Our Undead (30 page)

Kerrick:
You know what General? You make a good point. He makes a good
point, D.

Sharp:
Sounds like bullshit to me. Sounds like we're being sent on a
fool's errand.

The General's face becomes
harder than it was seconds before. He stares into Sharps eyes with
a fiery intensity and walks up to the soldier until they are
standing with their faces almost touching.

Feleider:
When I first arrived at this Sector's headquarters, we were
ten thousand men strong. Since that time, these dead-zones have
eliminated upwards of over three thousand of those men. Now, when I
was informed that this special task force was arriving, they told
me that they were sending
super
soldiers; individuals that
could not be killed easily by any mere man or beast, men with the
strength and abilities of ten soldiers in one.

Erika clears her throat,
but the General ignores her and holds eye contact with Sharp.
Kerrick pats her on the arm to comfort her and let her know that
someone is listening. She rolls her eyes at him as Feleider
continues.

Feleider:
This assignment is anything but a fool's errand, and anything
but a cakewalk, even for the two of you. This is ground zero, where
this shit came to be, so you had better stay on your toes, and take
those things out there seriously. We would hate to lose one of you.
Now get going, son.

Although no one is
speaking, both men still stand face-to-face, eye-to-eye. God knows
how long they would have stood there had Kerrick not taken Sharp by
his shoulder and coaxed him out of the elevator.

Kerrick:
Come on…
son.

Even as he is walking away,
it takes a moment longer for Sharp to tear his eyes away from the
older man. It takes a tremendous amount of will for him not to
knock him out right then and there. Fortunately, his smarts
outweigh his rage limit, usually.

Kerrick:
Come on buddy. Turn around. Walk with me.

Sharp finally begins
turning away from the closing elevator door, while Kerrick gives
the pilot and co-pilot the signal to start the helicopter back up.
The engine punches back into action.

Sharp:
I
don't like that guy!

Kerrick:
Aw, relax! He's just a General! They're all uppity
assholes!

Sharp:
Yea, but still! If he's sent so many people out there, could
there really be anything left to find? And so many have died! We're
better than your average soldier, I can admit that, but what does
he really expect us to accomplish by going back out
there?

Kerrick:
God knows, D! Could be anything! You know how shady this
government shit is! I mean, do you really believe that this thing
started because of chemical dumping in Crater
Lake!?

Sharp:
Like you said, it could be anything! …but no, I don't believe
that! And I don't believe that we're being sent out for supplies or
survivors either! I smell ulterior motives!

Kerrick:
You
did
always have a keen sense of smell!

Sharp doesn't reply as the
two men hop back into the helicopter cabin. They buckle in, sitting
across from each other beside the same entrance. Kerrick addresses
the pilots.

Kerrick:
RS mission for one hundred klicks all around! I say you just
fly straight up, and go in circles till we reach the hundred! You
know? Like a spiral sort of thing!?
(turns back to Denver)
Look,
let's just go do what we do best; shoot guns! We'll figure all this
shit out later! We always do!

The thought of getting some
target practice gets Sharps adrenaline going. The whole situation
still troubles him, but his partner's encouraging speech had
worked. He nods approvingly at Kerrick as the helicopter ascends.
From the air, one half of The Mav-Elite watch the square of the
hidden lift descend back into the ground until in disappears, and
all that is left are the flatlands.

Kerrick:
Now, you don't.

The second half of The
Mav-Elite are beneath the earth, in a big white room, plummeting
toward the underground compound's transportation terminal with the
General and Professor Gavine. Erika has noticed that the professor
has been eyeing the supply crates since the squad's arrival, and
now she's decided to open the ones left behind by Sharp and Kerrick
prematurely.

Gwen:
Ugh,
guns? Like we need more guns. You two can drop those crates, by the
way. I'd like to take a look inside of those ones as
well.

Erika and Holden exchanges
looks, and then both glance at the General. He permits them to drop
the crates with a nod, and they do so. Gwen closes the second crate
of weapons and approaches Erika's crate first.

Gwen:
Don't give me those looks. I've been waiting far too long for
this delivery.

She unhinges the locks and
opens it up. Inside, it is packed to the brim with medicines,
chemicals, and tools, all wrapped in sterilizing plastic packaging.
Gwen rummages through the box, checking all the labels and peering
through the bags of each individual item.

Gwen:
Ah,
good. This is more like it.

Satisfied with its
contents, she closes the crate that stands in front of Erika and
moves to the one that Holden had put down. She crouches down,
unlocks and opens the crate.

Gwen:
What
the hell is this?

Everyone looks down at
her.

Gwen:
More
guns!? Four containers delivered, and three out of the four are
holding weapons?!
(stands
up)
Is this some sort of
joke?

Feleider:
No joke, Ms. Gavine. The brave men and women down here have
been running low on certain forms of artillery due to loss, and or
damage. We can't have them risking their lives out there with
second-class weaponry can we?

Gwen:
But
three
crates?! Is that even enough for them? Wouldn't it have made
more sense to put out a separate order for your weapons? The lab
will be lucky if we can stretch these materials out for even a
week. As a matter of fact, I'm putting in another order for more
supplies right now. Have them sent here as soon as
possible.

The elevator stops
descending, and its large doors slide dramatically open to a
massive rectangular room with an extraordinarily high ceiling. Many
people in uniform are walking among mountains of crates, just like
the ones that had just been delivered. A bunch of white carts, that
look much like high-tech golf carts, are buzzing around in their
designated lanes, a well as some trucks with the same crates
driving around and into tunnels on their way to deliver goods to
different parts of the compound. From the main area in which they
stand, more workers can be seen walking around on three higher
levels. The elevator they are about to exit is one of three that
line up beside each other. They take up a large portion of one
length of the room. When the door opens, soldiers and vehicles are
waiting for them. Feleider walks out first.

Feleider:
That won't be necessary, Gwen. Doctor Alyster will make it
work. After all, the man is a genius… Ms. Blaze will help you here.
Holden, you come with me. Gentlemen!

General Feleider waves the
awaiting soldiers in to help the ladies with the crates that sit in
the elevator. They snap into action and run over to packages as the
large bodied Holden walks past them, following behind the General.
The men board a two man cart; the General's specially issued cart,
and take off down one of the many tunnels.

Gwen:
ALYSTER IS A
NUT!!!

She calls out to Feleider,
but he either ignores her or does not hear her.

Gwen:
Ugh!
All right…

Gwen huffs in exasperation
then begins telling the soldiers where each crate needs to be
delivered. Erika Blaze watches her teammate drive off with the
General down a brightly lit passage. This whole situation reminds
her of a past mission she and her team had been on, where the boys
hadn't listened to her when she told them they had to stick
together. She wound up having to save them all with her special
skills, but she doesn't know how well this place can take an
explosion. Still, her acute senses are telling her something isn't
right, perhaps because this time around, the team's separation
wasn't caused by the men's immaturity.

<><><>

Holden sits in the
passenger seat of the General's cart. He still hasn't said a word
since the introductions. The cart drives at full speed down one
pathway, then takes a hard left down another.

Feleider:
Plans have been pushed ahead. The doctor, Alyster, now has
seven days to have the parasite ready in time for the launch of The
Conditioning. The most important thing to do now is make sure that
he remains undisturbed. Especially by that nosey woman you just had
the pleasure of meeting. Keep her away from our good doctor. The
same goes for that teammate of yours, Sharp. I'm well aware of his
reputation for being a vigilante of sorts, but I'm sure you can
handle him.

Holden:
He
won't be a problem.

Feleider:
Good.

The cart comes to an abrupt
stop. Feleider gets off and walks over to the door on Holden's
side. Holden follows.

Feleider:
You'll be familiar with this area soon
enough.

The General punches in a
security code, and the door slides open in high-tech laboratory
fashion. The General enters first with Holden right behind, and the
door slides shut when they have both fully inside. The room is
darker than the rest of the Sector and not at all as futuristic
looking. Most of the lights are off, and as the General leads
Holden through a jungle of medical equipment and cluttered
bookshelves, a glow can been seen illuminating in a back corner of
the lab. They head in its direction.

Feleider:
The good doctor is as brilliant as he is eccentric. He should
keep you entertained. Doctor Alyster! I've brought you a
guest!

In passing the last of the
bookshelves, the doctor is revealed to Holden. He is an old man,
truly old, standing at a high desk looking into a microscope.
Holden assumes in his mind that the man is in his late seventies if
not already well into his eighties. His hair is grey and thinning,
and Holden sees a thick pair of glasses lodged upon his big nose
and missing teeth when the good doctor turns around to greet them.
Like the professor Holden had met earlier, this doctor also wears a
long white lab coat.

Dr. Alyster:
Feleidah! Vhat is zhis guest? Zhis visitah? I ham
beezee!
(coughs)

Feleider:
This is Unit Holden, doctor. He was sent here with the
Mav-Elite, a team of super soldiers. He knows everything and has
come to assist you and I in making sure The Conditioning runs on
schedule.
(sighs)
This should be old news to you Doctor
Alyster.

Dr. Alyster:
Aaaaah yezz! It is! It is old news! Gud! Gud zhen! Cahm hin!
Cahm hin!

Feleider:
Uh, you know I would love to stay and chat, doctor, but I've
got other matters to attend to. I'll leave you two to get
acquainted. Holden.

Holden and General Feleider
salute each other, and Doctor Alyster turns back to his work as the
General walks out of the hidden lab. Holden stands where the
General left him, watching the doctor fiddle with his microscope
and write his findings on a pad. The doctor addresses him without
looking.

Dr. Alyster:
You're a big fella. Vouldn't you be happier out zhere
fighting zombeez an shooting your big guns?

Holden:
Yes, I would.

Dr. Alyster:
So vhy not just leave zhen? You're a beeg
boy.

Holden:
My
orders require that I stay and assist you.

Dr. Alyster:
Ah yez, your orders behind your orders, ah? Azzist an old man
in his dark laboratory? Hah! Zhat's a sad life for a… supah soljah.
Vell, you might az vell learn a sing or two.
Cahm!

Holden walks casually up to
the strange little man.

Dr. Alyster:
Cahm hon. Cahm hon. You’re stolz has maide you
slow.

Holden stops at the
doctor's side while the funny old man scribbles on his note
pad.

Holden:
What is all this?

Dr. Alyster:
Zhis!
(coughs)
Hah! Zhis is zhe futchar, meine
boy.