The Restart

Chapter 4

"Jessica. Ok, hi"
I wasn't sure how to act, and I still wasn't certain that she was not a Virus.
"Are you okay? Do you remember anything that happened?" I tried to get some answers from her, but she stood frozen still, almost in shock.

Just as I thought I was making progress with her, I heard crying and shouting in the distance. Just like before it went quiet, except now I couldn't hear fighting or gunfire.

As soon as the noise started, Jessica dropped her weapon and brought her hands up to her head and screamed in pain. I hardly knew this girl, but I knew I had to try and help her. So I stumbled towards her and grabbed her arms, mostly to calm her down, but also to stop me from collapsing.

"Hey it's ok. Jessica calm down."

This seemed to stop her screaming, but she still looked in pain. She took a few steps back, and when I followed her into the light I could see her face. Black eye makeup smudged and running due to tears. Cuts and dirt on her face. She looked about my age, strong but at the same time broken.

Lifting her head to look at me, she stopped her crying but then pushed me away with such force that I fell to the floor.

Looking at her surroundings, she seemed like she had no idea where she was. Almost as if she just woke up...

Then finally she spoke, "what the fuck is going on? Where am I?"

I hastily replied while gradually trying to stand up, "I don't know what's going on, but right now your in North London."

All I got in response was a scared and confused glare.

I tried to trigger one of her memories by asking if she remembers what happened and she told me.

"I was just sitting on a bench- in the park- studying- then the next thing I know is that I can't remember who I am - or where I was - or how to speak- or what my name was - or what to do."

Her voice kept rising and rising and I thought she was going to break down into tears so I tried to comfort her as best as I could by resting my hand on her shoulder. It seemed to work.

"I guess- I didn't know what to think-or do- so after I hit a few people- and ran through town- and came across a police station- I robbed it."

At this point she unzipped her jacket and revealed a belt that was a whole arsenal.

"Holy shit!"

I took a few steps back, it was only natural to feel unsafe that close to a baton, pistol, taser, knife and some other crazy shit I didn't know the name of.

"Ok..." I said wearily. "Do you remember anything else?"

"No. Nothing else. It's like everything before that is a fuzzy picture, and the lens won't focus. I can't even remember my surname. I just know I'm Jess."

What the fuck? Everyone just suddenly lost their memories like they got hit with an amnesia gun and they turn all crazy and now their memories are returning?

It was a lot to take in, let alone comprehend. The one thing that bothered me the most though was why I was the only one who didn't lose their memories. Why the fuck was I so special?

After a few minutes of silence, Jess spoke, "so... what do we do? Do you have a plan?"

To be honest, I didn't have a plan. I was never much of the planning type. And anyway, how could you make a plan when you don't know what you're doing? But I didn't think that was what poor Jess wanted to hear. She was still in shock for the whole thing and I don't want to cause her any stress.

"Well... First on my list of things to do is to find out what's going on." I replied.

"Yeah ok... how are you gonna do that?" Jess asked inquisitively.

I let out a tired sigh, "I'm gonna need a computer. And I'm gonna need your help. You in?"

With a smile (the first smile I had ever seen on Jess) and the unleashing of her gun, she nodded her head, "got nothing better to do, Theo."