Battle of Ash

Chapter 8

"This is it, the apocalypse."
Imagine Dragons

2017.02.28 06:32
Ash yelled across the lines of people to Colton, "Did you hear-"

He silenced her with a distant stare as people shuffled past in droves, loading the trains waiting to transport them to the safety domes spread throughout the state. Ash reared back into herself. He had never treated her so coldly before. Anxiously she looked around, guiding people in an orderly fashion, dozens of other civilian and military law enforcement officers were set up through the building and well into the streets to keep things safe and moving well.

Perimeters had been put in place to keep the infected at bay within the city. Somehow, almost overnight the population of infected had exploded- either by previous contact, failed safety measures or exposure; bite or otherwise, to a previously infected person. It dawned on Ash that maybe the flu and rashes that had been going around were the initial stages of the parasite; but no one listened to her.

No one listens to the young Mexican girl. Oh no, God forbid. She thought bitterly, glaring at Colton from across the masses of people.

Outside just a mile away or so was a safety perimeter keeping the infected at a distance while they shuffled the privileged to their trains. The domes housed the wealthy and a select few hundred or thousand who had filed out the support forms, allowing their residency in a dome much like one would get a residency on Section 8 or HUD housing. They had received ridiculous letters in the mail praising them for their approval. Others had gotten just as ludicrous rejection letters apologizing for their dismissal and cheerily letting them know they can apply again in six months.

Like they would have six months.

Ash looked over the crowd to Marcus, their eyes met with a shared worry. There were check points set up out of cinder blocks and metal tables. At each check point the citizen passing through had a certain precaution done to make sure they were not hosting the parasite responsible for infection. Those who were free and clear were allowed through to the next check point; those who were infected were put into medical 'tents' that resembled large metal crates covered with cloth; hidden to ease the minds of those who were healthy. Out of sight, out of mind.

The people inside the crates were assigned medical seats where 'doctors' saw to them. The doctors were, of course, personnel hired to keep the infected distracted while they slipped away to their disease.

Ash wasn't sure what would happen once one of the infected changed over, governed by their parasite instead of their brains. Of course, on top of all of the civilians being transported to their safety domes there were those trying to sneak in illegally. It was a consequence that most of them had not been prepared to handle. Sadly some of these people were assumed to be infected and thrown in with the sick, restrained until those who had paid for their future were transported. It was decided that after the people who had paid for their preservation had reached the destination the illegals would be dealt with and given any extra rooms based on family size and income. Those with less finances but larger families were instructed to be given priority.

Ash wanted to ask Colton about Pudge, to talk to her teammates about Tex and their grieving process'. Possibly suggest spending some time together to cope. She eyed Colton angrily. If he was going to ignore her, she was going to ignore him.

2017.02.28 08:45
Marcus couldn't believe the amount of testing they had to do. Three separate blood samples at three different entry stations, each sample tested for one of the different original parasites that comprised the current virus. It was flawed. He tried to bring that up to one of his superiors, but had been silenced quickly and warned to not say another word.