Redemption of the Dead

by A. P. Fuchs

  Greg said, “Don’t mean to interject, but I don’t know if she really cares about all that stuff.”

  “I do,” she said, “but I also want to know precisely what you guys were doing down here.”

  “I’ll say it again, little lady,” Nole said. “I don’t know why this is such a big deal to you—”

  “If you keep talking, I might tell you and believe me it’s news you want to hear.”

  That seemed to get his attention because Nole’s face quickly went serious, and she knew she had him interested to give information in exchange for receiving some. He said, “We needed to find weapons that worked against them quickly and effectively. We needed to find competent people to man those weapons. We even decided we needed to make some new ones.”

  Billie flashed back to some of the other secret bases she visited and the amazing tech they were producing. “I’m aware of some of those.”

  “You are? Name one.”

  “Try the D-K-Fourteen-P-Two-X,” she said, referring to that amazing exoskeleton she saw.

  Nole’s eyes widened then squinted with complete suspicion. “Who are you, really?”

  “Just a kid, like you said, but I’m also a kid who knows stuff and stuff you need to know if you have any hope of surviving this attack.”

  “Yeah, like what?”

  “You finish talking and if I like what I hear, I might say a thing or two, too.”

  Greg said, “I think we should listen. We got nothing to gain by holding back now. She obviously knows about one of our most secret projects. She’s already seen the place. Even if she told people out there, there’s not enough of us to defend the fort anyway.”

  Nole put his hands on his hips. “So you’re saying we should just let this chick tell us what to do and hope for the best? Since when did you grow a spine and tell me what to do?”

  “Since I realized that if these folks could take out our captors and found us after so long without human contact aside from ourselves, they are people to be trusted, even just superficially to start.”

  Nole seemed to think it over. “I’ll make you a deal, kid.”

  “I thought I was a chick,” Billie said.

  “Sorry. I’ll make you a deal, Miss—”

  “Call me B.”

  “Fine. B. Whatever. You give me a piece of info, I give you one of mine, and back and forth we go.”

  “How about you start and we’ll go from there? You don’t really have a choice.”

  He sighed. “What you’re wanting me to divulge is classified information which could jeopardize an operation months in the making and coordinated around the globe. Do you get that?”

  “I get it, and what you don’t understand is you can tell me everything you know and the conversation will still end with, ‘It’s not going to work,’ because I know something you don’t and I’m not bluffing. I have a piece of intel you won’t believe to be true, but it is, and unless that piece of info is factored into your game plan, you, your men, even me and mine, won’t have a prayer out there for much longer.”

  “Much longer?”

  “Yeah, Lieutenant, not much longer because a real bad guy has come to town and, you could say, is even the one responsible for what you see out there.”

  “Tell me!”

  “You first.”

  Checkmate. Billie kept a straight face, didn’t even blink.

  “Those men in the other room,” Greg said, “they forced us to show them how our weapons worked. And we did. We had no choice because, like I said before, they had a way of making a person do what they wanted them to, so we showed them. Those who refused were killed and came back as one of those creatures. The weird part was, those men didn’t kill those that returned and told us not to as well. Instead, they wanted to find a way to make those creatures immune to our weapons. They asked us to make those walking dead things invincible.”

  “You didn’t figure it out, did you?” she asked.

  He slowly shook his head. “Not quite. We had ideas, even a few tests, but the decaying tissue was too fragile. Even those who were once with us, who died then came back, they started to decay rapidly compared to how long it would normally take for a human being to decompose, and that’s just a human in the air, not in the ground where there’s all sorts of aids to break them down quickly.”

  “Why did they lock you in elevator?” Sven asked.

  “Part of it was simply to threaten us,” Nole said. “They couldn’t kill everybody otherwise they’d have no one to work for them. They started locking us up one by one. It worked for a few people and they complied without question. A few others tried to secretly come up with a plan to get out. That didn’t turn out so well either. Those ones were killed and, like the others, came back and were used in experiments. Dr. Moore was different, though, wasn’t he, Greg?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Go ahead, tell them.”

  “Moore was one of my colleagues and a genius at coming up with really strange ideas, but every one of them was solidly backed up by science. It was more an issue of if it could be done or built versus looking good on paper. Just because the background facts add up doesn’t mean what you try to do with them will.”

  “Get on with it,” Nole said.

  “Moore was there when the first men went down. He was the only one called forth to conduct the early experiments. We didn’t see him for hours on that day, but when he returned, he was different. Sometimes he’d act like himself, other times he was a completely different person. Some days I thought maybe he’d been abducted by aliens or something and had been replaced.”

  That’s pretty close to the truth, Billie thought, but kept it to herself.

  “Moore quickly started taking charge and asking us to do more and more bizarre things, even bizarre dissections with one of the creatures and one of the people while they were alive, and try and crossbreed them. I mean, Moore knew full well we didn’t have the equipment for that kind of thing down here, but he insisted we make do with what we had and assured us that conventional scientific method might not be needed for working with a new species. Eventually, it was clear Dr. Moore had sided with our captors. They even answered to him. I couldn’t dwell on it all the time. I was run ragged enough as it was. So was Nole here. We all were. Like I said, we basically were told to keep our heads down and work.”

  “That all changed when I guess it was realized that Dr. Undersall, myself and the others had done all we could, so we were all thrown into those elevators. I even asked Moore why they didn’t kill us and he said that our services might still be required. That was the last we saw of him or those other men. A few days later, you guys showed up.”

  It was a lot to take in, but it was clear the demons were attempting to create an invincible army by any means necessary. Billie wasn’t sure if it was completely meant for a battle with man and then another means would be used for a battle with the angels, or perhaps even an attempt to become impervious to any assault was the end goal.

  “The weapons,” she said, “are they functional?”

  “If they hadn’t changed anything since a few days back, yes,” Greg said, “but not all of the prototypes have been tested.”

  “All right, Lieutenant,” Billie said, “you held up your end of the bargain so I’ll hold up mine. This attack you’re planning? It has to happen now.”

  “Oh yeah, why’s that?”

  “Because this isn’t about killing zombies anymore. This about taking on the armies of Hell itself.”

  All four of the men looked at her with uncertainty.

  “I think you’re too tired, Billie,” Sven said. “You don’t know what you mean.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Lieutenant Nole, I can quickly create a briefing for you if you give me something to write on. You can relay that info to all parties that you are working with. I know I sound crazy, but we’re also living in a crazy world at the moment. I know that you and Greg didn’t tell me about the mirrors.”


  Both men’s eyes widened with surprise.

  “You know about those?” Greg said.

  “That’s what you were referring to when you said they ‘had a way’ of controlling your people.”

  He nodded. “How did—”

  “I fought the mirrors, these guys, too. That’s when Moore came in. He changed form, gentlemen, went from the man you knew to one of those disgusting creatures. I also know why you were told to do the experiments you were. The undead aren’t merely people risen from the grave. They are people who are possessed with hell spawn.” The elation of sudden revelation buoyed her spirits. “Why do you think people began to decay faster than normal once they returned? If you have death itself inside you, there is only one result.” Had she said too much? She decided it best to keep her mouth shut until she felt it was appropriate to say more.

  The four men stood there, silent. Billie glanced over to Sven, who returned her gaze with a look of pity.

  Please don’t think I’m crazy, she thought. I’m telling the truth. I’ll show you somehow. Just don’t push away whatever it was you thought about me before, I . . . I began to like it.

  After a long moment, she said, “What’s our next move?”

  Nole glanced at Greg, and after a sigh, said, “Know any good priests?”

  * * * *

  The Present . . .

  It had come to fruition as Lucifer planned. The Earth had fallen, humanity possessed. Only a few small pockets of resistance remained. Even the angelic presence that used to be so common on Earth was now whittled down to very few.

  The greeting at the lakeside had been commendable and it was there the devil got to see these new creations—these undead creatures—for the first time. They were beautiful and grew even more gorgeous by the second as he absorbed the damage they had done to humanity.

  After speaking with them and ordering them to sniff out every last human soul on the planet, he spread his own wings and ascended into the sky and flew over the land, taking in the ravaged cities, the fields of bodies, the infected animals, the dead trees and grass, even the dead fish in the lakes. Though it wouldn’t affect him, the toxicity in the air would take its part on killing all that remained with its poison. The canopy above of gray clouds and brown sky further reduced any interference from life-giving water and the sun’s healing and growth-giving rays. The Earth was rotting and it didn’t take eons to bring it to the brink; only a single year.

  The smell of death lingered on every molecule of air, exciting the devil as he flew. Even the ocean as he soared over it at incredible speed looked chalky and stale. With no sun, the water didn’t evaporate and just stayed there to stew with the awesome amount of dead sea creatures within.

  It had all come to pass perfectly.

  Once humanity was absent and his army complete, the invitation to battle would be sent to Heaven’s gates and, outnumbered, the Golden City would be overrun by demon and possessed human alike, and finally—after eons of waiting—the enormous throne in its center would be his.

  The devil flew on, a grin creasing his face.

  However, he needed one last item to ensure victory.

  * * * *

  25

  Demons

  Joe laid alone on the cot. He had looked around for Tracy and, not finding her, started to panic, thinking maybe she was more mad at him than he realized and had taken off into the streets, but when he saw her talking to one of the trainers he sighed with relief. He wanted to go up to her and ask her if she was coming to bed, even waited around for over twenty minutes, trying to look like he was occupied inspecting the floor, but when she didn’t look his way he cut his losses and went back to what was supposed to be their room. Alone.

  Now, laying there with his arms folded across his chest, no blanket, it felt like old times again. No girl. Just him. Always alone. The difference was, now he knew better than to base his identity on a girl and instead tried to be himself. He was most certainly not his old, old self. That man—that boy—had died the day of the Rain. He was becoming something new, but he was also aware he had to suppress this new side of him for the time being, and not only at Tracy’s command of doing so, but for the good of himself and any he might have a chance of influencing. With a possible war coming up soon, he couldn’t lose his edge.

  He hoped Tracy would take the time to lie down even if it was not with him. She needed to rest, too, and it scared him to think he’d have to compensate for both of them in battle if she wasn’t functioning properly.

  He closed his eyes.

  When he opened them again, he knew he had dozed off because he felt the heaviness of sleep inside his head. He didn’t know what time it was, but the whole place was darker and quieter. A few snores floated down the hallway.

  One little one rose up beside him.

  Tracy.

  He was relieved to see her and chastised himself for jumping to conclusions over where he stood with her. He owed her more trust and respect than that. Joe leaned over and kissed her forehead before rolling onto his side and falling back asleep.

  * * * *

  “Forty hours, are you crazy?” Lieutenant Nole screamed into the radio receiver.

  “I didn’t make the planes, I fly them,” came the voice through the other end. “They only go so fast.”

  “Look, we have over a hundred different sites and over a five hundred new weapons. We need to share the wealth!”

  “Obviously, but I can’t magically transport the stuff over, I’m sorry. You’re asking us for the Rendezvous months ahead of schedule, disperse our assets, then transport said assets back to the individual sites in less than twenty-four hours. Can’t be done.”

  Nole pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know, look. Just get it done as soon as possible. We need to work fast. Intel has already come in. The creatures are acting strange, even the big ones. It’d be one thing if it was isolated, but it’s in every location we have eyes and ears in. Something’s going down.”

  “I’ll be on it, Lieutenant. I promise.”

  “Good. Thanks. Nole out.” He hung up the radio receiver.

  “That didn’t sound good,” Billie said from behind him.

  “You been standing there the whole time?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You should be sleeping with the others.”

  “Couldn’t.”

  “Oh yeah? Why not? Don’t got your teddy bear?”

  “Don’t start with me. Just because you’re a grouch doesn’t mean you have to turn everyone else into one, too.” She sat down on the chair across from him, hugged her elbows and crossed her legs. “Did you get an ETA?”

  “Forty hours. They’ll try, anyway. Forty-eight or forty-nine, even fifty, would be more accurate.”

  “That’s up to two days. That might not be enough time.”

  “We don’t have a choice. This is crash planning. The gentleman I spoke to is the lead on a team of organizers whose job it is to coordinate the drop of our shared tech to each of our predetermined locations.”

  “Which are?”

  “There’s over a hundred of ’em.”

  “Oh.”

  “We got a guy coming to pick up what we got here and what we got in a warehouse not far from here. Some stays with us, the rest goes out. We stand our ground once the rest of the weaponry arrives.”

  “What if things start before then?”

  “Then we make our stand. Won’t have a choice.”

  “Hide out here?”

  “If possible, but you never know. Doesn’t hurt to be ready.”

  “Yeah.” She closed her eyes a moment then opened them.

  “You okay?”

  Was Nole actually being nice to her? Weird. “Just miss my friends.”

  “Where’re you from?”

  “Winnipeg.”

  “Where?”

  She wasn’t surprised Nole hadn’t heard of it. It wasn’t exactly a popular city, though it was easily the best place in Canada to live without go
ing broke. “Central Canada, right above North Dakota.”

  “You guys got polar bears there, right?”

  “Yeah, and penguins on every corner.”

  Nole chuckled.

  She looked him in the eye. “I need to get home.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know what to tell ya, B. You’re on the other side of the world. There ain’t exactly an airport around the corner where you can just hop on a plane.”

  “No, but you guys got planes.”

  “Military planes. Some of them are jets.”

  “But some have to be carriers if you’re going to transport all that gear around.”

  His expression straightened. “Not happening, kid.”

  “You owe me, John.”

  “Oh, so we’re on a first name basis now?”

  She shook her head, disbelief that this guy was actually military. “You don’t know my first name.”

  “Think so? How’s ‘Billie’ for ya?”

  “What? How?”

  “I’m not as stupid as you might think and I know how to talk to people.”

  Sven. Wait, maybe it was Bastian. Either way, those guys are gonna get it. “I really need this, Lieutenant.”

  He glanced to the floor, then back up and pointed his finger at her. “No guarantees, okay?”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”

  “Now go to bed.”

  “Yes, Dad,” she said and left.

  As Billie returned to the small room off to the side, her bracelet lit white. She immediately checked the range and stopped when it cast a rainbow in a halo around her wrist, each crystal emitting its own light. Like always, the bracelet vibrated and a few moments later, crackles of amethyst-colored energy rose from the floor and embedded itself in the bracelet, filling in the last of the clear stone.