I told him that probably wouldn't be too much of an issue, and that she would probably want to move on and find more groups of survivors. I put forward the idea of setting up a kind of network, probably by radio, keeping in touch with different groups, perhaps The Colonel could be convinced to work with us. He leaned forwards, intrigued by the idea. “That is the best idea I have heard since this whole mess began.” He said, and immediately afterwards Apocalypse Girl's phone jangled. Need tissue sample, URGENT! Can't say more now the message read. She promptly sent the reply been busy, got conscripted, sorted that out now though. Will get onto it ASAP promise! and put the phone away with a sigh. The Principal seemed more than a little confused. I explained that we were in contact with a couple of scientists, told him about The Think Tank and The Facility, and that Smart Girl was a brilliant biochemist, and her partner Smart Guy was officially a particle physicist or something like that, but between the two of them they probably knew everything there was to know.
He seemed suitably impressed, saying that he had full faith in our ability to take his offer to The Colonel, and in fact had wanted to see us to ask us to do exactly that. The network, however, that was simply genius. He knew that there had to be lots of other groups around, that much was certain because his group had survived this long, as had at least two others in the vicinity that he knew of. Several smaller groups had been either wiped out by The Followers, or had integrated themselves into The School or The Mech-Techs. The phone jangled once more. Conscripted?!?!? Can't wait to hear that one and she put it away again.
noon
After we were finished with The Principal, we wandered around a little, getting to know some of the locals again. The Twin spotted us from some impossible distance, and came sprinting to throw her arms around us both. “They said you'd come back! You have to tell me everything!” Apocalypse Girl began, and I basically kept my mouth shut. She ended her tale with the news of her pregnancy. “Shit! What're you going to do?” She asked her. Before Apocalypse Girl could respond she rushed out with “That Japanese bloke's already had to perform a few abortions over the last couple of days. I know he doesn't like doing them though... I think he and his missus are trying for a baby and having some issues...”
A scream came from the direction of the medical centre, and Nurse came running out, screaming “Dead! Dead in the med centre!” The Twin got there before we did, but nobody was going in there alone. I had left my sword behind at Doctor's house and was kicking myself for it when he arrived, bearing it in one hand.
“I keep telling you, a warrior needs his sword! This is your sword, keep it with you always!” Doctor scolded me. Leaving it behind while infiltrating The Followers was one thing, and had in fact very likely saved my life, but I can't forget that nowhere is safe in this world, not anymore. I took it from him, apologising, then drawing the blade I went inside.
A young woman was standing behind the front counter in a patient's gown facing the wall. She didn't move as I silently slid the door shut behind Apocalypse Girl and The Twin. Doctor had followed me in, as the med centre was his place, his responsibility. He carried a stout club in one hand and a murderous expression on his face. The Twin cleared her throat, and the young woman spun around.
She had very clearly only just died and risen Dead, and before she could move towards the closest of us an arrow from The Twin's bow found it's way into her head and down she went. A shriek of pain came from deeper inside the building, and I carefully rounded the counter. There was not a scratch on the dead Dead woman, no indication as to what might have killed her. I looked at Doctor, who shrugged and told me that she had come in for an abortion a few days ago, then had come in last night complaining of a massive headache and fever. A couple of other women had come in for the same procedure, some others had also come to him with similar ailments.
Another scream of agonising pain and we moved further in. I quietly told The Twin and Apocalypse Girl to keep the corridor clear. Apocalypse Girl began to protest, and I told her that she was unarmed, but could at least watch The Twin's back. Doctor and I will take care of the rest. She reluctantly agreed, and we moved on in.
Finding a room that Doctor said was occupied by the girl we had encountered upon entering I gently pushed open the door. Other than a few articles of clothing it was empty, and we moved on. The next room had noises coming from within. As I opened the door I caught sight of one of Nurse's young assistants lying on the floor in a large, growing puddle of blood. She had lost consciousness as we entered but was still breathing as another Dead woman in a hospital gown chewed on her innards.
The Dead woman dropped the dying girl's giblets and turned to regard a fresher potential meal. Before I even thought about it my sword had sliced the top of her head off and Doctor was clubbing the dying girl over the head. “Another abortion.” He said. “There were two more that came in yesterday, in the next two rooms.” He sounded as though they were Dead already. He was right. It wasn't pleasant but it was necessary.
When we were done with our unpleasant duty we returned to the girls. Nurse had joined them by that time, as had Traveller and Archer. He gripped my hand in grim greeting as Apocalypse Girl asked what had happened. Doctor couldn't reply, feeling as though he was responsible for the situation, so I told her. Her face drained of colour as she said “Well, there goes that idea. Looks like I'm having it.”
evening
Unfortunately, Doctor told me that there had been two more abortions performed yesterday. He asked me to come with him as he broke the news to the women in question. The first woman took the news well enough, and accepted it with little more than a single tear. When Doctor offered to give her an injection she rolled up her sleeve in an instant and gave her arm to him.
The second, barely more than a girl, had been rescued from a small group of Followers. She took the news less well. Bursting into tears, she ran out of her house and off into the street. Trying to follow, we lost her quickly enough. By the time we caught up to where she had been, Guide had spotted her climbing over one of the fences and running away into the night, and the Cold, and Death.
April 13 Year 1 A.Z.
morning
“At least we know,” Apocalypse Girl said after a silent breakfast. She seemed more at peace with the idea of her pregnancy after yesterday's events. Smiling grimly at me, she continued, “I suppose it's the only way we can continue as a species, anyway,” I replied that was certainly true enough. We were both a bit concerned about Doctor, since last night he was very quiet, not his usual cheerful self. He was clearly blaming himself, especially for that last girl. As it was he and Nurse were talking quietly between themselves out in the grey snow of the back yard.
I felt a measure of relief myself, as it happened, knowing that we now had to go ahead with it, mixed with distinct fear and trepidation. At least, here, we should be reasonably safe. Not that anywhere was really safe, after all. A young woman had discovered that yesterday, after all.
Guide knocked on the front door, saying that The Principal wanted to see Doctor and myself, just to get a first-hand account of the med centre's events. Neither of us particularly wanted to go, but we both did. Doctor quietly asked me whether I thought he should have suspected that the death of the foetus might have infected the mothers, I told him that there would have been no way of knowing that could happen. I also stopped him in his tracks, turned him so that I could look directly into his eyes and told him that Apocalypse Girl was pregnant and that she had wanted me to ask about getting rid of it. He took a breath, smiled slightly and said that at least some good had come of this. No more women would die this way.
noon
The Principal was furious about the Deaths, of course, but understood that there was no more to do than what has already been done. He thanked me for helping to deal with the situation, reiterating to Doctor that there was no way of knowing any of what had happened. The Principal then asked me if I could go out and deal with The Colonel this afternoon, I told
him that I would, and we left his Office, heading back to Doctor's house. He seemed somehow lighter, a little, that is the only word I could use to describe it. More himself.
Apocalypse Girl wanted to come with me, and since we were literally going around the corner to visit good friends, rather than infiltrating dangerous enemy groups, I welcomed her presence. Truth be told, I would have preferred her to have come along to The Followers camp, trusting her to watch my back over anybody else, but for obvious reasons that would have been a bad idea.
On our way to the manhole we passed Archer, who wanted to come along having come to respect, and be respected by, The Colonel and found Redbeard and Sister already waiting, also wanting to come along. We wasted little time, dropping under ground while Guide replaced the cover behind us, moving the hundred or so metres to the furniture shop's manhole. We exited to be greeted with several rifles pointed in our direction, which were put up once they realised who we were. The Soldier greeted us first with a salute, then a handshake, leading us to The Colonel with a smile.
She had set herself up in the office of the old furniture shop, and had guards posted as though sensing trouble coming. I had no doubts of that, myself. The Followers, once they realised who was responsible for the loss of their captives, would be coming in force. She greeted the five of us with a smile, insisting that we take a seat. Once we did so, she offered us coffee. Naturally we took her up, coffee being a real luxury these days.
“Now, to business,” She said. “I assume that old man at The School sent you to 'deal' with me?” I nodded, adding that I had actually offered. Her smile went away somewhat. “Fair enough. I can respect that, I'd rather work with someone I know I can trust anyway. What are his terms?” I told her. She didn't like it. Not one bit. Her jaw clenched, her eyeballs bulged, and she uttered something under her breath. Then she inhaled deeply, breathed out, and gave her reply. “I accept. We will deal with The Followers for your Principal, though it would be nice to have some assistance from the locals. I know we can count on The Mech-Techs for some support.” I told her that the five of us, at the very least, will be right there, and that we would put out a call for other volunteers. “Excellent. I have some men watching The Followers, they will let us know the minute they begin. You certainly caused them a lot of trouble, you know. A bunch of them, maybe a dozen or so, went in about two hours after you left, to have some fun of course. One of them forgot to lock the door behind them. Quite a few Dead got out, I understand, and The Disciple is quite pissed off. Well done!”
evening
The Colonel offered us a meal, insisting that we stay overnight. The Cold had gotten intense, and a flurry of grey obscured vision that was already minimal. Even with the floodlights that The Colonel had set up around the furniture shop you wouldn't be able to see the Dead until they were eating you, if then.
A radio squawked in the distance, and a runner came up to The Colonel a minute later, handing her a piece of paper. She glanced at it, then looked up. “It looks like they're probably going to come tomorrow. Apparently The Disciple is revving them up, getting them in a right foul mood. He's blaming you for it, you know, or at least 'that bastard son of a whore with a sword' anyway. You'll get your chance to call for volunteers, though. They don't have any vehicles, so it will probably take them at least half the day to get here on foot. By that time we should have set up a reasonable defence. I already have men in most of the buildings around the perimeter of The School. We'll get the fuckers, don't worry about that.”
I had no doubt that we out-gunned The Followers, and with The Schoolfolk and The Mech-Techs we probably outnumbered them, too. That knowledge didn't stop the uneasy feeling from crawling all the way up my spine to take up position deep in my mind, lurking like a kraken, ready to pounce with gigantic tentacles on any reasonable expectations.
April 14 Year 1 A.Z.
morning
Over a quick breakfast with The Colonel I brought up the idea of creating a network. She smiled, saying that she had already considered it, telling me that she was more than willing to travel around and find new people. She would, she said, also do her damnedest to rid the world, or at least Australia, of the Dead, so that future generations would be able to live in relative safety. “If only we could do something to prevent our fresh dead from rising, though...that would be truly handy.” She mused. That put me in mind of The Smart Couple, and I mentioned that they had asked us to seek out The Kid for them.
She suggested that we get onto that after dealing with The Followers, as they were already on the move, according to her scouts, one group of whom had failed to report in and were already counted among the lost. The Soldier was already out in the snow, shouting orders to the troops, preparing for the coming battle. Apocalypse Girl, together with Sister, Archer and Redbeard were eager to return to The School, as they needed some time to prepare. We left the furniture shop, noticing that the Cold had become more intense now, in fact by the time we reached the relative warmth of the sewers I could barely feel the skin of my face apart from my nose, which felt as though dipped in acid. Apocalypse Girl mentioned that we need balaclavas if we intended to go anywhere this winter. I could do nothing but agree.
noon
Gunshots in the distance gave The Schoolfolk and Mech-Techs some advance warning a few moments before we resurfaced, and Archer immediately sprang into action, sending Traveller off to find The Twin. He was not a fighter, but the man could run I'll give him that. The grey-maned veteran took the rest of us to the armoury, a small shed that was packed with firepower. I picked up an assault rifle, Apocalypse Girl likewise, where Redbeard took out a pair of pistols and Sister stuck with her bow.
Doctor, ever practical, and Nurse were rushing around giving all those rushing to the defence of The School, their home, scarves made from thick wool saying that they wouldn't notice the Cold until it was too late. Most ignored the pair, though the crew of The Nightmare and survivors from The Think Tank all grabbed one gratefully. I could see Firecracker, identifiable only by her shock of vibrant red hair, rushing around making sure all of the women and children, everybody not actively involved in defence, were in carefully considered positions ready to assist with first aid or running messages.
The rooftops were lined with defenders along the edge of The School's perimeter, The Colonel's soldiers below us, between us and the invaders. They were fighting a running battle, not retreating but falling back from one position to the next, causing as much damage as they could to the oncoming foe. Squinting into the distance, I could see very little, just a mound of snow that seemed the shuffle and move. I motioned for Archer's binoculars, not that they helped a great deal, but it was enough to make out a large group of Dead Followers and their Dead captive women. Somehow The Disciple had managed to find a way to capture and herd them in our direction. Clearly he had lost some of his men in the process, but he was just as obviously not the sort to care much about that.
I called down to the soldiers that they were just Dead approaching. They gave no sign that they had heard but their aim shifted upwards to a more cranial region. The Colonel had given orders that Dead were to be eliminated, but The Followers were another matter. They were to be incapacitated, if possible, but headshots were to be avoided. We wanted more Dead rising in their ranks, after all.
The Dead were no match for the might of our combined forces, Schoolfolk and Mech-Techs both opening fire as they drew nearer to our allies outside the fence. I picked and chose my targets, aiming specifically for those unfortunate women. A tear froze to my cheek shortly after I put a couple of rounds through the head of the girl who had happily cut her own throat.
The sergeant of the company below us shouted up that there had been a couple of Living Followers leading them. Looking down at some of the bodies littering the ground below, some of the bite marks on some of The Dead Followers looked very fresh, some even still bleeding. With disgust I realised that The Disciple hadn't needed to think of a way to herd the Dead. He
had simply sent a bunch of his own men in to unchain them, then used them as bait to lure the Dead to us.
Then gunfire erupted all along the perimeter. The assault was as brutally effective as it had been unexpected, cutting down most of the company of men below us. The sergeant and two of his men were pinned down behind a barricade made by an overturned Holden, both of his men had been his, one was bleeding badly. I flattened myself against the roof, wishing that there was some way I could get Apocalypse Girl the fuck down, out of danger. She seemed to be loving it, though. She grinned at me below a hail of bullets, her scarf having fallen as she dropped, raising her own rifle without bothering to look for targets and firing blindly. As her burst ended, a scream of pain came from an attacker, and she grunted in satisfaction before replacing her scarf.
The familiar report of The Twin's sniper rifle sounded and another man swore as his mate dropped dead, a hole several centimetres in diameter where his heart should have been. My burst just missed him as he dropped behind cover, but I was able to at least mark his position. When he stuck his head around the corner of the window that he was using, I put him down. I had to duck low to avoid having my own head blown off by another Follower, who fell dead with one of Sister's arrows burrowed through his skull.
Anno Zombus Year 1 (Book 4): April Page 5