Any actual names, non original content, or likenesses of celebrities are used in a fictitious and parodic manner.
PART TWO: ZOMBIES, PLANTS, AND MUTANTS, OH MY!
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE BRAVERY OF BEING OUT OF RANGE. OR, IN WHICH OUR FEARLESS FOUR BEGIN TO LOOK FOR SURVIVORS BUT THE (UN) DEAD MAY ENVY THE LIVING.
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” - Revelation 6:8 (King James Version)
“Just love those laser-guided bombs/They’re really great for righting wrongs/You hit the target and win the game/From bars 3000 miles away/From 3000 miles away, we play the game/With the bravery of being out of range.” - Roger Waters, “The Bravery of Being Out of Range”
Silence.
Nothing but silence for the first few moments. It was quite unnerving for the four that were deep in the ground of a farm close to the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The Edmonton radio station they were listening to was replaced by static. Then the Emergency Broadcast System had replaced the dead air with the following message: “…this is not a test. The city of Edmonton along with its surrounding municipal areas is under extreme quarantine conditions. Travel to the city limits are strictly forbidden until Canadian Armed Forces Disaster Response Team orders so. Please note, city of Edmonton under massive nuclear weapon attack…”
Kevin turned off the radio and quickly went to the television. While local media has been scorched to the earth, perhaps the rest of the world had not turn a blind eye on Alberta’s fair capital. But it appeared to be all for naught as nothing at all was coming across the television set.
“Face it Kev, we may be on our own here” Dean said. Karen had her head buried in Dean’s lap, allowing him to stroke her hair and comfort her in this rather shaky situation.
“Not entirely.” Kevin said with a tinge of frustration in his voice. “The broadcast did say the army has taken over Edmonton and controlling any and all traffic going in there…”
Karen raised her head up. Her voice was shaky and trembling. All of her family, her old friends, they were most likely gone. “Who in their right mind would go there right now?” she cried as Dean wrapped his arms around her, trying his best to console her.
“There is a slim possibility that people in Edmonton survived using similar tactics like we did.” Kevin said, trying to reassure any and all doubts in spite of having his own doubts.
“Even so, I’m sure the military is in complete control.” Dean stated.
Kevin responded, “Please. As much as I as respect our armed forces, they have never been fully trained for something like this.” He went on. “The closest they had to training was old guide books written during the Cold War era, an era that has long since passed on and combat methods have changed. Then there is simply the matter of dealing with various biological and chemical airborne agents that could affect the populous in ways our scientists could never have dreamed of. We’re talking about things that are best seen in horror films. We could be facing a rage virus, other radioactive scarred mutants, and god only knows what else hath fallen upon us!”
“Sort of like a chaos theory, like in ‘Jurassic Park’?” Karen asked. She then whispered into Dean’s ear: “That’s one of my five books.”
“Yes and no.” Kevin answered. “We’re dealing more with X-factors than simply chaos.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you?” Dean asked matter-of-factly.
“Look, we can debate mathematical theories all day, or we can start organizing and assembling a new society before everyone reverts to tribal and feudal states.” Kevin said trying to steer the conversation in another direction. “While going into Edmonton city limits will be both foolish and dangerous with the amount of radioactive fallout, our little neck of the woods should be all right. As president…”
Dean interrupted. “Wait, why are you president?”
Kevin replied back “Because this was all my idea. I came up with this so I get to be president.”
Dean came back jokingly. “Okay fine. Then I get to be king and tyrant.”
“Now wait a minute…” Kevin was going on under all of the sudden; a muffled sound could be heard from beyond the bunker and close to the entrance of the shelter.
BOOM! BOOM!
Everyone stood up and went quiet.
“What the hell is that?!” Karen asked quietly.
“Could be survivors, or could be flesh-starved mutants.” Kevin stated.
“Now is not the time to joke about that!” Karen stated harshly and quietly still.
“Someone should go and see.” Dean suggested.
“Good idea, ‘president’.” Kevin said as he pushed Dean slightly ahead.
“Me?! This was YOUR idea, ‘dictator for life’!” Dean retorted.
“I never referred myself as that, although…”
While Dean and Kevin carried on their childlike bickering over who should be in charge, Ariel went towards one of the bunk beds. She lifted up the bottom mattress to reveal a sawed-off shot gun. “Fuck, you’re all a bunch of pussies!” Ariel snapped. “Follow me and stay out of the way!” she commanded as she opened the door and made her way back to the hatch entrance. Everyone else stood in shock and slowly but surely followed the petite red-haired girl with the gun.
“Lead the way, Sarah Connor.” Karen said under her breath.
Kevin stood back for a moment. “Maybe ‘breeding stock’ is a little too harsh for her after all.” He said as he closed the door behind him.
Ariel quietly led the group back to the hatchway. She motioned to them to stay down. “I’ll climb up and see what’s there. If you hear nothing, run back to the compartment we were in. There are three more guns under the other beds.” She instructed them and slowly made her way up the ladder. Once she reached the top, she violently opened the door and heard a sound. The sound was like metal hitting flesh. She quickly jumped out from the hole and outside back into the world. The remaining three in the hole heard Ariel screaming “Down on the fucking ground!” like a determined police officer. While they tried to figure out what, or who, was up there, Kevin was trying to listen for any further clues as to what was going on up there. It was then he heard a muffled, yet familiar “Please don’t shoot! For the love of god don’t shoot!”
“Doesn’t that sound like Donnie?” Kevin asked.
Dean nodded his head approvingly. “Guess we better go up there before she decides to unload a few rounds in him, eh?”
Kevin shook his head in agreement and then proceeded to climb up the ladder, followed by Karen and then Dean. As they made their way up to the surface, they saw Donnie; face down in the ground with Ariel hovering over his head with the gun. Meanwhile, Donnie’s wife Sarah stood a distance back, trying to shield their daughter Hailey from the current events.
“At ease!” Kevin commanded Ariel like a drill sergeant. Ariel complied with the command and stood back as Donnie made his up from the ground.
“Jesus Christ! That woman just about made me shit out my heart!” Donnie exclaimed nervously.
“It’s alright,” Kevin began to address Donnie. “She probably thought you were a zombie sent here to feast on our delicious, nutritious brains. Did the temp at least make his way here to?”
Ryan Jeffries poked his head from behind Sarah. “Yeah, though Joanne is gonna be pretty pissed off at us for all abandoning the store.”
“I think she will understand.” Sarah said to the young man, and gave him a dirty look that seemed to say “Thanks for hiding behind me and using my daughter and I as human shields, you chicken!”
Dean and Karen poked out from the hole. Dean decided now would be the time to become the voice of reason and went on to speak. “Look since most of us made it here, we need to organize a plan here. Now, while Kevin’s initial plan is a good start, I don’t think we can rebuild a society with simply the seven of us. Now what we need to do is organize and try to find others like us. There has to be pockets of people like us out there, who are just as confused and uncertain of what is going on. And while we wait to try and get reconnected with the world, we need to know for sure that there are others out there and that we need to pull together and work as a team to make things work. I know I may sound like I’m rambling but dammit all to hell, this is what we need to do!”
Donnie, still a little shaken after nearly having his brains blown off was the first to speak up. “And how do we do this? How do we know where to look and make sure we’re not affected?”
Kevin then spoke next. “If my estimates hold up, we are just on the edge of the safe zone in terms of getting radiation poisoning. Until we know for sure what is going on out there, we proceed with caution.”
Sarah questioned this plan. “And what if we find nothing?”
Karen was next to say something. “Then we do our best and get as much information as possible and move on.”
Kevin nodded his head in agreement. “We have to realize we are now in a combat situation here. Edmonton may be gone, but who knows what is next – Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, or even Moose Jaw. Nowhere will be a hundred percent safe, and while the military may be in charge now, mob rule could easily become a problem too. And I wish to be on the winning side when that comes.”
Ryan then asked. “So, do we split up or go as one group.”
“Splitting up right now is pointless right now. We move as one.” Kevin once again answered. “I suggest we all rest now, for tomorrow, we roll out!”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Kevin’s final thought. It may have been one of the smartest things Kevin has come up with since the beginning of the end. But they were not alone indeed, that was true. And probably sooner than later, they will learn nothing is what it seems out in the new frontier.
Nothing but silence for the first few moments. It was quite unnerving for the four that were deep in the ground of a farm close to the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The Edmonton radio station they were listening to was replaced by static. Then the Emergency Broadcast System had replaced the dead air with the following message: “…this is not a test. The city of Edmonton along with its surrounding municipal areas is under extreme quarantine conditions. Travel to the city limits are strictly forbidden until Canadian Armed Forces Disaster Response Team orders so. Please note, city of Edmonton under massive nuclear weapon attack…”
Kevin turned off the radio and quickly went to the television. While local media has been scorched to the earth, perhaps the rest of the world had not turn a blind eye on Alberta’s fair capital. But it appeared to be all for naught as nothing at all was coming across the television set.
“Face it Kev, we may be on our own here” Dean said. Karen had her head buried in Dean’s lap, allowing him to stroke her hair and comfort her in this rather shaky situation.
“Not entirely.” Kevin said with a tinge of frustration in his voice. “The broadcast did say the army has taken over Edmonton and controlling any and all traffic going in there…”
Karen raised her head up. Her voice was shaky and trembling. All of her family, her old friends, they were most likely gone. “Who in their right mind would go there right now?” she cried as Dean wrapped his arms around her, trying his best to console her.
“There is a slim possibility that people in Edmonton survived using similar tactics like we did.” Kevin said, trying to reassure any and all doubts in spite of having his own doubts.
“Even so, I’m sure the military is in complete control.” Dean stated.
Kevin responded, “Please. As much as I as respect our armed forces, they have never been fully trained for something like this.” He went on. “The closest they had to training was old guide books written during the Cold War era, an era that has long since passed on and combat methods have changed. Then there is simply the matter of dealing with various biological and chemical airborne agents that could affect the populous in ways our scientists could never have dreamed of. We’re talking about things that are best seen in horror films. We could be facing a rage virus, other radioactive scarred mutants, and god only knows what else hath fallen upon us!”
“Sort of like a chaos theory, like in ‘Jurassic Park’?” Karen asked. She then whispered into Dean’s ear: “That’s one of my five books.”
“Yes and no.” Kevin answered. “We’re dealing more with X-factors than simply chaos.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you?” Dean asked matter-of-factly.
“Look, we can debate mathematical theories all day, or we can start organizing and assembling a new society before everyone reverts to tribal and feudal states.” Kevin said trying to steer the conversation in another direction. “While going into Edmonton city limits will be both foolish and dangerous with the amount of radioactive fallout, our little neck of the woods should be all right. As president…”
Dean interrupted. “Wait, why are you president?”
Kevin replied back “Because this was all my idea. I came up with this so I get to be president.”
Dean came back jokingly. “Okay fine. Then I get to be king and tyrant.”
“Now wait a minute…” Kevin was going on under all of the sudden; a muffled sound could be heard from beyond the bunker and close to the entrance of the shelter.
BOOM! BOOM!
Everyone stood up and went quiet.
“What the hell is that?!” Karen asked quietly.
“Could be survivors, or could be flesh-starved mutants.” Kevin stated.
“Now is not the time to joke about that!” Karen stated harshly and quietly still.
“Someone should go and see.” Dean suggested.
“Good idea, ‘president’.” Kevin said as he pushed Dean slightly ahead.
“Me?! This was YOUR idea, ‘dictator for life’!” Dean retorted.
“I never referred myself as that, although…”
While Dean and Kevin carried on their childlike bickering over who should be in charge, Ariel went towards one of the bunk beds. She lifted up the bottom mattress to reveal a sawed-off shot gun. “Fuck, you’re all a bunch of pussies!” Ariel snapped. “Follow me and stay out of the way!” she commanded as she opened the door and made her way back to the hatch entrance. Everyone else stood in shock and slowly but surely followed the petite red-haired girl with the gun.
“Lead the way, Sarah Connor.” Karen said under her breath.
Kevin stood back for a moment. “Maybe ‘breeding stock’ is a little too harsh for her after all.” He said as he closed the door behind him.
Ariel quietly led the group back to the hatchway. She motioned to them to stay down. “I’ll climb up and see what’s there. If you hear nothing, run back to the compartment we were in. There are three more guns under the other beds.” She instructed them and slowly made her way up the ladder. Once she reached the top, she violently opened the door and heard a sound. The sound was like metal hitting flesh. She quickly jumped out from the hole and outside back into the world. The remaining three in the hole heard Ariel screaming “Down on the fucking ground!” like a determined police officer. While they tried to figure out what, or who, was up there, Kevin was trying to listen for any further clues as to what was going on up there. It was then he heard a muffled, yet familiar “Please don’t shoot! For the love of god don’t shoot!”
“Doesn’t that sound like Donnie?” Kevin asked.
Dean nodded his head approvingly. “Guess we better go up there before she decides to unload a few rounds in him, eh?”
Kevin shook his head in agreement and then proceeded to climb up the ladder, followed by Karen and then Dean. As they made their way up to the surface, they saw Donnie; face down in the ground with Ariel hovering over his head with the gun. Meanwhile, Donnie’s wife Sarah stood a distance back, trying to shield their daughter Hailey from the current events.
“At ease!” Kevin commanded Ariel like a drill sergeant. Ariel complied with the command and stood back as Donnie made his up from the ground.
“Jesus Christ! That woman just about made me shit out my heart!” Donnie exclaimed nervously.
“It’s alright,” Kevin began to address Donnie. “She probably thought you were a zombie sent here to feast on our delicious, nutritious brains. Did the temp at least make his way here to?”
Ryan Jeffries poked his head from behind Sarah. “Yeah, though Joanne is gonna be pretty pissed off at us for all abandoning the store.”
“I think she will understand.” Sarah said to the young man, and gave him a dirty look that seemed to say “Thanks for hiding behind me and using my daughter and I as human shields, you chicken!”
Dean and Karen poked out from the hole. Dean decided now would be the time to become the voice of reason and went on to speak. “Look since most of us made it here, we need to organize a plan here. Now, while Kevin’s initial plan is a good start, I don’t think we can rebuild a society with simply the seven of us. Now what we need to do is organize and try to find others like us. There has to be pockets of people like us out there, who are just as confused and uncertain of what is going on. And while we wait to try and get reconnected with the world, we need to know for sure that there are others out there and that we need to pull together and work as a team to make things work. I know I may sound like I’m rambling but dammit all to hell, this is what we need to do!”
Donnie, still a little shaken after nearly having his brains blown off was the first to speak up. “And how do we do this? How do we know where to look and make sure we’re not affected?”
Kevin then spoke next. “If my estimates hold up, we are just on the edge of the safe zone in terms of getting radiation poisoning. Until we know for sure what is going on out there, we proceed with caution.”
Sarah questioned this plan. “And what if we find nothing?”
Karen was next to say something. “Then we do our best and get as much information as possible and move on.”
Kevin nodded his head in agreement. “We have to realize we are now in a combat situation here. Edmonton may be gone, but who knows what is next – Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, or even Moose Jaw. Nowhere will be a hundred percent safe, and while the military may be in charge now, mob rule could easily become a problem too. And I wish to be on the winning side when that comes.”
Ryan then asked. “So, do we split up or go as one group.”
“Splitting up right now is pointless right now. We move as one.” Kevin once again answered. “I suggest we all rest now, for tomorrow, we roll out!”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Kevin’s final thought. It may have been one of the smartest things Kevin has come up with since the beginning of the end. But they were not alone indeed, that was true. And probably sooner than later, they will learn nothing is what it seems out in the new frontier.
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