Black and Yellow

[Neil Musial]

"Ha! Makes me wonder if I got some water from the Ohio and rigged something..."

"Hmmm," Neil grinned, "good thought."

He watched as Rob took the pain pills. As he did, Neil had a sudden thought. He wondered if they could get into AGH....there had to be a ton of stuff there....

Quickly he forced the thought away. That could not possibly be a good idea.

"Honestly, it's amazing the amount of crap you can find to live off of in an office building. You said you were in the Steel Building? I bet it's loaded with good stuff.

"It's got stuff, that's for sure. Lots of candy. I've eaten about a thousand Laffy Taffys since this started. I really can't complain. I just worry it'll vanish someday."

"I have Twinkies, Doritos, a variety assortment of candy bars, trail mix, Funions, three different flavors of ramen noodles, and some stuff I'm not too sure about."

"Twinkies? That's like an episode of Family Guy right there."

Neil chuckled to himself. He could still hear Peter Griffin leading his family to the Twinkie factory on Family Guy. He missed Family Guy too.

"If you're looking for something more substantial, the cafe on the second floor still has some of those industrial sized cans of mystery food. Last one I opened was chocolate pudding. I had pudding every meal for a week. Long live comfort food."


"Mmm you can't go wrong with that. I will take some Ramen if you have any close by. You can't go wrong with that stuff."

[Robert Wittmann]

"It's got stuff, that's for sure. Lots of candy. I've eaten about a thousand Laffy Taffys since this started. I really can't complain. I just worry it'll vanish someday."

"It will... and I have no idea what I'm going to do about that", he sighed. "I'm not a farmer. Guess I should learn. Guess I should find a plot of land to farm. Maybe break into one of those home stores and see if any seeds are good."

Guess taking a few of those wild edible classes wouldn't have been a bad idea. How the hell was I supposed to know?

He grimaced looking into his cup of water for a moment, then resumed smiling. "It'll all work out, I suppose."

"Twinkies? That's like an episode of Family Guy right there."

Rob let out a laugh, "Ha! Didn't the world end or something and he went to the Twinkie factory? Maybe that should be our next move!" His laugh trailed, "More importantly we should plan something. You have at least one person waiting for you at the Steel Building. I think they're going to have to worry for a day, but I won't have them worry about you long."

He looked at Neil for a moment. "Don't look like you're in a panic, so whatever you're here for isn't a life or death situation. You were here up this way for something though. Probably shouldn't go home empty handed."

Rob then wandered to a box, grabbed a ramen packet then pushed it towards Neil and said, "Looks like we have chicken, beef, and shrimp. Really? Shrimp? Who likes shrimp ramen..?" He trailed off for a moment, shaking his head. "There's an electric teapot in the battery cube. Works well enough."

[Neil Musial]

Neil nodded at Rob's words.

"Truthfully, I've thought about getting out of the city multiple times. Plenty of areas nearby where we could farm. But defending a farm, that's a hell of a lot harder than defending an office building. And fewer places to run."

"Ha! Didn't the world end or something and he went to the Twinkie factory? Maybe that should be our next move!"

Neil laughed.

"Yep. That was when the world supposedly ended in 2000. That was a great episode."

"More importantly we should plan something. You have at least one person waiting for you at the Steel Building. I think they're going to have to worry for a day, but I won't have them worry about you long."

Neil nodded.

"A handful. One of them's a kid, and one of them's older." He reached down and patted his backpack. "I don't just randomly collect teddy bears everywhere I go in the city."

Don't look like you're in a panic, so whatever you're here for isn't a life or death situation. You were here up this way for something though. Probably shouldn't go home empty handed."

"It just gets hard to relax in this world, you know? Look," Neil studied Rob for a moment, "I really don't want to head back until you're in one fully working piece. I'd hate to leave you in a state where you couldn't defend yourself."

Neil sat down on the edge of a desk and watched as the other man hunted for ramen. In this world, you needed to at least try to hang on to who you were.

Looks like we have chicken, beef, and shrimp. Really? Shrimp? Who likes shrimp ramen..?"

"Shrimp?" Neil raised an eyebrow. "Why is that even a good idea?"

He took the packet and stood up.

"What's the best recommendation you have to cook it in? Bowl? Cups?" He opened the packet and broke off some noodles and chewed them.

"You know, when these things are gone, I'll miss them."

[Robert Wittmann]

"Truthfully, I've thought about getting out of the city multiple times. Plenty of areas nearby where we could farm. But defending a farm, that's a hell of a lot harder than defending an office building. And fewer places to run."

"Yeah... but when this runs out," he said holding a ramen packet up, "wouldn't you be wishing you had a farm?" He frowned at the packet.

One day there will be no more ramen noodles... and I might live to see that day...

"But not yet..." he said softly while staring at the packet, "not yet."

And now you're talking to ramen noodles. I know you're tired and all, but you have an audience...

He then realized what he was doing and gave a quick smirk to Neil, "But for now, I can see how an office is a good idea."

"I don't just randomly collect teddy bears everywhere I go in the city."

Rob chuckled, "There's nothing wrong with collecting bears. I found a few in the office here and there. Makes the place less... office-ish. Was bad enough having to see cubes every day. Why not spice the place up?"

"I really don't want to head back until you're in one fully working piece. I'd hate to leave you in a state where you couldn't defend yourself."

He thought about the words for a moment. This person sounded much like him. At least, Rob thought he'd say something similar.

"You don't have to. This place is solid enough. I should be back to good shape in a day or two. It's also been so very long since I've even seen another human being, so well, you're more than welcome to stick around. I'll be happy for the company."

"What's the best recommendation you have to cook it in? Bowl? Cups?"

"There ought to be bowls in the electric cube. The teapot should have water. I think we are ready for the best meal in town tonight!"

"You know, when these things are gone, I'll miss them."

"All the more reason to savor the heck out of 'em now..."

[Neil Musial]

"Yeah... but when this runs out," "wouldn't you be wishing you had a farm?"

Neil nodded. It was a true possibility.

"I'm from Washington County, I know there's plenty of places. Head out to Avella, not many out there."

It was a good idea. He might begin seriously considering that. Of course, he'd have to ask the others...... And getting to Avella....yikes.

"There's nothing wrong with collecting bears. I found a few in the office here and there. Makes the place less... office-ish. Was bad enough having to see cubes every day. Why not spice the place up?"

"Good idea." Neil grinned. "You can find a lot of cool toys in offices. I've found some random stuff-and done 2 million Rubix cube I think."

"You don't have to. This place is solid enough. I should be back to good shape in a day or two. It's also been so very long since I've even seen another human being, so well, you're more than welcome to stick around. I'll be happy for the company."


"Don't worry. I'll hang out for a bit, but then I've got to get back." Neil began crumbling his packet of Ramen noodles. You had to get them properly into the cup.

"There ought to be bowls in the electric cube. The teapot should have water. I think we are ready for the best meal in town tonight!"

True to his word, there were bowls in the cube. Neil turned on the teapot and continued to make sure his Ramen was appropriately crumbled into the bowl. He didn't realize he was so picky about how his noodles were cooked.

"You know, when these things are gone, I'll miss them."

"All the more reason to savor the heck out of 'em now..."

"You say this to the man who is standing here carefully analyzing how his noodles fall into the bowl. There is a science to these things. I always thought I'd be able to make these for my kids, and they'd go to college and try to make their noodles just like Dad did. Guess that thought's out now."

[Robert Wittmann]

"I'm from Washington County, I know there's plenty of places. Head out to Avella, not many out there."

"Avella? Never been. I've made rounds through Washington though. City surrounded by boonies. Might work. Just might."

He thought about his future plans for the moment. Sure, he had a good thing going... but that was only going as long as food held. And he knew it eventually wouldn't.

He frowned for a moment, then pipped back up in as cheerful tone as he could muster, "Maybe I'll get myself a farm, call it Rob Land, and make a roller coaster across fields of never ending food!"

His stomach answered his talk of food with a plea.

"Heh, sorry bout that." He opened the ramen packet, pocketed the flavor pack and bit off a chunk.

"You can find a lot of cool toys in offices. I've found some random stuff-and done 2 million Rubix cube I think."

"I don't know how the hell you managed those things. I have a few I can't solve. I stuck mostly to those little teaser puzzles... the ones with some kind of gimmick to it. I solved all of those. Or solved them so well that they'll never go together again..." He laughed, "Helps keep the brain from going."

"Don't worry. I'll hang out for a bit, but then I've got to get back."

"We'll get you back. Soon." He gave a sly grin, "Maybe even with a sack of supplies or two if you're feeling brave..."

Rob's ramen method, as he saw, was starkly different from Neil's. He had it down to a science. This was something akin to a holy ritual to the man as far as Rob could tell. Rob just added water, waited until it was chewy, and had at it. A curious thing, he thought.

"You say this to the man who is standing here carefully analyzing how his noodles fall into the bowl. There is a science to these things. I always thought I'd be able to make these for my kids, and they'd go to college and try to make their noodles just like Dad did. Guess that thought's out now."

Whoops, guess he did notice my staring...

"Kids, huh?" Rob stared at his feet for a moment. "Used to show the kids at the library to take cheese puffs and add 'em instead of the flavor packet. A slice of 'merican cheese works just as well. Cheesy noodles? Few things finer my friend. Unless those kids are running around and happen to find ramen and cheese balls, that little tradition is pretty much going to die with me. He gave Neil a sad smile, "Man, I only wish I had cheese puffs right now. The look on your face says I need to prove it. Mark my words if we find any..."

The dumbest things are so important now... what a world...

"You might still show your kids... Don't know about all that college stuff, but hold on to the dream of ramen, my friend."

It might be that he was tired, but he knew full well that wasn't the best inspirational or motivational speech. It would, however, have to do. He sniffed the broth, let the salty goodness fill his nose then promptly devoured the meal.