0-SA (The Last Ship Series)

Chapter Eighteen: Not Alone

"Osa do you see that?" Raven walked ahead of the Irinaut, who was scanning everything around them. Of course Raven was being cautious, but Osa looked around every corner every building top that hadn't fallen.

"See what?" He glanced around, a low growl came from him, "Where is it?"

"Calm down. It's a candy shop. I think." She pointed at the old sign, it was fallen over but it had little designs of candies still drawn into the sign, "We might find some stuff to eat in here."

"Candy?" He purred, "Like the peppermints from the movie?" He hummed, "We don't really have time to look, and it's dark in there." Osa cocked his head to the side; letting out a low growl, "We need to keep moving and find a place to rest before nightfall. You know as well as I do this isn't a safe place."

Raven ignored him and stepped inside, "And you know as well as I do that resources are hard to come by. Come on we'll be two seconds. In and out."

"That's a very insignificant amount of time to search a building." Osa shook his head, shivering as he ducked and walked through the door, "What exactly are you looking for? I doubt there's anything of worth left here." The Irinaut picked up wrappers, "This isn't even a meal."

"It's not meant to be Osa, their treats." The woman walked around the aisles, scouring them for anything that would be worth carrying, "Oh, well, it's melted." She picked up a dusty bag and dusted it off. It had taffy inside, which seemed to be melted together with the paper and into the bag. She shrugged and shoved it in her satchel, even finding a few candy bars shoved under the shelves, "Wow, I haven't seen these in a long time. We can share them later if you want to try it."

Osa was rummaging through the cabinets behind the counter. When he saw it was locked he somehow managed to break the lock. He purred before pulling out a box full of chocolate, "Hmm, is this what you're looking for, Raven?"

Raven walked over to him, "Wow, it's not even covered in dust. Old, but, we'll take it." She pulled her backpack off her shoulders and began to stuff it in, "This is going to last forever." She threw it on her back, "See? In and out." The woman starting walking back towards the door, "Come on then."

Osa tilted his head. The Irinaut followed her outside and got back on their track, "You're really going to pack all that in your bag?"

Raven nodded, "Yup. Even if I don't eat it all when I get home I can sell it. Stuff like this from before is worth a lot of money. You have more canned goods than I've seen in a long time. You'd probably make a killing in the Sphere's market if you weren't a Irinaut. People will trade anything for that stuff." She laughed a bit as she walked down the road.

After some silence though, she found herself more curious than anything. Her questions often came up randomly, and the Irinaut had a lot to answer, "So, are you the only one?"

"Hmm?" Osa glanced at her for a moment before looking back forward. The ground was shaded, "What do you mean?"

"Well, the only Irinaut that isn't sick? I mean you made it. Don't you think there are others here as well?" Raven walked ahead of him and turned backwards, occasionally glancing behind her but it was clear.

Osa watched her twirl and walk backwards in front of him, but he seemed focused on something else, but he did answer, "I believe others are alive, yes, but I have not been able to feel them for a long time. I don't know where they are, or if they are even here, but I know I can't be the only one left. If we get this fuel, I may be able to send out more then the one transmission..Raven stop."

Raven listened. Truth be told she was interested if he would find his own. She wanted to help him, but she knew that there was a target on Osa's back. He was the only one she had seen like this after all, but as he told her to stop she tilted her head, "What? I can't ask you a few questions?" She grunted.

"No, Raven stop." He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her. Osa's Hollows were glowing. He held her against his chest as he stared in front of them. Osa looked up, and towards the shadowed road. He held his hand out, and a sudden blast was heard.

A creature could be heart screeching, dragging its head around as it attempted to get up. It was an infected Irinaut. The being had pure white skin, red fungus and spores like covered most of its back and shoulders. Its eyes were partially melted out, and it was clearly half blind. It shook its head, hissing out before looking up, but Osa and Raven were already gone. A black and red sludge ran down its jaws, its mouth completely expanded before it let out a loud screech.

Raven and Osa were already running down an alley way, hauling ass to say the least, "Jesus I didn't think they came out during the day."

"The shade, but it knows we're here. So do others." The screeching could be heard behind them, the slamming of cars and other items. As they took the other path they saw it burst through a building, a few human infected dragged along outside now in the shade, all screaming in a deaf tone to attract others.

Osa saw them and immediately halted, "Woah woah." The Irinaut looked around, "We'll get killed if we go this way."

Raven saw the infected Irinaut walking back and forth, poking out of the shade and into the sunlight, just to screech and back off as the spores exploded on his body; releasing more infection into the air, "Yeah no shit, but we have to go this way."

Osa huffed, thinking for a moment. He looked up the building before pointing up, "We'll climb."