"WARNING! WARNING! INFECTION HAS REACHED PAST CONTAINMENT LEVELS! UNLOCKING ALL DOORS TO PREPARE FOR MAXIMUM INCINERATION! WARNING! WARNING! MAXIMUM ALOTTED TIME FIVE MINUTES! PLEASE GET TO THE EMERGENCY ESCAPE PODS!"

When the warning sounded, I knew I had only one chance of escape. Nearby there are a set of ten escape pods, each one with a maximum carrying capacity of four people. I have to hurry! There's no time to fool around. I again resume running. Although my body hasn't recovered from the chase, it's a very short way to the escape pods. Down the hall, I reach a steel door. Originally it was locked but thanks to CAF it's unlocked. I push it open with such force it surprised me. Just twenty feet to escape! I will make it. My feet swift as I run to escape this nightmare. Nothing is going to stop me! Nothing! Well except that odd banging on the steel door behind me. I turn around and duck just as the steel door goes flying in my direction.

"Argh again? Come on! Enough already!" I say. Yet again the man appears. His face almost entirely clear of infection. Well I've got two choices: Fight or Flight. Flight sounds like a good option. I run to the escape pod and get in just as the man manages to slash through the door. I close the escape pod.

"I'm sorry," I say just as I send the order to jettison the pod. Immediately, the pod took off for the surface. As it did, I saw the facility get smaller and smaller. A couple minutes later, I am back on the surface. The pod opens to a beach. I step out, the sand quickly soaking into my shoes. As I look at the beach before me, a gentile breeze wisps across my face. It's quiet out here; nothing to bother me or put me in danger. I'm free! No more zombies, no more of that man...a sigh escapes me. I could've helped him. But it was either him or me! I had to escape. I had to make it. And he wasn't going to be in my way. But...still. A quiet guilt descends upon me. It's long cold fingers trapping me. I was gripped by it until the sudden appearance of a body. Wait? How could anything survive the self-destruct? I take a look at it. The body is of a man. His face has streaks of barnacles and black along with streaks of pale skin. This was the same guy from before! This virus must make him very resilient. Now's my chance to help him! I touch his face. Sparks erupt from his body but soon dissipate. When they dissipate, I see the man is actually a boy. Probably a teenager just like me. Suddenly I panic.

"Hey! Hey! Are you okay?" I yell.

"Hey!"

But there was no response. So I sit there. For a few minutes I sit there; contemplating what to do with him. It wasn't until I thought about getting up that he suddenly springs to life. His eyes dart open and his body springs up.

"What happened? Where am I?" he says. I just stare at him.

"Wait...you're...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. The virus controlled me. Please forgive me." His eyes plead with me. I don't want to leave him not forgiven. I mean, the virus controlled him after all. So I do the honors.

"It's okay. So what's your name?"

"Tristan" We shake hands as the sounds of sirens echo in the distance. Coming ever closer to our position.