first, team up."
Destination set. Meet Maru and Raming, report situation, let them decide Moteok's fate.
"Let's go, Moteok! Heading out."
"Ah, uh... Yeeeeee~ Vaccine hunt, right? You didn't ditch me. Zang-type. Zang-type~ Knew it. Gimme a sec. Grabbing more."
"Okay, I'll get water! But Moteok, how many hours in Zomboid?"
I head to the bathroom. Her voice carries from the restroom.
"Me...? 35 hours?"
"Newbie, huh?"
"Not total newbie. Played before."
I'm over 80... 35 is newbie. No wonder she's rough.
"Figures..."
"Gaaahhh! Zang-type!!!!"
Screen jolts. That sound. I grab my axe and bolt out.
NPC charging, screaming. Bandit. Hostile NPCs that level like us. Start with fists, axes, clubs—later guns. Early game, just stay calm, easy. Super easy. Focus, axe whack whack, done.
"Phew... Over. Moteok? Huh?"
Her voice cut out sometime ago. Mart's dead quiet. Wait... What? No way... No way?
Body shakes.
"She's dead..."
Looking at the corpse...
"Good riddance. Better respawn... How to find vaccine now."
I blurt the truth. Her canned goods and items? I'll use 'em well. Yeah. That's right. Plus, her inventory had overkill stuff. Pearls on a pig. Yeah, Sena. Stay cold. Survival demands it.
"Off to find others, everyone... Oh, would've been perfect if she'd wired a good car. Shame. Next time, viewers."