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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 16 2008, 4:15 PM EDT (current) | Marsden | 42 words added, 34 words deleted |
| May 13 2008, 12:07 AM EDT | one_ofmany | 3497 words added |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Reawakened
Michelle stood on the steps of the concrete high rise, twenty stories of rushed government construction, and tried to brace herself for the day's errand. It wasn't enough she had the anxiety of leaving her bed ridden wife alone but she had to face the swarms of people between her and her destination. Michelle had developed acute cases of anxiety, social phobia and agoraphobia since being settled in the safe zone. The walk would bring her within a stones throw of all her fears. The tented new citizen integration area for one. Some of them wouldn't even be fitted with vital monitors yet, just some soldiers and barbed fence between her and a new horror. It would be important to note on the walk to Dr. Fiddler's all the modern security tech and it's flawless design, the citizen watch, the military, as long as she felt safe maybe she could keep one foot moving in time with the other. Michelle thought about calling to cancel, but her wife would know she buckled, and Michelle didn't like to appear so frail when Dawn needed her most.
Michelle stepped onto the sidewalk, the building directly across from her own was a mirror image. Just a tall square block of utility, reinforced windows with their caged hazard lights, screamer speakers, one each level, and a large spotlight like a cherry on top. Inside would be just as familiar, fire alarms, dead alarms, and glass kill boxes every few feet. The kill boxes held everything extinguishers, hose, axes, and guns, all waiting for an emergency. If your humanity plug got pulled, your home system would go into lock in, and everyone outside would hear about it, but all was quiet right now. "Good", Michelle thought out loud, the last thing she needed was to hear an alarm, especially after last nights nightmare.
The walk down K street and onto first went well, the site of the citizen watch and military was comforting and there were plenty of lit up panic buildings and bio hazard routes. Everything here was about how undead proof an area or shelter was, how safe, how many ways to get away, and where to hide. If you weren't sizing up your surroundings you weren't paranoid enough. Michelle wanted to carry a gun, but they were in short supply. Doled out to the military and watch groups, as well as the kill boxes in the government housing. There had been a spree of robberies when the gun boxes where first put up, but now they're equipped with a camera to snap a pic of anyone breaking the kill box. It was public stocks for a week and two lashes a day by a random lottery winner, if you got caught.
The walk down first was over, Michelle stood at the gaping mouth of the subway entrance, it was never a welcome site. In her mind it felt like being swallowed, trapped. She'd felt that before, on the run, always close to death, death that craved for you, leaving you hiding in the dark and out of options. Michelle had turned back here more then once, but not today, she had to be strong now. The subway was never crowded, most felt the same as she did. There were hardly any bio hazard routes and even less panic hideouts. The safety center said the cars themselves were meant to be panic sites, with their reinforced windows, heavy locking doors and kill boxes. Although it was hard to equate anything made of all doors and windows with safety, if you'd been a runner. There was a small group huddled on the landing waiting for the next pass, two others were separated from the group obviously wanting to board a private car if possible. A year ago Michelle would have been one of those loners. Just because someone had a pulse didn't mean they were safe. The living had been the catalyst of as many horrors in her life as the dead. It'd be a year next week that Michelle and Dawn were settled here, and here had proved to be different, at least for now. This new measure of civility and law had taken it's toll on Michelle's mind, her new logic dictated survival was more important then people phobia and this was a nice small healthy group, for now safety was in numbers.
Michelle took off toward the small group, as she got closer a familiar flutter in her gut made her falter. Their faces, the way they stood there, tense, scared, even angry. Reading people was an art form, that could save your life, no no one told the truth, at least in her past experiences, but people betrayed themselves in many ways. One young man holding tight to the hand of a pregnant woman, looked the most angry. He was rough looking, and sporting a look that at one time would have been described as goth. He kept shooting quick glances to his right, puffing up each time he turned. Michelle changed her direction to come in behind the group, she needed to see what was so distressing before committing to the next train.
The point of contention was an old man, an old sick man, complete with walker, oxygen tank and a pasty wet complexion. Anyone old enough or sick enough to go at any proverbial moment were called Reapers. The old and the sick were not welcome among most, a bomb waiting to go off. The reek of dissent was getting strong in the city over the Reaper issue. There was a motion in the city to deny Reapers freedom of movement, confine them to their own buildings, with no exit. There were enough ways for the healthy to die suddenly on the street without welcoming Reapers. Dawn was a Reaper, Michelle tensed at the thought then reprimanded herself for her fear. Michelle was still verbally abusing herself when the first shout reverberated through the cavernous subway station.
"Get your own fuckinfuckingg car Reaper, my wife's pregnant, we don't want you near us!!", It was the goth man. He was now standing in between his wife and the Reaper, his face and body looked different more squared and muscular. Michelle moved in closer to the group, curiosity was a powerful drug.
"I have every right to be here, I'm no threat to you, leave me be.", the admonishment may have carried some weight if the reaper hadn't taken so long to wheeze it out.
Michelle had seen this before, and more and more lately. Goth and his wife could move to another car, but as far as the majority was concerned reapers should take responsibility for their condition and keep away from them. It was a strange battle being fought. The old reapers would remind all of past histories were prejudice and panic took over, none of which led to good things. Though the Reapers weren't a group, a race, a religious sect.. they were a bio hazard. Michelle caught herself in that last thought, another set of guilt and self hate exercises were bubbling. Her punishment would have to wait, her senses told her this was far from over.
There was a murmur among the group, Michelle wasn't close enough to make out the conversation, only Goth got a little loud a couple times allowing her to hear, "..why should we.." and "..christ..""..Christ.."
All as one the little group moved past the reaper and onto the next colored block, indicating a different car. It should have been over, according to current politics the reaper had even won the argument. But now powered by either stupidity or fearlessness the reaper very slowly dragged himself and his tank toward the small torch less mob. It wasn't just Goth man who looked pissed now, tense but once stoic faces were now contorting in anger.
Like they were one person the yelling started, one over the other catching a word from this one or that one. It made no difference the chain formed an ominous sentencing.
"..you..", "..fuck..", "..get..", "..away..", "tried..", "..be civil..", "..you..", "..bring..", "..this..", "..just and example..", "..you people..", "..need a beating.."!!!!
"What's the yelling!?", two watchmen had come from in from behind the turn style, Michelle hadn't remembered seeing them when entering. One male and one female, they didn't look particularly friendly.
"This reaper is following us!!", goth motioned toward the frail man, still heading toward the angry mob despite their hostility. Both watchmen rolled their eyes in sync at the sight of the reaper.
Being a part of the watch was a dangerous job, some did it out of a sense of duty, others for the money, and some because it was all they were skilled for. In Michelle's opinion daily doses of killing, no matter how inhumane you tried to color the dead, wasn't good for the mind. As such the watch proved to be a little unpredictable in situations that didn't involve braining something.
The two watchmen moved between the mob and the reaper, "Sir, please move back to your landing.", it was the man who spoke.
"I have every right to ride on whatever car I want.", the reaper had to halt his forward movement to speak, doing both at the same time would have been to much of a strain.
"Sir, you have every right to ride the train, BUT these people have made an effort to avoid you. If you follow them it's harassment. I will bring you in, and I will find something to charge you with. I don't think you'd like to be on the receiving end of the justice system, now would you?", the watchmen winked at the reaper.
Both him and his female counterpart were looking overly proud of themselves. Smirking at the reaper, a snide smile that said, we win. It was a patent human expression that for some reason, no matter why worn, always made Michelle want to break the smirking ass in half. They knew damn well that the little man wouldn't survive any current punishments that now passed as the law.
The reaper said nothing, he simply turned back around.
********************************************************
These subway crawls took far longer then they should. The trains moved slow to avoid accidents from under maintenancedmaintained tracks, or so they said. The trains made no sub stops anymore just one place to the next, the settled area was small enough to allow this and again it was "safer". The safety center denied it but it was common knowledge they didn't have total control of the underground. The panic stations passed by were manned, the train moved slowly enough for the occasional sounds of humanity to be picked out while passing the high intensity red lit markers. The windows of the train were blacked out, supposedly to control the level of panic if a train were assaulted. Most everyone else though it was to mask exactly what those sporadic hard choppy bumps might be.
Michelle thought she heard a gunshot, and could see she wasn't the only one either. Then another, she could make out the red glow now, must be almost on top of a panic hideout. There was a hard thud, and she slid to the left a few inches, the next hit sent her up.
"Shit" .. "ouch" .."you ok babe?" .. "my soup!!" Michelle didn't know who said what she was gripping the vertical bar infrontin front of her, head down.
Her breath was coming in fits and gasps, and her left heel was hopping up and down excitedly without any direction self direction. Someone in the car laughed, Michelle felt the mix of anger and ambarresmentembarrassment rising and heating her skin. She'd been a runner, something shut in's couldn't possibly imagine. Always moving, it was hard going when death was chasing you. Her little survivor didn't like sitting still while the predator was reaching for her coller. She was in fight or flight mode and couldn't cater to either call. The appearance of a pair of worn engineer boots broke off Michelle's silent rant, it was goth guy. Standing in front her, holding the same rail, and wearing a new look, friendly smile. Michelle was not in the mood for chit chat but goth goth guy was likely playing the comfort damsil card, something you didn't see much anymore. The dead lands were full of roving gangs and small fortifications, forced drafting was common place. You and your gear, for women this was worse then a death sentace.sentance.
"Vital signs critical! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!!" The Vitals System screamed.
Red light from the connecting car door window flooded into car seven, just as the grey wash of the security monitors kicked in. Michelle's gaze was still fixed on goth guy. The contrasting light bath made him appear like something out of an old graphic novel. All the monitors had kicked in at once and were were showing car six, split into four sections. It was the Reaper, he was on the floor and dragging himself toward, something. His oxygen tank was on the opposite side of the car then his walker, but he wasn't dragging himself toward the tank. His equipment must have gone flying from the previous disturbance. Michelle thought she saw something tiny move in one of the split screens.
"Shit, looks like a pill bottle.", a female voice from behind Michelle said a bit too coolly.
"It looks like he needs it bad, someone's going to have to go in." Michelle spoke softly.
"Vital signs critical! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!!" The Vitals System reminded.
"If you think a pill can stop death", the women huffed "then go in there and give it to him yourself."
Michell turned to look at the voice, the girl was young, probably the same age as Michelle, early twenties. There wasn't a sense of concern or fear about her at all, she just stood there smirking, eyes dead locked on Michelle's, but looking right past her. She was just as dead as anything upright and rotting. The others, for all their big talk on the boarding ramp, were at least showing some signs of humanity now.
"Vital signs Terminated!! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!!" the synthetic voice sounded far to cheery, "Four minutes to resuscitate."
"Count me out on that resuscitate, Madame circuits." the dead girl laughed at her own joke, it was the same laugh Michelle heard before.
Goth guy turned from the connecting window, "Okay listen up, I'm armed" he flashed a .22 carbine hanging in his trench. "if any of you want to try an resusitateresuscitate I'll cover you. I however am not wrapping my lips around that thing. Those old fuckers on oxygen don't have four minutes, they weren't getting enough to begin with, their brains die faster."
There was an expression of defeat on every face in car seven but dead girl. No one was going in, too much to risk for a stranger, a Reaper at that. No one needed to say anything the silence said enough, all attentions were returned to the connecting window and secruitysecurity monitors.
"Vital signs Terminated!! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!! Less then three minutes to resuscitate."
The train began to slow, if Michelle were lucky it would get to their stop before he turned and he would not legally be their problamproblem anymore. Leave him for the citizen watch to handle other wise they'd all be responsible for putting him down. It would be a great bad day, the train came to a halt and Reaper was still motionless. Michelle and the rest of car seven bulldozed out onto the ramp. Goth guy slapped a concrete pillar and yelled "SAFE!!" Even Michelle cracked a small smile, humor came in strange forms, had to take it when you could get it.
The hazard lights at the boarding station were going off in tandom with the train car, as both Vital computers sang their next death verse together. "Vital signs Terminated!! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!! Less then one minute to resuscitate."
Michelle looked to goth guy, she thought maybe some sort of friendly gesture might be in order. He and his girl were standing no more then two feet away right next to the pillar, they both smiled at Michelle. Goth guy took a step forward, when the unmistakable swoosh of a train car door, stopped him in his tracks.
"FUCK ME!!" goth guy yelled, and pulled his .22 from the trench.
The zombiefied reaper was up and out of the car. The car 6 hazard light was on but the lock in mechanism hadn't kicked in. Michelle passed up fear for a momentary laspelapse of fury, everyone now had the Discovery channel on free cable TV, nice trade for un matenencedun-mantained security locks. Dead girl let out a high pitched whistle she was maybe an arms length from the ex-reaper.
"Move damnit I can't get a shot!" goth guy's .22 was fixed on it and ready.
"Fuck that, poor old man just wants some titties" dead girl, let out that same, nails on chalkboard laugh as she lowered the collar on her shirt and shook them for the reaper.
"C'mon baby you know you want it" she cooed trying to sound sultry. The ex-reaper was starting to get his dead legs, the last step he took at her was a bit less shaky then any he made when he was dependant on his oxygen tank.
"Move it you whore!!" goth guy growled, "I'm taking this shot in three whether you're in the way or not!"
Dead girl turned and glared at goth guy, "Who the fu...!". The ex-reaper took a nice walker and oxygen tank free lunge toward dead girl.
Goth guy fired, but missed, the ex-reaper had gotten to close for a clear shot. Blood spat out of dead girl's shoulder, and she wasn't the only one who screamed.
Michelle hadn't seen or heard them coming, they were just suddenly there. Three watchmen, closed in on the gory scene. Two held distance poles, one went for the ex-reaper the other for dead girl. Dead girl, was still screaming when he pinned her down, the ex-reaper wasn't far enough away not to be getting in a good bite. The third watchmen put a hole, brain center, in dead girl, then put down the zombie.
Michelle was pretty sure she'd be missing her appointment today but at least she'd have a fairly decent excuse.
****************************************************************************
If there were a god these kinds of ironies would have been left out of the fairy tale. At least these watchman were still human enough to have put down dead girl first. Michelle had seen it go the other way, a good show for the gathering crowd, make an example out of the idiot. It might once have passed for a nice day but there was no ignoring the killboxes,kill-boxes, random shouts of command, and the sounds of construction coming from all directions. The false park setting Michelle remembered being in was supposed to be the community gathering area. Some small newly planted trees offset by some larger transplanted tilted ones. The flowers had been planted but not yet bloomed, the only color were from silk facsimile. Benches and Gazeboes had been placed in no particular order, there were even a few grills. If you kept your eyes down you might just be able to imagine it were real. To lift them up was to accept the concrete sunrise of the new age. It was that day soon after coming to "Compound Alpha" a.k.a "Concrete Sunrise" Michelle saw cruelty was still on the menu, and vigilance must be maintained.
Michelle had heard a vitals alarm go off nearby, the notion was still fairly new to her so she went to see if she could help. By the time she pinpointed the alarm he was at less then a minute, there was a small crowd gathered but everyone was at a safe distance. The man wasn't young or old, too fat or too thin, he might have had a kind face but it was distorted now, likely shock or pain. The people gathered were busy chattering about was more likely to have punched his card, while thumbing their panic locators and waiting for the cavalry. No one had tried CPR and no one had grabbed anything out of the panic boxes now that he was flatline.flat line. Now it was waking up, it's first fifteen minutes of zombiedom would be wild and free, no stiff muscles or joints, no coagulated bloodstream, no pain, no rot, and most importantly no soul.
As a rule it went after the closest Darwin case that squeaked and tried to move further away. They were a bloody wrestling mess on the newly rolled out grass when the watchman arrived. He was an all business, clean cut, middle aged man, who looked really annoyed. He got a clean head shot off on Mr. Wild and Free then promptly pinned Darwin. Darwin was screaming and lurching in every direction, Michelle never made up her mind whether it was more out of pain or terror. Michelle stepped closer on instinct and reached for her gun, but she had forgotten it had been confiscated for the greater safety of the community. Darwin likely got the idea of the gesture though because they locked eyes, Michelle braced herself for the shot, staring eye to eye with Darwin, thinking the watchmen was going to pull the trigger.
"Do YOU, ALL of YOU see this man, I'm holding here?!!!" the watchman looked at the crowed, tilted and craned his head to let every single person know he was seeing and speaking to them. "This man knew there was danger coming and this man did nothing. This man committed suicide." Darwin was still screaming, but it was different now, wide eyed, at the watchman, in disbelief. Struggling harder to get away, even though he should have been weaker by now.
The watchman had gone from annoyed to disgusted, the expression seemed rehearsed. He held Darwin tighter and went on. "You all knew what was going to happen here and you did nothing, You gave him the gun he shot himself with. If I let this man go he will run. he will hide, and when he is dead, he will hopefully kill one of you!"
There was perfect silence, the moment had such a gravity nothing else could penetrate it and nothing could escape it. The watchman allowed this blackholeblack hole of shock, before breaking it with a gunshot. "Everyone here is a watchmen, you are all responsible for what happens around you. Remember that before you end up on the ass end of a long stick!"
*************************************************************************
"Heeey..??" Goth guy gave Michelles'Michelle's' shoulder a knock. "Lets roll before they decide we all need a debrief, you can come with us."
"Yea..Yea.. k" Michelle could see the watchmen were still standing over the bodies, even the wisps of smoke from the shots hadn't dissipated yet. She'd been in flashback mode, luckily not a serious one. She thought it best just to follow goth guy while she screwed her head back on.
Goth guy led Michelle, and by the looks of their ring fingers most definitely his wife, back out of the subway and a block down. There was a small sectioned off parking area for military plates, and a big shiny black Land Rover, sitting all by its' lonesome. Goth guy, though young, must be more then just someone's' brat to have that as his transport, no one in Concrete Sunrise got much in the way of favors. That was a big part of how order was kept. Michelle let Goth guy usher her into the back seat and started to let herself enjoy the vague recollections it conjured.
"I'm Michael by the way, and this is my wife Crystal" Crystal turned in her seat and smiled, then looked to her husband, who was wearing an impish grin. If Michelle were not mistaken they shared a secret, and she was rarely mistaken. Michael put the car in gear, backed out and chose a direction without asking Michelle where she needed to be. Michelles'Michelle's' heartbeat picked up, she wanted to make a question out of their destination, but it would be better to size up her situation first. Michael - armed, locks - childproof, windows - reinforced, no good news.
"One of those silent but deadly ones huh?" Michael glanced quickly back at Michelle then resightedre-sighted the road. "Don't start devising ways to kill me yet, I'm only taking you home." Michael laughed, and glanced at Michelle through the rear view. "How I know where you live one kick ass coincidence too!"
"I don't believe in coincidences anymore, just cosmic fate and irony." Michelle leaned forward so they could better hear eachother,each other, and as a gesture of trust. She'd gone from Fight or Flight to perfectly relaxed, in under a second. It all seemed to add up though. The way they behaved on the trip, wiskingwhisking her away from the scene, and the pregnant wife certainly didn't scream kinky. Micheals'Michaels' laugh though, that was definitely a factor, loud, full and friendly, it was not contrived.
"I can only give away so much, I'll get tanned for even having said this much already." The nervousness was clear but did not completely overcome his look of mischievousness . "You an I will be working together soon, and you'll be getting one of these babies." Michael stroked the dashboard of the landrover,land rover, "We are going to be best friends Michelle." Michael grinned at Michelle through the rear view. Crystal shifted a bit in her seat at that last comment, her eyes darted to Michael, he noticed, but only smiled at her.
"We're almost there," Michelle pointed out the sign depicting her zone, "so when will we be discussing this more?"
"I'll have to talk to my father, after he tans me I'll plead my case for us to get hooked up ahead of schedule." Micheal was more serious now his tone lower and focusing on the road.
"Well then I'm glad to be breaking the monotony of inhuman drama with some human drama. I'll be seeing you both soon then?"
"Very, I hope" Micheal turned around to face her as he braked the Rover in front of Michelle's building.
"I'm not privy to aaall these little secrets, but I can tell by his mood that this must be something good. I can imagine I'll be seeing allot of you." Crystal just smiled, a nice, safe and sweet smile.
Michelle hopped out of the Rover and shut the door. She gave them both a quick flick wave and started toward her tower. Michelle wasn't feeling very antisocial now, much the opposite. She hadn't connected with anyone in this place since being settled, but something about those two were different. They didn't seem sheltered or spoiled like non runners, and Micheal had sprang into action on the subway. Runners protected their own, and their own was usually anyone standing next to them. True runners were the minority, they ran from the dead, they ran from the living, the gangs, the various sorts of barbarian like fiefdoms and the apocalyptic religious zealots. Some people lucked out, found a safe spot, and hardly had to see the sun till now, but they were few. She wondered how long she'd have to wait until more of this mystery was loosed. For now she'd just have an interesting day to share with Dawn, but after today that didn't seem like enough anymore. Michelle was sure her problems were due to her Fight and Flight having an argument. The less she fought, the more she hid away. Today had scored one for adrenaline.
to be cont...
SECTION 2
"Daaaaawwwwwn!!!" Michelle yelled. "you awake?" Michelle let the door close with a loud thump and stomped down the hallway. The entrance might have been a little dramatic, but Dawn needed a little pick me up. Michelle knew all of this would excite her. You don't go from runner to invalid without some trauma, just sitting in the house day after day. Dawn wanted to get out and grab the new world by the proverbial horns, and Michelle would trade places with her in a hot second. The shrink said it was survivors guilt. Michelle thought shrinks were outclassed in a world were the dead tried to rip your lips off and eat them.
"Kitchen!" Dawn sounded annoyed, probably thought Michelle chickened out of her shrink appointment.
Not this time Hun, Michelle thought.
"You're back a little early aren't you?" Dawn questioned in rehearsed sing song as Michelle entered the room.
The living room and kitchen were only separated by a low counter top bar and Michelle could see Dawn poking around in the fridge attempting to seem disinterested.
"Yea I'm going to have to buzz for a messenger, to tell her why I never showed up. What exactly to say and where to begin is going to be a whole notherwholeother problem though." Michelle threw her survival kit on the couch and plunked down onto the armchair. She was aware of the non chalant tone in her voice, and the game she was playing. It wasn't to make Dawn feel guilty for doubting her or to stroke her ego, even though it could use some attention. It was because of the walker, Dawns' pale wet complexion and the survivors guilt. There would be some creative lying to be done about some things concerning the "reaper" but Michelle was happy she could let Dawn live vicariously through her for a little while today. Let it take some of the edge off, then see what tomorrow threw at them.
*************************************************
"Vital signs critical! Resident, Dawn." Michelle reached up and swatted at the air, trying to find something to hold onto, making reality tangible again. Red light pounded uninvited against her eyelids, but they would not open, her body was not responding to the urgency to wake and rise. "Vital signs terminated! Resident, Dawn. Four minutes to resuscitate!", the home system wailed. Michelle’s whole body stiffened, then surged as every nerve and muscle became aware of itself. The women bed next to her was dead, she had to get away from it. Michelle thrust herself, full force, to the left, her head barely missing the modern plastic white end table, as she tumbled to the floor. The near fatal mistake did not go unnoticed as she pulled herself up, what she thought, if she’d knocked herself out? "Vital signs terminated! Resident, Dawn. Less then four minutes to resuscitate!" Michelle still scrambling to stand, grabbed the end table to steady herself, the last straw for the lamp which was still wobbling from its previous disturbance. Michelle snatched it up, it could be used as a weapon, its light would not be needed the home system’s lights were flashing red through out the house.
Michelle ran to the bedroom door, taking a stance inside the door frame incasein case she needed to use the manual lock in on the other side. Dawn lay in bed, looking pallid, waxy and unreal like a bad sculpture, her bowels had already evacuated and the smell was nauseating. Michelle was faint, her vision was swimming with electric white static, more and more with each wave. "Vital signs terminated! Resident Dawn. Three minutes to resuscitate!" There were not many choices left or time to make them, she could give into her memories and fear and use the lock in or try CPR and risk fainting or Dawn zombifying during the attempt. Michelle took two steps forward determined to reach Dawn before the timer got any lower, the white static overtook her vision completely. A warm sensation overtook her as her muscles relaxed, Michelle slowly sank to the floor, as something even warmer and wet poured down her leg. Michelle tried to get her bearings and crawl toward the door, she was still blinded by the white static, now somewhat mixed with the red warning lights creating a strobe effect. "Vital signs terminated! Resident Dawn. Less then three minutes to resuscitate!", the system warned. Michelle probed the area around her with and outstretched hand but could not find the wall, she should have reached it by now, she must have gone in the wrong direction. There was nothing around her, she lurched forward, back, left, right, swinging wildly trying to seize a landmark with her hand, but there was nothing.
"Vital signs terminated! Resident Dawn. Less then two minutes to resuscitate!" Michelle's vision swam, she could felt the rug against her cheek, but it was warm and sticky, she must have passed out for a minute. She could now make out the door frame in the flashing wash of red, there would be nothing she could do for Dawn, the fear had won, she had to make it to the door. Where were all the promised safeties, why hadn't the neighbors responded to the alarm, by now, where were the patrol medics, it was the law! Outside of the house an all weather visibility laser beacon as well as audio and silent alarms would have been triggered, the police, the hospital, the medic patrols and every neighbor's home system within a mile radius would have been alerted by her home system. All indoor locks should have disengaged and switched to lock in hazard mode, allowing anything intelligent in or out and nothing dead out. A renewed wave of panic hit Michelle, no one was here it made no sense unless the locking system had failed, if they couldn't get in, what if she couldn't get out. The electric white static began to buzz in Michelle's field of view again, she had to fight it, if she passed out again she most likely would not wake up. "Vital signs termin.." the home system attempted to alert, but a new and terrifying sound blocked it out, even though it was almost imperceptible, the rustling of sheets. Michelle's bladder voided the rest of it's contents.
Michelle was still on her knees crawling toward the outline of the doorframe,door frame, a rush of new adrenaline had reinforced her muscle control but her vision was still hazy and dotted with static. She turned her head to reaffirm her fear, it was no audio hallucination, what used to be Dawn was rising from the bed, and it had already noticed her. None of this should be happening, help should have arrived by now, Dawn should not have reached brain death so soon, but in a world where the dead rise who could count on what should or shouldn't happen. Michelle's two second pause to turn her eyes toward the bed and muse at her situation had not helped, she lost her sight again, a complete white out. Michelle sped forward on hands and knees toward the last registered location of the door frame, her right shoulder hit the half open door causing it to swing further out and bang against the hall wall. Michelle turned right and swept the air for the door knob, striking it on her first swing. She tried to pull herself up but the dose of adrenaline was wearing of and the faint weak feeling was overtaking her body again, she was to close to safety to let herself succumb, she tried again to pull herself up and succeeded. Still blind Michelle imagined it was very close to her now, she had to get her weight off the door and swing it shut. Michelle pushed herself backwards off the door with one hand, while holding the knob with her other, her ass hitting the opposite hall wall, then slammed the door.
The door did not connect with the door jam, instead Michelle heard a fleshy thunk. The chilled, sweat soaked body of Dawn, smacked against Michelle, she tried to scream but could not breath, it's hands shook her like a ragdoll..rag doll.. the blackness...
"Michelle!!!"
"Help me!!" Michelle screamed, and pushed hard against it, but there was just air.
**********************************************
"Michelle.. wake up!!" Dawn was shaking MichellesMichelle's shoulder, "Wake up, it's ok, wake up."
"Oh god, again?" Michelle tried to open her eyes, the white static was still there, her body felt weak and exhausted.
"Yea, but at least you made it to a decent hour this time, it's just past 10am" Dawn stroked Michelle's temple, "Was it the same one, about your Grandmother?"
"Yea, always the same one." Michelle lied.
She wanted to cry or run, or even tell Dawn the truth. How do you tell your wife, the person you love and the person who had had your back through every evil the world could throw at you, that you were afraid to sleep next to her. Dawn had saved her from fates worse then death, and Michelle had returned the favor. There was no greater trust then between runners, not even the one between lovers. They were both now, had been for a long time. Now in the cozy relative safety of organizing society, Michelle found herself paralyzed by fear to freely take or give comfort to the one real thing that existed for her. Michelle was disgusted at herself for committing this silent betrayal.
"I'll get it." Dawn hopped out of bed with a dexterity Michelle had not seen in awhile.
Michelle had not even heard the buzzzer she had been so lost in thought. MichellesMichelle's senses started to return, the buzzer was a nice distraction. Michelle tried to discern the voices, there were two, both to indistinct to make out actual words but one was Dawns. Only two neighbors actually had any contact with them, and it was neither of them. So it was a messenger, that only left two possibilities, the shrink she never bothered to messenger yesterday or Michael. Michelle heard the door close, and the stomp of feet coming back toward the room.
"It's from HIM, he wanted to come over for lunch, he'll bring the lunch. He asked for noon, that gives us two hours, I said yes of course." Dawns, eyes were gleaming, she was bouncing slightly, it was almost like she had a tiny electrical spark going through her.
"Ooooh! umm you better get ready I'll ummm..." Michelle was of guard and center, Michael had been present and involved in the reaper incident, and he definitely didn't seem terribly friendly with the old man even though honorable in the end.
"No you go first, I'll take to long, you can excuse me if I'm not ready when he gets here." Dawn was throwing cloths at Michelle, which were simply hitting her and falling to the floor. "Go already!" Dawn laughed.
Michelle gathered up the pile thrown at her and made toward the bathroom. She had decided the best plan would be to get ready then messenger when Dawn was in the shower and cancel. She could arrange to meet him out and white lie her way through it. Michelle only had 5 minutes of hot water time to play all the possible scenarios out in her head, it was important nothing went wrong. There was no room for mistakes this was just as important to Dawn, Michelle couldn't mess this up.
****************************************
It was quarter of 11, and the messenger still hadn't arrived. All busy, you're on he list , they'd said. There was no getting around Michael's arrival, Michelle just hoped he'd show some of the same tact she'd already seen him display. Dawn was still getting ready, she wouldn't let Michelle help her at all, that just left her more idle time to watch the clock tick and worry. Michelle was standing guard at the door mentally wishing for him to hurry it up and arrive early so she'd have a few minutes to discuss matters with him alone, when he wish came true. The bell was still reverberating through the house when she jerked the door open.
"You don't look happy to see me," Michael half smiled as it washed away to concern "are you ok"
"Yea there is just a couple things you need to know before she comes out." Michelle talked quickly and in a whisper as she pulled Michael into the house.
"I already know she is sick and if she asks about yesterday, you talk and I'll nod." Michael looked at Michelle seriously and gripped her shoulder.
That was all she needed, Michelle exhaled heavily and smiled. "Whoa ok, you got me."
There was no more alone time Dawn emerged from the bedroom as Michael and Michelle entered the living room. The three of them made introductions and some small talk as they unpacked the lunch Michael brought onto the coffee table. There was an underlying current of anticipation, at the same time everyone seemed to be trying not to rush. Michelle and Dawn sat down on the cheap creaky couch while Michael choose the floor directly across from them over cheap the squeaky arm chair. Michelle became acutely aware of her crappy apartment and started to feel embarrassed before she remembered everyone had the same shitty crap. This must have been what it felt like to have company, back when things were normal.
"Well I guess there is no good way to start, even though I've been trying to think of one." Michael broke the new odd silence two bites into lunch. "Before I'm allowed to disclose anything you both have to agree to a couple conditions." Michael looked at Michelle, "You're seeing a doctor, she's seeing the military, that's kinda why we are all here, but more on that later. From now on any medical treatment either of you receive has to be military. It's to ensure that if anyone got hurt or sick that you wouldn't accidentally spill info while delirious or half conscious, you know." Michael squirmed, looked at his sandwich and raised his head to look at Dawn but chickened out and refocusdrefocused on his lunchmeat.lunch meat.
"Look I don't want either of you to be uncomfortable to say anything to me. I understand what you mean and I'm not offended at all. You say what you want in front of me and what you can't, well I can find something to occupy myself. I just know that there is lots to be done around here and even more wrong around here so if you are here about getting shit done then I don't have a problem." Dawn took a bite of her sandwich, as if to say I'm done talking.
"It's the Underground, it's the general unrest, it's people being people. The sun is going to go down in "Sunrise" if certain things don't start happening." Michael paused for questions but there were none. "So the soldier will go out for food, gas, even clothes, right. We demolish as we expand and re textile everything into cheap prefabs. We have what we have, it's about resources and risk. You think our brass will risk one guy who can be gathering canned food or fighting on the front lines to go grab fancy dining chairs or fuckinfucking video games, NO!. What do these fucks want though, fancy dining chairs and video games. So they head to the Underground. I don't need to tell you where those freaks in the dead lands get their manpower from to harvest all those amenities either, forced drafting, slavery, shit, you name it." Michael huffed and took in a gulp of air. "To make shit worse most assholes in this dump are lazy bums, there is hardly any new blood going into the ranks. Meanwhile the brass is using more resources to try to stifle the Underground, and the crime rate just goes up. Now on a new an even more disturbing note our military supplies are being nicked and snitches have it that what isn't being sold to the Underground suppliers is going to those Apocalypse nuts" Michael paused again and looked to Dawn and Michelle.
"Well I understand what you are telling me, what I don't understand is why you are telling us and how we are involved." Michelle motioned for Michael to continue.
"Maybe that is why I'm here, because you understand what I'm telling you. I don't understand all of it myself. The shrink you are seeing she is part of some project to try an analyze behavior, set things going in the right direction, sociology, psychology, profiling whatever. They decided they needed to "facilitate" matters, there are some big changes coming, plotted, replotted analyzed blah, blah. To go along with their changes they've recreated the CIA, FBI secret service, something like that, and you and I have been profiled into service."
"Holy shit!? What the fuck do they think I can do?" Michelle croaked and reached for her water.
"That's what I said to my Dad when he told me I was drafted. Well no, I mean you aren't drafted, but you are still sworn to secrecy either way. The shrink said you were perfect, she said something about runner mentality being vastly different then the norm, so I guess we aren't normal. I guess I can can only tell you what convinced me to go ahead with all this. My Dad said, if we want to live a normal life again, not under a tyrant, not in fear and not on the run, we need to make sure to protect our budding society from the assholes and idiots." Michael made a loser sign on his forehead and stuck out his tongue.
"Yea ok, but I still don't get what they want with me" Michelle let out a tense laugh and took a quick glance at Dawn who was a still life of shocked silence.
"According to the shrink we should be able to trust eachothereach other without doubt, we have a natural affinity for reading peoples motives and body language, and we have a desire to see society succeed. That she said was the long story short, but that in an age without specialized education it was all about grabbing the shiniest apples and teaching them the trade. They said they want us to go into the Underground and just blend, start seeing what nibbles as they make changes topside. We.."
"What changes?" Dawn interrupted. "I'm sorry I don't mean to cut you off, I can't believe I'm even surprised. The request maybe should surprised me, the situation, not so much. The rumors, are one thing, but it is just in the air, the things you see but don't register, don't want to think about, but haunt you anyway." Michelle and Michael nodded in agreement. "I've spent my share of time wondering when it would fall, not if, but when. Not really sure why I was so convinced it was going to happen but sure it would. You know I can't run now, anymore you know.. sorry.." Dawn stammered, "keep going."
"They are going to shake the tree balls out. No more watchmen, they are reforming an actual police service, I don't have the specifics on how that will work just that it is one of the changes. Police, Military and farm workers are going to get hazard pay and dealing with the dead alarms is no longer going to be a civil duty. They are hoping the hazard pay will incite people to join up and shake the money tree. They are pulling all resources off The Underground except for this new secret service thing and lifting all the bans on so called contraband topside."
"So wait, don't they care that these rapists will be needing more meat to supply the goods" Michelle looked about to bust the glass in her hand she was gripping it so hard.
"Yea, they do. Brass thinks they are planning a gorilla takeover of "Concrete Sunrise" so they want to beat them to the punch. Recruit more guns, happy guns. Get in, find the heads and chop em off then take over the operations and make it all part of one machine." Michael looked overwhelmed and dejected, not the excited boyish self Michelle had seen earlier.
"I can't believe this." Michelle leaned forward resting her forehead in both hands.
"I don't understand how they can just walsewaltz in and drop the world her lap, this is insane." Dawn leaned back into the couch, it creaked.
"So what do you want me to tell them?" Michael asked flatly.
"Tell them I have nothing better to do." Michelle was not sure why she was agreeing, except for the fact that she really had nothing better to do and if they had no one better to ask then they were seriously up shits creek.
**************************************************************
Michelle stood on the steps of the concrete high rise, twenty stories of rushed government construction, and tried to brace herself for the day's errand. It wasn't enough she had the anxiety of leaving her bed ridden wife alone but she had to face the swarms of people between her and her destination. Michelle had developed acute cases of anxiety, social phobia and agoraphobia since being settled in the safe zone. The walk would bring her within a stones throw of all her fears. The tented new citizen integration area for one. Some of them wouldn't even be fitted with vital monitors yet, just some soldiers and barbed fence between her and a new horror. It would be important to note on the walk to Dr. Fiddler's all the modern security tech and it's flawless design, the citizen watch, the military, as long as she felt safe maybe she could keep one foot moving in time with the other. Michelle thought about calling to cancel, but her wife would know she buckled, and Michelle didn't like to appear so frail when Dawn needed her most.
Michelle stepped onto the sidewalk, the building directly across from her own was a mirror image. Just a tall square block of utility, reinforced windows with their caged hazard lights, screamer speakers, one each level, and a large spotlight like a cherry on top. Inside would be just as familiar, fire alarms, dead alarms, and glass kill boxes every few feet. The kill boxes held everything extinguishers, hose, axes, and guns, all waiting for an emergency. If your humanity plug got pulled, your home system would go into lock in, and everyone outside would hear about it, but all was quiet right now. "Good", Michelle thought out loud, the last thing she needed was to hear an alarm, especially after last nights nightmare.
The walk down K street and onto first went well, the site of the citizen watch and military was comforting and there were plenty of lit up panic buildings and bio hazard routes. Everything here was about how undead proof an area or shelter was, how safe, how many ways to get away, and where to hide. If you weren't sizing up your surroundings you weren't paranoid enough. Michelle wanted to carry a gun, but they were in short supply. Doled out to the military and watch groups, as well as the kill boxes in the government housing. There had been a spree of robberies when the gun boxes where first put up, but now they're equipped with a camera to snap a pic of anyone breaking the kill box. It was public stocks for a week and two lashes a day by a random lottery winner, if you got caught.
The walk down first was over, Michelle stood at the gaping mouth of the subway entrance, it was never a welcome site. In her mind it felt like being swallowed, trapped. She'd felt that before, on the run, always close to death, death that craved for you, leaving you hiding in the dark and out of options. Michelle had turned back here more then once, but not today, she had to be strong now. The subway was never crowded, most felt the same as she did. There were hardly any bio hazard routes and even less panic hideouts. The safety center said the cars themselves were meant to be panic sites, with their reinforced windows, heavy locking doors and kill boxes. Although it was hard to equate anything made of all doors and windows with safety, if you'd been a runner. There was a small group huddled on the landing waiting for the next pass, two others were separated from the group obviously wanting to board a private car if possible. A year ago Michelle would have been one of those loners. Just because someone had a pulse didn't mean they were safe. The living had been the catalyst of as many horrors in her life as the dead. It'd be a year next week that Michelle and Dawn were settled here, and here had proved to be different, at least for now. This new measure of civility and law had taken it's toll on Michelle's mind, her new logic dictated survival was more important then people phobia and this was a nice small healthy group, for now safety was in numbers.
Michelle took off toward the small group, as she got closer a familiar flutter in her gut made her falter. Their faces, the way they stood there, tense, scared, even angry. Reading people was an art form, that could save your life, no no one told the truth, at least in her past experiences, but people betrayed themselves in many ways. One young man holding tight to the hand of a pregnant woman, looked the most angry. He was rough looking, and sporting a look that at one time would have been described as goth. He kept shooting quick glances to his right, puffing up each time he turned. Michelle changed her direction to come in behind the group, she needed to see what was so distressing before committing to the next train.
The point of contention was an old man, an old sick man, complete with walker, oxygen tank and a pasty wet complexion. Anyone old enough or sick enough to go at any proverbial moment were called Reapers. The old and the sick were not welcome among most, a bomb waiting to go off. The reek of dissent was getting strong in the city over the Reaper issue. There was a motion in the city to deny Reapers freedom of movement, confine them to their own buildings, with no exit. There were enough ways for the healthy to die suddenly on the street without welcoming Reapers. Dawn was a Reaper, Michelle tensed at the thought then reprimanded herself for her fear. Michelle was still verbally abusing herself when the first shout reverberated through the cavernous subway station.
"Get your own fuckinfuckingg car Reaper, my wife's pregnant, we don't want you near us!!", It was the goth man. He was now standing in between his wife and the Reaper, his face and body looked different more squared and muscular. Michelle moved in closer to the group, curiosity was a powerful drug.
"I have every right to be here, I'm no threat to you, leave me be.", the admonishment may have carried some weight if the reaper hadn't taken so long to wheeze it out.
Michelle had seen this before, and more and more lately. Goth and his wife could move to another car, but as far as the majority was concerned reapers should take responsibility for their condition and keep away from them. It was a strange battle being fought. The old reapers would remind all of past histories were prejudice and panic took over, none of which led to good things. Though the Reapers weren't a group, a race, a religious sect.. they were a bio hazard. Michelle caught herself in that last thought, another set of guilt and self hate exercises were bubbling. Her punishment would have to wait, her senses told her this was far from over.
There was a murmur among the group, Michelle wasn't close enough to make out the conversation, only Goth got a little loud a couple times allowing her to hear, "..why should we.." and "..christ..""..Christ.."
All as one the little group moved past the reaper and onto the next colored block, indicating a different car. It should have been over, according to current politics the reaper had even won the argument. But now powered by either stupidity or fearlessness the reaper very slowly dragged himself and his tank toward the small torch less mob. It wasn't just Goth man who looked pissed now, tense but once stoic faces were now contorting in anger.
Like they were one person the yelling started, one over the other catching a word from this one or that one. It made no difference the chain formed an ominous sentencing.
"..you..", "..fuck..", "..get..", "..away..", "tried..", "..be civil..", "..you..", "..bring..", "..this..", "..just and example..", "..you people..", "..need a beating.."!!!!
"What's the yelling!?", two watchmen had come from in from behind the turn style, Michelle hadn't remembered seeing them when entering. One male and one female, they didn't look particularly friendly.
"This reaper is following us!!", goth motioned toward the frail man, still heading toward the angry mob despite their hostility. Both watchmen rolled their eyes in sync at the sight of the reaper.
Being a part of the watch was a dangerous job, some did it out of a sense of duty, others for the money, and some because it was all they were skilled for. In Michelle's opinion daily doses of killing, no matter how inhumane you tried to color the dead, wasn't good for the mind. As such the watch proved to be a little unpredictable in situations that didn't involve braining something.
The two watchmen moved between the mob and the reaper, "Sir, please move back to your landing.", it was the man who spoke.
"I have every right to ride on whatever car I want.", the reaper had to halt his forward movement to speak, doing both at the same time would have been to much of a strain.
"Sir, you have every right to ride the train, BUT these people have made an effort to avoid you. If you follow them it's harassment. I will bring you in, and I will find something to charge you with. I don't think you'd like to be on the receiving end of the justice system, now would you?", the watchmen winked at the reaper.
Both him and his female counterpart were looking overly proud of themselves. Smirking at the reaper, a snide smile that said, we win. It was a patent human expression that for some reason, no matter why worn, always made Michelle want to break the smirking ass in half. They knew damn well that the little man wouldn't survive any current punishments that now passed as the law.
The reaper said nothing, he simply turned back around.
********************************************************
These subway crawls took far longer then they should. The trains moved slow to avoid accidents from under maintenancedmaintained tracks, or so they said. The trains made no sub stops anymore just one place to the next, the settled area was small enough to allow this and again it was "safer". The safety center denied it but it was common knowledge they didn't have total control of the underground. The panic stations passed by were manned, the train moved slowly enough for the occasional sounds of humanity to be picked out while passing the high intensity red lit markers. The windows of the train were blacked out, supposedly to control the level of panic if a train were assaulted. Most everyone else though it was to mask exactly what those sporadic hard choppy bumps might be.
Michelle thought she heard a gunshot, and could see she wasn't the only one either. Then another, she could make out the red glow now, must be almost on top of a panic hideout. There was a hard thud, and she slid to the left a few inches, the next hit sent her up.
"Shit" .. "ouch" .."you ok babe?" .. "my soup!!" Michelle didn't know who said what she was gripping the vertical bar infrontin front of her, head down.
Her breath was coming in fits and gasps, and her left heel was hopping up and down excitedly without any direction self direction. Someone in the car laughed, Michelle felt the mix of anger and ambarresmentembarrassment rising and heating her skin. She'd been a runner, something shut in's couldn't possibly imagine. Always moving, it was hard going when death was chasing you. Her little survivor didn't like sitting still while the predator was reaching for her coller. She was in fight or flight mode and couldn't cater to either call. The appearance of a pair of worn engineer boots broke off Michelle's silent rant, it was goth guy. Standing in front her, holding the same rail, and wearing a new look, friendly smile. Michelle was not in the mood for chit chat but goth goth guy was likely playing the comfort damsil card, something you didn't see much anymore. The dead lands were full of roving gangs and small fortifications, forced drafting was common place. You and your gear, for women this was worse then a death sentace.sentance.
"Vital signs critical! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!!" The Vitals System screamed.
Red light from the connecting car door window flooded into car seven, just as the grey wash of the security monitors kicked in. Michelle's gaze was still fixed on goth guy. The contrasting light bath made him appear like something out of an old graphic novel. All the monitors had kicked in at once and were were showing car six, split into four sections. It was the Reaper, he was on the floor and dragging himself toward, something. His oxygen tank was on the opposite side of the car then his walker, but he wasn't dragging himself toward the tank. His equipment must have gone flying from the previous disturbance. Michelle thought she saw something tiny move in one of the split screens.
"Shit, looks like a pill bottle.", a female voice from behind Michelle said a bit too coolly.
"It looks like he needs it bad, someone's going to have to go in." Michelle spoke softly.
"Vital signs critical! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!!" The Vitals System reminded.
"If you think a pill can stop death", the women huffed "then go in there and give it to him yourself."
Michell turned to look at the voice, the girl was young, probably the same age as Michelle, early twenties. There wasn't a sense of concern or fear about her at all, she just stood there smirking, eyes dead locked on Michelle's, but looking right past her. She was just as dead as anything upright and rotting. The others, for all their big talk on the boarding ramp, were at least showing some signs of humanity now.
"Vital signs Terminated!! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!!" the synthetic voice sounded far to cheery, "Four minutes to resuscitate."
"Count me out on that resuscitate, Madame circuits." the dead girl laughed at her own joke, it was the same laugh Michelle heard before.
Goth guy turned from the connecting window, "Okay listen up, I'm armed" he flashed a .22 carbine hanging in his trench. "if any of you want to try an resusitateresuscitate I'll cover you. I however am not wrapping my lips around that thing. Those old fuckers on oxygen don't have four minutes, they weren't getting enough to begin with, their brains die faster."
There was an expression of defeat on every face in car seven but dead girl. No one was going in, too much to risk for a stranger, a Reaper at that. No one needed to say anything the silence said enough, all attentions were returned to the connecting window and secruitysecurity monitors.
"Vital signs Terminated!! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!! Less then three minutes to resuscitate."
The train began to slow, if Michelle were lucky it would get to their stop before he turned and he would not legally be their problamproblem anymore. Leave him for the citizen watch to handle other wise they'd all be responsible for putting him down. It would be a great bad day, the train came to a halt and Reaper was still motionless. Michelle and the rest of car seven bulldozed out onto the ramp. Goth guy slapped a concrete pillar and yelled "SAFE!!" Even Michelle cracked a small smile, humor came in strange forms, had to take it when you could get it.
The hazard lights at the boarding station were going off in tandom with the train car, as both Vital computers sang their next death verse together. "Vital signs Terminated!! Citizen, Cherzon, D. Car 6!! Less then one minute to resuscitate."
Michelle looked to goth guy, she thought maybe some sort of friendly gesture might be in order. He and his girl were standing no more then two feet away right next to the pillar, they both smiled at Michelle. Goth guy took a step forward, when the unmistakable swoosh of a train car door, stopped him in his tracks.
"FUCK ME!!" goth guy yelled, and pulled his .22 from the trench.
The zombiefied reaper was up and out of the car. The car 6 hazard light was on but the lock in mechanism hadn't kicked in. Michelle passed up fear for a momentary laspelapse of fury, everyone now had the Discovery channel on free cable TV, nice trade for un matenencedun-mantained security locks. Dead girl let out a high pitched whistle she was maybe an arms length from the ex-reaper.
"Move damnit I can't get a shot!" goth guy's .22 was fixed on it and ready.
"Fuck that, poor old man just wants some titties" dead girl, let out that same, nails on chalkboard laugh as she lowered the collar on her shirt and shook them for the reaper.
"C'mon baby you know you want it" she cooed trying to sound sultry. The ex-reaper was starting to get his dead legs, the last step he took at her was a bit less shaky then any he made when he was dependant on his oxygen tank.
"Move it you whore!!" goth guy growled, "I'm taking this shot in three whether you're in the way or not!"
Dead girl turned and glared at goth guy, "Who the fu...!". The ex-reaper took a nice walker and oxygen tank free lunge toward dead girl.
Goth guy fired, but missed, the ex-reaper had gotten to close for a clear shot. Blood spat out of dead girl's shoulder, and she wasn't the only one who screamed.
Michelle hadn't seen or heard them coming, they were just suddenly there. Three watchmen, closed in on the gory scene. Two held distance poles, one went for the ex-reaper the other for dead girl. Dead girl, was still screaming when he pinned her down, the ex-reaper wasn't far enough away not to be getting in a good bite. The third watchmen put a hole, brain center, in dead girl, then put down the zombie.
Michelle was pretty sure she'd be missing her appointment today but at least she'd have a fairly decent excuse.
****************************************************************************
If there were a god these kinds of ironies would have been left out of the fairy tale. At least these watchman were still human enough to have put down dead girl first. Michelle had seen it go the other way, a good show for the gathering crowd, make an example out of the idiot. It might once have passed for a nice day but there was no ignoring the killboxes,kill-boxes, random shouts of command, and the sounds of construction coming from all directions. The false park setting Michelle remembered being in was supposed to be the community gathering area. Some small newly planted trees offset by some larger transplanted tilted ones. The flowers had been planted but not yet bloomed, the only color were from silk facsimile. Benches and Gazeboes had been placed in no particular order, there were even a few grills. If you kept your eyes down you might just be able to imagine it were real. To lift them up was to accept the concrete sunrise of the new age. It was that day soon after coming to "Compound Alpha" a.k.a "Concrete Sunrise" Michelle saw cruelty was still on the menu, and vigilance must be maintained.
Michelle had heard a vitals alarm go off nearby, the notion was still fairly new to her so she went to see if she could help. By the time she pinpointed the alarm he was at less then a minute, there was a small crowd gathered but everyone was at a safe distance. The man wasn't young or old, too fat or too thin, he might have had a kind face but it was distorted now, likely shock or pain. The people gathered were busy chattering about was more likely to have punched his card, while thumbing their panic locators and waiting for the cavalry. No one had tried CPR and no one had grabbed anything out of the panic boxes now that he was flatline.flat line. Now it was waking up, it's first fifteen minutes of zombiedom would be wild and free, no stiff muscles or joints, no coagulated bloodstream, no pain, no rot, and most importantly no soul.
As a rule it went after the closest Darwin case that squeaked and tried to move further away. They were a bloody wrestling mess on the newly rolled out grass when the watchman arrived. He was an all business, clean cut, middle aged man, who looked really annoyed. He got a clean head shot off on Mr. Wild and Free then promptly pinned Darwin. Darwin was screaming and lurching in every direction, Michelle never made up her mind whether it was more out of pain or terror. Michelle stepped closer on instinct and reached for her gun, but she had forgotten it had been confiscated for the greater safety of the community. Darwin likely got the idea of the gesture though because they locked eyes, Michelle braced herself for the shot, staring eye to eye with Darwin, thinking the watchmen was going to pull the trigger.
"Do YOU, ALL of YOU see this man, I'm holding here?!!!" the watchman looked at the crowed, tilted and craned his head to let every single person know he was seeing and speaking to them. "This man knew there was danger coming and this man did nothing. This man committed suicide." Darwin was still screaming, but it was different now, wide eyed, at the watchman, in disbelief. Struggling harder to get away, even though he should have been weaker by now.
The watchman had gone from annoyed to disgusted, the expression seemed rehearsed. He held Darwin tighter and went on. "You all knew what was going to happen here and you did nothing, You gave him the gun he shot himself with. If I let this man go he will run. he will hide, and when he is dead, he will hopefully kill one of you!"
There was perfect silence, the moment had such a gravity nothing else could penetrate it and nothing could escape it. The watchman allowed this blackholeblack hole of shock, before breaking it with a gunshot. "Everyone here is a watchmen, you are all responsible for what happens around you. Remember that before you end up on the ass end of a long stick!"
*************************************************************************
"Heeey..??" Goth guy gave Michelles'Michelle's' shoulder a knock. "Lets roll before they decide we all need a debrief, you can come with us."
"Yea..Yea.. k" Michelle could see the watchmen were still standing over the bodies, even the wisps of smoke from the shots hadn't dissipated yet. She'd been in flashback mode, luckily not a serious one. She thought it best just to follow goth guy while she screwed her head back on.
Goth guy led Michelle, and by the looks of their ring fingers most definitely his wife, back out of the subway and a block down. There was a small sectioned off parking area for military plates, and a big shiny black Land Rover, sitting all by its' lonesome. Goth guy, though young, must be more then just someone's' brat to have that as his transport, no one in Concrete Sunrise got much in the way of favors. That was a big part of how order was kept. Michelle let Goth guy usher her into the back seat and started to let herself enjoy the vague recollections it conjured.
"I'm Michael by the way, and this is my wife Crystal" Crystal turned in her seat and smiled, then looked to her husband, who was wearing an impish grin. If Michelle were not mistaken they shared a secret, and she was rarely mistaken. Michael put the car in gear, backed out and chose a direction without asking Michelle where she needed to be. Michelles'Michelle's' heartbeat picked up, she wanted to make a question out of their destination, but it would be better to size up her situation first. Michael - armed, locks - childproof, windows - reinforced, no good news.
"One of those silent but deadly ones huh?" Michael glanced quickly back at Michelle then resightedre-sighted the road. "Don't start devising ways to kill me yet, I'm only taking you home." Michael laughed, and glanced at Michelle through the rear view. "How I know where you live one kick ass coincidence too!"
"I don't believe in coincidences anymore, just cosmic fate and irony." Michelle leaned forward so they could better hear eachother,each other, and as a gesture of trust. She'd gone from Fight or Flight to perfectly relaxed, in under a second. It all seemed to add up though. The way they behaved on the trip, wiskingwhisking her away from the scene, and the pregnant wife certainly didn't scream kinky. Micheals'Michaels' laugh though, that was definitely a factor, loud, full and friendly, it was not contrived.
"I can only give away so much, I'll get tanned for even having said this much already." The nervousness was clear but did not completely overcome his look of mischievousness . "You an I will be working together soon, and you'll be getting one of these babies." Michael stroked the dashboard of the landrover,land rover, "We are going to be best friends Michelle." Michael grinned at Michelle through the rear view. Crystal shifted a bit in her seat at that last comment, her eyes darted to Michael, he noticed, but only smiled at her.
"We're almost there," Michelle pointed out the sign depicting her zone, "so when will we be discussing this more?"
"I'll have to talk to my father, after he tans me I'll plead my case for us to get hooked up ahead of schedule." Micheal was more serious now his tone lower and focusing on the road.
"Well then I'm glad to be breaking the monotony of inhuman drama with some human drama. I'll be seeing you both soon then?"
"Very, I hope" Micheal turned around to face her as he braked the Rover in front of Michelle's building.
"I'm not privy to aaall these little secrets, but I can tell by his mood that this must be something good. I can imagine I'll be seeing allot of you." Crystal just smiled, a nice, safe and sweet smile.
Michelle hopped out of the Rover and shut the door. She gave them both a quick flick wave and started toward her tower. Michelle wasn't feeling very antisocial now, much the opposite. She hadn't connected with anyone in this place since being settled, but something about those two were different. They didn't seem sheltered or spoiled like non runners, and Micheal had sprang into action on the subway. Runners protected their own, and their own was usually anyone standing next to them. True runners were the minority, they ran from the dead, they ran from the living, the gangs, the various sorts of barbarian like fiefdoms and the apocalyptic religious zealots. Some people lucked out, found a safe spot, and hardly had to see the sun till now, but they were few. She wondered how long she'd have to wait until more of this mystery was loosed. For now she'd just have an interesting day to share with Dawn, but after today that didn't seem like enough anymore. Michelle was sure her problems were due to her Fight and Flight having an argument. The less she fought, the more she hid away. Today had scored one for adrenaline.
to be cont...
SECTION 2
"Daaaaawwwwwn!!!" Michelle yelled. "you awake?" Michelle let the door close with a loud thump and stomped down the hallway. The entrance might have been a little dramatic, but Dawn needed a little pick me up. Michelle knew all of this would excite her. You don't go from runner to invalid without some trauma, just sitting in the house day after day. Dawn wanted to get out and grab the new world by the proverbial horns, and Michelle would trade places with her in a hot second. The shrink said it was survivors guilt. Michelle thought shrinks were outclassed in a world were the dead tried to rip your lips off and eat them.
"Kitchen!" Dawn sounded annoyed, probably thought Michelle chickened out of her shrink appointment.
Not this time Hun, Michelle thought.
"You're back a little early aren't you?" Dawn questioned in rehearsed sing song as Michelle entered the room.
The living room and kitchen were only separated by a low counter top bar and Michelle could see Dawn poking around in the fridge attempting to seem disinterested.
"Yea I'm going to have to buzz for a messenger, to tell her why I never showed up. What exactly to say and where to begin is going to be a whole notherwholeother problem though." Michelle threw her survival kit on the couch and plunked down onto the armchair. She was aware of the non chalant tone in her voice, and the game she was playing. It wasn't to make Dawn feel guilty for doubting her or to stroke her ego, even though it could use some attention. It was because of the walker, Dawns' pale wet complexion and the survivors guilt. There would be some creative lying to be done about some things concerning the "reaper" but Michelle was happy she could let Dawn live vicariously through her for a little while today. Let it take some of the edge off, then see what tomorrow threw at them.
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"Vital signs critical! Resident, Dawn." Michelle reached up and swatted at the air, trying to find something to hold onto, making reality tangible again. Red light pounded uninvited against her eyelids, but they would not open, her body was not responding to the urgency to wake and rise. "Vital signs terminated! Resident, Dawn. Four minutes to resuscitate!", the home system wailed. Michelle’s whole body stiffened, then surged as every nerve and muscle became aware of itself. The women bed next to her was dead, she had to get away from it. Michelle thrust herself, full force, to the left, her head barely missing the modern plastic white end table, as she tumbled to the floor. The near fatal mistake did not go unnoticed as she pulled herself up, what she thought, if she’d knocked herself out? "Vital signs terminated! Resident, Dawn. Less then four minutes to resuscitate!" Michelle still scrambling to stand, grabbed the end table to steady herself, the last straw for the lamp which was still wobbling from its previous disturbance. Michelle snatched it up, it could be used as a weapon, its light would not be needed the home system’s lights were flashing red through out the house.
Michelle ran to the bedroom door, taking a stance inside the door frame incasein case she needed to use the manual lock in on the other side. Dawn lay in bed, looking pallid, waxy and unreal like a bad sculpture, her bowels had already evacuated and the smell was nauseating. Michelle was faint, her vision was swimming with electric white static, more and more with each wave. "Vital signs terminated! Resident Dawn. Three minutes to resuscitate!" There were not many choices left or time to make them, she could give into her memories and fear and use the lock in or try CPR and risk fainting or Dawn zombifying during the attempt. Michelle took two steps forward determined to reach Dawn before the timer got any lower, the white static overtook her vision completely. A warm sensation overtook her as her muscles relaxed, Michelle slowly sank to the floor, as something even warmer and wet poured down her leg. Michelle tried to get her bearings and crawl toward the door, she was still blinded by the white static, now somewhat mixed with the red warning lights creating a strobe effect. "Vital signs terminated! Resident Dawn. Less then three minutes to resuscitate!", the system warned. Michelle probed the area around her with and outstretched hand but could not find the wall, she should have reached it by now, she must have gone in the wrong direction. There was nothing around her, she lurched forward, back, left, right, swinging wildly trying to seize a landmark with her hand, but there was nothing.
"Vital signs terminated! Resident Dawn. Less then two minutes to resuscitate!" Michelle's vision swam, she could felt the rug against her cheek, but it was warm and sticky, she must have passed out for a minute. She could now make out the door frame in the flashing wash of red, there would be nothing she could do for Dawn, the fear had won, she had to make it to the door. Where were all the promised safeties, why hadn't the neighbors responded to the alarm, by now, where were the patrol medics, it was the law! Outside of the house an all weather visibility laser beacon as well as audio and silent alarms would have been triggered, the police, the hospital, the medic patrols and every neighbor's home system within a mile radius would have been alerted by her home system. All indoor locks should have disengaged and switched to lock in hazard mode, allowing anything intelligent in or out and nothing dead out. A renewed wave of panic hit Michelle, no one was here it made no sense unless the locking system had failed, if they couldn't get in, what if she couldn't get out. The electric white static began to buzz in Michelle's field of view again, she had to fight it, if she passed out again she most likely would not wake up. "Vital signs termin.." the home system attempted to alert, but a new and terrifying sound blocked it out, even though it was almost imperceptible, the rustling of sheets. Michelle's bladder voided the rest of it's contents.
Michelle was still on her knees crawling toward the outline of the doorframe,door frame, a rush of new adrenaline had reinforced her muscle control but her vision was still hazy and dotted with static. She turned her head to reaffirm her fear, it was no audio hallucination, what used to be Dawn was rising from the bed, and it had already noticed her. None of this should be happening, help should have arrived by now, Dawn should not have reached brain death so soon, but in a world where the dead rise who could count on what should or shouldn't happen. Michelle's two second pause to turn her eyes toward the bed and muse at her situation had not helped, she lost her sight again, a complete white out. Michelle sped forward on hands and knees toward the last registered location of the door frame, her right shoulder hit the half open door causing it to swing further out and bang against the hall wall. Michelle turned right and swept the air for the door knob, striking it on her first swing. She tried to pull herself up but the dose of adrenaline was wearing of and the faint weak feeling was overtaking her body again, she was to close to safety to let herself succumb, she tried again to pull herself up and succeeded. Still blind Michelle imagined it was very close to her now, she had to get her weight off the door and swing it shut. Michelle pushed herself backwards off the door with one hand, while holding the knob with her other, her ass hitting the opposite hall wall, then slammed the door.
The door did not connect with the door jam, instead Michelle heard a fleshy thunk. The chilled, sweat soaked body of Dawn, smacked against Michelle, she tried to scream but could not breath, it's hands shook her like a ragdoll..rag doll.. the blackness...
"Michelle!!!"
"Help me!!" Michelle screamed, and pushed hard against it, but there was just air.
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"Michelle.. wake up!!" Dawn was shaking MichellesMichelle's shoulder, "Wake up, it's ok, wake up."
"Oh god, again?" Michelle tried to open her eyes, the white static was still there, her body felt weak and exhausted.
"Yea, but at least you made it to a decent hour this time, it's just past 10am" Dawn stroked Michelle's temple, "Was it the same one, about your Grandmother?"
"Yea, always the same one." Michelle lied.
She wanted to cry or run, or even tell Dawn the truth. How do you tell your wife, the person you love and the person who had had your back through every evil the world could throw at you, that you were afraid to sleep next to her. Dawn had saved her from fates worse then death, and Michelle had returned the favor. There was no greater trust then between runners, not even the one between lovers. They were both now, had been for a long time. Now in the cozy relative safety of organizing society, Michelle found herself paralyzed by fear to freely take or give comfort to the one real thing that existed for her. Michelle was disgusted at herself for committing this silent betrayal.
"I'll get it." Dawn hopped out of bed with a dexterity Michelle had not seen in awhile.
Michelle had not even heard the buzzzer she had been so lost in thought. MichellesMichelle's senses started to return, the buzzer was a nice distraction. Michelle tried to discern the voices, there were two, both to indistinct to make out actual words but one was Dawns. Only two neighbors actually had any contact with them, and it was neither of them. So it was a messenger, that only left two possibilities, the shrink she never bothered to messenger yesterday or Michael. Michelle heard the door close, and the stomp of feet coming back toward the room.
"It's from HIM, he wanted to come over for lunch, he'll bring the lunch. He asked for noon, that gives us two hours, I said yes of course." Dawns, eyes were gleaming, she was bouncing slightly, it was almost like she had a tiny electrical spark going through her.
"Ooooh! umm you better get ready I'll ummm..." Michelle was of guard and center, Michael had been present and involved in the reaper incident, and he definitely didn't seem terribly friendly with the old man even though honorable in the end.
"No you go first, I'll take to long, you can excuse me if I'm not ready when he gets here." Dawn was throwing cloths at Michelle, which were simply hitting her and falling to the floor. "Go already!" Dawn laughed.
Michelle gathered up the pile thrown at her and made toward the bathroom. She had decided the best plan would be to get ready then messenger when Dawn was in the shower and cancel. She could arrange to meet him out and white lie her way through it. Michelle only had 5 minutes of hot water time to play all the possible scenarios out in her head, it was important nothing went wrong. There was no room for mistakes this was just as important to Dawn, Michelle couldn't mess this up.
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It was quarter of 11, and the messenger still hadn't arrived. All busy, you're on he list , they'd said. There was no getting around Michael's arrival, Michelle just hoped he'd show some of the same tact she'd already seen him display. Dawn was still getting ready, she wouldn't let Michelle help her at all, that just left her more idle time to watch the clock tick and worry. Michelle was standing guard at the door mentally wishing for him to hurry it up and arrive early so she'd have a few minutes to discuss matters with him alone, when he wish came true. The bell was still reverberating through the house when she jerked the door open.
"You don't look happy to see me," Michael half smiled as it washed away to concern "are you ok"
"Yea there is just a couple things you need to know before she comes out." Michelle talked quickly and in a whisper as she pulled Michael into the house.
"I already know she is sick and if she asks about yesterday, you talk and I'll nod." Michael looked at Michelle seriously and gripped her shoulder.
That was all she needed, Michelle exhaled heavily and smiled. "Whoa ok, you got me."
There was no more alone time Dawn emerged from the bedroom as Michael and Michelle entered the living room. The three of them made introductions and some small talk as they unpacked the lunch Michael brought onto the coffee table. There was an underlying current of anticipation, at the same time everyone seemed to be trying not to rush. Michelle and Dawn sat down on the cheap creaky couch while Michael choose the floor directly across from them over cheap the squeaky arm chair. Michelle became acutely aware of her crappy apartment and started to feel embarrassed before she remembered everyone had the same shitty crap. This must have been what it felt like to have company, back when things were normal.
"Well I guess there is no good way to start, even though I've been trying to think of one." Michael broke the new odd silence two bites into lunch. "Before I'm allowed to disclose anything you both have to agree to a couple conditions." Michael looked at Michelle, "You're seeing a doctor, she's seeing the military, that's kinda why we are all here, but more on that later. From now on any medical treatment either of you receive has to be military. It's to ensure that if anyone got hurt or sick that you wouldn't accidentally spill info while delirious or half conscious, you know." Michael squirmed, looked at his sandwich and raised his head to look at Dawn but chickened out and refocusdrefocused on his lunchmeat.lunch meat.
"Look I don't want either of you to be uncomfortable to say anything to me. I understand what you mean and I'm not offended at all. You say what you want in front of me and what you can't, well I can find something to occupy myself. I just know that there is lots to be done around here and even more wrong around here so if you are here about getting shit done then I don't have a problem." Dawn took a bite of her sandwich, as if to say I'm done talking.
"It's the Underground, it's the general unrest, it's people being people. The sun is going to go down in "Sunrise" if certain things don't start happening." Michael paused for questions but there were none. "So the soldier will go out for food, gas, even clothes, right. We demolish as we expand and re textile everything into cheap prefabs. We have what we have, it's about resources and risk. You think our brass will risk one guy who can be gathering canned food or fighting on the front lines to go grab fancy dining chairs or fuckinfucking video games, NO!. What do these fucks want though, fancy dining chairs and video games. So they head to the Underground. I don't need to tell you where those freaks in the dead lands get their manpower from to harvest all those amenities either, forced drafting, slavery, shit, you name it." Michael huffed and took in a gulp of air. "To make shit worse most assholes in this dump are lazy bums, there is hardly any new blood going into the ranks. Meanwhile the brass is using more resources to try to stifle the Underground, and the crime rate just goes up. Now on a new an even more disturbing note our military supplies are being nicked and snitches have it that what isn't being sold to the Underground suppliers is going to those Apocalypse nuts" Michael paused again and looked to Dawn and Michelle.
"Well I understand what you are telling me, what I don't understand is why you are telling us and how we are involved." Michelle motioned for Michael to continue.
"Maybe that is why I'm here, because you understand what I'm telling you. I don't understand all of it myself. The shrink you are seeing she is part of some project to try an analyze behavior, set things going in the right direction, sociology, psychology, profiling whatever. They decided they needed to "facilitate" matters, there are some big changes coming, plotted, replotted analyzed blah, blah. To go along with their changes they've recreated the CIA, FBI secret service, something like that, and you and I have been profiled into service."
"Holy shit!? What the fuck do they think I can do?" Michelle croaked and reached for her water.
"That's what I said to my Dad when he told me I was drafted. Well no, I mean you aren't drafted, but you are still sworn to secrecy either way. The shrink said you were perfect, she said something about runner mentality being vastly different then the norm, so I guess we aren't normal. I guess I can can only tell you what convinced me to go ahead with all this. My Dad said, if we want to live a normal life again, not under a tyrant, not in fear and not on the run, we need to make sure to protect our budding society from the assholes and idiots." Michael made a loser sign on his forehead and stuck out his tongue.
"Yea ok, but I still don't get what they want with me" Michelle let out a tense laugh and took a quick glance at Dawn who was a still life of shocked silence.
"According to the shrink we should be able to trust eachothereach other without doubt, we have a natural affinity for reading peoples motives and body language, and we have a desire to see society succeed. That she said was the long story short, but that in an age without specialized education it was all about grabbing the shiniest apples and teaching them the trade. They said they want us to go into the Underground and just blend, start seeing what nibbles as they make changes topside. We.."
"What changes?" Dawn interrupted. "I'm sorry I don't mean to cut you off, I can't believe I'm even surprised. The request maybe should surprised me, the situation, not so much. The rumors, are one thing, but it is just in the air, the things you see but don't register, don't want to think about, but haunt you anyway." Michelle and Michael nodded in agreement. "I've spent my share of time wondering when it would fall, not if, but when. Not really sure why I was so convinced it was going to happen but sure it would. You know I can't run now, anymore you know.. sorry.." Dawn stammered, "keep going."
"They are going to shake the tree balls out. No more watchmen, they are reforming an actual police service, I don't have the specifics on how that will work just that it is one of the changes. Police, Military and farm workers are going to get hazard pay and dealing with the dead alarms is no longer going to be a civil duty. They are hoping the hazard pay will incite people to join up and shake the money tree. They are pulling all resources off The Underground except for this new secret service thing and lifting all the bans on so called contraband topside."
"So wait, don't they care that these rapists will be needing more meat to supply the goods" Michelle looked about to bust the glass in her hand she was gripping it so hard.
"Yea, they do. Brass thinks they are planning a gorilla takeover of "Concrete Sunrise" so they want to beat them to the punch. Recruit more guns, happy guns. Get in, find the heads and chop em off then take over the operations and make it all part of one machine." Michael looked overwhelmed and dejected, not the excited boyish self Michelle had seen earlier.
"I can't believe this." Michelle leaned forward resting her forehead in both hands.
"I don't understand how they can just walsewaltz in and drop the world her lap, this is insane." Dawn leaned back into the couch, it creaked.
"So what do you want me to tell them?" Michael asked flatly.
"Tell them I have nothing better to do." Michelle was not sure why she was agreeing, except for the fact that she really had nothing better to do and if they had no one better to ask then they were seriously up shits creek.
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