The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel (16 page)

Gideon was watching her intently, his trembling hands tucked under his chin as he listened. Jameson
’
s mouth remained open in disbelief.

A female soldier with dark skin and black eyes that Maria didn
’
t know asked, “How do you know they won
’
t attack you?”

Maria knew that the vid she had helped Dr. Curran edit together was now showing behind her. It would reveal the highlights of her testing, including her standing in a room crowded with
Inferi Scourge
, untouched by them. “I hav
e undergone a series of tests over
the last two weeks. I am the ultimate weapon against the
Scrags
. Dr. Curran
assured
me that when
w
e
’
re
done purging the valley of all the
Scrags
,
we will be restored
to life
.”

Dr. Curran stepped forward as Mr. Petersen abandoned the podium. “I am Doctor Beverly Curran. I am in charge of the
Inferi Boon
Project. What Vanguard Martinez has told you is the truth. We can restore you and give you an antidote to destroy the modified virus. You will be able to build a new life for yourselves once the valley is free. Vangua
rd Martinez is our first
Inferi Boon
Special Ops. She can answer all your questions and alleviate any of the fears you may have about the procedure.” Beverly took a breath as the men and women
before her shifted uncomfortably
in their chairs and stared at her warily. “This mission still remains voluntary. If you decide to withdraw from the program, you will continue to stay in the SWD
facility
for the next six months until the operation is over. Consider it an extended vacation, but this mission must remain top secret. Though the city knows that the government has plans to remove the
Inferi Scourge
from the valley, it has been determined that there will be an outcry if they discover the truth about the
Inferi Boon
Special Ops. The fear of the
Inferi Scourge
is deep-se
ated
in our psyche. We don
’
t want there to be any discrimination or fear associated with your returns to society. Therefore, our cover story is that special armor was used to enable you to move among the
Inferi Scourge
. No one will ever know about what you had to become to save
The Bastion
. Before entering this mission debriefing, you were all sworn to secrecy. That oath will remain intact whether or not
you
’
re
on the mission. Once the mission is successfully completed, those participating in the mission will be publically acknowledged by the president. Those who decide to opt out will be listed as s
upport personnel
. Am I clear?”

“
You
’
re going to make us into Scrags
?” Jameson said with disbelief.

“
Thinking Scrags
,” the young woman with the short cropped hair amended.

“You have twenty-four hours to decide,” Dr. Curran continued.

“I don
’
t need twenty-four hours,” a man said in a clipped accent. He stood up, his broad shoulders and height impressive. His closely-cropped hair was lightly beaded with sweat and despite his imposing looks, it was obvious he was uncomfortable with all he had been told.

“Chief Defender Omondi, I wou
ld like to hear your thoughts,”
Mr. Petersen said in his bland voice.

Maria glanced at the black man and saw his eyes narrow dangerously.

“I am ready now for the procedure,” Omondi responded.

“So am I,” a woman with white-blond hair and pleasant features said.

“I see,” Dr. Curran said, a little surprised.

More hands and voices were raised, while a few holdouts remained quiet and pensive.

“I know you
’
re afraid,” Maria said, directing her eyes away from those who
wouldn
’
t
look at her. “I know that everything we showed you is frightening, but this is our last chance.
I am
Inferi Boon
Special Ops. I feel, think, and crave the freedom from the
Scrags
. When I enlisted in the Constabulary I knew that I may one day put my life on the line to protect th
is city. I never dreamed that
I could continue to protect humanity beyond my death. I died over two weeks ago and yet I stand before you. I still care what happens to every citizen of this city...to you...to my family. I don
’
t want any of us to face starvation and death. If you decide not to do this, so be it. I get it. I understand. My body feels foreign to me now. I don
’
t feel alive. But I am still a soldier. And I will fight for my city.” Her last words were raw with emotion as her air ran out and she had to force more air to her lungs so she could speak. Anger was pricking at her nerves and she suddenly couldn
’
t see any damn reason why her fellow soldiers wouldn
’
t do the right thing.

“Are you with me?”

Every soldier
in the room
stood up and let out a war cry.

* * *

Unexpectedly
, Dr. Curran offered to escort Maria to her quarters. Maria was relieved when Dr. Petersen didn
’
t follow. Chief Defender Omondi shook hands with her before she left the debriefing room. His wide smile said it all.

The two women walked in silence, their footfalls echoing
through
the long white corridor. Maria wanted nothing more than to lie down on her bed and wait for Dwayne
’
s call. She wasn
’
t tired physically, but emotionally she felt drained.

“I thought you were against the hard sell,” Dr. Curran finally said.

Maria glanced toward her and grinned. “I was...I am.”

“You basically called anyone not volunteering a coward and a traitor,” Dr. Curran pointed out. “Not in so many words, of course, but the sentiment was there.

Lifting her shoulders, Maria slowed her pace.

Dr. Curran stopped and
faced Maria
. “Do you wish to tell me something?”

Maria set her feet apart and set her hands on her hips. “When I was in there, I think I finally believed we can have a successful mission. Looking at all of their faces and knowing what
they
’
re
capable of, I felt this surge of hope fill me. Give us the right weapons and training and we can do this.”

Dr. Curran laughed slightly as she rested her hand on Maria
’
s shoulder. “I never doubted that for a second.”

Once tucked away in her room, Maria showered and let her hair down. The alarm in her wristlet kept her alert as she settled onto her bed to study the file Dr. Curran had downloaded onto a pad for her. It contained maps of the valley and the pinpointed locations of importance, including the gate. The major obstacle to their mission was just the sheer number of
Inferi Scourge
filling the valley. They formed a massive wall of flesh that was going to be difficult to penetrate
,
or maneuver through.

After an hour of studying, her wristlet indicated that Dwayne was calling. She brought up the program and smiled as he came into view.

“Still at the office I see,” she teased.

“I
’
m a workaholic. Besides, now I don
’
t have you to rush home to,” he answered, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled. “How are you doing?”

“I
’
m doing fine. The other recruits are going to undergo the procedure soon. I get to guide them through their transition, then we start training
for
about two weeks.”

“You sound excited.” Dwayne
’
s voice barely gave away his worry.

“I am. Today I think I finally believe that this is going to happen. We
’
re really going to clear the valley. I think I believed
it in theory, but now it feels
real, tangible, possible.”

Dwayne lowered his eyes as his smile grew bittersweet. “I hope you
’
re right. I want nothing more than
for you to return to me
.”

“And I will
,” Maria promised. “I love you.”

“I love you. Until tomorrow night. I
’
ll dream of you.”

“I
’
ll
dream of you, too.”

His face vanished and Maria felt a pang of loneliness cut through her. If she could cry, she would have for she realized that she had lied to Dwayne for the first time
in their relationship
.

She
no longer
dream
ed
.

Chapter 12

“So this is what it feels like to be dead,” Chief Defender Obuya Omondi muttered.

Maria stood over him, her hand on his shoulder as Dr. Beverly Curran studied the various readouts pouring into her pad. “Kind of strange, huh?”

Omondi
’
s brow slightly puckered as he lifted his head and studied himself. “I feel really odd.”

The man
’
s very dark skin and black eyes spoke of an African ancestry, but his voice was tinged with a rather posh accent. Most likely his family was from the British Isles. The refugees of the dead world tended to live together in enclaves reflective of their countries of origin. Not all the survivors of the great fall of humanity were interested in retaining the old world cultures, but enough did that languages were still being preserved despite English being the primary language of
The Bastion
.

“You get used to it eventually,” Maria assured him.

“Feels a bit like I
’
m wrapped in a blanket,” Omondi decided.

Dr. Curran looked more than pleased with the readouts. “Things are looking very good, Chief Defender. We
’
re going to do a variety of tests just to make sure the transition was smooth,” Dr. Curran said.

Maria
’
s smile slightly faded at the doctor
’
s words.

“How is the rest of the squad?” Omondi
’
s brow was lightly furrowed with concern.

Maria was slightly jealous that the rest of the volunteers had been housed together while she was doing her duty as Dr. Curran
’
s test subject. They had been able to bond as a unit while she had been isolated.

“Rea
dy to follow in your footsteps
,” Beverly replied. She added with a slight smirk, “They
’
re eager to join you.”

A large smile spread across Omondi
’
s lips. “I would expect nothing less. They truly are the best of the best.” He flexed his large hands and wiggled his feet. His smile faded and he slowly exhaled. “This really does feel very peculiar. Do you really get used to it?”

Maria flexed her numb hand and drew a breath to speak. “Absolutely,” she lied.

“How long before I will be ready to train?” Omondi asked. He forced himself to
lie
back, but Maria could see him flexing his muscles.

“Once all the tests are done. Thanks to Vanguard Martinez, your tests will go a lot faster and much more smoothly.”

“I am grateful for that. I won
’
t lie. I am very anxious to get out there and beg
i
n smashing
Scrag
heads.” Omondi
grinned
at Maria.

“I feel exactly the same way,” Maria responded.

Dr. Curran wore a look of amusement on her face as she stepped away from the table. “There will
be
time for that.”

“I want to be there when my people wake up,” Omondi informed the doctor.

“I
’
ll see if I can arrange that,” Dr. Curran answered.

Omondi
’
s good-natured expression vanished as his eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. “I was told I am in charge of this operation.
It
’
s
my responsibility to make sure my people come through it safely. I will be at their awakenings. Is that clear?”

Dr. Curran
’
s mouth dropped slightly in surprise, but then she regained her composure. “As I said, I will see what I can do. Come along, Vanguard Martinez.”

Maria gave Omondi
’
s shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze then followed the doctor out of the room.

“There are too many heads to this beast,” Beverly muttered angrily.

“Isn
’
t the Chief Defender in charge of the operation?” Maria asked. “Isn
’
t he the one calling the shots for our mission?”

“The line is blurred between where his mission begins and where mine ends,” Dr. Curran confessed.

Sighing, she kept a brisk pace as they
traveled
the corridor toward the testing rooms. “Once this project was approved by the president it was no longer just an SWD project. I used to answer to my superiors. Now I answer to a committee consisting of every branch of the military and the government. Nothing is simple anymore on the bureaucratic end. Luckily for you, you don
’
t have to deal with any of that. Your job is simple. Kill the
Inferi Scourge
and
come home to your new life.” Dr. Curran
forced a smile onto her tightly
-
drawn face
,
as if to reassure Maria.

Though she didn
’
t particularly like
Dr. Curran
, Maria could see that the woman genuinely cared about the success of the mission. It softened her anger against the scientist. She supposed that some sort of resentment was normal considering that
Dr. Curran
had
killed
her. “I can tell you that I may have transitioned a bit better if I had someone like Chief Defender Omondi there for me when I came to. I
’
m glad I was there for him today. I would like to be there for the next person who comes over as well.”

Dr. Curran
reluctantly nodded. “You have a point.”

“I am not interested in the squabbles of the brass as long as the people volunteering for this mission are treated with the dignity they deserve.”

“You
’
re still angry at me, aren
’
t you?”

“Do you blame me?” Maria raised an eyebrow.

“No, I don
’
t.”
Dr. Curran
took a hold of Maria
’
s forearm and steered her into the
scientist
’
s
private office. “Take a seat and I
’
ll be right back.”

With a sigh, Maria sat at the edge of a chair and listened to the door whoosh shut. The media feed was running on the screen over the doctor
’
s immaculate desk. It was muted, but Maria read the feed at the bottom as the government propaganda filled the screen. So many promises were being made by the president
that
it created a sense of unease in Maria. Though hope had filled her the day before, now she felt a twinge of worry. If they weren
’
t successful, the city would face a
dreadful
death.

Settling back in the chair, she waited for Dr. Curran.

* * *

Maria
’
s return to cognizance was disorienting. Mr. Petersen was leaning over her, smiling his shark smile, his eyes gleaming in the light from the
vid
screen over the desk. Dr. Curran sat at her desk with her chin resting on her hand
,
staring at her with a tiredness that appeared
to be
bone deep.

“I
...blacked out?” Maria glanced
at her wristlet, confusion filling her.

“Well, we didn
’
t need you up and about for a while, so we turned off the alarm to let you rest a bit.” Mr. Petersen
’
s smile widened.

His explanation was bullshit and they both knew it. The black outs didn
’
t bring actual rest to her body. They had needed her out of the way for a while and had basically shut her
off
like a pad or computer. Her gaze flicked to the screen and she registered the time. She had been out for over six hours.

“While you were taking your catnap, we had a meeting, Dr. Curran and I, along with the oversight committee. It has been agreed that you and Chief Defender Omondi
should be with the new
Inferi Boon
S
pecial
Ops as they awaken. It i
s believed that your presence will make the transition much easier.” Mr. Petersen sat on the corner of Dr. Curran
’
s desk, drawi
ng a look of annoyance from her.

“You never thought you would get this far, did you? To actually creating
Inferi Boon
.” Maria asked. “With this program. You
’
re making it up as you go along
, aren
’
t you
?”

Mr. Petersen
’
s sm
ile faded just a tad.
“I wouldn
’
t necessarily say that. But
we a
re
very pleased with you and Chief Defender Omondi. He has already passed his tests with flying colors. A very good start, don
’
t you think?”

The disquiet she felt whenever in the presence of Mr. Petersen was beginning to grow into something akin to hate. She found it difficult not to despise him when he spoke to her as if she was a simpleton. He met her gaze comfortably, not at least intimidated by her pointed glare.

“I
’
m glad that he
’
s doing well,” she said at last.

“Aren
’
t we all
?
Now, we
—
I mean, Dr. Curran
—
is about to
perform the procedure on a
nother of your comrades. We
’
d like it if you joined her once again.”

Maria stood, giving him a curt nod. Dr. Cur
ran stood
, her shoulders slightly drooping.

Mr. Petersen
hopped
off the edge of the desk and slid his arm around Maria
’
s waist, guiding h
er to the door. “We decided it
’
s best if we don
’
t make your comrades wait too long. We
’
re bringing them all over in the next twelve hours. It will be a very long night.”

“Why so soon?” Maria dared to ask.

“To hurry up yo
ur deployment, of course. There
’
s a shining new world awaiting all of us once you accomplish your task,” Mr. Petersen reminded her. “A brave new world.”

“Did you ever read the book?” Maria asked, arching her brows.

“Of course,” Mr. Petersen said in his disquieting voice. “And many others as well.”

Dr. Curran gave Maria a warning look behind Mr. Petersen
’
s back. Feeling like a co-conspirator, Maria fell into obedient silence. Mr. Petersen was baiting her in some manner and it was probably best to avoid any sort of confrontation with him. Again she wondered at his persistent white uniform with its lack of rank designation or even military affiliation. Maria seriously doubted he was the secretary to the admiral of the SWD. Who
exactly
he was and how much power he wielded over the entire project was a mystery
. One
that made her
very
uneasy.

* * *

After the
third
resurrection, Maria and Omondi were co
mfortable in the process
. They worked well together, catching on to each other
’
s cues and Dr. Curran
’
s. After reach revival, the new
Inferi Boon
was transferred to the testing facility to
en
sure their transition
was smooth
.

The first
three
to be revived were veterans of the last push against the
Scourge
. All were Special Sergeants, the rank beneath Maria, and physically strong despite former wounds. Rom
Mikado
and Bob McKinney were
both
powerfully
-
built and took over ten minutes to return as an
Inferi Boon
. Leticia Cruz revived in five. She was the dark
-skinned woman with the short-
cropped hair that Maria had seen in the briefing room. Slightly shorter than Maria, she was lean and muscled. When she awakened so quickly, it startled all of them.

“Am I back?” she asked, her voice hoarse as she struggled to speak.