Rapture (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 1)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  Barbara stepped forward with shears, snipping off the bandage. It fell away to reveal a ragged wound oozing pus. “Yep, that’s infected. We can clean it out and apply anti-biotics.”

  “No need,” Alvin said as he held up the medkit. “This is a medkit. You’ll be able to buy them from the Medical Unit once it’s built. It will heal any single body part it’s placed on.” He pulled the backing off and slapped it to the man’s forearm just above the wound.

  He watched as the bite pulsed, the pus spurting from the wound before the missing muscle began to reappear, followed by fresh skin that closed over the wound. Exclamations of wonder could be heard, even from those that had been in the Settlement for a while. The small girl cried as she hugged her father. He knelt and hugged his little girl back.

  “That should help some of you understand. Those of us who have been here for a while can help fill you in. How’s the arm?”

  The man looked up from where he was hugging his daughter, “It feels good, no more pain. Thank you. Joanna was so worried about me.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Justin Brand, sir. Thank you. If there is anything, anything at all I can do for you, just name it and I will.”

  “Thank you for saving my Daddy again,” Joanna sniffled as she continued to hold her father.

  “It was my pleasure, kid,” he replied. He looked around, noticing that Susan and Betty had vanished, and guessed they were getting food prepared. “If you’d all like a quick tour, we should have enough time before dinner to show you all around. James, Bill, David, can I get some help splitting them up into manageable groups?”

  For the next hour they showed the newcomers around, explaining things. They gave a demonstration of the guns as well, which caused a major stir as people now saw salvation in reach.

  Susan came out to announce dinner. “We have enough dinnerware for twenty people right now. That means we’ll need to eat in shifts. Line up and we’ll get you all fed. There’s plenty of food, it’s just plates and bowls we don’t have enough of. If you don’t want stew, or don’t want to wait we can do sandwiches for you.”

  A dozen people opted for sandwiches. Betty retreated and came back with a tray of sandwiches for them as the first twenty people filed inside for stew. Alvin leaned back against the building, his eyes closed. He smiled when a warm hand covered his, “What do you need, Gothy?”

  “Who’s Gothy?” was the reply, which made his eyes snap open. Claudia stood in front of him with a knowing smile, “All of this is all thanks to you, right? I’m definitely going to stay, then.”

  “Dia? How did you end up here?”

  “The beetle broke down, Randy came by and picked me up. Cody tried to get me to sleep in the Jeep with them. I’m so glad I didn’t.”

  “No shit,” Alvin chuckled. “You been okay?”

  “Randy has been decent enough, but I never got to really thank you for saving me.”

  “Who’s the blonde?” Gothy asked as she came towards them, her eyes narrowed slightly.

  “Dia, this is Gothy. Gothy, this is Dia. I rescued her from the hospital.”

  “She the one the director was raping?” Gothy asked bluntly.

  Alvin replied with a shrug, “Yup.”

  Dia eyed Becky before turning to Alvin, “She’s with you?”

  “Yes,” Alvin replied simply. “So, you’ve attached yourself to Randy? That’s not a bad choice.”

  Lips pursed, Dia sighed, “I had. When I saw you I had thought maybe I was going to get to upgrade. Seems maybe that won’t be quite as easy as I had hoped.”

  Becky smirked at her, “Sorry, MY Hero is taken. I don’t think you could handle what he likes anyway.”

  Dia glared at Becky, her voice waspish, “The chubby teenaged goth girl really thinks she’s better than me?”

  “Without a doubt,” Becky snickered. “You’d probably just lay there like a dead fish. Hero likes a woman with fire who demands to be taken.”

  Alvin rubbed his face as the two squared off. “Ladies,” his voice was soft but it held an edge, “stop it.”

  Becky glanced at him before she stepped to his side and took his arm. “Fine, but she needs to know her place. I’m your woman, best she can hope for is side bitch”

  Dia glanced from Becky to Alvin, her lips twisted up slightly. “I’ll stop. For now. But if you decide you want a real woman instead of this pudgy girl, let me know.” Spinning on her heel, Dia swayed away.

  “Oh, I so want to fuck her up,” Becky growled under her breath, her fingers digging into Alvin’s arm.

  Grimacing at the fingers digging into him, he pushed her against the wall and kissed her. It got her to let go of his arm. Instead, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him tight to her as they kissed. Eventually, the kiss broke and he stepped back, “No high school bullshit, got it? You are my woman, period. She wouldn’t be able to do everything you do. She’d probably panic if I lost a limb and would let me die. So, while she might think she can compete, she can’t.”

  Becky kept eye contact the whole time, finally nodding. “Good.” Fear flickered across her face for a brief second, “I just...”

  “Stop,” he said, pinning her to the wall with one arm across her chest. “She is fuckable, and yes, she probably will try something to break us up. You need to understand this, and never question it. You are mine now. I am yours. We’re two pieces of the same broken whole. She will not be going with us. Us. Do you understand?”

  She squirmed slightly as he held her there, her lips parting slightly, “Promise?”

  He chuckled as shifted to pin her in place with his body instead of just his arm. “Promise, Gothy. Me and you will be going out into the world. I wouldn’t have anyone else at my side.” He kissed her nose, earning a look of contempt from her. “Good, there’s the spirit I like to see.”

  She grabbed him and spun him into the wall, surprising him as she kissing him passionately. Abruptly, she let him go and walked away, “Glad to hear it.”

  Once everyone had been fed, James took his guitar over to the Inn. One of the teens joined him with her flute. Another one joined with an alto sax. Soon, there were a dozen kids playing along with him. The teens had been a school band on a trip when the apocalypse happened. Some of them vowed never to touch their instruments again, blaming the band trip for being separated from their families.

  James let the teens each walk him through a song they knew, and he taught them the classic rock he knew. The winner of the night was the second rendition of Blind Willie McTell, the flute and sax perfect for the lamenting tune, really making it more poignant.

  People started heading off to bed, many of the newcomers returning to their buses to sleep since not many of them wanted to spend XP on rooms at the Inn and the bunker was filled to maximum capacity, with some people even bedding down in the main room. Most of the people from the Colorado Expeditions took rooms in the inn, since they’d all earned enough XP to afford the basic rooms from working in the Settlement.

  As people were heading off to their sleeping arrangements, Alvin felt Claudia’s eyes on him. She watched him while he took Becky’s hand and went up to their room. He shook his head in bemusement. He was far from the best-looking guy in the compound.

  Plenty of guys had been making advances toward Claudia, as well as the other available women. He hadn’t gotten any extra looks from any of the other women.

  Once back in the room Becky started stripping. She stopped when she noticed his distant look. “Al?”

  Blinking, he looked at his topless lover, a smile coming to his face. “Sorry, Gothy, was lost in thought. I need to go back to my cell for a bit, see what all these extra bodies did for us and a few other things. Susan was late, working at the table. Apparently we’ll be keeping them all. That means I should have a substantial XP boost waiting for me. I also need to replace my medical supplies.”

  She frowned as she finished stripping, sprawling out on the bed. “I can’t go with, can I?”
/>
  “No,” He joined her on the bed, still dressed. “I’ll be back in a bit. Maybe I’ll have something when I return.”

  She eyed him before latching onto his body, using him as a body pillow. “I’ll wait, for a bit. If you don’t hurry back maybe I’ll have to go find someone to keep me company.”

  Laughing, he shook his head, “Only if it’s Dia.”

  Sticking her tongue out, Becky disagreed, “No, thanks. That little bitch couldn’t handle all the woman I am.”

  “I would love to see you taking her though, Gothy. You bending her to your twisted desires? Yum.”

  Becky giggled, “Well, when you put it that way…”

  “Besides, we have to share. Remember?”

  “Yeah, I know. Now get going so we can refresh our acquaintance. When you get back I plan on riding you for a long, long time.” She straddled him, hips grinding gently. “Hmm, the thought makes me want it now.”

  Alvin pulled her to him, holding her still, “Be back shortly-ish.” He vanished in a bright flash, spilling Becky to the bed.

  Appearing in his cell on his bunk, Alvin adjusted his tight pants. “Gods, she is a crazy woman.”

  “You seem quite suited for each other,” Jarvis replied dryly.

  “How am I doing, Jarvis?”

  “Very well, sir. You’re making excellent progress with the Settlement. I think you may be pleasantly surprised by your summary. Also, thank you in advance, sir.”

  Laughing, Alvin pulled open the Summary with a pretty good idea of where he stood.

  World Mode Summary

  Total Experience Earned: 65,530 XP

  Breakdown: Mutated insect killed 200 XP, Stockpile loot 2,330 XP, Setter bonus 61,000 XP, Viewer bonus 2,000 XP

  He opened his character screen to see his total XP. Between the left over XP from before and this he had a total of 71,495 XP. He whistled. “Okay, Jarvis, looks like you’re going to get your wish. I need to talk to Bill about a different gun for the rest of it.”

  “I should point out sir, that you will receive 5% of all XP that anyone spends in the store which the Hologram AI Power allows them to access. That will add up, until people have access to more than just the Medical Unit. Upgrades will not yet be available to Settlers but can be unlocked with upgrades to the Hologram AI Power.”

  “At least I’ll make back some of what I spend on you,” Alvin chuckled as he spent 50,000 XP to purchase the Hologram AI Power. “I’m going back to have fun with Gothy. You can introduce yourself around.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jarvis sounded eager as the light flared around Alvin.

  He appeared next to Becky, who was laying on her side, “Welcome back, Hero.”

  “Gothy,” he slid closer and kissed her, “would you like to spend some of your XP?”

  Her eyes widened slightly, “How do I do it?”

  “Jarvis?”

  Jarvis appeared standing beside the bed in a small flash of blue light. He appeared as an elderly gentleman, dressed in a very old fashioned butler’s uniform. His form was blue tinted and partially transparent. “How may I assist you, sir?”

  “Gothy, this is Jarvis, my AI handler. Jarvis, this is Gothy, my crazy lover. She wants to look over the store.”

  “It is my pleasure to serve,” Jarvis turned to the naked Becky, who hadn’t even attempted to cover up. “Miss, it is a pleasure to meet you. This interface will allow you to access the store. I must stay with you until you are done.” He handed over a holographic blue glowing pad, that acted as if it was solid as her hands seemed to contact it.

  Becky took it excitedly and started browsing through the options. “So much to look at.”

  Alvin kissed her cheek, “While you do that I’m going to go see Bill about getting some different guns.”

  “See you soon,” she replied, not pulling her eyes from the screen.

  He walked out of the room, chuckling at how eager she had been to get access to the store. He was curious about what she would buy. He trotted out of the Inn and through the yard to the bunker.

  He passed a few people who were waiting to use the showers. He found Bill in the main room with Betty curled up in his lap, “Bill, was hoping to catch you. Wanted to see about changing up my gun.”

  Bill sighed as he set Betty on her feet, “Sure, follow me.”

  Betty frowned at Alvin. He shrugged at her, “I’ll give him back shortly.”

  He followed Bill into the master bedroom. Shutting and locking the door behind them, Bill walked to the back wall and hit a switch. The wall slid away, revealing a hall. Bill started down it, looking back to make sure Alvin was with him.

  “How are you going to figure out which gun you want? Going to take them with you again?”

  Grinning, Alvin shook his head, “Just wait for it.”

  The hall ended at a metal door that wouldn’t have seemed out of place in a bank vault. Bill spun the giant wheel and moved the massive door aside. The room beyond it was huge, the walls covered in racks. Hundreds of guns occupied the racks, which still left almost half of them empty. Several large tables occupied the center of the room. “We’ve been bringing all the guns we recover in town here, as well as Frank’s collection and mine. When we get enough of them upgraded, we’ll issue one to everybody in the Settlement. Pick out what you want.”

  Alvin pulled his M14 from his backpack, “Trade you this for another one as well. It has the ammo and durability upgrades plus lower recoil.”

  “Fine. Pick out three that you like. I know Becky needs a second one besides the shotgun. Especially if we meet more of those scorpions.”

  Alvin walked down the closest wall for a second before he sighed. “Jarvis, I need you.”

  Jarvis appeared beside him in a flash of blue light, exactly as he had in the Inn room. “You called, sir?”

  Bill had his 1911 out and aimed at the hologram, “What the fuck?”

  “Bill, this is Jarvis, my helper AI. Jarvis this is Bill. Jarvis gives people here access to the store. He can also identify items, so we know how many upgrade slots they have among other things. I can use him to upgrade stuff, but you guys won’t have that available at the moment.”

  Bill frowned at the hologram, but holstered his weapon, “Why not?”

  Jarvis answered him, his tone dry and precise, “You need to upgrade the buildings you have available. Once that is done, you will gain the ability to upgrade gear and stats associated with that building. I do not make the rules, I only follow them.”

  “Jarvis, I need all these Identified,” Alvin waved his hand at the room.

  Spinning in a slow circle, Jarvis nodded, “Done. If you don’t mind, sir, the lady is upset that I vanished so abruptly. That removed her access to the store, and she was not done shopping. With your permission?”

  “Fuck, yes, go,” Alvin winced. When Jarvis vanished Alvin sighed, “Right, he can only be in one place at a time I guess.”

  Bill was examining the guns, “They all have status screens now.”

  “Good. Let’s sort them by rarity, shall we?”

  “Good idea,” Bill grunted as he looked over the room. “Legendary on the left side when entering and then going down the scale to trash on the right?”

  “We can do that,” Alvin said, starting at one end of a rack and moving the guns into the middle of the room. “Maybe we need to grab a few others to help make this go faster?”

  “I’ll be back,” Bill grunted as he left.

  Alvin looked after him for a moment, then picked up an AK-47. Looking closer, he discovered it was actually a Type 56, the Chinese variant of the weapon. It was rare quality and in good condition. Even without any upgrades applied to it, it fired better ammo than the 1911 did. Alvin tucked the gun into his backpack then resumed taking guns off the racks, setting them on the tables.

  Bill came back a few minutes later with Frank, James and David. He explained the rarity system and how they wanted to distribute the guns. A couple of hours later, all of the guns were
back on racks arranged by rarity. There weren’t any legendary guns in the collection, but Alvin didn’t find that surprising, really. In the end, a bit over half of the collection turned out to be common quality. There were several dozen rare guns, even more uncommon and two trash quality weapons as well. Bill set aside the two trash quality guns to be used as training guns to help people with target practice.

  “Okay, Al, pick what you want.” Bill told Alvin. He turned to the others. “We can’t upgrade them ourselves yet. Once we can, we’ll all be pulling two weapons, one pistol and one long gun.”

  Frank nodded, “Communal? We going to outfit the others?”

  “Once we get all these upgraded, yes, but we will come first. If you want to tag two of them now, go ahead.”