User:Marty Chex

The Younger Years

Born in Camden, New Jersey at that crossroads of history known as 1979, Marty was from a young age a tough kid, chumming around with the hardheaded hoods that lived in his neighbourhood and generally living the delinquent life. Camden in the 80's, like much of the manufacturing base of America, was hard hit by Reaganomics and his father lost his job early on; thus, most of Marty's early life is characterized by living in a welfare home in Reagan's America. It can be considered a wonder then that Marty did not get swept up in the crack violence that hammered Camden hard during his teenaged years. This cycle of tribal (sorry, I mean GANG) violence claimed his father, who had turned to dealing base to support his family where the slashed welfare system could not. After the death of Chester "Curly" Chex in 1994, Marlene Chex cashed in all of her favours and moved her family, including young Marty, out of the inner city hell of Camden to the marginally better suburb of Crowbank in the metro area of Malton.

A Dream Of Fire

Moving to Malton was the best thing that ever happened to the Chex family. Mother Marlene got a job as a junior secretary to an up-and-coming real estate agency, which soon became a full assistants job and, later, an agency of her own. Marty found himself running with a different crowd once he moved there as well. His mother, knowing full well the reality of life in Crowbank, sent her eldest son instead to a school in nearby Vinetown, which was reputed to be one of the best in Malton. Instead of the usual gang of toughs, Marty found himself hanging out with the art-geeks, who accepted him without question or reservation. He gained a widely varied circle of friends, was turned onto Guided By Voices, and never looked back. His grades improved and he was no longer being suspended regularly for fighting or smoking on school grounds. This, quite naturally, made his mother quite happy. The school was near a fire station, and so Marty saw a lot of the comings and goings of the local fire fighters. One day, a heavy summer's day in July, he cut classes to follow them to a nearby fire, where he watched the fire department in action. He was enamored with the idea of going toe to toe with the most destructive force of nature, of standing firm in the face of greedy flames and coming out ahead. From then on, his goal was to be them.

The Road To Millett Walk

Marty graduated high school and began his training to be a firefighter, a long and winding road to a firm goal. Through those Gatsbian cliches of Hard Work and Self Sacrifice, he finally made it to be a member of the Malton Fire Department in 2002. His assignment was to the Millett Walk Fire Station in Spracklingbank, a fairly quiet suburb and one that he found an affordable and content life in. He had his career, his friends, and his busy drinking social life. Then, 2005...

2005--The Year In Tatters

(With apologies to Ben Caplan) When the end came it came down as swiftly as a fat kid in a tire swing. Marty was on duty when all hell broke loose. Wandering the streets of Spracklingbank looking for survivors, he was accosted in the south by a veritable horde. It was only due to the intercession of User:Sergeant Sam that he made it out of the south 'Bank at all. Sergeant Sam snapped him out of his undeath-induced shock and brought him back to the Chippett Grove Police Station. Her heroism in the face of blood and death reminded him of why he joined the MFD in the first place, and his stoic, old-world chivalry caught her heart. Before they could profess their love, however, the first Big Bash swept over Spracklingbank like a tide of rotting fish and they were driven apart. After the recession of the Bash, Marty made his way back to the Millett Walk Fire Station, where he found that User:AfroFireman was the only member of his detachment left standing. Together they rebuilt the fire station into a fortress against the remnants of the rotted horde still left standing in the 'Bank. Later, User:Elizabeth Bickell and User:untitlednine joined the cadre fortifying the station, and the tight-knit little family known as The Millett Walk Fire Department coalesced around them. Then, to Marty's delight, User:Sergeant Sam showed up out of the armies of the dead to return to his life, and to his arms. A little bit later, the mysterious User:ShuoTian appeared to join the group.

And So

Marty has his family and his mission-to drive the hordes from the 'Bank and turn it into a haven for survivors. It's going to be a long shot, especially after the Second Bash rolled through, but, like New New York's slogan goes, "You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do".

February 12^th

The reclamation of Spracklingbank has begun. Today the Millett Walk Fire Station has been reclaimed.

February 3

The first zombie volunteer offered up their unlife to further the study of ZOZV. The results were inconclusive, and more study is needed.

Feb 2nd

The Millett Walk Fire Station fell, and temporary zombification began. Thus, the Centre For The Study Of Zombie On Zombie Violence began!