Voyage of the Dead - Book One Sovereign Spirit Saga

by Forsyth, David

  When he had posted that message, Billy felt better. He turned to the others to see what they had learned. Mitch was staring at a message on Facebook and looked sad. Justin was surfing Google News headlines. Beth had her face in her hands and seemed to be crying softly.

  “What have you found so far?” asked Billy.

  “Nothing good,” said Mich. He had come to Cal Tech from Oregon and had a whole different set of Facebook friends from home. “One of my buddies is barricaded in his apartment in Portland. He says the whole city is crawling with zombies. Most of the rest are off-line. A few others made posts earlier this morning, but they aren’t responding now. The IM and email for my parents isn’t going through. This just sucks.”

  “I think my parents are dead,” blurted Beth. She lifted her tear streaked face and explained, “They sent me an email from the airport in Miami saying that their flight home was cancelled. They said ‘things are crazy here’ and that they were going to find a hotel and then send another email. But that was five hours ago!” She burst into tears again and Justin reached over to hug her.

  “Take it easy baby,” he said. “They might be fine. Maybe they just don’t have internet access yet.” Billy and Mitch exchanged glances and shook their heads sadly while Beth buried her face in Justin’s chest.

  “I’m sorry, Beth,” said Billy. “Justin’s right, they could be fine. But it may be a while before they can contact you again.”

  “What about you, Billy?” asked Justin. “Any news?”

  “Yeah, most of it bad, but some good too. It’s fucked up at Cal Tech. I think my friends Kelly, Christine and Ben are probably history by now. A lot more kids are getting attacked there too from the sound of it.” That made Mitch groan. “But it doesn’t sound so bad back home in Malibu. In fact, our friends Amanda, Brad and Shawn and his brother Bruce are all going to hold up at Brad’s place on Sweet Water Mesa. They have guns and supplies. I told them to get as many of our other friends to join up as soon as they can. And I told them to hang on because we are coming to save them with a ship and a helicopter.”

  “Say what?!” exclaimed Mitch.

  “Sweet!” said Justin. “Those dudes can hold off zombies for weeks if they have enough ammo.” Justin and Beth were also from Malibu and knew all of the kids who were going to Brad’s house. “Shawn’s dad is a gun nut with a fucking arsenal at their house on PCH. They’ll be loaded for bear. Zombies won’t stand a chance against the Fucking A Team!” That had been the name of their paint ball and air soft mock combat team. Justin was actually better friends with Shawn than Billy was, because those two had decided go to community college and stay to surf in Malibu instead of going off to university.

  “I sure hope you’re right,” said Billy.

  “But how can you promise to save them with this ship and your dad’s helicopter?” said Mitch incredulously. “Have you asked him about this?”

  “No,” said Billy. “But I’ve got a hunch he’ll want to take us up to Malibu soon anyway. He’s got a lot of cool shit at our house, and some good friends there that he cares about too. So maybe I stretched the truth a little on my Facebook post, but I had to give them some hope, Mitch.”

  “I think it’s brilliant!” said Justin. “Let’s make it happen!” He hugged Beth again. “Hang in there baby. We’re going home to rescue our friends soon.”

  Billy gave a sad smile and turned back to the monitor. More responses to his post were popping up…

  Alex Armstrong wants in! Point Dume is going crazy. Zombies are trashing the trailer park. Stay away from here. I’m bringing my sister and her friend. Got no guns, but will bring lots of food and my Hummer with extra cans of gas. Open the gate when we get there please, Brad. And Billy, I hope you’re not shitting us, dude. This really sucks! Out.

  Miles Turner wants in too. Bringing food, gun, ammo and a short wave radio. OK?

  David Baldwin will bring guns, ammo, food, a portable generator, and my girl, Linda. Let’s do this!

  Amanda Steinbeck is with Brad now. He says go for it to all. Beware. Zombies on PCH. Billy, are you still there? Are you really coming? We are counting on you!

  Billy didn’t know what to say. He had just helped to create a survival community composed of his own friends from high school. They were going to fortify a walled estate in the hills above Malibu, but they were all counting on him eventually coming to their rescue. He felt he had to add one more comment.

  Billy Allen will be there with help but you are on your own for a while. If Miles brings a radio, tell him to listen and broadcast every evening after sundown. Not sure what channel to use, but we have all kinds of radios on this ship. We’ll try to keep in contact somehow. Keep posting on this thread as long as you have the internet at Brad’s house. We will also post news when we get it. Now get going and stay alive!

  “Anyway,” Justin changed the subject as he patted Beth’s shoulder, “I found some heavy shit about this disease on the CDC website. I don’t understand all of it, so I’m going to print it out and give it to the Captain. But they have a whole page explaining how to survive a zombie apocalypse.”

  “Really,” said Mitch. “What’s it say?”

  “Well, there’s a lot of stuff about survival kits. More about how the CDC would help prevent the spread of the zombie disease and how being prepared for zombies will also make you prepared for natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes.”

  “No shit, Sherlock,” said Billy.

  *****

  Back in the media room, Scott had been joined by his wife Michelle and several close friends to watch more news on the big plasma TV. They were discussing the latest news with the TV on mute when Michelle pointed at the screen.

  “Looks like a news conference or something. Isn’t that the President?” said Michelle. “Turn up the sound.” Scott reached for the remote and turned up the volume. Sure enough, the President of the United States of America had just begun to speak. As usual, he seemed to be relying on a teleprompter.

  “…fellow Americans. This is a very tragic and terrifying time for our nation and for the world. But the outlandish reports of “zombies” are patently false. There is a logical explanation for this outbreak of mass violence and you can rest assured that we will find it. I will not rest until we have a cure to the infection.

  “Until then, I am declaring martial law and a total national curfew. No civilians, except for first responders, will be allowed on the streets at any time until this crisis is over. In the absence of Congress, which is in recess due to unrest in the Capitol, I will be issuing executive orders under the emergency powers of the President. As Commander in Chief I have ordered the immediate return of most American forces deployed overseas to assist in Homeland Security activities. To that end, I have just signed a Presidential Order nationalizing the National Guard and suspending Posse Comitatus. All Guard and Reservists are here-by activated and should report for duty immediately. The regular military is now being deployed throughout the nation to defend you. Looters will be shot on sight. Acts of violence will be met with deadly force. The rule of law will be preserved.

  “As your President, I assure you that your government will protect you. Just stay in your homes. Do not panic if you lose power or communications. Do not try to go to a hospital, even if you are bitten by one of the infected. Do not try to go shopping, even if you run out of food. You are safer staying at home. Help will come to you as soon as possible.

  “For security reasons my family and I, along with close advisors and members of the media who are on board Air Force One, will not be returning to Washington yet. We will remain in the air, using in-flight refueling, to control the situation on the ground from this airborne command post. My advisors assure me that this will give us the best protection from infection and provide me with secure communications to direct the defense of the nation and command our armed forces at home and around the world.

  “The greatest mission of my life will be saving all of
you from this plague. I promise that as soon as we have a cure for this disease it will be provided free of charge to everyone in America and we will share any cure with the rest of the world too. We will prove the value of government supported health care. My administration will provide all of you with everything you need to survive this crisis and rebuild a better and stronger America.

  “I will broadcast again in 24 hours to update you on our progress in combating this epidemic of violence. Until then, stay where you are. Trust in God and your government to bring you salvation.”

  The scene of the President on TV was replaced with the Presidential Seal and then Fox Rusher appeared in the GNN studio.

  “That was the special Presidential Address from Air Force One that we have all been waiting for. The President was clear and concise in his determination to save the nation from this crisis. To recap, he will not rest until a cure is found. The military is being deployed to defend us. We should all remain at home or wherever we are, unless you are a member of the armed forces. If so, you should report for duty…”

  “Turn that crap off,” said Scott. “Have you ever heard so much B.S.? He’s safe on Air Force One, just like we are on this ship. But he’s telling everyone else not to do anything except stay where they are and wait for help? Hell, it sounds like he doesn’t know much more about what’s happening on the ground than we do. Less, if he doesn’t believe that we’re facing zombies or something so close as not to matter. And if he really won’t rest until they find a cure, my bet is he’ll die of sleep deprivation!”

  “Yeah, that was some scary shit,” said Scott’s friend Clint Murdock. “Martial law and curfews. Shooting looters on sight. Hell, if I was in LA right now without a gun, you better believe I’d do whatever it took to get one! How can he say they’re going to shoot people who are just grabbing what they need to survive, huh? Won’t shooting zombies keep them busy enough?”

  “Uh-huh,” agreed Stan Welsh, who had known Scott since junior high school. “He might be trying to prevent a panic, might even think what he’s saying will save lives, but I’d say it’s too late for any of that. Instead of telling people to just hide and wait for help, he should be telling everyone to protect themselves any way they can! ‘Cause I don’t see the army and police doing too good a job of protecting anyone right now.”

  “You got that right,” said Scott. “But this president doesn’t think like that. It’s the damned ‘nanny state’ mentality. Did you hear him try to link finding a cure with his unpopular health care policies? There is no damned cure yet, but he’s offering to give it away for free when he finds it! Isn’t that typical? Promising things that don’t even exist! The nation is self-destructing and he sounds like he’s still on the campaign trail!

  “And,” Scott continued heatedly, “He seems to think that simply ordering the military to take over is going to solve the problem. The man has no grasp of how bad this crisis is! Not to mention the logistics. How many cities have military bases next to them? Not too many. On the West Coast, I’d say San Diego will be best defended. We’ll see how well that’s working out when we get there. But most of the other cities are lucky if they even have National Guard or Reserve units. And how many of them are actually going to show up if it means leaving their family alone in the middle of all this. Not to mention the fact that a lot of those units are deployed overseas. So he’s ordered them all home, has he? And how long will that take? If it ever happens at all! Did you see the video from Iraq earlier? The place is crawling with zombies! South Korea, Germany, Japan? This is happening everywhere at once! How in Hell does he expect to redeploy our troops now? Either he just doesn’t get it, or he’s lying through his teeth.”

  “I haven’t trusted him from day one,” said Michelle, nodding in agreement with Scott. “I’m not saying he’s responsible for this nightmare, but it’s obvious that he can’t save everyone from it either. If he thinks he can, he’s crazy. I hope he enjoys being up there on Air Force One. I think he will face a rude awakening when he finally has to land somewhere.” Everyone nodded in agreement. Then they went back to the serious task of figuring out what they should do to give the people aboard the Sovereign Spirit the best chance at living through this mess. None of them had the slightest faith in the ability of the President to do it for them. And they pitied those people ashore who did.

  *****

  At the next meeting of passengers and crew that evening Scott decided to make it short, if not sweet. As soon as it looked like everyone had arrived, he stepped up and presented his short term plan, starting with his reasoning behind it.

  “Now that most of you have a better idea of what is going on in the rest of the world, I’d like to let you know what we will be doing to keep from suffering the same fate. First, as the Captain explained earlier, that decision will be his and mine to make. But we are open to suggestions. And this will not be a prison ship. You are all free to go whenever and wherever you like, as long as it does not involve stripping the rest of us of the tools and resources that we will need to survive. At the same time, I strongly suggest that we all stick together.”

  George Hammer was scowling and looked ready to argue. Scott forestalled any outburst by raising his hand in a calming gesture and continued, “Nevertheless, I have taken Mr. Hammer’s concerns and wishes into account and I am willing to drop him and his wife off in Cabo, if that is what they really want. I can make arrangements for anyone else who wants to join them too. But I would like to take just another moment to express my own concerns for the safety of anyone who chooses to leave us there. And offer an alternate plan.

  “First, Southern Baja is basically a desert. When the water system fails, if it hasn’t already, it’s a slow death sentence for almost everyone there. Secondly, since guns are illegal in Mexico, the only people capable of fighting these zombies effectively will be the army, police and criminals. The local hospitals are not very advanced either. So, if the infection is there, it is probably spreading quickly. You would have no way to defend against the infected maniacs, or the disease itself. You would also be surrounded, if not by zombies then by tens of thousands of panicked tourists, plus all of the locals who no longer have any good reason to care about what happens to a bunch of gringos. Soon they will all be fighting for supplies that won’t last long without resupply from the mainland. Finally, without a boat or plane, the only way out of there is a thousand mile drive up the wasteland of Baja.

  “However, I am sympathetic to Mr. Hammer’s concern for his family waiting for him there. As I said earlier, we cannot afford to take them or any other refugees aboard until we are certain that they are not infected. And that includes letting Mr. and Mrs. Hammer back after they come into contact with anyone ashore. So that leaves us with something of a dilemma, because I can’t just abandon them there in good conscience either.” Mr. Hammer was about to speak up when Scott raised his hand again, and this time it was accompanied by a sly smile on his face. That shocked Mr. Hammer long enough for Scott to get to his main point.

  “Luckily, I think I’ve come up with a plan that might solve the problem and even help all of us in the long run. As Mr. Hammer knows, I keep a fishing yacht called the Expiscator in Cabo San Lucas Harbor. He’s even used it for a couple of fishing trips in the past.” George Hammer looked a bit perplexed as he nodded. “So, here’s my proposal, Mr. Hammer,” explained Scott, “I’ll fly you to Cabo and help you look for your family using the helicopter. If we find them, or you want to keep looking, I’ll drop you off on the beach and I’ll even give you a gun to defend yourself. OK, so far?”

  “Yes, sir,” Hammer agreed with more than a little suspicion in his tone.

  “Then, if you and your family can get to the Expiscator in the harbor, you can use it to get the Hell out of Cabo and rendezvous with the Sovereign Spirit. However, you and whoever comes with you will not be allowed to come aboard this ship until we are absolutely sure none of you are carrying the infection. It could take weeks before we ar
e confident of that, but the Expiscator is fast enough to keep up with us and can comfortably accommodate at least a dozen people. In fact, if everything works out well, you will actually be doing the rest us a favor by bringing my fishing boat along. So, how does that sound to you, Mr. Hammer?” Scott concluded.

  “That sounds great, sir! And please call me George,” he replied with a newly hopeful attitude. “It’s a much better offer than I could have hoped for. And I’d like to apologize for being rude earlier. I’m just so worried about my family. Thanks for giving us a chance.”

  “No problem, George,” said Scott. “It’s been a shock for all of us and we all have our own priorities. But I think we can take this case as a good example of why it’s important to keep our cool and think things through before running off half-cocked. If we approach every problem by using our brains, keeping in mind that they just became the preferred lunch special for all of those damned zombies, we should be able to come up with some good plans that will keep us all alive.”