non-existent so far–but to her surprise the person's fist ground to a halt about six inches from her face. Alexa tried very hard not to breathe an audible sigh of relief.
The figure was staring at her again. His gaze was still incredibly intense, and the frown on his face was almost scary, but he didn't attack or start yelling again. Instead, his brows drew together into a deeper frown of confusion, and he rasped slowly, “Help?”
His voice sounded dry, and almost painful–like he'd never used it before. Alexa winced in sympathy, and inwardly thought to herself, Okay... so he can talk. Okay. Better than nothing.
Outwardly, she was aware that it would be really good to not piss off the guy about a hairs breadth from turning her face into pudding, so she said as softly and non-threateningly as she could, “Yes. Help. I just wanted to help you out, that's all. If you let me up we can figure this out...”
She waited, heart hammering. The figure continued to stare at her, and then after a moment slowly recoiled back to his feet, hands at his sides. Wincing and rubbing her chest, Alexa hauled herself slowly to her own feet with the assistance of the nearby computer console, trying to ignore the intense scrutiny of her new companion.
Okay, Alexa, she coached herself. The guy is clearly out of it, so just start nice and slow. Sticking out her hand to shake, she said out loud, “So, hi. I'm Alexa. Alexa Winters.”
The figure blinked, glanced down at her hand impassively, and then looked back to her face. After a few moments Alexa let her hand drop. “Okay then. Well. What's your name?”
“LS dash thirty-two.”
“Okay, but what's your real name?” Alexa prompted further.
“LS dash thirty-two,” the figure repeated. “I don't have any other name.” His voice still sounded hoarse and unused.
“Right,” Alexa said, trying really hard not to be exasperated. “LS it is then. We can figure out something else for you later, I guess. Look, are you thirsty? Your voice doesn't sound all that great.”
LS just blinked at her slowly. He still looked disorientated, and Alexa took pity on him. Poor guy–it couldn't be easy to wake up from whatever cocktail of gasses had been in that pod, after who only knew how long. And who knew what else had happened to him while he was here, before all the people left or died or... whatever.
Shaking her head, she moved over to her pack and dug around in it until she found her water bottle, freshly restocked from one of the bathrooms upstairs. LS just watched her, apparently unconcerned that Alexa might pull out some sort of weapon–but then given how he broke out of that pod, Alexa supposed he really had nothing to be afraid of anyway.
“Here,” she said, holding out the bottle to LS. “Drink up, might help.” LS gave her a blank look, and Alexa added, “Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything. I'm one of the good guys. Besides, poisoning is so last generation.”
She grinned. LS didn't react to the joke. Great–she'd rescued a brick wall disguised as a person.
But after a moment LS hesitantly reached out and took the bottle. His first gulp was tentative, but once the water hit his tongue his eyes widened and he drank faster and faster, like a man dying of thirst.
Alexa winced a little at how fast he went through it all–instinct and experience told her water needed to be conserved –but LS seemed marginally less agitated when he was done drinking, so Alexa supposed it was a good thing after all.
“Okay,” she said, once LS looked a little less disoriented, and less likely to try and pound her face in. She sat back against one of the consoles to rest, and continued. “So, LS... how long have you been here?”
“I don't know.”
“Um. Okay. Do you know what happened to everybody else here? You're the first living person I've found all day.”
“No.” LS's brows knitted
The figure was staring at her again. His gaze was still incredibly intense, and the frown on his face was almost scary, but he didn't attack or start yelling again. Instead, his brows drew together into a deeper frown of confusion, and he rasped slowly, “Help?”
His voice sounded dry, and almost painful–like he'd never used it before. Alexa winced in sympathy, and inwardly thought to herself, Okay... so he can talk. Okay. Better than nothing.
Outwardly, she was aware that it would be really good to not piss off the guy about a hairs breadth from turning her face into pudding, so she said as softly and non-threateningly as she could, “Yes. Help. I just wanted to help you out, that's all. If you let me up we can figure this out...”
She waited, heart hammering. The figure continued to stare at her, and then after a moment slowly recoiled back to his feet, hands at his sides. Wincing and rubbing her chest, Alexa hauled herself slowly to her own feet with the assistance of the nearby computer console, trying to ignore the intense scrutiny of her new companion.
Okay, Alexa, she coached herself. The guy is clearly out of it, so just start nice and slow. Sticking out her hand to shake, she said out loud, “So, hi. I'm Alexa. Alexa Winters.”
The figure blinked, glanced down at her hand impassively, and then looked back to her face. After a few moments Alexa let her hand drop. “Okay then. Well. What's your name?”
“LS dash thirty-two.”
“Okay, but what's your real name?” Alexa prompted further.
“LS dash thirty-two,” the figure repeated. “I don't have any other name.” His voice still sounded hoarse and unused.
“Right,” Alexa said, trying really hard not to be exasperated. “LS it is then. We can figure out something else for you later, I guess. Look, are you thirsty? Your voice doesn't sound all that great.”
LS just blinked at her slowly. He still looked disorientated, and Alexa took pity on him. Poor guy–it couldn't be easy to wake up from whatever cocktail of gasses had been in that pod, after who only knew how long. And who knew what else had happened to him while he was here, before all the people left or died or... whatever.
Shaking her head, she moved over to her pack and dug around in it until she found her water bottle, freshly restocked from one of the bathrooms upstairs. LS just watched her, apparently unconcerned that Alexa might pull out some sort of weapon–but then given how he broke out of that pod, Alexa supposed he really had nothing to be afraid of anyway.
“Here,” she said, holding out the bottle to LS. “Drink up, might help.” LS gave her a blank look, and Alexa added, “Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything. I'm one of the good guys. Besides, poisoning is so last generation.”
She grinned. LS didn't react to the joke. Great–she'd rescued a brick wall disguised as a person.
But after a moment LS hesitantly reached out and took the bottle. His first gulp was tentative, but once the water hit his tongue his eyes widened and he drank faster and faster, like a man dying of thirst.
Alexa winced a little at how fast he went through it all–instinct and experience told her water needed to be conserved –but LS seemed marginally less agitated when he was done drinking, so Alexa supposed it was a good thing after all.
“Okay,” she said, once LS looked a little less disoriented, and less likely to try and pound her face in. She sat back against one of the consoles to rest, and continued. “So, LS... how long have you been here?”
“I don't know.”
“Um. Okay. Do you know what happened to everybody else here? You're the first living person I've found all day.”
“No.” LS's brows knitted
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