The Dead Won't Die

by Joe McKinney

  “What other options do we have?” Jacob asked Stu and Juliette.

  “What do you mean?” Stu said. “This is it.”

  “There are always options,” Jacob said.

  “Not that I can see,” Stu said. “What are you going to do, go back out there? You’d be torn to shreds in seconds.”

  “That’s true.”

  “What if we drive this thing over to the hangar, turn on the power, and then head back over to the charging stations aboard the aerofluyts?”

  “That’s a possibility,” Stu said. “It would at least save us a few days.”

  “Well, yeah. We’d have to drive over to the hangar, which will take probably about thirty minutes. That’s how long it took us to get from the Einstein to here. That’ll use up all the charge we’ve got. Then somebody will have to go outside to turn on the power. Assuming they make it through that, we’ll have to wait overnight, then spend most of the next day charging up again, then make the drive to the Einstein, where we can dock with one of the rapid charging couplers. Fully charged, we should have about two and a half days of power to get where we’re going.”

  “But that won’t be enough to get away from the herd.”

  “No, it won’t. And after that, we’ll be back to the food question again. I estimate we have a week’s worth of days with no food, no matter what we do.”

  “So we’re screwed no matter what we do.”

  “Pretty much,” Stu said.

  Frustrated, Jacob looked away. There was a short set of stairs off to his left that led down to the lower level, into the belly of the APV.

  “Unless . . .”

  He went down the stairs. Stu watched him go, then glanced at Juliette, shrugged his shoulders, and followed Jacob.

  At the base of the stairs, Jacob found a series of three alcoves. Inside each one was a battle suit. Each suit was scuffed up and stained from numerous previous EVAs. They’d all seen plenty of action, that much was obvious, but they all looked sturdy enough.

  “What about these?”

  Stu’s eyebrows went up. “I don’t know. What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking I can shave a day or two off our time,” Jacob said. “What if I put one of these on, head to the hangar, and turn the power on? Meanwhile, you guys head to the Einstein. I’ll turn the power on and meet you there.”

  Stu cupped his chin in his hand and turned slightly toward Juliette. “Four days without food is a lot better than seven.”

  “Definitely,” she said.

  “It won’t be easy,” Stu said. “The suits are amazing, but they’re not indestructible. If they pile on you, they can work their way through the suit in no time.”

  “So, you’re saying, don’t get killed,” Jacob said. “I got it.”

  “Well, okay.”

  Stu looked to Juliette and she shrugged. “It’s worth a shot,” she said.

  “Okay,” Stu said. “I agree. Let’s hook up.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Stu threw a lever and the suit slid out on rails and slowly rotated around. It was split down the back, with buckles on either side of the seam.

  “There’s really no easy way to get in,” Stu said. “Some go the headfirst route, others go feetfirst. It’s your choice.”

  “Which way do you go?”

  “Feetfirst. That way you can point your toes and see where you’re putting them.”

  “Makes sense.”

  Jacob put a hand on the suit’s shoulder and slid his right foot down the suit’s pant leg.

  “Use the bar,” Stu said.

  “What?”

  Stu patted the metal bar that ran behind the helmet. “It’s meant as an assist so you can put both feet down there at the same time. It’s easier if you just jump in that way.”

  “Ah.” Jacob grabbed hold of the bar, and, sure enough, he was able to point his toes down the pant legs and slide right in. “Cool,” he said.

  “Jacob, I’m not sure about this.” It was Kelly. She and Chelsea had gone to the top of the stairs to watch him suit up. “Is this really the best thing we can do?”

  “Kelly, I don’t want to go a week without food. Do you?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I just think this is . . . Jacob, this is crazy.”

  “Hey,” he said. “It’s me.”

  “I know. That’s what scares me.”

  For a moment, his smile wavered. He wanted to say, “Yeah, me, too.” Instead, something from deep inside him spoke up. “Kiss me,” he said.

  “What?”

  He couldn’t believe he’d said it, either, but it was out there now. “You heard me. Last chance forever.”

  She didn’t smile, but she grabbed hold of the balance bar above him and leaned in for a kiss. He felt her lips touch his, and he suddenly knew what he wanted. Her lips tasted like ash, but she tasted so good. He grabbed her hair and kissed her hard, so roughly it made her gasp. For a moment, she seemed on the verge of pulling back, but then she softened to his kiss.

  When he released her, she slowly stood back up and opened her eyes. She was still chalky white from all the ash, but she looked different.

  “I’ll come back,” he said. “I promise.”

  She nodded. “I’ll see you at the Einstein.”

  “You can count on it.” He glanced over at Stu. “Okay, what’s next?”

  “Arch your back. Put your arms through the holes first, then your head through there, at the back of the shoulders. We’ll buckle you up once you’re inside.”

  Jacob did as Stu told him. He slid into the armholes and let his fingers sort themselves out into the finger holes on the gloves. That done, he worked his head up into the helmet and twisted and twitched until he felt comfortably seated.

  “Good?” Stu asked. His voice sounded tinny and far away.

  “Yeah,” Jacob said, almost yelling it. “Seal me up.”

  He’d had to keep his shoulders loose to reach the fingertips of the gloves while the back of the suit was open, but as soon as Stu and Juliette closed it up, he felt everything tighten up around him.

  Looking out the faceplate was strange. From the outside, it had a shiny copper color, but it was as clear as window glass from the inside.

  Then Stu got in front of him and waved in his face. “There’s a red button in front of your chin. Lean forward and tap that with your chin.”

  Jacob did, and the suit lit up instantly. Digital displays lit up all over the inside of the faceplate. “Whoa!” he said.

  “Pretty cool, right?” It took Jacob a second to realize it, but Stu was speaking in a normal voice again, no yelling.

  “I can hear you now,” Jacob said.

  “Yep, I can hear you, too. See those displays in there? Those are suit diagnostics, your basic health screen, and I think this model has sensors to indicate movement in your area.”

  “Not this model,” Juliette said. “This is one of the A2000s. Sensors weren’t integrated until the A2400 series.”

  “Oh, right,” Stu said. “Sorry, no sensors. No weapons, either.”

  “No weapons? Are you kidding?”

  “Unfortunately not. But these early suits had a few tricks of their own. See that nozzle on top of your right wrist?”

  Jacob raised his right arm, and was surprised as the mechanical assist kicked in.

  “Yeah, that’ll take a bit to get used to,” Stu said. “The suit will amplify any movement you make. That’s why you don’t need weapons, really. When you get too close to a zombie just hit them. The mechanical assist will give you enough power to probably knock their heads off.”

  Jacob nodded, a futile gesture as they couldn’t see him inside the helmet. “You were saying about this nozzle.”

  “Oh yeah. These early suits were developed as riot control gear. That nozzle fires a foam that hardens on contact. Spray it at a zombie’s legs and it’ll be like you threw a lasso at them. Just go easy on it, though. I don’t think it carries very much.”

>   “Right,” Jacob said. “So, am I ready to go?”

  “Yep, let me check something real quick.” He ran to the top of the stairs and did something with one of the computers. “Okay,” he called down. “Got it. The suit transmits all your vital signs here, and I’ve just locked your mic open. We’ll be able to monitor your life signs continuously, and if you need anything, all you have to do is speak. We’re listening.”

  “Alright, get me out of this cradle so I can go.”

  Stu hit another lever and it dropped Jacob to the deck. “That way,” he said, and pointed Jacob to a large side panel in the wall. “I’ll drop the door, but there’s going to be zombies all over the place. Get through the door as soon as you can so we can close it back up.”

  “Got it.”

  “Jacob,” Kelly said. He turned awkwardly in her direction. “You be careful.”

  She rose up on her toes and kissed the faceplate.

  “I will,” he said.

  “You ready?” Stu said.

  Jacob raised his fists and shook them.

  “Okay, here goes.”

  The side panel heaved open. Sunlight flooded into the darkened hold of the APV, but Jacob’s faceplate adjusted to the glare and made it so he didn’t even have to squint. “Nice,” he muttered. But he had to get right back on the clock because as soon as the door tilted far enough to create an opening, arms started reaching through the cracks on either side.

  “Hit them hard and see if you can push them back,” Stu said.

  The next instant, that’s exactly what Jacob did. The door tilted all the way open and he rushed the crowd waiting there. With his arms spread wide he scooped up four on each side and heaved them forward, even as he ran over another one.

  “Close it,” he said.

  The door rose back into place quickly, but not before a zombie managed to wedge itself into the crack. Jacob circled back around, his movements stiff and awkward, yet he could feel the tremendous force tied up in every step, every swing of his arms. He grabbed the zombie by its hair and pulled back and down. He’d only intended to pull the thing out of the way of the door, but the mechanical assist snapped the thing’s neck. The body fell out of the way, mouth opening and closing as its white eyes locked on Jacob, the head bent all the way back.

  “Damn,” Jacob said.

  He turned toward the main hangar installation and started walking.

  Right away a crowd of zombies gathered around him. Pushing the crowd back from the door had given him a false sense of security, and he reached his arms out to do it again.

  It was a mistake, and he knew it right away.

  His suit was incredibly powerful, but they were many, and their combined weight pushed him back against the hull of the APV so hard and so suddenly that it knocked the wind out of him.

  They clawed at his faceplate and pulled at his armor, but they couldn’t penetrate. He rooted his legs and found the mechanical assist there enough to make sure he didn’t fall to the ground.

  “Push them out of the way one at a time,” Stu said. “That’s the suit’s advantage.”

  “Got it,” Jacob said.

  He stopped trying to swing his arms like clubs, and instead stuck his gloved hand in the mouth of the nearest zombie and ripped its face in two. Then he shoved that one to the side and started grabbing more zombies. Stu was right. When he focused on them one at a time, the zombies went flying around like birds.

  Soon, he was moving again.

  The surrounding herd was starting to notice him, and more and more zombies veered his way, but that was okay. He developed a rhythm. As soon as one got too close, he’d grab it, any part of it, and pull down as hard as he could. A few tries and he started to get the hang of bringing the whole zombie down without severing the thing’s limbs, but even with practice that still happened. A few of the zombies were so badly decayed it couldn’t be helped.

  And so he plodded onward, pulling down any zombie that got too close, a juggernaut in the land of the dead.

  CHAPTER 25

  Jacob hadn’t been able to see much except the roofline of the main hangar from the Squadron Training Center Building. But now that he was less than a hundred meters away, he could see all of it. It was really just a big empty barn, open on one side, large enough to house the giant Airbuses of the Old World’s military. There was a smaller building off to the right side of it, but it looked like a rusting hulk. He could see leaning walls of corrugated tin forming wide corridors through the open ground floor of the building, but the whole thing looked shoddy and in ill repair.

  He turned to the right and saw three aerofluyts in the distance. They were huge and graceful, like skyscrapers turned on their side, and it was hard to believe that something so majestic could be made impotent by a power source so grungy-looking.

  It didn’t help that there were zombies crawling all over everything.

  “This place is a wreck,” he said.

  “Budget cuts,” Stu answered back. “I’ll be sure and tell Councilman Brooks when he comes to what you think of our accommodations.”

  “Yeah,” Jacob said. “You do that.”

  “How you doing?”

  A zombie got too close and Jacob grabbed the dead woman’s face like he was palming a basketball and threw her to the ground, breaking her back. She lay doubled over, hands groping in the air for a piece of him.

  Jacob took a few steps away from her, just so he didn’t have to watch.

  “I’m doing alright,” he said. “No complaints. Now, tell me what I’m looking for.”

  “Okay, there should be a smaller building to one side of the hangar. Do you see that?”

  “The one that looks like it’s about to fall over?”

  “That’s the one,” Stu said. “Now, the main floor of that building is made up of mostly access corridors for stuff that needs to go out to aerofluyt yards. There are stairs at different points on the ground floor. You’ll need to take any one of them up to the fourth floor. That’s the very top. That’s where you’ll find the flight controller’s crow’s nest. The main control switch for the entire flight line is there. Get there and I’ll walk you through the process to reengage the flight line’s power supply.”

  “Roger that,” Jacob said.

  He walked toward the hangar, slamming zombies out of the way as he plodded forward. When he reached the base of the building, he found himself facing half a dozen different corridors. There were no signs, no indications of which way to go.

  “Shit,” he said.

  “What is it?” Stu said. He sounded worried.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Jacob answered. “But this is going to take some time.”

  There were zombies in every corridor, so it wasn’t a matter of choosing the path of least resistance. It was all going to be difficult. Instead, he thought back to what Stu had said, that all these corridors were meant as access points to various parts of the flight line. The building above him seemed cobbled together through simple expediency, with little to no attention whatsoever given to aesthetics. And if the main point of the building was to give the flight line commander a clear view of the flight line, it stood to reason there would be a stairwell on the side of the building that faced the aerofluyts, so that the flight line commander could get to his post as quickly as possible.

  So Jacob walked around the perimeter of the building until he came to the flight line side, and sure enough, there was a rickety-looking metal staircase leading up to the fourth floor.

  For a moment, Jacob wondered if it could hold his weight. It looked awfully flimsy. But he really didn’t have any other choice, and he knew it. Though he hated heights, he was going to have to climb.

  As he was thinking, he felt hands fall on his back. He’d really almost stopped caring about the zombies, because even when they managed to grab him, like this one had, the suit allowed him to throw them off with ease. And, of course, he didn’t have to worry about them clawing their way through the armor.
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br />   He handled this zombie the same way he’d handled the many others that had put their hands on him. He spun around sharply, so suddenly that the zombie didn’t have a chance to let go, and sent the thing sprawling in the dirt. This zombie was no exception. Jacob turned quickly, and the thing tumbled into the wall, landing in a rumpled pile of twisted arms and legs against the base of the wall.

  Jacob was about to turn back to the unpleasant task of climbing the decayed staircase when he stopped.

  Something was glittering in the sunlight about sixty meters away, on the back side of the hangar, though what exactly it was he couldn’t say because most of it was hidden from view by a small shed. He advanced on the shed, stopping every few meters to scan his surroundings. North of the hangar, out beyond the shed, there was nothing but open desert.

  Desert and zombies as far as the eye could see.

  But as he rounded the corner of the shed, he saw one of the oddest things he’d ever laid eyes on. “What the hell?”

  “What is it?” Stu said.

  “I don’t know. Looks like the cars we saw all over Galveston.”

  “What?”

  “Temple, I mean.”

  “Yeah, I know. What kind of vehicle? Do you mean an electric car?”

  “I guess. Doesn’t exactly look like the cars I saw back in Temple. Looks more like a miniature version of the APV you guys are in. Looks like it has a little two-wheeled trailer behind it, too.”

  “Jacob, I . . .”

  “Stand by,” Jacob said. “Let me check this thing out.”

  He walked around the vehicle, taking note of all the dents and bloodstains and bits of scalp and bone stuck in its edges. All the damage looked fresh; no rust; nothing wiped away. Jacob went back to the trailer and tried to work the handle. It wouldn’t budge, so, figuring it was locked, he used the suit’s mechanically assisted strength to pull the lid off the thing.

  “Whoa!” he said.

  “What is it?” Stu asked. “Come on, Jacob, talk to me. Tell me what you’re looking at.”

  “Those power cells you were telling me about, what do they look like?”

  “Power cells? For the APVs?”