Zombie Mall
Page 15
The last thing you see is the creature in preparation for a full protein meal, provided by yours truly.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 210
Answer: “I don’t know”
The display blinks several times and then a reply appears on the screen:
“Only those who know shall pass. You shall not.”
Two large doors open at both sides of the room and hordes of zombies walk in. The lights turn red, and the door behind you locks. Desperate, you hit the keyboard trying to get another chance. The display goes blank, and then a new text appears.
“Cleaning bots will clear the area after the unworthy human is consumed. Have a nice day.”
Your last action as a living person consists on busting the monitor. You tore it to pieces just before the first zombie takes a chunk out of you.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 211
Answer: “To be happy”
The computer thinks for a moment. Then replies:
“Correct, but not the answer I needed. Program terminated.”
The lights in the room turn off, save for one line taking you back. The door unlocks and opens. The monitor bleeps and a new message appears:
“I gave you a second chance. Don’t waste it.”
On the side of the room two large doors open, and a zombie horde walks in. Your run outside of the room and close the door. Now, you are back in the corridor.
If you… Go to…
Take the elevator and head for the surface Section 162
Take the elevator and head for sub level 47 Section 163
Section 212
Answer: “42”
The display turns off. A grumble noise shakes the room as a wall opens up to a well lit laboratory. Inside you find rows after rows of long tables with chemistry equipment.
You explore the place. Motion detectors turn lights on here and there. Everywhere, the same logo appears: a phoenix. You find genome maps, dossiers and reports. One gets your attention, talking about a “zombie vaccine”, ready somewhere in the lab. You read with excitement. Then you think: If they got the vaccine, what happened here? Why so many zombies around?. A million options cross your mind. Maybe, they didn’t make it on time.
You keep reading reports. You don’t understand all most of the jargon. Multiple assumptions about the origin of the plague. In the end, they don’t know how it all started. It does say the have patient zero locked up somewhere in the lab, locked in the glass room.
If you… Go to…
Examine patient zero Section 230
Look for the vaccine Section 231
Section 213
Help them
You talk back to the voice on the phone, but it doesn’t answer your questions. Then, it repeats. It doesn’t take long until you realize is just a recording. A long forgotten message system asking for help. The phones ring every so often on the hour.
You drop the headpiece, that bounces slightly on the floor. You take a chair and sit, pondering your options.
The elevator is busted
The emergency stair doors are locked
The place is abandoned
You are a hundred meters below the surface
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that your options are limited.
If you… Go to…
Find a way to communicate with the surface Section 232
Climb up the elevator’s shaft Section 233
Section 214
Walk away
You hang up the phone and walk away. Whatever they are up to, it’s not your problem. You head for the kitchen and search for food, but the place is cleaned empty. The water still works, so you calm your hunger with a glass of water.
Fearing to take another elevator, you head for the emergency stairs. The door is barricaded from your end. You clean the way and force the door open. You have to put all your strength into it, but after several minutes of struggle, the door gives in and opens all of the sudden. You fall backwards to the floor. A pressurized horde falls on top of you.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 215
Talk to the scientists, offer to help
You present yourself, explaining the bizarre circumstances that led you to this place. The lead man speaks first.
“We are all scholars here”, a fat bearded man declares.
They have been working for months down here, without leaving or even visiting the surface since the apocalypse started. They hear with horror your stories of survival. While you talk, somebody offers you a hot cup with chicken soup, careful not to interrupt your story. Overall, they are a very happy group, assigned by the government to study the ruins when discovered during the expansion of the bunker. The mall above was built as a facade. The military brings down supplies every other month and at the same time they take relics from the place. Even though it was not their fault, they apologize for the way you were treated, and accept your offer to stay with them.
“What would you like to do? We are short of personnel and can use helping hands in many ways”
If you… Go to…
Help with the exploration of the city Section 234
Help with the cataloging of relics Section 235
Section 216
Ignore the scientists and run away
You make a run away from the group. You hear them yelling you to stop, but ignore them. You just came out of a prison cell. You won’t make it so ease for them this time to get you. You make it to the wired fence and jump over it. People run after you.
You reach the ruins and hide, evading your pursuers. They don’t dare to step into the ruins. They call out for you, their voices tremble in despair. Your heavy breathing is so loud that you can’t heard them clearly.
You close your eyes and pace your breathing, trying to calm down. The voices on the distance begin to make sense.
“Come back! It’s infested with zombies!! Come back!”
You open your eyes, and focus in the shadows surrounding you. Zombies. Ancient zombies.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 217
Reject their offer
You candidly reject the offer, not knowing what it really implies. The lady, still smiling, grabs your arm and gives you a quick shake. She smiles harder, fake.
“Good for you”
You try to walk away, but she tightens her grip.
“The problem here, is that you know about us. We cannot let you go”
A sharp pain in your back. Another scientist stabs you. The woman in front of you pulls out a knife and stabs you too, again and again. You fall, breathing blood. They talk about you, but they don’t know. They think you are not infected, but you are. We all are.
After a few minutes, the woman kneels down to check your pulse. You grab her hand and bite her fingers off. You have an uncontrollable urge to eat their brains.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Section 218
Accept their offer
Without understanding much of what the offer means, you accept it. Next thing you know, you’re handed new clothe and taken on an orientation tour. This colony of scientists have been gathering survivors for some time. They now have a small city growing in the depths of the earth, away from the horrors above. Their society is based on individual responsibility and facts.
In time, you take interest in science and applied technology. Every now and then, the community recovers more survivors. As the society grows, they expand to other floors in the bunker. Why did they start at the bottom, remains a mystery. With drones and cameras, you all keep watch on the outside world above. One day, it will be safe to go outside. Until that day comes,
you’ll be watching.
YOU SURVIVED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 219
Jump to reach the shelves on the other end of the corridor
There is no way you can make a jump over the corridor, but if you climb high enough, maybe you can make it. That would be enough to move forward. If you miss, you most likely brake your legs and turn into zombie chow.
With all the desperate strength of a suicidal monkey, you take the leap. You land heavily on the opposite tower. The fall twists you ankle, but the pain only reminds you that you are still alive. Quickly you climb down right next to the exit door. Hoping against hope that is not locked, you push the bar and by miracle, the door opens. But what you see surprises you. This is not an exit. It is a laboratory!
If you… Go to…
Go back to the deposit and make a run for another exit Section 236
Inspect the laboratory Section 237
Section 220
Climb down and make a run for the exit
Counting each moment, you descend and make a run for the exit door. You press the release bar but nothing happens. Cold sweat runs down your back. For a moment, your heart stops. It starts again when you hear automatic locks receding, opening the door. Without hesitation, you rush into the unknown. The room is completely dark. Taking your chances, you close the door behind you and take a deep breath remain silent. You pray there may not be monsters in the dark.
Suddenly, a bright light turns on, pointed directly to your face. It blinds you for a moment.
If you… Go to…
Close your eyes and raise your hands Section 238
Run away from the light Section 239
Cover your eyes and wait Section 240
Section 221
Submit to the cult
“Excellent”, the crazy priestess says, “you will feed Su-Sa-Mun for weeks. We’ll ration your sacrifice so she would not eat you in one sitting.”
Realizing that they plan to slice you up, you fight back. The cultist overpower you by sheer numbers. Still struggling, they manage to raise you to the altar. With heavy chains they bound you. Shackles around your wrists and ankles, they tighten the chains. You can’t move.
The zombie’s chain get loosen up, link by link. The chanting intensifies. The dead teeth will soon tear you apart.
“We thank you, for your faith.”, the priestess says in a very patronizing way. You look at her face. She smiles, head sideways, with all the loving mother.
A cultist rushes in to gag you. The zombie, hands tied behind her back, sinks her ugly face in your stomach and eats down. You yell and scream. This will take a while.
YOU DIED… EVENTUALLY
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 222
Resist the cult
The rhythm of the chanting increases. The repetition and tone is almost hypnotic. The leading priestess extends her hand to reach you. She welcomes you into the fold. Her robe opens as she extends you her hand. She’s naked underneath, but what gets your attention is the huge sacrificial knife at her waist.
Standing on one knee, you raise your hand to take hers in friendly shake. Once you have it, you pull in taking her out of balance. With your free hand, you reach for the dagger and push her away from you. She trips on her way back and falls straight into the arms of Su-Sa-Mun. The zombie doesn’t hesitate, nor makes distinction between cultist and sacrifice. She sinks her teeth in the priestess, taking a whole chunk of her neck in just one bite. The priestess grabs her wound, and turns around to face her fake god. Eyes wide open, she still doesn’t believe her idol has hurt her. The zombie rips her apart.
Taking advantage of the cultist astonishment, you slide your captors with a quick blow. You get one in the neck, but the other one reacts fast and jumps out of your blade’s way. You’re surrounded by the others, who still don’t know how to react. Behind you, the zombie has a feast. The sight from the cultists point of view is dreadful. Their priestess gone, their idol a murderous beast, their sacrificial “lamb”, armed and dangerous.
Fear sinks in. In full cowardice, the cultists disband in panic. Their broken faith shatters their world to pieces.
The chamber soon empties. Is just you, the altar, and the zombie. Approaching the beast, you stick the dagger straight in her head, twist and turn until it moves no more.
Breathing deep, you watch as the blood of the zombie and the left overs of the priestess mix coming down the drain. Then, a sobbing behind you makes you turn, almost in despair. On a side of the room you see a cage, filled with children. These may be the next in line for the sacrifice in the altar of worship to Su-Sa-Mun.
Calming the children, you open the gate. You take them by the hand and lead them out of this horrible place. Together, you leave the cultist chamber, pass the engine room, and walk all the way towards the exit down the tunnel.
Once outside, you come up on a hill next to the highway. Behind you, the zombie horde that chased you down the road has left road by the off ramp towards the mall. The road is safe to travel heading north. At least, you have a good advantage, even walking with children. It will be hard, but it will be possible… and at the end of the road there will be life and hope.
YOU SURVIVED.
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 223
Go to the front of the store
The cheerleader
You are under attack and must fight this monster. If you win, keep reading. If not, find the You are dead page at the end of the book.
You fight the cheerleader zombie, and you win. Something like that was doomed to happen in a sports store. With that dead beauty out of the way, you walk towards the entrance of the store. The place has been looted already. You look for a bat, a jockey stick, anything that you can use as a weapon, but there is nothing left. You do, however, take advantage of new clothe, socks and shoes. If you have to run, you’ll do it with style.
Out of the store, the hallway leads to the food court on one end, and towards a resting area with a fountain by the other. Oddly enough, there are not zombies around that you can see or hear. In contrast with the looting inside, the hallway is clean and neat. If you didn’t know better, you would suppose that the mall would open door for shoppers as usual. Curious, you walk around to check for zombies in each direction.
Nothing.
The place is as dead as the zombies outside the building. However, there is a trail of markings on the floor. Something was dragged across the hall, something very heavy.
If you… Go to…
Head for the food court Section 241
Head for the fountain court Section 242
Section 224
Investigate the fire escape
Before you dare stepping into the unknown, you gather some equipment and dress up. Helmet, jokey pads, knee protection… the whole thing. Holding up a jokey stick, you open the door and a foul wind hits you.
The stairs are clear. Dim light comes from a small window opening on the roof. As you descend, large amounts of spider web spread all around, covering the floor, stairs and walls. Little spiders crawl everywhere with each step you make. Observing them, you wonder how they could make so much mess. Then it hits you, and you look all the way up. You freeze. Way above your head, these cocoons of web hang from the roof.
“Do you like my work? Please, stay for dinner.” a voice speaks from behind you.
If you… Go to…
Attempt to have a civilized talk Section 243
Strike first Section 244
Section 225
Go full mad-max on the truck
Like a 80’s TV show montage, you build up the cement truck with everything you can find. Spikes, boards, a grill defense for the front… You turn the utility vehicle into an absolute zombie killer. Whatever is happening in this place, you want nothing to do with it.
This truck is your way out.
You test the “upgrades” on the truck by hand. With a huge hammer, you hit it with all you have. It is strong enough for your liking. Now is time to put it to work. You climb on the cabin, roll the windows up, turn the engine on, and head full on blasting the thin metal doors into the parking lot.
A group of zombies looks at you like a deer in the light. You drive right through them. The heavy truck has no problem to crush their bones with extreme prejudice. You feel on top of the world for the first time in a long time. It gets so good, that rather than getting off the mall right away, you drive a couple of times around the shopping mall just having fun. The sound of smashed pumpkins entertains you. After a while, you head towards the exit for good.
Like a hero from a movie, you survived the mess and now ride towards the setting sun. You have a full tank (well almost), there is a heavy metal mix tape on the radio, and you have high hopes to live for another day.
YOU SURVIVED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 226
Fortify the place and make it your safe zone
This place is as good as any. There are enough construction materials to really make it safe for you. The construction area connects with a deposit with food for the supermarket and other goods. All of that has been sealed away from the public, and kept by miracle, zombie free. All for you. More important still, is the finding of chemical toilets.