ashes to ashes, stardust to stardust

in which Rain accidentally lands a job

After about the fourth or fifth retelling of Rain's story, as per the General's request, Patrick finally sat back in his chair, sizing Rain up once more. Rain twisted his hands nervously, praying this was the last time he'd have to recount his tale. Instead, the General continued to examine him before finally (FINALLY) speaking.

"So let me get this straight. There's this new race of super zombies, we'll say, and you're convinced they're capable of what exactly. Wiping out mankind?"

"I know it sounds insane, General, but you have to believe me." Rain argued, trying to keep his cool. If he wasn't careful with his words, the General could have him locked up (or worse) with a wave of his hand.

"I have to believe you are the sole survivor of a zombie attack on a ship with 90 well trained soldiers, pilots, and cargo shippers?"

"I never said I was the sole survivor sir, only that I didn't see anyone else make it out."

"Mhm. And these zombies, what makes them so special?" The General questioned, giving Rain a glare of disbelief.

"They're fast. Faster than normal ones. And they're coordinated. They don't just stumble about aimlessly, they seek, and they attack, and they kill. It's like they're smarter."

"And what did you say your theory was?"

Rain took a deep breath before he continued, avoiding looking the General in the eye.

"I think these zombies may have contracted a new strain of the infection. Or it evolved somehow. I'm not exactly sure what the root cause is, all I know is that something is different and it is a genuine threat, General. I'm not suggesting you rally all your forces and concentrate your efforts on eradicating every last infected, I'm only saying perhaps you should keep an eye on the situation."

As Rain finished his little speech, he realized he'd been leaning forwards, pulling against his restraints, and he was almost nose to nose with Patrick. He leaned back hurriedly, feigning composure, though he could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage.

Patrick, on the other hand, looked more or less unbothered, staring at the ceiling in thought.

'Very well. I'm going to leave you here to recover from your injuries for the next three days, and then you may begin your training."

"My what?"

"Your training, boy. Since you're oh-so-passionate about this little zombie problem, you can be the one to handle it. I will train you myself and give you a small fleet to command, but other than that this matter is yours to overcome. If you decide you cannot take the responsibility, we'll be more than happy to euthanize you. After all, there's no way of knowing if your story is true."

With that heartwarming statement, the General stood and nodded to Rain before exiting the room, letting the door slam shut behind him and leaving Rain to process his newfound duties.

(insert time travel here because i refuse to leave this chapter short)

"Alright, that's the last of them. Just be sure not to scratch, the scars are still sensitive and prone to ruptures. I don't want to see you in here again for at least a few weeks, understand?" The Doctor nagged, tossing Rain's bandages aside.

Rain had recovered nicely, despite being an aggressive sleep-fighter and world class nurse puncher (in his defense, he was hopped up on pain meds and her mask spooked him). The Doctor was proud of his progress and took every opportunity she could to brag and crow about her successes to her colleagues, who had begun taking extended "lunch breaks" to avoid her gloating. Rain couldn't help but feel a little smug too, enjoying the attention that came with being the star patient.

"Now, the General told me that rather than beginning your training right off the bat, you're to be granted the day to explore the fort (with an escort), and settle into your quarters. I'd be grateful, Patrick isn't the type to offer special privileges."

The Doctor smiled at Rain and, although he didn't particularly want to, he found himself smiling back. She had been so kind to him, a complete opposite of the General, who seemed to not care less whether he lived or died.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for me, Doctor." He offered her a handshake, which she surprisingly declined in favor of a long, vice-tight, mildly painful hug.

"Make me proud, Rain." She whispered, before releasing him and turning to the door, just in time to greet a masked man poking his head in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Pat told me I had a newbie to babysit?" Said the man, stepping into the doorway and propping it open with his foot.

"Yes, you're just in time. Rain, this is Daryll, head of the bandits. Daryll, this is Rain, my precious little survivor. Patrick wants you to give him a tour and help him set up his room."

"As you wish, ma'am." The bandit, Daryll, motioned for Rain to follow him and left, leaving Rain to scramble out of the room after him.

Despite being a good several inches shorter than Rain (i don't care how tall he is canonically shush), Daryll was out of the med bay and all the way down the hall by the time Rain caught up, wheezing and panting. The bandit was a small tank of a man, all muscle and no height. His skin was darker than any Rain had ever seen, and his hair was very short and curly.

"I don't mean to be rude, but where are you from?" He asked, tilting his head to look at Daryll.

The bandit laughed, punching Rain lightly in the arm.

"That's not rude, don't worry. I come from a desert planet on the other side of the sector. My little band of bandits and I came here maybe ten years back looking for a fresh start. Where I come from it's all crime and death and (gasp) illegal spice trades. We were sick of killing for measly pay, and the Frostbourne really is a good cause, so we stayed."

"Oh, interesting." Rain had heard of planets like that, but he'd never seen one. In fact, he wasn't sure what a desert even was.

"Hey, I get it, don't give yourself an aneurysm. I can tell you're not a worldly fellow, you'll learn a lot here, it'll be good for you." Daryll chuckled, hitting Rain's arm again. It was a habit.

Rather than argue, Rain nodded and continued walking alongside him, allowing him to lead the way. He seemed to know the place incredibly well, talking Rain's ear off whilst navigating effortlessly through the maze-like halls. Not that he was complaining though, he enjoyed listening to Daryll's stories, even if the stories themselves were boring or incomprehensible to him.

Once they reached a large set of wooden doors, Daryll stopped and turned to Rain.

"Now, I'll give you fair warning, this whole fort can be a little much at first. It's loud, it's busy, it seems like there's a million things happening at once. Just promise me you won't flip out or anything."

"I promise?" Rain couldn't care less about the atmosphere, he was more concerned with whether or not he'd be able to make it around on his own.

"Good." The bandit said as he pushed the door open, revealing the bustling courtyard before them.