Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

I was still contemplating because casually inviting someone to not just work for you but also live with you without a proper reason or a proper channel would land you a restraining order. However, I tried to convince myself because I would need more people that not only know how to use guns but for other work as well. I thought to myself, 'Hmm, she has some skill in organizing everything to my taste though... We could definitely benefit each other but how do I approach it?'

I looked at how she worked and even her workstation was in perfect order. All the lists were stacked neatly, her uniform had no creases, her desktop computer had no clutter, and I noticed she was doing a job for two people seamlessly. The only mistake she made was a little error with listing a specific item carefully. However, she fixed it as soon as she could and even reprinted me a new one. As I tried to form the sentences in my head, she finished processing everything then she turned her head to look at me.

Looking at her features closely, she seemed of Asian descent and she was a few years younger than me. She was slightly shorter than Kaley and she had a petite figure, almost the same as Olivia. Her hair was combed in the middle and she was wearing thin-framed glasses.

"Excuse me, sir. I could have everything ready in 30-40 minutes depending on how fast the people carrying the items are. Is that fine?" she said to me confidently.

"That's good, you work efficiently." I replied as I gave a faint smile.

"Thank you very much, sir. Do you need anything else?" she said as she adjusted her glasses again with a prideful smile.

"What's your name?" I looked at her directly in the eye.

"Umm, m-my name is R-Rin, sir. Rin Akiyama... Is there a problem, sir?" she was clearly taken aback by my question that was a little too forward.

"Oh, sorry for the question. I just don't know what to call you because you didn't have a nametag. You must be new then? Anyway, how much do they pay you here? Considering what you do and judging by the work you're doing, I think at the supervisor level?" I asked to probe.

"Umm, n-not at a-all I get paid here at the m-minimum..." Rin said embarrassingly.

"What the fu- Well, I got a great proposal for you. I want you to work for me." I went straightforward.

"Ah- Umm, are you s-serious? I just started here yesterday. It might look bad on my record If I quit immediately..." Rin replied with a doubtful look.

"So~ are you thinking of quitting? All your expenses would be paid for and you'd be paid more than double if you come with me." I quickly said.

"That's not what I'm- I'm sorry, I just met you… sir... and this is my first job going to this place. I don't even know the job I'll be doing If I come with you. I also paid an advance of three months to the apartment I'm renting. I'm sorry, but I can't simply leave this job for a new one..." Rin explained her situation in a concise manner.

"That's not gonna be a problem. I'm Sky Ishiyama, I'm a private business owner and I sell a variety of goods for consumers in a shop located here and three at Pulo. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier and I came a little too forward but it's nice to meet you. I can talk to your employer here about your record but I doubt you'd need to worry about that. I can even refund you from my own pocket the advance that you paid for your landlord if you're also worried about that." I reassured her.

"That still s-sounds too good to be true..." Rin took a step back and she was looking at me suspiciously.

"Still hesitating? Wait here, let me get someone to vouch for me." I faintly smiled.

I went to the administrator's office and I spoke to her employer for a good 5 minutes. After that, I came back to the counter Rin was at and she was surprised that I was walking back with her employer. She was still wearing a worried look but her employer walked a bit forward.

"Rin, you're free to go. You never mentioned that Mr. Ishiyama took an interest in you. Don't worry about your records, I'll take care of it. It would take a bit of time to transfer them but you could start working at his place right away. Good luck!" the owner said with a smile.

If her jaw could drop any lower, it would drop on the floor.

"B-But Mrs. T-Thelma..." Rin was coming up with blanks.

"Don't worry about Mr. Ishiyama. He's a legit business owner and he treats his employees well. He pays higher than the minimum wage too, like his parents when I used to work with them. One day, you could also own a shop like me if you follow in his footsteps." Mrs. Thelma assured her, smiling.

'Wait, she knows my parents? Is that why she was so accommodating when I went inside their office? Huh.' I thought to myself, surprised.

It took Rin a few minutes to think about it but she eventually agreed after several more assurances.

"U-Umm, I guess I'm working for you now… Sorry, for throwing suspicion on you. There were just a lot of other bad things that happen to other workers in the news. I promise I would work as hard and smart at your shops as I do here. Thank you for the opportunity." Rin bowed and motioned for a handshake.

"Heh, you're too formal. Loosen up a bit, will you?" I received her handshake as I chuckled.

"Oh- Umm… okay, sir. What should I do now?" Rin asked.

"Well, you're gonna shop for a few things inside. Mrs. Thelma gave you a parting gift, here." I said as I handed her a pushcart.

"What? Umm… I don't follow...." Rin gave me a confused look.

I gave her a smile and said, "What that means is that you could fill it up with anything you want and that is yours for free."

Rin turned her head to look at Mrs. Thelma and she just gave her an 'OK' sign. She turned to me again and she gave me a few more bows.

I wasn't sure whether she was in a hurry or the idea of having everything in a pushcart for free flicked a switch in her because she immediately disappeared going from aisle to aisle. I saw Lois coming back with a few boxes and I asked him to tell Rin that it wasn't time-constrained. He then came looking for her but he brought another pushcart for himself.

I paid for the items I originally ordered and Mrs. Thelma handled them herself. I wanted to ask for information about her relationship with my parents but she was the first one to speak up.

"Mr. Ishiyama, I'm not sure if you know but your mom and I go way back. I used to work for her when you were still in her belly and she taught me a lot of things. I slightly got an inkling of who you are based on your last name but those eyes of yours tell it all. I'm sorry, I'll excuse myself. Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend the- umm that but I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sure they're in a better place." Mrs. Thelma said with a solemn expression as she walked back to her office.

'Sorry for your loss, huh?' I thought to myself then mind repeated that phrase over and over.

I remembered something very dark and something very unpleasant. The scars on my arm and eyebrow throbbed as each scene started to play in my head. However, I shook my head and took a few deep breathes to calm myself. I contemplated for a short while before I went back to her office and handed her a piece of paper facing down. She gave me a confused look and just before she flipped it over, I went outside.

After exactly 30 minutes, Rin and Lois came back.

"Thank you for waiting for me sir. I'll check the crew if they have packed your items in the truck." Rin said before I stopped her.

"What did you bring here?" I asked her since the items she brought were already packed inside the boxes but a plastic bag was hanging on the handle.

"Oh, I've brought a stack of notebooks, a few rims of paper, and other miscellaneous office supplies. They are in these two boxes but the other three includes clothes, hygiene products, a cleaning kit for my glasses, some food that I like, and this heavy blanket." Rin replied.

"Heavy blanket?" I asked curiously.

"I remember seeing this online and it said it could help with sleeping." Rin said shyly.

"Oh? Can you grab me one of those then?" I asked her then she went back for another one.

"Anything else you want bro?" Lois asked me and when I looked at his cart, it was filled with different CDs, snacks, games, posters, action figures, manga, comic books, and random magazines.

"Umm, grab a few more utility supplies like batteries, duct tape, WD-40, plastic tarps, paint, matches, and etc." I replied.

Lois went for another round in the aisles while I waited for everything to be prepared. After a while, she came back with another heavy blanket and said that everything was ready. I grabbed the supplies from the car and placed it on the truck along with Rin's items. I then asked Lois to ride the truck, so the drivers would know where to go specifically and I asked Rin to tell me where she was staying so I could drive her to pick up her things.

We rode for roughly 10 minutes before we reached the destination. I stopped the car and locked it and we started to walk in a tight alley. A few turns along the way and what welcomed us was a very small apartment. Inside the apartment was a small room that has four beds in it. The room didn't provide much air and it was kinda hot because it was enclosed.

I discovered that she didn't have a room for herself and she was just renting one of the beds. She took her big duffel bag from under it which appeared to contain all of her belongings. She informed the landlord that she was moving out and she knows that she wouldn't get her deposit back. After that, she raised her hand towards me, motioning me to reimburse her now. I was slightly surprised but I understood her situation judging from her living condition.

"Well, how much is it?" I asked.

"It's Php. 4,500 (roughly $90), sir." Rin replied.

"Here, keep the change. Consider it as a welcome gift." I gave her five Php. 1,000 bills.

Rin gave me a nod, seemingly confirming that I was telling the truth. After that, she placed it inside her wallet after rearranging the bills properly. She made sure they were all facing the same way and there weren't any creases on the corners. We both breathed a sigh of relief and satisfaction because that was what I would do myself.

We walked down and drove the car back, passing some more ambulances and police cars.

'Still no military action? This is going to be ugly if they don't do anything earlier.' I thought to myself.

"What's happening outside? Did an accident happen?" Rin asked.

It just hit me that she had no access to the news while she was working. I handed her my phone and showed her the news. I even showed her old files that I was planning to show the group later. I wanted to see her genuine reaction so I pointed to a few more files to link what was happening currently.

Rin's eyes never left the screen and she said, "H-Hold on, is this real?"

"What do you think?" I replied.