After the Pandemic: Genocide (13): Over the Hills and Far Away (815 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesLabels: After_the_Pandemic
Rating: 1.9 on 24 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Axolotl (View user info) at 2006-03-28 10:01:06 EST
Jack McCallum's Introduction - http://www.ubersite.com/m/61238
After the Pandemic: Genocide (1): The Variants - http://www.ubersite.com/m/79933
After the Pandemic: Genocide (2): The Armory - http://www.ubersite.com/m/80119
After the Pandemic: Genocide (3): Times Square - http://www.ubersite.com/m/80429
After the Pandemic: Genocide (4): The Highbridge - http://www.ubersite.com/m/80522
After the Pandemic: Genocide (5): Stars and Stripes Forever - http://www.ubersite.com/m/80836
After the Pandemic: Genocide (6): Against the Grain - http://www.ubersite.com/m/80897
After the Pandemic: Genocide (7): Infiltration - http://www.ubersite.com/m/81839
After the Pandemic: Genocide (8): The Crucible - http://www.ubersite.com/m/82506
After the Pandemic: Genocide (9): Justice Under God - http://www.ubersite.com/m/83249
After the Pandemic: Genocide (10): The Feeding - http://www.ubersite.com/m/84178
After the Pandemic: Genocide (11): The Battle Cry of Freedom - http://www.ubersite.com/m/84551
After the Pandemic: Genocide (12): Diaspora - http://www.ubersite.com/m/85869
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PART THIRTEEN - Over the Hills and Far Away
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"Newark's gone."
President Derringer bowed his head, and replied, "Was it quick?"
"The zombies were in and out, in fast thrusts of firepower," replied Vice President Effinger. "They wore down the opposition, and are slowed down eating and infecting every single living human in the city. The slum population were slow to evacuate; they're being killed as we speak."
Derringer stared out the window of Hackensack Court House, his VP behind him as they awaited noontime. The zombies had been active across the Hackensack River in Teaneck and New Milford all day.
"There!" Effinger pointed in rushed enthusiasm, drawing forth his .45 magnum.
"Jesus, Russell, what?"
Then the President saw what Effinger had been pointing at. Hundreds of yards away stepping lightly along the rocky, muddy banks of the Hackensack, was a zombie scout. He was leaping across the rocks with a sword in hand, keeping his senses about him as he skirted the water's edge.
"It's a zombie!" Effinger said, pointing his magnum out at the Variant C. He held the bulky gun there for a second, and then returned it to his holster, shaking his head.
"I have to get out of here, I'm going to go insane!" Derringer said, frantically running his hands through his once-auburn hair.
"Then flee. I'll make your excuses." Effinger replied. "What are the nuclear codes again, remind me?"
"My birthday, your birthday, and 1776," Derringer said in a raspy voice, returning to the couch where he had been sleeping the previous night.
"June 1st, 1944, December 7th, 1948, 1776...that number would come out to be...I believe it's 61194412719481776," recited Effinger, closing his eyes. "Not all that hard to remember."
"Would you do it?" the President asked.
"What, nuke the city?"
"Yes...would you consider seriously doing it?"
Pausing a moment, Effinger narrowed his eyes and said "Only...if you resigned, and I was given that power. I would do it in a heartbeat. I would set out nuclear arsenal over every major zombie-infected city in the world. There wouldn't be a metropolitan area on this entire planet that wasn't a pile of radioactive dust."
"But all the people," whispered Derringer.
"What's the alternative, Mr. President?" Effinger shouted, banging his fist against the window. "What's your bright fucking idea? By all means, if you can think of something better than letting every single human on the face of the earth be eaten alive or infected, be my guest. Better they burn now, than burn later!"
Effinger let his hand run down the window, squeaking as it past, and breathed, "Unbelievable..."
* * *
Michael and Jennifer walked into the dealership. The vehicles had been commissioned by the Army, and they had been instructed to guard the cars with their lives and weapons. Michael and his companion crossed the suburban boulevard, striding toward the troop of Pennsylvania National Guard in front of the lines of Saturns.
"Hi!" Jennifer called out, stepping onto the sidewalk. The soldiers looked at them calmly and emotionlessly.
"If it's cars you want, don't waste our time," the young sergeant said. "These cars are to be used for the President and his cabinet when they evacuate."
"The President is here?" exclaimed Michael.
Slightly annoyed, the sergeant said "President Derringer is up in the Court House, with his generals and part of his cabinet. These cars are not for civilians. You can evacuate on foot."
"Evacuate on foot?" Michael asked. "Against an army of zombies? Don't you know what they can do to us? We wouldn't last a day."
"If you start now, you could reach Totowa by nightfall," the sergeant replied. "We'll be holding back the zombies."
"For how long?"
The sergeant didn't reply. Somewhere beyond his cold, pale face was a ripple of distrust and worry. His hard-set visage faltered, and he wavered where he stood.
"It doesn't matter," the sergeant said, regaining himself. "Find another way out."
"We're as good as dead, you know that?" Jennifer said sharply. "There is no other way. I know we should have evacuated before—but we were in the Teaneck Armory, before it fell."
"The armory?" replied the sergeant, bemused. "You escaped the massacre?"
"Yes," said Jennifer, exasperated. "We went through miles of Teaneck, trying not to get shot by soldiers thinking we were zombies, or to get killed by zombies themselves. We've survived this long, and you're going to have us stay here to die in Hackensack?"
"Is there any other kind of transportation out of the city?" asked Michael, a little more calmly.
The sergeant exhaled deeply and shook his head. "No," he answered. "I don't believe that there is. I hate to do this. I really do, but I can't do anything. My hands are tied."
"You bastard..." Jennifer said angrily, her fists clenching. "You're going to let us die after we've gotten so far? Are you a human?"
"Miss, let me do my job," the sergeant said, clutching his rifle tightly across his chest. "The cars stay here, for the President!"
"What good will it do?" Jennifer shouted.
"He's the leader of the country!"
"And I'm an American citizen!" replied Jennifer. "There's about forty cars there, and you can't spare a single one? How many men and women have you killed, sergeant? All in the name of protecting the President? You cold, heartless bastard!"
"Orders are orders!" growled the sergeant. "If I was ordered to shoot you for attempting assault on a serviceman, I would do that. If I was ordered to stay here to defend this entire city against the Variant C, I would do that. In hard times, humanity takes a backseat, sister. I'd kill a thousand civilians before I saw my country perish!"
"Then the country is already in its grave," Jennifer spat. Turning to walk away, she said, "You'll rot in hell for this shit." Michael relaxed himself, swallowed back his fear, and followed after Jennifer.
The sergeant closed his eyes, and his fingers ran down the barrel of his rifle, and brushed his pants. He felt in his pocket, and found his target: a strand of rosary beads his mother had given him before he had gone to serve in the Guard three months before.
For one time in his life, he felt a twinge of fear for his immortal soul.
"Wait," the sergeant croaked. Jennifer and Michael turned around; Jennifer's face was red with rage. The sergeant nodded to one of the troopers behind him, who hesitantly drew out a chain covered in car keys.
"Hop into this one," the sergeant said, his voice low and resigned. Jennifer and Michael opened the car doors, Michael on the driver's side, and slid into the Saturn.
"Thanks," said Jennifer, her anger ebbing away and surprised that this stoic sergeant was now handing them a set of keys.
"Good luck, wherever you go." the sergeant said. Michael saluted him, and Jennifer looked back at him as Michael started the car. He pulled out of the dealership, and continued down the boulevard, heading west.
"We're free," Jennifer breathed.
* * *
Tobias, Von Dorn, Thorpe and Father Robertson: the leader and three generals of the zombie rebellion. On the banks of the Hackensack River, they prepared for the final assault on the strongest point of Northern New Jersey. After this city fell, all of interior America was his to govern.
"In lines!" Tobias barked, calling brigades of armored zombies into formation along the banks of the river. Using his maimed hand to direct one company, he beckoned some Variant C officers to him to organize the attack.
"Von Dorn!" Tobias called. "Report enemy status!"
The zombie commander stepped up to Tobias, and reported: "The enemy is a cavalry battalion, and two estimated National Guard infantry battalions, totaling perhaps two thousand men at maximum. Many of them have not yet seen combat with Variant C forces, and will be attacked from two sides by our allies coming up from Newark."
"Excellent," Tobias said. "Marcia! What about our army?"
Marcia Thorpe and Father Robertson, the latter still nursing a wounded shoulder and ankle, strode into Tobias' earshot and prepared their reports.
Thorpe said, "Our army is comprised of roughly twelve thousand Variant C in Teaneck, with five thousand Variant B. We are reinforced by forty thousand Variant C and B coming up from Newark, and from Rodriguez' seven thousand Variant C crossing the river northwards at New Milford. Our total count of zombies is sixty-four thousand, all attacking the city center of Hackensack."
"Robertson...the overall zombie nation?"
Robertson cleared his throat and adjusted his burnished rifle on his bandaged shoulder.
"The zombies have pushed past the wall of troops defending Canada, and have seized Montreal. They're sticking to major metropolitan areas, and only using the countryside as stopping-off points. In the east, Connecticut and New England are taken, with only Boston holding out against our forces. Newark has fallen, and zombies are encircling around the Meadowlands and Essex toward Philadelphia."
"We will attack Hackensack tomorrow morning, and Paterson in the evening."
* * *
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. Here...put it in slowly..."
"It's bleeding."
Michael breathed slowly, forcing himself to be calm as he moved his mouth down toward the self-inflicted cut in Jennifer's arm. He kissed the wound, and let the blood flow into his mouth. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his shaking hands betrayed his feelings...
...He wanted to kill Jennifer, with every ounce of neural power in his mind. He wanted to tear away her arm, and break her neck in a single blow. Her warm, pale flesh was stretched over a patchwork of veins and arteries, glistening with lifeblood, Michael's sustenance.
"Stop..."
Michael grinded his teeth, and pulled away from Jennifer's arm. She looked at him from anxious blue eyes for a moment, and then nonchalantly wrapped a line of gauze around her forearm. He stared at the dribbling knife-cut, and his fingers trembled in anticipation of a feed.
And it was over. As the gauze hid the wound, Michael's desire went away.
"Let's keep driving, Michael. Do you have enough...strength?"
Michael ignited the engine, and pulled out of the abandoned gas station, nestled in a small grove of trees on Route 78. "We'll try to get as far out west as we can on the full tank," Michael said, swallowing his blood. "Maybe Harrisburg, but more likely the Lehigh Valley, around Scranton. We should be safe there, for the moment."
Jennifer sighed, her hands folded; she turned on the radio.
From the airwaves, the voice of God said, "—Variant C strains have awakened in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and the cities of Pennsylvania are nearly overrun with the zombies. While Boston and North Jersey still hold out against the zombies, this deadly pandemic has—"
Michael reared back and struck the radio dial with an anguished roar, bloodying his knuckles with the punch. He slammed on the brakes, and stopped dead in the middle of the highway.
"Is there nowhere? Is there not a single place on earth where they don't have those animals?" he cried, kicking the floor. "Where else? Where else can we go?"
Jennifer said nothing, but bit her lip and tucked her legs in under her.
"We're going to die," she said quietly. "I..." She fell silent.
Michael laid his head back in the seat. "Is there any point?" he asked, not expecting a response. "Out west, east, and north there's zombies, and by the time we get to Philadelphia..."
"Between a rock and a hard place," Jennifer said in a raspy voice, resting her head on her knees.
Michael and Jennifer sat in the car in silence, well knowing that less than twenty miles away were creatures of the night, fully willing to kill them. Michael stole a glance at Jennifer, and turned back.
"Jennifer, you know I'm one of them."
"You're not. You're not like them. They're evil."
"I'm evil."
Jennifer stared out the window into the dark countryside. Out there, the grass was still beautiful, not polluted by Variant C and destruction.
"I'll go back," Michael said. "I'll go back to Hackensack."
Jennifer turned to him. "Are you sure?"
"We're safer there, surrounded by soldiers. Out here..." Jennifer and Michael looked at one another; Michael broke away and restarted the car. "Let's turn around."
"I never thought it would end like this..." Jennifer breathed.
Michael nodded in agreement, and rested his head on the wheel. He drove away into the distance, with the grim knowledge that he was still hungry for flesh. With one last glance at Jennifer, Michael kept his eyes on the road.
User Reviews
Submitted by ConorJS (user info) at 2006-04-09 23:08:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
-2DIE
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2006-04-09 22:58:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Ach, I hate ruining a +2 streak...but...
My biggest problem with this series is suspension of disbelief. I don't buy the interaction between the Prez and the VP -- there's tons of protocol and stuff I'm sure you're ignoring. I just...I don't know, every time I come to a part that deals with the army or the government, I think, "I don't think it would happen that way at all," and it kind of throws me off. It doesn't seem authentic in that respect.
Also (and this is another example), what is the timeline here? Did the zombies spread from NY to southern Canada in a matter of hours? That seems pretty unfeasible. I mean, it's like an eight hour DRIVE, but it seems to happen in less than a day. Massive uprisings like this take a lot of time to organize and spread.
Still good stuff though.
Submitted by awesome_face (user info) at 2006-04-01 10:58:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
The boner is dying down. Where is part -0723419070437634057324573490571-78934343759872390485
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-31 12:57:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Haha
Submitted by awesome_face (user info) at 2006-03-31 12:55:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
The semen has now reached the shores of Cuba and beyond. Fidel Castro has drowned in my semen.
On another note the origin of the semen (my giant boner) has fell to the side and destroyed the entire west coast of the United States.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-03-29 17:48:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-29 09:53:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I have the Super Mario theme song running through my head.
Only a few more left...this can join Mcallum and thecaes in their works.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-29 08:58:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-03-29 04:13:18 (#)
Ranking: 2
"I tried to break away from the stereotypical images of zombies. They're well-armed and armored, unlike a bunch of stumbling brainless bloodhounds. "
And what's wrong with that?!?!?!?!?
Good series, dude
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Haha, didn't mean anything toward your zombie series. That is truly the kicker of all ass.
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-03-29 04:13:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"I tried to break away from the stereotypical images of zombies. They're well-armed and armored, unlike a bunch of stumbling brainless bloodhounds. "
And what's wrong with that?!?!?!?!?
Good series, dude
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2006-03-28 14:51:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2006-03-28 13:08:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell"
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 12:36:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2006-03-28 12:32:18 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:56:47 (#)
Ranking: 2
the part of Michael being a zombie. i didn't know that was coming.
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I'm 92.6% certain that was revealed a couple posts ago...
Getting better, my young Padawan.
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It was revealed, this was the second time Michael fed off of her.
We're drawing to a close...three installments left...
What shall the Vice President do about the zombies?
Will Derringer resign?
Will Jennifer survive?
Will Tobias succumb to his virus?
Will humanity escape destruction?
Will Michael finally score with Jen?
All-- soon!
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2006-03-28 12:32:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:56:47 (#)
Ranking: 2
the part of Michael being a zombie. i didn't know that was coming.
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I'm 92.6% certain that was revealed a couple posts ago...
Getting better, my young Padawan.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 12:11:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Now, I must write:
ATP 14, ATP 15 and ATP 16
Mafia story
And other things...
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:56:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
the part of Michael being a zombie. i didn't know that was coming.
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:53:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:43:41 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:35:45 (#)
Ranking: 2
If this were a comp or something, I'd give this like a 1.75 or something, but what the hell, right?
I can't promise I'll read the previous ones, but I'll try to get to them.
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It's not a competition, it was more of an optional project started by Jack Mccallum last year.
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Yeah, I gathered that.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:53:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Sphagnum (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:48:49 (#)
Ranking: 2
Sympathy +2.
You obviously put alot of effort into this and now no-one is reading it.
THAT, my friend, is the nature of Übersite.
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Enough people read it to make it worth it.
Submitted by Sphagnum (user info) at 2006-03-28 11:48:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Sympathy +2.
You obviously put alot of effort into this and now no-one is reading it.
THAT, my friend, is the nature of Übersite.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:52:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I sent you the email, Tim. I can do it, no problem.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:43:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:35:45 (#)
Ranking: 2
If this were a comp or something, I'd give this like a 1.75 or something, but what the hell, right?
I can't promise I'll read the previous ones, but I'll try to get to them.
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It's not a competition, it was more of an optional project started by Jack Mccallum last year. We each had to write a zombie story (all the participants, that is.) McCallum and the Caes did their own...the genre is open to cliches etc. but I tried to break away from the stereotypical images of zombies. They're well-armed and armored, unlike a bunch of stumbling brainless bloodhounds.
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:35:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
If this were a comp or something, I'd give this like a 1.75 or something, but what the hell, right?
I can't promise I'll read the previous ones, but I'll try to get to them.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:34:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:20:28 (#)
Ranking: 2
phenominal. nice work. i surely didn't see that one coming...unless i missed some foreshadowing earlier.
very good.
did you get my em ail?
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I'll check my email now.
Which part didn't you see coming?
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:20:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
phenominal. nice work. i surely didn't see that one coming...unless i missed some foreshadowing earlier.
very good.
did you get my em ail?
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-28 10:07:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm running out of interesting pictures to use for my Uber posts...
At least this one has some bearing on the actual content itself.