The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel (13 page)

Nodding, Maria settled into her chair.

* * *

A steady rain was falling over the city again. Dwayne dreaded the trek home to his small flat in the city. He
had even
pondered staying in his office for the night. He was in a restless and sour mood and wasn
’
t sure if he wanted to deal with the soggy streets. Hunkered down behind his desk, he rubbed his bottom lip lightly with one finger, not even aware of the action. He was deep within his own thoughts, worried and frustrated at the long silence from Maria. It was now three days since he had
last
communicated with her and the silence was worrisome.

The door to his office slid opened
.
Petra lingered just outside the room waiting for his acknowledgement.

“Come in,” he said at last.

Petra strode in swiftly and stood at the end of his desk. Though her expression was carefully neutral there was a slight puckering between her eyebrows that concerned him.

“What did you discover?” he asked not sure if he wanted to hear her answer.

“Absolutely nothing,” Petra admitted
,
and he could see the defeat in her posture now that the words had been spoken. “The SWD is in lockdown
. I couldn
’
t gather not one shred of information from my contacts. I can
’
t even make a casual phone call to a friend inside the facility. All communications coming in or going out of the SWD facility are
only
allowed with top security clearance. I
’
m not sure the Commandant could get through.”

“You tried her codes, I take it?” Dwayne lifted an eyebrow at his assistant.

Petra hesitated, then nodded.

Dwayne exhaled slowly and tried to calm his fraying nerves. His stomach felt like it had given birth to a black hole that was slowly consuming him. “Thank you for your efforts.”

“I could keep trying,
” Petra
offered
, clearly not wanting to accept defeat.

“No, that
’
s not necessary. I will see if there is another channel I can utilize
.” Dwayne
’
s
voice sounded colder than he liked.

Petra gave him a slight nod before shifting on her feet slightly. He could see she was
grappling
with her own questions, doubts, and fears. He had only asked her to find out what she could about recent SWD activity, but it was clear that the security lockdown had her unnerved. “I did u
ncover one piece of information. Y
ou may already know what I
’
m about to tell you. I
’
m not even sure if
i
t
’
s
related to your request.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The commandant signed off on the tran
sfer of twenty soldiers of the C
onstabulary to the SWD for an unspecified reason. The official reason for their reassignment is
‘
training
’
at the East Garrison. Since the East Garrison is basically a housing facility for the soldiers patrolling that side of the wall that didn
’
t make much sense. So I did a little more digging and found that all of twenty of the soldiers were transferred to the SWD. Not officially, of course. I reviewed the list of names. Some of them are war heroes from the last big push against the
Scrags
. Vanguard Martinez, the one who saved your life, is one of the mysteriously reassigned soldiers.”

Dwayne felt a slight chill slid
e
down his spine. He trusted Petra, but she was sometimes a little too perceptive when it came to his motives. He and Maria had always been discreet, but now he wondered if Petra had discerned the truth somehow.

“Interesting,” he said at last.

“Isn
’
t it? But, like I said, I didn
’
t find the answer to your question. The SWD is obviously implementing a new program of some kind utilizing Constabulary soldiers instead of their own, but other than that...” Petra
shrugged
.

“Any ideas as to why they would use the Constabulary soldiers and not their own?” Dwayne had wondered
about that aspect of the assignment
when Maria had told him about the serum.

“I
’
ll let you know in twenty-four hours,” Petra answered, smiling slightly. “I may not be able to get you a direct answer to your question, but I think I can find a back
door.”

Dwayne chuckled. “I shou
ld have known you weren
’
t empty-
handed.”

Petra lifted her shoulders. “I
’
m never empty-handed. I just don
’
t always choose to show what I
’
m holding.”

“You
’
re trying to figure out what I know, or don
’
t know,” Dwayne said after a beat.

“Do you know anything?”

“I know the SWD is veiling itself in secrecy and that I don
’
t trust them.”

“And that is all you will tell me,” Petra said.

“And that is all I
can
tell you,” Dwayne answered.

Th
ere was a flicker of annoyance i
n Petra
’
s expression, but she didn
’
t let it seep into her voice as she said, “I will report in as soon as I have more information.”

Dismissing her with the nod of his head, Dwayne settled back in his chair and let out a low groan as the door slid shut behind Petra. He was beginning to regret not trying to get Maria to reconsider her decision. Her silence was frightening him. Of course, there could be all sorts of reasons why she was not accessing the secret program
on her wristlet, but t
he growing unease within him was not something he could ignore. He trusted his gut.

Activating his wristlet, he checked again to see if Maria had left him a message or logged on. She hadn
’
t. Grimly, Dwayne activated yet another secret program in his wristlet. He sent out a call query and waited.

Seconds later, the other party answered.

“This is unexpected,” Lindsey said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“
I need your...skills.”

Lindsey yawned, then nodded. “You got it. What am I doing?”

“Hacking into the SWD.” Dwayne had the utmost confiden
ce
that Lindsey could handle it. She was a genius beyond compare.

Scrunching up her face, Lindsey seemed to contemplate the challenge. After a few seconds, she nodded. “I
’
ll get right on it. What do you want to know?”

“
Anything and everything you can find out
.
Some of our people were transferred over there, including Vanguard Martinez.
”

Lindsey
’
s eyes widened. “Maria?”

“Yes. Can you see what you can uncover?”

“You got it.” Lindsey killed the connection.

Dwayne rubbed his eyes and glanced over his shoulder at the gray city shrouded in rain and mist. He yearned for a world without the
Inferi Scourge
, but he wasn
’
t willing to sacrifice Maria
to get it
.

Chapter 10

Awareness came swiftly and shockingly every time she was roused out of her torpor. Maria hated the lack of control she had over her mind and body. She wasn
’
t even attuned to
the moment when she
cease
d
to function. Each time she woke, she felt as though she was being reborn out of
darkness. It was disconcerting
. She desperately wanted to return to her room and call Dwayne, but because she had no need to eat or sleep the SWD team kept her busy.

Some of the tests were odd. She was made to watch short films on everything from war to parenthood. Some of the images were upsetting, while others were amusing. Her laughter during one film startled her, but appeared to please the male scientist watching over her. He was young with too pale skin and a shock of black hair. She could see his blue eyes watching her every move. More than once she was tempted to pretend to lash out at him and see if he would jump. Though the scientists working with her appeared pleased, she could see they were unnerved by her presence. She couldn
’
t blame them. She was now
Inferi
Boon
after all.

The hours slid away like water. She lost all track of time as the tests continued. It seemed as though whenever she faded out, she was revived by a new set of scientists ready to send her through a string of tests.
Dr. Curran
sometimes was in the room overseeing the testing, but other times she was absent.

As the tests progressed, Maria
’
s restraints were systematically removed until only the shackles around her ankles remained. It was a relief to finally be able to move her arms and upper body. Not because she had been in any sort of pain, but because she had felt like a prisoner. The discomfort she would have felt when alive after being seated for so long was absent.

When she was finally allowed to write and manipulate a pad, she began to feel more like an actual person than a test subject. When a rifle was placed before her and she was told to field-strip it, clean it and reassemble it, she couldn
’
t keep from smiling. Though her sense of touch was diminished, she was still able to perform the task efficiently and quickly.

When she finished,
Dr. Curran
entered the room and the colorless man with the blue eyes slipped out.

“Well, done, Maria. Very impressive.”
Dr. Curran
sat down across from her and set the pad on the table. For once,
Dr. Curran
was smiling broadly and genuinely. “You have surpassed our every expectation. Every test result is superb. Words cannot express how excited we all are.” Surprising her,
Dr. Curran
laid her hand over Maria
’
s. “
You
’
re
the most
remarkable
woman I have ever met. You
’
re the hope of the city now.”

Maria fidgeted nervously, trying not to pull her hand away from the startling warmth of
the scientist
’
s hand. “I
’
m doing my job. I believe what I
’
m doing is right.”

“I know you do and it gives me such hope that the others will follow in your footsteps.”
Dr. Curran
withdrew her hand and tapped her stylus
on
the pad.

The last of Maria
’
s restraints retracted.

Startled, Maria sat in silence staring at her unencumbered limbs. Slowly, she raised her eyes and said, “You
’
re not afraid of me? Even though I
’
m
Inferi Scourge
.”

“
You
’
re not
Inferi Scourge
, but
Inferi Boon
.
You
’
re
the answer to the hopes of
The Bastion
.”
Dr. Curran
was positively glowing. It was rather
troubling
. “
You
’
re
going to be escorted
to your room now. Please shower and
change into
your dress uniform. It
’
s time to show the
upper echelon
our future.”

Maria slowly slid her chair back and stood. Her balance was a little off, but she adjusted her stance and found her center. For the first time she noticed her boots had been set near the door.
Dr. Curran
rose and watched as Maria quickly donned her footwear.

“I know this has been difficult for you, Maria. Though I sympathize with your predicament, I cannot imagine what
you
’
re
going through. Your strength of will is inspiring.”

“The perfect test subject?” Maria arched an eyebrow at the scientist. She had been unable to hold back that stinging comment.

Dr. Curran
nodded. “I won
’
t apologize
again
for calling you that. The reality is
you
’
re
our test subject.
You
’
re
the first of your kind.
You
’
re
our salvation. You and the other volunteers will give humanity a chance to live and thrive again. I am sorry that we were not forthcoming with the truth of the procedure, but I am proud of the success of this endeavor. I
am
proud of you.”

Maria set her feet apart and tucked her hands behind her back. “I won
’
t lie, Dr. Curran. You and Mr. Petersen are not my favorite people in this world. But I
will
do my job to the best of my abilities for the citizens of
The Bastion
.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,”
Dr. Curran
answered, smiling.

* * *

After all the time spent in the testing rooms, Maria was relieved to finally take a shower and have a little bit of time for herself. To keep her from fading into torpor, the wristlet emitted a pulse every few minutes to keep her senses stimulated. It was a little
annoying
at first, but she soon became used to it. After scrubbing her body and washing her hair, she stepped out into the small room and stared into the mirror.

There was a slightly bluish shadow around her eyes and mouth
,
and her
irises
had a st
range cloudy appearance. O
therwise, she looked like herself. If only she felt completely alive again. The faint numbness in her limbs was
unnerving
.

Glancing at her makeup bag, she pondered
using
concealer to hide the strange discoloration around her eyes, but opted not to. Let them see what she had become to save the last of humanity.

She braided her hair then knotted it on top of her head before starting to dress. Checking the time on her wristlet, she was surprised to see that it was only just past dinner time. It would be a few more hours before she could contact Dwayne safely and discreetly. Despite the many breaks during the testing, she was aware that it had been a very long day.

Mr. Petersen retrieved her from her room
. S
he regarded him coolly as she stepped into the hallway.

“You
’
re
very presentable,” Mr. Petersen said
,
and flashed a smile that
didn
’
t
reach his cold eyes.

“Thank you,” Maria answered, her tone slightly wary.

“Considering everything you have endured for the last two weeks, I have to say you look remarkably well. Strong, lucid...almost human.”

“Two weeks?” Maria lifted her eyebrows at him as they walked down the hall.

“Yes. Two weeks. They did tell you, didn
’
t they? That you have been being tested for the last two weeks?” There was a cruel light in his eyes and his smile was downright serpentine.

It took all her willpower not to fully reveal her shock. She kept her features as neutral as possible and slightly shrugged. “I don
’
t have to eat or sleep,” she answered blandly.

His smile faded around the edges as he studied her face. “That is true. Since
you
’
re
dead.”

As they stepped into the elevator, Maria graced him with a broad smile and said, “Oh, not dead.
Inferi Scourge
.”

She enjoyed his discomfort as the elevator door slid shut.

* * *

The sun descended behind the mountain range that ringed the valley The Bastion was nestled within.
Dwayne hurried down the crowded street, ducking around the vendors packing up their wares and the few pedicabs carrying government officials home. It always saddened him to see the makeshift rickshaws attached to old bikes making their way through the streets while the monorail stations
remained
silent.

Dressed in civilian clothing, he blended in with the rest of the people trudging home
.
His coat, sweater, and pants were all reconstructed and his boots had been resoled many times. The old battered hat on his head was a gift from Maria. She thought he had looked rather rakish when he had tried it on during one of their shopping trips in the bazaar. This evening he kept the brim tilted downward as he rushed toward his appointment, his chin tucked low to avoid being recognized. He was uneasy about meeting Lindsey at her small flat, but she had been insistent. The last thing he wanted to do was draw unwanted attention to her.

A government drone drifted
along
the street, its screen depicting the latest updates on the battle against the
Inferi Scourge
. Dwayne knew it was all rubbish. Usually the inhabitants of
The Bastion
ignored the drones carrying propaganda to the masses, but tonight several people turned to watch as it passed by. Dwayne sighed, realizing how effectively the president
’
s promises were lifting the hopes of the people. He wasn
’
t sure what to think anymore. The mission Maria had volunteered for sounded like a plausible way to resolve the issue of the
Scourge
in the valley, but her long silence was
worrying
. Now he feared she had been lied to and something altogether insidious had happened to her. Lindsey
’
s urgent message had only heightened his growing fears.

Ducking around a corner, he headed into a narrow alley filled with
overflowing
recycling
cans
. Halfway
into
the darken
ed area was a stairwell that le
d up to the second floor. It creaked as he climbed and he had to avoid toys left on the steps. A long passageway bisected the pre-fab apartment complex. The walls were
grimy and the floor was heavily-
patched. Reaching his destination, he rapped on a battered door and waited.

Lindsey manually slid the door open and stepped aside as he entered her small flat. She pulled the door shut and secured it with multiple locks. “Rolling blackouts are a bitch.”

The flat was lit with homemade candles and Dwayne
’
s eyes took a few seconds to fully adjust to the gloom. The flat was extremely small. To his right was a small sanitary station
. It was an old standard issue. The shower stall had a toilet that receded into the wall when not in use. T
o the left was a counter space that served as
a
kitchen. Lindsey
’
s computer station was tucked under the platform that housed her bed and clothes trunk. Pictures clipped from old magazines and books decorated the walls in colorful collages, the glossy paper reflecting the candlelight.

Lindsey
’
s narrow face looked almost ghoulish in the light from the candles. Her blond hair was loosely braided down her back and she was dressed in a sweater over leggings and mismatched thick socks that were mended with several different colors of thread. It took him a second to realize her hand was shaking as she pulled on an electro-cig. The nicotine-flavored mist drifted over her features.

“What is it?” he asked, even more afraid than before.