[Rina/Sebastian/Closed] Desperation

[Throndir]

Rina Goodsworth

The chill wind made Rina clench her teeth. It was already so bitingly cold. But yet, the fact that they had made it all the way to the substation did a lot to improve Rina's mood. She was still very much worried about Ian, that much was true, but she knew that the man could take care of himself well. The Jameson staff were all marvelously skilled after all, and Ian was no exception. But it was the fact that they were here, the source of the problem, that they are now able to start looking into what may be wrong. This also means that they could potentially fix it as well. That gave her hope, as well as just a bit more of drive in what they were doing.

She honestly wasn't sure how she could help Sebastian, but even if it was just keeping a look out, or holding a light to let him see things, that would still help. She hesitantly felt the handgun which Ian had quickly given her - if anything, she had been taught how to handle a gun sometime before, and though she relatively was still new at it, she decided then that she'd do her best in trying.

"Lead the way Sebastian... y-you can count on me." Her words were spoken ever so softly, but there was a determination in her eyes that burned brightly.

[Linwelin]

Sebastian nodded, impressed by her determination. He stood up and carefully entered the area, which was enclosed by a chain-link fence. "Alright, let's get to vork." He said in a low voice. There was no telling if more undead were nearby, so he had to be careful. The hum of the electrical equipment should mask most of the noise, though, so it was more about seeing them first rather than causing noise. Sebastian's first target to check was the breaker boxes. If any of those were tripped, it would tell him where he needed to go. After quickly browsing the switches, Sebastian noted two that were off on the main panel. "Hmm...Transformer 1, and...Transformer 3 as vell. He was a little worried at this information. For two of the three main transformers to be causing trouble meant the problem may be serious. He couldn't keep the grim look off his face, but quickly shook himself of his worry. It doesn't matter vat the problem is, ve vill fix it. Ve must.

Sebastian motioned to Rina to follow as he made his way to the smaller transformer, transformer 3. He was grateful that there were still no signs of infected. Maybe the drone of the machinery kept them away? He didn't know. But either way, he was still grateful. The machine before him, however, was a conundrum. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, from what he could tell. Nothing sounded off balance, and no damage could be seen. It must have responded to a fault from the main transformer. "Nothing wrong here...zat means trouble at ze big one." He looks back to Rina. "Let us check it out. I just hope it's something ve can fix."

On the way to the main transformer, Sebastian began to see tracks left in the snow. Something had been here, most likely another survivor that wanted to fix the power, or someone who once was a survivor. "Zis does not bode vell..." Sebastian muttered. And upon turning the corner, his fears were confirmed in a rather graphic manner. He quickly kept Rina from turning the corner, turning back to her and grasping her shoulders to root her in place. "I'm sorry, Rina, but it's best zat you not come furzer. Just...please, vatever you do, do not look." He waited for her agreement, before slowly removing his hands and turning to head toward the transformer once more.

It was a gruesome sight, but whoever did it had Sebastian's praise. Six infected lay truly dead on the ground, shot through the head. But that wasn't the only sign of injury. A train of blood led toward the wall of the transformer where another body had seemingly tried to crawl to gain stability. From the posture of the corpse, he assumed they'd received a bite to the leg and, realizing they would soon be turned, wanted to kill themselves first. But...by electrocution? Vhy? That was all Sebastian could think. They seemed to have purposely grabbed a high-voltage part of the transformer, their limp and now charred body grounding it. However, their grasping hand had released the equipment after rigor mortis had set in, so there was no way they were causing the problem. Then vat...wait!

"Ze gun! Vhere is ze gun?" Sebastian realized that the weapon used to slay the zombies was missing. So zat is why he electrocuted himself...he was vithout means of killing himself ozervise. But he had no time to mourn the loss of a random stranger, there was a job to do. Sebastian began searching the transformer for any oddities, and this time he found one. It was the gun. "Of all ze luck..." That was all Sebastian could manage as he went speechless from the turn of events. The gun from the scene earlier was now stuck between two cable receiving portions of the transformer, essentially shorting them out. "Vell, at least its ammunition didn't explode, or else ze damage vould be irreparable...Oh! It must have run out of bullets. So zat's why he resorted to it. But how am I supposed to remove zis?" It was quite a dilemma. The gun was essentially the same as a live wire right now, so he couldn't touch it. And if he shut down the transformer there was no guarantee that he could turn it back on properly. Sebastian sighed, "Looks like I'll need to come back here vith a tool."

Sebastian walked back in a hurry to Rina, "Ve need to head to ze control building at ze back of ze station. I need an insulated tool."

[Throndir]

Rina Goodsworth

When they had started going to the main transformer, Rina only wanted to follow, and see if there was anything she could do to help. Sebastian had turned around however, as they got around to a corner. He placed his hands on her shoulder keeping her in place and asking her not to look any further.

Rina stared blankly, she knew what Sebastian had meant. Before all of this had happened Sebastian's eyes had always been gentle, they still were in that sense, but Rina couldn't help but see a weariness in them. If eyes could speak, his would have a tone of seriousness then, gentle yet firm in his command. The sights Sebastian had shielded her from had been numerous and countless, and Rina had always obeyed.

She stood still, closing her eyes as Sebastian left her then to examine the transformer. She thought of everything that has happened, from the first time they had encountered one of the walking dead, to the events that had transpired leading up to the here and now, alone with Sebastian in the middle of a deserted substation, with the infected potentially appearing from any direction. It was a sobering thought, and the thought of death hanging so close to them put the matter more into perspective.

There was some movement, as footsteps crushed into snow. Sebastian had come by again.

"Ve need to head to ze control building at ze back of ze station. I need an insulated tool." He had said.

"Sebastian..." She started. Instead of answering his question and comment, she looked up cautiously at him, and before he could respond had given her old friend a hug.

"... You can't always be protecting me, and this time I think I need to do this..." Rina said as she pulled away. Taking a hold of Sebastian's sleeve she began to take a step forward. She thought of all the times she had taken steps like these, small ones, cautious ones, as the dead bustled about.

She took another step, and this time she thought of all her friends and family again as she was prone to always doing. One more step took her just beside Sebastian, companions they were through pain and loss. Another step. She remembered the events that had transpired on the first rainy night. One more step. She thought of the joy and happiness she had in her previous life, it seemed so long ago, almost a fading memory. The full sight of whatever it was at the main transformer was just behind Sebastian, and a simple steady gaze. But she hesitated.

She had her eyes focused on the snow, unintentionally keeping them low as her own inward thoughts raced. But a moment later, she took another step, making her way almost behind Sebastian. Clearing her thoughts she focused on the here and now. Every small step gave her more courage, and every small step had placed closer and closer. It was a gradual change that had started to exert itself upon her since the first loss which culminated in her very desire to be out here with Sebastian; to have courage, to be brave, to be strong. For it wasn't just a single step that does it. In fact, it was many, many little steps.

And to Rina who had only ever done small steps, it was more than enough.

[Linwelin]

Sebastian turned in acknowledgement to see what it was Rina wanted to say, only to be surprised by a hug. Rina?

"... You can't always be protecting me, and this time I think I need to do this..."

...Ah. Was all he could think, following her slow movement around him toward the scene. He'd overlooked it, her desire to grow. Rina had always been the timid one, so much so others were constantly helping her and protecting her. Without even realizing it, the entire estate had labeled her as 'someone to be babied'. It was never the intention, of course, and no one had even recognized it. But their well-intended care had the adverse effect of suppressing Rina's growth as a person. But now, now she was fighting that label. That was finally apparent.

"You have been fighting more zan just ze infected for a long time now, haven't you?..." Sebastian muttered to himself in appreciation of her resolve. But this was not the time for a discussion like this. It was better saved for when the two of them were safe, and the transformer fixed. He walked up beside Rina once more, and waited until she had seen things as she had meant to, then ushered her along toward the control room, keeping an eye out for any danger. Luckily, no such danger appeared, which Sebastian considered an amazing stroke of luck. Eerily so.

The building itself was a plain, white-walled, black-roofed building that seemed to only be a single room. Snow had piled onto it, as well as around it, so it took a moment of digging to unblock the door. Once inside, dust-covered monitoring equipment, manuals, safety gear and office supplies were seen strewn across the room. The dust was so thick in the air that it was somewhat rough to breathe. But this was their only hope for removing the gun from the machinery, so it was a discomfort that was necessary to bear.

Covering his mouth, Sebastian spoke, "Zere must be somezing here that can help...anyzing zat can act as tongs. Large pliers, bolt cutters, even a wrench. In fact, a set of wrench pliers vould be perfect. He began searching the corners of the room, as well as the storage furniture along the walls. But still nothing. Turning, he addressed his searching partner. "Any luck, Rina?"

[Throndir]

Rina Goodsworth

The digging wasn't pleasant, but along with Sebastian, Rina helped plow along, moving the snow out of the way of the entrance to the building. Once they uncovered the door, and though they were inside, it was still just as cold. Sebastian went in first, searching the room, and likewise Rina followed suite, searching through the various shelves and storage containers that Sebastian didn't get a chance to look through.

"Any luck, Rina?" Sebastian had asked. Rina reached out and pulled what looked to be a pair of broken rubber gloves, with some holes in various places, the remains of an old plastic mop, and lastly a cord of rope about 15 ft. in length.

"... How about these?" She asked, unsure how the particular pieces of material could aid them. But slowly, an idea popped into her mind. "If we could somehow make a pole out of the mop and the rope, and hook it to the gun... That would work?" She asked Sebastian hopefully.

[Linwelin]

Sebastian's face lit up. "Yes, zat vill do ze job. Quickly, let's hurry so we can return to ze safehouse." Sebastian gathered the rope coil on his shoulder, and left Rina to carry the mop and gloves as they ran back out into the snow to the transformer. The butler was careful to not run into any of the infected, and there didn't seem to be any traces of new movement in the snow.

"Alright, let's get ze power back on." Since the gloves were not whole, he had to be careful where he grabbed the rope. Since the rope was damp, it could still possibly conduct electricity. He then carefully dropped one end of the rope down behind the gun, then picking that end up and repeating it multiple times. Then he tied the two ends of the rope to the end of the mop and set it down. He then removed the rubber gloves and bundled them around the mop to make a rubber handle. Fully prepared, and using both hands, the butler gripped the mop at one end and jerked the gun from where it was jammed, flinging it behind him into the snow.

Within a few seconds, the substation seemed to resume a more stable operation, but unfortunately one other side effect occurred. The station lights, at least a few of them, turned on. "Damn!" Sebastian cursed under his breath. "Rina, ve must move quickly, zis light is bound to attract ze infected!" Sebastian grabbed her by the wrist, dropping everything he held, and made a run back the way they came.

[Throndir]

Rina Goodsworth

But as they moved towards the exit, it was already apparent that the infected had arrived. The fence that served as the border between them and the outside world served as meager protection as the light form the now functioning substation shone brightly on both Rina and Sebastian. They were well within sights, and it didn't take long to register that the infected would soon come after them. The gated fence that served as the entrance and exit to the substation had a group of the dead standing beyond it.

Rina had started to scream, but quickly covered her mouth in silent terror. She had begun to start to look towards Sebastian. The butler was always one that the rest of the staff had begun to count on, even depend. Right after Jared, their head butler, Sebastian would have probably been the next person that the rest of the Jameson staff would have followed. But Rina grit her teeth instead, she fetched our the handgun that Ian had given her not so long ago. If it came to it, she'd use it.