Monday, November 12, 2012

Falling Down

The Exiles across the river have been quiet for so long--not wanting to draw attention to themselves as their counterparts on this side attacked us--that we nearly forgot about them in the press of recent events. We still have watchers keeping a close eye on them, though I don't get reports from them immediately unless something happens. Most of the records I keep now can suffer a few days without having 'no news' slipped into their folder.

This morning wasn't one of those boring times.

Not long after the guard change at five, a man from inside the fallback point walked up to the guard platform. The Exiles have become a little better at manning their posts lately, recovering from whatever internal struggle or disease that weakened them recently. The fellow went up to the guards on duty and appeared to chat with them, then without warning drew his sidearm and killed both men.

When a group of worried people burst through the exit to see what the screams and gunfire were about, the man opened fire on the crowd before putting the gun under his chin and taking the express train out.

It was random and sad, and the watchers who watched it happen under the generator-powered lights at the guard station were baffled. The guy had seemed calm and relaxed, then BAM! Killing spree. Those kinds of things used to happen with fair regularity in the world that was. Less often now, but with the pressures we have to deal with it shouldn't catch us off guard.

Maybe the other side of the river is dealing with an unstoppable mass of zombies, or there isn't enough food, or his woman (or man, I guess) broke it off with him. Maybe someone important died. Could have been nothing at all. We'll likely never know, and even though it happened to the Exiles I feel a little bad for them. I don't feel much pity for them in general, but having one of your own turn on you is above and beyond. I'd be willing to fight and kill them if it came down to it, but it would be honest. Betrayal, especially now, is about the worst thing I can imagine. It hurts all the way to the bone.

No one should have to deal with that, even enemies.

I guess I'm a bummer today, but that's all I've got. The scouts should reach our giant swarm sometime tomorrow, and unless the local zombies take advantage of the warm weather to come at us, conditions seem good. Which means something terrible is going to happen. It always does.

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