Our Undead (52 page)

Margaret:
I hope we're going the right way. You think we should ask the
next person we see for directions?

Billy:
We
could, but why rattle the cage?

Margaret:
Who cares? If we do get in trouble, we'll probably just get a
little scolding, and then get taken to where we're supposed to be,
which will most likely be the very place we're trying so hard to
find.

Billy:
We're not looking for the Containment
Centre.

Margaret:
Yea, right. Gwen would never let that happen to
us.

Billy:
Aw,
maybe you're right. Sure, we can ask the next person if we're
heading in the right direction.

Margaret:
Sweet. Don't worry. I'll do all the
talking.

They walk on, waiting for
the next person to come by, but no one appears for a while. They
pass the time with some conversation.

Billy:
It
feels like everyone's disappeared again. Maybe we took a wrong
turn, started heading backwards?

Margaret:
We couldn't have… I really hope we didn't.

Billy:
Me
too. I feel like I'm missing everything.

Margaret:
Missing everything? What could you possibly be
missing?

Billy:
Confrontation. Today is going to have a lot of it. It's
probably already happening. That soldier, Sharp, is probably
already at the General's neck, grilling him on what's going on. I
bet Gwen is with them too. Last night, I told her to let Sharp deal
with it, but I'm sure she'll want to be there when he does. She's
got a lot of questions, and she's pretty desperate for the
answers.

Margaret:
It seems like she works so hard and for such a noble cause.
It's sad to think that someone might be pulling the wool over her
eyes… But I don't care about the details right now. I just want to
make sure that Abe is okay.

Billy:
Might be? Someone's definitely pulling the wool over her
eyes. How can you not want to know exactly what's going
on?

Margaret:
Unless it directly concerns Abe, I couldn't care less. The
only important things to me now are the people who are close to me.
That's it. Everything else is just extra, and it's stressful, and
sometimes I really hate hearing about it.

Billy:
But
all of this
does
affect Abe directly. It affects us all directly,
so you should be concerned with what's going on… shouldn't
you?

Margaret:
It reminds me of how my parents loved to watch the six
o'clock news. It would really piss me off whenever I walked through
the living room and saw it on the television, because there's
nothing on that program except reports that attempt to put fear
into people. I would always ask myself,
"Why do we need to know this stuff?!"
In my head of course. I've tried multiple times to talk to my
parents about it, but they were convinced that news was beneficial
to them.

Billy:
But
it is. It let's people know what's going on in the world. What if
there was a meteor heading for the planet and we had ten days to
live? You would find that out by watching the
news.

Margaret:
Ugh, what a bad example. Not only is that depressing, but I'm
sure the news would find a way to make it even more depressing.
They'd probably tell us how we're going to be washed away by tidal
waves, and how our skin will boil as it approaches and… just a
bunch of other stuff no one wants to hear. No one actually
wants
to hear
what’s on the news. They have no choice. They just watch it and
absorb whatever is reported. It poisons minds worse than violent
cartoons. Haven't you ever heard that saying? The devil is in the
details.

Billy:
I
don't know if I agree. I mean, I can see your point on what is
being reported on, but you can't criticize them for that. The world
is in bad shape. And I don't think the devil is in the details… It
might even be more accurate to say that... God is in the
details.

Margaret:
Psh, I guess it depends on what the details are. The details
on the news are, for the most part, horrible. You can't tell me
there isn’t an infinite amount of inspiring stories out there,
happier things to report on that aren't so depressing. Like, things
that would uplift people instead of frighten them. Maybe if there
were, the world would be in better shape. Then, maybe all of this
wouldn't be happening. No, I just wanna know if Abe is
okay.

Billy:
Or
maybe we'd be unaware of it happening right under our noses… But I
see your point. I wanna know if he's okay, too.

Margaret:
We will, if someone shows up. Maybe you're right. Maybe we
took a wrong turn. Should we go back?

Billy:
Uh,
let's just go a little further. I think we're in "Block-H", so this
way
should
have us back-pedaling the alphabet.

Margaret:
Heh, back-pedaling the alphabet. Okay.

Billy:
What?!

Margaret flashes a cheeky
grin at Billy, and they continue on. As far as they can see down
the stretch of concourse, not one person is in sight. Everything
has gone completely quiet again, as it had been when they were
closer to the professor's room.

Margaret:
(talking low)
Hey, do you hear
that?

Billy:
Yep.

Margaret:
(scoffs)
Of course, you heard
it. How silly of me for asking.

Billy:
Sounds like someone's having a conversation… but.. I don't
hear a second person.

The voice grows louder as
they draw nearer to the approaching corner. When they get to it,
Billy is the first to step out, but when he sees what is around the
corner, he jumps back behind its cover. He holds Margaret back from
proceeding.

Billy:
Shh.. It's him, the General.

Margaret:
Did he see you?

Billy:
No.
He has his back turned to us. He's talking to someone on a phone,
or a walkie, or something. He's pretty far away.

Billy cautiously peeks
around the corner to get another look, then brings his head back
behind it. The General looks back behind his shoulder, sensing
something there, but continues with his conversation when he
doesn't see anyone. Billy looks at Margaret, and in place of her
words, her facial expression asks him,
"What's going on?"
Not knowing what
answer to give her, he shrugs. Then he puts his right index finger
to his lips, and with the same finger, taps its respective ear,
letting her know that they should keep quiet and see if they can
hear what he's saying.

Billy leans into but
doesn't pass the corner's edge. He brings all of his focus and
attention to his ears, and slowly but surely the humming buzz that
is Feleider's voice in the distance, becomes distinct syllables and
words.

Feleider:
Yes, sir… Today. Doctor Alyster will have the formula ready
to be distributed before nightfall. Yes. I assure you that E-TE12
will be ready. I-…

Billy takes another peek
around the corner and sees Feleider angrily push his communicator
off and slip it into his pocket. He stands there for a moment and
again, gets a feeling that someone is watching him. He turns
around, but the hall is just as deserted as it always is in
Block-H. He decides to disregard his instincts again and walks off
down the hall away from the hiding couple.

Margaret:
Could you hear what he was saying?

Billy:
He
was saying something about a formula being ready before nightfall.
E-T-E-12. He really is into some behind the curtain type stuff.
Jesus, I knew it… Doctor Alyster, huh?… We gotta tell
someone.

Margaret:
We don't even know what that thing is. He could've been
talking about a cure.

Billy:
Aw.. maybe,… but it didn't feel like it.

Margaret:
We'll ask Gwen about it… What was it?
ET-12?

Billy:
No,
E-T-E-12.

Margaret:
Yea, we'll just mention it to her. See if she knows anything
about it. Come, let's just keep going.

Billy:
Yea. Okay.

The two of them continue in
the direction they were heading, hoping to get closer to anyone
with a familiar face. Both of them look left down the big corridor
where Feleider had been but see no sign of the man. Just then,
Billy's head is met with a brick wall, or what feels like a brick
wall. Regardless, it stops him abruptly in his tracks and sends him
straight to the floor, his tailbone taking most of the impact. When
he looks up, he sees he is completely in the shadow of a very large
man, looking down and towering over him in a dark and menacing
manner. Billy rubs his rear end with purpose, trying to numb the
throbbing pang.

Holden:
You should watch where you're walking. You might run into
something bigger than you and get hurt.

Billy:
Ugh… Sorry.

Holden neglects to help him
up and continues on his way, walking around the two teens, looking
Margaret dead in the eyes as he does. She isn't foolish enough to
say anything, but she keeps her eyes locked on his, unabashed until
he has completely passed them. She looks back and sees that the
giant man heads down the same path General Feleider had gone down.
Balanced on one foot and a crutch, she offers Billy a helping hand.
He politely declines and gets up to his feet by himself.

Margaret:
Who the hell was that?

Billy:
I
don't know. He was dressed like Matthew Kerrick and Denver Sharp…
and-

Margaret:
Erika Blaze.

Billy:
Yea.

Margaret:
How's your butt? Shall we continue?

Billy:
It
hurts, but I can walk.

The two of them push
forward, hoping to soon find some type of reassurance in the day
that so far has been lacking. With his sore behind, Billy limps
along, looking almost like Margaret.

Margaret:
You're such a copycat.

Billy:
Hush.

<><><>

The old Doctor Alyster is
in his lab by himself looking down at a dead Fausta the mouse. Her
pure white coat has become a muddy, greyish, black, and her body,
frail, lying in the corner of her glass home. Alyster nudges the
mouse's small soft body with a little plastic poker, but nothing
happens, not that he expected anything to. Suddenly, he hears the
mechanical door to his lab slide open and spins around expecting to
see Holden.

Dr. Alyster:
Ah, it's just you.
(coughs)
Vhere is zhat boy vit
miene lunch?

Feleider:
You don't have time to be thinking about food. Why have you
yet to call me for testing soldiers?

Dr. Alyster:
What is zhe point? It is not ready.

Feleider:
It
has
to be ready!

Dr. Alyster:
You, look und see for yourself. See vhat happened to
Fausta.

Feleider:
Fausta?! What's a Fausta?

Dr. Alyster:
Zhe mouse!

Feleider:
What mouse!?

Dr. Alyster:
Zhis mouse, you-

The doctor points
deliberately at the glass case the dead mouse is supposed to be
resting in, but when he turns his head to show the General how
visually impaired he is, he comes to find that the mouse has
vanished.

Dr. Alyster:
Fausta?

He looks in and around the
case, but he sees no sign of the dead mouse anywhere.

Feleider:
Listen to me. I've been doing my part in this. I've been
dodging questions for weeks, avoiding people and putting up with
that professor's
crap
! This morning that
impertinent boy from your assistant's team tried to strong-arm me
into giving up information. It was obvious he had no idea what he
was talking about or what he was looking to get out of me, but
that's not the point. This won't end. They'll keep pressing me for
information for no reason other than the fact that something feels
off to them. And not only them, The Sir just bit my ear off because
we're so behind schedule. I don't give a
fuck
if the parasite is perfect
or not. I will be sending two clean soldiers to you within the
hour, and I expect them to have E-TE12 inside of them within the
next two.