“Thanks, Ed,” I replied. “I could use a break. I won’t be very long.” I was going to ask what was for dinner tonight, but I already knew the answer, fish. It had been a few weeks since Wilson and I had felt the conditions around the city were worth us taking the risk to try to make another visit to the Giant Eagle at the Waterfront on the southside. The flow of zombies around Pittsburgh was much more active than usual the last few weeks. We decided it was because we were getting closer to the dreaded date of October 21st. Something had the zombies worked up, so we decided it would be best if we didn’t try to get too adventurous. We also decided it would also be in our best interest to keep an eye on the city and the river until October 21st and whatever was going to happen, happened, and we wouldn’t get taken by surprise.
So for now, we decided to have a continuous lookout posted where we could watch the city.
“Take your time,” Ed replied as he took my place and made himself comfortable on the green and yellow lawn chair and lit up one of his famous homemade smokes.
I left Ed sitting on the old lawn chair, I wasn’t sure how effective Ed was going to be as a lookout, but I was sure that no matter what he saw, Ed wouldn’t panic. But I also knew that I wouldn’t be very long.
I had been feeling unusually nervous the last few weeks. Wilson had been right when he told me when the first wave of brain implants would be activated. I didn’t have any reason not to believe he would be right about the date the red brain implants would be activated. We knew what would happen when the blue implants would be activated, and unfortunately, we were right. But when the time came for the red implants to be activated came, all we had was a guess about what was to come. Even though all we had was a guess, the opinion we had been given by Wilson’s friend, Professor Johnson, what we were told was something we preferred not to hear. If it was true, and again I had no reason to doubt what we were told, it would be devastating, the end of all mankind.
We had been through more than I would have ever thought was possible, and as far as I knew we were the only people left alive. I was sure there had to be a few small pockets of other survivors out there somewhere, but I also knew that even with that optimistic feeling, there wouldn’t be many. We had lucked into the perfect environment, the island, to have enabled us to survive for this long. Any other kind of safe haven, in my opinion would have only led to a short reprieve from the inevitable. With the massive zombie infestation that had developed and spread around the globe so fast, surviving more than a few weeks somewhere else in my opinion would have been impossible.
I felt the zombies knew we were here on the island and from time to time I would see mobs of the dead try to walk over to the island from the point, only to be washed away by the river’s fast currents. I was happy that the zombies had never showed any problem-solving abilities. If I would have been a zombie, I would have gone across the Liberty Bridge, walked down halfway to the west end circle then waded into the water. If I was right, the currents would have carried me right to the back side of the island.
That thought made me wonder what a super zombie would be like. Would the red brain implants produce a zombie that had the ability to think and to solve problems, rather than just blindly chase after the living? Maybe a super zombie would be able to fly. My first thoughts, after we came to the island was that a super zombie would be a zombie that could swim, but I knew there could be an endless number of options. Professor Johnson’s opinion for why the aliens didn’t start with the red implant zombies was because he felt that there was something about the red zombies that could result in an after effect that would be harmful to the aliens, so they were waiting to use the red implants as a short and final solution.
So this made me think of what side effects would be harmful to aliens, but that train of thought went no where fast. I had no idea what the aliens would look like, be like or wanted, let alone know what they would find as a harmful side effect to killing all of us with zombies.
Then another thought hit me, maybe I was being arrogant only considering the idea that the aliens where trying to only eliminate the humans that inhabited the Earth. We were only one form of life that existed on our planet. Maybe the aliens needed to eliminate the other lifeforms too before they came to our planet? What about the birds, the fish, insects, plants and reptiles? Was it possible the red implants were meant to eliminate all the other life forms on earth? First the aliens needed to eliminate the primary or dominate lifeforms, then after we were eliminated, they would finish by eliminating whatever was left. In a way this would explain why the aliens saved the red implants until the end, the red implants would strike at the core of the Earth’s biosystems. I wasn’t sure what, if any of the environmental elements of our planet that the aliens needed to preserve so they would be able to live on our planet. All I could assume for sure was that the aliens had a plan, unfortunately to this point, I didn’t care much for the plan. To me their plan was being carried out with a cold disregard for whatever life that was already inhabiting the planet.
This thought made me think back to the day that I looked through the peep hole of my front door and into the eyes of the zombie standing on our front porch. I remembered the cold white lifeless eyes that stared back at me and wondered if I had been looking into what the eyes of the aliens would be like. The alien conspiracy websites that I had briefly visited mostly felt the aliens would be a much more advanced species than us humans. Many felt the aliens would be much more intelligent and benevolent, but from what I’ve seen, their advances and intelligence had only made them more ruthless and efficient killers.
If the prediction for the activation of the red implants was correct, we could all be facing our final days on Earth. If the past was any indication of what we could expect, those final days would be the cruelest, most terrifying days we would ever experience.
I walked across the clearing and approached the powerplant. All the other members of our group were sitting around the fire that had been built to cook the fish. Half the group was already finished eating and were just relaxing as they talked.
I approached the group and sat down on the log next to Wilson, who was just loading his plate with seconds. For a little guy, Wilson sure ate a lot. I’ve known people twice Wilson’s size that didn’t eat half of what Wilson ate.
“I saved you a few pieces,” Wilson smiled. There were still three pieces of fish roasting over the fire.
“Feel free to have one more piece,” I replied. “I’m not very hungry.”
“Are you feeling OK?” Wilson asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied. “I’m just worried about what to expect next.”
“Are you worried about your head?” Wilson asked as he pointed to the top of his head. “I thought you said since we’ve been on the island that your head hasn’t been bothering you anymore?”
“My head has been fine,” I replied. “But I have been thinking that maybe you should lock me in my room for the next few days. What if what’s in my head turns me into one of those super zombies? All you guys would be in trouble.”
“Nah,” Wilson smiled. “I just don’t see you as a super zombie.”
“I’m serious, Wilson,” I protested. “Someone put that damn thing in my head for a reason.”
“It wasn’t the aliens, how it was put in was too obvious, the aliens work is much more refined and subtle. If it was an alien implant, chances are you wouldn’t even know it was there,” Wilson smiled. “What you have was put there by the military, probably to keep track of your movements. Knowing the military, there is a ninety percent chance that the damn thing doesn’t even work. In fact, since your head hasn’t hurt for the last six months, I’d say if it ever worked in the first place, it doesn’t work anymore. I’m not worried.”
“That’s because this thing isn’t in your head,” I replied.
“True,” Wilson smiled.
“I’m also worried about what else could happen,” I said as I took a bite of fish. “There is obviously a plan at work
here, a cold vicious plan. If what we’ve seen foreshadows in any way what is yet to come, I’m afraid to even think about what tomorrow will be like.”
“I understand what you mean,” Wilson said sincerely, “but worrying about it isn’t going to make it go away. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.”
“It sounds like you have been smoking too many of Ed’s homegrown joints,” I replied.
“Maybe you should try it,” Wilson laughed. “It might help you relax and stop worrying so much. Look at Ed, he doesn’t worry about anything except running out of grass.”
“Did your Professor Johnson have any other thoughts about what might happen when the red implants are activated?” I asked.
“No, there wasn’t anything else to really predict what could happen other than what had happened up until that point,” Wilson replied. “He said he was basing his predictions on what had been taking place. With the implants first being discovered, then the blue implants turning everyone into zombies, the next logical step was something that added to what had already happened. All that is left at this point is the final knockout punch.”
“But why would a supposedly more developed and intelligent race of beings do this to us?” I asked. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Even advanced beings will kill when their own survival depends on it,” Wilson replied.
“Could we have this all wrong?” I asked. “What if all of this has nothing to do with aliens? What if the source of all of this is from somewhere here on Earth, like maybe the government?”
“Then whoever came up with plan was pretty damn stupid or incompetent, if you asked me,” Wilson replied. “I haven’t seen anyone surviving long enough to benefit from what’s happened.”
“I agree with you,” I said, “but my point is that if it was the government’s plan, maybe the red implants are just blue implants that went bad or just stopped functioning. In that case, maybe nothing else is going to happen. Maybe we still have a chance.”
“I see your point,” Wilson replied. “But that still leaves us stuck here on this island eating fish.”
“I agree it’s not the most appealing option we could have, but it would be a hell of a lot better than dying,” I said. “We’re still alive and that gives us a chance at something better someday.”
“I know what you’re saying, but what about the alien spaceship I saw, the dead aliens at Roswell? No Mike, this has alien intelligence written all over it,” Wilson replied.
“Alien ships and bodies you thought you saw,” I added.
“The government is crazy and incompetent, you know that as well as I do,” Wilson smiled. “The government could never come up with a plan so detailed and complex. Whoever came up with this plan was extremely intelligent and efficient. Think about it, turning some of us into zombies to destroy the rest of humanity is brilliant.”
“But if it is an alien plan, you would think some higher intelligent species could have done it in a more humane way,” I said.
“When we step on ants to get rid of them, do we think about doing it in a more humane way,” Wilson asked. “No, all we think about is getting rid of the damn little pests. I would imagine that we are little more than ants, little pests, to the aliens. Maybe we might spread around some poison for the ants to carry back to their ant hill to kill all the others. Doesn’t that sound like what happened to us. I don’t like it any better than you do, but it is what it is.”
“You’re right that I don’t like it and I intend to fight it to the very end,” I said. “I don’t intend to just lay down and roll over regardless of who came up with this plan.”
I finished my fish, then walked back out to tell Ed he could go back and be with his family. I sat until the sky began to darken. I studied the dark Pittsburgh skyline, reliving memories of my youth, playing baseball, going to sporting events at the stadiums, concerts at the old Civic Arena, and many fun days at Kennywood Park, and I wondered if this would be the last time I would ever relive these memories.
As it got dark, I got up and walked back over to the power station. I went and kissed my mother goodnight before going to my room. Tonight, I locked my door for the first time. I usually didn’t lock the door to my room, but tonight I decided I should lock it. I didn’t know if super zombies would be able to open a locked door, but it couldn’t hurt.
It took me some time before I finally fell asleep, but it was a restless and uneasy sleep.
Chapter 28
Today’s date October 21st
I was awakened by the sound of someone pounding against the door to my room. Then I noticed the light coming in through the window, it was morning.
I next looked at my hands, they still looked like my hands and not the hands of a zombie, but maybe super zombies had normal looking hands. Then I realized that I was thinking about myself, surely even a super zombie wouldn’t have any self-awareness, but could I be sure?
“Mike, open the door,” I heard Wilson shouting. I looked up to see Wilson staring in at me through the window in the door. I slowly threw back my blanket and got to my feet. If Wilson still recognized me, then I must still be me.
I walked over and unlocked my door, then pulled it open.
“Mike, you have to come see this,” Wilson said.
“See what?” I asked.
“You have to see this for yourself,” Wilson replied. “Just come with me.”
I relented and tried to wake up as I followed Wilson down the hall to the main entrance. When we reached the entrance, Wilson opened the door and pulled me outside.
I blinked my eyes and tried to clear my head as I looked around. I wasn’t sure if my eyes had gone crazy or what, but everything looked red. Then I realized that there was a red fog hanging in the air.
“What is this?” I asked as I held my hand up in front of my face and grabbed at the air.
“I think it is from the red implants,” Wilson replied.
“How many people had been giving those damn red implants?” I asked.
“No way to know,” Wilson replied. “What do you make of this?”
“I’m not sure, have you seen any dead birds or animals? Are the plants starting to wilt?” I asked.
“No, Why?” Wilson replied.
“I was thinking about the purpose of the red implants yesterday,” I said. “What if the purpose of the red implants had nothing to do with eliminating any humans that had survived the zombie infestation. What if the purpose of the final stages of the plan was to eliminate all the other forms of life on Earth? The aliens would then have a completely lifeless world to repopulate with their own life forms.”
“I never thought of that,” Wilson replied. “I guess it would make sense. We aren’t the only living things on this planet that the aliens could be concerned with. Maybe in order for them to move to our planet, they needed to eliminate all forms of life and not just us. Maybe this means that we are going to be OK, they don’t plan on finishing us off after all.”
“But if they kill everything else, what are we going to eat?” I asked.
“I didn’t think about that either,” Wilson replied. “But maybe the red mist isn’t meant to kill everything. Maybe the aliens just don’t like birds or spiders.”
“I guess we won’t really know until the red mist disappears and we can see what is left,” I said. “But just in case this is meant for us, I think we should stay inside until it goes away.”
Wilson took a deep breath, then let it slowly escape through his nose. “It smells like fresh air, a lot better than the shit we have been breathing for the last six months,” Wilson said. “I don’t think this is meant for us. But you might be right about the aliens wanting to kill off more than just us.”
“That still doesn’t make me feel much better,” I replied. “But I guess all we can do now is wait and see.”
The heavy red fog lasted for the next three days. After the first day when no one was showing any negative effects from the mist, we would ven
ture outside to build a fire to heat up the few remaining cans of soup we had, but we warily kept an eye on the fog, half expecting something to come out of nowhere. We didn’t understand what was happening or what it meant, but all of us felt that whatever it meant, it wasn’t going to be good.
The morning of the fourth day, Wilson was back pounding on my door. I had to wonder what had happened now.
“Now what happened?” I asked as Wilson stood standing at my door.
“You have to see it for yourself,” was all Wilson would say.
I didn’t ask any more questions. I had the impression from the smile on Wilson’s face that something good had happened for a change. As I walked down the hall of the old building, I began to realize that it was a lot brighter in the building than it had been over the last few days. When we walked outside, I understood why. The sun was shinning brightly in the clear blue sky above.
“The mist is gone,” I exclaimed.
“Not only that,” Wilson smiled. “Listen.”
I listened intently for a few seconds before I heard them. “Birds!” I finally said.
“When was the last time you heard so many birds chirping so happily?” Wilson asked. “And the damn squirrels have been chasing each other up and down the trees all morning. I haven’t seen a squirrel around here for about two months.”
I just looked around in amazement.
“Take a deep breath,” Wilson said.
I took a long deep breath, “Damn, that feels good.”
“There isn’t even the hint of that damn stench we’ve been smelling since this all started,” Wilson added. “What do you think this means?”
“I don’t have the least idea,” I replied. “Let’s take a walk down to where we left the canoe and see what it looks like across the river,” I said. “I’ll let you know what I think this all means after I get a look at the city.”
Wilson and I walked across the field. The deer were back, grazing at the woods line. They ran back into the trees as we approached. The trees were bright, green and full of activity. For some reason, Mother Nature was happy this morning. When we reached my old lookout spot, we looked across the river at the city.
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