01 First Contact

   The morning sun beats down upon Zack Harris as he stands in his position along the outpost wall near the door of the compound. The young man stands watch keeping an eye out for any survivors who find their way to the camp, these days it seems the amount of survivors has become greatly outweighed by sightings of infected moving along the hill. They have had to fight fewer groups of infected or stragglers since the discovery that chaining infected to posts along the perimeter that leads to the walls of the compound. This discovery allowed them time to expand the walls and eventually drill their way into the cliff area making it able to create a way to escape in case of a sudden overrunning of the camp.

    Zack turns for a moment overlooking the camp behind the wall as he pulls his black hair back into a ponytail. He has always found the idea of naming this camp Oasis a bit ironic in his mind, to him it feels Mirage would have been more fitting because Oasis suggests a blissful living. This camp has no feeling of bliss from atop the wall, but rather that of a waiting area to death. For the last near two years, simple survival has become so second nature that the only joy to be found is the few children in the camp of nearly one hundred forty seven survivors as they play games, usually about fighting and killing the infected. He wishes he could look at this as a simple game as he lights the half a cigarette he had been saving to keep from running out. Zack is called away from his observations as another guard yells out from further down the wall.

   "WE HAVE MOVEMENT!"

    The words echo as the camp falls silent at the thought of what will be found. Zack quickly snatches up his scope and begins surveying the movement that was noted. Focusing in upon the movements coming over the hill, Zack softly smiles as he surveys the group of twenty three by his count, mostly armed and running a few wagons hopefully stocked with supplies. Only a few armed men on horseback quickly help him determine this is a caravan rather than one of the raiding parties they deal with on occasion. Even in the slow death of society, they have been forced to kill some of the living who simply refuse to share and work together.

    "It's a caravan. Twenty-three heads with only seven showing arms." Zack lowers his scope as he motions for the greeting party to ready themselves, the ten men who usually meet any who enter making sure they have no ill intents and the make sure none have been bitten. As the caravan nears, Zack pulls the locking lever to allow the doors to open by hand. As the greeting party exits the walls, the people in the camp stand back watching to see who they may see. A few caravans travelling have actually brought loved ones together on occasion and all remain hopeful each time. The guards on the wall all raise their rifles towards the visitors as the greeting party walk out to meet them.

   "Welcome to Oasis. My name is Derrick Patterson and we will be ushering your party in once we do a quick inspection of the wagons and people. We need to keep this simple and civil, so we ask that you holster weapons during inspection, which we will do in kind." The older man leading the greeting party smiles a sincere yet serious smile as the riders holster their rifles onto the saddles. A mental sigh of relief seems to be mutual as Derrick motions his people to the wagons quickly receiving the all-clear. As they check the various riders, Derrick feels a slight chill from the rider who seems to be isolating himself in the rear from the rest of the group. Derrick slowly moves his hand to his gun as he begins questioning the seemingly distant member of this party.

   "You there, you seem distant from the rest. For the record, we don't generally allow guns for hire behind these walls if that is the case. What's your..." Derrick stops speaking as the rider slides his sunglasses off looking into his eyes with a seemingly hollow gaze. The man's gaze makes the hair on Derrick and the rest of the greeting party stand up on their neck. Most hired guns have a lonely or dead look in their eye, but this man gives the feeling of a cold death in his dark brown eyes. The man slowly dismounts the horse holding the reins motioning to one of the other riders who come back taking control of the horse. Even the horse seems glad to be away from the man who was riding on it's back as he looks Derrick deep in the eyes as he realizes the brown in his eyes almost blends into the black of his pupils.

    "I was only along for the ride to ensure the safety of the party. Now that they have arrived, I will be on my way." As the man turns to walk away, he stops as the clicking of hammers on pistols seem to echo across the hillside.

    "Not just yet, young man. You will stay here until we can be sure that...." Derrick's words are cut short as Zack yells out from atop the wall.

    "WE GOT INFECTED MOVING IN! GET THE INSPECTION DONE AND IN HERE NOW!" Another small troop moves out to help with inspecting the party for potential infections as Derrick motions his squad to help out, keeping his guy trained on the departing man.

    "You have a choice young man, show any potential infections and come inside or face that on your own." The man turns to see a now visible small herd of thirty infected coming down the hill towards the camp.

    "None of this party is infected. Move them and yourselves inside and conserve your bullets. I'll deal with them on my way out." The man slowly turns and starts up the hill towards the herd, reaching behind his waist for the .45 tucked away and over his shoulder for the short sword drawing it out as his slow walk becomes a run. Derrick motions everyone in the doors watching as the young man charges towards the herd motioning his men to be ready to fire as the doors close and bolt. His unit begins taking firing positions as all realize the lone man has run straight through the herd unnoticed.

    The man turns quickly swinging his sword quickly decapitating two of the herd as he raises his gun picking off others, every shot is a head shot and they come quickly. Zack watches through his rifles scope in shock and awe as he watches this man mow through them almost undetected. His fluid motions with gun and sword are a sight to behold as he quickly thins the herd by nearly fifteen before the rest seem to finally take notice of him. Holstering his empty pistol and sword, the man draws a knife in each hand and braces for close combat before a straggler who has the ability to run comes from behind quickly pouncing on him and ripping into him taking him down.

    Derrick motions for his me to begin firing when they have a shot as the young man quickly comes up with the newly infected throwing him back and turning on the herd again quickly running in with blades swinging as he mows through slicing and stabbing infected as the unit works to pick off the rest of the herd. Once all the herd has been taken down, the young man turns to the runner who has come back up and after him. The two collide and quickly hit the ground as a barrage of knife gabs and slices fly until the runner is taken care of.

   Derrick motions his unit to follow as they walk out to the lone fighter knowing he was bitten to offer putting an end to his coming infection. As they move along, Zack stands on the wall watching through his scope in near disgust at the sight he sees from the young man realizing he is eating part of the runner he has put down. As Derrick draws in upon the man and quickly realizes what he is doing, he quickly motions for his men to draw as they surround the man.

   "On your feet son and I hope you have a good explanation for this." Derrick stands with his .44 Magnum trained on his head as his men light up laser sights on the man who slowly stands and turns, his bare back which was ripped and bitten slowly begins to seal itself up as he turns to look Derrick in the eyes staring beyond the gun into his eyes. The man's face now showing all the signs of infection; pale vein covered skin and glassed over eyes. The look on his face however shows a man so disgusted and remorseful for what they have witnessed as he slowly opens his mouth.

    "My name is William, William Daniels....." He pauses as he suddenly begins to breath again and the texture of his skin reverts back to that of no infection as he looks around at the men training their guns on him. Every mark left on him from the attacks now healed, he turns his eyes back to Derrick as the glassed over look in his eyes slowly fades away like clouds in the sky as he pulls the arm pad from his right arm showing a seemingly headed bite mark before finishing his statement.

    "...... And I was bitten twenty-two months ago, ten days after the initial outbreak."