Chapter Eight
Deciding to continue gathering supplies later, Risa sat down on the couch. She assumed Amelia wouldn't be coming out of the room anytime soon. For now, Risa decided to have a conversation with Sentinel.
"Sentinel," Risa called out in a whisper.
A mechanical chime echoed in her head, indicating that Sentinel had acknowledged her.
"Greetings, Host," it replied inside Risa's mind.
"Hey. You know I have a lot of questions about this world and my current… predicament," Risa said, pausing for a moment.
"But can you please tell me what the fuck is going on in this world right now? And don't say 'insufficient host level' again, because if you do, I swear I'll fucking kill myself," Risa threatened the system in her mind.
Risa knows she can't threaten to hurt the system inside her head, because after all, it's just a disembodied voice. Besides, it clearly needs her alive to fulfill some mission or objective, related to Amelia or an end-of-the-world scenario.
"Loading information accessible based on the host's level," she heard Sentinel's mechanical voice again. This time, it was completely devoid of emotion, purely robotic.
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HOST: RISA REEVES
LEVEL: 2
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"Loading available data for host," Sentinel said.
Risa waited quietly.
After a moment, Sentinel continued.
"The host was integrated into System World SW-14V2 to assist in preventing total systemic collapse.
End-of-world scenario details: [REDACTED]. The host may unlock additional data regarding the end-of-world event through system progressions, or may independently discover relevant information.
Current authorized disclosure: Miss Amelia is connected to the end-of-world scenario." Risa sat cross-legged on the couch, listening to Sentinel.
"Primary Objective: Ensure safety of designated Family Unit — subjects Amelia, Airi, and Rika. Failure to protect one or more members will constitute mission failure.
Mission failure will result in punitive action against the host by the Central Governing System.
Punishment parameters: [INFORMATION REDACTED]." Though Sentinel spoke in a flat, mechanical tone, Risa couldn't shake the feeling of something ominous beneath the words.
Risa remained silent. Truthfully, the idea of punishment for failure unsettled her, and what disturbed her most was not knowing what that punishment might be.
"World Information: This world is similar to the host's original world but differs in biological structure, such as the existence of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, a concept that does not exist in the host's original world. There are also differences in world development, including technology, religion, education, and other societal systems."
"Yeah, I still don't get what you mean by the biological structure of this world. What I really want to know is the current status. What happened here? Why are there zombies, and where did they come from?" Risa asked Sentinel. This time, she asked the question silently, inside her head.
"Origin of the zombie outbreak: The origin of the zombie outbreak began within a private institution operating under the guise of a medical facility. Its publicly stated purpose was healthcare, but its true objective was to develop a biochemical serum capable of enhancing the physical strength and regenerative abilities of human soldiers. This serum was intended for future sale to military organizations.
The institution was covertly funded by a classified branch of the government. Officially categorized as a private entity, it was exempt from oversight. Secrecy was a top priority.
Within the facility, a rogue group of scientists deviated from the original plan. They initiated unauthorized human trials on a broad spectrum of subjects, including men, women, and children. Their intent was to observe the effects of their modified serum across varied biological profiles. Ethical protocols were disregarded.
At the time, the global population was recovering from a recent pandemic. A legitimate vaccine had been distributed. Exploiting this context, the rogue scientists deployed their experimental serum under false pretenses, presenting it as an updated version of the existing vaccine. The population complied, unaware of the deception.
This, however, was not the first occurrence. Nearly five years earlier, during a different health crisis, the same institution secretly administered a prototype version of the serum to unknowing patients, disguising it as a standard flu shot. The long-term effects of those early trials were never reported and remain unknown.
The result of the recent deployment was mass infection. It took approximately 24 to 48 hours for the first wave of injected individuals to undergo full mutation into the creatures now known as zombies. However, not all subjects who received the serum transformed." It was a long explanation from Sentinel, and Risa quietly absorbed the information she was being given.
"Okay, so what happened? What's the status of the world? Are we overrun by these infected individuals? And if so, how did it happen? Doesn't this world have enough firepower to protect its citizens?" Risa asked Sentinel.
"Sadly, several parts of the country have been overrun by zombies. The military was slow to respond in protecting the citizens because of internal conflict. A faction attempted a coup to seize control of military power, which led to a struggle.
Only a portion of the military was available to contain the outbreak, as the rest was engaged in suppressing the rebel faction. Many lives were lost before the rebellion was finally defeated. However, a small group of the rebels escaped, taking military equipment with them.
Only after this internal conflict was resolved could the remaining military forces be mobilized. By the time reinforcements were sent out, some cities had already been completely overrun. Despite this, the military managed to establish safe zones in other areas still under control." Sentinel answered.
"Damn. Why does it feel like the cities were overrun so quickly? Even without military support, the police should've been able to hold the line," Risa said again. She had been a police officer herself and knew the kind of equipment and gear available to suppress infected hordes or even fight and eliminate them. "Does riot gear not exist in this world?"
"The police were able to hold the line in some cities. However, during the early stages of the outbreak, the infected behaved erratically and aggressively. Many were mistaken for ordinary troublemakers and were arrested, then detained in police stations. In reality, these were early signs of infection.
As a result, several police stations were quickly overrun from within by infected individuals. Some officers survived and managed to protect a number of civilians, but they were ultimately outnumbered by the growing horde." Sentinel replied.
"Great. Thanks for sending me into such a troublesome world," Risa said sarcastically, clearly annoyed that she had been integrated into a place like this.
"So, what am I supposed to do now? Don't I get a guide or something? Because 'Protect Family Unit' doesn't exactly tell me how to survive or what to do next," she questioned the system.
Before Sentinel could respond, a soft creak echoed through the room. Risa immediately turned her head toward the sound. Amelia had just opened the bedroom door and stepped out.
"Oh—hi. Did you fall asleep after I left? I hope I didn't wake you," Risa asked nervously, hoping Amelia hadn't heard her talking to Sentinel. It would've just sounded like she was talking to herself. She really needed to start communicating with Sentinel internally instead of out loud.
Amelia stared at her for a moment, then glanced at the items Risa had laid out earlier. Risa noticed the white-haired woman eyeing the scattered supplies.
"I'm just trying to sort out our things," Risa said. "Getting everything ready for when we leave. We can't exactly stay here for long," she explained.
The truth was, they really did need to leave soon. Douglas was probably already looking for them. He might have found out that Risa had killed three of his men and would be coming after them for revenge. On top of that, she had let another hostile man go, and she didn't trust him. He might come back with reinforcements to take her down. Risa didn't know exactly what they were planning, but one thing was certain, this place would not be safe for much longer.
"I see," was Amelia's simple reply. She really didn't understand why Risa was suddenly acting weird and friendly. 'Did she hit her head or something?'
"Oh, right. Do you know how to use a gun?" Risa asked, turning to the white-haired woman.
Amelia blinked. "A gun?" she echoed.
Risa nodded. "Yeah"
Amelia hesitated before shaking her head. "I… don't know how to use one," she admitted. "Never had a reason to learn."
Risa wasn't surprised. "I'll teach you," she offered. "Just the basics: how to hold it, aim, fire. For self-defense."
"Where did you learn how to use a gun?" Amelia asked. "And… where did you even get one?"
Risa replied without thinking. "I got it when I joined the police force."
Amelia's brow shot up. "You're a marketing manager."
Risa froze. A chime echoed in her head. "The original occupant of this body had a different upbringing and occupation than the host."
Risa's eye twitched. "You didn't think to tell me that earlier!?" she screamed internally.
Laughing awkwardly, she waved a hand. "Just kidding."
Amelia narrowed her eyes.
Risa cleared her throat. "I, uh… I stole it at Douglas' camp." It was a lame excuse, but it was better than admitting she wasn't who Amelia thought she was.
Amelia didn't look convinced, but after a moment, she sighed and shook her head. "…Fine."
Risa took that as a win.
Amelia sat down beside her on the couch, her movements slow and uncertain. Risa took out her handgun, checked the safety, and handed it to Amelia grip-first.
"First things first," Risa said evenly. "Always assume a gun is loaded. Never point it at something you don't intend to shoot."
Amelia took the gun hesitantly, her fingers adjusting awkwardly around the grip. It was heavier than she'd imagined. Risa reached over and gently repositioned her hands.
"Hold it like this. You want a firm grip, but not too tight. If you squeeze too hard, your hands will shake."
Amelia nodded, adjusting her hold as instructed. "Like this?"
"Better." Risa leaned back slightly, watching her. "Now, when you aim, don't just look at the target. Line up the sights. Your dominant eye should focus on the front sight, not the whole gun."
Amelia furrowed her brow, raising the gun with both hands as she tried to follow the instructions. "And the trigger?" she asked.
"Finger off it until you're ready to shoot," Risa warned. "You don't want to fire by accident."
Amelia swallowed and nodded again. "Okay. And… recoil? Guns have recoil, right?"
Risa smirked slightly. "Yeah, they kick back when you fire. That's why your stance matters. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Absorb the recoil with your arms, not your wrists."
Amelia listened carefully, shifting in place to mimic the stance, even though she was still sitting. She was clearly nervous, but she was trying.
Risa watched her for a moment before speaking again. "We'll practice more later, outside when it's safer. For now, just get used to holding it."
Amelia exhaled, lowering the gun slightly. "Alright." She hesitated, then glanced at Risa. "Thanks for teaching me."
Risa shrugged. "No problem. You should know how to defend yourself."
Amelia looked at the gun in her hands, then at Risa again. There was something unreadable in her expression, but she didn't say anything more.
For now, that was enough.
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Author's Note:
Hello! This is the updated version of the story. Thanks for your patience!