Head to The Old Mill to recover supplies
Cast
- Sam Yao
- Dr. Maxine Myers
- Lem (First Appearance)
- Nadia (First Appearance)
Plot
Head Towards the Old Mill
Sam worries about you after your long night run. The Doctor reassures him that you're absolutely fine. She tells you you're heading out on a quick training run today, through an area with plenty of med packs for you to collect towards an old mill with food.
A Cry for Help
The Doctor asks Sam if anything has been heard from New Canton. Nothing has so far. Sam speculates that the rival settlement is planning some other way to undermine Abel. Sam and The Doctor fill you in on how New Canton got started, and speculate on living conditions in the old castle. The current feud was started when a messenger from New Canton asked Abel's people to join them, which the Major took as a threat. As you approach the Old Mill, you hear someone calling for help.
Causing a distraction
You approach the Old Mill and catch a glimpse of the man calling for help - he's stuck on the roof. He looks like the last survivor of a New Canton supply mission. The zombies surrounding the mill begin to chase you.
Introducing Lem
Sam tells you to keep running to draw the zombies away from the mill so that the New Canton runner can get down from the mill. As you return to the mill, the Runner introduces himself as Lem, Runner 38. He's grateful you saved his life and tells you how he got stuck on the roof for the past two days. As he's talking, he realises he was bitten.
Brave Sacrifice
Lem begins to turn, and says farewell to his radio operator, Nadia, whom he obviously loves. He turns off his transmitter so that she doesn't have to hear him die. Lem then gives you his headset before running away from you, drawing the zombies with him. Sam and the Doctor are impressed by his sacrifice.
Back to Abel
As you return to Abel, Sam and The Doctor discuss the headset Lem gave you. Before you arrive home, you hear Nadia calling Lem's name over his headset.
Transcript
[background chatter]
SAM YAO: Raise the gates! [gate siren, gates raising] And… go! Hey, Runner Five… [gate siren, gates lowering] How are you doing there after your night run through zombie territory? I know you said you were fine, but … are you sure you’re -
MAXINE MYERS: [interrupts] Runner Five’s doing fine. [gate siren, gate sounds stop] Did the check-up myself. Just the normal effects of shock and cold, no cuts, no contusions, no broken bones…
SAM YAO: [interrupts] No bite marks… pretty fortunate when you consider that long, dark run…
MAXINE MYERS: Yeah, it’s useful data for us. We’re building evidence that the walking dead may have poorer night vision than we thought -
SAM YAO: [interrupts] Yeah, although, [laughs] not poor enough for us to start risking night operations… right? Right?
MAXINE MYERS: I don’t think anyone sees any need for that, Sam.
SAM YAO: Good. Because I can’t go with another one of those. So, uh… what’s on the cards today, then, Doc? See? I could have said “What’s up, Doc?” [laughs] Now don’t think I didn’t consider it, but I like to mix up my material from time to time, you know?
MAXINE MYERS: And I am more grateful for that than I can possibly express. [laughs] Just a quiet training run today, Runner Five, to see how you’re faring. You’ll be passing through an area where med packs have been dropped. I want to get on with a research project, but I just don’t have enough basic equipment yet. And then out to the old mill, east of the city? We think there are some food stores there. Ready? Time to run!
MAXINE MYERS: You’re doing well, Runner Five - everything looks clear. Have we heard anything from New Canton since the attack?
SAM YAO: Heard anything? Oh, you mean, they actually communicate with us? Without using bullets? Mm, not so much, no. All quiet on the New Canton front. My guess is - they tried to trap one of our runners, failed, they’re cooking up something else.
MAXINE MYERS: Well, that’s what we get for not joining in the New Canton collective, I guess.
SAM YAO: Yep. Hey, Runner Five, you’re pretty new. I guess you never even heard about that.
MAXINE MYERS: It seems like ancient history now, but maybe you never heard the story. Short version: when the world went mad, everyone was seeking shelter. New Canton started off as an old castle - ample food, good protection, guns, and some excellent sniper positions on the towers.
SAM YAO: Perfect place to survive the zombie apocalypse. Also perfect place to imprison a bunch of people and force them to live according to your diktats, if they want to live.
MAXINE MYERS: Well, we don’t know that’s what’s going on over there.
SAM YAO: We don’t know anything about what’s going on over there, that’s the whole point! Everywhere else, you get radio guys talking to each other when the atmos is right, runners passing info, chatter on Rofflenet -
MAXINE MYERS: Do we have to call it that?
SAM YAO: Yes. [sighs] The world’s ended, this is no time for dignity! Anyway, most other places, you hear from, but New Canton? Official orders, communiqués and the occasional refugee. And there was a time when they went around mopping up survivors. They came to us. A team of three people - not military, but really stiff, you know. Two guys and a girl. Told us that if we wanted to survive, we should move over there. The Major, [laughs] well, you don’t threaten the Major.
MAXINE MYERS: Not even by accident. Since then, well, if you’re not with them, you’re against them. Hmm… you should be coming up to that old mill pretty soon. You seem to be doing okay, Runner Five, probably almost time to head back -
LEM: [distant shout] Help! I’m trapped in here!
SAM YAO: Or… maybe don’t head on back just yet?
SAM YAO: Okay, Runner Five, I’ve got you on the scanner. There’s a pack of probably fifty surrounding that old mill… and I can see one person on the roof. He’s… huh?
LEM: [distant shout] Help me!
MAXINE MYERS: Are you seeing that?
SAM YAO: Uh… so, yeah. Runner Five? Looks like quite a few of the zoms surrounding the building are wearing New Canton overalls… Can you believe they took time to make their own special overalls? In the apocalypse?
MAXINE MYERS: I think they’re just repurposed Carter-Bancroft Company overalls with “NC” written on the back in marker pen?
SAM YAO: Hmm… yeah, that makes more sense, to be honest. Anyway, looks like that guy on the roof might be the last survivor of a New Canton supply expedition.
LEM: Help me! If you make enough noise, they should chase you away from here! Then I can come down! Circle back, and we’ll run back together. Hurry!
SAM YAO: Ugh, yeah, I think… I think they’re chasing you anyway, Runner Five. You haven’t got much choice - they’re after you. Run!
SAM YAO: Okay, okay, you’re doing well. Now they’ve got your scent… or your sight, or whatever it is zombies get, but they’re not too close. Keep running, and you’ll circle around and then back to the mill while they’re still stumbling after you. Good work.
MAXINE MYERS: Can we trust that New Canton runner to still be there when Runner Five gets back?
SAM YAO: Hey, if not, no harm done, right? Runner Five’s fast enough to get out of there…
LEM: Over here! I’m out! I’m down! I’m okay! [laughs] That was a close one. I don’t mind telling you, I’m glad to be alive. Name’s Lem, or Runner 38, that’s what they call me. From New Canton, and you just saved my life. Grateful doesn’t even cover it.
Yeah, yeah, it’s a runner from Abel Township. No, not hostile. This runner here just saved my life.
Operators back at base, they don’t know how it is here in the field, am I right? I don’t mind telling you, you got me out of quite a jam, there. We were looking for extra food stores, down at the mill. Opened up the basement, found it full of the undead, oh, just lunging at us to get out! Three of my buddies have gone gray. You hadn’t come up, I don’t know what I would have done. [They’d had me/I’d been] trapped up there for two days already, and I had to fight some of ‘em just coming down. One of 'em almost got his teeth into my arm! And I don’t think it broke the skin… shoot. It broke the skin. That’s not good. [coughs] And they’re still on our tails. Run!
LEM: [coughs] I guess I should run as far away from you as I can, huh?
Nadia? Nadia, there’s nothing you can do. [coughs] I’m bit, okay? I’m gone already. Oh, Nadia, don’t cry. We’ve had a good time, haven’t we, honey? More than most people got. I don’t want you to hear this, honey. I don’t want you to hear me change. Just you remember me just as it was, okay?. That night, in the old barn. You remember me just like that, okay? You promise? That’s a good girl. I’m turning off the mic, now.
Abel Township runner? You tried to save my life, and that’s worth something. Here, take this. Humanity can’t afford to waste tech, right? You take that headset, do something useful with it. I’m going to head off that way, making as much noise as I can to draw the pack away from you. Do something useful with your life, runner! And don’t forget me! [coughs] Come and get me, you scuzzy fiends from hell! Come friggin’ chase me, or I’ll come and frigging chase you! Over here! Come here! [voice fades into the distance]
SAM YAO: Was that… Ace Rimmer?
MAXINE MYERS: He’s dead, Sam, show some respect!
SAM YAO: Sorry. [laughs] Sorry, I… yeah. It’s just… yeah, sorry. “What a guy!” Uh… yeah, he’s um… he’s bought you a bit of time there, Five. But keep running. Still a long way from home.
SAM YAO: Okay, you’re nearly here, just keep running steady like you’re doing. That’s great.
MAXINE MYERS: What was that thing Lem gave Runner Five?
SAM YAO: Um, headset, I think? Technology? I guess we’ll take a look at it when Five gets in.
NADIA AL HANAKI: Runner 38! Runner 38! Lem, report!
Trivia
Sam refers to Lem as being like Ace Rimmer, a character from the British comedy Red Dwarf. People would usually follow any interaction with Ace with the exclamation "What a guy!"