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JANUARY TEST DRIVE MEME
You awaken to godawful static overlaying a female voice that's too monotone to be anything but a recording. The static makes it difficult to understand the warning, but it's clearly a warning if your surroundings tell you anything...
You're buckled into a sturdy seat bolted to the wall behind you. Around you, there are dozens of others like you, some awake and others still unconscious, but it seems most of the seats lining the walls are occupied. The lights are dim, likely auxiliary lighting, leaving you mostly in the dark. You smell smoke and hear the sizzling crackle of electrical systems popping and shorting out. Some of the seats were jarred off the wall, leaving the occupants either wounded or dead. Count yourself lucky all you have is a headache and various aches accounted to whiplash.
You appear to be in a drop ship or an escape vessel of some form but the pilot is dead and the hull bears a massive gash where it buckled under the impact and sheered off. Through the door-sized opening, you can see vegetation. The air that wafts in is heavy with a humid heat, but it's obviously breathable.
Once you make your way outside, you'll see greenery: Trees, grass, and shrubs tangled with vines that grow wildly and suffocate the trees they climb. In the distance, behind the ship, you can make out a sandy desert that seems to stretch on endlessly. Forward through the trees, however, you may see a crumbling wall, but more importantly, you'll see signs of civilisation. Buildings and other structures seem contained within those decrepit walls. Maybe the natives can fill you in on what's going on, because the last thing you remember isn't being in an escape shuttle. As a matter of fact, you don't remember much about your arrival or where you are. But it's going to be a bit of a hike, better get moving. Though you might want to grab the backpack of supplies under your seat before you go.
With that, the power dies, leaving the drop ship in the dark, crackling and groaning as the hull cools from its catastrophic re-entry.
/tackle hugs
Daryl's head snapped up and the backpack he'd dragged out of the tangled mess of the crashed ship dropped from his fingers. He knew that voice. He knew the panic in it. The fear. It was the same emotions that thrummed through his own bones, the ones he didn't want to telegraph.
Daryl had checked most of the ship by that point, but he hadn't finished his check. Too many broken struts were in the way for him to do it all in one go. But he had a reason to push on through now. A reason to go faster and ignore what caution he'd been taking. He had people to get to.
"Glenn!" he barked as he climbed in the carrier at the other end from his friend, body silhouetted by the sunlight beating down on the crash site.
/squeals and snuggles
And then, he was startled to hear his name. Daryl. He'd know that voice anywhere. Glenn's heart raised in joy from the pit of his stomach, tears coming to his eyes because he wasn't alone, and one of the people he loved most in the world - had been with the longest, even longer than Maggie - was there with him. He didn't shed those tears, of course; he wiped them away with the back of his hand and sniffled in the emotions before answering.
"Daryl!" He called back to his friend. Heart steadied; he managed to keep the depth of it all under wraps; even if there was a small shake in his voice. "I'm over here!" Glenn was then centering his attention on the man he'd unstrapped, wondering if he should pour some water on the guy's face or just... He didn't want to leave him. That wouldn't be right, not after already taking the first steps of helping him free.
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Daryl grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in for a psudo-hug where Glenn's shoulder ended up somewhere in the middle of his chest and Daryl's forehead ended up knocking into the side of Glenn's head. He released his friend quick, but let his hand settle and linger on that same shoulder for another moment while he spoke.
"Leave him," he ordered, voice raw, but relieved. "He's safe enough in here for now and it's gonna be hell getting past that strut. We can check on him later, see if he's come around."
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The older man's words had him nodding his head after a moment; eyes surveying exactly what Daryl was pointing out to him. Giving him the facts of the matter, even while he hoped that the one he was told to leave for the time would be alright. Glenn gave another glance to the unconscious man; licking his lips as tension rode through him for a second. "No one's turned?" Because there was no evidence of it, that he could see. There wasn't any half-eaten people, just the unconscious and the gone. Then, he wasn't sure how long some of the dead had been thus; still, Daryl wasn't in a rush to make certain. That told him a lot. He let his gaze move from the one he'd freed to Daryl, knowing he wouldn't lead him wrong. His eyes locked on to his friend's gaze.
"Have you seen anyone else? Maggie, Rick, Carl, Michonne? Carol?" So many other names he wanted to list; but he was certain that Daryl would tell him if he'd come across any of those they both cared for. There were a lot of other questions which wanted to flood from him, but he kept to basics so he wouldn't go in to panic mode. That wouldn't serve either of them well. As he'd asked, he'd been holding on to Daryl's arm; glad for the contact that steadied him. Glenn was thrown more for a loop than he really wanted to let on.
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"You're the first of us I've seen," he continued, this time his hand patted his friend on the stomach as he turned to lead the way out. "Found a few others I think could be ours, though. Good people, smart. Ain't been through what we have, but they're capable."
He ducked under the strut, then held the sparking wires out of the way as best he could with one arm so Glenn could follow, "Already grabbed a few backpacks from them that didn't make it. Keep yours on you, we can stuff extra shit that don't fit on the sled in it."
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He'd already slung the backpack he'd picked up over his shoulder, not needing to be told twice on that. So, none of their family had been found yet - outside of the two of them, but if Daryl found people he already thought well of? That was a good sign; another silver lining along the cloud they found themselves under. "Does anyone know what exactly all of this is about, how we got here? Speculations, at least? I don't remember anything..." Not after sitting next to Nicholas, still wondering if he should just end the man.
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And yes, Glenn, he knew exactly how that sounded. But he was being serious as he hopped out of the transport and headed back to his pile of supplies. He had five people to account for now, with Glenn. Glenn, though, he knew he could trust to watch out for himself properly.
Once Glenn was on the ground with him, Daryl pulled one of the two remaining knives he'd been given. The one the girl, Rose, found and handed over to him. In turn, Daryl held it out so Glenn could have it. No questions asked. And he had an empty sheath anyway.
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They were on the ground then, and Glenn took a second to take in their surroundings. "Wow." Was a soft whisper, then he found Daryl pressing the handle of a blade towards him. "Thanks, man." Was the easy smile on his lips, a soft nod of his head to emphasize that gratitude. He tucked the blade in to the sheath; glad to have something at his disposal once again.
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"Uh huh."
Daryl waved at the pile he'd gotten together, "Whoever dropped us, dropped us with boxes of dried foods and water. What people been awake already have grabbed a lot, but there's still too much to haul just one on one. Getting this together so we can haul more for ours off to a camp 'fore night comes. We can send a couple of ours back in the morning to strip whatever's left. There's uh... there's two sets of ruins around. The big one is an old city, surrounded by a wall. 'Bout a day's walk from here. The other's just that way," Daryl pointed off in the direction he'd asked Bucky to scout. "Few hours walk from here by best estimate. Setting up camp there. Looking to find a better spot in the morning."
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"I'll come back with the group in the morning." Easy to step up and volunteer for that; it would bring him in close enough to keep looking for Maggie, and it would also serve as a distraction from his worry about her - if she never turned up. Maybe he should be hopeful she wouldn't? If she was safe, that was. Glenn tried to tug his mind away from those thoughts, not wanting them to turn dark. Maggie would be alive, he promised himself, no matter what. She was strong, she'd survive - and he and Daryl would find her if she was there to be found. Still, the possibility of the city ruins sounded interesting; it made him wonder what type of civilization was still around, if any. Were they the only life forms there, those who were just dropped down there?
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He just nodded, "I'll ask Bucky and Athena to check the city. There's lot of game in the area. I'll see about about setting up some traps and doing a little hunting. Knife ain't much, but I can peg a squirrel or five."
The more fresh meat they ate, the longer the non-perishables would last. And unlike the last time the'd been on the road, there was game around to catch. Not just dogs gone feral that they lucked out on having threaten them. Daryl would rather not have to barbecue any of those again any time soon.
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As far as hunting was concerned? Glenn's mind was along with Daryl's on the thoughts about the dogs. That wasn't an experience he wanted to repeat, either. "I'm glad to hear that about game, man." Was another soft nod, and a peek of a smile - then he turned to look back at the thing which had brought them to wherever they were. He ran a hand through his hair, making a face at it before he exhaled and glanced back at Daryl. "I'll go back in, get stuff out that hasn't been grabbed; I can probably get to a few places that others might not be able to..." How many times had he proven himself in tight squeezes?
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"I want us at those ruins by sun down. Don't get yourself stuck trying to get at nothing."
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"In and if nothing seems worthwhile, out again. Fast. No getting stuck. I got this, Daryl." He stated, before turning away and going back in to the vessel which had carried them to this place.
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He might be making new people a part of his group, but having someone he already knew and trusted went a long way. Gave him room to breathe. If only for a moment.
He'd have to remember to introduce everyone else to Glenn once they were at the camp for the evening. Make it clear that Glenn was his second and they were to listen to him. Chain of command and all that shit. Bucky would definitely follow it. He was pretty sure on that, the way the man acted. Not so sure about Athena or Captain Star-Spangled, but he could deal with that later.