bakerstreet | The Zombie Apocalypse Meme

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[warning] violence

The Zombie Apocalypse Meme

1. Comment with your character.
2. Find a character you want to reply to!
3. Choose or roll a scenario from the list below.
4. Comment away and have fun!

reposted from here without permission
Warning for triggers of violence and death.
i . INFECTION.

1. YOU ARE INFECTED. It could be days, hours, or even minutes before you turn. Do you keep it to yourself and pray for a cure? Or do you hand your weapon over and trust your friend to put you down before you can hurt anyone?
2. YOU KNOW. At least, you're pretty sure. They've been getting thinner, weaker, and the temperature that they're running can't be good. How do you proceed?
3. THEY'RE STILL HUMAN. These zombies are still people, you're the only one that sees it.
4. IT'S YOU OR ME. There's no way the two of you can get out of here alive. Are you a good enough friend to let them go, or are you the sort to ensure that you only have to outrun them?
5. ABOMINATION. You've handled everything you've come across so far, but this is just wrong. Be it a baby, an animal, or a horrific mutation that grants it special powers—this one is throwing you for a loop.
6. NOT YOU. You recognize that one. Maybe it's a family member, a close friend, a lover, or a co-worker - you know who they are. Do you have the strength to do what needs to be done?

ii . SUPPLIES.

1. NOTHING LEFT. You're running out of almost everything. You've only got enough to feed one person now. Do you give it up, or are you ready to kill so that you may survive?
2. FOOD RUN. You and your buddy are all that stands between your group and cannibalism. Better hop to it.
3. ROTTEN. It's sat out too long and now everything is bad. You might have eaten it before you realized how rotten it was and now you're paying the price.
4. STOCKED. You found the ideal hideout and you want for nothing.

iii. YOU AGAINST THE WORLD

1. YOU'VE GOT A PLAN. You can protect your team, but it might cost you your life.
2. IMPROVISED WEAPONRY. They're closing in and you've got to think fast.
3. MUTINY. You're tired of their authority. You can do a better job.
4. ESCAPE. That city was getting too full, you've hotwired and tricked out a vehicle and now you're getting the hell out of dodge. Any zombie causalities are completely intentional.
5. SURROUNDED. Your safe space isn't so safe. They're on all sides of you and you're starting to run out of ammo.
6. NEVER ENDING ROAD TRIP. You've been in this car for ages, everyone is getting tired, and you're not sure where a safe rest stop is.
7. YOU WERE IN ON IT. You're safe in the head office of EVIL INC. and nothing can go wrong. Unless that clumsy scientist knocks that vial over, or unless one of your co-workers goes mad with the guilt. Or maybe you didn't know what you were getting into, maybe you've switched sides and you two aim to fix this mess.
8. ONLY ONES LEFT. Everyone else is dead. You're all that's left in the world. Where do you go from here?

iv. WILDCARD.
Create your own scenario, pick one from above or mix and match!

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[The gate's narrow, but if Ralph turns sideways he should just be able to make it. And as an added bonus, the gate can then be closed behind them, which, if the figures gathering distantly at the end of the street are any indication, would be a good thing.

His new best friend's smiling also, though, delighted to see a friendly face.]

Hey, no problem! Just c'mon in before some of those guys figure out we're here, okay?

[Ralph nods quickly.]

Right.

[He looks at the gate one more time, then turns sideways, takes a deep breath, and scoots his way through, wincing as the armor scrapes against the wall.

Once he's clear, he breathes a sigh of relief and takes a few steps away to get out of the way of the gate.]

You don't know how glad I am to see you.

[Slamming the gate shut, the little guy bars it and steps back along with Ralph, leaning against the brick wall along one side of the car park. Up close, he's scraped up a bit, shaky and smudged with whatever this game's been using for dirt and mud, but the lines on his light armor still glow through.]

Probably about as glad as I am to see you. I was starting to think there was nobody else left..... I'm Ram; what's your name?

I'm Wreck-It Ralph. I haven't seen anybody else but zombies either.

[He looks back through the gate. His voice wavers a bit when he speaks.]

Do you think anyone else is trapped in there?

[He didn't really like the idea of abandoning anyone to that mess, even though the zombies terrified him out of his mind.]

I don't know. I really hope not.

[Ram also hates the idea of leaving anyone behind, especially in a place like this. But how would they know if there was anyone, without seeing them? There were too many of the shambling virus-things to allow a thorough search.]

Hopefully they'll come here, if there is anyone. I've never seen a level designed like this.

[He looks out through the gate, where the distant figures have mostly dispersed; their attention span is way lower than any User he's ever seen ~~and he's run insurance calculations for some doozies in his time~~. Then he looks back up at Ralph -- scared, yeah, but also just as worried as he is about anyone who might be caught out in the danger zone. This is a guy after his own heart.]

C'mere. [He motions to a ledge that runs along the base of the wall, plenty wide enough to sit on.] You look like you could use a breather. Were you running for long?

[Ralph nods.]

Yeah, this looks like the only safe place around, maybe they'll realize it too.

[Was there any others? Could anyone survive that disaster out there? Ralph had been lucky, but he knew he had only seen a little of this game so far. It was hard to get a good look at things when you were running in a blind panic.

He walks over to the ledge Ram indicated and put one of his massive hands on it, testing to see if it could hold his weight. At 643 pounds, it's easy to break things by accident.

Once he determines that it'll hold him up, he hauls himself on the ledge and sits next to Ram.

He nods again.]

Yeah, I've been running pretty much since I got here. I didn't expect it to be...well...like this.

[Ram perches on the ledge beside him and leans back, closing his eyes briefly. It's really good to finally have someone else to talk to.]

Seems like that kinda game. [He laughs a little, without much humor.] I'm not even sure how I got here. The transport was supposed to go to a nice quiet place called Myst, but next thing I know I'm running for my life.

[Ralph frowns at this information.]

That's not good...you should report that to the Surge Protector when you get back, I've not heard of anyone ending up in the wrong game by accident before.

[Was something wrong with Game Central Station? That definitely could cause a lot of problems for everyone if that was the case.]

I came here on purpose, I wanted to be a hero, but it's a lot tougher than Felix makes it look...

[another chuckle] Gotta get out of here first. At least I'm pretty sure no one came here with me. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. [sidelong look up] You're pretty brave, to take it on. Hey, if you knew you were coming here, could you tell me a little about what this place is supposed to be? Any intel is better than nothing.

[fond smile] Yeah, the heroes in my game make it look easy too.~

[Ralph looks down sheepishly.] I don't think brave's the right word for it...I wasn't expecting it to be so horrible. [He sighs.] It was a mistake for me to come here...I'm not a hero, and this proves that I'll never be one.

[He goes back to a more neutral expression, if there's some way he can be even a little useful, then he'd do what he could.] If I remember right, the game goes on until all the zombies are dead or the player is.

[He shakes his head.] I don't know how game-jumpers like us factor into it, I guess we're like the others. Though, I think the guy mentioned that the city was mostly abandoned, there's not a lot of people that help the player in this game.

Hey.... [The guy's talking like some of the conscripts they got in the Games -- sad and scared. But even if the odds are lousy here, they're way better than they were there. Ram reaches up to pat Ralph's arm encouragingly.] It's okay; you don't have to be a hero to be a good person. Besides, even if it's scary, you made it this far, right?

[Nods intently, cataloging the information. At least that's something an actuarial program is good at.] ..So we're supposed to clear the level? [Unenthusiastic grimace. Not his idea of a good time.] Maybe since there's two of us, we can pull a fast one and get out of here without that. Do we know which way the exit is? [If Ralph had come in with whatever information they usually gave the player character, maybe someone had given him a map.]

[Ralph looks a little perplexed at this.] Some of the others said something like that, but it doesn't make much sense to me... Heroes are Good and Bad Guys are Bad. Not even the people in my own game think I can be good.

[He nods slightly.] Yeah, but I only got here by running away...and I got lost. There were too many zombies all over the place, I just kept taking empty roads until you showed me the way here.

[He sighs and looks down.] I'm sorry, I don't know the way back to the train station. If I did, we could just stay there until the player is done with the game and then we could leave.

[quizzical look] What about people who aren't heroes or bad guys? In my game, Tron and the player character are the heroes; I just tag along and help out.

It'd be nice if there was a beam of light or something to help us find it. [Half-smile; bites his lip, looks around for a few moments, and then points at something over the fence.] See that building over there? [It's a really tall building. Like, really tall.] I bet if we got up there, we could see where the station was. We'd have to get through the zombies, but we both got here on our own; we'll have a better chance together.

[Ralph frowns as he thinks this over.] I don't know...the Nicelanders don't really do much of anything, but I think they're still considered Good Guys, or at least not Bad Guys anyways.

I think it doesn't really matter, as long as you're not a Bad Guy, you're good? [He doesn't sound quite sure of this, but he doesn't have a better answer.]

[Ralph nods and looks a little more eager.] Hey! I climb an apartment building every day, I can get right up there without having to risk going through the building and finding even more zombies! And you could hang onto my back or something as I go up! You can't be that heavy and I'm strong enough to handle it.

[He hesitates.] I'd have to take off this armor if I did so...it's not very comfortable and kind of hard to move in. But, I feel a little safer in it, I don't think the zombies can easily damage it. I don't want to find out, though.

I don't know if it's that simple. What about good guys who turn bad? Or vice versa? I've got a friend back in my game who joins the bad guys and tries to get the player character to switch sides. Sweetest guy ever when he's not on call. The ones who're really bad are bad all the time, not just for the screen.

[shrugs] If the folks back in your game think you can't be good, they're not being very nice to you either, are they?

[His own experience on this point is honestly limited. But anyway, he's starting to guess a little about Ralph's background and if he's actually a bad person Ram will eat his helmet. Seriously. Sark is a bad guy. Ralph is a puppy (whatever that is).]

[perks up excitedly] Heyy, that's starting to sound like a plan! [pats the wall beside him] Think you could get up this one so we wouldn't have to start out on the street?

[The armor is an issue, though. Knowing what's out there, Ram doesn't want to give up an advantage, but if it really holds Ralph back....] I haven't seen any of the zombies climbing. Maybe we could find some way to carry it and then you can put it on again later.

[Ralph frowns at this.] Good Guys don't turn bad, that's unheard of! It just doesn't happen. And us Bad Guys, well, it doesn't really matter what we're like, we're just Bad and that's all there is to it.

[He sighs.] That's why I wanted to prove myself a hero, I'm tired of being a Bad Guy that nobody likes. And no, most of them aren't very nice to me, I mean, Felix is pretty good to me, he's like the best Good Guy there is.

[He cheers up a little at the thought of being able to do something he's good at. Ralph eyes the wall, thinking things over.] It'll be no problem if it can hold up my weight and if it's stable. But, even if I fall off of it, I shouldn't be hurt too bad, it's not nearly as tall as the apartment building is.

[Ralph nods.] You're right! I've only seen them wandering the streets. Carrying the armor's gonna be a problem, it's so bulky, it'll be like having another person around. But I won't be able to climb in it at all.

[He thinks for a moment.] Maybe if I tossed it somewhere? Or at least over the wall? It'd take a bit to get it back on, but placing it elsewhere would sure beat hauling it around.

Sorry to break it to you, but yeah, they do. I mean, in the newer games you get people with really complex motivations, but even where I come from the Big Bad was constantly trying to get everyone to switch sides.

[not even going to get into what they did to Tron for the newer game. that was just.... no.

not surprised at Ralph's revelation.] I'm glad you have one Good Guy in your corner, anyway. [imagining some huge, muscular Hero Type, 'cos that's the way people are built in Ralph's game, right?~] Some people can be really oblivious sometimes, but maybe the rest of 'em will see you in a different light after this.

[doesn't like the idea of falling. bites lip, then looks up, calculating trajectories.] ..Could be... If you bundle it up with something, how far do you think you can throw it?

[Ralph shakes his head.] If somebody switches sides, then they weren't really Good to begin with, were they? [He's still used to the black and white mentality of good and bad, he hasn't quite grasped the concept of being Bad for your job and Good in your life. He's done nice things for people, but doesn't really think anything about it, at the end of the day, his job is to be a Bad Guy and that's what he's treated like.]

[If Ram ever meets Felix, he'll be disappointed to know that he's a tiny beanpole of a guy. His heart's bigger than his size, though.

Ralph shakes his head.] I don't think so, Gene said if I got a medal, I could live up in the penthouse, have a real place to live for once. But getting a medal in Hero's Duty is really hard, and I haven't seen anything about a medal in this game. [He sighs.] I told them I'd get the best medal ever, but I think all I'm gonna return with are cuts and scrapes. They'll never let me live this down.

[Ralph grins a little.] Probably as far as I want to. I haven't tossed anything this big before, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Like I said, it's not that simple. You'd be surprised how people change from the way they started out. [some of the Users he did insurance work for in his backstory were really big on changing their long-term goals every other cycle.] Like you. You're not a bad guy right now, are you? So you changed already!

[Ram might be surprised, but he'd be totally undisappointed to meet a hero who's even smaller than he is himself and, likewise, has a proportionally much bigger heart. The smallest warrior on the Game Grid knows better than most that size isn't everything!~

Ralph's life sounds really hard. :( Ram hasn't seen a medal in this game either, but there's gotta be one out there somewhere with Ralph's name on it. He pats the big guy on the arm again, with an encouraging smile.]

Hey. You know one thing you are getting from this game? Experience. Y'know, I started out as an actuarial program; I was supposed to spend my life sitting around and doing math all day. What could be safer? [half-shrug] Turned out I got tossed on the Game Grid to fight for my life, with a bunch of other programs who hadn't signed up for it either. And look at me; I made it this far.

~~[the thing with the tanks doesn't count. tanks cheat.]~~

And even if it doesn't work this time, there's nothing stopping you from going out again, right? Keep trying long enough, and the odds get better!

[hopefully] If you got it up on one of the rooftops, we might not even have to go down to the street again!

We're programmed to stay the same though, if we change, then the game changes and that's not good. [He huffs slightly.] I'm a Bad Guy right now because I'm a Bad Guy. I've always been this way, I haven't changed. I didn't even get a medal.

[This is true, Felix is just as useful and strong as Ralph, just in different ways. They both have things that they're best at that the other can't do.

The main issue Ralph has with his life is that it's been this unpleasant for so many years. He was just fine for the longest time, though his frustration has been building up until things came to a boiling point recently. He's been pushed to the point of doing reckless things to try and improve his lot, however, he hadn't thought it'd be this difficult or dangerous. He knew there'd be some risks involved, but things had sounded easier than they actually were.

He tilts his head.] Huh? You didn't choose to go to a different game, you got forced there? Is that allowed? [For all his time in the arcade, he didn't do much sightseeing in the other games, so he didn't know how Ram's worked. When some people run in terror at your presence, you're not too encouraged to go visiting. There were a few games he did frequent often, though.]

[Ralph sighs.] I don't know, Hero's Duty's the only place that's got a medal that anybody can earn. I didn't do so well there, and I'm pretty sure I don't ever want to go back there again.

[He cheers up slightly.] That'd be great! I really don't want to walk around with the zombies again!

[Ram eyes him thoughtfully. This has obviously been building up for a long time, and it sounds like the poor guy's hardly had any positive reinforcement. It's not going to change overnight; so the little program decides not to press it. Maybe a positive experience winning through this game will give Ralph some self-confidence to build on later.

He shakes his head, though, at the comment about his backstory, laughing as he realizes he should have phrased it differently.]

--No, no... That's my game's plot; it's about programs getting forced to fight in games they weren't designed for until the player character gets rezzed in and fights the evil Master Control Program and frees the system! [A little enthusiastic, maybe, but the whole 'free system' thing sounds wonderful, even though Ram himself never survives to make it to that level. He imagines it must be like when the Arcade's closed and it's time to party.] I start out in the pit cells, but I remember everything that came before that. Can't help thinking sometimes that it'd be nice to get to try it out for real.

[offhand, with a conspiratorial smile] Life's not all about your programming. If it was, you'd be back in your game right now, doing bad guy things, but instead of that, we're going to get out of here together. Right?

[Ralph blinks as Ram explains how his game works. He doesn't like the sound of his game at all. Between it, Hero's Duty, and where they're at now, he's starting to think he got fairly lucky as far as games go. His life isn't easy, but at least he isn't in a kill or be killed situation all the time.] Oh... That sounds horrible! Just about as bad as Hero's Duty, all they do is fight there, too.

Does the system stay free when the arcade closes, or does it go right back to being awful again?

Hey, you could stop by Fix-It Felix Jr. sometime. Since I don't work after the arcade's closed, it's completely safe after hours.

[Ralph gives a small nod.] Right. I don't want to die here. [He sighs.] I just want to go home. [His home isn't much, but being safe back in his brick pile is far, far better than dealing with carnivorous aliens and zombies.]

It can get pretty bad, yeah. But the Master Control Program's only in charge when there's someone playing the game, so we're all right the rest of the time. The Games aren't lethal then, either. Lightcycles are a lot of fun when you can walk away from a crash.~

[He beams at the invitation.] Hey, thanks! Think I'll take you up on that. Tron's gonna ream me out for landing in a dangerous game, but I bet Fix-It Felix wouldn't bother him. [wry] I wish he were here. He'd take all those shambling guys out like it was nothing at all.

Don't worry, we'll make it. And you can visit me in my game too, okay? Long as the arcade's closed, you won't be in any danger.

Oh! Before I forget.... [Standing, he runs over to one of the cars, reaches into its open window, and pulls out a rope, a couple of tire irons, and a large ~~tin can~~ cylindrical object embossed with a picture of ~~a haunch of beef~~ a completely incomprehensible red symbol which apparently means it's some kind of power-up packet.] If we do run into any of the zombies, these'll come in handy. My disc's good for long-distance fighting, but you gotta have something else in case they get too close.

Edited 2012-11-08 06:17 (UTC)

[He breathes a sigh of relief.] I'm glad for that, sounds like you've got more than enough trouble while the arcade's open.

[Ralph gives him a genuine smile.] You're welcome! We don't get a lot of visitors unless there's a party, it's a small game, but it's home. [And the more games he went to, the more and more he appreciated it.]

[He's quite interested in this Tron character.] He could? Man, then I wish he was here too. It'd be nice to have a few more people with us. You think we've actually got a chance?

[He smiles again.] Thanks and maybe I can give those Lightcycles a try! I hope they're as fun as you say they are. [He doesn't have any clue how to drive, so it could be an interesting experience, to say the least. Especially if he got frustrated and started smashing things in anger.]

[Ralph watches as Ram nabs some equipment, he's impressed that he was able to find all of that stuff. In his game, there aren't many powerups and what ones there are are reserved for Felix, so Ralph wouldn't have even thought to check for that sort of thing.] Hey, that's pretty great! [He holds up the Hero's Duty gun slightly.] This should be able to take care of the zombies, but I'm not too good at firing it... I don't know if punching them would help. [He refused to hurt anyone on purpose with his enormous hands, but the zombies here didn't seem like they were actually people.]

You gotta see the canyons too. It's really nice out there. With the forced perspective it looks like the game's ten times as big! And there's a lot of sectors to explore anyway! I like little games too, though. Long as they're not too small. To hold more than one person, I mean. [Games the size of a single room ~~remind him of the pit cells~~ could be a little claustrophobic.]

Yeah, it would.~ [Ram would have to get Tron to warm up to him -- their hero's a little more rigid in his concept of following one's role as a program, both in the game and out -- but he bets Tron would just have to get to know Ralph to like him.]

I think we do, my friend. Especially if the player character's already in here; that'll get rid of some of the zombies and give us a clear shot to the station. There used to be a lot more of them on this street, but most of them headed off that way.

[Which, fortunately, is the opposite way from the way they're going.

He makes a couple of loops with the rope and attaches the other items to his belt. Improvisation with available materials is one of his strong points. But the gun's new to him, and he examines it skeptically.] Huh -- what does that do? Does it come back when you throw it?

The Zombie Apocalypse Meme

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Ralph is the best puppy <3

Yup. So's Ram, so they can be fellow puppies! XD

Yes! :D They'd have super-adorable puppy adventures! XD

Best adventures!~~

Indeed! :D

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