Anno Zombus Year 1 (Book 7): July

by Dave Rowlands

  noon

  Apprentice and Machete accompanied Scout in the jeep, taking point while the rest of us limbered along slowly in the tank. Apocalypse Dog farted at one point, which I must say was particularly horrendous, enough for us to open up the top hatch, in fact. The tank would have protected us from gas attacks from outside, but the filters did precisely fuck-all for anything that originated inside.

  Not seeing them around the time we usually would have, Apocalypse Girl tried raising them on the radio. They were just ahead, they told us. With some interesting people. Sure enough, about an hour later we rolled to a stop beside the jeep, which was parked behind a tow truck. Machete and Scout sat in the jeep while Apprentice looked over the injuries sustained by one of the four men that had been employed to move cars off the roads.

  The Road Crew were one of many such groups that had been sent out by The Queen of Adelaide. It was their job to clear all cars involved in any wrecks that they could find to the side of the road, mark their location on a map and move on to the next. Then, another group comes along with one of those big motherfucker trucks that transport cars in bulk, loading up as many as are in good enough shape to take back home.

  The metal, they told us, was used to build massive gated walls across any and all entrances into the city and surrounding suburbs of Adelaide. The city already had a natural barrier protecting it from any Dead that come from outside, it would be almost impossible for any great numbers of them to come over the hills.

  evening

  The Road Crew had to get back to work but they assured us that they would call for an escort to come and meet us on our way back to the city. They still hadn't met us by the time we made camp for the evening, so we cooked up and ate the last of the Meat-Beast steaks. We had some other supplies, canned food and the like, enough for several days.

  If The Queen of Adelaide has successfully blocked the city off from the Dead it might just be worthwhile settling down there once more. She had, according to the men we had met, also set up groups of hired guns that roam the streets searching for Dead to destroy. I was curious to see exactly how much control this Queen truly had.

  July 29th Year 1 A.Z.

  morning

  The escort had arrived shortly after dawn, right on time to share breakfast with us. Two men on a pair of motorbikes armed with smiles and assault rifles. They were welcoming enough, and certainly friendly, though they seemed as wary of us as we were of them. Fair enough I suppose, not every newcomer would have arrived in a fucking tank, after all. I couldn't help but wonder what their reaction might have been to The Tortoise, or The Nightmare.

  Still, while we ate they gave us a good idea of the situation, The Queen had survived the first night of the Dead by the skin of her teeth and the sacrifice of a bunch of other people, so she found as many other survivors as she had been able to and began clearing out houses and supplying food, clothing and housing for everybody she found. Naturally she called for volunteers to help her and it soon became clear that she was ideally suited to running the whole show. Over the months, her ideas had led to a community nearly two thousand strong that had cleared the Dead from the streets of Adelaide in the first couple of weeks and kept themselves fed and warm during the Winter.

  Since the weather had grown more bearable they had begun anew, clearing the streets of the outlying suburbs as far as the natural barrier of the Adelaide Hills, where The Queen had decreed a fucking big wall be built from all the abandoned cars that are just lying around. They still had to clear out certain areas, mainly places like hotels, hospitals and the larger shopping centres. Fortunately they had access to more than enough food and medicine from smaller clinics, supermarkets and the like, not to mention the many Meat-Beasts scattered about. Those had, naturally, been taken into consideration and any that were known about were safe and snug inside the fucking big wall.

  noon

  The Road Crew moved along to the next wreck as our escorts accompanied us to The Wall. Apocalypse Girl rode with me in the jeep, Apocalypse Dog panting along between us, as Scout drove with Apprentice next to her. When we came to The Wall at last we were taken aback. It was easily a good ten metres high, multicoloured from all the flattened out car panels that covered its surface.

  At the base, where The Wall met the road, stood a massive Gate, besieged by Dead. Not many, only a dozen or so, but our escorts had already explained to us that, no matter how many Dead they keep on putting down, more keep arriving to knock on the door. So, rather than allow their numbers to build up, every morning at sunrise a small group goes out and takes out however many have accumulated throughout the night, and they repeat the process at sundown. This way they never have to deal with many more than thirty or forty at a time, less if a Road Crew returns or some newcomers arrive.

  Once the few Dead were dead once more The Gate swung open to allow us entry. Crowds bustled about, dozens of people dashing all over the place, all stopping to stare at this big fucking tank as it rolled through and pulled into an area set aside as a carpark. It took up the entire fucking thing and the jeep rolled to a halt in front, bikes buzzing beside us. Our escorts took us to a building that had been designated as a quarantine zone, then took us aside one by one to ask us a few questions.

  “How long have you been travelling with this group?” Came the first question. I replied that Apocalypse Girl, The Twin and I had been together since January. The others had come along later, at different points in time. “Have any of you been bitten?” I had to laugh at that. With a strange expression on her face, Interrogator asked me why. So, I rolled up my sleeves and pants to show her the freshly Healed wounds that I suffered in my battle with Disciple. “Any of the others?” I told her that I didn't think so. She was edging away, fear in her eyes, thinking that I was about to die, Rise and eat her. I assured her that this was not the case.

  After she left for a moment and returned with a doctor and a pair of armed guards, Interrogator resumed her questioning. “How well do you know your companions?” I told her that I thought I knew most of them pretty well and thought of them as my friends. Then I added that I never, ever, not even once considered taking a bite out of any of them, just to see the expression on her face. It was worth it, even if the guards both shoved their shotguns in my face.

  “He's clean,” The doctor told Interrogator. “Not the slightest sign of infection.” She didn't believe him and asked him to examine me again. I told them that it wasn't necessary because we have a Healer with us that can cure almost anything, including the Dead Plague. That caught them by surprise. “How is this possible?” The doctor asked me. I told him that I had no idea, only that a very old friend had chanted over me after I was nibbled on and it cleared up any and all infection. The doctor, a puzzled look on his face, left the room.

  A few more simple questions from Interrogator later and I was told “Welcome to Gateway, you can stay here tonight and if the doctor clears you again in the morning, you'll be free to head onwards to Adelaide.” Then, Interrogator left me with my friends.

  evening

  The Quarantine House was reasonably large, with more than enough beds for us all, even a room that Apocalypse Girl and I could commandeer for ourselves. Only Apocalypse Dog violated our privacy, though I strongly suspect that Machete might have let him in...

  There was also a fully equipped bathroom. Apocalypse Girl called dibs on the first bath, though she graciously allowed me to join her as long as I promised to scrub her back. I told her that sounded fair. We also took the opportunity to use a sharp blade on some scruffy beard and trim our hair a little in the bargain.

  Afterwards, while I was sitting by a blazing inferno with Apocalypse Girl and Apprentice, Interrogator knocked on the door. Machete let her in and, while Apocalypse Dog violated her with his nose Interrogator apologised for her behaviour earlier. She hadn't been aware that there was any way to recover from a bite and hadn't been faced with the Dead in several months.

  July 30th Year 1 A.Z.
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  morning

  The escorts came with the doctor, who simply took our temperature, compared it to last night's results, declared that there was nothing physically wrong with us and told the escorts to take us to their leader.

  “I'm sorry about this, guys, but I can't let you take the tank into town.” One of them was saying. He genuinely did sound sorry, too. “The Queen'll have my head just because of the damage it does to the roads alone. We'll make sure she's taken care of, though. Just be sure to let us know if you need to take her out! Don't want you just going through The Wall, after all!”

  So, instead, we piled into a mini-van and rested as our escorts drove us to the city. They told us a little more about The Queen as we rode, saying that she is planning on turning the electricity back on for the whole city soon, rather than keeping it for the elite in her hotel-turned-palace.

  noon

  Apocalypse Dog had chundered in the mini-van, so while Machete cleaned the mess we cooked some steaks by the side of the road. “Do you ever have trouble with Dead inside The Wall?” Apocalypse Girl asked the escorts. Their hesitation before answering spoke volumes. “So you do, then. But nobody is supposed to know, right?”

  It turned out that The Wall, brilliant idea though it had been, was not one hundred percent effective. Somehow, occasionally, a group of Dead will slip through. They are, in fact, often able to get into the heart of the city itself before being detected. Their numbers are usually fairly small but the last couple of groups have been considerably larger than the six or seven that usually spring up out of nowhere. The largest group to date, also the most recent one, had been composed of nearly seventy Dead, several of whom were fresh.

  We continued our journey with the windows wound down. Dog vomit leaves a certain odour that can take months to dissipate, and vehicles were in short supply now. Apocalypse Dog had a massive I-couldn't-give-two-shits grin on his face, too, as he hung his head out of a window, the breeze whipping his ears back and his slobber into the face of the person behind him. Scout wiped the saliva from her face and silently shifted seats.

  evening

  The city of Adelaide itself was now a walled fortress, too. The parklands surrounding the city had been stripped bare of their trees, the soil had been enriched and tilled and was now showing signs of growing crops of food. Within the square mile of the city itself were hundreds of people, even after sundown. However, we were not allowed within the walls at night.

  So, Apocalypse Girl and I took the dog for a walk, examining the walls that they had erected. Certainly of a better quality than those surrounding Wagga Wagga. Not much chance of sneaking inside, at least not from what I could see. They had used whatever scrap lay around for this first wall, it seemed, but it had worked well enough. Two metres high and solidly built. The Queen had done well for herself, it seemed.

  July 31st Year 1 A.Z.

  morning

  Our escorts had left us in the more than capable hands of a short, balding man with glasses who reminded me of an accountant. This man had found us a room for the night in an Overnighter Hotel, as he put it. Basically a free room with a bunch of mattresses. When we awoke, he came to find us and lead us into the city itself.

  This gate was a much smaller affair than the one leading past The Wall, but it seemed far more important. As we walked along the roadway we saw hundreds, perhaps thousands of people going about their daily lives. People here had daily lives!

  Everywhere we had been, Coober's Nest, The School, New Brisbane... All of those places had had one thing in common; the fear of the Dead. Here, in Adelaide, there was none of that. Even with whatever Dead were sneaking in, however that was happening, people had found a way to just exist and be themselves here.

  “The Queen is usually very busy during the day but I'm certain She'll make some time for the lot of you this evening. Come by her palace tonight, in the old Casino.” Accountant told us as he left. “For now, feel free to explore, have a look around. Find something to eat, something to do, you'll see plenty here. Enjoy!”

  noon

  Sure enough, we heard the strains of music before long. Heading towards the sound we came across a couple, he was playing the guitar and she was singing. So, we stood amongst the crowd and listened for a while. It was something that they had written together, a song of survival against impossible numbers of Dead. It was also the most beautiful thing I had heard in months. Everywhere we walked, we kept seeing posters bearing the slogan “I take care of you, so you can take care of each other, so you can all take care of me.”

  Moving on we discovered a cinema complex that had been cleared out, cleaned out, refurnished, refurbished and redesigned. Since it was one of the only buildings around with electricity we entered. Of the four screens available only two were currently screening films, those being Gone With The Wind and Ben-Hur. Odd choices for your post-apocalyptic viewing pleasure, I thought.

  Wandering around town some more we discovered a couple of small libraries, a Chinese take-away restaurant, three cafes, a brothel, four pubs and a hospital. As one guy was leaving the brothel with a happy expression on his face, I grabbed him and asked what they use for currency around these parts these days. He just looked at me funny, said “What? Currency?” and walked away.

  Walking into the next pub we found I asked the barman how much for a beer, only to be met with the same odd expression as the brothel client had given me. “The Queen takes care of us, mate, so we take care of each other, so we can all take care of Her, remember? Or are you guys new?” I explained that we were, indeed, very fucking new. “Ah. Well, basically, here in Adelaide we look after everyone. Nobody goes without, whatever it is. Money's a thing of the past, so what can I get you?” We grabbed a beer each, sitting around a table as we watched a couple of guys playing pool on a nearby billiards table.

  evening

  Eventually it was time to go and see The Queen. We wandered north, towards the brightly lit area where the Casino lay. The exterior certainly hadn't changed much, though fewer souls passed through the doors than before. Certainly security was tighter, now. Two gorillas dressed as penguins armed with assault rifles greeted us as we entered, telling us not to make any trouble but leaving our weapons with us.

  Walking inside, the place had changed considerably. Gone were the banks of machines designed for the sole purpose of sucking income from hard working individuals, gone were the gaming tables. Instead, plans and drawing boards littered every available horizontal surface. Glancing at some of these, I could see that they were all improvements to be made, things to make life easier for the denizens of this place.

  A tall, impeccably dressed man appeared from nowhere, asking if he could direct us anywhere. I asked to see The Queen, he nodded, sighed and said; “Of course, sir. Everybody wishes to see The Queen, it seems. Very well, if you will all follow me?” His approximation of a proper British butler was almost convincing, except for the nasal twang of his Australian accent.

  Butler led us up a couple of flights of stairs, past another pair of armed gorillas, then into a security room where he politely asked us to leave our weapons, assuring us that we would have them returned when we leave. Reluctantly, we agreed. Stripping ourselves bare of weaponry, we stepped into the next room.

  “Oh. My. GOD!!!!!” The Queen squealed, running over to us. “It's you two!” She hugged first Apocalypse Girl, then me, squeezing us as hard as she was able. Try as I might I could not place her. Apocalypse Girl whispered two words into my ear. Of course, New Years! She had been one of the ones that we left for dead after the party. “I figured you two were goners by now! Welcome home, guys, welcome back to Adelaide!”

  Table of Contents

  July 1st Year 1 A.Z.

  July 2nd Year 1 A.Z.

  July 3rd Year 1 A.Z.

  July 4th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 5th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 6th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 7th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 8th Year 1 A.Z.

 
; July 9th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 10th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 11th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 12th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 13th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 14th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 15th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 16th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 17th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 18th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 19th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 20th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 21st Year 1 A.Z.

  July 22nd Year 1 A.Z.

  July 23rd Year 1 A.Z.

  July 24th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 25th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 26th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 27th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 28th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 29th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 30th Year 1 A.Z.

  July 31st Year 1 A.Z.