A long time passed by in a flash. Veronika had no clue how long it had been because of her lack for a clock, but she at least knew a few days had passed.

  Veronika woke to see another day... or night. She had her morning breakfast of a few dry crackers, a can of vegetables, a can of soup and a bottle of warmed up water. She filled her stomach, not minding the tastelessness of the food.

  She simply got up to do her morning routine of deducting the food she ate and planning out her day. Veronika loved writing down what she wanted to do. She was just a person that loved planning before hand. The first thing she had to do after eating was...

  "Reading? When did I... Ohhh~" Veronika tapped her head, remembering that she added this to her list. She wanted to learn about the T-80BV to maybe start it up and use it as a means to stay warm and move at the same time. It was a plan, but engines were notorious for being loud.

  The only reason Veronika didn't mind the attracting of cannibals was because... Well it was a tank, what else was there to say about it. No cannibal can ever get through it with bare hands, not even in a million years.

  The only problem were the Snejnay Ten. Those were very powerful, being able to slice up humans too easily, and having armoured bodies. But she once saw a Snejnay Ten hunting a person before. The Snejnay Ten could not slice through a metal pole that was in the way, though, it did uproot the pole with its strength, those sharp sickles that it possessed could not slice metal. So she knew she was safe.

  And... Maybe if she could even learn how to operate the weapon system she might be able to kill a Snejnay Ten as well... But that's for later. Veronika thought as she read through the lines in the instruction manual. She learned that the T-80BV was not like a car. It optimized efficiency and facility of use rather than theft prevention and authentification.

  It was especially perfect for her because she was literally planning on stealing the thing. Stealing is to take something that belongs to someone else. This tank was left behind, so it's abandoned. Veronika grinned. Technically it's not stealing, it's claiming. She chuckled softly. Not like I would care if it was stealing or not. Again, not the first time I take something from someone... Her smile fell slightly but she shook her head.

  There were several access codes given to the different people that are supposed to operate this tank. The T-80BV is a 3 man vehicle. There are supposed to be 3 people to operate this tank. First the driver positioned in the front hull. They are responsible for maneuvering the tank and moving it. This is where I will need to learn more. Without the driver, the tank was nothing but an armoured fortress.

  Moving the tank is the most important step for me. I can just crush the cannibals if they try to get to me. She nodded slowly, though she was slightly repulsed by the idea of crushing someone, she knew that she wouldn't be staring directly at it. So if she just ignored the banging noises, she wouldn't need to worry about such things.

  Veronika took in a deep breath as she closed the book and placed it down on the bedside with a slam. "Finally. I'm done. Now I need to go check on the tank." She said as she stood up slinking the bag on her shoulder. Veronika had been doing several visits to the tank, first attempting to look for spots to fit extra ammo and rounds for the tank's main gun.

  Veronika found that she could fit up to 15 rounds in the side turret area and she actually managed to do it. Carrying 1 round at a time, they were all extremely heavy, even to her. I don't think I can load the gun too quickly if it ran out... The T-80BV used an automatic loader system that held 28 rounds in it. And thanks to the additional 15 rounds she had a good total of 43 rounds now.

  "Ugh... So much work these past few days." Veronika found a few places where she could stash a few days' worth of food and drink under the crew seats and in a few tight spots. She managed to cram quite a lot of supplies there. Be it medicine, food, drink or ammunition for her new handgun.

  Veronika wasn't planning on using the gun system anytime soon as the manual had specifically said that it was extremely dangerous if an error were to be made. So Veronika stuck to cramming supplies in there and learning how to start up the tank and maneuver it. It was difficult to find spots to cram supplies in.

  And Veronika also had another problem. The tank was loud, and it would attract cannibals and possibly Snejnay Ten if she went through the hunting grounds of one. She wouldn't know how to leave the tank if she were to be swarmed by cannibals. She could crush them by reversing and forwarding over and over again, but that tactic probably wouldn't work for a Snejnay Ten.

  She could wait them out. But that would be stupid and wasteful as she has limited supplies. What could the best way of dealing with the Snejnay Ten be? There was a right answer and Veronika knew it. I need to learn how to operate the gun. But it's difficult. Most of the terms used in the manual are difficult to understand. Veronika sighed.

  The manual was not an absolute way of learning how to operate a tank. And the tank is a 3 man vehicle. And Veronika acting as the driver would mean she couldn't possibly use the gun unless she makes a complete stop.

  "Wait a minute..." Veronika had a contemplative look cross her face as she placed a finger on her chin, her eyes locked on the T-80BV. "How fast can a tank go?" She furrowed her brows. She was sure she had seen it in the introduction in the manual. "35 km/h. And 70~80 km/h on road..." Veronika's hand flew to her face connecting with an audible slap.

  "There was a solution right in front of me and I didn't even think about it..." Veronika felt dumb. The tank was fast despite its size. So if she just stuck to main roads and accelerated as fast as she could, there would be no cannibal that can chase her, nor a Snejnay Ten that could match the tank's pace.

  Despite their looks, the Snejnay Ten weren't stupid creatures, if they saw something that fast moving they wouldn't bother wasting energy chasing it especially if it was as big, if not bigger than them and produced a loud sound like the engine's roaring.

  "So, I just have to go full throttle, picking out the right roads until I reach my destination..." Veronika nodded as she placed the map in her possession atop the table near the tank. She took out her marker and marked several places on the road that she was planning to take. They were stops that she was going to make.

  "Alright... Now I need to check for fuel." Veronika said, stretching her arms as she walked over to the tank and proceeded to jump up, climbing the metallic beast until she was at the top. Then she reached for a hatch that was next to a large turret gun at the top of the tank. She had to use all her strength to pull the hatch open before she climbed down into the tank.

  As soon as she was fully inside, she had to use a flashlight to light her path and see what she was doing. She made her way to a cramped area where there were a few switches with a control panel in the middle. "... The manual said switch on the battery system. I need to flip the master battery switches." She spoke aloud as she proceeded to flick on a few switches.

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  After she flicked the switches, there seemed to be very subtle and barely audible clinks resounding in the tank. After that Veronika waited for a little bit before eventually flicking on the internal lights. As soon as she did Veronika was blinded by the lights. She covered her eyes with her hands as she staggered slightly. Her eyes adjusted soon after.

  "OH! It's actually working! I turned on the lights!" Veronika's eyes widened as she looked around the tank's interior, there were several bags and metal boxes that were packed tightly in several places. They were the supplies Veronika had packed. "It's been such a long time since I last saw lights like this... It really feels surreal now despite it being a tank..."

  Veronika chuckled softly, feeling a slightly nostalgic feeling brewing up in her chest.

  The terminal in the middle came to life as Veronika looked over the stats displayed. The fuel tank was full to the brim which brought a smile to Veronika's face. The stats were all in the green light so she simply nodded. "Now... I'll try to actually turn on the tank's turbine."

  "According to the manual, I should hold this button until I hear the turbine power on." She said as she looked over a certain button that she saw in the manual and now faced directly. Veronika wasn't going to take off now. She was just going to turn on the tank as a test to see if she could really power it on.

  Veronika pressed her index finger to the turbine start button and waited. And just as the manual instructed. The oil and fuel got injected and Veronika heard the sound of the turbine engine whining. And soon after she saw that all systems were engaged, cooling and temperature control included. She nodded to herself.

  Veronika felt a strange feeling welling up in her chest. "Hey now... I can just... Leave right now. I have the packed up supplies. I don't need anything more do I?" She bit her lower lip as she shook her head. "No. I can't leave now. I..." Her eyes darted around the tank's interior, displaying nervousness as her shoulders trembled slightly. "Right, I still need to bring more ammo for my gun! H-haha..." She nodded slowly.

  She wasn't sure who she was making that excuse for. But, Veronika did not want to admit that she was scared. Scared that she would hear the wailing of the cannibals as she crushed them with the tank. She knew that eventually she had to take off.

  "I have a method of transport now that can take me farther than my legs or a bike ever could. I'm not limited to just this square in the map..." Her lips quivered before she nodded. Veronika looked over the terminal once more, making sure that the heat was stable and that the brake stop was on before she flipped the switch that turns off the turbine.

  The tank's engine died down with a whine similar to when it powered on. Veronika felt a small bead of sweat rolling down her chin. It got pretty warm inside the tank after she powered on the turbine and engaged the heating system. Now she was sure the tank could hold its own in terms of heating and warming.

  She smiled warmly, pride welling up in her chest. "Look at the moth. Snatching millions of dollars in military weapons so easily!" She giggled audibly as she pushed up the hatch and climbed out. She shivered slightly as she was hit with the cool air outside the tank. She was still inside the garage but that didn't mean it wasn't cold.

  Veronika sighed before she jumped off. She took out her notebook and started checking off a few boxes that she wrote. "Fuel check. Oil check. Systems working check." She nodded to herself, feeling fulfilled before she turned towards the map. "Now I actually need to get some more ammo and I'll be good to go."

  Veronika grinned as she nodded.

  Veronika looked over the metal box of ammo that she had gotten from the supply depot. She brought it all the way over to the garage. It was hard, but she managed, just like she did all the other times. "The makarov PM takes 9 mm bullets so..." She looked over the small bullets and nodded. "Yeah, they're the ones."

  The crossbow used bolts that were reusable if they didn't break. So all she needed for it is two extra bundles of bolts just in case some of the main ones break. She climbed up the tank, barely managing to hold her balance while dragging up a metal box full of bullets. "W-why do they have to be so heavy?" She groaned as she finally managed to stand at the top of the tank.

  She struggled to pull up the hatch as well. "My arms feel like noodles..." She muttered, sniffling as mucus threatened to roll down her nose. She had a runny nose because of the cold weather. "There's only so many coats I can wear against this damn freezing weather." A grim look crossed her face.

  Veronika huffed as she dropped down into the tank. She pulled the box of bullets along with her. The box clanked gently against the tank's metal interior. She turned on her flashlight and held it in between her teeth. "There should be some room under that seat." She said as she dragged the metal box over and tucked it under a seat meant for a crew member.

  "Hmm... That should be everything. Of course, my trusty backpack is with me." She glanced over at a backpack, sitting gently in a corner of the tank. "Oh, right. The manual. It should be somewhere in my backpack. I'll look later." She waved a hand dismissively.

  Veronika finaly smiled and tucked her notebook into her backpack. "Now for the fun part..." Veronika turned towards the terminal. She followed the previous steps, flipping on the switches for the master battery system, once she heard those clanks, she checked the terminal and flicked on the interior light.

  When she could see better. She waited for the tank to settle in before she held the button for the turbine. After a few seconds, the turbine whirred to life, the now familiar whining sound of the turbine resounding as Veronika checked the panel again. She engaged the heat distribution system and waited for the temperature to stabilize.

  Veronika took in a deep breath and sat down in her seat. The seat meant for the driver of the tank. "Now... Now I'll actually drive this thing..." She breathed slowly and disengaged the brakes. She made sure all the systems were green, ventilation, temperature control, lubing and she also made sure that the engine was actually spinning at 18000 RPM. Which was a safety requirement that she read in the manual.

  After making sure all systems were engaged she finally pressed her foot onto the throttle. The tank slowly started moving and Veronika's heart leapt into her throat. "Yes! Yes! This was what I was reading all that time for!" Veronika grinned widely.

  There was very limited visibility to the driver. So Veronika could only vaguely see where she was going. She shifted gears and pressed on the throttle some more. The tank sped up slightly and Veronika pulled on the right lever, causing the tank to start turning to the right. "I can do it! Yes!" Veronika laughed out loud. It was the first time in a long time that she actually got to be as loud as she could as the rev of the engine actually overshadowed her own voice.

  The engine's loud noise wasn't enough to stifle the several wails of the cannibals outside the fences. The mindless humans started throwing their bodies at the fence, trying to chase after the noise of the tank. Veronika pressed on the break gently, pulling on both levers to come to a stop as she pulled out a map from her backpack. "I should be facing the right direction..." She murmured.

  She was slightly shaken up by the wailing and screaming of the cannibals. But despite it all, Veronika persevered. What can some stupid mindless infected do to me when I got a frickin' tank! She grinned, her lips trembled slightly displaying her nervousness despite trying to show confidence.

  She pulled out her compass and nodded as she saw where the needle was pointing. She was going in the right direction. For her to be able to go full speed she needed a road. And despite the difficult visibility, Veronika could still see the road clearly. And the compass was also pointing in the right direction.

  Veronika took in a deep breath before she composed herself. Her blue eyes fixed forward, determination flashing across her eyes as she shifted gears and pressed the throttle, releasing the two levers in her grip. "I don't care if you want my flesh cannibals! I won't give you it!" She screamed, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as the tank sped forward, gradually accelerating as the engine revved up, flaring wildly.

  The tank sped towards the fence of the military base and finally, it made contact. The tank completely destroyed the fence, tearing through it with only slight quacking as several sounds of cannibals wailing around the tank resounded.

  They tried to claw at it, but the tank sped forward, crushing whichever mindless cannibal got in the way. The steel beast roaring loudly as it toppled everything in its path, be it cannibal or dead tree, it simply went through them all without suffering a single scratch, Veronika at its center.