Journal:Antonia Reyes

Day Journal

September 10^th (Day 1)

After engaging but failing to kill several zombies at my entry point in Pescodside I have followed my anti-tracking standard operating procedure to exfil to a safer suburb, and have been travelling through Rolt Heights today.

On searching several PD depts on the way I have acquired a one-way radio (which I found unable to tune), as well as a second sidearm and a loaded shotgun. Due to my own stupidty I let my guard down while searching Ayliffe Street Police Dept and sustained a minor injury when a zed attempted to grab hold of me there.

I saw the zeds kill a survivor, but there was nothing I could do to help him. I dumped his body outside later and moved on to find somewhere safer. I had no choice.--Toni Reyes 23:47, 10 September 2006 (BST)

September 11^th (Day 2)

I have now survived over 24 hours in the City of Maltern.

I reached (classified) Police Dept in Pashenton in the early hours of the morning, which I discovered well barricade and guarded by an Army private and a Maltern PD deputy. Neither were particularly talkative, looking like people who had been here to long and seen too much.

My plans are to rest up today and to later make a thorough search of my current location for more ammunition, of which I have already yielded two fresh clips. Despite the strong barricades here I fear the zeds will eventually break through. God willing, if they do come today I will have the strength to kill many.--Toni Reyes 11:56, 11 September 2006 (BST)

A ZOMBIE HAS BROKEN INTO THE BUILDING!

I was so exhausted that I fell asleep and didn't hear the undead thing smash through our barricades. I have emptied a whole clip into the creature scoring several direct hits, but it still keeps coming. I can't see the others, they must be hiding or thoroughly exhausted, but they will surely come to the defence of the PD building soon.

Won't they?--Toni Reyes 16:20, 11 September 2006 (BST)

The battle continues. A second zed has entered the building and killed one of the other three survivors. Things are beginning to look hopeless...--Toni Reyes 17:35, 11 September 2006 (BST)

September 12^th (Day 3)

These last 72 hours have been the worse in my life.

Twice what I thought were safe locations have been overrun by the zeds. There was a bloodbath in the PD safehouse yesterday evening. I know at least two more that died there, putting up brave fights that bought the rest of us time to escape.

There was nothing but to run through the streets dodging zeds. Luckily I found a heavily barricaded old scrapyard before sun-down. During the night it filled with people, many experienced zed hunters, enoguh so you might have felt you were safe, but I soon learned that was pure illusion. By mid-morning today the zeds were breaking in again. I was badly gashed and bitten by one during the battle. I came out fighting at least, emptying rounds into anything that moved and groaned.

I came across a discarded medkit in a nearby charch and was able to clean the wound where the zombie bit me and hopefully stop the infection. The bleeding has stopped too, thanks to some gauze and an Isreali dressing, but I'm concerned about my blood loss. I feel so weak and tired I may need to rest up a whole day before moving on, and going by prior experience you can't stay long anywhere in Malton before the zeds find you.--Toni Reyes 14:31, 12 September 2006 (BST)

September 16^th (Day 7)

I woke up on the street today. I don't know how I got there, but my uniform was dirty and torn, I have scars all over my body, I stink to high heaven and I feel like I hadn't eaten in a month. I was helped by some survivors to a stronghold, and I realise now I must have died, risen as a zombie, and been revived.

What can you say to that? I was dead, and now I'm alive. What a mind fuck, huh?

I'll rest up today. I'm too weak anyway, and this time there are dozens of us here. While I was eating an MRE the radio crackled and I recieved my first transmission from the U.S.S. Omaha since we dropped on this hellhole. They were broadcasting assembly orders for the company and the coords for the rally point (location classified). As soon as I'm fed, watered and rested I will move out again to link up with my fireteam.

Can you frickin believe that? I was dead for like four days.--Toni Reyes 16:30, 16 September 2006 (BST)

September 17^th(Day 8)

I woke up feeling barely human, but at least able enough to conduct a brief reconnoiter of the surrounding blocks.

I had to unload the shotgun on a zed that got too close, but only scored 1 hit from both barrels. Those freaks move fast, that's for sure.

I did succeed in scrounging a second shotgun (but empty, alas), a flare gun which I will save for close encounters, and a flak jacket. Not bad work for a reheated survivor even if I say so myself. I'll hole up today and move to the rally point when it's dark.--Toni Reyes 11:48, 17 September 2006 (BST)

September 18^th (Day 9)

I have linked up with First Fire Team's leader at a secure safehouse inside Omega Company's new area of operations.

To say that I am relieved to see another Colonial Marine after this long week would be an understatement. There wasn't time, though, for cocktails and celebrations. The defence of the new Command Post has been our first priority. Following standing operating procedure we spent the night assembling makeshift barriers, marking out fire lanes and designating escape routes if our position is overrun.

A fleeting transmission was overheard during the night that more Marines are converging on our pos, but when they will arrive is anyone's guess. Until then, we will hold this ground.--Toni Reyes 09:46, 18 September 2006 (BST)

September 19^th(Day 10)

Today we are going to reconnoitre the area around the Command Post for candidate locations to site a company aid station and satellite outposts. It is advanced preparation for when the rest of the company arrives, but also, I suspect, something to keep us both occupied and focused opposed to spending another day cooped up in the Command Post hiding from zeds.

PFC Lockwood has informed me he will scout for generators and fuel cans to make radio transmitters and hospital ORs operational, and I will conduct general recon to gauge the state of zed activity. I did manage to scavenge enough ammo for full reloads of my Combat Magnums and sawed-off shotguns, of which I have two of each. I will report back my findings as soon as I return from the mission.--Toni Reyes 13:53, 19 September 2006 (BST)

Have arrived back safe and well after conducting recon. Identified running lanes to be used as Main Supply Route and Alternate Supply Routes for the CP. Found small groups of zeds penetrating a few blocks south into our area of operations, two mobs of 3 individuals each and a zed on its own. Searched nearby buildings but turned up very little of anything useful. On my way back I attacked the lone zed as a target of opportunity and capped it with a full pistol clip and a shotgun blast. A good days hunting all and all.--Toni Reyes 18:09, 19 September 2006 (BST)

September 21^st (Day 12)

I'm using the first free moment I have had in two days to write this. After I returned from recon the break ins begun. The zed's are primarily targetting resource locations, but while making a patrol sweep to the north of the CP I came across a mob of 5 zeds in an abandoned nightclub and was bitten. I was able just about to contain my panick, broke contact and took an alternate escape route to in case I was pursued. I was not and made it safely back to the CP where my wound was tended by a civvie medic. With antivirals they believe I will not take another 'trip' into zombieland, as PFC Lockwood grimly joked.

Last night I managed to build up enough strength to make a limited recon around the CP, though I was mainly in search of fresh ammo for my weapons of which I found very little. I came across the chilling site of PFC Martinez and Private Milne both dead on the streets! I hurried back to report this with the hope they may both be revived and patched up, but I was informed by the fireteam leader no revives can be attempted for another 24 hours. Until then, the bodies will be left on the street, lest we recover them only for them to turn into zeds.

On a happier note, more Marines have arrived in the area of operations. At least three Marines from Omega Company are reported to be resting at various OPs near our command post, I even shook hands with Private Denora last night at the CP. Our numbers, and our strength, is growing.--Toni Reyes 10:13, 21 September 2006 (BST)

September 22^nd (Day 13)

This morning I attended with PFC Lockwood and Pvt Stone a meeting between Omega Company and two other of the civvie resistant groups operating in our A/O. We've known for the last 24 hrs a zombie horde, the Big Bash, is coming our way. The civvies have done an outstanding job at evacuating the neighbouring suburb, but there was dissagreement amongst them over what to do next. Stand and fight, or hide until the zeds have left?

The meeting was at times loud and contentious. Both I and fireteam leader Lockwood were insistent that we should stand, and only fall back if the zed's break through. The civvies were split, some supporting and others preferring to find some bolt hole to hide in. I could see it etched on the faces of those who had been here the longest, that they were not willing to see everything they had seen being torn down by the zeds. We outlined our defensive plan and under which circumstances we would fall back. Our argument finally carried the day: that and the presence of of the three heavily armed Marines who had been watching the whole exchange.

Lockwood and Stone are to now move to a forward operating base at the zed front line, leaving me in temporary command of the rest of the company. I have posted a watch for the last few stragglers arriving at the rally point, and ordered every other able Marine to concentrate on finding more ammunition. This is what God created Marines for - to fight. Everyone here is eager to get some quality trigger time and doll out some serious payback to the zeds. OH-RAH!--Toni Reyes 13:49, 22 September 2006 (BST)

September 24^th (Day 15)

Due to idiotic overbarricaing by some asshole who clearly flunked remedial English Dr. Reznick was unable to return to the aid station after doing his sweep to DNA scan zeds and locate extra medical supplied. There are dozens of bodies piled everywhere, and no telling how many were died fighting or died outside unable to find shelter...

I directed him to a nearby PD bldg that still has street acccess where he has established a new aid station for the forseable future.

Yesterday I scouted the lines on the border of the borough neighbouring our AO, narrowly avoiding contact with roaming zeds. Today it seems the line has held and the zeds pushed back. After helping Dr. Reznick to the PD I stocked with the last of the ammo there, and after I've rested I will move up to the FOB established by PFC Lockwood and join the line.

More Marines have also arrived, some having fought their way here with several Z-kills already under their belt, others cherries with no combat experience whatsoever! This is situation I hope to see remedied over the coming hours and days.--Toni Reyes 17:40, 24 September 2006 (BST)

September 26^th (Day 17)

I am recovering at the CP from another 'trip', having briefly remaining at the aid station before moving on, where Dr. Reznick fussed over me as he replenished my electrolytes and such after my ordeal on the streets.

The previous night I conduct a patrol on the line when I made contact with a small mob, killing one zed and badly injuring two others. Before I was able to break contact onother zed managed to gash my thigh, slowing me down as the rest of the mob pursued me several blocks.

I felt I was safe as I reached St Christopher's Church, but I was sorely mistaken as I entered the building in a weakened state. Five zeds were inside and I was immediately set upon and killed there. If not for Pvt Stone's efforts of tracking down my body via our implanted Personal Data Transmitters I fear I would have been left for dead. Outside every building here in Shearbank are piles of bodies, as many as 50 or 60, that have been left to rot. How many of them are survivors?

At the CP I have learned that our promised reinforcements of Second Fireteam have still not survived. PFC Lockwood has not said it, but we all think the same thing - the other Marines are dead. Radiation limits the range of our PDTs, as it does our shortwave comm gear, making the task of finding Marines in other suburbs next to impossible. Our need for reinforcements grows ever more pressing as the zeds rove deeper into Shearbank. Our patrols have had contact with small mobs and fought off incursions along the line, but these are likely on the vanguard of the larger Big Bash zed horde.--Toni Reyes 21:54, 26 September 2006 (BST)

October 4^th (Day 25)

I have been negelecting updating my journal this last week. I died again. That's something you can never get used to saying or seeing written down in black and white.

I died. Again.

If not for my fellow Marines I would have remained just that, a rotting corpse heaped on the sidewalk and forgotten about, but here I am writing in this journal, living to tell the tale.

That said, I really have few excuses not to have been updating this record. In some ways life in Malton has settled into a routine. We alternate between scouting for zeds and setting up deliberate ambushes, falling back to safe houses at night and raiding tactical resource points on alternate days. We rotate our manpower in and out of the 'Thin Dead Line' as fireteam leader Lockwood likes to call it, so we can maintain our pressure on the zeds. So far its working, but we now have a new problem: saboteurs.

More than once we have come against renegade survivors, vigilantes, who seem determined to undermine all our efforts. TYesterday, both Private Stone and Doctor Reznick were both reported killed in a safehouse by one of these fifth columnists. Reports were circulated over the radio net and other members of First Fireteam terminated the man responsible. But Stone and Reznick still remain unaccounted for.

Maybe I spoke too soon about routine. Nothing is really routine, or one would expect, here in Malton.--Toni Reyes 00:43, 4 October 2006 (BST)

October 5^th (Day 26)

The last few days have been punctuated by sporadic skirmishes with small groups of zeds, perhaps three or four at most.

This afternoon Private Reaves arrived at the CP with a report of having sighted a mod attacking the Gabe building in the north-east zone of our A/O. The others were resting after thier patrols last night so I took a recon to confirm the intel, and indeed saw seven of the rotters attacking the 'cades at the Gabe building.

Seeking to help the defenders I fired into the mob hoping to distract them, a ruse that proved just a little too successful when they turned around and rushed me. One grabbed me by the ankle, bruising it badly, and I only shook it by firing point blank into its skulls. It let go, but I don't know if I "killed" it.

Luckily, my limp proved faster than their foot-dragging lurch and I was able to make my escape. After stopping under cover to bandage and strap my ankle, I was confortable enough to cross the A/O to visit the mall for restocking. We have orders to only loot the drug and gun shops, but after I had replaced what I used to treat my ankle I couldn't help looking inside the electroic store. To my utter surprise I found a GPS unit literally just waiting for me among some rubble. How useful it will be I'm not sure, but like the cellphone I found a couple of days ago I'm sure I'll eventually be able to put it to some purpose.--Toni Reyes 14:09, 5 October 2006 (BST)

October 7^th (Day 28)

After a few days of relative lull in zed actiivty a spike in break-ins possibly heralds the arrival of the vanguard of the Big Bash in our A/O. Our perimeter has twice been penetrated in the last 24 hrs, and I was called both times, dropping a zed in a nearby nightclub we use as an entry point, and again this morning to rescue Dr. Reznick who had been attacked and bitten by the offending rotter. I was only able to slow it down, long enough to pull the good doctor to safety. Doctor's certainly make poor patients as he had no end of complaints on how I treated his wound, but his heartfelt thanks as I was about to leave to resume my patrol easily compensated for it all.

Zed numbers remain at relatively small mobs - thirteen has been the largest observed group. Their main targets have been a hospital in the north and a NecroTech building in the north-east. Local resistance have cleared the hospital, but the NT bldg remains in danger and has been besieged for the last three nights. Orders came down the line last night to prepare for an assault within the next 48 hours. Excitement here is building among the other Devil Dogs here that we're about to take the battle to the rotters.--Toni Reyes 15:28, 7 October 2006 (BST)

October 14^th (Day 35)

The tempo of operations in Shearbank continues to fluctuate. I've neglected the journal again, but I am least happy to report that none of these absences are due to any "trips". The order of the day has been general patrol and hit and run. Most Z activity in in the northern sector of the AO had ceased around Oct 8 and the focus of operations moved to the Gabe and Plowright NectroTech buildings in neighbouring Huntley Heights (HH). An assault on Oct 10 failed due to poor combat effectiveness (two key Marines were killed and needed revivification prior to the start time of the op). Nonetheless, raids into HH have slowly worn down the Z numbers there and I have claimed 5 kills in as many days. We have also successfully defended our perimeter from Z breakins during the week, in which I can claim an addition 2 kills.

In recognition for performance and the gaps in our chain of command I recieved a meritorious promotion to Private First Class yesterday. This confirms my status as Assistant Leader for First Fireteam. The citiation read:

Armed Forces of the United States To all who shall see these presents, greetings: Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of Antonia Reyes I do appoint this Marine a Private First Class In the United States Colonial Marine Corps to rank as such from the 12th day of October, 2006. This appointee will, therefore, carefully and diligently discharge the duties of the grade to which appointed, by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto pertaining. And I do strictly charge and require all personnel of lesser grade, to render obedience to appropriate orders. And this appointee is to observe and follow such orders and directions as may be given from time to time by superiors acting to the rules and articles governing the discipline of the Armed Forces of the United States. Given under my hand at Malton City, this 12th day of October, 2006.

Around the 12th a new problem materialised in the form of someone claiming to be a Federal investigator. He was demanding answers about the justifications for use of lethal force in protecting our revive point last month, and whether the unit was using clones! The claims are clearly outrageous but this individual has been very persistence. We have transmitted a complaint via our orbital communicator back to the U. S. S. Omaha and are waiting on a response from higher authorities. Our instructions so far have been to taken no action provided this individual does nothing to impact operations. We continue to watch him closely.--Sgt Toni Reyes ^OMEGA 16:26, 14 October 2006 (BST)

October 25^th (Day 46)

One by one the zombies of what is grimly called Mall Tour '06 are taking down each of the city's malls, cutting off the most important source of supplies for all survivors. There's been reports of two malls being hit and overrun in the last fortnight. Large Z mobs are on the loose in central Malton, and where they will hit next is the scuttlebutt that fills the airwaves and is muttered whenever survivors are gathered into groups of more than one. But all this talk is achieving is to blind survivors to their immediate problems. Everyone in Shearbank is already in the jackpot. Z's are flooding from Roachtown and Brooke Hills putting pressure on the west and the south. Whether this is overspill from the Big Bash who have rampaged through central Malton is unclear and frankly irrelevant at this point. Our new staff NCO, Sergeant Stone arrived last week and redeployed us into Huntley Heights where Z numbers are rising too. So far we've only just held them back, otherwise Shearbank would be under attack from east as well.

Every time I return to the mall in Shearbank for resupply I see the chaos that is beginning to engulf the surburb, even before it comes under a mass Z attack. Some fear what is to come, others don't seem to give a shit, a few even actively try to sabotage everything the rest of us are trying to do to hold off the hordes. A case in point was some Washington big shot who breezed in a fortnight ago waving a badge shouting he was doing some top secret investigation, then broadcasting anything he learned over the airwaves. What the fuck is that about? A supposed Federal investigator arguing Freedom of Information crap and the public's need to know? Giving away tactical plans and maps to safehouses?

That's the kind of crazy shit that's going on around here. I've even seen anti-Marine propaganda being sprayed around the 'burb. Everyone here, it seems, is looking after number one and everyone else can take a running jump. A few of the survivors band together for a common cause, but many just cower in buildings, or shout blue murder but do fuck all like this Envoy does, or grief their fellow humans by destroying genny's and transmitters. The optimal defence plan isn't worth the paper its drawn on if survivors don't cooperate to maintain the 'cades. Each time a building falls the Z mobs getting larger and bolder. But who gives a shit anymore?--Sgt Toni Reyes ^OMEGA 10:59, 25 October 2006 (BST)

October 31^th (Day 51)

We have twice been pushed back from our forward operating base in Huntley Heights, but we have been able to sustain operations with the assistance of the brave survivor groups also here. Word has filtered from across the Thin Dead Line that the defenders in Shearbank have so far been able to hold their own against the Z hordes. This news both relieves us, as well as frees Omega Company to concentrate fully on our delaying action here in HH to pin down as many Z's as possible. UPDATE. In the last 20 minutes a freezing fog has descended upon the city that has considerably reduced visibility. This clearly negatively impacts our ability to scout and gather timely intel on Z numbers and movements. I presume this development will advantage the Z's who will now be able to move large numbers without detection, and will still be able to spot targets by the lights they will still be able to see in through the fog. We are bracing for this to be a very bad week indeed.--Sgt Toni Reyes ^OMEGA 10:33, 31 October 2006 (UTC)