Unnatural Consequences

Lucas savored the sensation of empty isolation the broad shadowy chamber provided, idly watching the outside storm and listening to the soothing, muted patter of the rainfall's variation.  It was a rather welcome relief after being a helpless witness to abject stupidity and panic.

Terror of the unknown curtailed the dormitory population's usual clamor, for the time being.  Those few who entered the common chamber mostly arrived to momentarily peer out the windows or collect some tap water from the faucet.  Lucas ignored most everyone who arrived, thinking, mostly idly staring out the windows while others were near.

Now and then someone would enter and be shocked the curtains were drawn wide.  Without asking, they would spend some time securing the drapes, but apparently still agitated would leave only minutes after the completion of their task.  Once they departed, Lucas would rise from his seat and proceed to undo the efforts.

Once Lucas returned to his place on the couch from such a visit, Chloe spoke again.  "So what do you think of that warning we got about the whistling and snapping?"

"The thing Evan was talking about?"  Lucas turned to face Chloe nearby, but soon gazed out the window beyond her.  "None of the zombies have made any sounds like that and so far they haven't been very different from one another.  So apparently there is something else out there besides the zombies.  And Evan thinks it would also be interested in us if it could see us in here."

"Aren't you worried, then?"  Chloe projected a rather relaxed attitude on her surface.  Yet occasional wide-eyed surveys of the scenery through the big windows betrayed a rather obvious apprehension at being openly visible.  As much as they were visible from outside with the miniscule presence of light.

"It's more interesting than it is scary.  Besides, we haven't heard any sounds like that so far."  Lucas casually mentioned.  "Plus, we already basically knew something like that was going on.  Since the blackout event originated from the sky, the zombies couldn't have been the source of that bursting radiation.  At least now we have a better idea of what may be behind this."

"So you're thinking the same force created both the blackout radiation and the z-rays, then."

"Aliens."  Lucas grinned as he gestured with his hands.  Chloe had little reaction to the declaration other than a disapproving glare.  "Though I guess technically the zombies are alien life too.  So these would be different aliens, besides the zombies."

"The zombies are aliens now?"  Chloe produced an exasperated sigh but responded to her own statement after a moment's consideration.  "Well, I guess superficially, zombies reproduce similarly to how a virus does.  So if you were feeling generous, that would at least make them as much a form a life as a virus is."

"Sure.  Only a virus hijacks one cell at a time to create new copies of itself so it can enter more cells.  These things hijack entire brains so they can infect more brains."  Lucas pondered how best to present his more absurd ruminations.  "How that process actually works is a mystery, but if you think of them as a form of life that would make some ability to detect conscious brains make a sort of sense.  Such an ability would be immensely useful to spread and survive in the wild.  Not that we really have the evidence yet to verify that.  But like I said before, it makes a sort of sense."

"So if something out there did create the zombies, what would be the purpose for it?  Are they trying to kill us?"

"Maybe.  We don't know how the z-rays were formed, but if they were difficult enough to create, they might not be able to fire enough of them at our planet to kill all of us.  But there's another possible motivation."  Lucas drew in a steady breath of air before continuing.  "Besides the brain thing, we know the zombies operate by some unknown physics we have no prior knowledge about.  They are so completely alien to us they don't even rely on the same physical forces we do."

Chloe shifted in the big armchair, leisurely crossing one leg over the other.  "You're referring to how they are able to move around even with major blood loss."

"Exactly.  Movement without access to oxygen shouldn't be possible according to modern knowledge.  But since they are moving, we know something we don't quite understand must be happening inside a zombie's body.  After all, the energy to move still has to come from somewhere.  It can't just appear out of nothing."

"Maybe it can.  I mean, if it were coming from nowhere, that would explain it too."  Chloe offered before giving another wide-eyed peer to the outside world.

"Sure that's possible- I guess- but it's possible in the same way that it's possible the Earth is flat and we've just been very wrong thinking it's a spheroid this entire time.  It's way more likely that the energy is just coming from somewhere we aren't noticing."  Lucas paused as a man and woman arrived to collect a quantity of water from the tap in empty jugs.  After it became apparent what they were doing, Lucas ignored them and resumed his reasoning in a quiet voice.  "Anyway, we can't really run the tests necessary to eliminate all the other possibilities, but consider this.  What if they were pulling the energy from some other place entirely?"

"You mean like a wormhole?"

"Exactly.  Whatever the zombie effect actually does with a conscious brain, we still don't know.  But if the z-rays were somehow interacting with the machinery of consciousness to open a tiny wormhole network, maybe they could siphon energy from those wormholes directly into the muscles of their bodies, so they no longer require oxygen to move.  Then when the brain becomes damaged, that linkage is destroyed.  Hence the zombie just goes back to being a regular dead body after that."

"So, you think the zombies were created- or seeded here by these other aliens in order to create wormholes?"  Chloe arched her eyebrows skeptically as she finished the line of reasoning Lucas was about to deliver.  "That's even crazier than what you said before."

"It is.  But zombies existing at all are pretty crazy to begin with."  Lucas nudged at the frame of his glasses and brushed his hair with one hand.  "But if you could discover some method to increase the size of these wormholes, it might be possible to use this form of life as a basis of space travel.  So this could also explain why there appears to be a new type of entity out there that produces clicks and whistles.  And why that sound seems associated with another new phenomenon."

"If someone threatened to destroy your gateway, you'd defend it."  Chloe leaned forwards and rubbed her temples.  "So the thing that knocked us out may have been part of this second alien's strategy of defending the gateway it had constructed for itself.  Sort of like a flare or firework shot into the sky so it would spread the radiation over as broad an area as possible."

"Right.  So there could be an open wormhole somewhere inside the city."  Lucas exhaled and slouched on the couch, looking away from outside for a bit to stare at the ceiling tiles.  Although it was certainly possible there were other explanations, none as elegantly concise were readily apparent to him.

Another expanse of watery silence suffused the cavernous chamber.  Ears strained to listen to the conditions outside for a moment, but still no strange noises became apparent.  Lucas knew what he had proposed was quite strange, but he couldn't get the implications of the concept out of his mind.

Sighing with resigned boredom, Lucas wished he had some direct investigative route to pursue with the ample time available.  Waiting around was intolerable when the limitless possibilities of interstellar exploration loomed on the horizon.  But with the Internet gone, there was little he could do to discern plausible theory from wild shot in the dark.

Even if another zombie arrived, everyone else in the building would likely be too scared to perform any sort of experiments with it.  And if something strange was visible from the rooftop, he hadn't noticed it before when he was there.  Not that he even knew what he would be looking for.  Beyond that, it was certainly a bad idea to go outside looking for the theoretical wormhole.

"It's been a while since one of those blackout flares."  Chloe observed flatly.

"Yeah."  After a momentary delay, Lucas shot bolt upright to look into Chloe's eyes.  "Hey, wait a minute!"

"Do you hear something?"  Chloe's white eyes stood out starkly against her slate skin, a startled look draping the sharp features of her face.

"We have a way to measure that blackout radiation!  If we find out where everyone was standing in the building during each burst of radiation and whether they passed out or remained conscious, we might be able to learn something."  The data was already around to collect and examine.  Doing such a thing seemed pretty unlikely to be protested by the residents.  And best of all, it would give Lucas something to do with the plodding stretches of time while waiting.

With little convincing needed to attain assistance, Chloe was quickly recruited to help gather the available data.

Public Information

"Would you like me to take you back to your dorm now?"  Evan asked as Leon announced he was finished and stashed the remaining bandages in the medical kit.  Zack had been propped up against the wall with his arm in a fabricated splint.  The blood nearby had been carefully cleaned and disposed of in a nearby waste bin.

"One sanctuary is as good to me as any other."  Leon emitted an exhausted sigh as he returned to inspect his patient.

"What if someone in your building needs help?"  Zack posited, barely able to keep his head up.

"They'll be fine.  It's not like I was the only one around with some experience in this sort of thing."  Leon shrugged.  "Besides, if whatever that thing was is going to strike again, I'd rather not risk being caught outside."

"I'd rather not risk standing."  Ryan contributed from a sitting position just by the stairway.  While Leon was busy tending to Zack's wounds, he had been jangling the set of keys for the building in his hands.  But at some point he had apparently grown bored with the activity and set them in his lap instead.  "You know, in case we hear that black note again soon."

Those few who weren't already in a seated position took one throughout the small chamber.  Minoko had been sitting morosely by the elevator, her knees drawn up against her chest and arms folded around them.  Jennifer sat with her in some meek attempt to raise her spirits.  Leon had not directly exchanged words with the Japanese girl, but in an apologetic glance it was clearly evident he was aware of what must have transpired.  Uneven silence reigned as the hiss of water surged against the building.

Recollections of those phantasmal sounds in a lifeless world gnawed at Evan's mind as time trickled onwards.  The spectacle of shredded vehicles and discarded possessions felt like a distant memory.  Whether the malevolent entities generating the clicking whistles would return should that cascading chord once more shake the foundations of reality was his primary concern.

The paradoxical serenity was interrupted as Ryan's curiosity and boredom overcame him.  "So dude, did you see aliens or something while you were running around out there?"

Evan was momentarily caught off guard by the blunt question.  "What?"

"You told me I should get everyone to hide if I heard strange noises.  So what did you find out there to make you say that?"

During the sedate interlude, Evan had been thinking about how best to inform the others of what he had discovered.  They had a right to know remaining within the zone of that odd phenomenon might be dangerous.  Perhaps it would even be best to attempt to flee rather than wait for whatever natural resolution would arrive to greet those choosing to hide.  Either way, he didn't feel right making that decision for others.  Yet he knew the kind of disorganized panic such knowledge created prior.  Responsibility made him feel hesitant to put his thoughts to speech.  "There's something else out there.  Something besides just the zombies."

"Dude, just say what it is you saw."  Ryan replied with rapt fascination.

The others present were too weary from the recent ordeal of their shared experiences to respond.  Their faces revealed little terror or surprise at the declaration. Perhaps- Evan thought- his trepidation to speak to his current audience had been unnecessary.  Nobody appeared energetic enough for a compulsive desire for escape to override good sense.  So Evan explained his observations, from the unearthly sounds to the empty street laden with torn metal.  As indirect as the evidence had been, everyone seemed convinced what they had to mean.

"So what do we do now?"  Jennifer asked once Evan's explanation concluded.

"Dude!"  Ryan seemed more excited than anything else.  He had an awed look on what was visible of his face through his greasy hair.  "Aliens are abducting people!"

"It seems so."  Zack exhaled heavily and closed his eyes, as if speaking drained his reserves of energy.

Evan finally allowed himself a moment to breathe.  He was glad to have the private burden of such knowledge lifted from his mind.  "Yes.  So now we have to decide what we're going to do."

"If they stun us while we're escaping, we would be helpless.  Plus the zombies are still around so they could also attack us while we're out there."  Leon spoke thoughtfully as he stroked his hand over his shaved head.  "But since whatever is out there can tear its way through metal, we probably aren't going to be safe inside if it comes this way and discovers that we're in here."

"Hey, you said you didn't hear those whistles after the second black note, right?"  Ryan spoke, watching Evan nod thoughtfully.  "Maybe that means they're heading away from us."

"Could be."  Evan didn't much like the idea of betting upon such a notion, but he couldn't really critique it either.  Without more knowledge, every decision would be a gamble.  "We could stay here and hide if we hear those whistling noises approaching.  It's kind of hard to describe.  It sounds almost musical, actually."

"Then shouldn't we remain here?"  Jennifer suggested.  "If these aliens or whatever are heading in the other direction, we'll at least still be safe from any zombies still around."

"Yeah."  Ryan shrugged.  "Besides, even if we did have a way to escape on our own, we could still be knocked out by another black note.  It's probably better just to wait for the army to return and rescue us."

"Maybe we should still try to figure out some kind of escape plan."  Leon scratched at his chin, looking at the floor in front of himself as he thought aloud.  "We have no idea how long it will take for all this to end.  What if they end up not coming back for us?"

Nobody quite knew how to respond to that, so there was no immediate follow-up to the speculation.

Jennifer frowned as she finally sighed.  "It's not like we have weapons to defend ourselves with or even a working vehicle.  So what could we actually do to prepare for escape on our own?"

"There's a car a few blocks away."  Minoko's small voice contributed as she produced a set of keys from her pocket.  "We could maybe take a few people at a time out of the city."

"Bad idea, dude."  Ryan commented.  "If the black note happens while you're driving, you'll just end up wrecking the car."

"What if we wait until the tone hits us again?"  Evan considered.  "If a couple of us were to go outside just then, maybe we could be sure it wouldn't strike again for at least as long as the effect lasts.  That would give us several minutes at the very least."

"If it happens again."  Jennifer revised the unstated assumption.

"Then what?  Drive out of the city?"  Ryan shook his head.  "It doesn't last long enough to really drive anywhere."

"It doesn't need to.  Just park it outside so it wouldn't be so far away."  Evan exhaled slowly, thinking about those lost weapons strewn along the desolate street.  If he had been thinking at the time he could have retrieved some of them.  Unfortunately, if any were still around, retrieving them during a ticking clock was probably a bad idea.  "All we're doing is trying to come up with some kind of escape option in case we need one later on."

"As long as there aren't any zombies outside at the time, that sounds like a pretty decent plan."  Leon glanced through the glass into the rainy corridor outside.  Nothing yet waited for them at the gate.

Evan met Minoko's eyes with his own.  "The next time that black note hits us, do you think you could lead the way to where that car is?"

Minoko drew in a deep breath, her voice hitching in her throat.  Instead of speaking, she replied with a solemn nod.  An expectant silence came afterwards, as the group waited in dreadful anticipation for a followup black note.

As the minutes turned to hours, uncomfortable chatter began to fill the void of uneasy solitude.  A dry meal and water were shared out amongst the gathered supplies.  Zack was carefully transported to a nearby room to recuperate in a soft bed, the window curtains bound shut in paranoia.  The rainstorm outside faltered now and then and occasionally halted but never quite entirely ended as the day marched onwards in seclusion.

No third black note arrived before the early winter sunset blot out most available light.  But thankfully the tones of that dreadful alien entity (or entities) did not return either.

Tentative Hypothesis

Lucas hated being in crowds.  Worse yet, he hated having important things to say when nobody would listen.  Just before, the only viable course of action was refused on the basis that nobody would believe him.  Those who were outside were incredibly fortunate that Evan was still in the area.  Also, once they returned, their terror made them finally realize that their only viable course of action was to wait.

Once news of Evan's cryptic warning propagated, the common room was fearfully abandoned by the building's residents in favor of lightless hallways or personal areas.  Many tall, broad windows lining the left and right walls of the chamber allowed murky light to spill inside.  The curtains were drawn wide apart, revealing unblinking eyes open to the desolate world.  But there was acute awareness the broad surfaces would allow a watcher to gaze in just as easily.  A slight mismatch between the floor in here and the outside meant the windows were about five feet off the ground.

That suited Lucas just fine, now that he had a relatively isolated space to contemplate.  It was even fairly quiet in here, so any atypical sounds should be easy to notice.  Just in case whatever the warning was about came to pass.  It was rather unfortunate Evan had not remained around to explain further, but Lucas knew that meant he had something important to attend to.

"Okay, so the infected don't attack each other.  I understand that."  Chloe tentatively entered the common area and glanced around the abandoned, shadowy domain.  She crept cautiously around various furnishings as the door drifted closed behind her.  "Why do you think that means they can see consciousness?"

"You mean besides that zombie not choosing to attack the people who were passed out?"  Lucas turned to watch her approach from his place on the couch near the powerless television.

"Yeah.  It seems way more likely to me that she just somehow didn't notice them laying there."  Chloe delicately removed her rain coat and draped it over the back of a nearby chair.  She then walked around and sat in a soft armchair beside the couch.

"Well, it also agrees with all the other information we have about the undead."

"Would you mind explaining your reasoning there?"

"It makes a sort of sense if you think about their traits."  Lucas hesitated, unsure how best to proceed with his line of thinking.  He realized it had to sound pretty out there.  Despite having come up with the notion and considering it yesterday, he still had a hard time believing it could be true.  "To start with, they only target living humans and not each other.  So there has to be something they are keying in on."

"Animals can recognize others of their kind.  Maybe that's what's going on."  Chloe suggested.  "Some kind of instinct that's triggering in the infected, directing them to attack people while neglecting those who are behaving the same way they are."

"That's what I figured too at first.  But remember, we also have pretty solid information about z-rays.  Even though it happened only the one time that we know about, we can be reasonably confident it struck random locations all over the planet.  Actually, that's probably the single most reliable bit of information we have about this phenomenon so far."

"What does that have to do with some ability to detect consciousness?"

"Not anything directly.  But remember how you pointed out to me that z-rays didn't appear to strike animals?"  Lucas paused a moment to direct his attention outside for a few seconds.  Despite recent events, the storm had a familiar, soothing quality about it.  "We do know that probably isn't technically true, considering what little we do know about the strikes of z-rays.  What is more likely to have happened is that the z-rays also hit some animals, but it produced no effect on them."

"So animals are immune to z-rays, but humans are not.  What, because animals aren't conscious and humans are?"

"Animals are conscious, but the sort of awareness they have is not nearly as intricate as the type of consciousness a human has."  Lucas shrugged.  "Anyway, because just now the unconscious people were missed, it seems likely that is the primary factor of the difference."

"Seems like kind of a stretch."

"Maybe it is.  It could be something else."  Lucas halted there, then added after a lapse in the conversation.  "But consider this.  Whatever else this plague is doing, we know it halts once the brain is damaged or destroyed."

"So, if the brain is no longer suitable for whatever the infection does to someone, it will cease.  And if it wasn't ever suitable to begin with the disease won't begin doing whatever it does in the first place."  Chloe thoughtfully concluded.

"Right, so animal brains aren't sufficient to produce the zombie effect."  Not long ago, Lucas had privately speculated about how an undead could be tricked into biting an animal.  A careful test could provide more evidence to support the immunity hypothesis, but he had no capability of performing such an experiment.  Lucas chortled as he added.  "They want to eat our brains.  It should have been more obvious, really."

Unfortunately, Chloe was not nearly as amused by the conclusion.  "Okay.  Let's say the disease is affecting the brain like that.  So how do you get from there to some sort of magical power to directly observe consciousness?"

"Well, remember that we're trying to think of what those things are detecting that makes us valid targets yet also does not prompt them to attack one another.  They must have some means of recognizing what targets can become a suitable carrier.  Even if the only targets they might choose among also have a human shape."

Chloe nodded a bit to that, obviously baffled he didn't elucidate further.  "Yeah?"  Maybe when they still had access to the Internet, she hadn't watched many of the videos showing the zombie attacks.  The video evidence he perused were suggestive that their ability to distinguish was inerrant and consistent among their peers.

"So, that's the question.  What is actually the difference between us and them that they could be responding to?"

"The- uh, zombies move differently.  And they make that annoying sound."

"So if someone does those things, would the zombies ignore them?"

"I wouldn't want to bet on it."

"Right.  But we could still run an experiment.  Try acting like one of them with only one person nearby and see if it's still interested in them."  Lucas raised his arms up and jerked about in his seat to illustrate the mimicry.

"Uh- Did you do that?"  Chloe smirked a bit, evidently bemused by the absurdity of such a ruse, despite her usual stoic mood.

"Well, no.  It might be a good idea if someone did attempt that, though.  Just to eliminate that possibility."  Lucas regret missing the opportunity only a little, after all, he was already fairly confident such a scheme would not succeed.  Nobody else seemed willing to indulge such curiosities, which made experimentation like that in the crowded dormitory impossible.  "But the blackout that just hit those people outside was a similar sort of experiment.  It tested whether or not people who were unconscious would be targeted."

"What if it just ignored them because they appeared to be dead?"

"That's a pretty good question.  We could test whether they respond to motion by having someone pretend they were dead, or by having someone sleep close to one and see if the zombie eventually loses interest in them."  Again, Lucas recalled the videos from the Internet he had been able to examine the previous day.  It was hard to be certain from the evidence he had studied, but such a ploy didn't seem to work for at least one unfortunate victim who had attempted such a tactic.  "But the question you should be asking is why they would respond differently to a body they encounter whether or not it is dead."

"If someone is dead, then the brain isn't going to be intact, so the disease wouldn't have what it needs for the infection to do whatever it does."

"Yes, so it does make sense why they wouldn't waste time with a dead brain.  But how could they possibly realize a brain is dead?  They don't appear to have any cognitive awareness or intelligence, and determining that would take a person at least a few seconds of time.  But they still focus on something that guides them only to conscious humans and not to each other."  And likely not to the dead either, Lucas thought to himself.

Chloe frowned, thinking about the question in silence.  An interlude of peace over which the assaulting storm was the dominating ambiance persisted.  "I don't know if I entirely agree with that.  But I guess if it just ignored the people who passed out because it thought they were dead, your plan still would have worked."

"Well, the next time a zombie shows up, we could perform some of those experiments to see what happens.  If I'm right, a zombie should only lose interest in someone if they are asleep."

"That sounds like a pretty good idea."

A pensive, austere calm permeated the surroundings for quite some time after that.

Fortunate Break

Evan ran through the rain once more, armed with the implement he had already used once before to dispose of the undead.  The heavy rainfall had somewhat cleansed the blade and handle of the fire axe, but it was unlikely the tool's edge could have benefited from exposure to the downpour.  Although he had only taken it as a compromise for others to be reassured of his safety, he was soon comforted by the weight of the implement in his bare hands.

Within the park blocks, the walkways were eerily calm, despite the recent chaos of the rescue attempt's sudden breakdown.  Since the outer perimeter of the army's presence had primarily been along the actual roads, there were no bodies or wreckage in the tree-dotted and grassy walkways.  Better yet, there was no trace of those unnerving, faint sounds he had heard after the previous event.  These things proved to be of only temporary reassurance, however.

Just as not long before, there were no active pedestrians anywhere in sight.  Arriving on the park blocks, Evan turned along the concrete walkway to proceed up the gentle slope.  He slowed his pace as he noticed an unfamiliar woman energetically challenging the Blackwood building's door.  She had not noticed him, but still he strove to remain cautious as he advanced further up the mild hill.  He had no initial idea whether she was a survivor or whether other zombies lingered nearby, eager to ambush once his presence was detected.

Proceeding cautiously but still retaining his sense of urgency, Evan approached, drawing to the end of the adjacent building and spying a number of downed figures upon the ground near the building's entrance.  Now about a hundred feet away, he began to notice the characteristic wailing groans of the infected above the harsh masking effect produced by the rain.

Evidently, the military had not managed to expunge all of their intended targets from the area.  With faint tension in his muscles, Evan examined the surrounding roads and walkways again to ensure there was only the one.  Briefly, he deliberated over whether gaining its attention would be better than sneaking around from behind it in some hopes of a surprise assault.  It did not take him long to consider that the familiar approach would probably be safest.  Not to mention profoundly more expeditious.  "Hey!  You!"

The vocalization managed to turn the undead woman's attention.  It proceeded in the usual reckless charge, heedless of the weaponry Evan possessed.  In the scant moments while the gap between them diminished, he remained motionless and impassive, waiting for the precise moment to react.  Wet, grasping fingers reached out for him as the zombie anticipated the final gap closing.

With familiar, fluid motions he had used in a previous fight, Evan leapt out of the path of the grasping arms and swung the bladed implement at the head of the monster.  It barely connected with a loud crack, just skidding along the skull, rending scalp and grey hair from sturdy bone.  Despite the indirect blow, the force of the strike sent the figure tumbling onto the uneven ground.

A couple of rapid steps forward and a forceful downwards strike partially cracked the skull, allowing a thick black substance to ooze onto the pavement.  Pulling back cautiously, Evan held the weapon ready for another strike, but once no further attempts to move followed, he allowed himself a moment to breathe.  Holding the end of the weapon away from himself, Evan turned in place, deftly peering around for other signs of danger.

Ensuring the immediate environment was clear of easily spotted hazards, Evan examined his rain jacket and pants for traces of infected blood.  What little quantity had managed to get on the arms of his overcoat were quickly washing away in rivulets of fresh water.  Minor viscera upon the weapon itself was likewise rapidly sloughing off in the steady rainfall.  Holding the weapon in a downwards grip away from himself, Evan hoped the rain would wash away the new spatters of blood.

Blackwood's clear doors parted as Evan resumed his steady approach.  Leon's nervous face peeking out and peering towards him in awe, then turning to examine the surrounding area.  He spoke a few words to those inside and stepped out into the rain while Evan jogged forwards, closing the gap to a casual speaking range.  "Hey, Leon!  Someone in my building has a broken bone."

Leon had approached one of the figures on the ground as a few other residents emerged from the safety of their building.  "First, we need to-"  Leon looked up, but halted as the nearby drenched forms began to produce noises and rise.  "Whoa, stop!"

Still on edge from the undead confrontation, Evan's immediate impulse was to stride forwards for a killing swing, but he restrained himself before completing the full motion.  It appeared that not everyone had been sheltered for this blackout, although what they were doing outside and spread apart at the time wasn't immediately obvious.  Evan lowered the implement and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

Voices despaired at the disorienting event; a few limbs or sides cradled tenderly as obvious stinging pains inhibited bruised muscle or scraped flesh.  Bulky coats apparently provided padding enough that more severe injuries were evidently rare.  Many present were cajoling those outside to quickly return and declaring it would be safer inside.  A shouted warning called out by someone in the area indicated the dispatched zombie had arrived from the direction those outside had attempted to flee.

To escape was an understandable instinctive response to the overwhelming unknown forces assailing them.  Had Evan not felt the anchoring presence of responsibility, it might have been a course of action that he would have partaken in.  Of course, it would still be wise to leave very soon if it was at all possible, but Evan was only interested if he could somehow ensure everyone would be going with him.

Lucas stood close to the doorway nearby, shouting to those who had come outside.  "Whatever created the blackout is further away from us now!"  Apparently, Evan thought to himself, he wasn't the only one to notice that something else had been nearby.  Learning of confirmation that whatever it had been was indeed more distant was more reassuring than merely relying on his senses alone.

Those sources of information- or perhaps the limping gaits shared by many- convinced those outside to abandon their flight.  Many of them were nursing rather severe scrapes to limbs or their face, but fortunately nobody seemed to be critically injured.  Heavy coats made for good padding.  A sudden hush fell over those outside as they evidently realized they were quite vulnerable.

With the distraction clearing, Evan once again approached Leon, who was some distance further away, assisting Jorge in walking back to the entrance of the dormitory.  Jorge wiped away blood that was dripping into his eyes from a cut on his forehead and limped as he walked.  "Do you know how to handle a broken bone?"

"Yes."  Leon momentarily met Evan's eyes as they walked alongside one another.  "Who needs help?"

"Someone in my dorm, it's not far from here.  He broke his arm just a few minutes ago."

Leon looked a little hesitant at the prospect of travelling away.  "I can help with that.  Do you have a medical kit there?"

"We do."

"Something awful is out there."  Jorge mumbled as they closed the gap to the front doors.  "We have to leave."

"Wait until the blackouts stop.  Then we can worry about escape."  Evan had no inkling of what they could feasibly do, but it appeared obvious no retreat would be sensible until after that arbitrary milestone.  Hopefully, someone would return to sort this out or at least aid them before things became desperate.

Or before something even worse transpired.

Nobody else called out or spoke a word as they approached the doorway.  Pausing just beside the entrance, Evan called into the dormitory as Leon guided Jorge into the building.  "If any of you hears something strange outside, get everybody out of sight from the windows and hide."

"What?"  Chloe was standing just nearby the door, eyes wide with alarm.  "What would we hear?"  She wasn't the only one with such an expression.

"Anything!"  Evan sternly voiced his command.  "Snapping, whistling.  I don't have time to explain.  Just keep away from the doors and windows if you notice anything unusual going on."

Evan took the anxious silence as acceptance and waved his free hand to Leon.  "Let's get going.  I don't want to be out here any longer than I have to be."

Leon had a dour expression on his face, but followed Evan.