Our Undead

by Theo Vigo

  Gwen: Right. Thanks.

  Erika continues on her way and Gwen watches her walk off before moving on to meet the doctors.

  <><><>

  Doctor Alyster is standing over his desk, looking down into Fausta's glass cage. His face is lit by the light of two surrounding desk lamps. From here, he hears the shudder of the sliding door and Holden's heavy approaching footsteps. He addresses him without turning around.

  Dr. Alyster: Velcome back, Holden.

  Only when Holden reaches his side does Doctor Alyster turn his head up to look at him. His hands are empty.

  Dr. Alyster: Did you bring miene sandvich?

  Holden unzips his vest and pulls out the last remaining wrapped sandwich from his inside pocket. He hands it to the doctor.

  Dr. Alyster: Sanks for keeping it varm for me, alshought, I don't know many people who like zheir cold-cuts heated.

  Holden: You need to get out more. How is Fausta coming along?

  Dr. Alyster: Fabulously! Her hels hasn't decreased, as a matter of fact, it seems to be increasing.

  Holden joins the doctor, looking down on Fausta the mouse. The little ball of white fur is staring back up at them, looking very spritely and energized.

  Dr. Alyster: As you vitnessed earlier, Fausta vas able to break shrough two peecess of sin vood at a time before feeling tired. Now, vhile you vere just out, she has broken shrough shree peecess of vood, and she does not show any sign of fatigue vhat so evah.

  Holden: Progress… I should warn you. I met one of my team's members in the cafeteria. She tried to interrogate me.

  Dr. Alyster: How do you know zhat she vas not merely being curious?

  Holden: Because Blaze has no tact. She wanted to know more than she let on, and it was clear that the doctors were the ones who wanted her to do it. You should expect some tension. Maybe you should work faster.

  Dr. Alyster: No! I should not have to vorry. You vill take care of anyone who attempts to introod. It is no matter anyhow, I vill vait until tomorrow and zhen let Feleidah know zhat it is time to test on zhe human zubjecks. For now,.. lukevarm cold-cuts!

  The little man waddles off to his messy desk to eat his sandwich, leaving Holden at the high desk. He peers down with intrigue at the mouse. If the little one survives the night, human testing would begin, and he would soon know the true power the little parasite. So impatient, waiting for Eternity to be perfected.

  <><><>

  The D-9 lab looks just like the rest of the laboratories, except many beds are lined up in a row to one side, all of them covered by curtains. Two security men stand attentively at each side of the door. When she enters, Professor Gavine spots Doctor Rohan where she usually sees him, sitting at a high desk, looking into a microscope. She calls out to him as she approaches.

  Gwen: So Rohan, what was this about… a parasite was it?

  Rohan: We listened to what that Blaze lady had to say and paid close attention to the skeletal region of the patients. We ran cerebral spinal fluid tests on two subjects, one of our fevered ones and one that has already turned. It seems we missed a few things the first time around. Remind me to apologize to that female super soldier.

  Gwen: So, what did you find then!?

  Doctor Rohan slides one of the microscopes over. Gwen takes it apprehensively and looks into the scope.

  Gwen: A parasite… There're so many. This… was in their spinal fluid?

  Rohan: That's right.

  Gwen: So you were right then. It's not the virus we thought it was… Have you been able to figure out how it works?

  Rohan: That part we haven't figured out yet, but I think you're missing something very important. Look again.

  Gwen puts her eye back down to the lens.

  Rohan: This is not a regular parasite, Gwen. There are human technologies integrated into it. It's some kind of… I don't know, cybernetic parasite. Among many other things, there is one thing you must now know for certain.

  Gwen: This was man made.

  Rohan: Aaaah, good.

  Gwen: Feleider… Son of a bitch. Where's is Doctor Keung?

  Rohan: Tending to the patient that has already gone through the metamorphosis. Tranquillizing.

  Gwen walks over to one of the beds and swishes the curtain open. Inside, a live zombie lays face down on a hospital bed. She can't see its face because it sits comfortably in the hole at the head of the mattress, but it's entire body wriggles and shakes the bed. Fortunately, the harnesses clasped tightly to its wrists, ankles and mid-section make it impossible for it to get up. Doctor Keung acknowledges Gwen's presence when she enters.

  Keung: Hello, doctor.

  Gwen: Hello. Rohan just informed me about your findings. Once you both have finished letting go of the patients, you'll bring samples of everything back to the lab in A-1, and we'll go into heavy testing mode, all right?

  Keung: Great.

  The body on the table writhes, and then writhes with more vigor. With each second that goes by, the zombie seems to be becoming livelier, until it starts to shake the bed a little too chaotically.

  Gwen: Would you tranq this guy already?

  Keung: Mmhm, sorry.

  Doctor Keung picks up a syringe of tranquillizer and injects it into the back of the undead patient's neck. It's movements gradually slow and become less frantic, until finally, it becomes absolutely still.

  Keung: So, when are you going to tell Feleider about this? I bet you can't wait.

  Gwen: First thing tomorrow. I'm almost certain he already knows, he and Doctor Alyster. I'll get to them in time. For now, I wanna get a look at this thing. We'll test all night if we have to. The more we know before I confront the general, the better.

  Keung: I hope I'm around to see it. I always miss your infamous debates.

  She answers him as she walks out of the room.

  Gwen: Consider yourself lucky, Doctor. I'll see you two when you get back to A-1.

  Both Rohan and Keung offer her salutations and continue tending to their business. Gwen walks out of the office, nodding at the two sentry guards standing by as she does.

  <><><>

  The desert air is uncommonly warm for it being already well into the night. It doesn't help that Erika is wearing so many layers. Her bra, undershirt, t-shirt, jacket and vest would have her sweating bullets if it weren't for the cool breeze that blows mild and constant. She stands waiting in the mostly barren landscape, which is now virtually covered in darkness. The only lights are the six blinking beacons lining the border of the helicopter's landing pad, about fifty feet away. Those, and the millions of stars scattered about the sky.

  A grey mist rises up the side of Erika's body and past her face, eventually fading away into the black. Her hand follows the trail of smoke up to her face. In it, she holds a cigarette and places the butt in between her lips. She takes a drag, and the tip burns bright orange. As she exhales, she can hear a sputtering sound, still pretty far off but getting closer.

  Erika: (huffs) Finally…

  She flicks the excess ash from the end of her cigarette and looks up to the stars, searching among them for her team. The sound grows louder, but the source stays well hidden, camouflaged against the night sky. Soon, Erika sees the helicopter's blinking lights almost right above her head. It descends and makes a safe landing in the center of the pad. Shortly after, Kerrick and Sharp can be seen jumping out, but then Erika witnesses them helping out three more unfamiliar faces.

  Erika: Who the hell?

  The group of five start walking toward her. One of them is clearly a child, beside him, a girl with an injury, and beside her, a man who looks to be injured as well. The helicopter engine powers off, and the pilots hop out and follow along.

  Kerrick: Why hello there, pretty lady.

  Erika: Hey, yourself. I see you brought back some extra baggage. Is everyone all right?

  Sharp: We're not terrible. This is Billy, Margaret… and Abe.

  Erika: Welcome, guys.

  Erika can hardly see t
he new arrival's faces in the dark of night, so her response is more casual than one of our knowledge might expect. Billy, Margaret and Abe all groan tiredly in unison.

  Sharp: They've been through a lot. This one's ankle is fractured. She's gonna need a cast.

  Erika: I guess we should get inside then.

  Margaret: Inside? Inside wha-

  Erika activates the elevator before Margaret can finish her sentence, and the large room starts to rise up from the trembling ground. Like something out of a movie, the sight of the metal box towering over them wakes Margaret and Billy right out of the leftover grog from their naps on the helicopter, and then the door begins to slide open. The light from inside is so blinding that everyone has to shield their eyes, everyone except Abe. When the doors finish opening, they start walking in.

  Kerrick: Well, that was nice.

  Erika: Aaaw, was the light too bright for baby Matty?

  After reprimanding Kerrick, Erika takes another drag of her cigarette and the smoke floats back into Sharp's face. He fans it away, disgusted.

  Sharp: I'll never understand why you smoke that garbage.

  Erika: I like the burn.

  She stops to take one last drag before entering the elevator room and is about to flick the butt, when Kerrick grabs her wrist.

  Kerrick: I think there's enough on there for one more.

  He takes the cigarette out of her hand and takes a toke, finishing it right down to the butt, then flicks it off into the desert. Kerrick and Erika share a flirtatious glance while the others walk into the elevator unnoticed by the two of them. Erika turns away from Kerrick, about to take her first step into the room, when it finally becomes clear to her. The brightness of the room reveals every member of the group, and Erika sees Abe's true nature for the first time. Her reaction is the same, if not faster than Sharp's, pulling out her gun and aiming it straight for Abe's forehead.

  Erika: Shit, man!

  Sharp: Hey, now. It's all right, Blaze. He's… safe.

  Erika: Sure, just like cigarettes are safe.

  Kerrick walks by her and into the room, patting her on the shoulder reassuringly as he passes.

  Kerrick: Don't worry. He's cool.

  She looks at the pilots, who are still standing on the outside with her, and then back at everyone else. If the children are fine, then it must be okay. She puts her gun back into its holster, coming down off the adrenaline, but still feeling a little shaken.

  Kerrick: Aw, come on. And I thought I was the baby.

  Erika: Shut your mouth.

  Kerrick's snide remark is enough to get her to walk inside. She'd rather risk fighting a zombie than let Kerrick win an argument any day of the week. She does, however, keep both eyes on Abe while entering.

  Pilot: Excuse me, ma’am, but what do we do with the hawk?

  Erika: Just leave it.

  Surprised but obedient, the pilot and co-pilot join the rest inside the white room. With everyone inside, Erika activates the lift with her remote, and the door growls shut. The whole room lowers itself back into the ground, and so does the flight pad, bringing the helicopter underground and sealing off the surface with imitation desert turf.

  Already half way down, Sharp and Kerrick have made sure to inform Erika on everything that has happened since they have been out. They give her an even briefer version of the story Margaret told them and all the details they can from the time they discovered the colossal mob of infected. It's all pretty easy for her to accept and she takes in all the information well. She has been through enough as a member of The Mav-Elite and it has given her a strong constitution.

  Erika: I'm really sorry to hear that you guys had such a rough time out there. I sympathize with you, I really do, but do you really think we're going to be able to just walk this fella around without having every person we pass by react the same way I did? I would hate to see you have to try talking all of them down.

  Sharp: You have a point. The grunts are pretty skittish aren't they?

  Margaret: What can we do?

  Erika: I can radio Professor Gavine. She can bring some men to pick him up. I'm sure the doctors are gonna want to take a look at him.

  Margaret: They're not going to hurt him are they?! I don't want to be here if Abe isn't going to be safe. I'm serious. We can leave right now. Just bring us back up.

  Sharp: Calm down. That won't be necessary. I'll make sure nothing happens to him.

  Sharp already has a sense of the unusually deep connection shared between Margaret and the goof. Usually he wouldn't care, but there is something about the passion in her face whenever she talks about the undead thing. Sharp had never imagined that one of them could become domesticated, not those slime drooling, clumsy, groaners that he had killed so many of. Erika can clearly see the concern, not only in Margaret's face but in Sharp's as well. They both look quite anxious, although, probably for different reasons.

  Erika: Maybe I can tell her to leave the men behind.

  Erika unclasps the transmitter from her vest and dials three digits. Everybody listens to the ringing that comes from it, until it is interrupted by a fair and unclear voice.

  Erika: Hi, Gwen. Yea, I'm gonna need you to meet the boys and me at the elevators in Block-A. Yea. They, um, brought back some survivors so bring a truck, and make sure to come by yourself… Yes… Oh, and Gwen, please bring a large bed sheet… Yes, that's right… Oh, you'll see… Thanks… Okay, guys. She'll be meeting us down in the shipping/receiving area.

  A few more minutes of descent, and the elevator comes to an abrupt stop.

  Erika: We're here.

  Kerrick: Problem with the door?

  Erika: I'm keeping them closed until Gwen gets here, smart-ass. She should be here any minute.

  She gets a notification seconds after finishing her sentence.

  Erika: … and there she is… Hi, Gwen. We're here, inside of lift one… Yea, we're gonna come out, but first you have to come in... Please, just trust me, professor… Okay, bye… Guys, she's coming inside.

  Sharp: Good.

  Erika: But uh, maybe you might wanna shield that guy or turn him around or something. Let's ease her into it, huh?

  Billy takes initiative and helps Abe turn around so that now he is facing the back wall of the room. He nods at Erika, letting her know that it's okay to open up the elevator. She presses a button on her controller, and the doors open up to the ever-busy shipping and receiving area. They see Gwen immediately, standing in the dead center of the split as the two halves of the door separate. She is holding a large white sheet and walks right in before the lift even gets the chance to open fully. Right away, Erika triggers the door to close as soon as Gwen gets inside.

  Gwen: Hello, all. These are the survivors. Welcome. So, what's the problem?

  Erika: Uh, right. Well, this is Margaret. This is Billy, and uh *ahem* this is Abe.

  Gwen: It's always nice to recover more survivors. I can't believe there was anybody still out there. Your foot…

  Erika: Yea, she's got a break in her ankle, pretty bad they tell me.

  Gwen: I'm sorry about that, but it could've been worse, much worse. Uhmm, might I ask, what is so fascinating about that back wall?

  She is referring to Abe, who is still standing with his back turned away from her.

  Erika: Yea, that's why I told you to bring the sheet. See, the thing about Abe is…

  Erika signals for Billy to turn Abe around. Gwen recoils with shock and surprise when she sees what he looks like from the front.

  The large elevator doors, once again, get to whirring open, and the group of people walk out and down its ramp. Everyone tries to retain calm expressions, like bad actors, pretending as if one of them isn't covered down to his knees with a white bed sheet, but it's hard enough not grabbing any attention when their group looks completely beaten up in the first place. Luckily, a transport truck is not too far away, waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp, with a man sitting in the driver's seat.

  E
rika: I thought I asked you to come alone.

  Gwen: I'm truly sorry about that. I didn't realize the magnitude of the situation. Bring him around back.

  The others walk around to the back, and Gwen stops at the driver's side window.

  Driver: More survivors, that's great! What's that one guy's problem?

  Gwen: Stage fright. You'll be taking us to the Care Centre first, then to Lab D-9. I'll be riding in the back with the others.

  The driver finds her answer strange but doesn't dare to question his superior. He nods, and Gwen makes her way to the back. Everyone is already sitting on the benches inside, except for the pilots.

  Pilot: Ma’am, this is our first time here. I believe we have to sign in.

  Gwen: That's right. Registration is right over there.

  Pilot: Thank you, ma’am.

  The pair of flyboys salute the professor and their former travelling companions and start for the Main Administrative Office. Gwen joins the rest of the group in the back of the truck, and the driver pulls off for the Care Centre. When they pull up to it, the driver stops and lets his passengers know that they have arrived. With everyone still seated in the back, Gwen delegates.