Alive and Fighting: Revelations Read Free Page A

ground.
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                  "…need you to wake up…much to explain…" A voice softly spoke from somewhere nearby.
                  Rose blinked slowly, leaving her eyelids closed much longer than open. After a minute or so she was able to see where she was. Above her she saw ceiling tiles that were not her own, and she tensed in panic, wondering where she was, struggling to place herself, and in the distance she could hear the soft patter of rain. Beneath her she felt a mattress, not the softest she'd ever woken up on, but by no means uncomfortable. Again, not her mattress. Rose couldn’t place anything around her, it was all unfamiliar. Vaguely aware someone was talking to her in the dim light, Rose rolled over and saw Hivemind standing in front of a door not ten feet away. Her mouth shot open, but no sound could escape. Her body found its movement again and she scrambled backwards, finding that the mattress was in a corner and she had nowhere to go. Rose's finger's gripped the mattress as she pulled herself uselessly against the wall, the sound of the mattress shredding in her hands lost to her ears.
                  "I want to explain things to you, but only if you will hear me out. Can you do that?" Hivemind asked softly. His voice scared Rose, not because it was frightening or aggressive, but simply because she had never known a zombie to speak. Yet, here was a Zero, calmly asking her to listen.
                  "Feel free to simply nod if you are too afraid to speak." Hivemind suggested, with a small flowing gesture. Rose struggled to nod, but was able to after a moment of chin quivering fear.
                  "Thank you. It has been too long since I have been able to have a real conversation. Until you find your tongue I will simply imagine your responses…May I sit?" Hivemind began, gesturing to a chair in front of an old vanity, its mirror wreathed in light bulbs.
                  "Much obliged, the knees aren't what they used to be and that was quite a long drop yesterday into the bazaar. Terrible thing, the launch, throwing ourselves through the sky terrifies just about everyone…but it keeps the Hive safe. No one dares to come here after seeing us Launch off the roof." Hivemind continued, taking a seat in the chair. Rose now noticed that unlike other zombies she had seen, Hivemind wore clothes that were more than simple scraps. He may not cover his chest, but he wore old jeans and even more surprisingly a pair of leather boots.
                  "Ah yes, shoes. One of the few relics of the past I still am allowed to indulge in. I may be a size fifteen now, but boots still fit…plus they sound nice walking down a hallway." Hivemind said, understanding her confused gaze.
                  "…Wh- What do I call you?" Rose managed, finally speaking.
                  "I've had many names over the years, and I've heard all that the people have given me. Hivemind, Achilles, Master of Horsemen, Devil, John Porter, Faustus, Benedict, all true in their own rights, but none true enough. You may call me Sigma if you wish, I think it is a fitting title." Sigma explained, rattling off his list of monikers.
                  "Sigma…why am I here?…Where is here?" Rose asked, in a barely audible whisper.
                  "The second question has a much simpler answer. You are in a dressing room in the Hive. It is about ten in the morning, August thirteenth. You were passed out for almost a day. As to the why, there are short and long answers. Do you have a preference?" Sigma asked, resting his right foot on his left knee, reclining a bit in his chair.
                  "I…" Rose couldn't continue, the entire situation was becoming too much for her to handle.
                  "You're stressed, it's very understandable. I don't want to upset you, despite