Training was... something. I was trained by Yao and Myers. I found it intense but fulfilling. Things are a bit awkward between Yao and me. He is still mourning the former Runner 5. Landed us in some precarious situations while at it. I guess it's good we don't talk much outside the field. I wouldn't want to cause him anymore grief. I didn't pick the number, but... anyways...
I was sent out today to play decoy with the zombies since the gates malfunctioned. I was accompanied by Runner 8, Sara Smith. Her coughing unsettled me since that was one of the first signs before someone turned grey. Yao shared my suspicion. Well, he did before the comms were shut off.
Smith, or rather 8, concerns me. She is very suspicious of me. I don't think she is a threat yet, but she very well could be one if I can't prove I'm not the one who shot down the helicopter.
Despite that, she's quick and clever, traits I value. She and I led the zombies to a nearby base, New Canton, so that they could deal with them as we made our way back to our base.
Maybe if things were different, she and I could be friends, but it would be better if we just figured out this whole mess. Once we find out who really shot off that rocket launcher, I can be on my way back to Mullins. Things here just aren't the same.
Looks like I have to be wary of threats inside and outside of Abel's gates. I'll make my next report soon. Until then.
i just started my zombies, run! journey yesterday and i immediately knew i wanted to document not only my in-character journey, but also my own fitness journey along with the app! i’ve started out walking but i hope to move up to jogging after building up stamina.
this blog is going to be mission logs of my Five’s experiences, plus building up my aesthetic for my experience. LET’S GOOO
today’s highlights:
finished up the end of mission one and also completed mission 2, both without chases. about 40 minutes of walking and 4200 steps. it was pretty hot outside so i was pretty exhausted by the end.
i met a dog!! always a highlight
when they called me for the runner mission i actually thought “are you kidding me i’ve been in abel for one day” so i think my Five is a little on the sarcastic side
i like runner eight a lot so far, but she definitely thinks i’m hiding something and i’m interested to see if she’s right. i of course love sam the most though
spoilers for S1M2 + what i want to change/fix for next time under the cut:
when sara was like “okay duck down!” i definitely ducked my head and a group of kids on the schoolyard i was walking by were probably wondering what the crazy lady was doing
i found myself GRIPPING the strap on my bag when we were approaching new canton, like, white-knuckled gripping. the push/pull between the new canton guy yelling at me to stop and sara yelling at me to go was A LOT
for next time:
i’m definitely going to cut the mission time back rather than just walking for the full 35-ish minute mission + the extra 10 minutes of mission one. i walked farther than i think i should have because i NEEDED to hear the last ten minutes so i did an extra loop around my block.
i’m going to try to do one mission per walk. my walk would’ve been perfect had i not also had the extra 10 minutes off mission one that i wanted to get through.
my goal is to do a mission/walk a day with 1-2 rest days during the week: i’m a legacy member since i actually bought the app a couple years ago but didn’t use it much until now. so i can do seasons 1-3 and then figure out getting the pro membership for 4/5. whether it’s a dedicated zombie mission walk like today was or just walking my dog i can adjust the mission time which will really be great for me.
on days where i walk myself to my therapy appointments, though, i get to do two missions. it’s a half hour walk each way and therapy days are stressful so I DESERVE TWO, DARN IT.
[gate siren, gate raising, electrical static and a clank as something breaks]
SAM YAO: Oh, that's not supposed to happen! The gates are stuck! Can everyone see the gates are stuck? Have we got an engineer?
[intercom horn]
RUNNER SEVEN: [over intercom] Runners, this is an emergency. The gates have stuck in the open position; we're open to all attacks. The following runners to report to the main gates immediately for lure and distract: Runner Two, Runner Three, Runner Five, Runner Eight. Go, go, go!
[gunshots]
SAM YAO: Um, Runner Five? We need you ready to go right now, Runner Five. We're pairing you up with Runner Eight, here.
SARA SMITH: [severe coughing] Sorry about that. Hey, there! I'm Runner Eight, Sara Smith. How are you doing? Ready to go out and misdirect some zombies?
SAM YAO: No time for chit-chat! Take one of the noisemakers from the locker... That's right. Strap it on your back. [noisemaker beeps] Now, just head out and run around. Get the zoms to chase you while we fix the gates. Go, run!
[noisemaker beeps]
SARA SMITH: Okay, Abel Township? We're clear. Nice, steady pace. About ten of the zoms on our tail. It's all going well. How are you guys holding up?
SAM YAO: Yeah, not so well here, Runner Eight. We're kinda... uh, the motors are shot, they're telling me. Looks like something got in there and chewed it up...
SARA SMITH: [interrupts with coughing] Sorry about that - bad chest cold. So do you guys want more time?
SAM YAO: The longer you can keep the zoms away, the better.
SARA SMITH: [coughs] Got that! We're just having a great day out here. Me and my buddy Runner Five can get to know each other!
SAM YAO: Yeah, yeah - that cough... you're okay, aren't you, Runner Eight?
SARA SMITH: It's just a cough!
SAM YAO: You know, we just have to be careful, that's all. You know the drill - "first a cough, then a rattle, then a moan..."
SARA SMITH: "... that's how you know the dead are walking." It's just a cough, Sam! He's always fussing about something. [coughs] Hey, Sam! If it bothers you so much, I'm turning off this transmitter. That way you won't have to hear my coughing.
SAM YAO: [interrupts] Oh no you don't, that's not how it works...! [voice fades out]
[click of transmitter being turned off]
SARA SMITH: That's better. Now, it's just you and me.
[noisemaker beeps]
SARA SMITH: So you just came down in that chopper a couple of days ago, huh? Must have been pretty scary. Seems like you were the only one who survived. At least, we haven't seen any other survivors... [zombie groan] Duck down just a second there, honey [click of pistol being cocked; gunshot; zombie groaning stops] There we go! We don't usually have guns. There's not enough to go round. But they like to try and help us out on a decoy mission like this.
Amazing how you turned up here. Just dropped out of the sky, after someone fired a rocket launcher at your helicopter. That's really strange, isn't it? I mean, you were just bringing in supplies. We've been in touch with the military base a hundred miles north, and they do some drops of meds and wet weather gear, that sort of thing. So, who would do a thing like that?
And you know what I keep thinking about? How do we even know it was YOU on that chopper at all? We haven't got any way to transmit pictures anymore, so we didn't know what you'd look like. Sure, you turn up in the right uniform, but that could have been stripped from a body. You might not have been in that chopper at all. It might have been you who shot it down! [zombie groan; click of a cocked gun] Duck your head down for a minute! Wouldn't want to hit you by mistake...
[noisemaker beeping, gunshot]
SARA SMITH: There, got him. That was a close one. Better stay close. [click of transmitter being turned back on] Hey there, Sam! Were you worrying about us? [coughs] Just didn't want to irritate you with this cough, that's all.
SAM YAO: Never, ever, EVER, Runner Eight - Runner Eight? You know you never, EVER turn your radio off! Never do that! Okay?
SARA SMITH: He gets lonely without us.
SAM YAO: I heard that! And it's not. About. Me! Okay? It's about keeping you alive! Eight more have joined the pack chasing you. You're still ahead of them, just... just keep going.
SARA SMITH: We're heading west - we clear?
SAM YAO: This is why you never ever turn your off your radio! There's a swarm to the west, and we think they've... ugh, yeah, here we go. They've heard you. That's zoms to your west, east, and - yeah, south.
SARA SMITH: Huh... Well then. Time to...
SAM YAO: Head north.
SARA SMITH: I've got a plan.
[noisemaker beeps]
SARA SMITH: Hey, Sam. It occurs to me we haven't really shown Five here the neighborhood... or the neighbors.
SAM YAO: You mean New Canton?
SARA SMITH: I sure as heck don't mean the zombies.
SAM YAO: Do we want to start war with New Canton?
SARA SMITH: Just a little payback, Sam. Don't you remember how they herded those zoms toward us when they were building new barracks?
SAM YAO: Oh, yeah, but -
SARA SMITH: If the Major were here, we'd check with her. As it is, New Canton's to the north. Our exit is to the north. You know it makes sense! Speed up, quick! Towards New Canton [coughs]
[noisemaker beeps, gunshots]
NEW CANTON SOLDIER: [over intercom] Stop! In the name of New Canton, not a step further!
SARA SMITH: There are zoms behind us, run!
NEW CANTON SOLDIER: [over intercom] Stop! Stop, or we shoot to kill!
SARA SMITH: Keep going!
NEW CANTON SOLDIER: Township scum!
[gunshots and soldier's voice fade]
SARA SMITH: Wahoo! Well, that's one way to take down a bunch of zoms! Oh, don't worry about New Canton. They've got the fire power to deal with them. Means you and me are home free. Hey Sam, how's the gate coming?
SAM YAO: Yeah, nearly there. Come on in if you're not dragging a pack behind you.
SARA SMITH: I guess this turned out to be less of a good time for a little chit-chat than I hoped, Five. Truth is, I wanted to find out if I could trust you. There's some pretty strange stuff going on around here. The Major's called away on urgent business, someone brings a chopper down, firing from the middle of the zombie wilderness, and you turn up like a white knight... Too damn convenient, Five.
SAM YAO: We've got them working again! [gate siren, gate raising] Welcome home, runners. Great run! Not a single hostile anywhere near our gates.
SARA SMITH: Oh yeah, me and Runner Five here make a great team. We'll be going out together all the time, won't we, Five? [coughs]
SAM YAO: Uh, yeah, maybe not next time, though. We're getting reports that there might be a child stuck in no-man's land. Get some rest, Runner Five, because we'll need you to do another fast run as soon as you can.
Today was a super lazy day. Finished episode....2 on the way to class (took 2 days, because it was more than 25ish minutes) then did radio mode on the way back.
I don’t think I like Runner 8 too much. Well, it makes sense but like...Idk??? I don’t trust her (like she doesn’t like me)
Ah well. I’m gonna try and get up early tomorrow to head for a 5k training mission! (and I got a scale, so that should help)
