Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

As soon as I said that, each of them looked confused for a short bit but it didn't take long before JP, Brian, Cindy, and Brownie almost fought to get to be the first in line but Megan, Lucas, Isaac, and Tennyson followed right after.

The rest in the middle zone were clumping because no one wanted to be last—or even close to it—but that was pretty much an accurate representation of their confidence levels and how they were viewing each other and themselves.

Their personalities also had something to do with it whether they didn't want to lose to anybody or if they had some other type of goal to achieve besides the "training" I'd put them through.

In any case, it didn't even take them that long to form a "line" but I purposefully started being all over the place as I made them form another ranking right off that bat—but not to what correlates to this setting… at least not at first.

"Alright, that's cool. Rank yourselves as to who you'd think can eat the most meals."

"Hahh?!"

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"This is all important, alright? Form up, form up!"

"There! Now what?!" Brownie exclaimed.

"Great! Hooper is the biggest one here so— Now form ranks as to who keeps the tidiest room?"

"WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TRAINING— Hey, I'm not dead last! I'm not a slob!"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled as I watched almost every dude in last place while almost all of the girls in front, "So, it's Eden, huh? Great! Now who sleeps the most!"

"Who drinks water the most!"

"Who can tolerate more alcohol!"

"Who watches the most porn— HEY! YOU FUCKS BETTER NOT LIE— KALEY'S HERE! SHE'LL FUCKING KNOW IF YOU'RE LYING! SHE'S PSYCHIC!"

"I'M NOT PSYCHIC!"

I waved her off as I rolled my eyes, "That's what you always say—"

"That's what YOU always say!"

"Anyway~ Ignore our psychic for the moment to focus on who'd easily—without question—help an elderly cross the road!"

"Carlo? Really? Sheesh, now who'd pocket money—or anything else valuable on the ground without reporting it to the police or trying to find its rightful owner?"

"Who's more likely to have sex with a random stranger without protection?"

"Who's the most dominant?"

"Submissive?"

"Who prefers chunky over creamy peanut butter?"

"Who has the most regular bowel movement?"

"Who could hold their breath the longest— No, no, no, you don't do that shit now, just guess and fall in line, that's the deal!"

"Who'd use melee weapons over guns?"

"Who'd run rather than hide?"

"Who'd solo a cluster of walkers rather easily?"

"Who'd call for backup first?"

"Who has something to say about our current leaders?"

"Who has something to say about their group's current leaders?"

"Who has something to say about their group members?"

"About themselves?"

"Who among you think you still had a lot more to prove?"

"To improve?"

"Who among you thinks you could do much better compared to the people already locked in their jobs?"

"Who could be in the more supporting role?"

"Who would love to try leading a pack?"

"Who's currently happy with their current situation?"

"Who among you needs some support—whatever it is?"

As I asked them more and more questions, it was totally random and as I said, all over the place—but it was giving me a better view of everyone else's situation and an idea of how to properly break in each one of them. Because yeah, it was very easy to break each of them physically but even if a tinge outside that factor came into play, it'd be something close to what I went through from the past.

But yeah, it didn't take long before my question went through the boundaries of forming a straight line and it more or less created a divide or a group of people with differing beliefs, ideas, etc.

Some things could be answered by a yes or a no and sometimes it could be by percentages or by staying neutral with the matter in question.

Funnily enough, to me at least, it became a way for each of them to know each other on a much deeper level because my questions started to pry into much darker shit like if they ever thought about offing themselves or taking something from someone through murder.

It quickly made this whole thing uncomfortable—even for the onlookers—but for the people who'd need this data like me, Rin, June, and Marisha, it was as valuable as gold.

In my head, a character sheet formed for each of them with all of their stats and whatnot while kind of the same thing appeared for the other three: Rin and June would work together with all of us to gather shit for the following challenges while Marisha would do her thing for after everything's over.

Tatiana, Oscar, and Johnny already figured out the things they wanted to do on their own day allocation but I once again faced everyone with a question:

"What's rule number 1?"

Isaac chuckled while James #1 smiled from ear to ear: "Cardio?"

I nodded vehemently, "Yeah~ Cardio."

Cindy rolled her eyes, "Is that it? We're just going for a run?"

I chuckled, "Something like that but here's how it goes: we all have these manual treadmills for us and we'll start pretty light— we'll just walk for a bit before we run as much as we could in 30 minutes. After that, we'll take the median score of distance traveled of everyone, and round it up a bit for a challenge, before we run the same way for an hour until there's only one of us standing.

No slackers though or this whole thing would've been pointless."

James #1 raised his hand, "What if we finish faster than an hour?"

"Then you could use that time to rest, eat, piss, whatever. But the moment the hour is up, we'll run again, and again, and again, and again~"

Ruben asked, "What happens to the ones that would drop out?"

"Good question, whatever the winner's distance traveled will be double your fucking assignment— and since we only have one winner, the losers will be fucked. Get me?"

"Ah, fuck—"

"By force or by will, you'd have to finish the assignment by midnight or whatever's left of it will add on to the set of exercises you'd have to accomplish in the future. But yeah, the ones who come out on top—or even finish the course—will be in for great, great rewards and I just hope it'll more than make up for the shit I'll put you guys through.

So, wanna ask more questions or do you wanna start this shit?"

Ruben just looked at me like the few others who weren't that confident from the first physical challenge before he chuckled:

"Fuck it, there should be some rule somewhere to my advantage along the line…"

James #1 chuckled, "I'm not sure if there are cumulative points but I'm gonna try to smoke all of you and try to hold off on my advantage as much as possible."

Cindy cut, "You wish."

Seb and Jeremy added, "We're here, too…/ Yeah, just sayin'..."

I rolled my eyes as I took off my shirt, "I'm here too, don't forget about me."

Lucas complained, "You're really joining?!"

"I said we multiple times, no? Who said I'm just watching? I have to show you fucks I can do the things I'm putting you through, no?"

Tatiana chuckled as she took the treadmill close to mine, "Fuck it, I guess I'm joining too, huh?"

I turned to Oscar and Johnny, "You old-timers joining or what?"

WANNA GET PELTED WITH A BEANBAG, YOU FUCK?!/ I HAVE BEAN LOADS FOR MY GRENADE LAUNCHER, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

I rolled my eyes as I moved over to my machine but it seemed I have forgotten about one crucial thing, "Fuck, I forgot my vest— You guys start, I'll follow."

Everyone on their treadmills asked, "Your vest?"

"Such a show-off…" Kaley rolled her eyes as she threw me over my weighted vest.

"They'll wear theirs soon, too—"

"Ours?/ What are you talking about?!/ We didn't see any vests here!/ What—"

"Then what's this over here?"

Much to their fucking shock, I put on my 10-pound vest as a start but what made them lose their heads was the rest of the vests waiting for them—and the 1-pound, 2-pound, and 5-pound increments—that they get to put on after the first hour.

In addition, even if some of them had already started their warm-ups and somehow expected this twist, I could clearly see how they—especially James #1—adjusted his pace because even a 5-pound increment would make things significantly harder.

It was because he was already jogging while everyone else was still walking, getting himself used to the machine he'd be using for several hours.

And to add a bit after each hour? Let's just say that things would get more and more brutal and they didn't even know how far everyone was willing to go.