Escape From Metro City

by Mandel, Richard

  "Now that I can believe," Cy said disgustedly. "Makes me think of what happened with Agent Orange and the Vietnam War, or all of those LSD experiments they were conducting, or those little atomic 'accidents' and 'accidental' radiation exposure that's been happening all this time and which they've hushed up each and every time."

  Mercy nodded. "You've got the picture. Both the government and Pandora have been experimenting with and further refining and developing the U-virus over the past forty years, just like they did with all of their other biological warfare stuff they weren't supposed to be developing and supposedly weren't. It's a lot tougher now, and it's available in both the original fast-acting and newer delayed-action forms."

  "Delayed action?" Lisa asked.

  "Right," Mercy replied. "It doesn't activate until a day or so after it's infected someone, and the infected take longer to turn. That way, any enemy soldier who got infected would take it back with them and infect his entire troop, or his whole base, or whatever before it would start working, and of course by then a few days would have passed and it would be too late."

  "Damn," Cy said. "I can see how that would work in a war."

  Mercy nodded. "It's the delayed action form that somehow got out of our lab complex north of town. That was what caused the Outbreak, and because of that nobody knew what was happening until it was too late." She smiled and chuckled. "And all this time, Mother Nature has been hard at work developing and refining her own solution to our little man-made nightmare. Furthermore, it's right here with us. I know I said this before but what are the odds of that happening? It's funny, the way she works sometimes. Well, not funny. Ironic would be more like it."

  "So how exactly do I fit into this grand picture you're painting for us?" Lisa asked. One might have thought she was being sarcastic were it not for the look of complete honesty on her face.

  Mercy pursed her lips. "My guess is that at some point," she said, "probably with your mother or you, most likely your mother, her body developed a specific genetic mutation tied to the X-chromosome that allowed her to synthesize the U-virus antidote on her own. To put it another way, that process became part of her genetic makeup, and only the high strangeness of all this made that possible. She then passed the genetic factor for that specific mutation on to you when you were born. Of course I'd need a proper research lab with the equipment to confirm it, but I'd be willing to bet money on it." She now directed her gaze at Lisa again. "If you ever have any kids, Lisa, they're probably going to be born immune. I'm also willing to bet that both your mother and brother are fully immune, just like you."

  "That's something we'll never know, now that my brother's dead," Lisa said quietly, and neither Cy nor Mercy could miss the tones of bitterness and anger that touched her voice.

  Mercy gulped, and then nodded. "I'm sorry, Lisa. I'm sorry I brought it up."

  "I'm sorry too," Lisa replied. She let out a long sigh. "For all I know, Mom and Dad are both dead too. I haven't been able to get in touch with either one of them since all of this started."

  "Oh, that's bad," Mercy replied. She then looked at Cy. "If that's true, then we've got to make sure Lisa escapes Metro City no matter what, and that she gets federal protection instead of winding up with my employers as soon as she can." She looked at Cy, who slowly nodded, and then continued. "You're the one-in-a-million wild card in all of this, Lisa, and it has everything to do with your inherited natural immunity. You're the living proof that Mother Nature can beat the U-virus, given enough time, and Pandora won't like that. They won't like that one bit, and you can make a good guess as to how they'll probably respond from there." She began to walk as she talked, pacing in a little loop in front of Lisa and Cy. "Natural immunity developing across generations. It's something we never considered. My specialty at Pandora was in researching and further developing both the U-virus antidote and immunizing agents that were originally developed by the Nazis for current victims, ones already infected. You have to give the immunizing agent to the subject before they get infected, because it's useless once they are. That's where the antidote comes into play, but even it has only a limited window of time before the victim is too far gone for it to work either." She stopped pacing and again looked at both of them. "I tell you all of that to tell you this: Pandora has never done any generational studies on the U-virus, the vaccine, or the antidote because there was no perceived need."

  "Never?" Lisa asked.

  Mercy nodded. "Never. With regards to the test subjects ... oh, how do I politely put this? They either died from their reactions to the test substance or were quietly, uhmm, disposed of? And of course, when you're working with people who are already sick or deathly ill, and have signed blanket waivers regarding their health - that's why Pandora had us at the hospital - you can test away without worrying about whether or not your subject is going to live through the test or anyone making waves provided you have both your story and all the paperwork straight. Furthermore, you'll get away with it because of those signed waivers."

  "That's disgusting," Lisa said evenly.

  "That's Pandora," Mercy replied, "and I admit both my own guilt and complicity in that." She gave them both a look of deep regret, and then resumed both her pacing and her talking. "I justified it on grounds of those signed waivers, and it being just part of my job, but still .... Oh, what's the use? I'm as guilty as hell and I know it. Oh, I never got my hands dirty with doing any of the actual disposing, but I knew about it, and that makes me guilty all the same." She looked at both of them earnestly. "I'd take it all back if I could, because what I did in the name of science is part of the reason why the three of us are in this mess right now. Maybe it's God's way of punishing me for my part in this." With that she fell silent and looked at the floor.

  All was silent for a space, until Cy spoke. "Mercy, I forgive you. You'll have to answer for what you've done once we're out of here, but I'll let the proper authorities handle that. Right now survival is the most important thing on the table."

  "Me too," Lisa chimed in. She gave a sad little laugh. "It's kind of funny, you know? Ten minutes ago I wanted to kill you, and here I am now willing to forgive you about knowing that others were being killed in the name of science as part of this mess." She gave another sardonic laugh, this one somewhat longer. "Oh, what a crazy, messed-up fix we're in here in what's left of Metro City!"

  "Thanks," Mercy said, quietly but earnestly. "For both of you. And you're right, Cy. I will have to answer for what I've done once we're out of here. I know that, and I accept it." She took in a deep breath and let it back out again. "Anyway, back to the subject of your inherited immunity, Lisa. As I said, Pandora's never done generational studies because in their eyes they've never been warranted. You're the living proof that they should have. Like the Nazis before them, Pandora only needed the immunizing agent to protect its own and any federal government personnel involved in the research, and the antidote only for those occasions when things went wrong."

  "Like with Metro City," Cy said gruffly, "only they wouldn't let you have more antidote."

  Mercy pursed her lips. "I don't know what my superiors were thinking, but I know this. They let an entire city of seventy-five thousand people turn, and were going to let me and John and the rest of our people turn right along with them, just to save their own corporate asses." She now stopped pacing and looked straight at Lisa. "You know what'll happen if they ever get their hands on you."

  Lisa nodded. "I'll disappear, or worse," she said grimly. "Like the Gestapo did to that Bradshaw woman during the war. Pandora will seize me and spirit me away out of sight and mind. They'll make sure I become just another victim of the Outbreak in public eyes. Once I'm out of the official record, they can then do with me whatever they want."

  Cy's eyes widened. "The government would never let them do that," he exclaimed.

  "Oh yes they would, if certain people in power who are hand-in-glove with Pandora got control of the situation," Mercy said evenly. "They'd make the bot
h of us go away too, because we're witnesses to Lisa's existence. The SS had a term for it back during the war ̶ nacht und nebel. By that they meant you would disappear into the night and fog and never be seen again. It would be as if you never existed. That's what's facing all three of us via Pandora for what we know, and the people who would do it don't give a damn about our constitutional rights or whatever. Understand?"

  Cy started to say something and then stopped. He looked at Lisa. She had a worried look on her face. He next turned back to Mercy, and saw the same worried look in hers too, save that it was rooted in knowledge based on her own background and experiences with Pandora that neither he nor Lisa had. "All right," he conceded. "So how do we get out of this mess?"

  "I think your original plan is still the best," Mercy replied. "Get in touch with your people beyond the barricade, and let them know we've survived. Don't mention what's special about Lisa until you can talk to your commanding officer."

  "General Ryan's a good man, and he's not political," Cy responded quickly. "He's also well liked by President Reagan even though he's only a brigadier. He's even been invited to the White House a time or two on special occasions."

  "There you have it," Mercy said. For the first time, Lisa and Cy heard the note of hope in her voice. "Try to get in touch with him by whatever secure means the Army uses. Once you do, then let him know about Lisa. After that, it'll be up to him. If he's as good a man as you say he is, then we should be all right."

  "You don't mind if we don't go ahead and try to meet him halfway, do you?" Lisa said, leaning forward on her seat. "I'm talking about getting out of here, of course. I don't want to spend one more minute in what's left of Metro City than I have to."

  "We won't," Cy said, getting back up to his feet. "Look, I've got everything split out and portioned for all three of us. We'll shuffle our weapons somewhat accordingly, but I'm ready to leave as soon as you two are. Before we do, though, we need to get to the hospital's radio transmitter so we can call the Army and let them know we're coming."

  "We can't," Mercy responded flatly. "The zombies trashed the transmitter yesterday during their first mass attack on the hospital."

  "Oh, great!" Lisa said with a groan, putting a hand to her forehead. "What, is the radio going to be smashed beforehand every time we get to one?"

  "What about the phone?" Cy said. "You called us on the phone to get our attention, remember?"

  "That's because Metro City Medical has its own private internal exchange," Mercy said. "All the outside lines have been dead since yesterday, once the Army imposed the quarantine."

  "Okay, will have to save trying to communicate with my superiors for the police station, assuming we can still get there and its transmitter isn't wrecked either," Cy said, looking at both women. "Right now, we're going to get ready to saddle up and move out. Lisa, you get your AK-47, the MAC-11, and one of the new Walthers and ammo for all. I'll keep the China Lake and my M-16 and add to it the Ithaca, but I'll also keep my .45 and take all of what .45 ammo we've got left. I'll also keep your .45 in my rucksack for storage, Lisa. Mercy, you keep your pistol, but you're also going to get the other Walther and Lisa's M-16."

  "Good call all around," Lisa said. She lowered her hand, got up, and went toward the rucksack and pile of gear with the AK by it. "Giving me both a pistol and machine pistol with shared ammo is a good idea."

  "Why is that?" Mercy asked.

  "Saves on the ammo load she has to carry," Cy responded quickly, before Lisa could answer. "I'm also betting she's a better shot than you, and can handle that MAC-11 better than you can," he added, giving Lisa a wink.

  "One thing I should point out," Mercy said, picking up the unfamiliar weapon. "I've never handled an M-16 before."

  "You're about to learn how," Cy said. He went to his own gear and began to put it on his person, motioning for Mercy to do the same with hers. "Once we're ready, Lisa, I want you to stay here and use these security monitors to find us the safest way out of here possible. Mercy, I want you to come with me. We're going to go out for a bit, and I'm going to give you a brief lesson on how to use an M-16. Just the basics, until you're comfortable with it. Lisa, I want you to have us an escape route planned by the time we're back."

  "Got it," Lisa said, as she returned to her seat, set her AK and MAC-11 to one side but within easy reach, and then began to study the security monitors on both workstations.

  "That's my girl," Cy said jokingly.

  "You wish," Lisa shot back, but she did so with a smile.

  "Hey, can you blame a guy for trying?" Cy responded with one eyebrow cocked.

  Lisa turned in time to catch his gaze and held it for a few seconds. Her smile got even bigger as she responded. "Once we're out of here, Corporal Rappalo, I just might have to take you up on that."

  "Is that an invitation to a date?"

  Lisa regarded Cy for a few moments, then gave him a smile. "Maybe."

  "Then I'm honored," Cy said, feeling a sudden flush come over his face.

  "I'm sure you are," Lisa said. "You and Mercy better get that shooting lesson started, or we're going to be late getting out of here."

  "Uh, yeah. Sure. Mercy?" With that, he escorted the ersatz nurse towards the security office door.

  About twenty minutes had passed since Cy and Mercy had left Lisa alone in the security office. It was during this time that Cy gave Mercy the promised quick lesson in properly handling an M-16A1 assault rifle. After that, the two of them engaged in some brief informal zombie hunting among those that remained in the fifth floor south wing before making their way back to the security office again. They talked as they walked but kept their eyes peeled and weapons at the ready, just in case some zombies decided to pop out of a side door or some of the zombie bodies liberally scattered on the floor in the hallways were only playing possum.

  "This isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Mercy said as she and Cy moved through the main hallway together. "Handling this thing, I mean, not the killing."

  "I know what you mean," Cy replied.

  "All the same, I can see now how people get sucked into that," Mercy went on.

  "Into what?"

  "The killing. Taking out whatever issues they have in dishing out death to anyone around them." She sighed. "I found it hard to pull the trigger at first, thinking of the human beings these things used to be, until I remembered what they did to John and the horrible way he died. After that it was easy." She gave Cy a knowing look. "I feel the same way about what happened to him as Lisa does about her brother."

  'I know," Cy said. He forced a smile. "Just do us all a favor, okay? Don't let it get to you like Lisa did. We need to stick together if we're going to survive, and anyone getting obsessed over this thing will endanger us all."

  "I know," Mercy said quietly, "and I think Lisa does too. We women just can't help it sometimes, you know? We're wired to be emotional. You guys are the ones wired to stay calm and cool and collected when the crap hits the fan."

  "And sometimes we can get too cool and collected, and then you wind up with cold-blooded killers," Cy replied. "Personally, I don't think any of that normal psychological mumbo-jumbo applies in this situation. All of us have had our turn freaking out during the Outbreak. I did it when half a town full of zombies was chasing me down the street, you did it over the phone when you first got in touch with us, and Lisa did it a little while ago when she found out what you really are. Nobody's immune to the Outbreak, not even us guys. We've just got to take what punches we can and roll with the rest of it as we're able."

  "Sound advice, Cy."

  "Thank you, Mercy."

  They were back at the security office by then. "Lisa, it's us," Cy called out. "We're alone." There was a buzz and the sound of the door unlocking. Cy opened the door and then ushered Mercy inside, closing the door behind them.

  Lisa re-locked the door from the control board at the security station where she sat. "Welcome back," she said. "How did it go?"

  "Very w
ell, all things considered," Cy said with a smile. "Mercy did all right."

  Mercy managed a laugh. "I'll never be able to handle this thing in full auto and keep it on target, but I'm all right on single shot."

  "That's good," Lisa said encouragingly. "Now it's my turn. I've got good news and I've got bad news."

  "Bad news first," Cy said, as he and Mercy came to stand by Lisa at the security station."

  "I figured you'd want that," Lisa said. "The bad news is we're going to have to find another way out of here. Look," and with that she pointed to one of the security monitors on the second row above the control board. "That's my 'Cuda, and it's surrounded by the same sea of zombies that's currently filling the hospital parking lots and spilling out into both streets."

  Cy's jaw dropped as he first looked at the monitor screen Lisa indicated and then what was showing on some of the other screens. "Good lord," he muttered. "Looks like there's thousands of them! There weren't that many when we were out there earlier."

  "No, but as long as we've been in here, and that first batch knowing we were here, I'm guessing they called in a bunch of their friends," Lisa said grimly. "Or maybe the others homed in on the smell of fresh blood or something. I don't know. Anyway, I'm guessing every zombie on this side of town that's still mobile is down there, and they've filled the whole front of the hospital's lobby and central sections. We can't get back to my 'Cuda without a major fight, and there's too many of them for us to simply plow our way through them and out of here, Cy, like we did back at the Armory."

  "It's like downtown all over again," Cy said softly. He looked at the newest member of their group. "Hey Mercy," he said, looking over at her, "what do you think?"

  Mercy walked up to the monitors and studied their images for a few seconds, and then she spoke. "Pandora's main theory is along the same lines as the smell of blood concept Lisa mentioned. Zombies have altered senses due to their infection, and because of that they pick up on different things than we humans do."