Revenge

Of The Zombies

Preface

Let me introduce you to my world. Two forces fight each other: one is the Zombies, the other is called the Resistance. You see, the ignorant people of America couldn't accept that there was such thing as a Zombie. Not until they and their family were consumed. An organization called the Resistance rose, filled with people that knew what was happening. They bought weapons, ammunition, and stores of military supplies. They established bases and recruited people to join their cause.
The Zombies came and took over one of these bases, on the outer ridge of their defense. They knew just where to strike, when to strike, how to strike. It was a disaster. The Zombies took out the base with little to no losses. Their only mistake: a single camera survived the raid. It relayed its feed to the leader of the Resistance, and he stepped down from his position. A women rose to take his place, showing the film to the Government of America. It proved that the Zombies existed. Viewers watched in horror as fallen men rose again as Zombies.
Yet, strangely, the Government banned the film, and refused to admit the Zombies' existence. The Resistance leaked the film to the public, and those that believed what they saw joined the Resistance. The Zombies no longer were under the cover of myth, and many believed in their existence. The Zombies then made their own bases, many in number. The Resistance was constantly attacking the Zombie bases, and defending against Zombie raids. But they couldn't defend all the people.
It looked grim for the Resistance. The Zombies had weaponry that shouldn't have even left the Government's test rooms, and had insane amounts of intel. They always knew where to strike. And, to make matters worse, the Zombies' numbers were growing rapidly. If a skirmish was fought, the Zombies almost always left with more men. Every man and women that died in battle rose again moments later as a Zombie. Not only that, but the Zombies were not like the usual human. They could lose a limb, and the limb would still move. Even their head seemed able to survive on its own. The Zombies could use blood to heal anything. The Resistance had beheaded a Zombie, only to find that it put the head back on.
The Resistance has 'followers', men and women who believe in their cause. The Zombies have 'limbs', Zombies who act as the limbs of the body. The Zombies all serve the Overlord, a mysterious figure that the Resistance is trying to find and kill. Like killing the Queen of an ant hive, the Resistance hoped that once the Overlord, the head of the Zombies, is killed, the Zombies will cease to exist.
In almost every perspective, the Zombies have the advantage. But the Resistance can't just give up. They have to defend their country, or die with it. And thus the war went on.

Welcome to my world.

Chapter One

"Go! Go! Go!" came a loud scream from across the jungle hills. In unison, all Zombies immediately dove behind any cover they could find. An explosion quickly followed, disintegrating any Zombies that were unlucky enough to not be near cover. In return, the Zombies fired their weapons: three fired their Fear Embellishments, aimed for different sections of the other side. Seven loaded and aimed their Blade Runners, all targeting different sections of the enemy territory. Three set up two Chain Guns. Four fired their Rapid-Fire Voltages, sending deadly magnetized beams towards specific locations. Suddenly, explosions were surrounding the Zombies. A horrible realization occurred in all their minds. The Resistance had an Obliverator! The Zombies' main hope of winning hinged on the element of surprise. With that gone, and the fact that the enemy had an Obliverator, the tide of battle had turned against them. Fleeing as best they could, the Zombies could only hope for their lives. Taking advantage of any cover they had, usually a dying tree or a weathered rock, they made their way quickly, and lost some in their number. But a few stayed behind, content to die if they took some of the Resistance with them.
"Go after them! Finish them off! Give them scars they will never forget!" was the victorious yell from above.
"Shouldn't we be wary of a trap?" asked one cautious Resistance follower.
The human strategist ignored his plea. "If we kill them now, none will remain to give the information they've scouted here. When they return, it'll be with an army!" she shouted.
Understanding, the Resistance quickly clambered into their sleek, fast vessels. With a loud noise and a flash of reflected light, the vehicles disappeared. The gathered human strategists rose slowly to their feet; the noise of the vessels leaving stirred them out of their odd trance. "Do you really think we can get them all?" asked a short opportunist.
"No," she answered regrettably. "But at least we can get the majority."
"Are you even sure that we can do that? The Zombies dart and weave, hide and circle back, assassinate and leave." the short man insisted.
"Better to do it with a chance rather than not do it at all." she shot back. The reason she was even standing here, commanding an army, was to ensure she would never lose someone close to her again. No more Zombies. Never again.
A wave of fear and anger washed over her. She turned quickly; it was a feeling she knew well...too well.
A Fear Embellishment! she thought to herself. She couldn't say it aloud, however; the effects were designed to prevent her from doing just that. Her mouth felt glued, unable to speak. Her mind scrambled out of terror, memories of how to stop the effects were forgotten. The last clear thought she would remember is that she wished she would have listened to that follower.
Upon seeing their strategic leader pass out, the rest of the Strategic Committee quickly ducked for cover. But the spreading effect of a Fear Embellishment was too fast, soon they all felt the effects. While the last Strategic Committee member fell to the ground, he wished he could have convinced their Strategic Leader to listen...

One of the followers thought he heard a slight click as he scavenged the battlefield for surviving Zombies. Looking over at a tight clump of bushes, he automatically pulled the trigger to fire his gun. If he had had his gun loaded, the action may have killed his killer. However, it was not; he was shot. But the shot was not heard, for it was an assassination weapon a few of the Zombies hiding had in their hands. One had managed to get a Fear Embellishment without anyone noticing, and was enjoying taking out the strategic committee on the upper portion of the hill that the Resistance used as a base. Four Zombies had remained behind, three stealthily taking out members of the Resistance, the other cautiously attempting to recover a Gore Blade and a Blade Runner nearby. They had little hope to accomplish much, but they were determined to give the Resistance some more losses.


Richard Hoffman, a well-known sniper in the Resistance, walked up the tall staircase to the strategic portion. He couldn't understand why the members of this committee couldn't think up their strategies and leading while firing. He had yet to learn that none of them could even aim a gun, and that they had no other talent to contribute. As he reached the top of the staircase, he walked straight onto the viewers' deck, too lost in thought to realize were he was going. He walked right off the edge, and would have fallen to his death had he not caught the edge. He managed to pull himself back onto the viewers' deck, sweating and grunting as he did so. His mind now hyper-aware, he nearly jumped back off the viewers' deck when he caught sight of all the committee members. They all lay in different positions, and looked as if they had been sniped. He yelled, "Committee down! Raise the alarm!"


The buff follower that was up on the viewers' deck had several guns in his belt. He looked to be around 23, and had multiple scars on his face as proof he had witnessed and survived many battles. He wore lightweight brown pants, with multiple tears and blood dripping from them, and a green leather shirt with blackened spots where a shot had hit, the shirt was also soaked with sweat and grime. The look in his blue eyes reminded one of an eagle looking for prey. These were all telltale signs of a sniper. Seeing him up on the viewers' deck, the first Zombie, named Mark, merely muttered, "Oh no..."
The second Zombie, Matthew, aimed and fired, as did the third Zombie, Tristen. But before their fingers could get near the trigger, the follower yelled, "Committee down! Raise the alarm!"
Matthew got a shot in his side, Tristen was too hasty in aiming and missed the target completely. The follower immediately fell to the ground, though whether by intention or death they couldn't say. Several figures could be seen running back to defend their posts, a few were taken out by the Fear Embellishment before they could reach their cover. "Disabler!" whispered Matthew.
Tristen was intent on targeting the follower heading towards the Obliverator. The fourth Zombie, named Elizabeth, crawled into the clump of bushes from behind, with a Gore Blade and a Blade Runner in her hands. Quickly setting up the Blade Runner, the Zombies then separated to increase the chance of survival of the individual. Mark stayed in the clump of bushes with the Blade Runner. Matthew was given a Gore Blade and an assassination weapon, then told to go around behind the base and move in from behind. Tristen took the second and last assassination weapon and made a crawl toward some tall grass nearby in the hopes of killing any snipers. Elizabeth took the Fear Embellishment and moved behind a large boulder in the hopes of attracting the attention of the Resistance.
Mark aimed and fired the blade runner at a place where he believed they were getting their weapons from. He fired, reloaded, and heard the satisfying yell of "Our weapons!" Most blades would harm other weaponry, but the Blade Runner shot a missile above the target. The missiles computer then targeted and fired all 50 spikes inside it at the target reaching a speed of 150mph. The missile itself would then drop seemingly harmlessly to the ground, but it would explode when it made contact with something, providing a distraction. As he prepared his next round of spikes, he was suddenly sniped from above! Not expecting to die so soon, he summoned his will to slowly reload the rest of the spikes. He aimed up high, where he had been sniped from, and fired, using the last of his strength. Then he closed his eyes and welcomed the icy black fingers of death.
Matthew quickly darted from cover to cover, picking a route that would be longer, but safer in the long run. He caught sight of a person up on the high overview deck where the Resistances' strategists would gather. He saw the figure moving slowly, and realized it was the follower that had warned the rest of the Resistance about their remaining. Anger flooded through his veins. He was still alive! He saw him snipe, his gun aimed at the clump of bushes were he had been hiding earlier. Realizing that the sniper had just harmed a fellow Zombie, he raised his assassination weapon. He hated the living, and would be glad to rid this follower of that privilege.
Tristen spotted his victim, a sniper up high on the deck the Resistance used for their strategic purposes. He tipped his shot with Zombie poison, grinning as he did so. He had been hoping to save the poison for a convenient time, this deemed to be a good one. He fired, and saw the figure slump a little, the weapon falling the few inches it had been held up by to the ground. Looking around for other targets, he saw some snipers line up (How foolish! he thought) to find the attackers. Taking them out one by one, only the last of them managed to point their snipes his way before he finished them all off. Seeing that the Zombies had a sniper as well, every other gunner hid. Except for one. And that one fired his Disabler right at him. Tristen's gun shut off, and he threw it down in frustration.
Elizabeth managed to get behind the big, weathered, and half-destroyed boulder without being shot. Setting up the stand and placing the Fear Embellishment on it, she aimed it precisely so she could hit the area around the Obliverator. Laying there, crouched and hunched over the gun, Elizabeth's torn, tattered and dusty clothing seemed relatively clean in comparison to any skin exposed, where layers of a mixture of dirt, mud, and grime had turned rock-solid and wouldn't have budged if you had taken a jackhammer to it, providing a natural layer of crusted armour. She realised the large boulder may protect her from most blasts, but at the cost of visibility. Hard as it was to aim at something she couldn't see, years of practice helped in keeping her aim true. Firing with sure hands, she quickly reloaded, aimed, and fired again towards where she guessed the largest collection of troops were. Hastily packing up the Fear Embellishment and its stand, she dashed towards a close knot of trees, and not a second too late. The huge boulder behind her shattered into a million grains of sand and crumbled like water the moment she left it. Setting up the stand and weapon again with agility, she remembered that the Obliverator can be mechanically ran; with no person was operating it, it would be impossible to stop it from firing again unless Matt hurried up and shut off the power...
Richard was a good actor, and it probably just saved his life. Several attempts to end his life had occurred, a mixture of luck and acting got him through it with only a slight injury to his left side. He had managed to make it look like the shot in his side had actually killed him. He had seen where the shots had come from, and when he looked through his sniper's scope he could see a heavily bandaged and bald man wearing torn blue jeans that leaked blood and were too short and a grimy green sport shirt to help absorb his sweat. He had a nose that looked as if it had been broken at least once in its life and several teeth missing, giving him the appearance of a Jack-O-Lantern. He looked tense with concentration, several beads of sweat ran down his neck and face. He had dirt and mud caked on his clothing and skin. It didn't appear that Zombies took baths. A long scar ran diagonal from above his left eye, over his nose, and all the way down to his lower neck. His teeth were gritted with concentration, and one eye was closed as he took aim...or was it because he was blind in that eye? Richard aimed for his only open eye, and fired quickly, hoping to kill the Zombie before it killed anyone else. He missed the open eye, but the bullet had hit the Zombies' head.
When two other near misses whizzed past him and left his ears ringing, he realized there was more than just one Zombie. He slumped slightly and dropped his gun, using acting supreme enough to get an award had he been on a stage. He had heard the scream of 'Our weapons!' and saw the shot of a Blade Runner fly at the base. Now he was slowly and carefully turning his head, looking for any cover nearby. He heard his neck crick and pop, for it had a cramp, and only barely stopped a whimper of pain. Seeing an overturned chair as the nearest cover, he tensed his leg muscles and prepared for a sudden dash. Then suddenly, he stood up and dived behind the overturned chair, turning his dive into a roll in the last possible second to help the impact. Keeping his momentum, he stood slightly as he rushed forward in a crouched run, sliding quickly just before he fell down the stairs to stop. Speeding down the stairs, he winced in pain as his legs gave him a spasm of pain. Apparently he had done a very poor roll earlier, and now it was taking its toll.
Joel Histe was a machine gun specialist, when they came out with the new chain guns it was essential for him to learn how to use them. He found all the bad quirks about the gun, and made improvements to it. The gun had been given a names by Joel's co-workers: Dent. He thought it was rather childish to name a weapon of war, but eventually grew to like the name. Tall, smart, and dirty, Joel almost always had spots of oil, stains of gas, and burns and cuts along his arms and legs. He had a lean figure, his chest was thin enough to reveal his ribs even through his shirt. Many said he should eat more, but his thinness came from over-extensive exercises. He had a slight swagger, when he was in a hurry everyone moved out of his way for fear of being run over. Thin as he was, muscles could be seen bulging out of his arms and legs. He had a trim, filthy brown shirt heavy with sweat, and dark, muddy pants torn at the ankles. He had a knife hidden in his tight steel-toed boots, he often sharpened the blade when waiting for an upcoming battle. He had earned the title 'Weapons Specialist' by his leader, and held to the title. Always fixing little quirks and torques, he deserved the name. As for using the weaponry, he was also quite a skilled gunman, sniper, and demolitions expert.
Joel held Dent close to his chest, ready for any unpleasant surprises that often came with a Zombie scouting mission. How they knew it was a scouting mission is because they hadn't brought their vehicles with them, their massive destruction hard to avoid. Joel was positioned as a back guard, any Zombie attempting to come around behind the fortress for a sneak attack was in for a nasty surprise. Upon hearing a slight sound of movement in a cluster of trees in his sight, Joel quickly pointed and fired his weapon at the trees, ripping them to shreds in an instant. No movement could be seen, no sound could be heard, yet no body could be seen as well. Still wary, Joel wasn't very surprised when he heard a metallic shuffle, he presumed it was a Zombie drawing his gun. Crouching low and ducking behind the gunning platform for his gun to fire through, Joel barely moved in time to avoid the shots that were unheard. Wondering why he only heard the click of the gun being fired rather than a loud Boom!, Joel realized that the Zombie he was versus must be wielding an assassination weapon.
Memories of previous engagements versus these silent killer weapons filled his mind. From experience he knew they would be deadly if the shot hit any part of his body, due to Zombie poison, and it would be a painful death indeed. He also knew the bullets could curve slightly, making the bullet harder to take out. It also meant a skilled gunman could jerk his gun slightly as he fired to curve the bullet around or over or under an obstacle to hit its' target. With this in mind, He slowly moved his gunner's platform towards the wall. Once he was against it, he crouched into an uncomfortable position against the wall and pressed into the ground. He hoped it would be enough to avoid a deadly curved bullet, and he doubted they would come up close behind him. Arranging himself in the most comfortable position he could manage, he started examining the area in front of him. If he could find a Zombie in hiding, he might be able to deliver a fatal blow...
Matthew crawled out of sight and earshot of the gunman. The gunman had caught him by surprise, and the wearied man was a better shot than he had initially presumed. He would have merely jumped over and behind the gunman, then stabbed him in the back had it not been for the turret covering him from the higher point. He crawled up the wall, using his long, pointed fingernails to penetrate through the steel makeshift wall. Upon entering the turrets' fire range, it rose out of the ceiling and pointed at him. By the time it had the shot ready, Matthew had cracked its' scope using his Gore Blade. Having already been briefed about the Resistances new turrets, he knew this was where the casing held the computers targeting and firing system. With an electric buzz, the machine returned down it's turret hole, the Gore Blade still in it.
Unprepared, Matthew barely stopped the top from closing and sealing his Gore Blade away. Snapping off the weak cover, Matthew plunged his hand into the hole to reclaim his Gore Blade. Just as he felt the Gore Blade and grabbed onto the handle to yank it out, defensive shocks of voltage went through the machine. Matthew was wearing black, rubber, dirty, mud encrusted, and light gloves, but even through the gloves he felt the pain, flinching and gritting his teeth, Matthew yanked with all his force as his muscled cramped and cried out in pain. Pulling out the whole turret with the glove, the yank split the turret from its base. The machine shut off, and the shocks stopped, yet the pain continued. Gasping in pain and letting his body fall onto the hard metal, he made a mental note NOT to do that again. About five minutes later, he got back up and used his foot to kick away the destroyed turret while still holding onto the handle of the Gore Blade. The remains of the machine clattered onto the rooftop noisily, and by the time a small crew of Resistance members had gotten onto the roof to see what happened, no one was to be seen.
Joel had waited for about five minutes before moving to a more comfortable position. Nothing had moved aside from small, lush grass blades swaying with the wind.
Just to make sure, he had fired randomly at any object that could provide cover, shredding anything taller than knee-high grass, which he shot a while to make sure the Zombie wasn't crouched in there. Now sure that the Zombie wasn't there currently, Joel settled back, comfortable but still wary of an ambush. He wasn't prepared to suddenly see and feel a Gore Blade coming out out his chest. The dagger had pierced through his heart, and was now a sickening sight, all covered with his own blood and pieces of his tissue. A filthy hand had covered his mouth and muffled his dying screams. His vision went red as he struggled to hit the Zombie behind him. Finally, he slouched forward, held up only by the blade that killed him.
Matthew withdrew the Gore Blade from the gunman, then licked the blood and meat off the blade. He always enjoyed the taste of flesh and blood, and human was his favorite. He normally wouldn't mind keeping the blade bloody. In fact, it usually reminded him of his recent slaughter. But he needed his stealth, and a trail of blood leading from the body would harm him more than help him. Plus, instead of quenching his thirst for human flesh and blood, it actually strengthened it. His bloodthirsty slaughter had only just begun.
Joel woke in a different mind. His mind's perception of reality and all of his memories were being warped rapidly. Wondering what an all-powerful being one would have to be to warp mind and flesh, he didn't stand up for fear of losing dimension and falling. Suddenly, the process began to fill in gaps and chunks of his memories and perspective. But rather than being angered at the Zombie for killing him, Joel only felt gratitude for losing the life that was his. When the gaps of family, friends, and the Resistance filled he would expect to feel pity at never seeing any of them again. But instead, he remembered them as only burdens and future targets.
Standing, he remembered he was in the middle of a battle. A gun was thrust into his hand, and he recognized the Zombie somehow. He realized that he knew the names and actions of the Zombies he had seen before, and weaknesses of the Resistance. When thinking of the fellow members and friends he knew in the Resistance, he was filled with an urgency to kill the whole Resistance. They must be taken down! Yet just as these thoughts of anger flowed through his mind, patience filled him. The Zombies had time, numbers, and the Overlords' mind on their side. Wait, Joel thought. How do I suddenly know of this Overlord? Before the question could be answered, his flood of thoughts turned to the Resistance. If they hit in the right spots and with the right amounts of force, surely the Resistance would crumble like a sand castle. Mentally refreshed, he remembered their was a war going on. And he was now on the other side...and liking it.
Joel almost shot when Matthew suddenly appeared before him, landing from above and performing a roll like an acrobat. Getting up out of the roll, he naturally pulled out his dagger and was prepared to wield the blade if someone unexpected was there to meet him. Realising Joel was alone and had finished going through the transformation, he grumbled, "Watch where you're pointing that gun. Remember it was I who gave it to you."
Joel lowered the gun and relaxed a little, and responded, "You just surprised me, that's all."
Matthew moaned, "We're in a war! You'd better be on your toes and watching your back, I could have easily been one of the Resistance!" Not waiting for Joel's response, Matthew ordered, "Go around that way and take out the three turret men in succession, use your unnatural speed and stealth to your advantage. Be quick, silent, and deadly. Meanwhile I'll go around this way and take out the other three. Got that?"
Not even waiting for Joel's unsteady nod, Matthew turned his back and creeped around the wall. He half-expected Joel to just stand there, but to his surprise he moved with military precision and followed his orders. How easy it was to recruit for the Zombies! Nearing the first turret, he broke into a silent run. Spotting him and turning the turret to point at him, the guard realised he wasn't there anymore. He almost looked up in time to see Matthew flying through the air with unnatural grace, the flow of the dagger as it went slicing down as Matt soared sung a deadly song for the guard. Killing the guard with deadly precision and landing nimbly, he then turned the turret all the way around to face the other two turrets. He set the controls to 'explosive' and fired at the second turret, destroying it in seconds. The third was almost pointed at him before it too was demolished.
Jumping out of the turret while still low to the ground, he landed on the rough and un-even makeshift pathway briefly constructed so the men could get to their turrets. Still crouching low, he put some distance between himself and the first turret, expecting it to blow up any second. It didn't, and he was surprised to realise Joel must have distracted and killed the guards on his side before they turned to blow up the rogue turret. Drinking the human blood from his blade once more, Matthew shuddered in craving. His eyes tinted red, and he knew he would not be able to withhold a bloodthirsty surge for long. Jumping boldly off the buildings' edge, he slid down the rooftop edge and landed in a neat roll.
His assassin dagger in hand, he attacked the nearest ADR, or Automated Defence Robots. They were a newer advancement, it was unfortunate enough of the Resistance to discover it first. The Zombies were just now receiving shipments of these versatile and more-than-proficient in accuracy mechanics. They could react much faster than humans, had scanners so they were aware of their surroundings at all times, and would never grow slow from boredom or weariness. They were skilled at close combat, long-range combat, and even throwing shurikens, a Japanese blade, making them a deadly opponent to face in battle. The perfect security guard, they would never grow weary from lack of sleep or eating; they only needed to plug into an energy field every day for about five minutes to recharge their depleted battery life.
Approaching the first one, he was not surprised when it turned immediately and took out a silver-tipped expensive shuriken case. It was already open, and even Matthew was surprised at the speed and accuracy of the throw. It was slightly faster than he was expecting, putting him slightly off guard, but had moved long before it whizzed past its target. Already it had another one out, and was about to launch it. Preparing himself, he knew he could complete the near-superhuman task he was about to attempt. When the shuriken sliced through the air in a deadly arc, he was ready for it. Moving faster than the human eye could comprehend, he caught it on the blade of his dagger-sized Gore Blade without moving anything but his arms and hands.
When the robot prepared another, Matthew was slightly disappointed. He had hoped the droid would try another way to harm him when seeing his obvious skill. When he blocked two more shurikens on the lower blade side-by-side with the first one, he ran towards the robot with blinding speed, his blade vertically in front of him. Two more shurikens were thrown and blocked, side-by-side with the previous three, with amazing grace and inhuman skill as Matthew neared his victim. Closing the case and sticking it to itself using magnetization, the droid took out a long, curved blade generally preferred among the Japanese from a slot behind its' shoulder and swung it before him with blurred proficiency. Slowing down considerably, Matthew began to randomly twist and curve his blade to try and confuse the robot, Matthew knew its' sensors would attempt to observe what style he was using, predict, and dominate his skills. By starting with randomization, he hoped to confuse the sensors until his true opening move formed...
The metallic clash and cling of the two beings locked in mortal combat hurt Matthew's ears. He had opened with a magnificent backwards double swipe with enough power and smoothness to throw off a samurai, only to be blocked by the amazingly agile blade before him. It had been close, but apparently the ADR was able to change tactics within a matter of milliseconds. Changing his form to a more accurate style, his blade was met with a resounding Clang! as the robot had predicted his next move. Going from an accurate stance to an aggressive stance to a defencive stance and back to aggressive seemed to be natural for Matthew, and the droid quickly caught on to his style of attack. The ADR suddenly held the blade with only one hand, and took another blade out from behind his left shoulder. The new blade was extremely straight and very serrated, just clashing with this blade would dent any weapon. Surprised with this unanticipated tactic, Matthew barely backpedaled in time to avoid a new flurry of attacks, much swifter and more accurate than its' last movement, but this time with two blades.
Matthew guessed it had just been probing him for strategies and weaknesses, for now it fought with a strength making the other seem weak and clumsy in comparison. Constant backpedaling and a masterful defence was the only reason Matthew was still alive, and both the droid and Matthew realised it at the same moment. The robot changed tactics slightly, cornering Matthew so he could only head one direction. Mercilessly chipping away at Matthews' defence, the ADR seemed close to victory. No! Matthew thought desperately. My life cannot be ended by this mechanical being! He sensed he was nearing a wall, and no sooner had he realised this then he was pressed against the wall of the fortress behind him. A desperate gamble of extremely complicated moves that he had only begun to learn barely resisted the deadly left-right, swipe, stab method of the artificially strengthened droid.
Three shots rang out in the air, followed by a Ping! Ping! Ping! The ADR turned its' head to look behind its' right shoulder, and Matthew seized the chance. Repelling the blades before him, he stabbed at the robot with a desperate lunge. It was blocked and a counterattack was close behind it. Ducking, Matthew saw the droids' blades impale the wall behind him, penetrating the soft metals with his serrated blade. Surprised at how the robot did this without looking, Matthew realised the sensors must be more advanced then he had originally thought. Kicking out strongly, there was a deep Tong! noise and a strong pain in his foot. The ADR hadn't budged, but had turned around, though whether by his kick or something else that was distracting it Matthew couldn't tell.
The robot started to walk calmly with a Clank! Clank! away from Matthew. Glad that its' attention was off him, Matthew stood up and took in his surroundings. Suddenly, there was a deafening sound like a gong and a blinding flash of orange and white light. Blinking rapidly to see what had caused this and who it targeted, Matthew squinted through the blinding white and orange light and could only barely make out the outline of the ADR with its' right arm outstretched. Looking away and blinking back tears caused by the light, Matthew knew the droid had fired a highly-explosive missile at its' victim. Who or what the victim was, Matthew didn't know. He was hoping without trying to that the army had come back to support them, and they could defeat the ADR's.
Turning now to face the fading light, he could make out the dark silhouette of the robot leaning over to examine something. Suddenly, with a puff of gas and smoke and electricity, the ADR was engulfed in a mass of an electrics' mine. The mines had been established for sabotage or electric devices, Matthew hoped it had a strong effect on the ADR. He wasn't so sure he could survive another encounter with one this time. After training, promotion, and new weaponry, well he might beat the odds. But for now, his assassin weapon wasn't going to do him much good against them. The cloud of smoke was fading, and Matthew was relieved to see nothing standing over there. Moving across the battlefield stealthily and quickly and ready to dive for cover should he notice a weapon training on him, Matthew reached the droid uneventfully.
The ADR's main computer had ejected from its' chest, and the screen fizzed and buzzed randomly. A human figure lay face-down nearby, probably the victim of the first explosion. Going over to turn over the body, Matthew was surprised and dismayed to see that it was Joel, with an out-of-ammunition assassination weapon clutched tightly in his cold fingers. He was obviously dead. Suddenly making the connection between the three shots he had heard earlier, Matthew realised Joel had tried to distract the ADR to save his life! Injecting his teeth in Joels' arm, he attempted to revive him.
Joel reawakened five minutes later to Matthews' happiness. The moment Joel stood, an audible and robotic-sounding Beep! was heard. It had come from the direction of the droid. Striding quickly over to where the robot lay, Matthew saw that readable numbers had appeared on the central computer's screen. They danced and changed colors, but stayed readable as they steadily changed. 00:34, 00:33, 00:32... A grave understanding fell on Matthew like a bucket of ice-cold water. Glancing at Joel, he saw a stunned realization occur on his face as well.
Come on! We've got to get out of here fast! Matthew thought quickly. To Matthew's horror, Joel walked unsteadily towards the self-destructing machine.
I'm a skilled engineer, I can probably stop it in time... Joel thought.
You're a fool if you truly believe that! Matthew furiously thought back.
If I fail, we will both die unless you leave now. Get out, and let me do my life's work!
This isn't a request! You will come with me now, I have seniority! Suddenly, much to Matthew's surprise, he heard a familiar voice in his head known to him since he was first zombified.
Stop bickering, both of you! Joel, stop your worthless repairs, and Matt, prepare to be picked up. You forget too easily I know everything going on; you should consult me more often. You used to do it quite often, you know, until you became more confident in your abilities. Don't forget what I could do to this confidence you have earned... Spoke a dark, broken voice.
Matt was shocked by the voice's kindness; he had never earned his calling nickname. He had earned the battle nicknames Slaughterer, Assassin, and bloodthirsty before, but never a calling nickname. He heard murmurs of other Zombies calling him by his calling name as a sign of respect, and he bowed to his unseen watcher. A cloud covered the sun, and Matt noticed it was the only cloud in the sky. Grinning at the size of the cloud, Matt knew it was no cloud. The cloud steadily got bigger, and silently morphed from a cloud to a shadow to an eye. The eye had hundreds of pupils, some bigger then others, and because they all had different colors it gave the illusion that the eye was constantly changing color variation. The eye was about as big as a two-story building.
An especially large pupil separated itself from the eye with blinding speed and had landed next to the pair of Zombies faster then the human eye could see. Quickly clambering inside the gap that opened in this room-sized pupil, Joel and Matt thought about sitting down, only to realise there were no seating. Immediately a couch melted out of the black floor of the pupil next to each of them. Just before they sat down, the gap re-opened. Three figures melted from the black ground, and they herded Joel and Matt out from the room. Two Zombies walked past the leaving five figures to get inside the pupil. A spark lit in Joel and Matt's mind, telling them their battle names were Seeker and Lazer.
Heading along the pitch-black and rapidly changing shape corridor, the pair noticed a black door without a way of access. Without pausing, the three figures guiding them pointed at the door and waved their arm-like appendages at the door in a clear indication of Hurry! Matt had experience with his leader's technology before, and guessed he should walk up to the door and touch it. Joel followed him, and as he touched the door he was shocked to find his fingers melting through the door as if he had put his hand through a waterfall. Pausing, the pair went through the door, shivering slightly as the gelatinous-like substance clung to their skin. Slowly flowing back to the door, the substance never separated from the door completely.
They were even more surprised to now find themselves in a bright-white corridor, also rapidly changing but with off-leading tunnels. Three white-outlined figures melted from the morphing floor, and began to walk down a corridor for a ways before turning back and motioning to the two Zombies to follow. Walking down the white corridor hurt their eyes, and they wished for the pitch-darkness they were in earlier. Matt guessed they were heading for the center of the eye, and wasn't too shocked to come to a small room in which all tunnels seemed to lead to or out of. A shape took up the center of the room, it had tentacle-like appendages sticking into the wall above, below, and around it. It's color was glowing black, and a strange unnaturalness emanated from it. It squirmed and formed into odd shapes, and there was a creepiness about it.
Two seconds after they entered the room, two seats melted from the floor and a strand of liquid-solid material shot out of the floor to shove the Zombies into their seats. Before they had a chance to resist, it melted them into the chair, leaving only the head visible. It felt like liquid, only it morphed around them as it pressed against them. Suddenly, the whole room seemed to blur in and out of existence, and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Wondering if he was going to pass out or throw up, Matt thought violently, We've been captured!
Moments later, the room unexpectedly changed back to what it had been before. The seemingly alive semi-solids melted off them and into the ground, leaving no trace. The object in the middle of the room now seemed to radiate small amounts of heat, and glowed red slightly. An explanation came in the way Matt had not expected it. The object in the middle of the room suddenly seemed to have a face, and this face looked right at Matt. At least, Matt assumed it was a face; it was in the general area and position of an average human face. When a part of the face moved, a deep voice that sounded like it had died millions of years ago emanated from the being.
"Do you wish to be dropped off with the survivors of your scouting raid, or back at your main base? If there is another place nearby either of these places, I may find it in my schedule to take you there..." spoke the cracked, ominous voice.
Matt recovered faster than Joel. "Drop us off at the base. So what's your species name? I assume you're just another of the Overlord's creations. How di-" He was cut off by the being.
"If you wish to leave my ship alive, I would treat me with a bit more superiority. I am not just another of the Overlord's creations, to be scoffed at and taken for granted. I am a living be-" The creature was now interrupted by Matt.
"Yeah, yeah, we know, just another undead or half-alive 'super-intelligent' being, 'special' in some stupid way... We know, we've dealt with lab experiments before. How did you come to exist? Someone messed up badly on making a peanut-butter sandwich?" The creature expanded its size, filling up more of the room. Three shafts or red light were visible coming from an area on the 'face' over the 'mouth'. Heat and rage seemed to course through the creatures 'limbs', and it visibly stiffened.
"How dare you speak to me in this manner?!" the creature raged. Joel quickly backed away in fear for his life, and with good reason: all around Matt various weapons were forming from the ground, and seemed to surround Matt as they closed in.
"I will teach you a lesson you'll never forget! I'll deliver you to your base all right--in pieces!!!" and with that, the creature's body formed a single mouth, this one outlined with foot-long razor-sharp serrated blades where teeth should have been.
A moment before he was sliced n' diced, the creature and it's weapons froze. A knife was just in the act of slicing Matt's neck; it stopped inches away. Matt hadn't lifted a finger to stop them, and now smiled as they hesitated for a reason known only to him. "I think the Overlord would disagree on you with this matter. Though sometimes I can be...undisciplined, I can get away with most of it." His grin grew broader as the weapons backed off reluctantly. "What's the matter, you can't destroy a being half your size and strength? Well, I've got triple what limited brains you have, and am worth twenty of you."

Chapter 2

The black shuttle suddenly appeared in the middle of nowhere. It was about the size of a small room, and it was circular with no visible engines or other parts you would expect to find on a shuttle. Suddenly an opening about the size of a normal door opened faster then the human eye can see. No light streamed in from inside; it was just as black in the inside as it was on the outside. A figure appeared in the doorway, and walked out into the open. He had gone no more then ten steps when another figure came out of the doorway. Hurrying to catch up, the second figure tripped and nearly landed on his face by a protruding rock.
The first figure walked at a fast pace, not waiting for the second figure. The shuttle closed the door behind them, and then disappeared shortly after.
"So where's the base?" asked the second figure.
"Let's hope that would be what a member of the Resistance would think," replied the first. Finally catching up, the second figure persisted.
"So...where is it?"
"You'll find out..." was all the first would say. The second figure gave up and they walked together in silence...


vvv


"What's this?" asked Matt.
"This? This...is one of the Overlords newest plans!" responded the Zombie guiding them through the main base. He was tall, with new and old blood stains all over his clothes. He was remembered by Matt for his sarcasm, his recklessness, and his remarkable ability to joke even in the middle of battle. His ranking was 'Recruiter', meaning someone who spends a lot of time hunting down and zombifying victims. At one point, he disappeared for about three months, on 'holiday' as he would refer to it. Well, any good Zombie should know there is no such thing as a 'holiday'. If they had previously had pleasure in vacationing, it was quickly removed. There are no breaks as a Zombie. Even sleeping is limited.
He had a small brown/rusty red-colored mustache, and was around 40. His haircuts were short, but pretty bad, because he did them himself (or burned off most of his hair by playing with fire). That was one major problem with him: he was a pyromaniac. Oddly enough, the Overlord let him keep this habit, and he can commonly use it as an excuse for being late. He didn't usually take part in any of the big battles; he always said he had some target he had to take out.
"What is it?" Matt demanded.
"Mission Eliminate," Terry said without pause.
"I see. I will talk to some other Zombie later to find out the details..." Matt spat.
"Where are you taking us?" inquired Joel.
"You? To the weapons room. Overlord says you get another weapon of your choice." answered Terry.
"I take it I'm going somewhere else, then?!" asked Matt impatiently.
"You? To the Overlords' Chamber. He wants to speak with you." Terry said slowly.
"About what?"
"He kept that information from me..." Terry answered casually as they approached a door with hieroglyphics on it. There was no obvious way to open the door. The hieroglyphics were Egyptian, as one of the humans that was zombified had known how to read and write it (probably some archaeologist). In the information given to new Zombies, the Egyptian language was one of them. Most secret messages were in Egyptian because the average person wouldn't have a clue what they meant. The hieroglyphics spelled out Weapons room.
"This is where I let you off," Terry said to Joel. "Remember, you can use the hologram testers to try out the weaponry, but don't actually fire your weapon for sake of ammo. And you can choose one weapon."
"Got it," Joel responded. He paused. "You going to be okay, Matt?"
"I'm fine. You go on..." Matt said. Joel hesitated. "By the way, I suggest the Rapid-fire Voltage!" Matt called back as he and Terry walked down the corridor. The hallway became black, and there was no lighting. There were miniature cameras placed throughout the place; you couldn't go five feet without seeing another one. A Zombie was constantly watching the camera input, which was infrared, and mentally sending it to any Zombies walking around in the area. Due to this, all the Zombies could see just fine, in a series of infrared images placed in their mind, whereas a human (occasionally referred to as a 'bloodling') would be blind as a bat.
Matt began to look through his Zombie connections in this place, trying to find someone who knew something of this places' security. He ignored the five-hundred or so messages left from other Zombies wanting to talk to the famed war hero. Most of them were wondering about his 'secret mission' that he would have to take part in after a few more missions. Even Matt himself or any of the Zombies he asked about it knew nothing of it. He began searching through his memories, messaging those who he hadn't talked to. They all messaged back immediately, proud to be contacted by one of the Originals. However, none of them knew any more than he did, so he quickly stopped conversation. He began to message Zombies he didn't even know, just for the heck of it. No luck. Most of the ones he didn't know were the ones KIA, or Killed In Action, though. 'Weaklings' Matt would call them, unless their death couldn't have been prevented.
"We are nearing the Overlords' Chamber. Please return to the real world and prepare your mind and soul to beg for mercy." Terry said sarcastically, imitating a flight pilot. Pulling himself out of his mind and back to focusing on where he was going, Matt was dazed but trying not to show it. Just before he completely returned, however, he ran smack into the wall, much to Terry's amusement. "That absorbed, huh?" he commented.
"It could happen to anyone." Matt said passively. Terry said nothing, only paused a moment to let Matt fully regain control of his body before walking on as if nothing had happened, though with a slight grin on his face. Glancing at the dent he had put in the nice and neat-looking wall, Matt walked quickly to catch up. As the walked onwards, the temperature began to drop. 50 degrees Fahrenheit, 40, 30... At about 50 below, with Matt starting to chatter, purple flashes of light began reflecting off the walls. Terry, nice and warm in his ready bloodstained jacket, grinned at Matt's suffering.
"Aww, is the fierce fighter cold?" he said cruelly.
"Curse you and your jacket! Does it get any warmer?" Matt shot back, even as the temperature dropped to 80 below. Terry ignored him, even as Matt continued to spit defiance as they turned a corner. Terry took something out of his pocket and put it on his face. In the dark, Matt couldn't see what it was very well, and the camera images were becoming more and more scarce. As the temperature reached 100 below, they turned another corner. Instantly Matt had to shield his eyes from a glamour of purple and deep red flashes of light ahead. Two torches on the walls beside the source of the flashing lights seemed very faint, the flames extremely dim, though large.
All the flashes seemed slow, and the noise of their footsteps faded. Taking a glance at Terry, Matt realised what he had taken from his pocket. Wearing a pair of deep sunglasses, Terry was grinning at the object ahead. Shading his eyes, Matt attempted to see what was ahead of them. He gasped when he saw what it was, and as he did so his breath was sucked from him slightly and into what he was observing. All noise, color, and sound seemed to be mostly going into it, like it was a black hole.
There were two colorless poles that were cracked and broken, leaning slightly inwards from where they stuck out of the ground. Between them was a void, into which most color was being visibly absorbed into it. It was a black, empty void; color going into a spiral where it disappeared in the middle. Behind it, the long corridor finally ended. All color that seemed to go towards it changed into purple before being sucked into the spiral, flashing as it went closer to the middle, then disappearing completely with a big flash of purple light. Like a new center of gravity, Matt felt he was slowly moving towards it.
He turned and looked at Terry, who had backed away from the vortex. He mouthed some words, or maybe screamed them, but Matt couldn't hear a thing. Then, mentally, he heard very faintly This is where I leave you!
You're not coming with me?
The Overlord wanted to speak with you, and you alone. Just remember, as soon as you exit the portal, tur-- Terry's voice faded to nothing. Turning around when he felt the ground shake, Matt noticed how much closer he was to the vortex. His perception of distance must have been interfered with; he had been pretty close to it (or so he thought), but it had grown bigger while staying in the distance. Apparently it was bigger then he had thought. With every flash of light, the ground slightly shook. No longer able to handle not knowing what Terry had been meaning to say to him, he turned. He saw Terry, way in the distance, watching him. Matt began to run back towards him.
But Terry wasn't getting bigger. Wondering if he was moving at all, Matt jumped. Terry grew suddenly much smaller by the time he had landed. Oddly, Terry seemed to be crying. But when Terry lifted his head, Matt could see that he was laughing. What was so funny? Matt turned to find the portal still in the distance, but now bigger then a two-story building. Suddenly, the pull was too much, and he was dragged towards it. Matt had an urge to look at his hands, and when he did so he nearly gasped in shock. Stopping himself just in time by remembering what happened the last time he did that, he was still incredibly amazed at the fact that they were black-and-white.
Matt was just beginning to wonder how big the vortex actually was when the pull of it lifted him into the air. Like a diver, he naturally formed a position that straightens the body. Soaring through the air towards the bottom of the portal, his mind began to freak out. What if I don't survive this? What if my color never returns? What if-- and he let fear take its hold on him. As the portals' size increased to that of a lake, it visibly got closer. As he got closer, he felt the speed at which he was traveling increase. Whirring through the air so fast his eyes began to water, he desperately tried to swallow his fear. The ominous vortex finally got so big it seemed to fill his entire vision; he could no longer see the ancient poles on either side of it.
He finally hit the bottom part of the portal, and was jerked sideways to go around the outside, speeding up the whole while. Now, when I say jerked, I don't mean Space Mountain turn kind of jerk. I mean 100 MPH 90-degree sudden turn so fast you feel like you stomach went into your toes. Going around the outside, slowly nearing the inside, Matt closed his eyes to try to stop himself from throwing up. To him it felt like falling off a skyscraper with your eyes closed; you seemed to fall forever before you hit the bottom. Just when he thought it was never going to stop, and he ventured to open his eyes to see how close to the middle he was, his mind blanked out. Etched into his mind as he was unconscious was a vision of sheer dark purple.
He woke to the noise of a roar of wind and the smell of blood. He waited until feeling had returned to his arms, legs, and chest before opening his eyes wearily. Where am I? He wondered.
Why, you are in my Chamber. Rise, Matt, and listen to what I have to say. Fully opening his eyes, Matt looked up slowly to examine his surroundings. Surprised to find bloodied bodies all around him, he quickly rose to his feet.
What was before him looked like a battle had been fought. Broken and badly bleeding bodies were laying everywhere, occasionally in lines or piles. All looked like normal humans; they clearly weren't zombified. A black throne lay in the center of it all, yet the bodies seemed pretty far away from the throne. Noticing he was perspiring, Matt also noticed temperature was back to normal. Sitting on that black throne, calmly drinking a red drink that looked very much like blood, was the Overlord himself. This was no normal throne, you see. It looked like even the most obese king would have plenty of belly room in this throne.
Fifteen feet tall, and 300 pounds of sheer muscle, was this mass of a being that barely defined as a human. Like a giant, he dwarfed all, and was unbelievably strong. Many would have called him a monster, the Zombies were the only ones to see him for what he really was: a genius. He alone spoke to, controlled, guided, planned, and kept together the Zombies. He was the center of the mental network; without him, the Zombies would be wandering and unintelligent, objective-less and brainless. With him, the Zombies were intelligent and connected, knowing what the Overlord wanted them to know. They worked together, could recognize each other by sight, and were given ranks and assigned missions.
Best of all, he took habits, emotions, and ways of thinking and morphed them to his own purposes. Habits changed into a method of training. Emotions were changed to patience and hatred for the humankind. Way of thinking were transformed, family became future victims, friends became enemies. All the information you had ever known was known instantly by the Overlord, who in turn could pass on the information to some or all of the Zombies.
"What happened here?" asked Matt as he approached his Friend, Master, and Advisor. Offering Matt a glass of what he was drinking, the Overlord replied gloatingly.
"I placed a portal to my chamber at one of the Resistances' bases. Sure enough, they somehow figured out it went to our base; though whether they knew it went to me, I don't know. Anyways, they sent an army in here to invade and attack. We were short on blood, so I devised the quickest way to get some. It was an easy victory; here, let me show you the memory." As he spoke, a memory was transmitted into Matt's mind. Viewing it play-by-play, he was amazed at the Overlords' clear and obvious skill: he would be surprised if He had a scratch from the fights.
"So what was it you summoned me here for?" Matt asked slowly, trying to sound uninterested.
"I wanted to let you choose something. I have a feeling I know what you shall choose; I shall give you the choice nonetheless." He paused. "You can go with Mission Eliminate, or your Secret Mission."
"My Secret Mission!" Matt responded immediately.
"Now, you have two secret missions. You may do your first one first, although I know you would prefer the second." The Overlord paused for effect. "There's a specific person I want you to find. She knows information I need to know." Matt thought Who would have information that He needs? but knew the Overlord enough not to argue. When the Overlord didn't continue, he spoke.
"Who?" The Overlord waited about five seconds before answering.
"I don't know her name..." He said slowly.
"Then how am I-" Matt started, but was quickly interrupted.
"That's why I'm giving you this very special, and unique, Mission. I know few others besides you who could accomplish this." The Overlord said quietly, but with power behind his words.
"What's my lead?" Matt demanded.
"I will give you all I have on Her--so long as you swear to your life that you will not speak of what I'm about to show you, or any details of this Mission, to anyone." The Overlord said fiercely. Intrigued, Matt was about to respond when he recalled the Overlord had never done something like this before.
"Yes," Matt decided, and shut off the outwards-sending signal allowing other Zombies to use his mind.
"Now, a while back, there was a person who was a chemist, a lab scientist." The Overlord said slowly. "His name was Jahnnes Olson. He was Swedish, and was working on a serum that would grant the drinker invincibility. He was working on it with two other people, Clark and William.
"They concocted a violent fizzing blend, rapidly changing colors and the fizz was slightly acidic. I'll show you a picture of it..." The Overlord said, as he laid a hand on Matt's left forearm and transferred a five-second memory of a fowl-smelling potion in a finger-sized clear/crystal casing.
"Now, the only disadvantage was it had less than a 4% survival rate, for the muscles didn't like to be mutated so quickly. Jahnnes decided to betray his two 'friends', and drove down to an old Jack-in-the-Box lot." The Overlord continued, and was transferring the memory of driving down to the place. It had a lot of forest-like terrain, and though the parking lot was half-full, the Jack-in-the-Box looked completely empty, and seemed to have been empty for some time. Matt began to wonder how the Overlord knew so much about this Jahnnes person.
"He drank the serum, wanting to know invincibility; you see, he was rather greedy for power," The Overlord continued. "But he wasn't lucky enough to survive. His body wasn't fit enough, and though he was bulked it had weakened due to an extended time spent on a computer, developing the formula." He said harshly. "He died. Just at that very moment, his friends arrived at the lot. They had seen him leave, noticed the potion was missing, and put two and two together. I'm guessing they looked at the security cameras, and saw the direction he was heading.
"It wasn't a well-used road, and it was easy to track his car to the lot, I'm sure. They caught sight of him, just as he fell dead to the floor. They brought the car to a halt next to the body, and got out quickly." The Overlord paused. It sounds like he was there, maybe watching the scene from above? Or perhaps Jahnnes became a Zombie, and transferred memory of this event? But wait, the name 'Jahnnes' doesn't sound familiar, so unless He didn't put the name into our minds as a fellow Zombie... The Overlord interrupted Matt's thoughts. "But Jahnnes wasn't quite ready to leave the world. The serum gave him the strength to survive, and with his willpower he rose from the dead. As the worlds' first Zombie."

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 01.10.2010

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