Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

At this point, I was just the universal asshole for punching down on a person that was definitely going through a lot but I gave them a quick run-through course of moving on and focusing on what was important:

"Look, Mr. Garciano, I'm definitely gonna be an asshole for the rest of this conversation but have you gotten a second look yet?"

"A second look?"

"We have also have doctors—"

He shook his head with a bitter smile, "I got checked from your place, actually, had an MRI and saw the mass that's growing in my head…"

Mrs. Garciano cut in, "You didn't know?"

Mr. Garciano waved his wife down, "I asked the staff who did the MRI that I should be the one to tell him myself. It's only fair, and not to make this sound like a coincidence, it's one of the reasons I'm telling everyone now and had been holding off ever since… I don't want to put blame but I really thought you'd visit sooner.

I could always give you a call but I was selfish and wanted more time with myself and my family—putting everyone else at risk, yes—but I also wanted to tell you in person and everyone else here…"

I shook my head as I wiped my dry face with my hand, "Alright, alright… How much time do you have left? Have you been feeling the symptoms yet? And again, what's your treatment plan?"

He shook his head with a bitter smile, "There's no treatment plan, I only have medicine for the pain…"

"How much time?"

"A generous few months."

"Fuck… Alright… I'm gonna be such a huge asshole again but as I've told your officers, there's an order to things."

"What does that mean exactly?"

I turned to Mrs. Lily Garciano, "How are you on continuing your husband's legacy—"

"LEGACY?! I HAVE MORE THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT—"

I cut her off, "Okay, that's a no," I nodded as I turned to Mr. Garciano, "Do you have anyone else in mind to continue what you started here? Like Captain Dagan or—"

Mrs. Garciano cut in with a frown, "Did you just— I'm here worried to death about what's gonna happen to my husband and you're talking like he's gone already! Have some sensitivity, at least! Don't you have any family?! A father?!"

I sighed, "Both dead from a drug addict who broke into my home. Don't worry, I killed the motherfucker and his relatives as they tried to come after me.

I hate to use this crutch too and I know that while your sole focus is to take care of your husband's well-being, it's also still your husband's responsibility to take care of all these people under him— and believe me, I'm trying my best to make it easier for him to transition and have another capable person take his place so that he could choose what remaining time he was with his loved ones."

"That's… C-Can't you just give us more time?!"

Mr. Garciano dryly chuckled, "It's alright, hon…" then he turned to me, "I recommend my wife, actually. She might be a wreck at the current moment because of me but I wouldn't have won the election and stayed this strong if it weren't for her.

She's my rock and so are my children—and I'm not saying this just so I could have a monarchy running, heh, but she knows the laws of the past world and the new, and my officers could attest to that. She was just doing things in the background even though she's more suited to run than me."

I glanced briefly at Mrs. Garciano before turning to him, "Then why didn't she run for the position instead of you?"

"The patriarchy?"

"Fair."

"Hah! It'd just be a conflict of interest, honestly, and she'd be at a disadvantage running here at that time because she just moved in here with me while I already know most of the folks before the election."

"I see…"

"But do understand that she'd really need a bit of time after… after all this is over and y-you know… everything resolves itself and the next person I'd recommend is obviously Captain Dagan. I know all of them have almost turned their back on me but I do understand the reason in doing so. Your next read is at empire

I was an incapable leader even before I knew of your existence and I would love to see what he could accomplish from the time he'd be holding the reigns before my wife, hopefully, continues what we started. I may be like this but I still have some pride for what I turned this place into…"

I waved him off, "Don't say that, this place had stood its own despite the challenges and again, we just have a different way of doing things. It's not like we can adjust some things to better suit the current situation. Don't wallow in self-pity and self-derogatory statements, you've done well and you'll do even better in your last term. Heh, have you heard of Project Valhalla?"

"What?"

As soon as everyone heard that, I'd say that everyone's interest was piqued but I'm gonna be honest that I'm gonna say that Mr. Garciano wouldn't up for it. Because yeah, essentially, Project Valhalla was the literal meaning of going out with a bang and I have a feeling that Mr. Garciano just wanted to go out peacefully.

Still, I moved that topic by the end of our meeting because yeah, we had more things to worry about than what he'd do before his time was up.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

So firstly, I made the people I sent here give their own opinions and suggestions as to what we could do better before I let the officers and other people with important positions living in this place say their piece.

And yeah, the most pressing matter was being too turtle'd up in this fortress and letting the nearby areas gather more and more of the dead. Because even if they can fend them off with the help of their defenses, it'd be a matter of time before all of the undead outside gather more and more—even evolve—to the point that this place wouldn't be able to take it.