Anno Zombus Year 1 (Book 4): April (6 page)

April 12
Year 1 A.Z.

morning

I chose to keep my mouth shut about the dream, though Apocalypse Girl clearly knew something was up.  However, she respected my wishes not to speak of it, instead giving me meaningful glances throughout our breakfast, shared with Doctor and Nurse.  Our Japanese hosts were gracious, yet almost invisible when they sensed we needed some alone time.  She still wanted me to talk to Doctor about her baby, but I felt that it could wait for at least a day or two.  There was no need to rush anything now, at least.  I suggested that we take a day or two to just relax, get re-acquainted with the place and people here, maybe find ourselves a house of our own before doing anything else just yet.  She smiled, agreeing with me.  At that moment, Nurse opened the door, politely looking away down the hallway in case we were … well, anyway we weren't.

“Sorry to intrude, but there are a couple of visitors here to see you.”  She said, “They tell me that they met you on the road to Canberra, and wanted to thank you once again.”  Considering Nurse could barely speak a word of English when we first met her, she was making incredible progress.  Doctor had been a little better to begin with, but seemed less fluent than his wife.  The pair had come to Australia on their honeymoon, because they had wanted to visit the gold-fields of Victoria.

Apocalypse Girl jumped up, grinning ridiculously, and almost flew out the door.  I followed her in short order, and discovered Traveller and his mysterious Daughter waiting for us in the lounge room.  Now that I got a good look at the girl, it was clear that she was not his child but he had obviously taken responsibility for her.  The way she clung onto his hand, hiding halfway behind him told a tale of trust, she was clearly safe with him.

He greeted us, welcoming us home as everybody had, thanking us once more for sharing our fuel and the knowledge of Melbourne's new cultural identities.  Daughter had made friends here, as had Traveller, in fact when they arrived they had been swiftly befriended by The Twin, and now the three of them shared a house together.

He went on to tell us that The Principal wanted to see us, and he had offered to escort us for Guide.  This was a man that clearly wanted to be a part of his new community, and was more than willing to pull his own weight however he could.  As we walked, he asked me questions about our time in Canberra.  I didn't really feel that much like talking about it, personally, but Apocalypse Girl filled him in.  We passed Viking and Valkyrie on their way back out to gather the rest of The Mech-Techs and bring them in.  If anything, she was a centimetre or two taller than he.

Apocalypse Girl chattered away to Daughter in an attempt to get to know the girl, and by the time we arrived at The Principal's Office, Daughter had opened up at least enough for a couple of monosyllabic answers.  When the pair left us, Apocalypse Girl waved at the little girl, who hesitated a moment before waving back vigorously, beaming.

“Welcome back!”  The Principal greeted us as we walked inside.  “Don't worry this isn't a debriefing or anything like that.  I know everything already.  I must say, that Colonel of yours saved our collective bacon, didn't she?”  He smiled warmly as he took first Apocalypse Girl's hand, bringing it to his lips briefly, then my own, pumping it firmly.  “I am glad she's in charge of things now, at least.  I heard about what happened with those other people, as well.  I am truly sorry you couldn't save any of those women, but at least their spirits can be satisfied with some vengeance.”  We sat across his table, as we had when we arrived the first time, and he offered us both a drink.  Smiling weakly, I refused, as did Apocalypse Girl.

“So, I gather the two of you would still like to stay with us here?”  He asked.  We replied in the affirmative and his smile broadened.  “Good!  You have quite a few friends that have decided definitely to stay, and I am sure that they would miss you.  I would like to ask you, though, what exactly the idea is bringing that army here?  I understand that we need to do something about The Followers, and the military is certainly the best equipped for the task, but do you intend for them to stay here also?”

I told him that Apocalypse Girl and I had no intention of speaking for The Colonel one way or another.  Any decision that was to be made about anything her army did was hers and hers alone to make.  I also pointed out that she was a much better friend than foe, and that her goals were simply to protect those that couldn't protect themselves.  I offered to act as his ambassador, if he wished to negotiate with her.  He laughed, nodding.  “That's a brilliant idea.  I really don't like dealing with military types myself, as you know.  You know her, she knows you.  Yes, that could work very well indeed.  I only need to know what their plans are, after all.  If they want to leave, that is fine, but if they wish to stay I don't want them around in large numbers, and they must stay outside of our walls.”

I told him that probably wouldn't be too much of an issue, and that she would probably want to move on and find more groups of survivors.  I put forward the idea of setting up a kind of network, probably by radio, keeping in touch with different groups, perhaps The Colonel could be convinced to work with us.  He leaned forwards, intrigued by the idea.  “That is the best idea I have heard since this whole mess began.”  He said, and immediately afterwards Apocalypse Girl's phone jangled. 
Need tissue sample, URGENT!  Can't say more now
the message read.  She promptly sent the reply
been busy, got conscripted, sorted that out now though.  Will get onto it ASAP promise!
and
put the phone away with a sigh.  The Principal seemed more than a little confused.  I explained that we were in contact with a couple of scientists, told him about The Think Tank and The Facility, and that Smart Girl was a brilliant biochemist, and her partner Smart Guy was officially a particle physicist or something like that, but between the two of them they probably knew everything there was to know.

He seemed suitably impressed, saying that he had full faith in our ability to take his offer to The Colonel, and in fact had wanted to see us to ask us to do exactly that.  The network, however, that was simply genius.  He knew that there had to be lots of other groups around, that much was certain because
his
group had survived this long, as had at least two others in the vicinity that he knew of.  Several smaller groups had been either wiped out by The Followers, or had integrated themselves into The School or The Mech-Techs.  The phone jangled once more. 
Conscripted?!?!?  Can't wait to hear that one
and she put it away again.

noon

After we were finished with The Principal, we wandered around a little, getting to know some of the locals again.  The Twin spotted us from some impossible distance, and came sprinting to throw her arms around us both.  “They said you'd come back!  You have to tell me
everything!
”  Apocalypse Girl began, and I basically kept my mouth shut.  She ended her tale with the news of her pregnancy.  “
Shit!
  What're you going to do?”  She asked her.  Before Apocalypse Girl could respond she rushed out with “That Japanese bloke's already had to perform a few abortions over the last couple of days.  I know he doesn't like doing them though... I think he and his missus are trying for a baby and having some issues...”

A scream came from the direction of the medical centre, and Nurse came running out, screaming “Dead!  Dead in the med centre!”  The Twin got there before we did, but nobody was going in there alone.  I had left my sword behind at Doctor's house and was kicking myself for it when he arrived, bearing it in one hand.

“I keep telling you, a warrior
needs
his sword! 
This
is
your
sword, keep it with you
always!”
Doctor scolded me.  Leaving it behind while infiltrating The Followers was one thing, and had in fact very likely saved my life, but I can't forget that nowhere is safe in this world, not anymore.  I took it from him, apologising, then drawing the blade I went inside.

A young woman was standing behind the front counter in a patient's gown facing the wall.  She didn't move as I silently slid the door shut behind Apocalypse Girl and The Twin.  Doctor had followed me in, as the med centre was
his
place,
his
responsibility.  He carried a stout club in one hand and a murderous expression on his face.  The Twin cleared her throat, and the young woman spun around.

She had very clearly only just died and risen Dead, and before she could move towards the closest of us an arrow from The Twin's bow found it's way into her head and down she went.  A shriek of pain came from deeper inside the building, and I carefully rounded the counter.  There was not a scratch on the dead Dead woman, no indication as to what might have killed her.  I looked at Doctor, who shrugged and told me that she had come in for an abortion a few days ago, then had come in last night complaining of a massive headache and fever.  A couple of other women had come in for the same procedure, some others had also come to him with similar ailments.

Another scream of agonising pain and we moved further in.  I quietly told The Twin and Apocalypse Girl to keep the corridor clear.  Apocalypse Girl began to protest, and I told her that she was unarmed, but could at least watch The Twin's back.  Doctor and I will take care of the rest.  She reluctantly agreed, and we moved on in.

Finding a room that Doctor said was occupied by the girl we had encountered upon entering I gently pushed open the door.  Other than a few articles of clothing it was empty, and we moved on.  The next room had noises coming from within.  As I opened the door I caught sight of one of Nurse's young assistants lying on the floor in a large, growing puddle of blood.  She had lost consciousness as we entered but was still breathing as another Dead woman in a hospital gown chewed on her innards.

The Dead woman dropped the dying girl's giblets and turned to regard a fresher potential meal.  Before I even thought about it my sword had sliced the top of her head off and Doctor was clubbing the dying girl over the head.  “Another abortion.”  He said.  “There were two more that came in yesterday, in the next two rooms.”  He sounded as though they were Dead already.  He was right.  It wasn't pleasant but it was necessary.

When we were done with our unpleasant duty we returned to the girls.  Nurse had joined them by that time, as had Traveller and Archer.  He gripped my hand in grim greeting as Apocalypse Girl asked what had happened.  Doctor couldn't reply, feeling as though he was responsible for the situation, so I told her.  Her face drained of colour as she said “Well, there goes that idea.  Looks like I'm having it.”

evening

Unfortunately, Doctor told me that there had been two more abortions performed yesterday.  He asked me to come with him as he broke the news to the women in question.  The first woman took the news well enough, and accepted it with little more than a single tear.  When Doctor offered to give her an injection she rolled up her sleeve in an instant and gave her arm to him.

The second, barely more than a girl, had been rescued from a small group of Followers.  She took the news less well.  Bursting into tears, she ran out of her house and off into the street.  Trying to follow, we lost her quickly enough.  By the time we caught up to where she had been, Guide had spotted her climbing over one of the fences and running away into the night, and the Cold, and Death.

April 13
Year 1 A.Z.

morning

“At least we know,”  Apocalypse Girl said after a silent breakfast.  She seemed more at peace with the idea of her pregnancy after yesterday's events.  Smiling grimly at me, she continued, “I suppose it's the only way we can continue as a species, anyway,”  I replied that was certainly true enough.  We were both a bit concerned about Doctor, since last night he was very quiet, not his usual cheerful self.  He was clearly blaming himself, especially for that last girl.  As it was he and Nurse were talking quietly between themselves out in the grey snow of the back yard.

I felt a measure of relief myself, as it happened, knowing that we now had to go ahead with it, mixed with distinct fear and trepidation.  At least, here, we should be reasonably safe.  Not that anywhere was really safe, after all.  A young woman had discovered that yesterday, after all.

Guide knocked on the front door, saying that The Principal wanted to see Doctor and myself, just to get a first-hand account of the med centre's events.  Neither of us particularly wanted to go, but we both did.  Doctor quietly asked me whether I thought he should have suspected that the death of the foetus might have infected the mothers, I told him that there would have been no way of knowing that could happen.  I also stopped him in his tracks, turned him so that I could look directly into his eyes and told him that Apocalypse Girl was pregnant and that she had wanted me to ask about getting rid of it.  He took a breath, smiled slightly and said that at least some good had come of this.  No more women would die this way.

noon

The Principal was furious about the Deaths, of course, but understood that there was no more to do than what has already been done.  He thanked me for helping to deal with the situation, reiterating to Doctor that there was no way of knowing any of what had happened.  The Principal then asked me if I could go out and deal with The Colonel this afternoon, I told him that I would, and we left his Office, heading back to Doctor's house.  He seemed somehow lighter, a little, that is the only word I could use to describe it.  More himself.

Apocalypse Girl wanted to come with me, and since we were literally going around the corner to visit good friends, rather than infiltrating dangerous enemy groups, I welcomed her presence.  Truth be told, I would have preferred her to have come along to The Followers camp, trusting her to watch my back over anybody else, but for obvious reasons that would have been a bad idea.