A genuine smile lit up his face. "Man, I'm so happy to see you!", he exclaimed, hugging him strongly, while still holding the axe- making sure not to stab him with the backspike accidentally. "Everything's gone to shit. I saw people eating other people, man, like crazy cannibals. Something's wrong. I grabbed this, but we need to get our stuff from the car. You have yours there, right? That's a bunch of swords we can use, if we also get some tools to sharpen'em. That's my plan."

"That and find a safe spot to ride it out. But man... we need the swords."

Considering that a gun would probably be a better idea, it would seem that having a sword was literally the equivalent of a security blanket for Ody.

Eric nodded at Ody. "Everything is out in the car. There are a bunch of them wandering out there in the parking lot and I think a few might be in the garage too." He took a look at his friend and his axe and added with a grin. "At least you found something for now."

Eric turned to Simon and in a serious if tremulous tone asked, "What is wrong with the relief camp? Isn’t that exactly where we should be going? Doctors, medicine, food, and protection. It doesn’t sound like it could get better than that.” He seemed earnest in his question and looked to each person and then back to Simon.

Carmen smirked and shook her head at Eric’s question. She wanted to say something but thought maybe it was better someone else said it. She looked to Simon as if asking him if he would field it.

In reply to Eric (msg # 74):

Simon just starred at the man like he wasn't holding a full deck. "Go there if you want. You'll be stuck in one place, surrounded by what's out there. Good luck to you."

"Well, maybe we can make a sortie? Can't help feeling besieged, like that. Maybe grab me, you, couple more people, go out to the cars to check the condition and grab our stuff?", Ody asked, thinking it over. He wasn't being particularly quiet, so whoever was close and could overhear, definitely would. "We need eyes out there somehow, just to know what we're dealing with."

Julius grabbed a couple items that looked like they could help in the next little while. The kitchen knife, while not ideal as a weapon, would be durable and had a larger intimidation factor than his folding pocket knife. He pulled out his cellphone with the intention of calling someone, but then saw that there was no signal and he stuffed it back in his pocket.
"How many people do you need to feel comfortable about our chances with a sortie?" He asked, a little surprised that he was in a situation where that was a legitimate question.



14:32, Today: Julius Black rolled 8,1 using 2d6,1d6.  Lighter <3, Kitchen Knife <6 . – 8,1

Max didn't say anything he just stood close enough to hear the conversation as he watched out the main window, occasionally looking over toward the sick man sitting in the corner. He had taken a few moment to strip down the vitals monitor, stashing any cords or such that might have a use in his bag. All that was left was the pole and just enough weight to give it a little extra force when swung. Of course he was sure it wouldn't last very long, but hopefully he wouldn't need it.

And the time for planning is over as the doors to the cafeteria come bursting open allowing access to a sea of infected who pour in driving the people inside into a frantic panic around you. In the onset of the situation you see people being attacked, shoved to the floor and trampled, and it looks like people are eating each other! You assess the situation, immediately noticing a young woman and her child, as one of the infected rushes them you can see the fear swelling in their eyes. Quickly taking stock of the situation, the closest door to get out of here has both infected and panicked people between you and it. It will likely be a fight to get out.

Simon doesn't hesitate, he charges to put himself between the mother/child and the persin who wants her dead.

"Well, I think about fi-"

Ody was interrupted as a bunch of those crazed cannibals got inside with chomming intentions. He checked out the exits immediately, but he couldn't just abandon the poor woman and child. With a warcry, he brandished the fireaxe, mostly to intimidate... but won't hesitate to use it if the guy doesn't seem scared.

Max's first instinct was to bolt, get as far away as possible. Unfortunately there is no where to run so he joins the others and move to protect the woman and child. Hopefully they would have a far better chance fighting of the infected as a group. He so wished he could wake up from this nightmare.

As everything goes to chaos Julius switches his knife to a reverse grip so that he can block along his forearm or stab with an overhand strike. He reaches out with his other hand to the mother and child. "Over here!"

Two of the horde closed in on the woman and her child. One took a swing at Simon’s thigh and the tried to grapple Odysseas. Most of the others in the room panicked but some fought back. This only left the two infected engaged and a third that was stiffly approaching. The woman looked to the others for guidance.

OOC: Roll your weapon skills to parry. Since they are unarmed you have a chance to injure them. Every degree of success will do 1d6 damage. Roll the intimidation Ody to see if you scare any of them off. And Julius roll Diplomacy- Command/Coax, just don’t fail by 3 degrees of failure.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:31, Tue 14 May.

15:41, Today: Simon Gail rolled 22 using 1d100.  /58% melee bludgeoning

16:02, Today: Max Duncan rolled 78 using 1d100.  Melee Attack Bludgeoning 33 +4 advancement.

Simon stepped in the way of the infected going after the woman and her child. A bloody hand swung at Simon nearly hitting his leg. Instead before he could get close Simon swung like an experienced professional and hit it so hard in the neck there was a cracking sound and it reeked back from the force. The head appeared to be hanging on by flesh alone, bobbing against his chest. It was some sort of miracle it didn’t drop. If anything its vision was highly compromised by virtue of staring at its own chest.

The other close infected went also tried to attack the woman and child but Odysseas intercepted this one. Its swing swing was wild providing no clue as to where it was trying to hit. In missing it overstretched itself providing a perfect target. Down came Ody’s axe, cleaving the head from its shoulders. He used his triumphant axe to try to scare away the approaching infected and it worked. It chose someone closer to attack, one of the guards. Which was good given that Max’s swing left him as open as the beheaded infected had been.

Julius called to the woman and child to usher them away from the violence. The noise was loud but they seemed to understand the gesture and moved his direction. Eric and Carmen were trying to work their way through the crowd of panicked people so they could be some sort of egress from this kettle.

Simon used his makeshift weapon to push the thing as far back from him as possible. Then he rushed to the woman and her baby and the others in his charge. "We gotta get out of here. We move together. Carmen which way to the ambulance bay?"

13:37, Today: Simon Gail rolled 51 using 1d100.  /58% melee bludgeoning. – 51

Ody felt the rush of adrenaline, too shocked to even stop moving and realize he had literally decapitated a human being- or was it even human at this point?

This was no time to think idly. He tried to use the opening he made to maneuver the temporarily intimidated infected away from the people, hoping Eric and Carmen would soon catch up so they could get to the garage. He was ready to swing that axe again if any of them made the mistake of getting close.

Simon poked the one he had attacked and it fell over and the head bounced off the floor a few times. It stopped moving.

Carmen was pointing the way to the ambulance bay and working her way through the panicked and fighting crowd. Eric was being more successful in making a path for the woman and child. There were still a couple civilians in the way but it was much clearer.

In the rest of the room people were truly panicked and getting bitten. Some managed to fight but not for long. The security used their firearms. They were deafeningly loud and drew more attention from the infected. They were quickly overwhelmed. Those infected not engaged groaned as if calling for more.

There are still 2 civilians in your way. You have a lot of options for getting past them. Command/Coax, Calm Other, Intimidate, kill them, grapple them out of the way, Dodge them, etc.

At this point Max was getting desperate. The two people blocking their exit didn't seem to be even trying to get out and away, so he used his improvised stick and tried to push and shove his way past the two.

OOC:
12:33, Today: Max Duncan rolled 69 using 1d100.  Brawl or Grapple.

Simon had been paralyzed by the situation. He was not the kind of person to push others into danger, yet when Max made the decision and acted on it Simon understood it was the only way. He mimicked Max, using his improvised weapon to shove people out of his way.

11:39, Today: Simon Gail rolled 9 using 1d100.  /58 Melee Bludgeoning. – 9

The prodded people moved out of the way creating access to the door. Quickly rounding a couple corners they got access to the bay. There were two rigs sitting there. There had been no evidence of drivers in the cafeteria and there was no evidence out here. There were no infected in this area for some reason but outside the bay itself in the service road and adjacent parking there were more than made sense. The parking garage could be seen across the street and there appeared to be a few in there as well.

Simon looked at the others, "Try to bar the door. Carmen you and I need to stop these busses down to essentials." He went to the furthest one and opened the back. He started pulling out unessential and redundant equipment.

Simon and Carmen separated out the unnecessary stuff out of the ambulances. Not that there was much to take out but it did create room.

Simon called the others, "Now we get over to the garage, grab what we can and hit the road hard." He looked around incase anyone was inclined to disagree.