Lockers

People like me who wore the technician's red was a bit uncommon, but there were always one or two a line, but at times one would have to run several lines by themselves. You would typically find one per four production members in places where production members were more scarce, but in some places, there might only be a single red shirt in a sea of fifty production shirts. But that number was also skewed by the fact that both logistics and those who worked in the offices also wore blue and managers wore a different color entirely.

Having a different shirt color didn't mean anything honestly in terms of survival, I just thought it was neat that it was another technician like me.

I told Abby my plan and she looked at me momentarily before agreeing.

'I guess it is a spur-of-the-moment plan, but it should be fine no?'

Quickly, we scurried over to not lose him before we started prowling behind him. We stayed what I thought was a safe distance away from him and Abby resided a step or two behind me. 

It was obvious that we've never stalked anyone before as on a couple of occasions we almost outed ourselves in the open. 

We entered a section that had several lockers all around and after a little more walking he abruptly stopped. Of course, I couldn't keep walking toward him so I stopped too. But it seems that Abby didn't realize it as she bumped into me. 

"Ah, sorry!"

"It's alright, I probably should have signaled you or something."

'Damn, I didn't really pay attention before on account of the numerous dead, but she's kinda stacked. No, wait… we have shit to do, I can't be having these thoughts right now.'

I turned my attention back to the man to see that he had opened one of the lockers and was currently going through the contents.

'It must be his locker, hmm well now seems like a good time as any to figure out whether or not he's human. But at this point his actions seem more than mindless. But still better check anyways, after that maybe he could help lead us to where some others are.'

We got to a point where when he finally noticed us he wouldn't be able to run away effectively. He was a middle aged man who had a nice brown full beard and a shiny-ass bald head.

"Haahh!!! Jesus, you two scared me! Where did you two appear from? Oh, Nova, is that you? How long were you two following me for?"

"We noticed you when we were leaving through the back entrance of the cafeteria. What are you doing here Josh?"

"I was coming back to get a set of tools. I'm grouped up with the rest of my area's technicians and a few members of logistics. We're holding ourselves up in a welding room and decided to try and weld some sheets of metal together into some weapons, shields, and maybe even some armor. Hey, you know a little bit too right? Why don't you come back with me and help out?"

I looked down at the hammer I had and imagined a cool-ish, but probably shittily made sword. I could already imagine the shity welds onto seams.

"Alright, I'll go, but remember I only had 2 weeks of training on MIG welders and they weren't even full days."

"Don't worry, we only have one person who knows how to really weld, the rest have never even held a welder before. What about you over there? Are you gonna come with us too?"

"W-wha? Of course! Where else am I supposed to go? You weren't going to take my one companion and kick me to the side, were you?"

"U-uh, n-no, of course not! I'm Josh, Josh Huchman, what about you lady?"

Abby placed her left hand atop her breasts as she introduced herself.

"My name is Abby Ashford."

It was at this moment that I realized that she was married. A gleam shone from her left ring finger as a golden band wrapped around said finger.

'Hmm, married huh? Did she come here with her husband? That means she wasn't really enamored by me when I pulled her up, right? Maybe I'm becoming delusional with an inflated ego. After all, a simple glance and she's enthralled? That's probably too much.'

After a little bit of self-inflicted mental damage, I pulled the locker door open wider to see what was being taken.

"Yeah, this is that welder's locker, he needed someone to get some of his stuff when he started setting up. I think the logistics guys are getting some materials too. Honestly, I have no idea what any of the tools he told me to get look like, but I did happen to know where his locker was."

I watched as Josh just started taking tools from within and shoving it into a duffle bag. Tongue and groove pliers, lineman pliers, some mig welding pliers, a pick-like hammer, and other random things.

As he was doing so I felt a tug on my sleeve. I looked at Abby who was staring off back where we came from. Her gaze was serious and she tightened the grip on her weapon. 

A couple of those mimics were shambling toward us at a mere walking speed. One's legs were elongated to where he towered over the other as they only reached its waist. The short one had a left arm 1.5 times the size of normal arms, his right remained normal in comparison.

'An enlarged left arm? I guess it's not large because of masturbation unless he was a lefty.'

"A couple of those bodysnatchers must have heard him yelling."

'I wonder why none showed up earlier when we were in the cafeteria. I guess it just wasn't loud enough, after all, it seems like Josh didn't hear her either.'

"Hey, Josh!"

"Wha- oh, I've pretty much gathered everything anyway. They're a bit too close already though, so we should take them out."

"Oh we're gonna fight them? Uh, do they have any weaknesses or do you have any tips for doing so?"

"How am I supposed to know!? A day hasn't even passed yet and you want more information about them? Haven't you fought one before? Don't tell me you were a coward and hid!"

"Hey! I basically slept through this whole damn apocalypse starting! By the time I woke up I felt like I was exploring a nightmare."

"That's unbelievable! You slept through it all? How heavy a sleeper are you?!"

"I swear I'm not so bad normally! Whatever if you don't have advice then we just have to fight as best we can. Why can't we just make a run for it anyways?"

"It's because I think they might follow us back, who knows if they could call for backup or not along the way."

We walked toward each other, a group of 2 vs 3. I felt like we had a good chance to win, but I wasn't certain about us getting away unscathed. 

Josh stood to my left with a large combination wrench and Abby was on my right with what looked like just the stick portion of a wooden broom.

The two ahead looked somewhat familiar, I had probably walked by them every once in a while. I won't feel as guilty killing these things knowing that the real people are probably already dead and a monster has taken them over. It still doesn't feel quite right as I look at them though, but I simply brought up the fact that they were monsters to not feel as much emotion while looking at them.

They moved at quite a slow pace at the moment, but I wasn't about to let my guard down so quickly.

If they were all as slow as this, there is absolutely no way so many people died back at that cafeteria nor would there be bodies of those who had tried to flee.

They may be like Project Zomboid zombies, but that would mean a simply overwhelming number had taken over the cafeteria. But they weren't really much of a threat on their own unless someone basically didn't know how to play.

"Hey, be careful of sudden bursts of speed from them, I know the ones we fought at the cafeteria were much fiercer than these. Some ran, some were at a jogging speed, and some stayed at a slower walking speed." 

'Oh shit, they can be so varied? I guess we'll just have to figure out what these two are. I have a big feeling the guy with the huge arm would hit hard. The long-legs guy…. Has better long kicks… yeah."

Suddenly, the tall one squatted down and leaned forward. The muscles in its legs started to bulge and swell up. I tensed up immediately as I felt something was off and just as I realized, the tall one had propelled himself off the ground straight toward us like a missile.

"What the f- Gahh!!"

I had just barely taken a step to the side as that tall one crashed head-first into Josh.

They slid back on the floor a few steps with that creature sitting atop him. As it reeled its head off his body I ran over and with a swift overhead strike, I smashed the hammer down onto its human head with all my strength.

*Krrk*

An audible crack and visible deformation formed like a little crater on the back of its head. It started turning its head toward me, but out of nowhere a stainless steel combination wrench arced from the ground and thwacked its head from the way it was turning, immediately to the other side. After a moment it started to slump over.

*Thomp* *Thomp* *Thomp*

I turned around to heavy footsteps as I saw that big armed one charging toward me with that very arm reeled back, prepared to bash the shit outta me.

I didn't have enough time to dodge so I went with the next best thing, a parry! Its fist was sloping down somewhat and looked like it would hit my upper chest. I prepared to intercept his fist an arm's length away, but a broom flew and tangled into its legs.

He tripped and slid right at my feet so I swung down onto his head instead. A similar event occurred with this one as did the other, but that muscular arm of his managed to grab the tips of my shoes.

Veins rippled down its arm as it tried its best to compress the steel-toed part of my steel-toe shoes. Of course, I wasn't just gonna let it happen so I gave his head another good bash or two.

His arm slowly smoothed out and I could pull my shoe free of its grip. I hadn't felt anything on the inside of the shoe, but I could see some parts where it started compressing into the shape of his hand.

"Ah, Nova are you hurt?"

Abby came over with that stick now back in her hand.

"Nnh, Hey! I'm the one that's hurt! That headbutt hurt like hell!"

I turned back to Josh who was leaning against a locker. He looked like he was in quite some pain as he clenched his eyes.

"Hey, Josh, you good? Do you think you could walk? Are your ribs broken?"

"Y-yeah, I think so. Breathing a little too deep hurts and so did me touching it. I could probably still walk, though I think I'm outta the fight. You'll probably have to carry the tools too."

Abby and I helped him up through grunts and groans. 

I let him take the lead even though he was hobbling at a relatively slow pace as I didn't want him to feel like a burden.