Allison Forrester’s journey was coming to an end.
The automatic pilot smoothly brought the escape pod down, and then to a three-point landing. Allison pushed a blue button on the right armrest of her seat and the hatch blew open. She unbuckled the seat belts and stood up to admire her new surroundings. In fact, she saw a vast, majestic field.
Tall grass covered most of the region, to form a green mantle stretching in all directions, interrupted only by sparse shrubs and low vegetation. Totems and statues adorned the gorgeous field spreading before Allison’s eyes. And she did not recognize any of that.
“Where am I? This doesn’t look like Fantasy Grove! Where’s the Sugarloaf Mountain?”
Her eyes blinked furiously for a few seconds and then stopped. A voice echoed in her mind as the vivid playback of a recorded message.
“Dear Allison,
If you’re listening to this, then I’m dead. I also stayed with you long enough to collect your brain signature. I couldn't control your will, it’s very strong, but I was able to place one or two wrong escape pod coordinates in your brain without you realizing it, and, of course, send a post-mortem email to your mind.
I trusted you because I thought you were different from the other executives. I was hoping that you could right the wrongs of my mother, by bringing to the project the light and wisdom my grandmother always envisioned. But instead, everything you did only served your ambition. You chose to follow my grandfather's steps. At the end, you became my mother. My mother became you. Now, it’s time for you to go back to school and see the wrongs of your ways. You have much to learn, Ally. And classes begin today.
Note: I would have added an emoticon, but I guess it's still not possible in this kind of communication.
Yours truly,
Amy.”
Allison jumped out of the now useless escape pod. Her cell phone rang. Confused, she grabbed it and looked at the screen, which read ‒ Robert Hedgiest calling.
“Hello, Robert?” She said. “Are you alright? Where are you?”
“Hello you too!” Zomboy responded on the other end. “I’m afraid Robert is not available right now. He’s been busy lately. But don’t worry. You’ll catch up with him.”
“Who’s this?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Now, first and foremost, in the name of local slobs, I’d like to welcome you to the lost paradise of Devasta Land! I can barely wait to see this beautiful smile of yours in person! I hope you enjoy your stay. See you soon.”
Allison dropped the cell phone and staggered back and forth, puzzled and lost in bewilderment. She noticed a group of men wearing traditional ceremonial clothes forming a circle around her. One of them approached Allison. His face showed confidence behind the symbols painted on it, even bearing a nice, warm smirk.
“Hey, guys, listen.” Allison said. “Let’s talk about this, okay? I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”
28th MOVEMENT
In Brokenville, the children that once had millions of minds under their control were now back to the loving arms of their parents, all crying in uncontrollable joy and relief, after days of terrible anguish, expectation and sorrow.
But not everybody shared their happiness. Angela was sitting on a bench, watching the commotion with sad eyes.
“You’re going to find him.” Joana said and placed a sympathetic hand on Angela’s shoulder.
Doctor Piper Glory had been appointed by the town residents as the new general director of the Medical Institute. Doctor Blake and other staff members that experimented on people had been arrested and shipped to Condor City, to stand trial for crimes against humanity.
“Hey, look who’s here!” Nancy said, leaving the Institute with a baby in her arms.
“It’s good old Moses.” Lily spoke. “How is he?”
“He’s fine.” Nancy replied. “Happy for not having his head probed. I kept him hidden from Blake and his snakes.”
“That was a fine idea.” Mate acknowledged.
“Come on, hold him.” Nancy gave the baby to Mate.
“Oh, alright” Clarkson took the baby. “Hello, little guy!”
“He likes you.” Nancy said.
“Everybody does.” Lily spoke. “Fatherhood comes naturally to some folks.”
“As well as motherhood” Mate responded. “Your turn, partner” He offered the baby to Lily.
The Australian woman looked over her shoulder.
“You mean me?” Lily mumbled.
“I mean exactly you.” Mate answered.
“Oh no, better not.” Lily said.
“Come on, there’s nothing to it.”
“I don’t think so, boykie.”
“You carried him in your sheath!”
“That was different. There’s no hole in my sheath. My arms are way clumsier.”
“Think of him as a Koala, only without all the fur.”
“I’ve never held a Koala either. They held me.”
“You fight zombies, defeat bad people, change systems, but you are afraid of a baby.” Nancy said.
“That’s right.” Lily responded.
“Nonsense!” Nancy retorted. “Now, take this baby!”
“Alright…”
And Lily obeyed.
“See, nothing to it.” Mate spoke.
Lily kept gazing at the little human in her arms, enchanted without explanation.
“Love at first sight.” Nancy commented.
“Well, you said you wanted to bite his tummy.” Mate reminded Lily. “Now it’s the time.”
“You mind if I bite your tummy?” The Australian asked the baby, which returned a big, curious look. “Okay, I take it as a yes.”
While Lily had her moment with the baby, Mate turned to Nancy and said:
“By the way, do you know who the mother and father of this baby are?”
“I still didn’t have a chance to…”
“NOAH!” A voice screamed.
Angela ran beside Lily.
“It’s really you, oh my God!” She burst in tears. “You brought him back to me!”
“Well…” Lily stammered. “Actually, it was a team work, Nancy here…”
“Ah, don’t worry.” Nancy interrupted her. “Just go ahead and let people give you credit for everything. You earned it. After all, you saved this baby too, remember?”
Angela took her son.
“Noah, huh?” Lily asked.
“Yes,” Angela opened a tender smile “as in a man who can endure even the worst flood.”
“He surely did.” Nancy observed
“We’ve been calling him Moses.” Mate said. “We were just a few Bible pages away.”
Lily turned to Nancy and asked:
“Are you busy right now?”
“Well, school starts tomorrow and the good people of this city made me principal and teacher of Brokenville Elementary. I wasn’t expecting, but they insisted. Now I have to prepare for the classes and I got a lot to catch up with.”
“You’ll have help.” Lily said.
“Would you be interested, by any chance?” Nancy queried.
“Not now.” Lily replied. “Better take one step at a time. I’ve learned to carry a baby only a few minutes ago and I’m still a long way from being a teacher. Anyway, by teaching these children right, you’ll be fulfilling one of Amy’s last wishes.”
“Ah Amy…” Nancy whispered.
“I can’t help wondering how come such a selfless girl could’ve come from such a selfish woman.” Lily pointed out.
“Believe it or not, Shane thought she was doing the right thing.” Nancy said. “But in the end, being in the spotlight was all that mattered to her. Anyway, it seems evilness skips a generation and I’m happy for that.” She took a deep breath. “But why did you ask me if I’m busy?”
“I was thinking of taking you in a little tour to a very enjoyable place.” Lily answered.
“Sure, why not?”
Around the big squar
e in the center of town, Major and other residents discussed duties and new assignments with the former employees of the Undertaking.
“How are things in Titania?” Ike asked.
“I got some friends of mine doing some cleaning over there.” Major answered. “Very soon it’ll be as an adequate place as any to start a new life.”
“So many people died.” Ike whispered.
“They knew what they were getting into, same as you and me. It was no longer possible to live under the rules of those corporate bastards. Something had to be done. And everything comes with a price.”
“That’s for sure.” Price murmured.
“Are you staying?” Major asked Ike and Ivy. “We can surely use some help around here.”
“Not quite.” Ike replied.
“We don’t want to disappoint you, but all we can do is rock ‘n’ roll.” Ivy added.
“Well, folks told me that you can do a lot more than that.” Major whispered. “Anyway, people have to choose their own way, I guess. Where are you going?”
“Condor City” Ike responded. “You know, being a big city and all, we’re more likely to get gigs in there.”
“I’ll go with that as long as you folks still remember us when you become big stars and all.” Major said. “Don’t forget to include this town in your next tour.”
“Oh, we can even get you tickets front row!” Ike promised.
“We also believe Condor City is the best place to raise Jill right now.” Ivy said with the little girl hugging her waist.
“Good point.” Major said. “You take good care of her, you hear?” He petted the girl’s head.
“She’s the one who rocks!” Tara said and received a thumbs-up from Jill.
“Where’re Lily and Mate?” Ivy asked. “They promised to give us a ride to Condor City by sunset.”
“I saw them leaving in that odd, ugly contraption of them.” Price answered.
“Yes, they told me they got some errands to do.” Tara spoke. “They’ll be back soon.”
“They’d better.” Price said. “I also don’t want to be left behind.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Major asked.
“We’re not staying either.” Tara revealed.
“I wonder what Mate and Lily are up to now.” Ike said.
29th MOVEMENT
Nancy gazed up, admiring the luminous effect caused by the bioluminescence along the walls surrounding her. As she walked, Benson explained the general functioning of all aspects connected to life in those caverns.
“This is all very impressive,” Nancy said “but I’d still miss the movie theaters if I was to live down here.”
“We have one under construction.” Benson spoke. “Having a movie theater is not the issue. Problem is how the heck we’re going to bring movies down here.”
“Ask Joshua up there to do it.”
“Nah, he likes romantic comedies.”
“What do you have against romantic comedies?”
Lily was casually walking, heading for the entertainment room, when something caught the corner of her eye. She noticed something odd in a hidden corner. Lily walked to it and found an improvised cage hanging from a rope tied to a hook attached to the ceiling. And Allison Forrester was inside of it.
“I can see you got a new office.” Lily spoke, coming closer to the cage.
“You have no idea the gigantic mistake you’re making.” Allison replied behind bars. “You think you changed something?”
“Well, we surely made a hell of a mess.”
“Indeed, but you just hit one branch. The satellites are still in orbit and the Undertaking has similar projects all around the world. What you saw was just a pilot, a kickoff. They will conquer the world, Lily. When they do, you’ll wish I was still with them, to speak on your behalf. They don’t care for you. I do.”
“Right, let me see if I get this straight. You’re suggesting we all should become slaves to temporarily dance to your tune, only to later be replaced by your genetically enhanced customers, but it’s alright because we get to enjoy the benefits of your benevolence.”
“I don’t make the rules. I’m merely telling you about things to come, which are inevitable. So, you can at least try to make it easier on yourselves. Let me out of here and I promise I’ll fight for you, I can get you a fair treatment.”
“Sorry, you know too much already.”
“Oh, I’ll keep my mouth shut about this place and your brainy zombies. It’ll be our little secret. The Undertakers are very likely to find these caverns sooner or later. But if I’m with them, they won’t even look. I’ll make sure of that. Let me be your representative. Come on, you know my ways!”
“Yes, I do. You love being important a little too much. How can we know you’re not going to yak about this place and its secrets just to score some points with the bosses?”
“Well,” Ally couldn’t help a nervous laughter “you’d have to trust me.”
“I would, huh?”
Allison leant forward and compressed her body even more against the bars, to be face to face with the Australian woman.
“Lily, like I said, the Undertaking is all over the world, far beyond your reach! You’d better negotiate because you can’t stop them.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Lily replied. “Who told you there are no other Apocalilies around the globe? Maybe I’m not the only one and perhaps the others are doing a much better job. And don’t forget little Amy, who gave her life to prove that it’s possible to catch you and your clowns with your pants down.”
Allison did not answer. She seemed to be contemplating such possibility.
“I’m glad you girls are getting to know each other better.” Zomboy came. “But you’ll have to excuse us, Lily. I have some business to discuss with Miss Forrester here.”
“It’s okay.” Lily said. “I was on my way to see Hank, Slim and Dylan. They invited me for a pint in the entertainment room. They cannot drink with me, but they promised to watch me while I do it.”
“Have fun.” Zomboy spoke.
As soon as Lily was out of sight, Allison asked:
“What are you going to do with me?”
“Nothing!” Zomboy promptly answered “Nothing at all. Young talents like you are hard to come by these days. I’d never do anything to harm such a promising new employee.”
“Employee?”
“Feeling proud, aren’t we? And you should be. After all, there’s nothing better than getting a job! Congratulations, my dear, you successfully went through all stages of our so demanding selection process and voilà! You’re hired! You’re going to make such a great farmer!”
“A farmer!?”
“Oh yes! And your payment will be a portion of what you grow, a real win-win deal! You’ll look lovely in overalls.”
“I know nothing about farming!”
“My people will teach you. And you proved to be a fast learner.”
“Alright, enough games!”
“This is not a game, sweetheart. I know your father was an honorable, hard-working machine operator. This kind of entrepreneurship is not new to you.”
“Suppose I don’t want to do any farming? Suppose I don’t want to do a goddamn thing!”
In an impressively fast movement, Zomboy grabbed her arm and pulled her harshly against the bars. He brought her hand to his mouth.
“NO!” Allison shouted.
However, Zomboy only kissed her hand.
“Enchantée” He said.
Zomboy pushed Allison’s head close to his own. She could not fight him, he was surprisingly strong. He sniffed the whole extension of her neck, and his nose moved all the way up to her ear, practically touching her smooth skin.
Allison would not risk moving any muscle or uttering a single peep. She definitely did not want to do anything that could upset the young cadaver in any possible way.
“Nice perfume.” Zomboy said. “You will work for me either as human or zombie.
It’s your choice. Now, which one is going to be?”
Allison was still silent.
“This is not a rhetorical question, dear.” Zomboy insisted.
“Human!” She finally answered.
“Nobody ever says zombie.” Zomboy said and released her arm and head. “See you tomorrow, eight o’clock sharp.”
“I didn’t know you guys could smell.” Allison commented.
“Just enough so we can tell the living from the dead ‒ unless, of course, the dead start wearing perfume, not a bad idea, by the way.”
“Anyway, I must warn you, I’ll be the lousiest farmer there is.”
“You’ll get better in time. And don’t worry. After all, I’ve heard nothing but good things about you. I even provided you with an assistant.”
When Zomboy turned his back on Allison, a reanimated corpse ran to her cage, an ordinary, brute, rough one. Startled, she jumped to the opposite side, to be as far as possible from the attacking beast. And the creature was former human Robert Hedgiest. His eyes were now blurred and he snarled his furious hunger through deformed teeth.
He had a collar around his neck connected to a long chain that attached him to a wall. Such arrangement was the only thing stopping him from going around the cage after his prey.
“Oh Robert” Allison lamented. “At least you don’t have to watch out for your cholesterol anymore.”
Apocalily Series (Book 2): The Almighty Lady of Tomorrow Page 29