by Vic Sandel
The Zombie Solution
By Vic Sandel
Prologue
The world is in chaos! It had been almost one year since the outbreak of what is being called the “Zombie Virus”, though whether or not it is really a virus had not yet been discovered. Most attempts at maintaining central governments throughout the world have failed miserably.
Members of the United States House of Representatives are stunned when thousands of the “undead” storm on the floor of Congress and begin to feed!
In St. Peter's Square, thousands pray as they are engulfed by the hordes of zombies!
Worldwide, former leaders of once mighty nations walk, shuffle, and crawl through the streets in search of living bodies to prey on. Under their bloody masks, familiar faces are recognizable if one dares to get close enough! A once popular, northeastern politician no longer needs to worry about his weight. He is now free to EAT ANYONE he can catch!
People live as they can, in small or moderate-size groups, ruled by those who could wield the most power and offer a modicum of protection from the ever growing hordes of the “undead”.
Industry is gone. The world’s stock markets have long ceased operations, as money is basically worthless. Food, medicine, gasoline and clean water are the currency of the day. Some people attempt to grow food while most forage through what is left of civilization for whatever they can find that might help to sustain life.
In this everyday struggle for existence, everything previously taken for granted is no longer functioning. Power companies, water companies, and sanitation operations are all non-existent. With the lack of clean water and the disease brought on by uncollected waste and human excrement, tens-of- thousands of those who still lived were ill. Every day the numbers of sick and dying swell even further the ranks of the “living dead”.
Groups of researchers and scientists hidden underground and protected for the moment by what is left of government troops fight to find a cure, or at least a vaccine to stop the insanity. Unfortunately, during the last year, they have not been able to discover even the slightest clue of what caused the outbreak. It just is!
Odd as it may seem there is one group that has not lost anyone to the zombies as yet. They have existed for centuries among leaders in business, religion, government and the arts. They too are finding their way of life threatened and survival of the species they have fought so hard to protect in serious doubt. For months now they have been arranging, despite the lack of available communications, to have a worldwide summit with the leaders of their people. There is nothing less at stake than survival! To save themselves they must save humankind! To remain hidden is no longer an option but would humankind accept the price of its own continuing existence?
Chapter1
The Meeting
On the upper floors of the old and majestic, Chrysler building, in the heart of New York City, the Fortune group maintains its offices. In the days of big business it functioned as an aggressive and successful venture capital firm. Many new ventures found their start in these plush offices and went on to become huge successes. Some are even the “stars” of the “Silicon Valley” set. It is hard to believe that all man had built was now all but gone!
Tonight, heavy, black sheets drape the windows to keep any light from escaping into the night and attracting any unwanted visitors. For the first time in months, generators housed deep in the sub-basements have been fired up to run elevators and the communications equipment needed for tonight’s worldwide hookup. Guards, armed with axes and Samurai swords patrol each floor and the entrances to the building. They can ill afford the sound of gunfire!
To look at the boardroom set up with 30 or so chairs around the huge, polished walnut conference table, one would assume it a normal meeting place for the board of a major corporation as in the past it was. Each place setting has a notepad and a coaster with a clear goblet upon it. Several large bottles sit in ice buckets on the table, waiting for the guests to arrive. A closer inspection would reveal that the contents of these bottles is, definitely not water!
Four, forty-five inch television monitors allow anyone at the table to get a clear view of what was to follow. Several two-way conference speakers sit on the table.
Daniel Swenson, former president of the Fortune Group paces the room while awaiting the arrival of his guests. He is an imposing sight in his dark blue, perfectly fitted, and obscenely expensive suit. He has piercing, gray eyes and is smoothly shaven, other than a perfectly trimmed dark mustache. At six-two, he is solid, not thin nor muscle bound. It is obvious he has immense physical power at his command. One would guess his age at about 45 but in truth he is much older than he appears.
The meeting must be perfect. There was no way Daniel could let it fail. Just the fact that the participants have agreed to meet in one place for the first time in recorded history, speaks of how much is at stake. The attendees of the meeting represent the twelve most powerful tribes in the New York and New Jersey area. Yes their groups are similar to the old, Mafia families but were much larger. Hundreds or even thousands belong to these tribes centered on their makers. They are in fact VAMPIRES!
There will also be three humans in the room. Needless-to-say, they have no idea that they will be sitting at a table with thirty or more vampires. It is best this way. “That’s just what we need”, they would think “first zombies, now vampires!”
The truth was that these humans were carefully selected to help gauge the reaction of the remaining humans to the ideas and proposals that would come out of tonight’s meeting. Cardinal Joseph McGinty, former head of the Archdiocese of New York will help with the religious perspective.
Former Mayor, Abe Adelman, also of New York, led the city right up to the collapse of the police force and beyond. He stayed right up to the final withdrawal of the remaining National Guard. Lieutenant Colonel William Dickerson, was in Washington D.C. and instrumental in seeing to the escape of the President and his family as well as key cabinet members, to underground bunkers somewhere in the Dakotas. He also commanded troops in Afghanistan in the days when that had some importance. Unfortunately, his family in Jersey did not survive. His military knowledge will be critical in ideas presented tonight!
For the first time he allows himself a small chuckle. The vampires have no idea there will be humans, and the humans have no idea they will be surrounded by vampires! It promises to be an interesting evening. Without a doubt the most interesting and important in his almost three-hundred years on the planet!
“Hey, Dan, you want me to put out some soda or something for our human guests?” It was the voice of sixteen-year-old Debbie Wilson as she diligently goes about setting up the room.
She knows what he and most of the other officers of Fortune are, and there is nowhere she feels safer. Her mother worked for the firm. When she had been killed Daniel insisted that she move in with him and stay close, rather than going out into the dangerous world on her own. She knows two things without a doubt. She will never be harmed by one of the vampires and that Daniel Swensen has not taken blood directly from a human in over 100 years.
He appreciates Debbie’s willingness to help, but more than that, she possesses an understanding of people and perception of their feelings far beyond her years. He glances at her busily attempting to make everything just right, and thinks of a verse he vaguely remembers from Isaiah 11:6: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf with the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”
If ever there is a child who could pull it off, he knew it would be Debbie.
The bottles on the table contain pig blood. It is, aside from ape blood, the most compatible with humans and until recently, easy to obt
ain. There was a mini farm on one of the lower levels where pigs were kept specifically for that purpose in the days when the firm was fully functional. In addition the firm has several Bloodmobiles that used to go out to various centers and corporations for collections on a regular basis. Rare types like B+ A- and AB+ and- would always find their way to local hospitals while the common types O + and- would end up in the coolers downstairs. It was a most satisfactory solution and one that benefited everyone! Aside from the occasional rogue, such as a human criminal, no human has been hurt by a vampire in more years than most could count. They simply and quietly co-exist with man, and with their many years of experience help move society forward in as positive a way as they possible. The vehicles now sit dormant, as they had for many months.
If he is right, to save humankind and themselves, they would have to come out and make their existence public. For the first time in hundreds of years he is scared!
Chapter2
The Meeting Proceeds
In two's and three's the guests begin to arrive. They stand in small circles of quiet conversation. Most know why they are here and yet avoid the subject, preferring relaxing small-talk. They avoid commenting on the dangers they faced getting to this meeting. Most know each other, or at least know of each other, but seldom, if ever, have talked directly. Vampires tend to remain in their tight-knit groups to maintain control of their anonymity.
As the guests file in it becomes obvious that few stand out, except perhaps the Cardinal in his habit, and Lieutenant Colonel Dickerson in his dress uniform, which shamelessly flaunts a chest full of medals and ribbons. There is no pinched faced, long and lanky man with a slight stoop and black cape lined in red present. There are no glowing red or gold eyes. They are just like any other group of men and women gathered together to discuss some important issues.... or so it seems!
At exactly 9:00 pm Daniel asks everyone to take a seat and calls the meeting to order.
He walks to the head of the table, shaking hands with several attendees along the way.
A number of them are softly sipping from goblets filled with the contents from the large bottles on the table.
Cardinal McGinty asks Mitchell Sachs, who is sitting next to him if he might also have a goblet of what he is drinking. He is totally unaware of the contents.
Mitchell looks at him and smiles. “Honestly, father, I don’t think you’d find this to your liking. It’s kind of an acquired taste. You had best stick with the soda.”
As the television monitors click on, Daniel speaks for the first time. “Before we begin, I’d like to welcome the delegates, both those in this room and those joining us along our makeshift satellite hookup. We are proud to have with us tonight tribal leaders from Geneva, Paris, Japan, China, Israel and Russia to name just a few.”
As he calls them off, pictures of these entities appear on the monitors in split screen. Each representative nods or waves as they officially join the conference.
“The entertainment media is always presenting us with movies depicting a comet or asteroid about to hit the earth in an E.L.E or extinction level event. Well there is no heavenly body on the way to strike the earth, but just the same, the life ending event is here! Make no mistake about it, these walking dead pose just as great a threat to we who have often been referred to as the “undead” as to the humans.”
Colonel Dickerson and Mayor Adelman jump up in total shock! Dickerson responds first. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, there’s no such thing as vampires. Not in real life!”
“Sit down, gentlemen! You are in no danger here. We will explain everything over the next several hours and your opinions will be welcome! Debbie, will you see if you can find these men something a bit stronger than Cola?”
Daniel continues,following a short break. “The first thing of importance is obviously food. Our supply of fresh and uncontaminated food is just as hard to come by these days as is that of the humans. And yes for you humans I mean blood! To answer your unasked question, no, we don’t kill humans to get it, and don’t want to add to the extinction of your race by doing so! However we can’t feed on the contaminated blood of the zombies outside either. The pigs, cows and other livestock used in our everyday lives are dying from dehydration and poisoning from contaminated water sources just as humans are. Farmers are no longer producing grains for livestock, and if we try to let these animals graze they are set upon by the hordes. Our sources of human blood like donations, hospitals and our bloodmobiles, if you’ll pardon the pun at a time like this have dried up! If we let it go on like this there will be no food for us, either animal or human.”
“Humans cannot hope to win against these “walking dead”, not alone. It’s not just the biting and rising that swells their ranks, but any type of death, including illness, murder, and suicide that brings them back as another flesh-eating mindless creature. It is worse than if all the sharks in the sea roamed the lands eating everyone. At least, those they eat would not rise and eat others!”
“So what can we possibly do?” came a voice from the wall mounted TVs.
“A fair question Mr. Takahashi and thank you,” As Daniel bows toward the camera. “First we must agree that we need the humans as much as they need us. We must recognize that to save ourselves we must help save them!”
The room is abuzz with comments and conversation until Angelo Pettit a leader from New Jersey finally asks what many are thinking. “Why should we risk our safety for them? For years we have been at peace with humans because they were convinced we no longer exist. In fact few believe we ever did exist. We have our tribes, and businesses…..Even if we are able to save them, you know they will just turn on us again and we will be hunted relentlessly and slaughtered as we sleep!”
“So how’s your business these days Angie? Knowing humans you are probably right. We come out of hiding to save them at great risk to ourselves and when it is over instead of gratitude out come the wooden stakes again! Maybe this time might be different. I don’t know, I do know that without them we too will cease to exist. Maybe too there’s some sentiment here. I can remember when all of us were human. Remember, we are or at least were them!”
The room is totally silent.
Chapter 3
Interruption
Suddenly, the quiet is broken by a beating on the shaded windows. Every window of the giant room is somehow being pounded upon.
“What the hell is that!” Was almost a chorus of those present.
Rushing to the window, several of the attendees grab the covering shades and pull them down as the pounding is growing louder and more insistent.
The sight that greets them, is as frightening, as it is unexplainable!
Scores of zombies have scaled the sides of the building and are clinging to the outside walls. They are attacking the windows as they try to gain access to those inside. While most are using arms and fists, some are wielding broken pieces of brick or small pieces of pipe they must have picked up as they climbed.
Whether the use of these items exhibits a bit of conscious thought or is merely by chance is totally unclear. One thing is certain though. The windows of this old building were made to resist storms and birds but not a massive attack. Already cracks are beginning to appear in the glass.
“Oh my God!” The Cardinal cries out. “They are going to get in here!”
It is Colonel Dickerson who rushes into action. He goes running out of the room in an move that might look to some as an act of cowardice. Seconds later though, he returns carrying a fire hose he pulled from a case along the wall. As one of the panes begins to give way, he calls out, “somebody quick, get your ass down the hall and turn this thing on!”
In Moments, the powerful stream begins. A couple of the men rush forward to help the Colonel man the hose.
Two zombies have just stood up on the sill as they are hit by the wall of water that blasts them out of the window frame and into the night.
Dickerson and the others lean out of the frame a
nd aim the hose at the “undead” still clinging to the building. In seconds they have been flushed off the structure and down to the street below.
As the water is shut, the man who had seen so many battles shakes his head, “damnedest thing I've ever seen, none of them screamed on the way down!”
Daniel, acting as if nothing major has happened calmly suggests that they take a moment to clean up any water spray and resume the meeting. It was as if nothing noteworthy had happened. Inside though, they all know that something huge had indeed occurred. zombies don't climb!
Chapter 4
The Perfect Plan
Once again Daniel breaks the silence as he addresses those present both physically and electronically. “What we need to do now is come up with a plan that takes into consideration our strengths and shortcomings in relation to our mutual enemy. We must consider what exactly our goals are and how they will be best met. Most of all, we need to figure out what we will need to cleanse the planet of these parasites for good.”
A muffled laugh comes from someone at the table.
“Am I missing something funny here?”
“Actually, yes,” one woman says. “It wasn’t long ago we were considered parasites. Now we are to be mankind’s saviors?”
“It is a strange twist of fate.” he concedes.
A voice sounds from the audio boxes linked to the televisions, “if I may, I have some thoughts.”
He Looks up at the speaker and recognizes the noted Swiss physician. Daniel responded. “Please Dr. Larson, your thoughts are most welcome.”
“We know that we can’t ingest the Zombie blood without serious ill effects. But as we are already, if you’ll pardon the expression, dead, their bite cannot kill us either and unlike humans we wont turn if bitten. Most importantly, the zombie is nothing more than an eating mechanism while we have working brains. That will always give us a tactical advantage.”