The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel (11 page)

The arm holding the modified
Inferi Scourge
Plague Virus moved into position over her.

“Please don
’
t,” Maria whimpered.

The heart monitor suddenly went silent as
the world turned black and cold.

* * *

The world was full of icy darkness. Maria struggled to move and gather her bed covers over her, but she found she couldn
’
t move. She was restrained, and her mind wond
ered if Dwayne had her pinned
with his arm and leg like he sometimes did
as
he slept.

Trying to say his name, she found she couldn
’
t speak, couldn
’
t find her voice. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt heavy and coated.

Struggling to open her eyes, Maria again tried to move. This time she could feel something warm and heavy pressing down on her wrists.

“Dwayne,” she whispered, “get off me.”

“Did she say something?” a familiar male voice asked.

“Vanguard Martinez, wake up.” It was Dr. Curran.

Eyelids fluttering, Maria tried to pull herself up out of the darkness. It was so cold it hurt and she struggled to draw a breath.

“Open your eyes, Vanguard Martinez. You can do it.”

Shapes swam above her. Dark forms hovered beneath an ocean of white. Pain pulsated behind her eyes
,
then faded as her vision slowly cleared.

Dr. Curran
leaned
over her with Mr. Petersen at her side. “Vanguard,” Mr. Petersen said in a short tone, “identify yourself.”

Maria tried to swallow, but her throat felt painfully dry. “Vanguard Maria Martinez,” she answered groggily.

“Well, she can speak,” Mr. Petersen said.

“They could all speak,” Dr. Curran answered in a terse voice. “Maria, please look at me.”

It was hard to focus. Her brain felt muddled and her thoughts were like fleeing ghosts. It was hard to concentrate.

“Maria, look at me,” Dr. Curran ordered again.

Maria finally rested her gaze directly on Dr. Curran, but it was Dwayne that filled her mind
’
s eye. She missed him with all her soul and
couldn
’
t
understand why he wasn
’
t here with her.

“Where am I?” she rasped, confusion still snatching coherent thoughts away from her. Images of the last few days flashed through her mind, but avoided being strung into a cohesive narrative.

“You
’
re in the SWD facility. You volunteered for a special mission to fight the
Inferi Scourge
. Do you remember?” Dr. Curran asked.

Like puzzle pieces snapping together, her memories began to interlock, completing the picture. “Did it work? Am I immune now?”

A whisper of a smile touched the doctor
’
s face and she slightly nodded. “We believe so. We just need to complete a few more tests.”

Pulling on the restraints, Maria struggled to stretch her body. Though she was certain she was now completely awake, her body felt strangely remote. She could feel her limbs straining against the restraints, but felt disconnected from the action.

“Please, let me up,” Maria gasped.

“We can
’
t do that yet,” Mr. Petersen answered.

“I feel…odd,” Maria complained, blinking her eyes against the harsh light, her voice scratchy. The robotic arms began to move over her and she gasped. “Please! No more shots.”

“We just need to do a few tests,” Dr. Curran assured her.

With the delicate touch of a well-trained nurse, the robotic hands took skin samples, hair, blood, and a swab from the inside of her cheek. Maria shivered at their touch, trying to shirk away from them, the memory of the painful needle too fresh in her mind.

“It burned,” Maria whimpered.

“What did?” Mr. Petersen asked.

“The
first
shot. It burned. It hurt so bad I thought I was dying.” It was hard to speak above a whisper.

Mr. Petersen smirked.

“You don
’
t believe me?”

“Oh, I believe you.”

“How do you feel?” Dr. Curran asked, turning her gaze away from a screen to study Maria
’
s expression.

“Numb. Like my nerve endings are shorting out or something. I don
’
t feel like I
’
m really connected to my body yet. When does it wear off?”

“It doesn
’
t,” Mr. Petersen said with a slight shrug. “Get used to it.”

“Would you mind not speaking to my patient right now? I don
’
t need you upsetting her,” Dr. Curran said sharply. “In fact, I suggest you leave the room.”

“You know I am under orders to observe, Dr. Curran.”

“You can watch the proceedings with the others.”

“I am fine here.”

“I insist,” Dr. Curran asserted. “In fact, let me escort you. I need a word with you.
Now
.”

Maria could hear the two people march from the room and the door slide shut behind them. Pulling on her restraints again, her anger began to get the best of her.

“Could someone please let me go?” Turning her head, she tried to look around the room. No other technicians or doctors appeared to be in the room with her. “Dammit.”

Relaxing her arms, she closed her hands into tight fists. The action felt remote and odd. Curious, she slowly dug her fingernails into her palms. She could feel the pressure, but not the sharp slice of a fingernail against skin. She pushed the tips of her fingers into her flesh even harder, but still felt nothing but the steady pressure.

The room was strangely silent and it
wore
on her nerves.

“Hello? Dr. Curran?”

She flexed her toes and wiggled her fingers. Something wasn
’
t right.

The silence
tormented
her.

It had been so loud in the room before that horrible needle had sliced into her chest. At least she wasn
’
t in pain from that part of the procedure.

The terrible taste in her mouth was not going away and she kept struggling to swallow.

The room was so quiet. The robotic arms were withdrawn into the ceiling and the monitors weren
’
t even beeping.

Maria
’
s eyes widened as
the implications
of the silence
became clear to her
. Turning her head, she strained to see the monitoring screens on the equipment. A few were still showing data, but one was ominously silent, a straight line cutting across its width.

An involuntary cry broke from her lips as her hands beat against the surface of the examination table. The stillness in the room only matched the stillness in her chest.

The heart monitor was silent. Her heart was not beating.

“No!” she rasped.

She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, but all she could do was let out a terrible gasping sob. Forcing air into her lungs, she felt them expand then contract. She held her breath and waited for the terrible burning agony of her body raging for oxygen, but it never came.

Maria returned her gaze to the monitors, straining to read and understand what she
witnessed
. Trying to control her growing terror, she focused on the monitor nearest her. It was for her respiratory system and it was silent. The next was cardiovascular; it too showed no data. The one with the constant feed of data was for her neurological system.

“Please, please, please,” she whispered, hoping this was all a nightmare. Maybe she was delirious with the fever the doctor had told her about. Perhaps she was in the throes of her illness and this was a terrible nightmare. That had to be the truth. The truth
couldn
’
t
be laid out on the screens. It couldn
’
t be.

Staring at the silent screens, she wished she could cry, but tears
wouldn
’
t
come.

The world felt so cold.

Chapter 8

The snap of fingers before her face pulled her out of the darkness. Maria
’
s eyes focused on the form of Dr. Beverly Curran. The doctor was across a table from Maria, her face looking pale and tired.

Seated, but still restrained, Maria sat with heavy cuffs holding her wrists and ankles flush against the armrest and legs of the chair. A restraint was also across both her chest and her waist. Confusion filled her as she tried to recall the moment when she had passed out. All she could remember was screaming.

“Maria,” Dr. Curran
began gently
, “I
’
m sorry I left you alone to discover what
you
a
re
.”

“You made me into a fuckin
’
Scrag
,” Maria rasped. Anger filled her and her hands twitched.

“A different sort of
Inferi Scourge
,” Dr. Curran corrected. “A
thinking
Inferi Scourge
, a
speaking
Inferi Scourge
.
You
’
re
Inferi Boon
.
You
’
re exactly what we need to defeat the
Inferi Scourge
.”

“Why am I restrained if I
’
m what you wanted?” Maria spat out furiously. Her voice sounded raw. A part of her newly
-
restored brain was trying to adapt to her condition and she realized she was taking short intakes of breath so she could speak.

Dr. Curran ran her fingers lightly around the edges of her pad. “When you see me, what is your first desire?”

“To punch you in the face,” Maria answered truthfully.

“The one desire all
Inferi Scourge
have is to spread the virus,” Dr. Curran said. “We need to make sure that we were successful in removing that from the strain we gave to you. You
’
re being monitored right now as we speak.” Dr. Curran lifted the pad. Information was scrolling across the screen.

Maria blinked
rapidly
, wishing she could cry, but her dry eyes just ached. “So, what are the results telling you? Huh? That I
’
m pissed off?”

“I understand your-”

“No! No you
don
’
t
! I don
’
t have a heartbeat! My body doesn
’
t feel right!
I
don
’
t feel right! I feel like my body is wrapped up in cotton and I can
’
t quite feel it! Do you know how that feels? No, you don
’
t, because you
’
re alive and I
’
m not!”

“You
’
re alive in a new way,” Dr. Curran assured her. “Who you were before death still remains.”

Maria ho
wled in anguish. “You killed me!
” The sound was terrifyingly like that of the mindless
Scourge
Scourge
.

Dr. Curran visibly shrank back in her chair. The fingers that were clutching her stylus trembled. “Yes, we did. But it
’
s the Modified
Inferi Scourge
Plague Virus we gave you that brought you back to life.
You
’
re
not like the others.”

Emotions boiling, Maria fought the urge to scream again and keep on screaming. The rational part of her brain sliced through the maelstrom of fear and anger. She could still reason, could still talk. Despite the numbness of her body, she could still move. Her still heart yearned for Dwayne and his reassuring touch. Despite what had been done to her, she was still Maria Martinez. Desperately, she clutched to any shred of hope she could find.

“Can you change me back?” Maria whispered.

Dr. Curran
’
s attention never diverted from the screen of the pad as she answered, “We have an antidote.”

Maria let out a cry of relief.

“You
’
re doing quite well, Vanguard. That
you
’
re
this coherent and capable of processing what is happening to you is a very good sign that this endeavor against the
Inferi Scourge
will be successful. The modified virus has taken control of all your vital functions and you
’
re operating at a much higher level than the original
Inferi Scourge
.”

The doctor
’
s words were not quite as comforting as Maria supposed the
scientist
thought they would be. Though the restraints on her body were pulled taunt, she
didn
’
t
feel any aches or pain. The small twinges from her previous injuries were gone. But then again, so was
her
heartbeat.

“Once we
’
re done, we
’
ll get the antidote and come back to life, right?”

“Our agreement with you stands, Maria. Once
you
’
re
done with your duty, you will receive all that was promised to you,” Dr. Curran assured her. She surprised Maria by reaching out and touching her hand lightly. “I realize this is terrifying, but I am doing the very best I can to ensure that this process goes well not just for you, but the other sold
iers who will be undergoing the
procedure.”

“Am I the first?”

“Yes,
you
a
re
.”

“Why didn
’
t you tell me you were going to do this?”

Dr. Curran made a few more notations in her pad, then slowly raised her gaze. “There was some discussion about that, but it was decided that we
wouldn
’
t
end up with a volunteer force if we informed you that you would die and come back as a modified
Inferi Scourge
. Forcibly conscripting soldiers to do this task would have significantly decreased the chances of success. We need all of you to want to make this mission be a success or it
’
s destined to fail.”

“You should have told me,” Maria insisted.

“Would you have volunteered if you knew?”

Maria considered the question, then answered honestly, “No.”

“There you have it.” Dr. Curran slid her stylus over the screen. Maria saw
it
alter to now show what looked like the scan of a brain.

“How do you know this will work? You modified the virus, but how do you know the
Scrags
will see me as one of their own?” Maria asked.

The blond woman hesitated in her imputation. Averting her eyes, she slid the pad into the pocket of her uniform as she stood. “We
’
re about to find out.”

“What do you mean?” Maria demanded, fear beginning to swell within her.

On what appeared to be an impulse, Dr. Curran leaned toward Maria and said in a low voice, “It
’
s the only way to know for sure. Security is watching. Don
’
t be afraid.”

Understanding flooded Maria as she watched Dr. Curran turn and walk from the room. “No, don
’
t! Don
’
t!”

The restraints snapped off her body with a sharp click. Maria gripped the edge of the table and pulled herself to her feet. She was certain there was a slight delay between her thought processes and her body
’
s response. It was throwing off her equilibrium. Staggering from the table, she found her center of balance and managed to stand.

“Don
’
t do this! Let me out!”

She could barely feel the coldness of the floor under her feet. On impulse, she pinched herself. All she felt was a dull twinge.

There was a loud snapping sound then a whine as the floor before her yawned open. Slowly, a platform rose out of the shaft below. An
Inferi Scourge
stood in the center of it, shackled, chains securing it the platform. It rolled its head about, its white eyes shifting back and forth in their sockets. It was a male. Its clothes were mere tatters over a body that had once been fit and athletic. Covered in years of filth, it barely looked human with its scarecrow hair. It snapped its teeth together over and over again, shifting its weight from foot to foot. It let out an ungodly howl as the platform leveled with the floor.

Maria stared at it in horror. Whereas in the past she had found herself breathless with a racing heart in the face of the
Scourge
, her lungs and heart were now silent. She considered calling out, but the
Scourge
had yet to look in her direction. Instead, she stood in silence, not daring to move, hoping that this test would soon be over and the
Scourge
would be lowered back into the bowels of the SWD facility.

Instead,
the restraints on the creature
snapped off and receded into the platform with a loud clanking noise.

The
Scourge
howled.

* * *

Maria instinctively backed away from the
Scourge
as it wailed. Her back impacted with the wall and she used her hands to brace herself. Feet apart, she watched the creature of her nightmare
s
howl again. With terrifying swiftness, it launched itself at the door. The force of the impact busted the creature
’
s chin open, spilling blood from the wound. Slamming its hands against the door, the
Scourge
’
s
cries grew in intensity. It was if it knew that its prey was just on the other side.

Her gaze skimming over her surroundings, Maria noted that the chairs and table were bolted to the floor. The walls were smooth and seamless except for the one door. If she could actually breathe, she
’
d be hyperventilating. Instead, she remained utterly still, watching the
Inferi Scourge
hurl itself against the door.

Either it was blind and
couldn
’
t
see her or it truly
didn
’
t
identify her as human. Even if it was blind, if she moved it might hear her, so she remained against the wall.

The
Scourge
howled and rampaged against the door for a few minutes before staggering back away from it. Twisting its head one way then the other, its dead eyes moved over her without recognition. With a grunt, it
struck out with one hand, slappi
ng its palm against the wall. Slowly, it began to walk along the wall, its hand slapping against the cold surface. Maria had the impression it was seeking a weakness in the barrier between it and the humans in the rooms beyond.

Impacting
with a
corner, it pushed its face into the narrow crook, then continued its journey
along
the next wall. Maria
studied
the ceiling, searching for the cameras, or a possible exit. It was as smooth as the walls except for the panels that illuminated the room. Even if she stood on the table and jumped, she
wouldn
’
t
be able to reach the lights.

The
Scourge
let out another spine-chilling howl as it reached another corner. It turned, now walking along the wall that Maria was pressed against. Daring to make a sound, she tottered on her tiptoes to the center of the room.

The
Scourge
didn
’
t acknowledge her presence. It continued its trek around the edge of the room, slapping its hand against the wall as it grunted. It left a trail of
blood drops
and bits of its clothing and hair
,
sway
ing
from foot to foot as it walked. Every few feet it would let out another guttural howl.

Backing
against the table, Maria pressed a hand to her still chest. Her fear was gradually diminishing as the
Scourge
started its second rotation around the room. Daring to drop her gaze, she studied her hand. Her skin had a faint undertone of gray and her nails were tinged with blue. Her scars gave her limb a faintly
-
ghoulish appearance. Slowly, she lifted the hem of her tank top and stared at the mass of scars over her chest and belly. Running her hand over the hard welts, she looked up at the
Scourge
, rage beginning to pour into her as her fear vanished.