No Time

The conditions were set.

The old foge- ehem, scientists would stay here for a while and were to decide if they wanted to stay here forever.

The normal civilians would be treated but sent away to another base. They would have their memories erased and replaced.

The two ability users were given the option to stay or leave. They would probably stay though.

For Xia Jiayi, he really was a genius. The scientists' worth couldn't be compared with Xia Jiayi's worth at all. He was given the option to stay, so he gladly accepted.

The only additional condition for the outsiders was that they would not receive the zombie trial reagent. They would be regular humans or regular ability users, not like us.

They had restrictions and couldn't go to certain places until a certain amount of time had passed. A "probation" period of a sort.

The normal civilians were devastated and claimed that they could be useful too. They said, "Those people outside are regular beings like us! Why are they allowed in and given powers?! We're the same!"

They made a huge fuss until I threatened to kill them instead. That shut them up.

The scientists were afraid but hearing their escape story, they were brash and clueless about the dangers of the apocalypse. It was a wonder they survived this far.

Of course, they were useful and could create and identify medicine, but I still had many other people like that working for me. Some were better and many had high prospects.

These few scientists did have the prized experience, but if they were this stupid in the outside world... It wasn't worth it.

It was their choice to stay or leave, but if they made any mistakes, they would regret it.

The two ability users had no reason to leave. Although they weren't powerful, they could work as guides or spies if needed.

The main reason they were invited to stay was that... they were people I recognized. One was a famous violinist and the other a famous conductor/pianist.

You might call me stupid, but as a fan, I just had to save them. I handed them core devices and input my address and saved it.

"You're welcome to come anytime and take an instrument. I have a music room. There are also orchestras in the base and they have many renowned musicians. Please feel free to contact me if you have any needs."

Yes, I was extremely biased. Even if they weren't ability users, I would have wanted them to stay. I had heard their performance once for a duet, Moto Perpetuo by Paganini, although it was simple, the speed was incomparable and each note was crisp and clear. The violin had sounded playful while the piano had kept it in check by sounding accommodating. It was a splendid simple performance.

I was busy, so I didn't get to see all of their performance or get to go to another one, but their musicality had stayed in my mind and I recalled it sometimes.

Them being ability users had become a great excuse for me to single them out.

Anyways, lastly, about Xia Jiayi, just the boy being a genius was good enough. But him being cheeky and childish made me want to take care of the child.

He had qualities a normal child his age should have, also unbounded self-confidence. He was a little arrogant but had the right to do so.

My mind wandered back to my past life.

Ge was a strong young man who was stern and looked out for us always. He wasn't gentle but you could tell he cared for us. He wasn't like this life's Ge, besides that he cared for us.

Xiao Lai had been a slightly recluse boy who had been bullied. He was angsty, shy, self-blaming. This life's Xiao Lai was narcissistic, confident, and bright.

Xiao Bing... She's the one who has the biggest "change" happen. She was such a shy, feminine, gentle, calm, quiet girl who kept to herself. She was dependable and headstrong although she was all that. This life's Xiao Bing was headstrong, stubborn, brash, blunt, tom-boyish, loud, spoiled, etc... The complete opposite. But they were both lovable in their own way.

Xia Jiayi, although a stranger, reminded me of my siblings. And seeing the at first dirty, scrawny kid, I felt the need to take care of him.

Sigh, I was weak to children after all.

So another day passed by, a day filled with documents, appointments, meetings, and more documents. I also filmed a live stream concerning the matter of outsiders. The people on base all had some degree of xenophobia, and I had to say that these were my orders. I wasn't asking them anything, I had all the power to let them in. The most I did for accusatory sayings was to reply with, "I will not let them have a chance to use a zombie trial reagent".

Having people is good. Having a community is good.

I kept on reminding myself of these two thoughts.

I had been ordered around, forced to do work, and had gotten no sleep at all these days. Exaggerated, but it's what I felt. They didn't order me around, but the pressure from everyone's expectations was immense.

At worst, I'll throw out anybody that I dislike. But that'd be tyranny.

Ahhhh... I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry.

Stress was getting to me.

It was just like the author's stress levels after several weeks of little to no sleep plus 4 all-nighters in a row, later beginning to see hallucinations again.

Huh? What did I just say? I can't remember, well anyways, I wanted some rest.

I had to take responsibility for starting the base, but it really was tiring me out.

I was calm and collected. I had to be.

But I was worried about the future, how it would change after I influenced the present.

I wanted to abandon all this honestly. But I also didn't want to tear myself apart from the base. Maybe it could be connected to the analogy of a student leaving home for a college far away.

...It really was confusing.

Sigh, I felt the need to take a break.

So I complained, rather whined, through incoherent mutters, and Secretary Jing noticed.

"Chief, why don't you take a vacation? A real one? Take off your core device and enjoy 2 weeks off. I'll make sure nothing disturbs you. Besides, everyone's got the hang of work and are doing everything quicker these days. We're trying to make this base like a country where everything exists, of course, it's difficult. But one person shouldn't shoulder this alone. Please trust in us and have some well-deserved rest!"

My heart felt a bit warm and I couldn't help but flash a grateful look.

Other co-workers popped in behind Secretary Jing and chipped in.

"Yeah, Chief! We've got it covered, this base was made as a sanctuary, nobody should feel stressed! I mean, it's not like we're the ones out there suffering from zombies! Also, if you're disturbed by expectations and the pressure from it all, just go have a vacation outside! Didn't you say you wanted to travel the world before? You should do that!"

Another person rebutted, "The world doesn't look like how it used to..."

"But the nature part should look better now, right?"

"Guess so. Well then, Chief, how about you take a break outside the base?"

That actually wasn't a bad idea. I could pack a few necessary items and go on a journey. I knew how to thrive even in deserts, I'd be fine.

Secretary Jing suddenly put up a strained look on his face, "...On second thought, Chief, please carry your core device around. We'll find you through locating your core device and send a group to escort you back. We don't want you getting lost after all."

...Oh. Well, yes, that was indeed a little worrisome. That would do.

"Alright, I won't go out of the country, I'll just roam around the land and seas. Can you notify my family members that I'll be gone? Also, if you have any trouble with work, contact Xiao Bing, I've taught her some things and she's unexpectedly good at this kind of work."

"Ok chief, have fun!"

My office was the top floor, so I could easily walk up the stairs to the roof.

I brought out my raven form and jumped down.

It's truly a glorious thing to feel worries and stress stripped away. Of course, it would come back in 2 weeks' time, but I didn't want to brood over it right now.

I flew home and packed some snacks I would eat later. Everything necessary was thrown into my space and stored away in the house there.

All set.

I wrote quickly on several post-it notes for Xiao Lai. They were of warning to zombie #37, or Zhang Xing. I believed that there wouldn't be significant trouble, but it was just in case.

[If zombie #37 acts out, take its nucleus.]

Sounds fairly normal, right? But it meant, "Destroy the zombie if it makes any trouble."

Besides that, I also reminded him to eat his meals properly and such. Ordering takeouts were ok, but you shouldn't eat greasy foods, etc, etc.

Now I was truly prepared to take on my journey.

I turned my core device off and stored it away in my space.

I went through the barrier's identification, came down the mountain and walked delightedly on this blistering, hot temperature.

With water used as a shield against the sun's bright ways and light mist keeping me hydrated, I walked.

It had soon become lunchtime when I arrived in a city. I don't know which one, and it wasn't familiar either.

Zombies roamed in the buildings and didn't come out. It was hot for them too. They could actually shrivel up, and that wouldn't be good for their mobility.

I happily hummed a tune from one of Ge's songs that went viral.

I brought out a chair, table, utensils, a bowl of rice fresh off the rice cooker, and several side dishes.

This was in the middle of the street.

But nobody was around, so I didn't feel all that embarrassed. Only zombies were watching after all.

After enjoying my meal, I took out a camera and snapped some excellent pictures of zombies and their setting. They were quite the models. Very impressive.

I didn't like or hate zombies. They were victims. But then they brought on more victims, that was it. Of course, being human, I didn't want to be like them in my past life. But as an ability user who went through the zombie trial, I wasn't afraid of being near them, they couldn't infect me after all.

None of the people at base were afraid. They just found zombies to be a little disgusting and as Shane put it before, "Ugly".

They liked zombies for their nucleus, they didn't hate zombies.

They would probably hate humans more.

We were privileged and the regular humans and ability users were obviously less. So many of them did despicable things to survive. People who were privileged understood that but didn't like such behaviors, they thought themselves to be better.

Although it would be different if-

...I was worrying about useless stuff again.

I was on vacation, I had to stop thinking about unnecessary things!

Whew, alright, the most I'd worry about would be souvenirs!

Oh, what should I bring back?

-------

Meanwhile.

Where'd he go!

My target!

I was going to commence my plan today!

My plan! Gone wrong again!

Ugh!