Laika

## Appearances

**Laika** is a survivor of the outbreak in *Strain Zero*. A quiet Russian girl with little knowledge of English who has been surviving in the wild with her younger brother, Laika joins the group when they rest up at Crescent Lake Camping Ground, with Justinas taking her under his wing. After losing her father during the Frontiersmen attack on Greencole, the once-sheltered Laika joined a secret mission with Emma, Mike and Drew while believing that they were heading out to get revenge.

## Pre-Apocalypse

Laika's origins are currently unknown. She was presumably born in Russia alongside her younger brother and at some point came to the United States. Both Laika and her brother learned very little English before the onset of the zombie apocalypse.

On Outbreak Day, Laika and her brother were staying with their school at Crescent Lake Campground, a campground in the foothills of the Sylvania Mountains.

## Post-Apocalypse

### Season 2: Remake

After Outbreak Day, Laika and her brother continued to survive at the campground, living off the tinned food stored at the site as well as small animals they caught. The two made their home in a firewatch tower at the edge of the campground's main area, high enough to avoid walkers but also providing a landmark for survivors to head towards. Laika learned how to use a gun to defend her brother and her home, but it is unknown how many survivors they actually encountered during the first two years of the apocalypse.

In September-October 2005, Laika's brother was bitten on the ribs by a walker. Believing she could save her brother, Laika continued heading out for food and water, unaware that there was no way to save her brother.

#### "What We Deserve"

Laika returns from a supply run to find two unknown survivors in the watchtower looking over her dying brother. Holding them at gunpoint, Laika screams at them in Russian to leave. One of them, David, manages to slip past, leaving his companion, Henry, behind. Laika keeps her gun on Henry, unable to understand his explanation that her brother is dying and his attempts to calm her. David returns with another survivor, Justinas, who is able to understand and speak with Laika. She angrily repeats for them to leave.

Needing the watchtower to provide a safe place for Becky to give birth, Justinas manages to convince Laika to stand down by talking about Becky's baby. Promising her food, Justinas is able to convince Laika to join them. She tries to get her brother to join them, but Justinas tells her that her brother is dying. Refusing to believe them, Laika tries to hug her brother, only to realize he isn't breathing. Screaming at them, Laika is dragged away by Justinas and David while Henry shoots her brother in the head, preventing reanimation. Henry then places his body in the river while Laika watches from a distance.

Later, during the group's battle with the bandits high in the mountains, Laika seeks shelter with Becky, Sarah, Bethany and Emma inside the visiting centre, only emerging when the fight concludes with the death of William Carter. Justinas declares that he is responsible for caring for Laika and watches her closely as the group begin their long journey west to find "Greencole".

## Relationships

### Justinas Garin

"***Papa!***"
—Laika calls out to a wounded Justinas[src]
Laika was incredibly close with Justinas and saw him as her father. Even the first few minutes of their relationship betrayed a familial closeness between them, with Justinas acting as Laika's translator since she could not speak English.