Host: "So really, they're alive?"
Professor: "No, they're dead, they have no heartbeat. Although the brain is still working, it has been ravaged by the virus."
Host: "How many people are affected?"
Professor: "We all are!"
Host: (sighs) "How many people are infected?"
Professor: "No one knows yet, but I'm guessing that there are possibly a few million in the UK. At the moment, there are probably millions of survivors in the UK. Think about the families that have barricaded themselves in their houses and army personnel having to remain in their barracks. Because the news broke on a Saturday and Sunday, most people, thankfully, were at home. If this had happened during the week, with every one at work, getting taxis, trains, children in schools, etc, it would be carnage to the extreme."
Host: "So there's a lot of hope for people?"
Professor: "Well, this is the easy bit. It'll be interesting to see what happens once the food and drink supply runs out. It may take weeks, months, once the food has gone from every household. Those who are brave enough to go outside and loot the shops for more food will survive longer, provided they don't get caught by one of them, but once the supermarkets have been stripped bare, what happens next? I think it's fair to say the suicide rate in the UK will rocket in the next couple of months. Also, if these things don't die out in the next few months, then some people will starve to death."
Host: "What about food aid from other countries? Is this where our army can be useful and deliver food to quarantined places?"
Professor: "It will be happening in the near future. Supplies will only being dropped in quarantined areas in London, but we know of other quarantined places in Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. Then it's up to us to spread it evenly across the UK. Can't see it somehow, there's too many mouths to feed in London alone, and probably not all countries will come together and help us out. There would be too much fear of entering our air space, plus, we're hardly the most popular nation in the world, are we?"
Host: "What's the government doing?"
Professor: (laughs) "Nothing. They're hiding, probably underground or somewhere where there is a huge military presence, having a nice roast beef dinner as we speak. I can see there will be a lot of the food supplies heading their way. Some sources claim that the Prime Minister has left the country, nice eh? Everyone is scared. No one knows what's going on. Russia could nuke France right now, and no one would give a hoot, apart from the French, because this contamination is so big, it's the only thing people are thinking and worried about."
Host: "Any reaction from our allies overseas?"
Professor: "Oh yes! They're showing huge concern." (There was sarcasm in the professor's voice).
Host: "That's it?"
Professor: "That’s it!"
Host: "We're hearing a lot of planes have been grounded, is this a safety precaution?"
Professor: "Of course, just think if you're on business or on holiday in Scotland or England, and you're scratched or bit and you fly to the USA or India. They reckon that's how it spread to London. Also, local flights were turning up at Heathrow and Gatwick, with possible infected people. Then people were falling into comas and being transported to hospitals across the capital; you can guess the rest. By the time they decided to ground all flights, it was too late; people were getting bitten in crowded airports. There was also reports of a train load of infected spilling out on Kings Cross."
Host: "Isn't the virus already in America?"
Professor: "An outbreak occurred on a flight heading to New York. The Captain announced that panicky passengers were banging the cockpit door to get in; he made an emergency landing. They thought it was terrorist attack and once the plane landed, the doors were opened and the army opened fired on the passengers, most were reanimated. One army officer was bitten by a reanimated four-year-old boy; the soldier in question shot the boy in the head, and then turned the gun on himself. But yes, it is rumoured that New York has been cordoned off, but thankfully, like ourselves, it's an island and the rest of America is pretty safe for now."
Host: "We had to rely on USA news such as Fox and CNN, why?"
Professor: "Our newsreaders, cameramen and reporters are only human, too. In this time of crisis, what would most people do? Keep reading the news, or try and be with your family and flee or barricade yourself in? I know what I would do."
Host: "Is it true that the Chinese Air Force have shot down all passenger flights from the sky over their airspace?"
Professor: "We've heard the rumours. If it's true, then thousands upon thousands of people from all nationalities have been killed needlessly. Once this has all died down, there will be an investigation into that particular incident. Apparently, they were told to turn around and go back where they came from. Obviously some planes don't have the fuel to do that, so refused to do it and paid a heavy price."
Host: "There have been a dozen unconfirmed reports that the USA have also shot down planes from Europe. Is this true?"
Professor: "Yes. There were also two reportedly shot down in the Canadian skies. Basically, all planes that refused to turn around were taken care of. Other governments have done it, too. I know it sounds bad, but there are twenty three thousand flights in the USA alone, thirty thousand in Europe. Even if a thousand had been shot down, the governments had to act, because if the infection does get overseas, it's because of aviation that it has spread, and then we've got a serious world pandemic. Remember, the virus is spread through biting; it's not airborne so it can be controlled to a certain degree. I was brought on here to discuss the things that are plaguing us; I don't have much idea what's happening regarding flight paths or government control, I'm not a politician. I thought we were here to discuss these things, to try and help the people of this country?"
Host: "I'm sorry, these are just random questions. I don't actually have a list in front of me. Let's go back to the...Snatchers, I think you called them."
Professor: "Bodysnatchers, that's right."
Host: "Do they bite you or just eat you?"
Professor: "Depends. If there are a couple of them, and they bite you and you manage to escape, you will reanimate. Could take an hour, maybe longer, maybe less. We don't know. Depends on the severity of the wound. A little infected nick may take longer to reanimate than a bite. Why do they bite? I'm guessing…instinct."
Host: "So if they scratch you, would you be infected?"
Professor: "Yes. If you're scratched or the bite is not so deep, it could take a while before the infection kicks in; we don't know why this is the case. If you run into a horde of them, and can't escape, they'll eat you alive, and you won't reanimate because they'll be nothing left of you. Their purpose is the same as yours. It's to survive. They don't care about creating other ghouls, they want to feed."
Host: "What are they attracted to?"
Professor: "They're attracted to noise...you! If you go hiding in a supermarket or in the woods—remote places where there's no people, don't be surprised to wake up surrounded by these things. Like wild animals, if the food supply starts to die, they'll go elsewhere to find it."
Host: "So they can smell you?"
Professor: "I don't have the answer to that. Probably! But if you live in the city, and the food supply is running short, they're going to explore other places like any normal animal would."
Host: "So if their purpose is to eat, then is it safe to say that a lack of food would see these things die out eventually?"
Professor: "Well, technically they're dead from the neck down, so we still don't understand why they feed anyway. If it's not instinct, then we're hoping that lack of food could be one of the reasons for their eventual demise, but we're assuming that general decomposition is our best hope. Only time will tell."
Host: "Most people can't use their mobile phones anymore, why is that?"
Professor: "There are simple reasons really. Ran out of money, battery dying. You might be an office worker trappe
d, and your charger might be at home. Also, if they're on an automated system, then they would shut off without payment being made. Also, think about who's going to power the towers? Who will give maintenance to these towers? You?"
Host: "If a normal person is shot in the heart, could they rise as a Snatcher?"
Professor: "No, the dead are not rising. This isn't something out of a Michael Jackson video. There are no corpses digging themselves out of graveyards. The only way you can become one of these, is if you are bit or scratched by an infected individual, or if their blood gets into your eye or an opened wound."
Host: "Ever heard of nanobots?"
Professor: "Of course. Scientists have already created a nano-cyborg by fusing a tiny silicone chip to a virus. Within a decade they reckon they'll have these things crawling inside our brain and setting up neural connections to replace the damaged ones. So they could end up re-wiring our thoughts. Some day they'll be in our heads and will be programmed to continue after we've died. They can form their own pathways, which means they can use your brain to keep operating your limbs after you've died right up until you rot to pieces."
Host: "Is there a good chance that this is already happening?"
Professor: "Absolutely. But that is completely different to what we're dealing with now. I'm still convinced this all started on the 2nd June, when a researcher from the NICR was attacked by a lab rat where it had been injected with a genetically engineered variant of the measles virus."
*
Gary switched the radio off; it sounded grim outside and he came to the conclusion that there was danger everywhere whatever option he chose. Being beaten to death was something he wouldn't wish for, but being eaten alive and ripped to pieces by a pack of cannibalistic infected humans, wasn't the best way to go either.
He shook his head at what his next move was going to be. It was obvious. With the slider door open, he was going to have to make a move. Gary was indecisive at the best of times but knew one thing for certain: He needed to make the jump.
Chapter Forty
Jack Slade had spent an hour in the woods and apart from coming across two deers and a grass snake, there was no sign of life or any sign of the beings either, and more importantly, he hadn't found his son yet. The church that had been mentioned was empty, and he felt the old woman might have told him that story just to get rid of him.
Jack had a feeling that Kerry wouldn't take his son alone in the woods unless there was a group of them, and he knew there was a village hall at the end of the small woods, and was going to investigate the area while he was there.
After checking out the empty church, he re-entered the woods and continued walking through the clustered area and was feeling his legs growing heavier with every step he made. He was coming towards the end of the wooded area; he knew that, because he could see the main road through the trees. In ordinary circumstances he would have known earlier that he was coming to the end of the area, as he would usually be able to hear the sound of engines moaning past in the distance.
As he came out of the other side of the woodland, he felt the cool air massage his build. The heat from inside the woods was intense, and he was pleased to be in the open air. He could feel soft trickles of sweat running down and tickling the middle of his back, and he looked along the main road to try and get his bearings. Walking along to the right would lead to Cannock, a populated town that should be avoided. To his left, would take him to Brereton and back into Rugeley.
He decided to go left, not because he wanted to go through Brereton and into Rugeley town centre, but because he knew that there was a village hall half a mile away. He didn't want to venture too far away from the bike, as he wanted to keep using the vehicle for as long as he could until a suitable car was available.
He felt a little vulnerable and should have taken a knife when he was at Kerry's house, but his vulnerability would double if he lost his bike and ended up on foot for the foreseeable future. He had made his mind up that after searching the village hall, he would head back through the woods and back to the bike before the darkness snuck up on him.
His pace began to slow as he finished walking around the bendy road, and he looked up into the white cloudy cotton sky and embraced the breeze that glided over his features. He wiped his clammy forehead with the sleeve of his shirt and headed towards the huge oak door of the village hall. He wanted to walk around to stare through the windows to make sure it was safe first, but the windows had been blacked out.
He envisaged about knocking on the window, but two scenarios stopped him from doing so. If there was a creature in there, the last thing he wanted to do was arouse its senses. On the other hand, if there were people in there, knocking on the window may inject fear into the poor souls, as they would wonder who and what was out there. He decided to try the door. If it was locked, then there was a strong chance that someone may be inside.
He placed his trembling hand on the steel handle of the huge Victorian-like door. His disappointment increased when the door soundlessly opened. He peered his head around the door and saw the main hall was bare. There were chairs stacked up in the corner, a place probably used for town meetings, etc., and further along the main hall was a door. Jack assumed that the door led to other rooms such as offices and toilets. He allowed the door to close gently by itself and crept along the wooden floor, unsure whether one of the floorboards would cry out in pain with his heavy footsteps. As soon as he reached the end of the hall, he placed his ear to the door and listened out for anything untoward. Satisfied that behind it the danger was low, he entered the door that led into a small corridor. An office was to the left and further down, as he had guessed, was a set of ladies and gentlemen bathrooms.
Jack went to the office entrance and placed his hand on the doorknob. On the door was a bronze plaque and it gave the name, Harold Balding. He was about to try it when he heard a ruffling sound. It sounded like a distressed animal. He went to twist the knob and could feel it was locked. It twisted, but the door wasn't budging.
He placed his ear by the door once again and the disturbed sound was getting more audible as if it knew Jack was there. Jack hadn't checked the doors to the bathroom, and decided to check them out before attempting to speak out. He walked into the ladies bathroom and found that the area was small with only two cubicles; they were both empty. The next room was the gents; he didn't know why, but he was more cautious with this room, and almost never went in because he was petrified. He quickly took a look in, and again found the place lifeless.
Once it was obvious that there was no sign of Thomas or Kerry, he strolled back down the corridor and his curiosity had now got the better of him. He tried the door to the office once again, and decided to lie on the dusty floor to see what was happening in the room he couldn't get in.
He lay on his stomach and turned his head to his right; he peered under the rather large gap. He could see what looked like the wheels of a wheelchair, with a body writhing around on the floor like an epileptic under a strobe light. Although he couldn't see too much, it appeared that this wriggling figure, which looked like a man who was wheelchair-bound, had got the virus. He had either locked himself in the office for other peoples' protection, or someone had done it for him.
Whatever his situation, it seemed he was beyond help, and Jack stood up and moved towards the main door and left the small village hall. He walked back out into the nippy air and his eyes were magnetically attracted to something in the left corner of his vision.
He saw one of them, stumbling away from him.
He crept across the road and decided that apart from finding his son, his number one priority was to find somewhere to stay before darkness fell, as it would make his adventure a lot more perilous. He contemplated getting to his bike and riding back to the village hall, but with knowing that some of those things were walking around the area as well as the noise from the thing inside the office, sleep would be virtually impossible.
He jogged through the
woods and occasionally looked to the ground, aware that the area was full of adders—the only poisonous snake Britain had—and found that as the day marched on and as the clouds fused together, it seemed darker in the woods than before.
His running continued for a few more minutes before he stopped and saw another one of the things on its knees, eating something. He remained transfixed at the uncomfortable scene, and screwed his face as if he had just sucked on a lemon. He was prepared to run, but the creature was fifty yards away, at least, had its back to him, and didn't know he was there, as its full attention was on its new feed. He felt it would be more advantageous to finish off his journey by walking. He would be less exhausted and create less noise on doing so.
As Jack walked on, his paranoia made him look back several times as he walked away, but the ravenous beast continued feasting on what now looked like a fawn. His mind projected a brief image of the beast hearing Jack, and then getting to its feet and leaving the animal to pursue him in the quickest way it could. Jack's continuous looking back had eventually stopped once it disappeared from view, and he was glad. He rubbed the side of his neck and it felt he had minor whiplash from all the twisting and turning, but it was probably from where the tyres blew out in his silver Meriva on the M6.
How did it catch such a quick animal? Was it just by chance he managed to snare it?
He came to the edge of the woods and was greeted by the pond once more. The body remained lying to the side of the pond with its face caved in, and Jack made a decision to walk around the other way, as he didn't want to be anywhere near the corpse. As soon as he jumped over the fence, he went over to the bike and stood it up. A thought had scurried across his mind, thinking back to the scene of the fawn being devoured.
Snatchers: Volume One (The Zombie Apocalypse Series Box Set--Books 1-3) Page 23
