100 A.Z. (Book 3): The Mountain
Page 25
HUMANS ARE MY FIRST AND LAST LOVE.
-Dav Strombeck, the apocryphal writings.
“The defendants will stand to hear our decision…Your names will be read before the listing of your crimes. If you possess no last name, then only your first name will be read.”
The booming voice of the tribunal head and self-appointed leader of the government, none other than Justin Beck, echoed around the old Air Force Academy stadium. It was a crisp, fall day. Thousands attended. Justin wore a blue wool suit with a slight sheen to it. A remnant of some past place and fashion.
“First, the tribunal will announce the Egregious crimes committed by the people who stand before us. Cecil, Lee, Jamed, Carla – you are accused of destroying sleeping humans in exhibition. In front of numerous witnesses you participated in violent acts against sleeping humans for the purposes of entertainment.”
“Hog…” The tribunal paused after saying the name. “You are accused of the transportation of humans for the purpose of delivering them to agents who turned them into sleeping humans. You are also accused of training and aiding the accused known as John Taylor.”
The tribunal turned to the next person. The crowd began to murmur, curious about this one.
“Sal Academy, you are accused of institutionalizing and executing a system that perpetuated, encouraged, and coerced cities and cartels to gather, imprison, and transport sleeping humans for the purposes of the so-called ‘zombie trade.’
The tribunal paused again, letting the accusations hang in the air. The accused, all lined up, with hands tied, heard the accusations and didn’t flinch.
“In these charges the tribunal has found the defendants...guilty.”
The audience murmured, some cheered. The crowd, largely filled with people who’d experienced life as what was now called a “sleeping human,” sought justice. Sought revenge. They’d been the oppressed, the ignored, and the voiceless.
“Now, on to the charges the tribunal has deemed ‘Gravely Egregious.’ First, Dalbec, who is not present. Dalbec is accused of conspiring to engage in acts deemed illegal in support of the so-called ‘zombie trade.’ Acts include strategic turning of humans into sleeping humans, inventing abusive methods to control sleeping humans, mass destruction of sleeping humans...The list goes on, and will be noted in the full transcripts of these proceedings.”
There were boos and shouts in Spanish from the crowd as interpreters caught up to the head tribunal.
“John Taylor, also not present, is charged with the Gravely Egregious act of mass manipulation and control of sleeping humans, to include intentionally putting sleeping humans in harm’s way with the purpose of killing them for his own personal gain.”
The crowd made noises that vacillated across the spectrum of opinion. It eventually quieted down and the speaker resumed.
“Lastly, the tribunal brings forth charges deemed ‘Perversely Egregious’ against Sara Academy. Sara, you are accused of the intentional capture and breeding of humans for the purpose of turning them into sleeping humans. You are also charged with designing and perpetuating methods to control the undead, forcing them to maim waking humans or be used as shields for humans. You’ve also engaged in warfare using sleeping humans, acting in aggression against a sovereign entity, and forcing awake humans to use sleeping humans for your own purposes.”
This brought the loudest response from the crowd as they screamed threats and curses at her. As the only accused in “sleeping” form, the shouting only excited her hunger for the humans in the audience. Her location in Colorado Springs hadn’t put her in contact with the smoke.
“In these charges deemed ‘Egregious, Gravely Egregious, and Perversely Egregious’ we find the defendants… guilty.” This brought loud cheers from the audience.
“In all charges for these crimes I, Justin Beck, sentence the defendants to healing through the administration of bites resulting in the sleep. For the so-called ‘Martyrs’ and Hog, the time before waking will be two years. For Sara Academy, 20 years. The length of time for John Taylor and Dalbec will be determined upon their capture...This concludes these proceedings.”
◆◆◆
Winter came early in 102 A.Z.
Snowstorms, wind, uprooted trees – the mountains of Colorado entered winter. Life went into hiding, after months of preparation for the dropping temperatures.
One man didn’t go into hibernation, although he’d brought others for it. He’d led his herd beyond Rampart Range, beyond Wilkerson Pass, down into the valley of Hartsel near Eleven Mile Reservoir. He looked back to the pass and saw the spies from Colorado Springs that followed him.
John Taylor brought them weeks ago, defying all orders to cease control of the herd. Ultimately, Colorado Springs couldn’t stop him. John had sensed he needed to leave, prompting his exodus from the outskirts of town. The “woken” had created a new demographic the world had never seen. Their numbers overwhelmed Colorado Springs, and juggling their needs, views, and vendettas consumed the city’s leadership. Despite the enormity of their task, John had seen how the cartels immediately started leveraging this for their own purposes. They changed their views to mirror the “woken,” and gained power.
These new powers said, “We’ll see to the waking of your sleepers once we’ve found more antidote, John. First we must use them to free all the remaining sleepers on the continent, even the world. We must defeat the ignorant to release the oppressed.”
That had been enough for John. He left, and took with him the hundred thousand or so that remained.
He brought them here to freeze.
“I will come back for you. There is more antidote out there. Enough for all of you,” he said, looking at the throngs of frozen corpses in front of him. Some still standing, most fallen over into the snow that now partially buried them. He received no response, their brains having gone into a strange sort of hibernation.
He walked over to a woman special to Hog – his wife – and gently kissed her frozen forehead.
“I know Hog was selfish, and released the antidote to just cure you, despite failing in the end. In reality, it was because of his loneliness.”
John stepped back, looking on his motionless herd. They had shared thoughts. They had shared their lives. This made it all the harder that most of the woken ones had turned on him.
“Dad, we need to go.”
John turned, seeing Aaron on horseback, motioning for his father to get going.
“They’re fine for now. We’ll be back before the thaw.” Aaron assured.
“I’m just…concerned. I don’t want anyone to hurt them anymore. I…wanted to rescue the other Martyrs, Hog…Lee…It just would have meant so much more death…too much…more than I can handle right now.”
“We’ll make sure no one hurts them.”
John looked beyond Aaron to see Sophia, baby Eunice, and the entirety of the Maibel clan, some sixty-three in all. They were motionless, looking at the expanse of frozen undead, reflecting on what this meant for the future.
“Alright, let’s go,” John said.
John mounted his horse and turned to look back one more time.
The group headed northwest, toward the Maibels’ hidden mountain valleys miles away. They were building a new life, together, away from the new form of oppression below. John would come back, though, for the frozen walkers and the Martyrs. The true Martyrs of the Flood who helped upend the evil powers of the age, the powers now replaced by the outraged people they’d saved.
◆◆◆
A world away, far, far north on an island untouched by the machinations of their southern neighbors, a man and a woman rode together on a single horse. The horse trotted along the beach as cold water lapped up onto the sand. Framed by pine trees, the sky was overcast and gray. The horse slowed to a walk and meandered along the beach as the two rode in silence, her arms around him, her head resting on his back.
The sun rarely shone here, but that was okay. They’d learned that dark places
could have light and light places could be dark.
She whispered his name. He didn’t respond so she said it louder, stuttering as she normally did. He heard it this time and stopped the horse. She wanted to tell him something.
He dismounted and helped her down. She was nervous to tell him, but she did. He froze, asking her to repeat it, not believing what he’d heard. She repeated it and he smiled. Then he was laughing, almost crying as he grabbed her and held her, putting his hand on her stomach.
The End…?
About the Author:
I’m a guy who’s written some zombie books. I’ve written some other books since finishing Book 3 of 100 A.Z., and they aren’t about zombies. I wrote this series because, 10 years before this, I was trying to be a snooty, experimental, literary genius. It didn’t work. This was an experiment to write something “genre” or “normal” or “mainstream.” Ironically, I’ll probably get dinged for writing a zombie book after zombie popularity peaked. No matter.
I started writing at age twenty. I still like to write. I’m going to keep doing it as long as I can. End.