NADIA AL HANAKI: Sound off, guys. Runner Twenty, are you receiving me?
ARCHIE JENSEN: Loud and clear.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Runner Abel Seven?
EVAN DEAUBL: I hear you, Nadia.
NADIA AL HANAKI: And Runner Abel Five? No, don't bother replying. I don't think we'll be talking much. Okay, it's a simple find and fetch. Some power tools. Runner Thirty-two and Ninety-eight located them in a farmhouse yesterday. They took what they could, but it was less than half the cache. Looks like the owner was a DIY nut.
EVAN DEAUBL: What's our direction?
NADIA AL HANAKI: Dead north. Aim for that cluster of pines on the horizon.
EVAN DEAUBL: Got it. I was told these will be used for the rebuild of Abel.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Yes. It's not like we don't need them in New Canton, but apparently, Abel's number one priority these days.
EVAN DEAUBL: Yes, I'd heard about the new alliance. Something to do with that Van Ark character?
ARCHIE JENSEN: Of course it's about Van Ark. Everyone knows it's about Van Ark. Don't you pay attention when people talk?
EVAN DEAUBL: I'm behind on the scuttlebutt, I'm afraid. I've been away for a few weeks, tracking down an arms cache for Janine.
ARCHIE JENSEN: Then you're new to Abel, like me! This mission is going to be fun!
NADIA AL HANAKI: Okay, guys, you're making good time. Uh, the ground's muddy up ahead, so you might want to veer back onto the road for a hundred yards.
EVAN DEAUBL: Roger that. So, Archie, what can you tell me about Van Ark?
ARCHIE JENSEN: He's really not a very nice person. He wants all of us dead! Everyone eaten by zombies, and no one left to give him trouble.
NADIA AL HANAKI: We're ninety-five percent certain he was responsible for the rocket attack on Abel three weeks ago, using those fast zombies he controls somehow. The ones that can fire a rocket launcher.
EVAN DEAUBL: And we thought it was you guys that wanted to blow us up.
ARCHIE JENSEN: We did! But we hate Van Ark much more than we hate you.
NADIA AL HANAKI: So, we're rounding up and housing the refugees until Abel can be put back together. Of course, you could just all stay in New Canton. Apparently, that's not good enough for some people.
ARCHIE JENSEN: New Canton's not home, is it? Well, it's our home, but Abel Township is their home! If someone blew up New Canton, I'd want to rebuild it. Not because it's perfect. It's really, really not perfect. The shower heads in Block C are too high up so the water is all pittery-pattery by the time it hits you, and why did they paint the dining room that color?
NADIA AL HANAKI: ... Oh, you're actually asking me that? Turn left, guys, you need to skirt that reservoir. It's because they just found a load of purple paint?
ARCHIE JENSEN: Purple... purple! It's a pretty word. It's not a pretty color, though. And there is the person who planted coriander instead of mint, and now we have it in every meal, and I'm allergic to coriander, and... wait. What was I talking about?
EVAN DEAUBL: I think you were saying there's no place like home.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Although it was getting hard to tell! Better save your breath, there are zoms coming through that hedge to the west. Run!
NADIA AL HANAKI: Okay, good. The house you want is just beyond those farm buildings, but you're falling out of pick-up range for the headcams, so keep me posted.
EVAN DEAUBL: Will do. There's a wrecked car up ahead. Doesn't look too badly damaged, we should be able to salvage some parts.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Excellent.
ARCHIE JENSEN: Oh! Oh dear...
NADIA AL HANAKI: What is it?
ARCHIE JENSEN: That really isn't very good.
NADIA AL HANAKI: What?! Runner Seven?
EVAN DEAUBL: Yes, sorry. Archie has good eyes. There's a whole pack of zoms in that overgrown wheat field behind us, and another three approaching from the west.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Can you circle around?
EVAN DEAUBL: Doubtful. Runner Forty-five warned me the wheat field's littered with crawlers. I think someone ran a combine harvester over them.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Sorry, guys, looks like you're just going to have to -
EVAN DEAUBL: Yes, we know.
ARCHIE JENSEN: This isn't good! This isn't... isn't enjoyable. It's definitely not fun! Nadia! Nadia?
EVAN DEAUBL: We've moved out of radio range. Keep running. If we can make it to that crossroads up ahead, we should be clear. At least we picked up the tools.
ARCHIE JENSEN: Nadia?
EVAN DEAUBL: She can't hear you. Don't worry, we're not far from Abel, now. If we can just - oh.
ARCHIE JENSEN: What is it?
EVAN DEAUBL: There. Five zoms to the left of that burnt-out barn.
ARCHIE JENSEN: Ah, yes. Wouldn't it be nice if it was just people on a walk. Maybe a picnic. Slightly gray people on a picnic? Shambling gray people out for a picnic...
[static]
SAM YAO: Runner Five? Five? That is you, isn't it? And Runner Seven? And... oh, no, I don't know you, sorry.
EVAN DEAUBL: It's us, Sam. We're with Archie, that's New Canton Runner Twenty. Do you have us on camera? We're in a bit of a tight spot.
SAM YAO: Oh, yes! I see. No problemo, the cavalry's... [gunshot] Yep, the cavalry's definitely there.
[gunshots]
ARCHIE JENSEN: Wow! She shot them all in the head. That's very impressive. Little scary, too, but mostly impressive! Maybe half scary, half impressive? Scr-essive? Impre-scary, impre-scr-essive? Impre-... scary-pressive! Yes, that's the best! I invented a new word!
JANINE DE LUCA: Runner Five! Runner Seven! Good to see you.
EVAN DEAUBL: Janine! Didn't expect to find you out and about.
JANINE DE LUCA: I prefer to coordinate from base, but with Runner Eight... with Eight dead, and two thirds of my personnel MIA, I'm short-handed.
ARCHIE JENSEN: I'm Runner Twenty, by the way. Or Archie. Runner Twenty and Archie. Funny how we've got more names these days when there's less of everything else.
JANINE DE LUCA: Well, no time for pleasantries. There's Abel's radio tower on the horizon. Keep your heads down, and follow me.
EVAN DEAUBL: Looks like we're clear of them.
SAM YAO: Yeah... well, no. Don't get too comfortable. There's a couple more packs within sniffing distance.
ARCHIE JENSEN: We can circle round to New Canton now.
JANINE DE LUCA: No. You'll come back to Abel with me. We need those power tools, and I want to debrief you.
SAM YAO: I was going to say you should come back for tea and biscuits, but yeah, debriefing.
JANINE DE LUCA: And we're holding a memorial for Runner Eight... for Sara, today. Five and Seven, you should be there.
EVAN DEAUBL: Yes, I heard we lost her.
JANINE DE LUCA: We lost a lot of people to Van Ark's attack. Runners Two and Eleven are gone, Jack... and the majority of our population scattered to the winds, all living as refugees in New Canton.
EVAN DEAUBL: Well, I could base myself in Abel if you need an extra pair of legs.
JANINE DE LUCA: There's no call for that.
SAM YAO: Also no beds. Well, unless you want to share with Janine. Which... I mean, obviously, that would be lovely! Who wouldn't want to share a bed with Janine? Well, not like that, obviously! Although, I mean, not that you...
JANINE DE LUCA: We're doing just fine, Runner Seven. With the Major back in charge, we're a much tighter operation. She isn't as easygoing as me.
SAM YAO: Easygoing??
JANINE DE LUCA: She made me realize just how much I'd been letting things slide. But it will be different around here from now on. No slacking off, no botched missions, no dead wood!
SAM YAO: No fun, no games...
JANINE DE LUCA: We've got a job to do, and thanks to Major De Santa, we can finally do it.
EVAN DEAUBL: A job?
JANINE DE LUCA: Fighting zombies? Or had you forgotten about that, Mister Deaubl? And speaking of...
SAM YAO: Yeah, they're gaining on you. Get those heads down and those legs pumping, guys!
EVAN DEAUBL: Well, that's a sight for sore eyes.
ARCHIE JENSEN: Do you know, I've never seen Abel before? It's actually... it's a bit of a mess. Do I mean "mess"? "Wreck"? "Hovel". No, "hovel" isn't fair. "Shabby"...
JANINE DE LUCA: We're rebuilding. As I'm sure you appreciate, it takes time.
ARCHIE JENSEN: Of course! It's going to be lovely when you've done it up... possibly. Well, I must leave you here.
SAM YAO: You could always stop for some tea.
ARCHIE JENSEN: No, I ... [laughs] I must get back to New Canton for... Reasons. Good reasons! Important reasons... bye-bye Runner Seven! Bye-bye Runner Five!
SAM YAO: And there she goes! Okay, guys, just one last burst of speed and I'll have you on the [cut off by static]
MAJOR DE SANTA: Sorry to interrupt, Five. Don't react - the others can't hear me. I wanted to give you a heads-up. Project Greenshoot. You haven't heard much about it of late, but it hasn't withered on the vine. We have plans. You'll be part of them. First, we need intel on New Canton. Got to get their support locked down. Can't say more right now, but keep your head down, and your eyes open. That's it. [static]
[gate opens]
SAM YAO: That's it, you're right outside the gates! Come inside, guys. It's good to have you home.
Went running with 7 and Archie today. There were a lot of zoms out and about, but I suppose that should be expected when they all grouped together to destroy Abel a few weeks ago. I like Archie, but she seemed suspious at the end of our run. Guess she won't be getting any of our tea and biscuits then. And the radio hosts for New Canton's new radio news are... interesting. Phil is trying to be peppy, but Zoe is rather pessimistic. I miss Jack and Eugene's show ((And I may or may not have let out a suprised and horrified squeek when Janine told me Jack was dead))
