Gavin couldn't have felt more at home as he wove his way around the wet pipes. He didn't particularly love swimming, but he was more than apt at it. Gavin paddled his way back the way he had come, periodically lifting his nose and sniffing the air. Things were quiet now and mercifully dark allowing him to see perfectly in the shadows.

The smell of blood and death reeked ever closer as he went and soon Gavin was wading through some stray bodies of the mutant rats. These were not the harmless little fuzzballs he was used to. Oh no, he felt nothing with these creatures, no connection, no pain of their deaths, and for that he was quite thankful. Pausing, Gavin listened for any signs of life and sniffed the air again, taking in every tiny molecule he could until he struck the faintest lingering essence of familiarity. Latching onto this scent, he moved off down another pipe and scurried into yet another. After several more minutes, the scent began to grow stronger. He was moving steadily until another scent reached him and he almost passed out, mouth watering. Fish. Fresh fish. And not just their new friend who always sort of smelled faintly like fish. REAL fish!

Regaining himself, Gavin moved swiftly with silent steps until he all but tumbled out of the pipe and stumbled into a little clearing above the water. Looking up, he found Tom looking a bit worse for the wear laying beside Kitty who looked about ready to pounce on Gavin the minute he appeared. At this point, however, she had showed him enough restraint and compassion that Gavin didn't even flinch. He just smiled, his muddy brown eyes twinkling with relief.

"Nice to see you all again," he said.

Like Gavin, Kitty’s sense of smell had picked up on his scent but with things the way they had gone down, she was still a bit on edge so she didn’t exactly trust her sense of smell just yet. Her muscles tensed and she shifted her weight so she could easily pounce whatever was coming, so when she saw the familiar form of Gavin appear, she almost pounced but held herself at the last moment.

When she saw his brown eyes twinkling in the darkness and a slight smile on his face, she released the breath she’d been holding for the most part. Slowly standing up she glanced down at Tom and gave a small smile then looked over at Gavin and approached slowly. When she was within touching distance, she slowly reached out her hand in a gesture she’d seen humans do many times as a form of greeting, Rather or not the rat hybrid accepted the gesture or not remained to be seen. Still, she signed with her free hand.

is good to see you again thought we never see you again welcome back friend

Streaking across the sky...Miles orbits around the earth, he opens another MRE and eats the cheese and crakers within. He's been in space orbiting around Earth four times in about an hour time deciding on another Course Of Action (COA).

He looks at the map and closes his eyes, his finger nails have grown so much that they have curled under. He takes a stab at it and touches the map and quickly opens his eyes.

"New York?"


He looks out the window as he dials in for the new location...


Now thats a pretty area...LAKE TAHOE...He remembers being a kid on his fathers' ski boat and being pulled around the lake skiing.... I wonder if there are any humans living down there...

"Well f**k me. It's the rat-man." Said Plymuth as affectionately as it was possible for the gruff man.

When Gavin had descended out of the shadows and landed on their little cement island in the middle of water-way junction, the mariner spun around ready to defend himself. He would of slugged (or attempted to slug) the stealthy rogue if it hadn't been for Kitty's quicker reaction. By the time he was reacting, she was already relaxing which made Plymuth take a closer look at the intruder and recognize him.

"Fish?" Offered Plymuth holding up a plate before Gavin, as he himself chewed on another fillet, "These canals are full them. They're ugly as sin, but they're tasty."

The hard concrete slab they were situated on might not have been the most comfortable of rest sites and even though they were in a system of canals below the surface, Plymuth always felt secure when surrounded by water. His belly full, he leaned up against one of the many pipes that rose out of the slab and back in, each one fitted with a pressure gauge leading the mariner, who was somewhat educated in such things, to believe they were camped out on some sort of old regulation station.

"So Gavin, where in the hell did ya bugger off ta?" Finally inquired, Plymuth since no one else had asked yet. "I was hoping maybe ya found a way outta here."

One last look out the window, Lake Tahoe was already just a thumbnail print, but more careful looking the dark areas surrounding the Sierras were dark green, which meant only one thing...

Miles closed his eyes dreaming of the old days driving thru the mountains on Highway 50, the top down on his pearl white 'vette and the smell of Cedar burning in fireplaces along the North American river.

**********************************************
(from the other post)

COA : a half hour later, he felt the rockets shut down and the auto pilot turn the ship into a vertical orbit above the earth, the doors opened on the USS Atlantis and the payload was being deliverd.






There was a loud noise as the mechanical arm that lifted the satellite into earth's orbit. It was spectular to see the first satellite in space again after so many years. Miles hoped there was someone down below, that would pick up these transmissions from from the satellite. Someone down there with a satellite radio or a ham radio at least. He watched as the satellite opened its extended antenna arms and wings...




He opened a channel ..static came through first. He clicked on the mic and spoke clearly...

" TO ALL MANKIND...

THIS IS THE USS ATLANTIS."

I'M FLYING ABOVE EARTH @90,000 feet per second

Latitude: N 40 deg 24 min 36 sec. Longitude: W 111 deg 42 ....

Location: Conspicuous immediately east of Provo, Utah

MY RADIO FREQUENCY is 9..0...point 2....0...5.

FINAL DESTINATION: NEW YORK CITY...

AGAIN, THIS IS THE USS ATLANTIS..."

This transmission would repeat itself over and over again....

Floating in the distance, a US Defense Hubble telescope floated aimlessly in orbit until...



Miles reactivated the junk in space with a flip of a switch on the Atlantis flight panelboard above his head. Hours later he watched the sunrise on the eastern seaboard and felt the impulse jets...

**************************************


The impulse rockets fired keeping the ship in direct line with the landing zone as the ship came in at 1000 feet per second. As the spacecraft came in at ceiling of 100,000 feet, the nose floated into position and the auto-pilot flashed for Miles to take over the controls to land the spacecraft.

At 10,000 feet, the runaway came into view. Dropping down to 2000 feet, Miles flew over a few abondon roads leading into the City of New York. He thought he saw movement yet no indication on the heat senors indicated any life on the surface. Miles landed the craft a few minutes later and turned the spacecraft around facing the long open roadway. Miles reviewed the maps and his route, he took the necessary weapons he would need to explore the city. Miles climbed down the ladder and stepped on the surface...the ladder slipped back into the belly of the craft.

The buildings of New York stood tall, vacant, empty, no glass anywhere...shadows played on his eyes...abondoned cars over on their sides and fire gutted. An eerie feeling that he ws being watched.

Miles turned on the his GPS device and walked toward the center of town...to City Hall. The north-easterly winds howled through the vacant streets. It was cold and he would need to find shelter. He turned toward his left. What looks to have been a large building, was now a collapsing ruin covered in dead ivy. It rises like a small mountain to the side of the thoroughfare. Milesl calls out, trying to be heard over the rising winds. Nothing responds in return... Inbetween the buildings are two dead trees an opening between them. It might lead into what's left of that building.

Miles looks down to the avenue to the right, then crosses the street to check it out and see if it's big enough inside, and what kind of cover might be offered.




He looks to the ruins and then looks back on the screen of the thermal imager mounted on his advanced Smith & Wesson sidearm. Miles lifts his Browning medium machine gun and steps toward the opening of the dead trees. Miles appeared gnarled with muscles, like an Oak tree come to life. He was dressed in Air Force issed tank top, Air Force fatigues with ammo belt wrapped around his sz 30 inch waistline and he carried a concealed bowie knife.

His beard, as stiff as iron, jutted from his face. Miles' eyes were small, deep-set yet enthusiastic to be alive. From his brows, massed over his sockets like the wall of a fortress, his glances flashed piercing, gleams at everytning surrounding the building and the opening.

He cautiously halted before entering between the dead trees. The narrow dark passage gave no indication that it lead to anywhere. He stepped into the darkness, and waited until his eyes adjusted, then moved forward. The passage long and narrow drew him to two story stone building. Its tin -backed shutters were closed, its heavy banded door shut.

Miles held his eyes on the darkness beyond the doorway. No movement. Unsheathing his blade, Miles swung back to the heavily banded door. A soft, steady sound from within stopped him, too low to be heard from any distance but now, as he stood before the huge door, he could hear a liquid murmuring that raised the hairs on his neck. Miles reached out with his machine gun and set its point under the latch. He lifted the iron handle upward until it disengaged, then pushed open the door.

Movement rippled in the gloom within, a flap and soft thumping of air carrying to Miles the redolent stench of putrifying flesh. Breathing hard and with a mouth dry as old cotton, he waited again for his eyes to adjust.

Miles stared in the outer room, and it was a mass of movement, a chilling soft sussuration of throats giving voice. The chamber was filled with black pigeons cooing in icy calm. Human shapes lay in their midst, stretched haphazardly across the floor amid droppings and drifting black down. Sweat and death clung to the air thick as gauze.

Miles stepped inside. The mutant pigeons rustled but otherwise ignored him. None made for the open doorway. Swollen faces with coin-dull eyes stared up from the shadows; the faces were blue, as of men suffocated.

Miles muttered..."This is not a healthy thing to find." He shook himself, walked across the room. The pigeons tracked away from his footwear, clucking. The next door was slightly ajar. Musty light bled through the shuttered windows' unevened joints. His sidearm at ready, Miles entered the room.

Inside the room, the walls had caved in on one side and where the fireplace once was, now only a pile of red brick lay about. The hole behind the fireplace dropped downward and Miles saw the shape slip into the darkness. He turned away, walking swiftly back through the outer room until he stepped into the dark passageway between the buildings. He closed the heavily banded door as no doubt, whoever had escaped had.

The dark bloom of sorcery was a stain few cared to examine too closely. It had a way of spreading. He came out behind the dead trees...looking like he had fought an army...He did not look back...but walked quickly toward City Hall.


Behind him, through holes in the shuttered windows, an evilness peeked out at him.

Tom's nose twitched and he opened his eyes. "Ah I see the "Rat Man" has decided to rejoin our merry party. It is good to see you again." Tom said as he stood. He looked at Kitty and smiled faintly, then looked at Plymuth. "Where do we go now?" Tom asked as he sniffed the air and cocked his head slightly to listen.

While the others may have expected Gavin to nibble at the fish like a rat, he surprised them by graciously accepting the food and digging in with all the poise and grace as a soldier in the trenches. He paused, however, when Plymuth inquired about a way out, a somewhat sheepish look falling over his dark eyes.

"I . . . um . . . well . . . didn't think to look," he admitted, "I led those mutant things away as fast as I could and then just looped around and followed your scent." He stopped again, glancing away and now taking another nibble of the fish, seemingly looking off in thought. "I'm sure I could find something," he offered finally, looking back up at them all. "I've got a pretty good sense of direction and I'm pretty comfortable down here as you may've guessed."

He fell silent again, hungrily finishing off his meal. Already a small gathering of damp rats were beginning to form around the "Rat Man's" feet to which he glanced and muttered "sorry." At Tom's comment, Gavin merely nodded with a smile and turned his attention back to Plymuth, wondering what his answer would be.

CHAPTER 2 — Passage to New York
pages 7 to current

_________________________________________________________

Have Plymuth start to speak then have the noise of a walk-talkie emanate from one of his bags. - Salem slipped one in there when they first met, so that he could communicate with him if necessary. Salem will need help. The device will have a small screen on it, through which he will send the coordinates of his location.

Salem is trapped in Stone Haven... the place is swarming with zombies. It seems that almost the entire population has changed.

'Now this was a strange turn of events', Plymuth thought to himself as the three hybrids looked to him for direction. He for damn sure was no leader. Not any more, but he wasn't about to dig up the past and speak of the dead. It just wasn't his way, but the pack mentality the pulled these hybrids was catchy, and so the mariner figured he'd lead them to Tahoe. To what was supposed to be the 'free-world'.

"Well, here's the way..."

Plymuth's words were cut short by the load sound of static, emanating from one of his packs. He was as confused as the others at the sound, but he recognized what it was and started rifling through the backpack in search of the source. He found a communication device tucked into one of his pockets, a high tech phone that had been modified to work like a walkie-talkie. He intuitively pressed and held down the button that read 'talk', and when he did a familiar voice came in loud and clear.

"Plymuth! Are you reading me? Over."

It was Salem Midvale. He sounded out of breath and there was panic in his voice. Plymuth figured then, that he must have slipped the phone into his pack when they first met.

Plymuth released the button and spoke into the phone. "Salem? What's goin' on?Over."

"Thank, Christ!" Exclaimed Salem, "Plymuth, I didn't know who else to turn to. I need your help."

Plymuth was doubtful. "How do I know I can trust ya?"

"Plymuth... have... help..." the signal was starting to break up"...sending coordinates."

The phone's display screen lit up, and revealed a map that would show them the way to Salem's present location.

"Salem? Salem are you there? Over."

The signal was dead, but the phone retained the coordinates of Salem's last position. Plymuth looked over at his three companions. "Bugger." he quietly cursed, then sighed, "Well, I gotta find out what's happened to the bloke." he said as he started to pack up his gear, "The guy sounded desperate and I never got the impression that he'd toss a person in harm's way if'n they didn't deserve it. I'm headin' back in ta Stonehaven, looks like that's where he's at. I'm not gonna ask any of you risk your necks. You keep heading west. Find, Tahoe."



The sun was a dim red disk melting into the horizon. Crimson light filtered into the darkened settlement that was Stonehaven. There were hardly any lights on, the town's streets were black and it appeared deserted.

Salem sat on the floor, his back to corner of the small room. He was in one of the look-out towers, hiding from something. Sweat covered his face and blood seeped through a haphazardly applied bandage on his upper arm. It happened so fast. He was expecting them all to turn so soon and he and his fellow rangers were unprepared. Now he was the last, but there was still hope. The rocket! He had not imagined it. The people flying the rocket had the answers, he was sure of it. If he found them, then maybe he knew how to reverse the sickness that plagued Stonehaven, a sickness that had slowly began to change the inhabitants into the walking dead. They were unaware of it. At first, a few started to change on moonless nights, and the rangers were quick to quarantine them. When the changed back, they assumed that whatever had happened to them had passed, but they were wrong. It got worse. In time, more became infected. They searched for a cause, and eventually learned that the people were infected by some kind of spore from a strange mushroom. For some reason though, the rangers had stayed unaffected. They didn't know why, but they though that since they were resilient that perhaps they could help, maybe reverse what was happening, but it was too late for all of them. The transformations were lasting longer and longer. Always at night, but a few were starting to linger into the day, and not change back. Now the town was overrun with them, and Salem feared that this time none of them would be returning to daylight forms. They had killed and eaten all the other rangers and now it was just him. He was the last, and his only hope of surviving was getting to his jet plane, but that meant fighting his way through hundreds of ghouls to get to the runway. He needed help and then he remembered that he had secretly slipped a communicator into Plymuth's backpack. Hopefully with his help, and perhaps his other companions as well, they could make it to the plane and freedom.

The two stood for a while before they agreed on tactics... “I will use the time it takes for the next low flying military satellite to come across this area to search out the sewers for these... ‘Voices’ you hold the front here and keep a secure frequency homing beacon on so I will at least know where you are and I will turn on trace mark.” Jack agreed to the plan laid out by Rarmon as the big soldier pulled his rifle from the backpacks side beginning to trudge back into the sewers his pistons in his legs seeming loud in the confined space and his boots fell dully on the cement sometimes giving a splash as he stepped in a puddle. Closing his shock helmet collar the helmet rolling over him expanding his HUD onto the inside of it he quickly turned on the flashlight attachment as not to startle and give a little warning to the people he was heading towards.

Jack stood outside looking around for a while before pulling the black cube he seemed to open it up like a puzzle cube it flattened out to a screen about 15 inches across as he used it like a palm top it was touch sensitive. The light from it an eerie blue as he began to go over different functions of the computer he opened a picture of the globe a layer of dots covered the screen though all the satellites in space. A few more clicks and there were less dots, he had narrowed his search for imaging equipped satellites be it photos or live feeds with this he began his operation to get live information on town.

Rarmon slowly walked through the sewers his gun waving left and right covering the branches off as he walked the voices had been getting louder when suddenly his HUD at the bottom left corner blinked a warning light. It meant a signal intruding on all frequencies he decided he would scan it first recording a sample in a secure part of his processor it slowly scanned it for interference codes. None found he decided to play it finding a largely boring list of co-ordinates for New York. Rarmon quickly shut the message off he was a good three days sprint with his body maybe two if they went to a depot and stole a skimmer or fast attack vehicle...then another slightly more secure channel opened up once again the blipping light on his HUD but one scan told him it was just some long range radios and not computer linked so he hacked in while the static was still going then suddenly the burst conversation between a Salem and Plymuth. Suddenly another light blipped on the HUD incidentally Rarmon accidently downloaded the co-ordinates map wondering if the sender would realise he sent it to two sources? He moved on he was getting closer.

Jack had been whistling a merry tune when his pc lit up again showing he had received a packet from military users....oh Rarmon. He opened the packet it was a map with the script of the conversation typed up for Jack he quickly checked the map to the data he was collecting and began merging the data together making his jigsaw fit...with heat scanned images live video feeds and many bits and pieces of visuals he got.

Rarmon was getting closer the Hybrid’s could probably hear his footsteps as he wasn’t exactly the silent type moving through the pipes they heard him stop the flashlight which shined ever so slightly out from one of the drains dipped as he looked down. A second later they could hear the sound of a lighter being used the strike of flints in the sparker...then after the third or fourth try they heard the click of it closing the user obviously lit...and the smell of the Cuban cigar drifted into the main drain room...nostalgic of an old friend they knew? He continued walking little did he know that at the end of the tunnel he was on was a corner which would take him into the room they were all gathered.

The last time that Plymuth had seen the cybernetic soldier he was blasting a tavern apart and before that was way back at the Oasis hotel, where he rained down a hail of bullets him. Unintentional, though it might have been, the mariner was still none to pleased to see the walking weapon appear in a passage way just across the water. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was a service tunnel above one of the canals partially hidden by the remnants of busted platform. Only a small ledge now remained and the only way to get up to it would be with a rope. The walls were too smooth to climb so one would have to wade out into the water and pull themselves up to passageway.

For a moment, Plymuth was hesitant. He half expected the soldier to start blasting away for no reason, but when the others seem to warm up to the cyborg the mariner relaxed.

"There's our way outta here." Plymuth said as he procured a strong light weight rope from his pack. He reached down and picked up an old pipe and tied it to one end and began to swing it around. "Coming up." he alerted the soldier then with a well placed toss put the pipe into the hands of Rarmon.

"Tie it off." Plymuth shouted while he held out the other end to the others, "So who's first?" he asked them.

Gavin had never met the cyborg before but he seemed to be a comforting sight to all but Plymuth... and somehow it seemed to Gavin that few things in this world were a comforting sight to Plymuth. When the mariner relaxed, however, and tossed their ticket to safety into the cyborg's hands, the Rat hybrid looked around at the others.

"I'll go last," he said, "if anything happens, I can get myself out of here some other way." He then motioned to the injured wolf-man. "Maybe we should get him out of here first," Gavin suggested then turning to Plymuth. "You seem strong," he said, "can you help Tom out of here? Then you, Kitty," he said pointing to the tiger-woman, who he was pleasantly surprised to find did not give him the nervous vibe he had felt before. "I'll be right behind you if anything happens."

Plymuth was about debate with Gavin which of them would be best suited to escape a labyrinth of water ways but when he reminded him that Tom would require some assistance getting up the rope he agreed with the order. Nodding, he glanced over at Kitty, knowing all too well that the tiger-hybrid was probably stronger and a better climber to boot, but she like Tom has sustained an injury that would hinder her movements.

"Well, well, lucky me." Stated Plymuth as he tied his water proof packs and any others to the rope. "Hey, big guy." he shouted, "Pull those up."

Any gear that wasn't stored away in water proof compartments would get wet but it was far easier to haul them up ahead of time rather than make the climb burdened. After the cyborg easily pulled up the packs and dropped the rope back down into the water, Plymuth entered the water with Tom and helped him swim the short distance to the rope. He attempted to give the wolf-hybrid some assistance but it was awkward, fortunately Tom was actually strong enough to pull his own body weight with a single arm. He made his way up, slow and sure and when he was out of the water, the cyborg's powerful mechanical arms began to pull the man up.

"Man's a f***ing elevator." Commented Plymuth as he watched Tom quickly ascend, thanks to assistance of Rarmon.

Next Plymuth climbed up the rope, and when he was in the tunnel, the rope was dropped for Kitty.

"Thanks." Plymuth reluctantly mentioned to Rarmon who was not a fan of anything military.

Kitty heard Rarmon long before she saw him. When her sensitive nose didn’t pick up on anything right away, she wasn’t exactly sure what to think. Deep down she wanted to believe it was the cyborg but without physical proof, it was a little difficult to let her hops go too high. Especially after the echoing of the voices from the radio in Plymuth’s backpack. When the mechanical man finally turned the corner she let out a sigh of relief and gave him a small smile, nodding when he acknowledged all of them.

As Plymuth finally made the decision of how to get the hell out of there, everyone was in agreement and so Kitty stayed next to Tom to help him any way she could. When Gavin volunteered to go last, Kitty furrowed her brows. She wasn’t especially fond of the idea but he did have a valid point as to why he should be the last one.

As Rarmon acted as the brawn for the group, Kitty helped Plymuth get Tom up the rope and on the same level Rarmon was one. Satisfied he was secure and out of harms way, the feline hybrid watched Plymuth scurry up the rope. As the rope came back down for her, she looked over at Gavin and made sure he was good to go before she used her own ability to climb and had Rarmon’s help getting up the rope.

Now that Gavin was the only one left to go, she tapped Rarmon’s shoulder letting him know she was secure and to send the rope down to Gavin. She checked on Tom to make sure he was still doing OK. He was a little pale and his face showed the strain of his injury but all in all he was doing as well as could be expected.

Rarmon caught the rope he told him to tie it off looking around he sighed slightly as there was nothing and tied it around his own waist after all none of them were heavier than his lumbering weight knotting it off round his stomach. The pack was up with a yank from Rarmon he caught the pack placing it down against the wall of the tunnel then he felt some weight put on the end standing on the edge he saw them put Tom onto the rope. He hauled the wolf man up without even letting him touch the wall really as he stretched his arms out drawing the rope in he placed the wolf man down next to the pack.

“Long time no see.” Throwing the rope over he felt it yanked on as Plymuth climbed up with no assistance from him yanking on the rope and the man thanked him. He took little notice as Kitty took to the rope he took the weight as he slowly hauled with her coming over the lip and helping her up the last bit with a hand he chucked the rope down for Gavin waiting for the other to climb up it.

“What we going to do about that walkie talkie call?” It was apparent that Rarmon had heard the call obviously linked into a lot of frequencies with his bursting technology.

“Jack my partner is busy gaining information on the situation of town he should have eyes on if any remote drones are still on their routes over this area but I think the best we will get is a few satellite images.”

Tom, sat leaning against the wall, his strength was returninf slowly, much too slowly he thought. He searched his mind looking for the answer that lay just at the edge of his consciousness. ........ Outside on the surface a clouds drifted across a moonless night sky.