Chapter 33

  In the following weeks, many zombies vacated the fort; either joining the humans or creating their own small group to try their chance.

  In the mean time, the weather changed from thunderstorms to snowstorm.

  The change was as subtle as it was quick. It gave a whiplash to all the groups and caused even more deaths in the human camp as they were not prepared for such an extreme drop in the temperature.

  This time, the zombie side also faced a crisis. They may not feel the cold, but their bodies were still affected by it. They had no circulation nor body heat after all. The lower and advanced zombies were frozen solid and HCIZ ones had mobility problems due to the cold freezing their tissues and joints.

  It was a constant battle that required them to be wrapped up in layers of cloth near a heat source and perpetual movement. The latter one being imperative as a poor zombie discovered.

  He had stayed sat near a fire for hours without movement and now he was stuck like that. When others tried to apply force to unfold him, they broke his arm. Now they were scratching their heads to figure out how to loosen his limbs while the latter was screaming like a chicken on the board about his broken arm.

  “Stop screeching like a chicken! What were you thinking staying like that for hours?! Is your brain for decoration?! Anyone can feel the danger in staying still!?” One zombie said while trying to rub the frozen zombie with a towel.

  “Yea! Why do you think some are randomly running marathons in the hallways or walking in circles like loonies?!” Another zombie chimed in.

  The stuck zombie screeched, “Fuck! How would I know?! Everyone and their mother knows I am slow, okay?! I was just sitting there daydreaming and got lost in my thoughts! What is wrong with that?! Dean you traitor of a brother! Couldn’t you have reminded me?!”

  Dean looked at his brother with his big eyes, “ but big brother I did tell you! You were too far gone in your mind to hear me! And you always scold me when I interrupt you!”

  Will ,the zombie with the towel, gave the screeching zombie a smack on his head, “ shut up Doug! Don’t blame your little brother for your lack of IQ! You are the older one in this and should have known better!”

  “Such an unreliable dunderhead! Dean it’s been hard on you!” Someone in the small crowd, casually watching the show, said.

  Doug screeched even more, “ shut up you peanut gallery!”

  “Your screeching is annoying! Instead of wasting your energy, try to think of a solution!” Reve, the zombie helping Will, said.

  Dean pondered for a moment before tentatively asking, “how about we pour hot water?”

  Reve gave Dean a thumbs up, “nice idea little brother! We can also try hot oil to rub at the joints!”

  “Are you people trying to cook me?!” Doug protested.

  Will shoved the towel in his mouth, “shut up Doug! Distinguish the keywords! It’s warm water and oil! Not boiling! And who would like to eat boiled musty leaves anyway?”

  Will got up while ignoring the muffled sounds from Doug, “Yo Reve, let’s go get the materials. Dean you stay with your brother. We’ll be back in a few.”

  Dean obediently nodded before squatting near his brother, “don’t worry big brother! You’ll be good as new in a while!... Ah! Well, maybe not so good....” Dean mumbled while looking at the broken arm. “But it’s okay! I can sew it back!” Dean finished with renewed enthusiasm.

  Doug reflected on the messy, mangled stitches on his brother’s clothes before calmly closing his eyes. ‘Better not think about it.’

  ****

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  The Hyena threw the report in his hands on the table. His aged faced looked haggard and his body creaked as he leaned back in his chair.

  “Suicide going on every single day worldwide, some countries nuking themselves, or others, as a vain sacrifice in order to stop the proliferation of the zombies, the extreme weather, food and water shortage.... At this stage is it still worth fighting?” Black muttered with closed eyes.

  Allistair looked at his superior with a worried gaze, “Sir, you haven’t consumed any food in 2 days.”

  Black waved a weak hand with despondence, “ I am old. I don’t have much to live for. Better give the food to the young ones. They are our hope.”

  He closed his eyed with a sigh and asked, “has those scientists arrived?”

  “It was a perilous journey but they arrived yesterday evening. They went to work as soon as they touched ground.” Allistair responded

  “Do make sure that those evolved zombies are treated humanely. If any of them loses control, let them know that they’ll be shot down. We should be grateful that some of them still had the human mentality and came to us. They are our only hope now.... Well if this planet doesn’t explode, that is.” Black’s voice echoed dimly in the room.

  Allistair gave an affirmative before softly closing the door on his way out. The gaunt face of his friend of many years flashed in his mind and a deluge of sadness nearly overwhelmed him. He took a deep breath to regain control of his emotions and let his stoic expression slip into place as he strode towards the kitchens.

  “Those zombies can wait. I’ll go bring some bread for him and convince him to eat some before going to supervise the lab. He may be my boss but he is my friend first. How can he expect me to watch him perish away. Some guilt trip is in order.”

  ****

  In the laboratory, researchers from all around the world gathered around to discuss their findings. There was a mismatch of hypothesises, methodology and research being thrown around.

  And as always, when people with different views and ways come together, there will inevitably be a clash.

  “Seriously,” One scientist muttered sullenly, “who would have thought that the key to this virus would be found in this damned backwards country.”

  “Same. Never thought that I would be here.” Another chimed in above the heated ‘discussion’ going on around them.

  “I am more curious about how this ‘key’ came to be. It is highly suspicious.”

  The small group of ‘passive’ scientists had quietly gathered to the side to watch the spectacle before them.

  “I think the backwardness is a ruse. My bet is on unethical human experimentation that inadvertently led to this ‘key’.”

  Another one scoffed, “no need to bet. That is exactly what happened. With this country being mostly under military dictatorship, god knows what horrors went behind the scenes.”

  “ Those ‘higher’ zombies doesn’t give me a good vibe.”

  Someone beside him gave him a puzzled look, “ they eat people. That is your instinct telling you that you are a snack. Were you expecting to feel all fuzzy inside?”

  “No, he is right. One of them is a douchebag. Must have transferred from when he was still human. Those are the kind of arseholes riddled with burrowed insecurities parading around with a veneer of confidence.”

  “ He is trying to lord over us because we need him. Looks like he is trying hard to push his ‘superiority’ in our faces.”

  “He is lucky some of us has this thing called ‘Ethics’ or else he would be pinned down and chopped at daily.”

  “When are those peacocks going to end this discussion? I haven’t slept in days and they are wasting my time.” One researcher with heavy eyebags asked. He was as thin and tall as a bean pole.

  The others turned to look at those ‘ Top of the Cream’ scientists and sighed.

  “That is why I don’t like meeting those in the same field as me. It’s mostly filled with peacocks with delusions that only ‘They’ are right.”

  “ I avoided those conferences like the plague. Gotta admit that most are self-centered buttholes.”

  “ We are in for a long wait.”

  ****

  The higher zombies were hanging around in the dorm area assigned to them.

  “I am still not sure if joining this side was a good idea.”

  “Then you should have stayed back.”

  “You are already here so stop spouting nonsense. More importantly, they don’t trust us.”

  One of them scoffed, “of course they don’t. Not with one of us trying to take a bite out of them when they smelled blood.”

  The zombie in questioned guiltily snapped, “I said I was sorry, okay?!”

  “All of you shut your trap!” Snapped the ‘douchebag’ that the scientists were talking about. “ We do not need their trust! Those meat pies are just a means to an end! We’ll bleed them dry then desert them when the time comes!”

  “Yea right. Talk for yourself. You just couldn’t stand being ordered around by Alphonse. And who died and made you the boss of us? There is no ‘We’. Only you and your little groupie.”

  “ Yea. We all came here with our own ideas and reasons. You do your thing and we’ll do ours.”

  One of the most taciturn zombie was quietly reclining in his bed. He silenced the others with his words, “ they don’t believe us because we can’t say how we evolved. Alphonse’s order to not disclose anything about that matter is rooted in our minds. Those who have been scurrying around to go around that order should remember what kind of zombie he is. And also to not forget how they came to be how they are right now. Putting your own self-interest forwards is okay but backstabbing to reach that end is another matter.”

  He slowly turned his head and fixed his dark gaze on the group below, “ I don’t have to tell you what happens to snitches, right?”

  The innocent question gloomily resonated in the ears of those present.