La lumière dans l'obscurité

Notching an arrow in her compound bow gifted to her by Mallory back at Bar Harbor Ayita took a steady breath before releasing it slowly, across from her on the other side of the door stood her Fiancee Ziggy, and behind her stood the rest of their friends as well as the new girl, Aubrey. Having handed off the countdown to Ziggy the Native American Teen opted for preparing herself for what they were sure to face in the coming hours. Closing her eyes Ayita took a number of slow, steady breaths. Falling in to the zone Ayita opened her eyes again and nodded to her Fiancee letting her know she was ready to go, one, two, three. the words meeting her ears Ayita pushed through the door into the security office after her lover, across the room in a heap on the floor lay the first of the dead. The creature dressed in what Ayita could only assume was the uniform for whoever worked at the yard she raised her bow and prepared to loose an arrow into the things head, stopping short upon seeing Ziggy move to drive her knife into the things skull instead Ayita turned towards the stairs leading up to the tower.

"Up we go?" Ayita asked shooting a quick glance towards Ellie for instructions.

"Up we go." Ellie echoed.

Nodding Ayita turned towards Ziggy once more and saw as she wiped the remains of the mans brains off on his jumper, catching her eye Ayita motioned to the short, black metal staircase spiraling upwards to a second level. "I'll go first." Ayita said quickly before taking the first few steps up. Reaching the half way point she could hear the groans of another creature, reaching the top she was greeted to a woman, dressed in black with the words "Security" sewn across her chest in bright yellow thread, her left hand attached to a metal hoop connected to the wall Ayita watched as the creature swung at her with it's free arm. Near it's feet she saw a black pistol and with it she noticed the dry blood around the womans chest. It didn't take long to put two and two together. Sighing Ayita lowered her bow and returned her arrow to it's quiver before brandishing her hatchet. Landing one quick blow to the womans head Ayita closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for the woman in the hope the sprites would allow her in to the afterlife.

Returning to the group Ayita nodded to them all giving the all clear.

Seeing Ayita signal the all clear Ellie moved to the window and peered out across the yard, in the distance she could see what looked to be the main maintenance yard as well as numerous boxcars, flatbeds, hoppers, and switchers. between them there were numerous dead shambling their way around the dead grass pitch and metal rails. Listening to Ziggy's observations Ellie nodded as she filed them all away for later, the yard, the cars, the dead, then she mentioned the key to their escape. The passenger line. Why there was a passenger line in the middle of a freight yard was beyond her, but there it was. Their ticket to getting her mother and everyone else back to Bar Harbor.

"That's our ticket right there ain't it?" Cam chimed pushing her way passed Brody.

Nodding Ellie cracked a smile. "It would appear so." she answered looking back to the others, shortly Ziggy began laying out her plan, they'd be splitting up for the time, Ziggy, Thomas and Brody would go to the maintenance yard and draw the dead away before herself, Ayita, Cam and Aubrey made their way towards the locomotive, Meanwhile Laura and Sara would clear the passenger cars resting disconnected a short distance down the track from the locomotive.

Everyone understanding the plan, and with a awkward run in with Aubrey's apparent airheadedness and a quick look exchanged between Ziggy and Ayita the groups split. Seeing Ziggy and the boys off Ellie noted the apparent worry in Ayita's eyes, resting a hand on her friends shoulder she smiled. "You know they'll be fine, they're skilled." Ellie reassured.

"I know, Just don't like not being there if things go south, ya know?" Ayita answered. "They'll be fine, I know. Let's get this done with." She then added shaking the worry from her face.

Quickly realized her friends conviction to getting the job in front of her done Ellie nodded and looked back towards the yard, shortly she heard shots and with it all of the dead in the yard began moving away, towards the shots. Another few minutes passed and the yard cleared enough for them to move, with a few exchanged words the group descended the guard tower and exited the building. Crossing the yard in short order they came to the locamotive, a tall beast Ellie looked up and whistled at the size of the thing in person, there was one issue however. The metal ladder leading up to the walkway that encompassed the vehicle was broken off. "Well shit." Ellie cursed not noticing Cam scaling the front coupler and weaving through the guard rail of the walkway. Coming to the broken ladder Cam got to her stomach and lowered her hand down.

"You gonna stand there all day or you gonna take my hand?" Cam asked sticking out her tongue when she caught Ellie's eye.

"Fucking spider monkey I swear." Ellie returned before taking her friends hand.

Helping the others up the same way Cam got up and dusted herself off before looking to the others.

"So now what?" Ayita asked, her bow still readied for any sign of the dead around them.

"Well, We get to the controls and figure out how to get her going, then we back in up and couple it with the passenger cars Sara and Laura are clearing." Ellie explained, making it sound way simpler than it actually was.

"Sounds simple enough." Aubrey answered snapping a handful of pictures of the signage on the side of the locomotive.

"Indeed." Ellie responded, utterly baffled at the woman's nonchalant attitude. Still, She didn't have time to busy herself with thinking about it, without another word she turned and motioned for the others to follow, reaching the controls Ayita entered first, in the corner was a splatter of blood and a broken window leading out back towards the now broken ladder.

Motioning that it was clear Ayita stepped aside allowing Ellie in to the room. Before her stood an array of buttons, levers, gauges and screens, behind her, in four boxes on the wall was an array of even more buttons and gauges. Blowing air Ellie nodded. "Okay, Well. Time to find a manual." she said moving to the chair and taking a seat in front of the controls. Looking high and low she soon found the supply box, and with it, the engineers handbook. Opening it she was instantly greeted by diagram after diagram. "Uh, you guys may want to take a seat. This may take a bit." Ellie said.

Reading through the manual for about 20 minutes Ellie nodded and looked up at the controls, running through the startup procedure she reached out and pressed the first of many, many buttons. Doing so the board lit up. "Batteries still good." She noted aloud. Running through a number of other pre start checks Ellie was satisfied that all the electronics were still working, now was the real test. would the engine start. Having checked the fuel during pre start check she knew the tanks were full, a blessing in it's own right. Looking back towards the four boxes on the wall Ellie looked them over. "Cam, Ayi, Go to those boxes. Cam, you go to the far one, Ayi, you go to the near one." Seeing both of them nod and take up their positions Ellie nodded. "Okay, on the count of three pump the far right lever four times, up and down. One, Two, Three."

Pumping the lever as instructed Ayita and Cam then looked back to Ellie for further instructions.

"Okay, now press the yellow button labeled 'Power'." Ellie said, and with it the two girls did so. "Okay, now I pull this, and press this. And push this up.. And push this... and lastly... I push..." Hanging on the word Ellie opened the manual again and double checked. "This." And with the final button press the engine roared to life.

"FUCK YES!" Cam cheered.

"It still works." Ellie said with a smile. "Ayita, head to the back of the train, Cam, please get to the center point. Aubrey you.." Ellie stopped and frowned. "AU-BREY!" She shouted.

"Oh! uh. Sorry, what was that lassy?" Aubrey answered which was met with a facepalm from Ellie.

"You stand outside the door here and tell me when Cam yells we have contact, got it?"


"Righte-o!" Aubrey answered cheerfully

When we couple with the cars Laura and Sara are clearing yell it out Ayi, when you hear it you yell it as well Cam, then Aubrey will tell me from there." Ellie said. "And I'll open the window so I can hear too, I don't trust that airhead for even this simple task." She added under her breath.

Waiting for them all to head out Ellie pulled back on the speed lever ever so slightly until she felt the beast of a vehicle jult to life. Increasing the speed to little more than walking speed Ellie waited for the call.

Approaching the cars Ayita waited for them to meet before shouting. "There!" She shouted.

"THERE!" Cam shouted.

Not surprisingly Aubrey was lost in herself again, thankfully Ellie heard Cam's call and slowed the locomotive before pushing the speed lever forward until the beast jolted again. This time struggling to gain speed thanks to the added weight it was pulling, still, it powered through and within a minute or so they were back in the locomotives starting position, passenger cars in tow, Just in time as well it would seem as she heard the tell tale sound of Ziggy shouting to them and Ayita's gleeful greeting in return. Getting up Ellie turned the engine off and moved to the railing. "That manual, is the single worst piece of literature I've ever had to read. But it works, and we're connected. Everything go okay on your end?"