A hand-drawn map. With a smiley face. In a zombie apocalypse.
Axel wasn't sure if it was the most hopeful thing he'd ever seen or a sign that the previous owner had been dangerously unhinged. Given the circumstances, it was probably a fifty-fifty split.
"Safe Water," he murmured, tracing the crude 'X' with a grimy finger. The smiley face next to it was almost aggressively cheerful.
"Optimistic, aren't we, Picasso of the Plumbing?"
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: Cartographical data rudimentary but indicates localized knowledge. Cross-referencing with partial Atheria Maintenance Tunnel schematics… Plausible route. Probability of deception: Low. Probability of outdated information or unforeseen hazards: Moderate to High.]
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, System," Axel muttered, though a small, stubborn ember of hope was definitely warming in his chest. A backpack meant a person. A map meant intelligence.
A smiley face… well, that suggested someone who hadn't entirely succumbed to screaming despair. Or, again, was just really weird. Either way, it was better than more Skitterlings.
He slung the found backpack over his shoulder – it was surprisingly light, whoever dropped it hadn't been carrying much. His own meager supplies felt even more inadequate now.
The Maglite beam cut a swathe through the oppressive darkness as he oriented the hand-drawn map against the System's overlay. They matched up, more or less. The 'X' wasn't far.
The maintenance tunnels were a labyrinth of dripping pipes, narrow catwalks over murky, ankle-deep water in some sections, and junctions that branched off into Stygian blackness.
Every echo was a potential threat, every shadow a lurking horror. Axel moved with a caution that bordered on paranoia, Maglite sweeping constantly. The Skitterling encounter had taught him that the Blighted weren't the only monsters in this "Undead University."
He found himself talking to the System more, partly to break the suffocating silence, partly because it was the only entity not actively trying to eat him.
"So, if I actually find this person, do I introduce myself as 'Axel, Acting Chancellor and part-time subterranean explorer'? Or just go with 'guy who really hopes you have more snacks'?"
[SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION: Standard survivor interaction protocols suggest initial caution. Announce presence clearly. Avoid sudden movements. Assess for signs of infection or hostility.]
"Right. No running up for a hug. Got it."
The map led him down a narrower passage, the air growing noticeably cooler and cleaner, the metallic tang replaced by a damp, earthy smell. The dripping sound he'd heard earlier was louder now, more distinct, like a steady, rhythmic tap.
He rounded a bend, and the tunnel opened slightly into a small, alcove-like space. And there it was. A large, industrial-looking water pipe ran along one wall, and from a well-maintained spigot attached to it, a clear stream of water trickled into a surprisingly clean-looking plastic bucket.
The 'X' on the map.
But it wasn't the water that made Axel freeze, Maglite beam locking on.
Huddled against the far wall, next to another, fuller bucket of water, was a figure. Small, wrapped in an oversized university hoodie, knees drawn to their chest. Their head was down, but as Axel's light hit them, it snapped up.
It was a girl. Probably around his age. Her eyes, wide and luminous in the beam, were filled with a potent cocktail of fear and defiance. In one hand, she clutched a heavy-looking metal wrench like it was Excalibur.
For a moment, nobody moved. The only sound was the steady drip-drip-drip of the water.
Axel, remembering the System's advice (and basic human decency), slowly lowered his Maglite so it wasn't blinding her. He raised his empty hands. "Uh, hi," he said, his voice sounding ridiculously loud in the confined space. "I'm… not going to eat you. Promise." Smooth, Axel. Real smooth. Chancellor material, right there.
The girl didn't relax. If anything, her grip on the wrench tightened. "Who are you?" Her voice was raspy, but firm. "How did you find this place?"
"Name's Axel." He gestured vaguely with his head back the way he came. "Found your backpack. And your rather excellent map. The smiley face was a nice touch. Very artistic." He was rambling, a nervous habit. This was harder than fighting Blighted.
At least they didn't judge your conversational skills before trying to bite you.
Her eyes narrowed, flicking from his face to the backpack he carried. "My bag?"
"Yeah, back in the main tunnel. Looked like it was dropped in a hurry." He decided against mentioning the Skitterlings just yet. No need to add to her stress levels. Or his.
[SYSTEM SCAN: Human lifeform detected. Gender: Female. Age Estimate: 19-22. Vital Signs: Elevated heart rate, stress indicators present. No immediate signs of Blighted infection detected. Threat Assessment: Low (Currently). Potential Asset: High (Possesses local knowledge, appears resourceful).]
Potential Asset? Axel almost rolled his eyes at the System's clinical assessment. This was a person. A scared, possibly traumatized person.
"You're not… one of them?" she asked, her gaze intense, searching his face for any sign of decay or mindless aggression.
"The Blighted? Nope. Still on Team Slightly-Less-Decomposed, thanks." He offered a small, hopefully reassuring smile. "And you're not either, which is, frankly, the best news I've had all day."
She watched him for another long moment, then slowly, very slowly, the tension in her shoulders eased a fraction.
The wrench didn't lower, though. "What do you want?"
"Honestly?" Axel said, his gaze flicking to the dripping spigot. "Right now, some of that water looks like a five-star miracle. And after that, maybe a civilized conversation that doesn't involve me getting brained with a plumbing tool?"
He paused. "Unless I deserve it, of course. Then, you know, fair's fair."
A tiny, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of her mouth. Was that… the beginning of a smile? Or just a grimace? Hard to tell in the gloom.
"The water's clean," she said, her voice a little less hostile. "I rigged a filter further up the line. The main university supply is… well, you can imagine."
Axel nodded. He could indeed. "Resourceful. I'm impressed." He took a hesitant step closer. "Look, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just trying to survive, same as you.
That backpack, the map… it's the first sign of intelligent, non-cannibalistic life I've run into since this whole mess started."
She finally lowered the wrench a few inches, though her eyes remained wary. "My name is Mia."
"Mia," Axel repeated. It suited her. "Well, Mia of the Miraculous Spigot, it's, uh, unexpectedly good to meet you."
Mia studied him again, then gestured with the wrench towards the dripping water.
"Help yourself, Axel. But if you try anything funny…" The wrench twitched meaningfully.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Axel said, his earlier sarcasm giving way to a genuine, if cautious, relief. He moved towards the spigot, keenly aware of her eyes on him.
He cupped his hands, letting the cool, clean water run over them before drinking deeply. It was the best thing he'd ever tasted.
As he drank, he noticed more details about their little sanctuary. A couple of scavenged blankets. A small pile of canned goods, neatly stacked.
A few more hand-drawn symbols on the wall he hadn't noticed before – were they warnings? Or just doodles?
Mia was watching him, her expression unreadable. She'd survived alone down here, in the dark, with who knew what lurking just beyond the light of her makeshift camp. She was clearly tough, resourceful, and very, very cautious.
He straightened up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks, Mia. Seriously."
"Don't thank me yet," she said, her voice flat. "You being here changes things. More noise. More risk."
Axel frowned slightly. She had a point. "Look, I don't want to impose…"
Before he could finish, a distant sound echoed down the tunnel from the direction he'd come – a low, guttural roar, deeper and more resonant than any Blighted he'd heard before. It was followed by a series of heavy, thudding impacts, like something massive was trying to batter its way through a barricade.
Mia's head snapped up, her eyes wide with a fresh wave of fear, the wrench instantly tight in her grip again. "What was that?"
Axel felt a cold dread seep into his bones. That didn't sound like Blighted. It didn't sound like Skitterlings. It sounded much, much bigger.
And it sounded like it was getting closer.