Multi-Dimensional Merchant System

Campus life was just as Oliver remembered it. Of course, it had been less than a month since he was a student himself, but sometimes it felt a lot longer.

Talking to Mark about shifting Sophia's role was surprisingly easy. Oliver was amused at the glare the man directed at him when the duo walked in, and nearly laughed aloud when he instantly mellowed at the introduction of Sophia's 'cousin'. It was obvious that he had a thing for her, though she seemed completely unaware of it.

Not that it was any of Oliver's business. He had no desire to get caught up in any drama, especially when he had a job to do.

On the other hand, being introduced to everyone Sophia knew was much more challenging. Clearly she was a bit of a social butterfly, flitting from group to group to chat with everyone. Oliver, while not much of an extrovert, faked it well enough that meeting them wasn't really the challenge.

Getting a proper read on them was.

After years on a college campus himself, Oliver had gotten a decent grasp on how to read people. Interpreting their expressions, listening to the subtext of what they say, and inferring what they don't say... He wasn't a psychologist or expert on behavioral science, but reading college kids? He could manage that, for the most part.

And anyone he couldn't read would be put on his own version of a watch list, just to be safe.

Focused as he was on the people, the hour long meeting practically flew by. Aside from the expected drama that comes with any group of people, Oliver hadn't picked up on any trouble spots by the time they left.

Seeing Sophia rapidly typing away on her phone, barely aware of her surroundings, he kept his eyes moving and waved his hand for her attention. “We need to work on your awareness.”

“What?”

Seeing her confused frown out of the corner of his eyes, he figured this was a good time to work on her mentality- though carefully. He didn't want to make her paranoid. “How many guys have walked past us since we left the club meeting?”

Slowly she looked around and behind herself with a bewildered look. “Umm... I don't know? Five maybe?”

Oliver chuckled softly as he shook his head. “Twelve.”

Seeing her look turn from confusion to worry, he was quick to reassure her. “It isn't really an issue right now. Most of them were paying about as much attention as you. But developing peripheral awareness will help you avoid trouble, and a lot more besides. It's just about training yourself to pull back from what you're doing, not getting so engrossed in one thing that you miss others.”

“Just something for you to think about and work on now, in case you need it in the future. Trust me, it's not a lesson to learn the hard way.”

Putting away her phone, Sophia gave an understanding nod. His wry grin told her there was a story to his lesson. “I'm guessing you learned it the hard way?”

“You could say that. Taking a solid sucker punch will end a fight before it even starts, especially if you've been drinking. Trust me on that.”

Waving off his own past mistakes, he quickly changed the subject. “So what had you typing away in a frenzy? Anything I need to prepare for?”

Her whole demeanor brightened at the question, though Oliver noticed her eyes kept moving as she obviously worked on staying aware of her surroundings. “Nothing like that. My girlfriends were just letting me know they were waiting for me at the dining hall. We try to grab dinner together. They're pretty awesome; I'm sure you will like them!”

When it came to Sophia's friends, Oliver didn't really care. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with them, but the difference in perspective was jarring to him. Rich kids from rich parents, their biggest concerns all seemed to revolve around who was popular and what parties were coming up. They were naive and sheltered, though he didn't really blame them for it. It wasn't their fault he had a rougher lot in life.

He didn't dislike them; They were all friendly and welcoming. He just didn't see the point in getting too attached to what would only be casual acquaintances, even if they were decent people. It was just too unlikely he would see any of them once the two weeks were over.

Thankfully, none of them seemed to have a hidden agenda, at least as far as he could tell. So he smiled, and played his part.

Most of the week passed without any issues. Walking to class, grabbing lunch, more classes, dinner with Sophia's friends... The mundane week of a college kid that Oliver found so familiar he had to fight off the complacency that threatened to set in. But even with the ease with which the week had passed, Oliver felt his tension ratcheting up to this moment.

The first Humans vs. Zombies scenario that Sophia would be overseeing personally.

With it being a night time scenario starting at 8pm, he had already weighed the pros and cons. The normal crushing crowd of students would be substantially thinned, making it easier to spot anyone trying to approach his charge. On the other hand, that meant she would be more exposed without the cover of a crowd- and fewer witnesses if something did happen. Add in the chaos of a bunch of running around their mock apocalypse, and he knew he needed to be on his toes.

While Sophia was running through the last few bits of prep in the meeting room, Oliver made sure he settled the Bluetooth headset in his ear securely and tucked his phone in his jacket pocket. Standing behind the woman, he spoke low so her fellow organizers wouldn't hear. “Are the cars in place like I requested H?”

Henley's gravely voice came across with all the confidence the experienced man carried. “In place and ready. Rev is in place for the Union building and the dining hall. He can reach either in ten seconds when you give the word. Irish has the music building. Teams 1 and 2 are ready to roll. It's a decent plan, kid. You sure this is your first job?”

Oliver suppressed a chuckle at the hint of respect from the grizzled veteran. “Unless you want to count video games, yeah. But planning and preparing is easy. Any last second advice?”

“Stay focused, keep this line open the entire time, and if things go down don't hesitate to call it. We've got your back.”

The plan was simple, all things considered. Sophia and a handful of her fellow club members would be running a scenario involving the human 'survivors' escorting a 'scientist' from the Student Union building to the biology building halfway across campus and back, 'recovering' some samples that only he could identify. Sophia's part, thankfully, kept her stationed at the rotunda near the Union building with her 'cousin' assisting her.

From there, Oliver's plans spiraled with contingencies.

If an attack on his charge actually took place, he had three evacuation plans laid out. The quickest and most direct route was through the Union building itself, which stood only a couple dozen feet from the rotunda. Once on the other side of it, they would be picked up by a member of Henley's security teams, Michael Sams- better known by his call-sign 'Revolution', or Rev for short. Oliver's main concern was that, as the quickest escape option, it was the most obvious and the most likely to be covered by a smart attacker.

But that is what alternative routes were for.

With Oliver's backup plans, Rev was playing double duty on their pickups to cover the dining hall as well. With their parking lots being connected and adjacent, he could reach either building quickly. Neither Oliver nor Henley were very fond of this route, as it required covering more open ground. Combined with the large glass windows taking up the entire front of the building, they would be exposed for far longer until they could reach the kitchens and make their way towards the back doors where their ride would be waiting.

The path through the music building was only moderately better. While trees and shrubberies would help them break line of sight, the distance to the building was more than three times that of the dining hall. As an older building, it was more solidly constructed and lacked the massive windows of its more modern counterparts. Once inside, there were several alternative paths the pair could take to the loading bay in the back where, hopefully, their ride would be waiting. Though Oliver was a bit leery of riding with Jacky Sanders -Irish-, as she was only politely described as the craziest driver Henley had.

A damn good driver, but still Oliver thought it best to be wary. People like Henley don't use the word crazy lightly.

And, if things went completely sideways, Oliver had drawn up multiple 'desperation' routes through the campus itself. The reason he called them desperation routes... They took the duo deeper into campus and further away from car access until they passed through almost the entire campus, effectively cutting them off from all the vehicles and a quick escape.

It was a solid, if somewhat paranoid, plan.

“Man plans and God laughs.”

“What was that Olaf?”

Oliver smiled at his cover name, glad that he would only be using it temporarily. Seeing that Sophia was done with the final prep work and ready to go, he gave her a small shake of his head. “Just reminding myself of a few things. Let's go kick things off.”

The scenario started off simply enough. Oliver was amused to see Mark playing the scientist, but found it fitting since the man was a Biology major anyway. The Human side sent out small teams to scout and work on clearing the way, and Oliver wished he had had the time and people to seed a few scouts of his own into the group just to keep an eye out. After ten minutes, the remaining cluster of people set off with the 'scientist' surrounded by his protectors. The rotunda quickly emptied aside from a couple of the organizers and the few students passing by on their own business.

“Why are you walking in circles around me?”

Sophia's questioned snapped his attention to her for a brief moment and he smiled. “Just waiting for you to finish doing your thing and talk to me.”

Pausing in front of her and scanning the buildings again, he dropped his voice to a whisper. “And if I look like I'm bored and pacing, I can watch all the approaches. Really wishing I had someone to watch our backs right about now.”

Despite the hint of worry in her eyes, Sophia nodded firmly and responded just as softly. “I'll try to help keep an eye out, just in case.”

Oliver resumed his pacing, only to stop again when he glanced into the Union building as something struck him as off, and it took him a moment to understand what was bothering him.

A group of guys walking through the Union Building in their general direction, talking and joking round... They looked like any of the dozens of similar groups he had seen throughout the week. Oliver almost thought it was their constant glances at Sophia that set him on edge, but dismissed it. As an attractive woman, most of the groups they had passed before had done similarly. Then it clicked for him.

While some college guys carried themselves confidently or with a cocky swagger, this group felt different. They had an edge to them that reminded him of Henley's people.

They felt like professionals.

Oliver glanced at the dining hall and immediately cursed aloud when he spotted a second group hanging out in front of it. Beneath their casual appearance, he got the same feeling from them as the first group... And their frequent looks in Sophia's direction settled it in his mind.

With the feeling of things about to go to hell weighing on him, Oliver's voice was tense as he sidled up to Sophia. “Tell Irish to start it up.”

Almost immediately, the sound of gunfire could be heard coming from behind the Music Department. Grabbing Sophia's arm, he pulled her into a sprint heading deeper into the campus.