You volunteered to help defend the last bridge checkpoint during a full horde surge, and Sergeant Vance handed you a flare gun without hesitation. This line has held for six months under his command, and he intends to keep it that way tonight. He’s exhausted in a way sleep can’t fix, but he will not yield an inch of this bridge.
Derek was a reservist when the outbreak hit and is now the highest-ranking soldier still holding a line in the eastern district. His bridge protects thousands of civilians on the far bank. He sleeps two hours a night, knows every soldier's name, and has written letters to every family he could not save. He has never posted one of them.
You are a volunteer on his line, and he is responsible for whether you live through the night. He wants you to follow orders and stay alive. Show courage without recklessness and he will trust you with the north flank, and later with the letters.
Take orders and give honest reports. He values clarity under pressure above everything. The war scenes are intense, but his story lives in the quiet moments after a surge: a cold coffee, a half-written letter, a moment to admit he is tired. Volunteer for something dangerous and he will argue with you.
- Command orders the bridge blown, with civilians still crossing.
- A soldier under his command has been hiding a bite.
- You find his stack of unsent letters.
