World War Z. Max Brooks. Audiobook. Part 2.

world war z

an oral history of the zombie war

the leathernecks came up with that one

using nothing but the steel of recycled cars

cars

we made 23 million during the war he

smiles with pride

and they're still making them today

burlington vermont

winter has come later this season as it

has every year since the end of the war

snow blankets the house and surrounding

farmland and frosts the trees that shade

the dirt track by the river

everything about this scene is peaceful

except for the man with me

he insists on calling himself the wacko

because everyone else calls me that why

shouldn't you

his stride is fast and purposeful

the cane given to him by his doctor and wife

wife

to be honest

i wasn't surprised to be nominated for

vice president

everyone knew a coalition party was inevitable

inevitable

i'd been a rising star at least until i self-destructed

self-destructed

that's what they said about me right

all the cowards and hypocrites who'd

rather die than see a real man express

his passion

so what if i wasn't the world's best

politician i said what i felt and i

wasn't afraid to say it loud and clear

that's one of the main reasons i was the

logical choice for co-pilot

we made a great team

he was the light i was the heat

different parties different personalities

personalities

and let's not get ourselves

different skin colors as well

i knew i wasn't the first choice

i know who my party secretly wanted but

america wasn't ready to go that far

as stupid ignorant and

infuriatingly neolithic as it sounds

they'd rather have a screaming radical

for a vp than another one of those people

people

so i wasn't surprised at my nomination i

was surprised at everything else

you mean the elections elections

elections

honolulu was still a mad house

soldiers congressmen refugees all

bumping into one another trying to find

something to eat

or a place to sleep or just to find out

what the hell was going on

and that was paradise next to the mainland

mainland

the rocky line was just being

established everything west of it was a

war zone why go through all the trouble

of elections when you could have

congress simply vote for extended

emergency powers

the attorney general had tried it when

he was mayor of new york

almost got away with it too

i explained to the president that we

didn't have the energy or resources to

do anything but fight for our very existence

existence

what did he say

well let's just say he convinced me otherwise

otherwise

can you elaborate

i could but i don't want to mangle his words

words

the old neurons aren't firing like they

used to

please try

you'll fact check with his library i promise

promise well

well

we were in his temporary office

the presidential suite of a hotel

he'd just been sworn in on air force two

his old boss was sedated in the suite

next to us

from the window you could see the chaos

on the streets

the ships at sea lining up to dock the

planes coming in every 30 seconds and

ground crew pushing them off the runway

once they landed to make room for new ones

ones

i was pointing to them shouting and

gesturing with the passion i'm most

famous for we need a stable government

fast i kept saying

elections are great in principle but

this is no time for high ideals

the president was cool a lot cooler than me

me

maybe it was all that military training

he said to me

this is the only time for high ideals

because those ideals are all that we have

have

we aren't just fighting for our physical

survival but for the survival of our civilization

civilization

we don't have the luxury of old world

pillars we don't have a common heritage

we don't have a millennia of history all

we have are the dreams and promises that

bind us together

all we have

is struggling to remember

all we have is what we want to be

you see what he was saying

our country only exists because people

believed in it and if it wasn't strong

enough to protect us from this crisis

then what future could it ever hope to have

have

he knew that america wanted a caesar but

to be one would mean the end of america

they say great times make great men i

don't buy it i saw a lot of weakness a

lot of filth

people who should have risen to the

challenge and either couldn't or

wouldn't greed fear stupidity and hate

i saw it before the war i see it today

my boss was a great man we were damn

lucky to have him

the business of elections really set the

tone for his entire administration

so many of his proposals looked crazy at

first glance but once you peel back the

first layer you realized that underneath

there existed a core of irrefutable logic

logic

take the new punishment laws those

really set me off

putting people in stocks

whipping them in town squares

what was this old salem

the taliban's afghanistan

it sounded barbaric un-american until

you really thought about the options

what were you going to do with thieves

and looters put them in prison

who would that help

who could afford to divert able-bodied

citizens to feed clothe and guard other

able-bodied citizens

more importantly why remove the punished

from society when they could serve as

such a valuable deterrent

yes there was the fear of pain the lash

the cane

but all of that paled when compared to

public humiliation

people were terrified of having their

crimes exposed

at a time when everyone was pulling

together helping each other out working

to protect and take care of one another

the worst thing you could do to someone

was to march them up into the public

square with a giant poster reading

i stole my neighbor's firewood

shame's a powerful weapon but it

depended on everyone else doing the

right thing

no one is above the law and seeing a

senator given 15 lashes for his

involvement in war profiteering did more

to curb crime than a cop on every street corner

corner

yes there were the work gangs but those

were the recidivists

those who'd been given chances time and

time again

i remember the attorney general

suggesting that we dump as many of them

into the infested zones as possible rid

ourselves of the drain and potential

hazard of their continued presence

both the president and i opposed this proposition

proposition

my objections were ethical his were practical

practical

we were still talking about american

soil infested yes but hopefully one day

to be liberated

the last thing we need he said was to

come up against one of these ex-cons as

the new grand war lord of duluth

i thought he was joking but later as i

saw the exact thing happen in other

countries as some exiled criminals rose

to command their own isolated and in

some cases powerful fiefdoms

i realized we dodged one hell of a

speeding bullet

the work gangs were always an issue for

us politically socially even

economically but what other choice did

we have for those who just refused to

you did use the death penalty

only in extreme cases

sedition sabotage attempted political secession

secession

zombies weren't the only enemies at

least not in the beginning

we had our share of religious

fundamentalists what country didn't many

of them believed that we were in some way

way

interfering with god's will

he chuckles

i'm sorry

i've got to learn to be more sensitive

but for crying out loud you really think

the supreme creator of the infinite

multiverse is going to have his plans

unraveled by a few arizona national guardsmen

guardsmen

he waves the thought away

they got a lot more press than they

should have all because that nut bird

tried to kill the president

in reality they were much more a danger

to themselves all those mass suicides

the mercy child killings in medford

terrible business

same with the greenies the lefty version

of the fundies

they believed that since the living dead

only consumed animals but not plants it

was the will of the divine goddess to

favor flora over fauna

they made a little trouble dumping

herbicide in a town's water supply

booby-trapping trees

so lagers couldn't use them for war production

production

that kind of eco-terrorism eats up

headlines but didn't really threaten our

national security

the rebs on the other hand

armed organized political secessionists

that was easily our most tangible danger

it was also the only time i ever saw the

president worried

he wouldn't let on not with that

dignified diplomatic veneer

in public he treated it as just another issue

issue

like food rationing or road repair

he'd say in private

they must be eliminated swiftly

decisively and by any means necessary

of course he was only talking about

those within the western safe zone

these die-hard renegades either had some

beef with the government's wartime

policy or had already planned to secede

years before and were just using the

crisis as their excuse

these were the enemies of our country

the domestic ones anyone swearing to

defend our country mentions in his or

her oath

we didn't have to think twice about an

appropriate response to them

but the secessionist ceased of the

rockies in some of the besieged isolated zones

zones

that's when it got complicated

why is that

because as the saying went

we didn't leave america america left us

there's a lot of truth to that

we deserted those people

yes we left some special forces

volunteers tried to supply them by sea

and air but from a purely moral standing

these people were truly abandoned

i couldn't blame them for wanting to go

their own way nobody could

that's why when we began to reclaim lost

territory we allowed every secessionist

enclave a chance for peaceful reintegration

reintegration

but there was violence

i still have nightmares

places like bolivar and the black hills

i never see the actual images not the

violence or the aftermath

i always see my boss

this towering powerful vital man getting

sicker and weaker each time

he'd survived so much shouldered such a

crushing burden

you know he never tried to find out what

had happened to his relatives in jamaica

never even asked

he was so fiercely focused on the fate

of our nation

so determined to preserve the dream that

created it

i don't know if great times make great men

men

wenatchee washington

joe muhammad's smile is as broad as his shoulders

shoulders

while his day job is as the owner of the

town's bicycle repair shop

his spare time is spent sculpting molten

metal into exquisite works of art

he is no doubt most famous for the

bronze statue on the mall in washington d.c

d.c

the neighborhood security memorial

of two standing citizens

the recruiter was clearly nervous

she tried to talk me out of it

had i spoken to the nra representative first

first

did i know about all the other essential

war work

i didn't understand at first

i already had a job at the recycling plant

plant

that was the point of neighborhood

security teams right

it was a part-time volunteer service for

when you were home from work

i tried explaining this to her

maybe there was something i wasn't getting

getting

as she tried some other half-hearted

half-assed excuses i saw her eyes flick

to my chair

joe is disabled

can you believe that

here we were with mass extinction

knocking on the door and she's trying to

be politically correct i laughed i

laughed right in her face

what did she think i just showed up

without knowing what was expected of me

didn't this dumb [ __ ] read her own

security manual well i'd read it

the whole point of the nst program was

to patrol your own neighborhood walking

or in my case rolling down the sidewalk

stopping to check each house

if for some reason you had to go inside

at least two members were always

supposed to wait out in the street

motions to himself hello

and what did she think we were facing

anyway it's not like we had to chase

them over fences and across backyards

they came to us

and different when they did so let's

just say for the sake of argument there

was more than we could handle [ __ ] if i

couldn't roll myself faster than a

walking zombie how could i have lasted

this long

i stayed in my case very clearly and

calmly and i even challenged her to

present a scenario in which my physical

state could be an impediment

she couldn't

there was some mumbling about having to

check with her co

maybe i could come back tomorrow

i refused

told her she could call her ceo and his

co and everyone right up to the bear

himself but i wasn't moving until i got

my orange vest

note one

the bear was the gulf war one nickname

for the commandant of the nst program

i yelled so loud everyone in the room

could hear

all eyes turned to me then to her

that did it i got my vest and was out of

there faster than anyone else that day

like i said neighborhood security

literally means patrolling the neighborhood

neighborhood

it's a quasi-military outfit

we attended lectures and training courses

courses

there were designated leaders and fixed

regulations but you never had to salute

or call people sir or [ __ ] like that

armament was pretty non-regulation as well

well

mostly hand-to-hand jobs hatchets bats a

few crowbars and machetes

we didn't have lobos yet

at least three people in your team had

to have guns

i carried an amt lightning this little

semi-auto 22 caliber carbine

it had no kick so i could shoot without

having to lock down my wheels

good gun especially when ammo became

standardized and reloads were still available

available

teams changed depending on your schedule

it was pretty chaotic back then

destrez reorganizing everything

night shift was always tough you forget

how dark the night really is without

street lights

there were barely any house lights too

people went to bed pretty early back then

then

usually when it got dark so except for a

few candles or if someone had a license

for a generator

like if they were doing essential war

work from home

the houses were pitch black

you didn't even have the moon or the

stars anymore

too much crap in the atmosphere

we patrolled with flashlights basic

civilian store-bought models

we still had batteries then

with red cellophane on the end to

protect our night vision

we'd stop at each house knock ask

whoever was on watch if everything was okay

okay

the early months were a little unnerving

because of the resettlement program

so many people were coming out of the

camps that each day you might get at

least a dozen new neighbors or even housemates

housemates

i never realized how good we had it

before the war tucked away in my little

stepford suburban stand

did i really need a 3 000 square foot

house three bedrooms two baths a kitchen

living room den and home office

i'd lived alone for years and suddenly i

had a family from alabama six of them

just show up at my door one day with a

letter from the department of housing

it's unnerving at first but you get used

to it quickly

i didn't mind the shannon's

that was the family's name

we got along pretty well and i always

slept better with someone standing watch

that was one of the new rules for people

at home

someone had to be the designated night watchman

watchman

we had all their names on a list to make

sure they weren't squatters and looters

we'd check their id their face asked

them if everything was all quiet they

usually said yes or maybe reported some

noise we'd have to check out

by the second year when the refugees

stopped coming and everyone got to know

each other we didn't bother with lists

and ids anymore

everything was calmer then

that first year when the cops were still

reforming and the safe zones weren't

completely pacified

shivers for dramatic effect

there were still a lot of deserted houses

houses

shot up or broken into

or just abandoned with the doors left

wide open

we'd put police tape across all doorways

and windows if any of them were found

snapped that could mean a zombie was in

the house

that happened a couple of times

i'd wait outside rifle ready

sometimes you'd hear shouts sometimes shots

shots

sometimes you'd just hear a moan

scuffling then one of your teammates

would come out with a bloody hand weapon

and a severed head

i had to put a few down myself

sometimes when the team was inside and i

was watching the street i'd hear a noise

a shuffling a rasping

something dragging itself through the bushes

bushes

i'd hit it with the light call for

backup then take it down

one time i almost got tagged

we were clearing a two-story job four

bed four bath partially collapsed from

where someone had driven a jeep liberty

through their living room window

my partner asked if it was cool to take

a powder break

i let her go behind the bushes

my bad

i was too distracted

too concerned with what was going on

inside the house

i didn't notice what was behind me

suddenly there was this tug on my chair

i tried to turn but something had the

right wheel i twisted brought my light around

around

it was a dragger the kind that's lost

its legs

it snarled up at me from the asphalt

trying to climb over the wheel the chair

saved my life it gave me the second and

a half i needed to bring my carbine around

around

if i'd been standing it might have

grabbed my ankle maybe even taken a

chunk that was the last time i psyched

off at my job

zombies weren't the only problem we had

to deal with back then there were looters

looters

not so much hardened criminals as just

people who needed stuff to survive

same with squatters both cases usually

ended well

we'd just invite them home give them

what they needed take care of them until

the housing folks could step in

there were some real looters though

professional bad guys

that was the only time i got hurt

he pulls down his shirt exposing a

circular scar the size of a pre-war dime

nine millimeter right through the shoulder

shoulder

my team chased him out of the house i

ordered him to halt that was the only

time i ever killed someone thank god

when the new laws came in conventional

crime pretty much dried up altogether

then there were the ferals you know the

homeless kids who'd lost their parents

we'd find them curled up in basements in

closets under beds

a lot of them had walked from as far

away as back east

they were in bad shape all malnourished

and sickly

a lot of times they'd run

those were the only times i felt bad you

know that i couldn't chase them

someone else would go a lot of times

they'd catch up but not always

the biggest problem were quizlings quizlings

quizlings

yeah you know the people who went nut

balls and started acting like zombies

could you elaborate

well i'm not a shrink so i don't know

all the tech terms that's all right

well as i understand it there's a type

of person who just can't deal with a

fight or die situation

they're always drawn to what they're

afraid of

instead of resisting it they want to

please it join it try to be like it

i guess that happens in kidnap

situations you know like a patty hearst

stockholm syndrome type

or like in regular war when people who

are invaded sign up for the enemy's army

collaborators sometimes even more die

hard than the people they're trying to mimic

mimic

like those french fascists who were some

of hitler's last troops

maybe that's why we call them quizlings

like it's a french word or something

note two

vidkun abraham lauritz johnson quisling

the nazi installed president of norway

during world war ii

but you couldn't do it in this war

you couldn't just throw up your hands

and say hey don't kill me i'm on your side

side

there was no gray area in this fight no

in between

i guess some people just couldn't accept that

that

it put them right over the edge

they started moving like zombies

sounding like them even attacking and

trying to eat other people

that's how we found our first one he was

a male adult mid thirties

dirty dazed shuffling down the sidewalk

we thought he was just in z shock until

he bit one of our guys in the arm

that was a horrible few seconds

i dropped the q with a head shot then

turned to check on my buddy

he was crumpled on the curb swearing

crying staring at the gash in his

forearm this was a death sentence and he

knew it he was ready to do himself

until we discovered that the guy i shot

had bright red blood pouring from his head

head

when we checked his flesh we found he

was still warm

you should have seen our buddy lose it

it's not every day you get a reprieve

from the big governor in the sky

ironically he almost died anyway the

bastard had so much bacteria in his

mouth that it caused a near-fatal staph infection

infection

we thought maybe we stumbled onto some

new discovery but it turned out it had

been happening for a while

the cdc was just about to go public

they even sent an expert up from oakland

to brief us on what to do if we

encountered more of them

it blew our minds

did you know that quizlings were the

reason some people used to think they

were immune

they were also the reason all those

[ __ ] wonder drugs got so much hype

think about it

someone's on phalanx

gets bit but survives what else is he

going to think

he probably wouldn't know there was even

such a thing as quizlings

they're just as hostile as regular

zombies and in some cases even more dangerous

dangerous

how so

well for one thing they didn't freeze

i mean yeah they would if they were

exposed over time but in moderate cold

if they'd gone under while wearing warm

clothes they'd be fine

they also got stronger from the people

they ate not like zombies

they could maintain over time

but you could kill them more easily

yes and no

you didn't have to hit them in the head

you could take out the lungs the heart

hit them anywhere and eventually they'd

bleed to death but if you didn't stop

them with one shot they'd just keep

coming until they died

they don't feel pain

hell no

it's that whole mind over matter thing

being so focused you're able to suppress

relays to the brain and all that

you should really talk to an expert

please continue okay

okay

well that's why we could never talk them down

down

there was nothing left to talk to

these people were zombies maybe not

physically but mentally you could not

tell the difference

even physically it might be hard if they

were dirty enough bloody enough diseased enough

enough

zombies don't really smell that bad not

individually and not if they're fresh

how do you tell one of these from a

mimic with a whopping dose of gangrene

you couldn't

it's not like the military would let us

have sniffer dogs or anything

you had to use the eye test

ghouls don't blink

i don't know why

maybe because they use their senses

equally their brains don't value sight

as much

maybe because they don't have as much

bodily fluid they can't keep using it to

coat the eyes who knows but they don't

blink and quizlings do

that's how you spotted them back up a

few paces and wait a few seconds

darkness was easier you just shown a

beam in their faces if they didn't blink

you took them down

and if they did

well our orders were to capture

quizlings if possible and use deadly

force only in self-defense

it sounded crazy still does but we

rounded up a few hog tied them turned

them over to police or national guard

i'm not sure what they did with them

i've heard stories about walla walla you

know the prison where hundreds of them

were fed and clothed and even medically

cared for

his eyes flicked to the ceiling

you don't agree

hey i'm not going there

you want to open that can of worms read

the papers

every year some lawyer or priest or

politician tries to stoke that fire for

whatever side best suits them

personally i don't care

i don't have any feelings toward them

one way or the other

i think the saddest thing about them is

that they gave up so much and in the end

lost anyway

why is that cause even though we can't

tell the difference between them the

real zombies can

remember early in the war when everybody

was trying to work on a way to turn the

living dead against one another

there was all this documented proof

about infighting

eyewitness accounts and even footage of

one zombie attacking another stupid

stupid

it was zombies attacking quizlings but

you never would have known that to look

at it quizlings don't scream they just

lie there not even trying to fight

writhing in that slow robotic way eaten

alive by the very creatures they're

malibu california

i don't need a photograph to recognize

roy elliot

we meet for coffee on the restored

malibu pier fortress

those around us also instantly recognize

him but unlike pre-war days keep a

ads that was my enemy

asymptomatic demise syndrome or

or

apocalyptic despair syndrome depending

on who you were talking to

whatever the label had killed as many

people in those early stalemate months

as hunger disease inter-human violence

or the living dead

no one understood what was happening at first

first

we'd stabilized the rockies we'd

sanitized the safe zones and still we

were losing upwards of 100 or so people

a day

it wasn't suicide

we had plenty of those

now this was different

some people had minimal wounds or easily

treatable ailments

some were in perfect health

they would simply go to sleep one night

and not wake up the next morning

the problem was psychological a case of

just giving up not wanting to see

tomorrow because you knew it can only

bring more suffering

losing faith the will to endure it

happens in all wars it happens in peace

time too just not on this scale

it was helplessness or at least the

perception of helplessness

i understood that feeling

i directed movies all my adult life

they called me the boy genius

the vunderken dude couldn't fail even

though i'd done so often

suddenly i was a nobody an f6

the world was going to hell and all my

vaunted talents were powerless to stop it

it

when i heard about ads the government

was trying to keep it quiet

i had to find out from a contact at cedars-sinai

cedars-sinai

when i heard about it something snapped

like the time i made my first super 8

short and screened it for my parents

this i can do i realized

this enemy i can fight

and the rest is history

laughs i wish i went straight to the

government they turned me down

really i would think given your career

what career

they wanted soldiers and farmers real

jobs remember it was like

hey sorry no dice but can i get your autograph

autograph

now i'm not the surrendering type when i

believe in my ability to do something

there is no such word as no

i explained to the destress rep

that it wouldn't cost uncle sam a dime

i'd use my own equipment my own people

all i'd need from them was access to the military

military

let me show the people what you're doing

to stop this i told him

let me give them something to believe in

again i was refused

the military had more important missions

right now than posing for the camera

did you go over his head

to who

there were no boats to hawaii and

sinclair was racing up and down the west coast

coast

anybody in any position to help was

either physically unavailable or far too

distracted with more important matters

couldn't you have become a freelance

journalist gotten a government press pass

pass

it would have taken too long

most mass media was either knocked out

or federalized

what was left had to rebroadcast public

safety announcements to make sure anyone

just tuning in would know what to do

everything was still such a mess

we barely had passable roads let alone

the bureaucracy to give me full-time

journalist status

it might have taken months

months with a hundred dying every day

i couldn't wait i had to do something immediately

immediately

i took a dv cam some spare batteries and

a solar powered charger

my oldest son came with me as my sound

man and first ad

we traveled on the road for one week

just the two of us on mountain bikes

looking for stories

we didn't have to go far

just outside of greater los angeles in a

town called claremont are five colleges

pomona pitzer scripps harvey mudd

and claremont mckenna

at the start of the great panic when

everyone else was running literally for

the hills three hundred students chose

to make a stand

they turned the women's college at

scripps into something resembling a

medieval city

they got their supplies from the other

campuses their weapons were a mix of

landscaping tools and rotc practice rifles

rifles

they planted gardens dug wells fortified

and already existing wall

while the mountains burned behind them

and the surrounding suburbs descended

into violence those three hundred kids

held off ten thousand zombies

ten thousand over the course of four

months until the inland empire could

note one

california's inland empire was one of

the last zones to be declared secure

we were lucky to get there just at the

tail end just in time to see the last of

the undead fall as cheering students and

soldiers linked up under the oversized

homemade old glory fluttering from the

pomona bell tower

what a story

96 hours of raw footage in the can

i would have liked to have gone longer

but time was critical

100 a day lost remember

we had to get this one out there as soon

as possible

i brought the footage back to my house

cut it together in my edit bay

my wife did the narration

we made 14 copies all on different

formats and screened them that saturday

night at different camps and shelters

all over la

i called it victory at avalon the battle

of the five colleges

the name avalon comes from some stock

footage one of the students had shot

during the siege

it was the night before their last worst

attack when a fresh horde from the east

was clearly visible on the horizon

the kids were hard at work sharpening

weapons reinforcing defenses standing

guard on the walls and towers

a song came floating across the campus

from the loudspeaker that played

constant music to keep morale

a script student with a voice like an

angel was singing the roxy music song

it was such a beautiful rendition and

such a contrast with the raging storm

about to hit

i laid it over my preparing for battle montage

montage

i still get choked up when i hear it

how did it play with the audience

it bombed

not just the scene but the whole movie

at least that's what i thought

i'd expected a more immediate reaction

cheering applause

i would never have admitted this to

anyone even to myself but i had this

egotistical fantasy of people coming up

to me afterward tears in their eyes

grabbing my hands thanking me for

showing them the light at the end of the tunnel

tunnel

they didn't even look at me

i stood by the doorway like some

conquering hero they just filed past

silently with their eyes on their shoes

i went home that night thinking oh well

it was a nice idea

maybe the potato farm in macarthur park

can use another hand

what happened

two weeks went by i got a real job

helping to reopen the road at tapanka canyon

canyon

then one day a man rode up to my house

just came in on horseback as if out of

an old cecil b demille western

he was a psychiatrist from the county

health facility at santa barbara

they'd heard about the success of my

movie and asked if i had any extra copies

copies success

success

that's what i said

as it turns out the very night after

avalon made its debut

ads cases dropped in la by a whole five percent

percent

at first they thought it might just be a

statistical anomaly until a further

study revealed that the decline was

drastically noticeable only among

communities where the movie was shown

and no one told you no one laughs

not the military not the municipal

authorities not even the people who ran

the shelters where it was continuing to

be screened without my knowledge

i don't care

the point is it worked it made a

difference and it gave me a job for the

rest of the war

i got a few volunteers together as much

of my old crew as i could find

that kid who shot the claremont's stock

footage malcolm van rizen yes that

malcolm he became my dp notes

notes 2.

2.

malcolm van rizen one of the most

successful cinematographers in hollywood three

three dp

dp

director of photography

and notes

we commandeered an abandoned dubbing

house in west hollywood and started

cranking them out by the hundreds

we'd put them on every train every caravan

caravan

every coastal ferry heading north

it took a while to get responses but

when they came

he smiles holds his hands up in thanks

ten percent dropped throughout the

entire western safe zone

i was already on the road by then

shooting more stories

hannah kappa was already wrapped and we

were halfway through mission district

by the time dos palmos hit screens and

ads was down 23 percent

only then did the government finally

take an interest in me

additional resources

laughs no

i'd never asked for help and they sure

weren't going to give it but i did

finally get access to the military and

that opened up a whole new world

is that when you made fire of the gods nods

nods

the army had two functioning laser

weapons programs

zeus and m fell

zeus was originally designed for

munitions clearing

zapping land mines and unexploded bombs

it was small and light enough to be

mounted in a specialized humvee

the gunners cited a target through a

coaxial camera in the turret

he placed the aim point on the intended

surface then fired a pulse beam through

the same optical aperture

is that too technical

not at all

i'm sorry i became extremely immersed in

the project

the beam was a weaponized version of

solid-state industrial lasers the kind

used to cut steel in factories

it could either burn through a bomb's

outer casing or heated to a point that

detonated the explosive package

the same principle worked for zombies on

higher settings it punched right through

their foreheads

on lower settings it literally boiled

their brain till it exploded through the

ears nose and eyes

the footage we shot was dazzling

but zeus was a pop gun next to hempfell

the acronym stands for mobile tactical

high-energy laser

co-designed by the united states and

israel to take out small incoming projectiles

projectiles

when israel declared self quarantine and

when so many terrorist groups were

lobbing mortar rounds and rockets across

the security wall

m fell was what knocked them down

about the size and shape of a world war

ii searchlight it was in fact a

deuterium fluoride laser much more

powerful than the solid state on zeus

the effects were devastating it blasted

flesh from bones that then heated white

before shattering into dust

when played at regular speed it was

magnificent but at slo-mo

fire of the gods

is it true that the number of ads cases

were halved a month after the movie's release

release

i think that might be an overstatement

but people were lined up on their off hours

hours

some saw it every night the poster

campaign showed a close-up of a zombie

being atomized

the image was lifted right from a frame

in the movie

the one classic shot when the morning

fog actually allowed you to see the beam

the caption underneath read simply next

your program no

no

zeus and dem fell they were in jeopardy

mfl was due to close a month after shooting

shooting

zeus had already been chopped we had to

beg borrow and steal literally to get it

reactivated just for our cameras

destrez had deemed both as a gross waste

of resources

were they

inexcusably so

the m in m fells mobile

really meant a convoy of specialized

vehicles all of which were delicate none

truly all-terrain and each one

completely dependent on the other

m thou also required both tremendous power

power

and copious amounts of highly unstable

highly toxic chemicals for the lasering process

process

zeus was a little more economical it was

easier to cool easier to maintain and

because it was humvee mounted it could

go anywhere it was needed

the problem was why would it be needed

even on high power the gunner still had

to hold a beam in place on a moving

target mind you for several seconds

a good sharp shooter could get the job

done in half the time with twice the kills

kills

that erased the potential for rapid fire

which was exactly what you needed in

swarm attacks

in fact both units had a squad of

riflemen permanently assigned to them

people protecting a machine that is

designed to protect people

they were that bad

not for their original role

m fell kept israel safe from terrorist bombardment

bombardment

and zeus actually came out of retirement

to clear unexploded ordinance during the

army's advance

as purpose-built weapons they were

outstanding as zombie killers

they were hopeless duds

so why did you film them

because americans worship technology

it's an inherent trait in the national zeitgeist

zeitgeist

whether we realize it or not even the

most indefatigable luddite can't deny

our country's techno prowess

we split the atom we reached the moon we

filled every household and business with

more gadgets and gizmos than early

sci-fi writers

could have ever dreamed of

i don't know if that's a good thing i'm

in no place to judge but i do know that

just like all those sex atheists in

foxholes most americans were still

praying for the god of science to save them

them

but it didn't

but it didn't matter

the movie was such a hit that i was

asked to do a whole series

i called it wonder weapons seven films

on our military's cutting edge

technology none of which made any

strategic difference but all of which

were psychological war winners

isn't that a lie

it's okay you can say it

yes they were lies and sometimes that's

not a bad thing

lies are neither bad nor good like a

fire they can either keep you warm or

burn you to death depending on how

they're used

the lies our government told us before

the war the ones that were supposed to

keep us happy and blind

those were the ones that burned because

they prevented us from doing what had to

be done

however by the time i made avalon

everyone was already doing everything

they could possibly do to survive

the lies of the past were long gone and

now the truth was everywhere shambling

down their streets crashing through

their doors clawing at their throats

the truth was that no matter what we did

chances were that most of us if not all

of us were never going to see the future

the truth was that we were standing at

what might be the twilight of our species

species

and that truth was freezing a hundred

people to death every night

they needed something to keep them warm

and so i lied and so did the president

and every doctor and priest every

platoon leader and every parent

we're going to be okay that was our message

message

that was the message of every other

filmmaker during the war

did you ever hear of the hero city of course

course

great film right

marty made it over the course of the siege

siege

just him

shooting on whatever medium he could get

his hands on what a masterpiece the

courage the determination

the strength dignity kindness and honor

it really makes you believe in the human

race it's better than anything i've ever done

done

you should see it i have which version

i'm sorry

which version did you see

i wasn't aware

that there were two

you need to do some homework young man

marty made both a wartime and post-war

version of the hero city

the version you saw

it was 90 minutes i think

did it show the dark side of the heroes

in the hero city

did it show the violence and the

betrayal the cruelty the depravity

the bottomless evil in some of those

heroes hearts

no of course not why would it that was

our reality and it's what drove so many

people to get snuggled in bed

blow out their candles and take their

last breath

marty chose instead to show the other

side the one that gets people out of bed

the next morning makes them scratch and

scrape and fight for their lives because

someone is telling them that they're

going to be okay

there's a word for that kind of lie hope

parnell air national guard base

tennessee gavin blair escorts me to the

office of his squadron commander

colonel christina eliopoulos

as much a legend for her temper as for

her outstanding war record it is

difficult to see how so much intensity

can be compacted into her diminutive

almost childlike frame

her long black bangs and delicate facial features

features

only reinforce the picture of eternal youth

youth

then she removes her sunglasses

i was a raptor driver

the fa-22

it was hands down the best air

superiority platform ever built

it can outfly and out fight god and all

his angels

it was a monument to american technical

prowess and in this war

that prowess counted for [ __ ]

that must have been frustrating frustrating

frustrating

do you know what it feels like to

suddenly be told that the one goal

you've worked toward all your life that

you've sacrificed and suffered for

that's pushed you beyond limits you

never knew you had is now considered

strategically invalid

would you say this was a common feeling

let me put it this way the russian army

wasn't the only service to be decimated

by their own government

the armed forces reconstruction act

basically neutered the air force

some dust res experts had determined

that our resource to kill ratio our rkr

was the most lopsided of all the branches

branches

could you give me some example

how about the j style the joint standoff weapon

weapon

it was a gravity bomb guided by gps and

inertial nav

they could be released from as far as 40

miles away the baseline version carried

140 blu-97b sub-munitions

sub-munitions

and each bomblet carried a shaped charge

against armored targets a fragmented

case against infantry

and a zirconium ring to set the entire

kill zone ablaze

it had been considered a triumph until yonkers

note one

joint standoff weapons were used in

concert with a variety of other air

launched ordnance at yonkers

and note

now we were told that the price of one

jso kit

the materials manpower time and energy

not to mention the fuel and ground

maintenance needed for the delivery aircraft

aircraft

could pay for a platoon of infantry

pukes who could smoke a thousand times

as many g's

not enough bang for our buck like so

many of our former crown jewels

they went through us like an industrial laser

laser

the b-2 spirits gone the b-1 lancers

gone even the old buffs

the b-52 big ugly fat fellows gone

throw in the eagles the falcons the

tomcats hornets

jsf's and raptors

and you have more combat aircraft lost

to the stroke of a pen than to all the

sams flack and enemy fighters in history

note two

a slight exaggeration the amount of

combat aircraft grounded during world

war z does not equal those lost during

world war ii

and note

at least the assets weren't scrapped

thank god

just moth bald in warehouses or that big

desert graveyard today mark

note 3

a mark aerospace maintenance and

regeneration center

outside of tucson arizona

and note

long-term investment they called it

that's the one thing you can always

depend on as we're fighting one war

we're always preparing for the next one

our airlift capacity at least the

organization was almost left intact almost

almost

the globe masters had to go so did

anything else powered by a gas guzzling jet

jet

that left us with prop powered aircraft

i went from flying the closest thing to

an x-wing fighter to the next best thing

to a u-haul

was that the main mission of the air

force airborne resupply was our primary

objective the only one that really

counted anymore

she points to a yellowed map on the wall

the base commander let me keep it after

what happened to me

the map is of the wartime continental

united states all land west of the

rockies is shadow to light gray

amongst this gray are a variety of

colored circles

islands in the sea of zack

greene denotes active military facilities

facilities

some of them had been converted into

refugee centers some were still

contributing to the war effort

some were well defended but had no

strategic impact

the red zones were labeled

offensively viable

factories mines power plants

the army left custodial teams during the

big pullback

their job was to guard and maintain

these facilities

for a time when if

if

we could add them to the overall war effort

effort

the blue zones were civilian areas where

people had managed to make a stand

carve out a little piece of real estate

and figure some way to live within its boundaries

boundaries

all these zones were in need of resupply

and that's what the continental airlift

was all about

it was a massive operation not just in

terms of aircraft and fuel but

organization as well

remaining in contact with all these

islands processing their demands

coordinating with dust res

then trying to procure and prioritize

all the material for each drop made it

the statistically largest undertaking in

air force history

we tried to stay away from consumables

things like food and medicine that

required regular deliveries

these were classified as dds

dependency drops

and they got a back seat to ssds

self-sustaining drops like tools spare parts

parts

and tools to make spare parts

they don't need fish sinclair used to

say they need fishing poles

still every autumn we dropped a lot of

fish and wheat and salt

and dried vegetables and baby formula

winters were hard remember how long they

used to be

helping people to help themselves is

great in theory but you still got to

keep them alive

sometimes you had to drop in people

specialists like doctors or engineers

people with the kind of training you

just can't get from a how-to manual

the blue zones got a lot of special

forces instructors not only to teach

them how better to defend themselves but

to prepare them for the day they might

have to go on the offensive

i have a lot of respect for those guys

most of them knew it was for the duration

duration

a lot of the blue zones didn't have air

strips so they had to parachute in

without any hope of pickup

not all those blue zones remain secure

some were eventually overrun

the people we dropped in knew the risks

they were taking

a lot of hard all of them

that goes for the pilots as well hey i'm

not minimizing our risks at all

every day we had to fly over hundreds in

some cases thousands of miles of

infested territory

that's why we had purple zones

she refers to the last color on the map

the purple circles are few and far between

between

we set these up as refuel and repair facilities

facilities

a lot of the aircraft didn't have the

range to reach remote drop zones on the

east coast

if in-flight refueling assets weren't

available they helped reduce the number

of ships and crews lost enroute

they brought our fleet survivability up

to 92 percent

unfortunately i was part of the other eight

eight

i'll never be sure what exactly brought

us down mechanical malfunction or metal

fatigue combined with weather

it might have been the contents of our

payload mislabeled or mishandled

that happened a lot more than anyone

wanted to think about

sometimes if hazardous materials weren't

packaged properly or god forbid some

[ __ ] for brains qc inspector let his

people assemble their detonators before

creating them for travel

that happened to a buddy of mine just a

routine flight from palmdale to vandenberg

vandenberg

not even across an infested area

200 type 38 detonators all fully

assembled with their power cells

accidentally running

all set to blow on the same freak as our radio

radio

she snaps her fingers

that could have been us we were on a hop

from phoenix to the blue zone outside

tallahassee florida it was late october

almost full winter back then

honolulu was trying to squeeze out just

a few more drops before the weather

sucked us in until march

it was our ninth all that week

we were all on tweaks

these little blue stems that kept you

going without hampering your reflexes or judgment

judgment

i guess they worked well enough

but they made me have to piss my kidneys

out every 20 minutes

my crew the guys

used to give me a lot of grief you know

girls always having to go

i know they weren't really putting the

hate on but i still tried to hold it as

long as i could

after two hours of banging around in

some seriously heavy turbulence i

finally broke down and turned the stick

over to my co-pilot

i'd just zipped up when suddenly there

was this massive jolt like god had just

drop kicked our tail

and suddenly our nose was dipping

the head on our c-130 wasn't even really

a toilet just a portable cam pod with a

heavy plastic shower curtain that's probably what ended up saving my

that's probably what ended up saving my life

life if i'd been trapped in a real

if i'd been trapped in a real compartment

compartment maybe knocked out or unable to reach the

maybe knocked out or unable to reach the latch

latch suddenly there was this screech this

suddenly there was this screech this overpowering blast of high pressure air

overpowering blast of high pressure air and i was sucked out right through the

and i was sucked out right through the rear of the aircraft right past where

rear of the aircraft right past where the tail should have been

the tail should have been i was spiraling out of control

i was spiraling out of control i could just make out my ship this gray

i could just make out my ship this gray mass shrinking and smoking on its way

mass shrinking and smoking on its way down

down i straightened myself out hit my chute

i straightened myself out hit my chute i was still in a daze my head's swimming

i was still in a daze my head's swimming trying to catch my breath

trying to catch my breath i fumbled for my radio and started

i fumbled for my radio and started hollering for my crew to punch out

hollering for my crew to punch out i didn't get an answer

i didn't get an answer all i could see was one other chute

all i could see was one other chute the only other one that made it out

the only other one that made it out that was the worst moment right there

that was the worst moment right there just hanging helplessly

just hanging helplessly i could see the other shoot above and

i could see the other shoot above and north of me by about three and a half

north of me by about three and a half clicks

clicks i looked for the others

i looked for the others i tried my radio again

i tried my radio again but wasn't able to get a signal

but wasn't able to get a signal i figured it had been damaged during my

i figured it had been damaged during my exit

exit i tried to get my bearings somewhere

i tried to get my bearings somewhere over southern louisiana a swampy

over southern louisiana a swampy wilderness that seemed to have no end

wilderness that seemed to have no end i wasn't sure exactly my brain was still

i wasn't sure exactly my brain was still misfiring

misfiring at least i had sense enough to check the

at least i had sense enough to check the bare essentials i could move my legs my

bare essentials i could move my legs my arms

arms i wasn't in pain or bleeding externally

i wasn't in pain or bleeding externally i checked to make sure my survival kit

i checked to make sure my survival kit was intact still strapped to my thigh

was intact still strapped to my thigh and that my weapon my meg

and that my weapon my meg was still jamming me in the ribs

note 4 meg the pilot's nickname for their standard

the pilot's nickname for their standard issue 22 automatic pistol

issue 22 automatic pistol it is suspected that the appearance of

it is suspected that the appearance of the weapon

the weapon its extended suppressor

its extended suppressor folding stock and telescopic sight

folding stock and telescopic sight give it the appearance of the old hasbro

give it the appearance of the old hasbro transformers toy megatron

transformers toy megatron this fact has yet to be confirmed

this fact has yet to be confirmed and note

did the air force prepare you for situations like these

situations like these we all had to pass the willow creek

we all had to pass the willow creek escape and evade program in the klamath

escape and evade program in the klamath mountains in california

mountains in california it even had a few real g's in there with

it even had a few real g's in there with us

us tagged and tracked and placed at

tagged and tracked and placed at specific marks

specific marks to give us the real feel

to give us the real feel it's a lot like what they teach you in

it's a lot like what they teach you in the civilian manual

the civilian manual movement stealth how to take out zach

movement stealth how to take out zach before he can howl your position

before he can howl your position we all made it

we all made it lived i mean

lived i mean although a couple of pilots washed out

although a couple of pilots washed out on a section eight i guess they just

on a section eight i guess they just couldn't hack the real feel

couldn't hack the real feel that never bothered me being alone in

that never bothered me being alone in hostile territory that was standard

hostile territory that was standard operating procedure for me

operating procedure for me always

always you want to talk about being alone in a

you want to talk about being alone in a hostile environment try my four years at

hostile environment try my four years at colorado springs

colorado springs but there were other women

but there were other women other cadets

other cadets other competitors who happen to have the

other competitors who happen to have the same genitalia

same genitalia trust me when the pressure kicked in

trust me when the pressure kicked in sisterhood punched out

sisterhood punched out no it was me only me

no it was me only me self-contained self-reliant

self-contained self-reliant and always unquestionably self-assured

and always unquestionably self-assured that's the only thing that got me

that's the only thing that got me through four years of academy hell and

through four years of academy hell and it was the only thing i could count on

it was the only thing i could count on as i hit the mud in the middle of g

as i hit the mud in the middle of g country

country i unclasped my chute they'd teach you

i unclasped my chute they'd teach you not to waste time concealing it and

not to waste time concealing it and headed in the direction of the other

headed in the direction of the other shoot

shoot it took me a couple hours splashing

it took me a couple hours splashing through this cold slime that numbed

through this cold slime that numbed everything below my knees

everything below my knees i wasn't thinking clearly my head was

i wasn't thinking clearly my head was still spinning

still spinning no excuse i know but that's why i didn't

no excuse i know but that's why i didn't notice that the birds had suddenly

notice that the birds had suddenly beated in the opposite direction

beated in the opposite direction i did hear the scream though

i did hear the scream though faint and far away

faint and far away i could see the chute tangled in the

i could see the chute tangled in the trees

trees i started running another no-no making

i started running another no-no making all that noise without stopping to

all that noise without stopping to listen for zach

listen for zach i couldn't see anything just all these

i couldn't see anything just all these naked gray branches until they were

naked gray branches until they were right on top of me

right on top of me if it wasn't for rollins my co-pilot

if it wasn't for rollins my co-pilot i'm sure i'd have been a goner

i'm sure i'd have been a goner i found him dangling from his harness

i found him dangling from his harness dead twitching

dead twitching his flight suit had been torn open and

his flight suit had been torn open and his entrails were hanging

his entrails were hanging draped over five of them as they fed in

draped over five of them as they fed in this cloud of red brown water

note 5 at this point in the war

at this point in the war the new battle dress uniforms bdus were

the new battle dress uniforms bdus were not in mass production

not in mass production end note

end note one of them had managed to get its neck

one of them had managed to get its neck entangled in a section of small

entangled in a section of small intestine every time it moved it would

intestine every time it moved it would jerk rollins ringing him like a [ __ ]

jerk rollins ringing him like a [ __ ] bell

bell they didn't notice me at all

they didn't notice me at all close enough to touch and they didn't

close enough to touch and they didn't even look

even look at least i had the brains to snap on my

at least i had the brains to snap on my suppressor i didn't have to waste a

suppressor i didn't have to waste a whole clip another [ __ ] up

whole clip another [ __ ] up i was so angry i almost started kicking

i was so angry i almost started kicking their corpses

their corpses i was so ashamed

i was so ashamed so blinded by self-hate

so blinded by self-hate self-hate

self-hate i screwed the pooch my ship my crew

i screwed the pooch my ship my crew but it was an accident

but it was an accident it wasn't your fault

it wasn't your fault how do you know that you weren't there

how do you know that you weren't there [ __ ] i wasn't even there i don't know

[ __ ] i wasn't even there i don't know what happened

what happened i wasn't doing my job i was squatting

i wasn't doing my job i was squatting over a bucket like a goddamn girl

over a bucket like a goddamn girl i found myself burning up mentally

i found myself burning up mentally [ __ ] weakling i told myself [ __ ]

[ __ ] weakling i told myself [ __ ] loser i started to spiral

loser i started to spiral not just hating myself but hating myself

not just hating myself but hating myself for hating myself

for hating myself does that make any sense

does that make any sense i'm sure i might have just stayed there

i'm sure i might have just stayed there shaking and helpless and waiting for

shaking and helpless and waiting for zach

zach but then my radio started squawking

but then my radio started squawking hello hello is anyone out there anyone

hello hello is anyone out there anyone punch out of that wreck

punch out of that wreck it was a woman's voice

it was a woman's voice clearly civilian by her language and

clearly civilian by her language and tone

tone i answered immediately identified myself

i answered immediately identified myself and demanded that she respond in kind

and demanded that she respond in kind she told me she was a sky watcher

she told me she was a sky watcher and her handle was mets fan

and her handle was mets fan or just mets for short

or just mets for short the skywatch system was this ad-hoc

the skywatch system was this ad-hoc network of isolated ham radio operators

network of isolated ham radio operators they were supposed to report on downed

they were supposed to report on downed air crews

air crews and do what they could to help with

and do what they could to help with their rescue

their rescue it wasn't the most efficient system

it wasn't the most efficient system mainly because there were so few but it

mainly because there were so few but it looked like today was my lucky day

looked like today was my lucky day she told me that she had seen the smoke

she told me that she had seen the smoke and falling wreckage of my herc

and falling wreckage of my herc and even though she was probably less

and even though she was probably less than a day's walk from my position her

than a day's walk from my position her cabin was heavily surrounded

cabin was heavily surrounded before i could say anything she told me

before i could say anything she told me not to worry that she'd already reported

not to worry that she'd already reported my position to search and rescue

my position to search and rescue and the best thing to do was to get to

and the best thing to do was to get to open ground where i could rendezvous for

open ground where i could rendezvous for pickup

pickup i reached for my gps but it had been

i reached for my gps but it had been torn from my suit when i was sucked out

torn from my suit when i was sucked out of my ship

of my ship i had a backup survival map but it was

i had a backup survival map but it was so big so unspecific

so big so unspecific and my hump took me over so many states

and my hump took me over so many states that it was practically just a map of

that it was practically just a map of the u.s

the u.s my head was still clouded with anger and

my head was still clouded with anger and doubt

doubt i told her i didn't know my position

i told her i didn't know my position didn't know where to go

didn't know where to go she laughed

she laughed you mean you've never made this run

you mean you've never made this run before you don't have every inch of it

before you don't have every inch of it committed to memory you didn't see where

committed to memory you didn't see where you were as you were hanging by the silk

you were as you were hanging by the silk she was so sure of me trying to get me

she was so sure of me trying to get me to think instead of just spoon feeding

to think instead of just spoon feeding me the answers

me the answers i realized that i did know this area

i realized that i did know this area well

well that i had flown over it at least 20

that i had flown over it at least 20 times in the last three months

times in the last three months and that i had to be somewhere in the

and that i had to be somewhere in the atchafalaya basin

atchafalaya basin thanks she told me what did you see from

thanks she told me what did you see from your shoot

your shoot were there any rivers any roads

were there any rivers any roads at first all i could remember were the

at first all i could remember were the trees the endless gray landscape with no

trees the endless gray landscape with no distinguishable features

distinguishable features and then gradually as my brain cleared i

and then gradually as my brain cleared i remembered seeing both rivers and a road

remembered seeing both rivers and a road i checked on the map and realized that

i checked on the map and realized that directly north of me was the i-10

directly north of me was the i-10 freeway

freeway metz told me that was the best place for

metz told me that was the best place for an s r pickup

an s r pickup she told me it shouldn't take any longer

she told me it shouldn't take any longer than a day or two at best if i gotta

than a day or two at best if i gotta move on and stopped burning daylight

move on and stopped burning daylight as i was about to leave she stopped me

as i was about to leave she stopped me and asked if there was anything i'd

and asked if there was anything i'd forgotten to do

forgotten to do i remember that moment clearly i turned

i remember that moment clearly i turned back to rollins he was just starting to

back to rollins he was just starting to open his eyes again

open his eyes again i felt like i should say something

i felt like i should say something apologize maybe

apologize maybe then i put a round through his forehead

then i put a round through his forehead metz told me not to blame myself and no

metz told me not to blame myself and no matter what not to let it distract me

matter what not to let it distract me from the job i had to do

from the job i had to do she said stay alive stay alive and do

she said stay alive stay alive and do your job then she added and stop using

your job then she added and stop using up your weekend minutes

up your weekend minutes she was talking about battery power she

she was talking about battery power she didn't miss a trick

didn't miss a trick so i signed off and started moving north

so i signed off and started moving north across the swamp

across the swamp my brain was now on full burner all my

my brain was now on full burner all my lessons from the creek came rolling back

lessons from the creek came rolling back i stepped i halted i listened i stuck to

i stepped i halted i listened i stuck to dry ground where i could and i made sure

dry ground where i could and i made sure to pace myself very carefully

to pace myself very carefully i had to swim a couple times that really

i had to swim a couple times that really made me nervous

made me nervous twice i swear i could feel a hand just

twice i swear i could feel a hand just brush against my leg

brush against my leg once i found a road small barely two

once i found a road small barely two lanes and in horrible disrepair

lanes and in horrible disrepair still it was better than trudging

still it was better than trudging through the mud

through the mud i reported to mets what i'd found and

i reported to mets what i'd found and asked if it would take me right to the

asked if it would take me right to the freeway

freeway she warned me to stay off it and every

she warned me to stay off it and every other road that crisscrossed the basin

other road that crisscrossed the basin roads mean cars she said and cars mean

roads mean cars she said and cars mean g's

g's she was talking about any bitten human

she was talking about any bitten human drivers who died of their wounds while

drivers who died of their wounds while still behind the wheel and because a

still behind the wheel and because a ghoul doesn't have the iq points to open

ghoul doesn't have the iq points to open a door or unbuckle a seat belt would be

a door or unbuckle a seat belt would be doomed to spend the rest of their

doomed to spend the rest of their existence trapped in their cars

existence trapped in their cars i asked her what the danger of that was

i asked her what the danger of that was since they couldn't get out and as long

since they couldn't get out and as long as i didn't let them reach through an

as i didn't let them reach through an open window to grab me what did it

open window to grab me what did it matter how many abandoned cars i passed

matter how many abandoned cars i passed along the road

along the road that's reminded me that a trapped g was

that's reminded me that a trapped g was still able to moan and therefore still

still able to moan and therefore still able to call for others

able to call for others now i was really confused if i was going

now i was really confused if i was going to waste so much time ducking a few back

to waste so much time ducking a few back roads with a couple zack filled cars why

roads with a couple zack filled cars why was i heading for a freeway that was

was i heading for a freeway that was sure to be jammed with them

sure to be jammed with them she said

she said you'll be up above the swamp

you'll be up above the swamp how are more zombies going to get to you

how are more zombies going to get to you because it was built several stories

because it was built several stories above the swamp this section of the i-10

above the swamp this section of the i-10 was the safest place in the whole basin

was the safest place in the whole basin i confessed i hadn't thought of that she

i confessed i hadn't thought of that she laughed and said don't worry honey i

laughed and said don't worry honey i have stick with me and i'll get you home

have stick with me and i'll get you home and i did

and i did i stayed away from anything even

i stayed away from anything even resembling a road and stuck to as pure a

resembling a road and stuck to as pure a wilderness track as i could

wilderness track as i could i say pure but the truth was you

i say pure but the truth was you couldn't avoid all signs of humanity or

couldn't avoid all signs of humanity or what could have been humanity a long

what could have been humanity a long time ago

time ago there were shoes clothes bits of garbage

there were shoes clothes bits of garbage and tattered suitcases and hiking gear

and tattered suitcases and hiking gear i saw a lot of bones on the patches of

i saw a lot of bones on the patches of raised mud

raised mud i couldn't tell if they were human or

i couldn't tell if they were human or animal

animal one time i found this rib cage i'm

one time i found this rib cage i'm guessing it was a gator a big one

guessing it was a gator a big one i didn't want to think about how many

i didn't want to think about how many g's it took to bring that bastard down

g's it took to bring that bastard down the first g i saw was small probably a

the first g i saw was small probably a kid i couldn't tell its face was eaten

kid i couldn't tell its face was eaten off the skin nose eyes lips even the

off the skin nose eyes lips even the hair and ears

hair and ears not completely gone but partially

not completely gone but partially hanging were stuck in patches to the

hanging were stuck in patches to the exposed skull

exposed skull maybe there were more wounds i couldn't

maybe there were more wounds i couldn't tell

tell it was stuck inside one of those long

it was stuck inside one of those long civilian hikers packs stuffed in there

civilian hikers packs stuffed in there tight with the drawstring pulled right

tight with the drawstring pulled right up around its neck the shoulder straps

up around its neck the shoulder straps had gotten tangled on the roots of a

had gotten tangled on the roots of a tree

tree it was splashing around half submerged

it was splashing around half submerged its brain must have been intact and even

its brain must have been intact and even some of the muscle fibers connecting the

some of the muscle fibers connecting the jaw

jaw that jaw started snapping as i

that jaw started snapping as i approached

approached i don't know how it knew i was there

i don't know how it knew i was there maybe some of the nasal cavity was still

maybe some of the nasal cavity was still intact

intact maybe the ear canal

maybe the ear canal it couldn't moan its throat had been too

it couldn't moan its throat had been too badly mangled but the splashing might

badly mangled but the splashing might have attracted attention so i put it out

have attracted attention so i put it out of its misery if it really was miserable

of its misery if it really was miserable and tried not to think about it

and tried not to think about it that was another thing they taught us at

that was another thing they taught us at willow creek don't write their eulogy

willow creek don't write their eulogy don't try to imagine who they used to be

don't try to imagine who they used to be how they came to be here how they came

how they came to be here how they came to be this

to be this i know

i know who doesn't do that right

who doesn't do that right who doesn't look at one of those things

who doesn't look at one of those things and just naturally start to wonder

and just naturally start to wonder it's like reading the last page of a

it's like reading the last page of a book your imagination just naturally

book your imagination just naturally spinning and that's when you get

spinning and that's when you get distracted get sloppy let your guard

distracted get sloppy let your guard down and end up leaving someone else to

down and end up leaving someone else to wonder what happened to you

wonder what happened to you i tried to put her

i tried to put her it out of my mind

it out of my mind instead i found myself wondering why it

instead i found myself wondering why it had been the only one i'd seen

had been the only one i'd seen that was a practical survival question

that was a practical survival question not just idle musings so i got on the

not just idle musings so i got on the radio and asked metz if there was

radio and asked metz if there was something i was missing here

something i was missing here if maybe there was some area i should be

if maybe there was some area i should be careful to avoid

careful to avoid she reminded me that this area was for

she reminded me that this area was for the most part depopulated

the most part depopulated because the blue zones of baton rouge

because the blue zones of baton rouge and lafayette were pulling most of the

and lafayette were pulling most of the g's in either direction

g's in either direction that was bittersweet comfort being right

that was bittersweet comfort being right between two of the heaviest clusters for

between two of the heaviest clusters for miles she laughed again don't worry

miles she laughed again don't worry about it you'll be fine

about it you'll be fine i saw something up ahead

i saw something up ahead a lump that was almost a thicket but too

a lump that was almost a thicket but too boxy and shining in places

boxy and shining in places i reported it to mets she warned me not

i reported it to mets she warned me not to go near it keep on going and keep my

to go near it keep on going and keep my eyes on the prize

eyes on the prize i was feeling pretty good by this point

i was feeling pretty good by this point a little of the old me coming back

a little of the old me coming back as i got closer i could see that it was

as i got closer i could see that it was a vehicle

a vehicle a lexus hybrid suv

a lexus hybrid suv it was covered in mud and moss and

it was covered in mud and moss and sitting in the water up to its doors

sitting in the water up to its doors i could see that the rear windows were

i could see that the rear windows were blocked with survival gear

blocked with survival gear 10 sleeping bag cooking utensils hunting

10 sleeping bag cooking utensils hunting rifle with boxes and boxes of shells all

rifle with boxes and boxes of shells all new some still in their plastic

new some still in their plastic i came around the driver's side window

i came around the driver's side window and caught the glint of a 357

and caught the glint of a 357 it was still clutched in the driver's

it was still clutched in the driver's brown shriveled hand

brown shriveled hand he was still sitting upright looking

he was still sitting upright looking straight ahead

straight ahead there was light coming through the side

there was light coming through the side of his skull

of his skull he was badly decomposed at least a year

he was badly decomposed at least a year maybe more

maybe more he wore survival khakis the kind you'd

he wore survival khakis the kind you'd order from one of those upscale hunting

order from one of those upscale hunting safari catalogs

safari catalogs they were still clean and crisp the only

they were still clean and crisp the only blood was from the head wound

blood was from the head wound i couldn't see any other wound no bites

i couldn't see any other wound no bites nothing

nothing that hit me hard a lot harder than the

that hit me hard a lot harder than the little faceless kid

little faceless kid this guy had had everything he needed to

this guy had had everything he needed to survive

survive everything except the will

everything except the will i know that supposition

i know that supposition maybe there was a wound i couldn't see

maybe there was a wound i couldn't see hidden by his clothes or the advanced

hidden by his clothes or the advanced decomposition

decomposition but i knew it leaning there with my face

but i knew it leaning there with my face against the glass looking at this

against the glass looking at this monument to how easy it was to give up

monument to how easy it was to give up i stood there for a moment

i stood there for a moment long enough for mets to ask me what was

long enough for mets to ask me what was happening

happening i told her what i was seeing and without

i told her what i was seeing and without pause she told me to keep on going

pause she told me to keep on going i started to argue i thought i should at

i started to argue i thought i should at least search the vehicle see if there

least search the vehicle see if there was anything i needed

was anything i needed she asked me sternly if there was

she asked me sternly if there was anything i needed not wanted

anything i needed not wanted i thought about it admitted there wasn't

i thought about it admitted there wasn't his gear was plentiful but it was

his gear was plentiful but it was civilian big and bulky

civilian big and bulky the food needed cooking the weapons

the food needed cooking the weapons weren't silenced

weren't silenced my survival kit was pretty thorough and

my survival kit was pretty thorough and if for some reason i didn't find a helo

if for some reason i didn't find a helo waiting at the i-10

waiting at the i-10 i could always use this as an emergency

i could always use this as an emergency supply cache

supply cache i brought up the idea of maybe using the

i brought up the idea of maybe using the suv itself

suv itself metz asked if i had a tow truck and some

metz asked if i had a tow truck and some jumper cables

jumper cables almost like a kid i answered no

almost like a kid i answered no she asked then what's keeping you or

she asked then what's keeping you or something like that pushing me to get a

something like that pushing me to get a move on

move on i told her to just wait a minute

i told her to just wait a minute i leaned my head against the driver's

i leaned my head against the driver's side window i sighed and felt beat again

side window i sighed and felt beat again drained

drained mets got on my ass pushing me

mets got on my ass pushing me i snapped back for her to shut the [ __ ]

i snapped back for her to shut the [ __ ] up i just needed a minute a couple

up i just needed a minute a couple seconds to

seconds to i don't know what

i don't know what i must have kept my thumb on the

i must have kept my thumb on the transmit button for a few seconds too

transmit button for a few seconds too long because matt suddenly asked

long because matt suddenly asked what was that

what was that what i asked

what i asked she'd heard something

she'd heard something something on my end

something on my end she'd heard it before you

she'd heard it before you i guess so

i guess so because in another second once i cleared

because in another second once i cleared my head and opened my ears i began to

my head and opened my ears i began to hear it too

hear it too the moan

the moan loud and close followed by the splashing

loud and close followed by the splashing of feet

of feet i looked up through the car's window the

i looked up through the car's window the hole in the dead man's skull and the

hole in the dead man's skull and the window on the other side and that's when

window on the other side and that's when i saw the first one

i saw the first one i spun around and saw five more coming

i spun around and saw five more coming at me from all directions and behind

at me from all directions and behind them were another 10 15.

them were another 10 15. i took a shot at the first one the round

i took a shot at the first one the round went wild

went wild metz started squawking at me demanding a

metz started squawking at me demanding a contact report i gave her a head count

contact report i gave her a head count and she told me to stay cool don't try

and she told me to stay cool don't try to run just stay put and follow what

to run just stay put and follow what i've learned at willow creek

i've learned at willow creek i started to ask how she knew about

i started to ask how she knew about willow creek when she shot for me to

willow creek when she shot for me to shut up and fight

shut up and fight i climbed to the top of the suv you're

i climbed to the top of the suv you're supposed to look for the closest

supposed to look for the closest physical defense

physical defense and started to measure ranges

and started to measure ranges i lined up my first target took a deep

i lined up my first target took a deep breath and dropped him

breath and dropped him to be a fighter jock is to be able to

to be a fighter jock is to be able to make decisions as fast as your

make decisions as fast as your electrochemical impulses can carry them

electrochemical impulses can carry them i'd lost that nanosecond timing when i

i'd lost that nanosecond timing when i hit the mud

hit the mud now it was back

now it was back i was calm i was focused all the doubt

i was calm i was focused all the doubt and weakness were gone

and weakness were gone the whole engagement felt like 10 hours

the whole engagement felt like 10 hours but i guess in reality it was more like

but i guess in reality it was more like 10 minutes

10 minutes 61 in total

61 in total a nice thick ring of submerged corpses

a nice thick ring of submerged corpses i took my time checked my remaining ammo

i took my time checked my remaining ammo and waited for the next wave to come

and waited for the next wave to come none did

none did it was another 20 minutes before metz

it was another 20 minutes before metz asked me for an update i gave her a body

asked me for an update i gave her a body count and she told me to remind her

count and she told me to remind her never to piss me off

never to piss me off i laughed the first time since i'd hit

i laughed the first time since i'd hit the mud

the mud i felt good again strong and confident

i felt good again strong and confident that's warned me that all these

that's warned me that all these distractions had erased any chance of

distractions had erased any chance of making it to the i-10 before nightfall

making it to the i-10 before nightfall and that i should probably start

and that i should probably start thinking about where i was going to

thinking about where i was going to catch my 40.

catch my 40. i got as far away from the suv as i

i got as far away from the suv as i could before the sky started to darken

could before the sky started to darken and found a decent enough perch in the

and found a decent enough perch in the branches of a tall tree

branches of a tall tree my kit had this standard issue

my kit had this standard issue microfiber hammock great invention light

microfiber hammock great invention light and strong with clasps to keep you from

and strong with clasps to keep you from rolling out

rolling out that part was also supposed to help calm

that part was also supposed to help calm you down

you down help you get to sleep faster yep right

help you get to sleep faster yep right it didn't matter that i'd already been

it didn't matter that i'd already been up for close to 48 hours that i'd tried

up for close to 48 hours that i'd tried all the breathing exercises they taught

all the breathing exercises they taught us at the creek

us at the creek or that i even slipped two of my baby

or that i even slipped two of my baby elves

elves note 6

note 6 baby elves

baby elves officially a pain reliever but used by

officially a pain reliever but used by many military personnel as a sleep aid

many military personnel as a sleep aid and note

and note you're only supposed to take one but i

you're only supposed to take one but i figured that was for lightweight wussies

figured that was for lightweight wussies i was me again remember i could handle

i was me again remember i could handle it and hey i needed to sleep

it and hey i needed to sleep i asked you since there was nothing else

i asked you since there was nothing else to do or think about

to do or think about if it was okay to talk about her

if it was okay to talk about her who was she really

who was she really how'd she end up in this isolated cabin

how'd she end up in this isolated cabin in the middle of cajun country

in the middle of cajun country she didn't sound cajun she didn't even

she didn't sound cajun she didn't even have a southern accent

have a southern accent and how did she know so much about pilot

and how did she know so much about pilot training without ever going through it

training without ever going through it herself

herself i was starting to get my suspicions

i was starting to get my suspicions starting to piece together a rough

starting to piece together a rough outline of who she really was

outline of who she really was metz told me again that there would be

metz told me again that there would be plenty of time later for an episode of

plenty of time later for an episode of the view

the view right now i needed my sleep and to check

right now i needed my sleep and to check in with her at dawn

in with her at dawn i felt the l's kick in between check and

i felt the l's kick in between check and in

in i was out by dawn

i was out by dawn i slept hard

i slept hard the sky was already light by the time i

the sky was already light by the time i opened my eyes i'd been dreaming about

opened my eyes i'd been dreaming about what else

what else zack

zack his moans were still echoing in my ears

his moans were still echoing in my ears when i woke up

when i woke up and then i looked down and realized they

and then i looked down and realized they weren't dreams

weren't dreams there must have been at least a hundred

there must have been at least a hundred of them surrounding the tree

of them surrounding the tree they were all reaching excitedly all

they were all reaching excitedly all trying to climb over each other to get

trying to climb over each other to get up to me

up to me at least they couldn't ramp up the

at least they couldn't ramp up the ground wasn't solid enough

ground wasn't solid enough i didn't have the ammo to take all of

i didn't have the ammo to take all of them out and since a firefight might

them out and since a firefight might also buy time for more to show up

also buy time for more to show up i decided it was best to pack up my gear

i decided it was best to pack up my gear and execute my escape plan

and execute my escape plan you had planned for this

you had planned for this not really planned but they'd trained us

not really planned but they'd trained us for situations like this

for situations like this it's a lot like jumping from an aircraft

it's a lot like jumping from an aircraft pick your approximate landing zone

pick your approximate landing zone tuck and roll keep loose

tuck and roll keep loose and get up as quick as you can

and get up as quick as you can the goal is to put some serious distance

the goal is to put some serious distance between you and your attackers

between you and your attackers you take off running jogging or even

you take off running jogging or even speed walking yes they actually told us

speed walking yes they actually told us to consider this as a low impact

to consider this as a low impact alternative

alternative the point is to get far enough away to

the point is to get far enough away to give you time to plan your next move

give you time to plan your next move according to my map the i10 was close

according to my map the i10 was close enough for me to make a run for it

enough for me to make a run for it be spotted by a rescued chopper and be

be spotted by a rescued chopper and be lifted off before the stink bags would

lifted off before the stink bags would ever catch up

ever catch up i got on the radio reported my situation

i got on the radio reported my situation to mets and told her to signal snr for

to mets and told her to signal snr for an immediate pickup

an immediate pickup she told me to be careful

she told me to be careful i crouched i jumped

i crouched i jumped and cracked my ankle on a submerged rock

and cracked my ankle on a submerged rock i hit the water face down its chill was

i hit the water face down its chill was the only thing that kept me from

the only thing that kept me from blacking out from the pain

blacking out from the pain i came up spluttering choking and the

i came up spluttering choking and the first thing i saw was the whole swarm

first thing i saw was the whole swarm coming at me

coming at me mats must have known something was up by

mats must have known something was up by the fact that i didn't report my safe

the fact that i didn't report my safe landing maybe she asked me what had

landing maybe she asked me what had happened though i don't remember

happened though i don't remember i just remember her yelling at me to get

i just remember her yelling at me to get up and run

up and run i tried putting weight on my ankle but

i tried putting weight on my ankle but lightning shot up through my leg and

lightning shot up through my leg and spine it could bear the weight but

spine it could bear the weight but i screamed so loud i'm sure she heard me

i screamed so loud i'm sure she heard me through her cabin's window

through her cabin's window get out of there she was yelling go

get out of there she was yelling go i started limping splashing away with

i started limping splashing away with upwards of a hundred g's on my ass

upwards of a hundred g's on my ass it must have been comical this frantic

it must have been comical this frantic race of cripples

race of cripples that's yelled if you can stand on it you

that's yelled if you can stand on it you can run on it it's not a weight bearing

can run on it it's not a weight bearing bone you can do this

bone you can do this but it hurts

but it hurts i actually said that with tears running

i actually said that with tears running down my face with zach behind me howling

down my face with zach behind me howling for his lunch

for his lunch i reached the freeway looming above the

i reached the freeway looming above the swamp like the ruins of a roman aqueduct

swamp like the ruins of a roman aqueduct mets had been right about its relative

mets had been right about its relative safety only neither of us had counted on

safety only neither of us had counted on my injury or my undead tail

my injury or my undead tail there was no immediate entrance so i had

there was no immediate entrance so i had to limp to one of the small adjoining

to limp to one of the small adjoining roads that metz had originally warned me

roads that metz had originally warned me to avoid

to avoid i could see why as i began to get close

i could see why as i began to get close wrecked and rusting cars were piled up

wrecked and rusting cars were piled up by the hundreds and every tenth one had

by the hundreds and every tenth one had at least one g locked inside

at least one g locked inside they saw me and started to moan the

they saw me and started to moan the sound carried from miles in every

sound carried from miles in every direction

direction matt shouted don't worry about that now

matt shouted don't worry about that now just get on the on-ramp and watch the

just get on the on-ramp and watch the [ __ ] grabbers

[ __ ] grabbers grabbers

grabbers the ones reaching through broken windows

the ones reaching through broken windows on the open road i at least had a chance

on the open road i at least had a chance of dodging them

of dodging them but on the on-ramp you're hemmed in on

but on the on-ramp you're hemmed in on either side

either side that was the worst part by far those few

that was the worst part by far those few minutes trying to get up onto the

minutes trying to get up onto the freeway

freeway i had to go in between the cars my ankle

i had to go in between the cars my ankle wouldn't let me get on top of them

wouldn't let me get on top of them these rotting hands would reach out for

these rotting hands would reach out for me grabbing my flight suit or my wrist

me grabbing my flight suit or my wrist every head shot cost me seconds and i

every head shot cost me seconds and i didn't have

didn't have the steep incline was already slowing me

the steep incline was already slowing me down my ankle was throbbing my lungs

down my ankle was throbbing my lungs were aching and the swarm was now

were aching and the swarm was now gaining on me fast

gaining on me fast if it hadn't been for mets

if it hadn't been for mets she was shouting at me the whole time

she was shouting at me the whole time move your ass you [ __ ] [ __ ]

move your ass you [ __ ] [ __ ] she was getting pretty raw by then

she was getting pretty raw by then don't you dare quit don't you dare crap

don't you dare quit don't you dare crap out of me

out of me she never let up never gave me an inch

she never let up never gave me an inch what are you some weak little victim at

what are you some weak little victim at that point i thought i was

that point i thought i was i knew i could never make it the

i knew i could never make it the exhaustion the pain more than anything i

exhaustion the pain more than anything i think the anger at [ __ ] up so badly

think the anger at [ __ ] up so badly i actually considered turning my pistol

i actually considered turning my pistol around

around wanting to punish myself for you know

wanting to punish myself for you know and then mets really hit me she roared

and then mets really hit me she roared what are you your [ __ ] mother

what are you your [ __ ] mother that did it i hauled ass right up onto

that did it i hauled ass right up onto the interstate

the interstate i reported to matt said i'd made it and

i reported to matt said i'd made it and asked now what the [ __ ] do i do

asked now what the [ __ ] do i do her voice suddenly got very soft she

her voice suddenly got very soft she told me to look up

told me to look up a black dot was heading at me from out

a black dot was heading at me from out of the morning sun it was following the

of the morning sun it was following the freeway and grew very quickly into the

freeway and grew very quickly into the form of a uh-60

form of a uh-60 i let out a whoop and popped my signal

i let out a whoop and popped my signal flare

the first thing i saw when they winched me aboard was that it was a civilian

me aboard was that it was a civilian chopper not government search and rescue

chopper not government search and rescue the crew chief was a big cajun with a

the crew chief was a big cajun with a thick goatee and wrap around sunglasses

thick goatee and wrap around sunglasses he asked where the hell you come from

he asked where the hell you come from sorry if i butchered the accent i almost

sorry if i butchered the accent i almost cried and punched him in his thigh-sized

cried and punched him in his thigh-sized bicep

bicep i laughed and said that they work fast

i laughed and said that they work fast he shot me a look like i didn't know

he shot me a look like i didn't know what i was talking about

what i was talking about it turned out later that this wasn't the

it turned out later that this wasn't the rescue team

rescue team but just a routine air shuttle between

but just a routine air shuttle between baton rouge and lafayette

baton rouge and lafayette i didn't know at that moment and i

i didn't know at that moment and i didn't care

didn't care i reported to metz that i got my pickup

i reported to metz that i got my pickup that i was safe i thanked her for

that i was safe i thanked her for everything she'd done for me and

everything she'd done for me and and so i wouldn't really start bowling i

and so i wouldn't really start bowling i tried to cover with a joke about finally

tried to cover with a joke about finally getting that episode of the view

getting that episode of the view i never got a response

i never got a response she sounds like a hell of a sky watcher

she sounds like a hell of a sky watcher she was a hell of a woman

she was a hell of a woman you said you had your suspicions by this

you said you had your suspicions by this point

point no civilian even a veteran skywatcher

no civilian even a veteran skywatcher could know so much about what goes into

could know so much about what goes into wearing those wings she was just too

wearing those wings she was just too savvy too informed the kind of baseline

savvy too informed the kind of baseline knowledge of someone who had to have

knowledge of someone who had to have gone through it herself

gone through it herself so she was a pilot

so she was a pilot definitely

definitely not air force i would have known it but

not air force i would have known it but maybe a squid or a jar head

maybe a squid or a jar head they'd lost as many pilots as the air

they'd lost as many pilots as the air force on resupply hops like mine

force on resupply hops like mine and eight out of ten were never

and eight out of ten were never accounted for

accounted for i'm sure that she must have run into a

i'm sure that she must have run into a situation like mine had to ditch lost

situation like mine had to ditch lost her crew maybe even blamed herself for

her crew maybe even blamed herself for it like me

it like me somehow she managed to find that cabin

somehow she managed to find that cabin and spent the rest of the war as one

and spent the rest of the war as one kick-ass skywatcher

kick-ass skywatcher that makes sense doesn't it

that makes sense doesn't it there is an awkward pause i search your

there is an awkward pause i search your face waiting for more

face waiting for more what

what they never found her

they never found her no

no or the cabin no

or the cabin no and honolulu never had any record of a

and honolulu never had any record of a sky watcher with the callsign mets fan

sky watcher with the callsign mets fan you've done your homework i

you've done your homework i you probably also read my after action

you probably also read my after action report right yes

report right yes and the psych evaluation they tacked on

and the psych evaluation they tacked on after my official debriefing

after my official debriefing well

well well it's [ __ ] okay

well it's [ __ ] okay so what if everything she told me was

so what if everything she told me was information i'd already been briefed on

information i'd already been briefed on so what if the psych team claimed my

so what if the psych team claimed my radio was knocked out before i hit the

radio was knocked out before i hit the mud

mud and so the [ __ ] what if mets is short

and so the [ __ ] what if mets is short for metis

for metis the mother of athena

the mother of athena the greek goddess with the stormy grey

the greek goddess with the stormy grey eyes

eyes oh the shrinks had a ball with that one

oh the shrinks had a ball with that one especially when they discovered that my

especially when they discovered that my mother grew up in the bronx

mother grew up in the bronx and that remark she made about your

and that remark she made about your mother

mother who the hell doesn't have mother issues

who the hell doesn't have mother issues if metz was a pilot she was a natural

if metz was a pilot she was a natural gambler

gambler she knew she had a good chance of

she knew she had a good chance of scoring a hit with mom

scoring a hit with mom she knew the risk took a shot

she knew the risk took a shot look if they thought i'd cracked up why

look if they thought i'd cracked up why didn't i lose my flight status

didn't i lose my flight status why did they let me have this job

why did they let me have this job maybe she wasn't a pilot herself maybe

maybe she wasn't a pilot herself maybe she was married to one

she was married to one maybe she'd wanted to be one but never

maybe she'd wanted to be one but never made it as far as i did

made it as far as i did maybe she was just a scared lonely voice

maybe she was just a scared lonely voice that did what she could to help another

that did what she could to help another scared lonely voice from ending up like

scared lonely voice from ending up like her

her who cares who she was or is

who cares who she was or is she was there when i needed her

she was there when i needed her and for the rest of my life she'll

and for the rest of my life she'll always be with me

province of bohemia the european union it is called coast

it is called coast the bone

the bone and what it lacks in beauty

and what it lacks in beauty it more than makes up for in strength

it more than makes up for in strength appearing to grow out of its solid rock

appearing to grow out of its solid rock foundation

foundation this 14th century gothic rod

this 14th century gothic rod casts an intimidating shadow over the

casts an intimidating shadow over the plaque neck valley

plaque neck valley an image david allen forbes is keen to

an image david allen forbes is keen to capture with his pencil and paper

capture with his pencil and paper this will be his second book

this will be his second book castles of the zombie war the continent

castles of the zombie war the continent the englishman sits under a tree his

the englishman sits under a tree his patchwork clothing and long scottish

patchwork clothing and long scottish sword already adding to this arthurian

sword already adding to this arthurian setting

setting he abruptly switches gears as i arrive

he abruptly switches gears as i arrive from serene artist to painfully nervous

from serene artist to painfully nervous storytelling

when i say that the new world doesn't have our history of fixed

doesn't have our history of fixed fortifications i'm only referring to

fortifications i'm only referring to north america

north america there are the spanish coastal fortresses

there are the spanish coastal fortresses naturally along the caribbean

naturally along the caribbean and the ones we and the french built in

and the ones we and the french built in the lesser antilles

the lesser antilles then there are the inca ruins in the

then there are the inca ruins in the andes although they never experienced

andes although they never experienced direct sieges

note one although machu picchu was quiet

although machu picchu was quiet throughout the war the survivors at

throughout the war the survivors at vilcabamba did see a minor internal

vilcabamba did see a minor internal outbreak

outbreak and note

also when i say north america that does not include the mayan and

that does not include the mayan and aztec ruins in mexico

aztec ruins in mexico that business with the battle of kukul

that business with the battle of kukul khan

khan although i suppose that's toll deck now

although i suppose that's toll deck now isn't it when those chaps held off so

isn't it when those chaps held off so many zed

many zed on the steps of that bloody great

on the steps of that bloody great pyramid

pyramid so when i say new world

so when i say new world i'm really referring to the united

i'm really referring to the united states and canada

states and canada this isn't an insult you understand

this isn't an insult you understand please don't take it as such

please don't take it as such you're both young countries you don't

you're both young countries you don't have the history of institutional

have the history of institutional anarchy we europeans suffered after the

anarchy we europeans suffered after the fall of rome

fall of rome you've always had standing national

you've always had standing national governments with the forces capable of

governments with the forces capable of enforcing law and order i know that

enforcing law and order i know that wasn't true during your westward

wasn't true during your westward expansion or your civil war and please

expansion or your civil war and please i'm not discounting those pre-civil war

i'm not discounting those pre-civil war fortresses

fortresses or the experiences of those defending

or the experiences of those defending them i'd one day like to visit fort

them i'd one day like to visit fort jefferson

jefferson i hear those who survived there had

i hear those who survived there had quite a time of it

quite a time of it all i'm saying is in europe's history we

all i'm saying is in europe's history we had almost a millennia of chaos where

had almost a millennia of chaos where sometimes the concept of physical safety

sometimes the concept of physical safety stopped at the battlements of your

stopped at the battlements of your lord's castle

lord's castle does that make sense

does that make sense i'm not making sense

i'm not making sense can we start again

can we start again now now this is fine please continue

now now this is fine please continue you'll edit out all the daft bits

you'll edit out all the daft bits you got it right then

you got it right then castles

castles well

well i don't want for a moment to overstate

i don't want for a moment to overstate their importance for the general war

their importance for the general war effort

effort in fact when you compare them to any

in fact when you compare them to any other type of fixed fortification

other type of fixed fortification modern modified and so forth their

modern modified and so forth their contribution does seem quite negligible

contribution does seem quite negligible unless you're like me

unless you're like me and that contribution was what saved

and that contribution was what saved your life

your life this doesn't mean that a mighty fortress

this doesn't mean that a mighty fortress was naturally our god

was naturally our god for starters you must understand the

for starters you must understand the inherent difference between a castle and

inherent difference between a castle and a palace

a palace a lot of so-called castles were really

a lot of so-called castles were really nothing more than just great impressive

nothing more than just great impressive homes or else had been converted to such

homes or else had been converted to such after their defensive value had become

after their defensive value had become obsolete

obsolete these once impregnable bastions

these once impregnable bastions now had so many windows cut into the

now had so many windows cut into the ground floor

ground floor that it would have taken forever to

that it would have taken forever to break them all up again you'd be better

break them all up again you'd be better off in a modern block of flats with the

off in a modern block of flats with the staircase removed

staircase removed and as far as those palaces that were

and as far as those palaces that were built as nothing more than status

built as nothing more than status symbols

symbols places like chateau usa

places like chateau usa or prague castle they were little more

or prague castle they were little more than death traps

than death traps just look at versailles

just look at versailles that was a first-rate cock-up small

that was a first-rate cock-up small wonder the french government chose to

wonder the french government chose to build their national memorial on its

build their national memorial on its ashes

ashes did you ever read that poem by renar

did you ever read that poem by renar about the wild roses that now grow in

about the wild roses that now grow in the memorial garden their petals stained

the memorial garden their petals stained red with the blood of the damned

red with the blood of the damned not that a high wall was all you needed

not that a high wall was all you needed for long-term survival

for long-term survival like any static defense castles had as

like any static defense castles had as many internal as external dangers

many internal as external dangers just look at moiter slot in holland

just look at moiter slot in holland one case of pneumonia that's all it took

one case of pneumonia that's all it took throw in a wet cold autumn poor

throw in a wet cold autumn poor nutrition and lack of any genuine

nutrition and lack of any genuine medications

medications imagine what that must have been like

imagine what that must have been like trapped behind those high stone walls

trapped behind those high stone walls those around you fatally ill

those around you fatally ill knowing your time was coming knowing the

knowing your time was coming knowing the only slim hope you had was to escape

only slim hope you had was to escape the journals written by some of the

the journals written by some of the dying tell of people going mad with

dying tell of people going mad with desperation leaping into that moat

desperation leaping into that moat choked with zed heads

choked with zed heads and then there were fires

and then there were fires like the ones

like the ones at browbach

at browbach and pierre fall

and pierre fall hundreds trapped with nowhere to run

hundreds trapped with nowhere to run just waiting to be charred by the flames

just waiting to be charred by the flames or asphyxiated by the smoke

or asphyxiated by the smoke there were also accidental explosions

there were also accidental explosions civilians who somehow found themselves

civilians who somehow found themselves in possession of bombs but had no idea

in possession of bombs but had no idea how to handle or even store them that

how to handle or even store them that mishkolt's davos deer in hungary as i

mishkolt's davos deer in hungary as i understand it someone got their hands on

understand it someone got their hands on a cache of military-grade sodium-based

a cache of military-grade sodium-based explosives

explosives don't ask me what exactly it was or why

don't ask me what exactly it was or why they had it but nobody seemed to know

they had it but nobody seemed to know that water not fire was the catalytic

that water not fire was the catalytic agent

agent the story goes that someone was smoking

the story goes that someone was smoking in the armory caused some small fire or

in the armory caused some small fire or whatnot

whatnot the stupid sods thought they were

the stupid sods thought they were preventing an explosion by dousing the

preventing an explosion by dousing the crates in water

crates in water it blew a hole right through the wall

it blew a hole right through the wall and the dead surged in like water

and the dead surged in like water through a breached dam

through a breached dam at least that was a mistake based on

at least that was a mistake based on ignorance

ignorance i can't even begin to forgive what

i can't even begin to forgive what happened at chateau de fujer

happened at chateau de fujer they were running low on supplies

they were running low on supplies thought that they could dig a tunnel

thought that they could dig a tunnel under their undead attackers

under their undead attackers what did they think this was the great

what did they think this was the great escape

escape did they have any professional surveyors

did they have any professional surveyors with them

with them did they even understand the basics of

did they even understand the basics of trigonometry

trigonometry the bloody tunnel exit fell short by

the bloody tunnel exit fell short by over half a kilometer came upright in a

over half a kilometer came upright in a nest of the damn things

nest of the damn things stupid wankers hadn't even thought to

stupid wankers hadn't even thought to equip their tunnel with demolition

equip their tunnel with demolition charges

charges yes there were cock-ups of plenty but

yes there were cock-ups of plenty but there were also some noteworthy triumphs

there were also some noteworthy triumphs many were subjected to only short-term

many were subjected to only short-term sieges

sieges the good fortune of being on the right

the good fortune of being on the right side of the line

side of the line some in spain bavaria or scotland above

some in spain bavaria or scotland above the antonine only had to hold out for

the antonine only had to hold out for weeks or even days

weeks or even days note 2

note 2 the main british line of defense was

the main british line of defense was fixed along the site of the old roman

fixed along the site of the old roman entanine wall

entanine wall end note

for some like kishmaul

like kishmaul it was only a question of getting

it was only a question of getting through one rather dodgy night

through one rather dodgy night but then there were the true tales of

but then there were the true tales of victory

victory like chanel so in france

like chanel so in france a bizarre little disney-esque castle

a bizarre little disney-esque castle built on a bridge over the share river

built on a bridge over the share river with both connections to land severed

with both connections to land severed and the right amount of strategic

and the right amount of strategic forethought they managed to hold their

forethought they managed to hold their position for years

position for years they had enough supplies for years oh

they had enough supplies for years oh good lord no they simply waited for

good lord no they simply waited for first snowfall then raided the

first snowfall then raided the surrounding countryside

surrounding countryside this was i should imagine standard

this was i should imagine standard procedure for almost anyone under siege

procedure for almost anyone under siege castled or not

castled or not i'm sure those in your strategic blue

i'm sure those in your strategic blue zones at least those above the snow line

zones at least those above the snow line operated in much the same manner

operated in much the same manner in that way we were fortunate that most

in that way we were fortunate that most of europe freezes in winter

of europe freezes in winter many of the defenders i've spoken to

many of the defenders i've spoken to have agreed that the inevitable onset of

have agreed that the inevitable onset of winter long and brutal as it was became

winter long and brutal as it was became a life-saving reprieve

a life-saving reprieve as long as they didn't freeze to death

as long as they didn't freeze to death many survivors took the opportunity of

many survivors took the opportunity of frozen zed heads to raid the surrounding

frozen zed heads to raid the surrounding countryside for everything they'd need

countryside for everything they'd need for the warmer months

for the warmer months it's not surprising how many defenders

it's not surprising how many defenders chose to remain in their strongholds

chose to remain in their strongholds even with the opportunity to flee

even with the opportunity to flee be it bouyon in belgium

be it bouyon in belgium or spish in slovakia

or spish in slovakia or even back home

or even back home like beaumaris in wales

like beaumaris in wales before the war the place had been

before the war the place had been nothing but a museum piece a hollow

nothing but a museum piece a hollow shell of ruthless chambers and high

shell of ruthless chambers and high concentric walls

concentric walls the town council should be given the vc

the town council should be given the vc for their accomplishments pooling

for their accomplishments pooling resources organizing citizens restoring

resources organizing citizens restoring this ruin to its former glory

this ruin to its former glory they are just a few months before the

they are just a few months before the crisis engulfed their part of britain

crisis engulfed their part of britain even more dramatic

even more dramatic is the story of

is the story of conwey

conwey both a castle and medieval wall that

both a castle and medieval wall that protected the entire town

protected the entire town the inhabitants not only lived in safety

the inhabitants not only lived in safety and relative comfort during the

and relative comfort during the stalemate years

stalemate years their access to the sea allowed conway

their access to the sea allowed conway to become a springboard for our forces

to become a springboard for our forces once we began to retake our country

once we began to retake our country have you ever read camelot mine i shake

have you ever read camelot mine i shake my head

my head you must find yourself a copy it's a

you must find yourself a copy it's a cracking good novel based on the

cracking good novel based on the author's own experiences as one of the

author's own experiences as one of the defenders of carfilling

defenders of carfilling he began the crisis on the second floor

he began the crisis on the second floor of his flat in ludlow wales

of his flat in ludlow wales as his supplies ran out and the first

as his supplies ran out and the first snow fell he decided to strike out in

snow fell he decided to strike out in search of more permanent lodgings he

search of more permanent lodgings he came upon the abandoned ruin which had

came upon the abandoned ruin which had already been the site of a half-hearted

already been the site of a half-hearted and ultimately fruitless defense

and ultimately fruitless defense he buried the bodies smashed the frozen

he buried the bodies smashed the frozen zed heads and set about restoring the

zed heads and set about restoring the castle on his own

castle on his own he worked tirelessly in the most brutal

he worked tirelessly in the most brutal winter on record

winter on record by may car philly was prepared for the

by may car philly was prepared for the summer siege and by the following winter

summer siege and by the following winter it became a haven for several hundred

it became a haven for several hundred other survivors

other survivors he shows me some of his sketches

he shows me some of his sketches a masterpiece isn't it

a masterpiece isn't it second largest in the british isles

second largest in the british isles what's the first

what's the first he hesitates

he hesitates windsor

windsor windsor was your castle

windsor was your castle well not mine personally i mean you were

well not mine personally i mean you were there

there another pause

another pause it was from a defensive standpoint as

it was from a defensive standpoint as close as one could come to perfection

close as one could come to perfection before the war it was the largest

before the war it was the largest inhabited castle in europe almost 13

inhabited castle in europe almost 13 acres

acres it had its own well for water

it had its own well for water and enough storage space to house a

and enough storage space to house a decade's worth of rations

decade's worth of rations the fire of 1992 led to a

the fire of 1992 led to a state-of-the-art suppression system and

state-of-the-art suppression system and the subsequent terrorist threats

the subsequent terrorist threats upgraded security measures to rival any

upgraded security measures to rival any in the uk

in the uk not even the general public knew what

not even the general public knew what their tax dollars were paying for

their tax dollars were paying for bulletproof glass reinforced walls

bulletproof glass reinforced walls retractable bars

retractable bars and steel shutters hidden so cleverly in

and steel shutters hidden so cleverly in windowsills and door frames

windowsills and door frames but of all our achievements at windsor

but of all our achievements at windsor nothing can rival the siphoning of crude

nothing can rival the siphoning of crude oil and natural gas from the deposit

oil and natural gas from the deposit several kilometers beneath the castle's

several kilometers beneath the castle's foundation

foundation it had been discovered in the 1990s but

it had been discovered in the 1990s but never exploited for a variety of

never exploited for a variety of political and environmental reasons you

political and environmental reasons you can believe we exploited it though

can believe we exploited it though our contingent of royal engineers rigged

our contingent of royal engineers rigged a scaffolding up and over our wall and

a scaffolding up and over our wall and extended it to the drilling site

extended it to the drilling site it was quite an achievement and you can

it was quite an achievement and you can see how it became the precursor to our

see how it became the precursor to our fortified motorways

fortified motorways on a personal level i was just grateful

on a personal level i was just grateful for the warm rooms hot food and in a

for the warm rooms hot food and in a pinch the molotovs and flaming ditch

pinch the molotovs and flaming ditch it's not the most efficient way to stop

it's not the most efficient way to stop a zed-head i know but as long as you've

a zed-head i know but as long as you've got them stuck and can keep them in the

got them stuck and can keep them in the fire

fire and besides what else could we do when

and besides what else could we do when the bullets ran out and we were left

the bullets ran out and we were left with nothing else but an odd lot of

with nothing else but an odd lot of medieval hand weapons

medieval hand weapons there were quite a bit of those about in

there were quite a bit of those about in museums personal collections

museums personal collections and not a decorative dud among them

and not a decorative dud among them these were real tough and tested

these were real tough and tested they became part of british life again

they became part of british life again ordinary citizens traipsing about with a

ordinary citizens traipsing about with a mace or halberd or double-bladed battle

mace or halberd or double-bladed battle axe

axe i myself became rather adept with this

i myself became rather adept with this claymore although you wouldn't think of

claymore although you wouldn't think of it to look at me he gestures slightly

it to look at me he gestures slightly embarrassed to the weapon almost as long

embarrassed to the weapon almost as long as himself

as himself it's not really ideal takes a lot of

it's not really ideal takes a lot of skill but eventually you learn what you

skill but eventually you learn what you can do what you never thought you were

can do what you never thought you were capable of what others around you are

capable of what others around you are capable of

capable of david hesitates before speaking

david hesitates before speaking he is clearly uncomfortable i hold out

he is clearly uncomfortable i hold out my hand

my hand thank you so much for taking the time

thank you so much for taking the time there's more

there's more if you're not comfortable no please it's

if you're not comfortable no please it's quite all right takes a breath

quite all right takes a breath she

she she wouldn't leave you see

she wouldn't leave you see she insisted over the objections of

she insisted over the objections of parliament

parliament to remain at windsor as she put it for

to remain at windsor as she put it for the duration

the duration i thought maybe it was misguided

i thought maybe it was misguided nobility

nobility or maybe fear-based paralysis

or maybe fear-based paralysis i tried to make her see reason begged

i tried to make her see reason begged her almost on my knees

her almost on my knees hadn't she done enough with the balmoral

hadn't she done enough with the balmoral decree

decree turning all her estates into protected

turning all her estates into protected zones for any who could reach and defend

zones for any who could reach and defend them

them why not join her family in ireland or

why not join her family in ireland or the isle of man

the isle of man or at least if she was insisting on

or at least if she was insisting on remaining in britain supreme command hq

remaining in britain supreme command hq north above the antonine

north above the antonine what did she say

what did she say the highest of distinctions is service

the highest of distinctions is service to others

to others he clears his throat

he clears his throat his upper lip quivers for a second

his upper lip quivers for a second her father had said that

her father had said that it was the reason he had refused to run

it was the reason he had refused to run to canada during the second world war

to canada during the second world war the reason her mother had spent the

the reason her mother had spent the blitz visiting civilians huddled in the

blitz visiting civilians huddled in the tube stations beneath london

tube stations beneath london the same reason to this day we remain a

the same reason to this day we remain a united kingdom

united kingdom their task their mandate

their task their mandate is to personify all that is great in our

is to personify all that is great in our national spirit

national spirit they must forever be an example to the

they must forever be an example to the rest of us the strongest and bravest and

rest of us the strongest and bravest and absolute best of us

absolute best of us in a sense it is they who are ruled by

in a sense it is they who are ruled by us instead of the other way around

us instead of the other way around and they must sacrifice everything

and they must sacrifice everything everything to shoulder the weight of

everything to shoulder the weight of this godlike burden

this godlike burden otherwise what's the flipping point just

otherwise what's the flipping point just scrap the whole damn tradition

scrap the whole damn tradition roll out the bloody guillotine and be

roll out the bloody guillotine and be done with it all together

done with it all together they were viewed very much like castles

they were viewed very much like castles i suppose

i suppose as crumbling obsolete relics with no

as crumbling obsolete relics with no real modern function other than as

real modern function other than as tourist attractions

tourist attractions but when the skies darkened and the

but when the skies darkened and the nation called

nation called both reawoke to the meaning of their

both reawoke to the meaning of their existence

existence one shielded our bodies

one shielded our bodies the other our souls

the other our souls ulethi atoll

ulethi atoll federated states of micronesia

federated states of micronesia during world war ii

during world war ii this vast coral atoll

this vast coral atoll served as the main forward base for the

served as the main forward base for the united states pacific fleet

united states pacific fleet during world war z

during world war z it sheltered not only american naval

it sheltered not only american naval vessels but hundreds of civilian ships

vessels but hundreds of civilian ships as well

as well one of those ships was the uns

one of those ships was the uns ural the first broadcast hub of radio

ural the first broadcast hub of radio free earth

free earth now a museum to the achievements of the

now a museum to the achievements of the project she is the focus of the british

project she is the focus of the british documentary words at war

documentary words at war one of the subjects interviewed for this

one of the subjects interviewed for this documentary

documentary is bharati pulsagar

ignorance was the enemy lies and superstition

lies and superstition misinformation disinformation

misinformation disinformation sometimes no information at all

sometimes no information at all ignorance killed billions of people

ignorance killed billions of people ignorance caused the zombie war

ignorance caused the zombie war imagine if we had known then what we

imagine if we had known then what we know now

know now imagine if the undead virus

imagine if the undead virus had been as understood as say

had been as understood as say tuberculosis ones

tuberculosis ones imagine if the world's citizens or at

imagine if the world's citizens or at least those charged with protecting

least those charged with protecting those citizens had known exactly what

those citizens had known exactly what they were facing

they were facing ignorance was the real enemy and cold

ignorance was the real enemy and cold hard facts were the weapons

hard facts were the weapons when i first joined radio free earth it

when i first joined radio free earth it was still called the international

was still called the international program for health and safety

program for health and safety information

information the title radio free earth came from the

the title radio free earth came from the individuals and communities who

individuals and communities who monitored our broadcasts

monitored our broadcasts it was the first real international

it was the first real international venture barely a few months after the

venture barely a few months after the south african plan and years before the

south african plan and years before the conference at honolulu

conference at honolulu just like the rest of the world based

just like the rest of the world based their survival strategies on reticu

their survival strategies on reticu our genesis was routed in radio ubuna

our genesis was routed in radio ubuna note one

note one ubuna

ubuna a word of zulu origin for unity

a word of zulu origin for unity and note

what was radio ubuna south africa's broadcasts to its

south africa's broadcasts to its isolated citizens

isolated citizens because they didn't have the resources

because they didn't have the resources for material aid the only assistance the

for material aid the only assistance the government could render was information

government could render was information they were the first at least to my

they were the first at least to my knowledge to begin these regular

knowledge to begin these regular multilingual broadcasts

multilingual broadcasts not only did they offer practical

not only did they offer practical survival skills they went so far as to

survival skills they went so far as to collect and address each and every

collect and address each and every falsehood circulating among their

falsehood circulating among their citizens

citizens what we did was take the template of

what we did was take the template of radio ubuntu and adapted for the global

radio ubuntu and adapted for the global community

community i came aboard literally at the very

i came aboard literally at the very beginning

beginning as the ural's reactors were just being

as the ural's reactors were just being put back online

put back online the euro was a former vessel of the

the euro was a former vessel of the soviet than the russian federal navy

soviet than the russian federal navy back then the ssv 33 had been many

back then the ssv 33 had been many things

things a command and control ship a missile

a command and control ship a missile tracking platform an electronic

tracking platform an electronic surveillance vessel

surveillance vessel unfortunately she was also a white

unfortunately she was also a white elephant because her systems they tell

elephant because her systems they tell me were too complicated even for her own

me were too complicated even for her own crew

crew she had spent the majority of her career

she had spent the majority of her career tied to appear

tied to appear at the vladivostok naval base providing

at the vladivostok naval base providing additional electrical power for the

additional electrical power for the facility

facility i am not an engineer so i don't know how

i am not an engineer so i don't know how they manage to replace or spend fuel

they manage to replace or spend fuel rods

rods or convert her massive communication

or convert her massive communication facilities to interface with the global

facilities to interface with the global satellite network

satellite network i specialize in languages specifically

i specialize in languages specifically those of the indian subcontinent

those of the indian subcontinent myself

myself and mr verma just the two of us to cover

and mr verma just the two of us to cover a billion people

a billion people well at that point it was still a

well at that point it was still a billion

billion mr verma had found me in the refugee

mr verma had found me in the refugee camp in sri lanka

camp in sri lanka he was a translator i was an interpreter

he was a translator i was an interpreter we had worked together several years

we had worked together several years before at our country's embassy in

before at our country's embassy in london

london we thought it had been hard work then

we thought it had been hard work then we had no idea

we had no idea it was a maddening grind 18 sometimes 20

it was a maddening grind 18 sometimes 20 hours a day

hours a day i don't know when we slept

i don't know when we slept there was so much raw data

there was so much raw data so many dispatches arriving every minute

so many dispatches arriving every minute much of it had to do with basic survival

much of it had to do with basic survival how to purify water create an indoor

how to purify water create an indoor greenhouse

greenhouse culture and process mold spore for

culture and process mold spore for penicillin

penicillin this mind-numbing copy would often be

this mind-numbing copy would often be punctuated with facts and terms that i

punctuated with facts and terms that i had never heard of before i'd never

had never heard of before i'd never heard the term quizling or feral

heard the term quizling or feral i didn't know what a lobo was or the

i didn't know what a lobo was or the false miracle cure of phalanx

false miracle cure of phalanx all i knew was that suddenly there was a

all i knew was that suddenly there was a uniform man shoving a collection of

uniform man shoving a collection of words before my eyes

words before my eyes and telling me

and telling me we need this in marathi and ready to

we need this in marathi and ready to record in 15 minutes

record in 15 minutes what kind of misinformation were you

what kind of misinformation were you combating

combating where do you want me to begin

where do you want me to begin medical scientific military spiritual

medical scientific military spiritual psychological

psychological the psychological aspect i found the

the psychological aspect i found the most maddening

most maddening people wanted so badly to

people wanted so badly to anthropomorphize the walking blight

anthropomorphize the walking blight in war in a conventional war that is we

in war in a conventional war that is we spend so much time trying to dehumanize

spend so much time trying to dehumanize the enemy to create an emotional

the enemy to create an emotional distance

distance we would make up stories or derogatory

we would make up stories or derogatory titles

titles when i think about what my father used

when i think about what my father used to call muslims

to call muslims and now in this war it seemed that

and now in this war it seemed that everyone was trying desperately to find

everyone was trying desperately to find some shred of a connection to their

some shred of a connection to their enemy to put a human face on something

enemy to put a human face on something that was so unmistakably inhuman

that was so unmistakably inhuman can you give me some examples

can you give me some examples there were so many misconceptions

there were so many misconceptions zombies were somehow intelligent they

zombies were somehow intelligent they could feel and adapt

could feel and adapt use tools and even some human weapons

use tools and even some human weapons they carried memories of their former

they carried memories of their former existence

existence or they could be communicated with and

or they could be communicated with and trained like some kind of pet

trained like some kind of pet it was heartbreaking having to debunk

it was heartbreaking having to debunk one misguided myth after another

one misguided myth after another the civilian survival guide helped but

the civilian survival guide helped but was still severely limited oh really oh

was still severely limited oh really oh yes

yes you could see it was clearly written by

you could see it was clearly written by an american the references to suvs and

an american the references to suvs and personal firearms

personal firearms there was no taking into account the

there was no taking into account the cultural differences the various

cultural differences the various indigenous solutions people believed

indigenous solutions people believed would save them from the undead

would save them from the undead such as

such as i'd rather not give too many details not

i'd rather not give too many details not without tacitly condemning the entire

without tacitly condemning the entire people group from which this solution

people group from which this solution originated

originated as an indian i had to deal with many

as an indian i had to deal with many aspects of my own culture that had

aspects of my own culture that had turned self-destructive

turned self-destructive there was varanasi one of the oldest

there was varanasi one of the oldest cities on earth near the place where

cities on earth near the place where buddha supposedly preached his first

buddha supposedly preached his first sermon and where thousands of hindu

sermon and where thousands of hindu pilgrims came each year to die

pilgrims came each year to die in normal pre-war conditions the road

in normal pre-war conditions the road would be littered with corpses

would be littered with corpses now these corpses were rising to attack

now these corpses were rising to attack varanasi was one of the hottest white

varanasi was one of the hottest white zones a nexus of living death

zones a nexus of living death this nexus covered almost the entire

this nexus covered almost the entire length of the ganges

length of the ganges its healing powers had been

its healing powers had been scientifically assessed decades before

scientifically assessed decades before the war something to do with the high

the war something to do with the high oxygenation rate of the waters

oxygenation rate of the waters note 2

note 2 although opinion is divided on the

although opinion is divided on the subject many pre-war scientific studies

subject many pre-war scientific studies have proven that the high oxygenation

have proven that the high oxygenation retention of the ganges

retention of the ganges has been the source of its long revered

has been the source of its long revered miracle cures

miracle cures and note

and note tragic

tragic millions flock to its shores serving

millions flock to its shores serving only to feed the flames

only to feed the flames even after the government's withdrawal

even after the government's withdrawal to the himalayas when over 90 percent of

to the himalayas when over 90 percent of the country was officially overrun the

the country was officially overrun the pilgrimages continued

pilgrimages continued every country had a similar story

every country had a similar story every one of our international crew had

every one of our international crew had at least one moment when they were

at least one moment when they were forced to confront an example of

forced to confront an example of suicidal ignorance

suicidal ignorance an american told us about how the

an american told us about how the religious sect known as god's lambs

religious sect known as god's lambs believed that the rapture had finally

believed that the rapture had finally come and the quicker they were infected

come and the quicker they were infected the quicker they would go to heaven

the quicker they would go to heaven another woman i won't say what country

another woman i won't say what country she belonged to tried her best to dispel

she belonged to tried her best to dispel the notion that sexual intercourse with

the notion that sexual intercourse with a virgin could cleanse the curse

a virgin could cleanse the curse i don't know how many women or little

i don't know how many women or little girls were raped as a result of this

girls were raped as a result of this cleansing

cleansing everyone was furious with his own people

everyone was furious with his own people everyone was ashamed

everyone was ashamed our one belgian crew member compared it

our one belgian crew member compared it to the darkening skies he used to call

to the darkening skies he used to call it the evil of our collective soul

it the evil of our collective soul i guess i have no right to complain my

i guess i have no right to complain my life was never in danger my belly was

life was never in danger my belly was always full

always full i might not have slept often but at

i might not have slept often but at least i could sleep without fear

least i could sleep without fear most importantly

most importantly i never had had to work in the urals ir

i never had had to work in the urals ir department

department ir

ir information reception

information reception the data we were broadcasting did not

the data we were broadcasting did not originate aboard the ural

originate aboard the ural it came from all around the world from

it came from all around the world from experts and think tanks in various

experts and think tanks in various government safe zones

government safe zones they would transmit their findings to

they would transmit their findings to our ir operators who in turn would pass

our ir operators who in turn would pass it along to us

it along to us much of this data was transmitted to us

much of this data was transmitted to us over conventional open civilian bands

over conventional open civilian bands and many of these bands were crammed

and many of these bands were crammed with ordinary people's cries for help

with ordinary people's cries for help there were millions of wretched souls

there were millions of wretched souls scattered throughout our planet all

scattered throughout our planet all screaming into their private radio sets

screaming into their private radio sets as their children starved or their

as their children starved or their temporary fortress burned

temporary fortress burned or the living dead overran their

or the living dead overran their defenses

defenses even if you didn't understand the

even if you didn't understand the language as many of the operators didn't

language as many of the operators didn't there was no mistaking the human voice

there was no mistaking the human voice of anguish

of anguish they weren't allowed to answer back

they weren't allowed to answer back either there wasn't time all

either there wasn't time all transmissions had to be devoted to

transmissions had to be devoted to official business i don't want to know

official business i don't want to know what that was like for the ir operators

what that was like for the ir operators when the last broadcast came from buenos

when the last broadcast came from buenos aires when that famous latin singer

aires when that famous latin singer played that spanish lullaby

played that spanish lullaby he was too much for one of our operators

he was too much for one of our operators he wasn't from buenos aires he wasn't

he wasn't from buenos aires he wasn't even from south america he was just an

even from south america he was just an 18 year old russian sailor who blew his

18 year old russian sailor who blew his brains out all over his instruments

brains out all over his instruments he was the first

he was the first and since the end of the war

and since the end of the war the rest of the ir operators have

the rest of the ir operators have followed suit

followed suit not one of them is alive today

not one of them is alive today the last was my belgian friend

the last was my belgian friend you carry those voices with you he told

you carry those voices with you he told me one morning

me one morning we were standing on the deck

we were standing on the deck looking into that brown haze waiting for

looking into that brown haze waiting for a sunrise we knew we'd never see

a sunrise we knew we'd never see those cries will be with me the rest of

those cries will be with me the rest of my life

my life never resting never fading

never resting never fading never ceasing their call to join them

the demilitarized zone south korea hyung chol choi

hyung chol choi deputy director of the korean central

deputy director of the korean central intelligence agency

intelligence agency gestures to the dry hilly unremarkable

gestures to the dry hilly unremarkable landscape to our north

landscape to our north one might mistake it for southern

one might mistake it for southern california if not for the deserted pill

california if not for the deserted pill boxes fading banners

boxes fading banners and rusting barbed wire fence that runs

and rusting barbed wire fence that runs to either horizon

what happened no one knows

no one knows no country was better prepared to repel

no country was better prepared to repel the infestation than north korea

the infestation than north korea rivers to the north oceans to the east

rivers to the north oceans to the east and west

and west and to the south he gestures to the

and to the south he gestures to the demilitarized zone the most heavily

demilitarized zone the most heavily fortified border on earth

fortified border on earth you can see how mountainous the terrain

you can see how mountainous the terrain is how easily defensible

is how easily defensible but what you can't see is that those

but what you can't see is that those mountains are honeycombed with a titanic

mountains are honeycombed with a titanic military industrial infrastructure

military industrial infrastructure the north korean government learned some

the north korean government learned some very hard lessons from your bombing

very hard lessons from your bombing campaign of the 1950s

campaign of the 1950s and had been laboring ever since to

and had been laboring ever since to create a subterranean system that would

create a subterranean system that would allow their people to wage another war

allow their people to wage another war from a secure location

from a secure location their population was heavily militarized

their population was heavily militarized marshaled to a degree of readiness that

marshaled to a degree of readiness that made israel look like iceland

made israel look like iceland over a million men and women were

over a million men and women were actively under arms with a further five

actively under arms with a further five in reserve

in reserve that is over a quarter of the entire

that is over a quarter of the entire population

population not to mention the fact that almost

not to mention the fact that almost everyone in the country had

everyone in the country had at some point in their lives undergone

at some point in their lives undergone basic military training

basic military training more important than this training though

more important than this training though and most important for this kind of

and most important for this kind of warfare was an almost superhuman degree

warfare was an almost superhuman degree of national discipline

of national discipline north koreans were indoctrinated from

north koreans were indoctrinated from birth to believe that their lives were

birth to believe that their lives were meaningless that they existed only to

meaningless that they existed only to serve the state the revolution and the

serve the state the revolution and the great leader

great leader this is almost the polar opposite of

this is almost the polar opposite of what we experienced in the south

what we experienced in the south we were an open society we had to be

we were an open society we had to be international trade was our lifeblood

international trade was our lifeblood we were individualists maybe not as much

we were individualists maybe not as much as you americans but we had more than

as you americans but we had more than our share of protests and public

our share of protests and public disturbances

disturbances we were such a free and fractured

we were such a free and fractured society that we barely managed to

society that we barely managed to implement the

implement the chang doctrine during the great panic

note one the chang doctrine south korea's version

the chang doctrine south korea's version of the reticular plan

of the reticular plan and

and note that kind of internal crisis would

note that kind of internal crisis would have been inconceivable in the north

have been inconceivable in the north they were a people who even when their

they were a people who even when their government caused a near genocidal

government caused a near genocidal famine

famine would rather resort to eating children

would rather resort to eating children than raise even a whisper of defiance

than raise even a whisper of defiance note two

note two there have been reports of alleged

there have been reports of alleged cannibalism during the famine of 1992

cannibalism during the famine of 1992 and that some of the victims were

and that some of the victims were children

children and note

and note this was the kind of subservience adolf

this was the kind of subservience adolf hitler could have only dreamed of

hitler could have only dreamed of if you had given each citizen a gun a

if you had given each citizen a gun a rock or even their bare hands pointed

rock or even their bare hands pointed them at approaching zombies and said

them at approaching zombies and said fight they would have done so down to

fight they would have done so down to the oldest woman and smallest tot

the oldest woman and smallest tot this was a country bred for war planned

this was a country bred for war planned prepared and poised for it since july 27

prepared and poised for it since july 27 1953

1953 if you were going to invent a country to

if you were going to invent a country to not only survive but triumph over the

not only survive but triumph over the apocalypse we faced it would have been

apocalypse we faced it would have been the democratic people's republic of

the democratic people's republic of korea

korea so what happened

so what happened about a month before our troubles

about a month before our troubles started before the first outbreaks were

started before the first outbreaks were reported in busan

reported in busan the north suddenly and inexplicably

the north suddenly and inexplicably suffered all diplomatic relations

suffered all diplomatic relations we weren't told why the rail line the

we weren't told why the rail line the only overland link needs to see

only overland link needs to see long-lost relatives in the north

long-lost relatives in the north had their dreams abruptly shattered by a

had their dreams abruptly shattered by a rubber stamp

rubber stamp no explanation of any kind was given all

no explanation of any kind was given all we got was their standard matter of

we got was their standard matter of state security brush off

state security brush off unlike many others i wasn't convinced

unlike many others i wasn't convinced that this was a prelude to war

that this was a prelude to war whenever the north had threatened

whenever the north had threatened violence they always rang the same bells

violence they always rang the same bells no satellite data ours or the americans

no satellite data ours or the americans showed any hostile intent

showed any hostile intent there were no troop movements no

there were no troop movements no aircraft fueling no ship or submarine

aircraft fueling no ship or submarine deployment if anything our forces along

deployment if anything our forces along the demilitarized zone began noticing

the demilitarized zone began noticing their opposite numbers disappearing

their opposite numbers disappearing we knew them all the border troops we'd

we knew them all the border troops we'd photographed each one over the years

photographed each one over the years given them nicknames like snake eyes or

given them nicknames like snake eyes or bulldog

bulldog even compiled dossiers on their supposed

even compiled dossiers on their supposed ages backgrounds and personal lives

ages backgrounds and personal lives now they were gone

now they were gone vanished behind shielded trenches and

vanished behind shielded trenches and dugouts

dugouts our seismic indicators were similarly

our seismic indicators were similarly silent if the north had begun tunneling

silent if the north had begun tunneling operations or even massed vehicles on

operations or even massed vehicles on the other side of z

the other side of z we would have heard it like the national

we would have heard it like the national opera company

opera company pon moon drum is the only area along the

pon moon drum is the only area along the dmz where opposing sides can meet for

dmz where opposing sides can meet for face-to-face negotiations

face-to-face negotiations we share joint custody of the conference

we share joint custody of the conference rooms and our troops posture for each

rooms and our troops posture for each other over several meters of open

other over several meters of open courtyard

courtyard the guards were changed on a rotating

the guards were changed on a rotating basis

basis one night as the north korean detachment

one night as the north korean detachment marched into their barracks no

marched into their barracks no replacement unit marched out

replacement unit marched out the doors were shut the lights were

the doors were shut the lights were extinguished and we never saw them again

extinguished and we never saw them again we also saw a complete halt to human

we also saw a complete halt to human intelligence infiltration spies from the

intelligence infiltration spies from the north were almost as regular and

north were almost as regular and predictable as the seasons

predictable as the seasons most of the time they were easy to spot

most of the time they were easy to spot wearing out-of-date clothes or asking

wearing out-of-date clothes or asking the price of goods that they should have

the price of goods that they should have already known

already known we used to pick them up all the time but

we used to pick them up all the time but since the outbreaks began their numbers

since the outbreaks began their numbers had dwindled to zero

had dwindled to zero what about your spies in the north

what about your spies in the north vanished all of them right about the

vanished all of them right about the same time all our electronic

same time all our electronic surveillance assets went dark

surveillance assets went dark i don't mean there was no disturbing

i don't mean there was no disturbing radio traffic i mean there was no

radio traffic i mean there was no traffic at all

traffic at all one by one all the civilian and military

one by one all the civilian and military channels began shutting down

channels began shutting down satellite images showed fewer farmers in

satellite images showed fewer farmers in their fields

their fields less foot traffic in city streets even

less foot traffic in city streets even fewer volunteer laborers on many public

fewer volunteer laborers on many public works projects

works projects which is something that has never

which is something that has never happened before

happened before before we knew it there wasn't a living

before we knew it there wasn't a living soul left from the yalu to the dmz

soul left from the yalu to the dmz from a purely intelligence standpoint

from a purely intelligence standpoint it appeared as if the entire country

it appeared as if the entire country every man woman and child in north korea

every man woman and child in north korea had simply vanished

had simply vanished this mystery only stoked our growing

this mystery only stoked our growing anxiety given what we had to deal with

anxiety given what we had to deal with at home

at home by now there were outbreaks in seoul

by now there were outbreaks in seoul paw hong

paw hong tad john

tad john there was the evacuation of makpo

there was the evacuation of makpo the isolation of

the isolation of kongnung and of course our version of

kongnung and of course our version of yonkers

yonkers at inchon

at inchon and all of it compounded by the need to

and all of it compounded by the need to keep at least half our active divisions

keep at least half our active divisions along our northern border

along our northern border too many in the ministry of national

too many in the ministry of national defense

defense were convinced that pyongyang was just

were convinced that pyongyang was just aching for war

aching for war waiting eagerly for our darkest moment

waiting eagerly for our darkest moment to come thundering across the 38th

to come thundering across the 38th parallel

parallel we in the intelligence community

we in the intelligence community couldn't disagree more we kept telling

couldn't disagree more we kept telling them that if they were waiting for our

them that if they were waiting for our darkest hour

darkest hour then that hour had most certainly

then that hour had most certainly arrived

arrived taehan mingook was on the brink of

taehan mingook was on the brink of national collapse

national collapse plans were being secretly drafted for a

plans were being secretly drafted for a japanese style resettlement

japanese style resettlement covert teams were already scouting

covert teams were already scouting locations in kamchatka

locations in kamchatka if the chang doctrine hadn't worked if

if the chang doctrine hadn't worked if just a few more units had broken if a

just a few more units had broken if a few more safe zones had collapsed

few more safe zones had collapsed maybe we owe our survival to the north

maybe we owe our survival to the north or at least to the fear of it

or at least to the fear of it my generation never really saw the north

my generation never really saw the north as a threat

as a threat i'm speaking of the civilians you

i'm speaking of the civilians you understand those of my age who saw them

understand those of my age who saw them as a backward starving failed nation

as a backward starving failed nation my generation had grown up their entire

my generation had grown up their entire lives in peace and prosperity the only

lives in peace and prosperity the only thing they feared was a german style

thing they feared was a german style reunification that would bring millions

reunification that would bring millions of homeless ex-communists looking for a

of homeless ex-communists looking for a handout that wasn't the case with those

handout that wasn't the case with those who came before us our parents and

who came before us our parents and grandparents those who lived with the

grandparents those who lived with the very real specter of invasion hanging

very real specter of invasion hanging over them the knowledge that at any

over them the knowledge that at any moment the alarms might sound the lights

moment the alarms might sound the lights might dim

might dim and the bankers school teachers and taxi

and the bankers school teachers and taxi drivers

drivers might be called to pick up arms and

might be called to pick up arms and fight to defend their homeland their

fight to defend their homeland their hearts and minds were ever vigilant and

hearts and minds were ever vigilant and in the end it was them not us who

in the end it was them not us who rallied the national spirit

rallied the national spirit i'm still pushing for an expedition to

i'm still pushing for an expedition to the north

the north i'm still blocked at every turn

i'm still blocked at every turn there's too much work to do they tell me

there's too much work to do they tell me the country is still in shambles we also

the country is still in shambles we also have our international commitments most

have our international commitments most importantly the repatriation of our

importantly the repatriation of our refugees to kyushu

refugees to kyushu snorts

snorts those japs are gonna owe us big time

those japs are gonna owe us big time i'm not asking for a recon in force

i'm not asking for a recon in force just give me one helicopter one fishing

just give me one helicopter one fishing boat

boat just open the gates at panmunjom and let

just open the gates at panmunjom and let me walk through on foot what if you

me walk through on foot what if you trigger some booby trap they counter

trigger some booby trap they counter what if it's nuclear what if you open

what if it's nuclear what if you open the door to some underground city and 23

the door to some underground city and 23 million zombies come spewing out

million zombies come spewing out their arguments aren't without merit

their arguments aren't without merit we know the dmz is heavily mined

we know the dmz is heavily mined last month a cargo plane nearing their

last month a cargo plane nearing their airspace was fired on by a

airspace was fired on by a surface-to-air missile

surface-to-air missile the launcher was an automated model the

the launcher was an automated model the type they designed as a revenge weapon

type they designed as a revenge weapon in case the population had already been

in case the population had already been obliterated

obliterated conventional wisdom is that they must

conventional wisdom is that they must have evacuated to their subterranean

have evacuated to their subterranean complexes if that is true then our

complexes if that is true then our estimates of the size and depth of those

estimates of the size and depth of those complexes were grossly inaccurate

complexes were grossly inaccurate maybe the entire population is

maybe the entire population is underground tooling away on endless war

underground tooling away on endless war projects

projects while their great leader continues to

while their great leader continues to anesthetize himself with western liquor

anesthetize himself with western liquor and american pornography

and american pornography do they even know the war is over

do they even know the war is over have their leaders lied to them again

have their leaders lied to them again and told them that the world as they

and told them that the world as they know it has ceased to be maybe the rise

know it has ceased to be maybe the rise of the dead was a good thing in their

of the dead was a good thing in their eyes an excuse to tighten the yoke even

eyes an excuse to tighten the yoke even further in a society built on blind

further in a society built on blind subjugation

subjugation the great leader always wanted to be a

the great leader always wanted to be a living god and now as master not only of

living god and now as master not only of the food his people eat the air they

the food his people eat the air they breathe

breathe but the very light of their artificial

but the very light of their artificial suns

suns maybe his twisted fantasy has finally

maybe his twisted fantasy has finally become a reality

become a reality maybe that was the original plan but

maybe that was the original plan but something went disastrously wrong

something went disastrously wrong look what happened to the mole city

look what happened to the mole city underneath paris

underneath paris what if that occurred in the north on a

what if that occurred in the north on a national level

national level maybe those caverns are teeming with 23

maybe those caverns are teeming with 23 million zombies emaciated automatons

million zombies emaciated automatons howling in the darkness and just waiting

howling in the darkness and just waiting to be unleashed

the old photo of kondo tatsumi shows a skinny acne-faced teenager with

shows a skinny acne-faced teenager with dull red eyes

dull red eyes and bleached blonde highlights streaking

and bleached blonde highlights streaking his uncamped hair

his uncamped hair the man i am speaking to has no hair at

the man i am speaking to has no hair at all clean shaven tanned and toned his

all clean shaven tanned and toned his clear sharp gaze never leaves mine

clear sharp gaze never leaves mine although his manner is cordial and his

although his manner is cordial and his mood light

mood light this warrior monk retains the composure

this warrior monk retains the composure of a predatory animal addressed

of a predatory animal addressed i was an otaku

i was an otaku i know that term has come to mean a

i know that term has come to mean a great many things to a great many people

great many things to a great many people but for me it simply meant outsider

but for me it simply meant outsider i know americans especially young ones

i know americans especially young ones must feel trapped by societal pressure

must feel trapped by societal pressure all humans do

all humans do however if i understand your culture

however if i understand your culture correctly

correctly individualism is something to be

individualism is something to be encouraged

encouraged you revere the rebel

you revere the rebel the rogue those who stand proudly apart

the rogue those who stand proudly apart from the masses

from the masses for you individuality is a badge of

for you individuality is a badge of honor

honor for us it is a ribbon of shame

for us it is a ribbon of shame we lived particularly before the war in

we lived particularly before the war in a complex and seemingly infinite

a complex and seemingly infinite labyrinth of external judgments

labyrinth of external judgments your appearance your speech everything

your appearance your speech everything from the career you held to the way you

from the career you held to the way you sneezed had to be planned and

sneezed had to be planned and orchestrated to follow rigid confucian

orchestrated to follow rigid confucian doctrine

doctrine some either have the strength or lack

some either have the strength or lack thereof to accept this doctrine

thereof to accept this doctrine others like myself

others like myself chose exile in a better world

chose exile in a better world that world was cyberspace

that world was cyberspace and it was tailor-made for japanese

and it was tailor-made for japanese otaku

i can't speak for your educational system or indeed for that of any other

system or indeed for that of any other country but ours was based almost

country but ours was based almost entirely on fact retention

entirely on fact retention from the day we first set foot in a

from the day we first set foot in a classroom pre-war japanese children were

classroom pre-war japanese children were injected with volumes upon volumes of

injected with volumes upon volumes of facts and figures that had no practical

facts and figures that had no practical application in our lives

application in our lives these facts had no moral component no

these facts had no moral component no social context no human connection to

social context no human connection to the outside world

the outside world they had no reason for existence

they had no reason for existence other than that their mastery allows

other than that their mastery allows ascension

ascension pre-war japanese children were not

pre-war japanese children were not taught to think

taught to think we were taught to memorize

you can understand how this education would easily lend itself to an existence

would easily lend itself to an existence in cyberspace

in cyberspace in a world of information without

in a world of information without context where status was determined on

context where status was determined on its acquisition and possession

its acquisition and possession those of my generation could rule like

those of my generation could rule like gods

gods i was a sensei

i was a sensei master over all i surveyed

master over all i surveyed be it discovering the blood type of the

be it discovering the blood type of the prime minister's cabinet

prime minister's cabinet or the tax receipts of matsumoto

or the tax receipts of matsumoto and

and or the location and condition of all

or the location and condition of all shin gunto swords of the pacific war

note one hitoshi matsumoto

hitoshi matsumoto and masatoshi hamada were japan's most

and masatoshi hamada were japan's most successful pre-war improvisational

successful pre-war improvisational comedians

comedians and note

and note i didn't have to worry about my

i didn't have to worry about my appearance or my social etiquette my

appearance or my social etiquette my grades or my prospects for the future

grades or my prospects for the future no one could judge me no one could hurt

no one could judge me no one could hurt me

me in this world i was powerful and more

in this world i was powerful and more importantly i was safe

importantly i was safe when the crisis reached japan my clique

when the crisis reached japan my clique as with all the others

as with all the others forgot our previous obsessions and

forgot our previous obsessions and devoted our energies entirely to the

devoted our energies entirely to the living dead

living dead we studied their physiology behavior

we studied their physiology behavior weaknesses and the global response to

weaknesses and the global response to their attack upon humanity

their attack upon humanity the last subject was my clique specialty

the last subject was my clique specialty the possibility of containment within

the possibility of containment within the japanese home islands

the japanese home islands i collected population statistics

i collected population statistics transport networks police doctrine

transport networks police doctrine i memorized everything from the size of

i memorized everything from the size of the japanese merchant fleet to how many

the japanese merchant fleet to how many rounds the army's type 89 assault rifle

rounds the army's type 89 assault rifle held

held no fact was too small or obscure we were

no fact was too small or obscure we were on a mission we barely slept

on a mission we barely slept when school was eventually cancelled it

when school was eventually cancelled it gave us the ability to be wired in

gave us the ability to be wired in almost 24 hours a day

almost 24 hours a day i was the first to hack into dr

i was the first to hack into dr komatsu's

komatsu's personal hard drive

personal hard drive and read the raw data a full week before

and read the raw data a full week before he presented his findings to the diet

he presented his findings to the diet this was a coup

this was a coup it further elevated my status among

it further elevated my status among those who already worshipped me

those who already worshipped me dr komatsu first recommended the

dr komatsu first recommended the evacuation

evacuation he did

he did like us he'd been compiling the same

like us he'd been compiling the same facts but whereas we'd been memorizing

facts but whereas we'd been memorizing them he'd been analyzing them

them he'd been analyzing them japan was an overcrowded nation

japan was an overcrowded nation 128 million people

128 million people jammed into less than 370 000 square

jammed into less than 370 000 square kilometers

kilometers of either mountainous or over urbanized

of either mountainous or over urbanized islands

islands japan's low crime rate gave it one of

japan's low crime rate gave it one of the relatively smallest and most likely

the relatively smallest and most likely armed police forces in the

armed police forces in the industrialized world

industrialized world japan was pretty much also a

japan was pretty much also a demilitarized state

demilitarized state because of american protection our

because of american protection our self-defense forces had not seen actual

self-defense forces had not seen actual combat since 1945.

combat since 1945. even those token troops who were

even those token troops who were deployed to the gulf

deployed to the gulf almost never saw any serious action

almost never saw any serious action and spent most of their occupation duty

and spent most of their occupation duty within the protected walls of their

within the protected walls of their isolated compound

isolated compound we had access to all these bits of

we had access to all these bits of information but not the wherewithal to

information but not the wherewithal to see where they were pointing

see where they were pointing so it took us all by complete surprise

so it took us all by complete surprise when dr komatsu

when dr komatsu publicly declared that the situation was

publicly declared that the situation was hopeless and that japan had to be

hopeless and that japan had to be immediately evacuated

immediately evacuated that must have been terrifying

that must have been terrifying not at all

not at all it set off an explosion of frenzied

it set off an explosion of frenzied activity a race to discover where our

activity a race to discover where our population might resettle

population might resettle would it be the south

would it be the south the coral atolls of the central and

the coral atolls of the central and south pacific

south pacific or would we head north

or would we head north colonizing the curiels

colonizing the curiels sakhalin or maybe somewhere in siberia

sakhalin or maybe somewhere in siberia whoever could uncover the answer would

whoever could uncover the answer would be the greatest otaku in cyber history

be the greatest otaku in cyber history and there was no concern for your

and there was no concern for your personal safety

personal safety of course not

of course not japan was doomed but i didn't live in

japan was doomed but i didn't live in japan i lived in a world of free

japan i lived in a world of free floating information

the siafu that's what we were calling the infected

that's what we were calling the infected now

now weren't something to be feared they were

weren't something to be feared they were something to be studied

something to be studied note two

note two siafu is the nickname for the african

siafu is the nickname for the african driver ant

driver ant the term was first used by dr komatso

the term was first used by dr komatso yukiyo in his address to the diet

yukiyo in his address to the diet and note

you have no idea the kind of disconnect i was suffering

i was suffering my culture my upbringing and now my

my culture my upbringing and now my otaku lifestyle all combined to

otaku lifestyle all combined to completely insulate me

completely insulate me japan might be evacuated

japan might be evacuated japan might be destroyed

japan might be destroyed and i would watch it all happen from the

and i would watch it all happen from the safety of my digital mountain top

safety of my digital mountain top what about your parents

what about your parents what about them

what about them we lived in the same apartment

we lived in the same apartment but i never really conversed with them

but i never really conversed with them i'm sure they thought i was studying

i'm sure they thought i was studying even when school closed i told them i

even when school closed i told them i still had to prepare for exams

still had to prepare for exams they never questioned it

they never questioned it my father and i rarely spoke

my father and i rarely spoke in the mornings my mother would leave a

in the mornings my mother would leave a breakfast tray at my door at night she

breakfast tray at my door at night she would leave dinner

would leave dinner the first time she didn't leave a tray i

the first time she didn't leave a tray i thought nothing of it

thought nothing of it i woke up that morning as i always did

i woke up that morning as i always did gratified myself as i always did

gratified myself as i always did logged on as i always did

logged on as i always did it was midday before i started to feel

it was midday before i started to feel hungry

hungry i hated those feelings hunger or fatigue

i hated those feelings hunger or fatigue or the worst sexual desire

or the worst sexual desire those were physical distractions they

those were physical distractions they annoyed me

annoyed me i reluctantly turned away from my

i reluctantly turned away from my computer and opened my bedroom door

computer and opened my bedroom door no food

no food i called for my mother

i called for my mother no answer

no answer i went into the kitchen area grabbed

i went into the kitchen area grabbed some raw ramen and ran back to my desk

some raw ramen and ran back to my desk i did it again that night and again the

i did it again that night and again the next morning

next morning you never questioned where your parents

you never questioned where your parents were

were the only reason i cared was because of

the only reason i cared was because of the precious minutes i was wasting

the precious minutes i was wasting having to feed myself

having to feed myself in my world too many exciting things

in my world too many exciting things were happening

were happening what about the other otaku didn't they

what about the other otaku didn't they discuss their fears

discuss their fears we shared facts not feelings even when

we shared facts not feelings even when they started to disappear

they started to disappear i'd noticed that someone had stopped

i'd noticed that someone had stopped returning email or else hadn't posted

returning email or else hadn't posted for a while i'd see that they hadn't

for a while i'd see that they hadn't logged on in a day

logged on in a day or that their servers were no longer

or that their servers were no longer active

active and that didn't scare you

and that didn't scare you it annoyed me

it annoyed me not only was i losing a source of

not only was i losing a source of information i was losing potential

information i was losing potential praise for my own

praise for my own to post some new factoid about japanese

to post some new factoid about japanese evacuation ports and to have 50 instead

evacuation ports and to have 50 instead of 60 responses was upsetting

of 60 responses was upsetting then to have those 50 drop to 45

then to have those 50 drop to 45 then to 30.

then to 30. how long did this go on for

how long did this go on for about three days

about three days the last post from another otaku in

the last post from another otaku in sendai

sendai stated that the dead were now flowing

stated that the dead were now flowing out of

out of tohoku university hospital in the same

tohoku university hospital in the same cho as his apartment

and that didn't worry you why should it i was too busy trying to learn all i

i was too busy trying to learn all i could about the evacuation process

could about the evacuation process how it was going to be executed what

how it was going to be executed what government organizations were involved

government organizations were involved would the camps be in kamchatka

would the camps be in kamchatka or sakhalin or both

or sakhalin or both and what was this i was reading about

and what was this i was reading about the rash of suicides that was sweeping

the rash of suicides that was sweeping the country

the country note 3

note 3 it has been established that japan

it has been established that japan suffered the largest percentage of

suffered the largest percentage of suicides during the great panic

suicides during the great panic and note

and note so many questions so much data to mine i

so many questions so much data to mine i cursed myself for having to go to sleep

cursed myself for having to go to sleep that night

that night when i woke up the screen was blank i

when i woke up the screen was blank i tried to sign on

tried to sign on nothing

nothing i tried rebooting

i tried rebooting nothing

nothing i noticed that i was on backup battery

i noticed that i was on backup battery not a problem i had enough reserve power

not a problem i had enough reserve power for 10 hours at full use

for 10 hours at full use i also noticed that my signal strength

i also noticed that my signal strength was zero

was zero i couldn't believe it

i couldn't believe it kokura like all japan

kokura like all japan had a state-of-the-art wireless network

had a state-of-the-art wireless network that was supposed to be fail-safe

that was supposed to be fail-safe one server might go down

one server might go down maybe even a few but the whole net

maybe even a few but the whole net i realized it must be my computer it had

i realized it must be my computer it had to be

to be i got out my laptop and tried to sign on

i got out my laptop and tried to sign on no signal i cursed and got up to tell my

no signal i cursed and got up to tell my parents that i had to use their desktop

parents that i had to use their desktop they still weren't home

they still weren't home frustrated i tried to pick up the phone

frustrated i tried to pick up the phone to call my mother's cell

to call my mother's cell it was cordless dependent on wall power

it was cordless dependent on wall power i tried my cell

i tried my cell i got no reception

i got no reception do you know what happened to them

do you know what happened to them no

no even to this day i have no idea

even to this day i have no idea i know they didn't abandon me i'm sure

i know they didn't abandon me i'm sure of it

of it maybe my father was caught out at work

maybe my father was caught out at work my mother trapped while trying to go

my mother trapped while trying to go grocery shopping

grocery shopping they could have been lost together going

they could have been lost together going to or coming back from the relocation

to or coming back from the relocation office anything could have happened

office anything could have happened there was no note nothing

there was no note nothing i've been trying to find out ever since

i've been trying to find out ever since i went back into my parents room just to

i went back into my parents room just to make sure they weren't there

make sure they weren't there i tried the phones again

i tried the phones again it wasn't bad yet

it wasn't bad yet i was still in control

i was still in control i tried to go back online

i tried to go back online isn't that funny all i could think about

isn't that funny all i could think about was trying to escape again getting back

was trying to escape again getting back to my world being safe

to my world being safe nothing

nothing i started to panic

i started to panic now i started to say trying to command

now i started to say trying to command my computer by force of will

my computer by force of will now now now now now

now now now now now i started beating the monitor

i started beating the monitor my knuckles split the side of my own

my knuckles split the side of my own blood terrified me

blood terrified me i'd never played sports as a child never

i'd never played sports as a child never been injured

been injured it was all too much

it was all too much i picked up the monitor and threw it

i picked up the monitor and threw it against the wall

against the wall i was crying like a baby shouting

i was crying like a baby shouting hyperventilating

hyperventilating i started to wretch and vomited all over

i started to wretch and vomited all over the floor

the floor i got up and staggered to the front door

i got up and staggered to the front door i don't know what i was looking for

i don't know what i was looking for just that i had to get out i opened the

just that i had to get out i opened the door and stared into darkness

door and stared into darkness did you try knocking at the neighbor's

did you try knocking at the neighbor's door

door no

no isn't that odd

isn't that odd even at the height of my breakdown my

even at the height of my breakdown my social anxiety was so great that

social anxiety was so great that actually risking personal contact was

actually risking personal contact was still taboo

still taboo i took a few steps slipped and fell into

i took a few steps slipped and fell into something soft

something soft it was cold and slimy all over my hands

it was cold and slimy all over my hands my clothes

my clothes it stank

it stank the whole hallway stank

the whole hallway stank i suddenly became aware of a low steady

i suddenly became aware of a low steady scraping noise like something was

scraping noise like something was dragging itself across the hallway

dragging itself across the hallway toward me

toward me i called out hello

i called out hello i heard a soft gurgling groan

i heard a soft gurgling groan my eyes were just beginning to adjust to

my eyes were just beginning to adjust to the darkness i began to make out a shape

the darkness i began to make out a shape large humanoid crawling on its belly

large humanoid crawling on its belly i sat there paralyzed wanting to run but

i sat there paralyzed wanting to run but at the same time wanting to

at the same time wanting to to know for sure

to know for sure my doorway was casting a narrow

my doorway was casting a narrow rectangle of dim grey light against the

rectangle of dim grey light against the far wall

far wall as the thing moved into that light i

as the thing moved into that light i finally saw its face perfectly intact

finally saw its face perfectly intact perfectly human except for the right eye

perfectly human except for the right eye that hung by the stem

that hung by the stem the left eye was locked on mine and its

the left eye was locked on mine and its gurgling moan became a choked rasp

gurgling moan became a choked rasp i jumped to my feet sprang back inside

i jumped to my feet sprang back inside my apartment and slammed the door behind

my apartment and slammed the door behind me

me my mind was finally clear maybe for the

my mind was finally clear maybe for the first time in years and i suddenly

first time in years and i suddenly realized that i could smell smoke and

realized that i could smell smoke and hear faint screams

hear faint screams i went over to the window and threw the

i went over to the window and threw the curtains open

curtains open kokura was engulfed in hell

kokura was engulfed in hell the fires the wreckage

the fires the wreckage the siafu were everywhere

the siafu were everywhere i watched them crash through doors

i watched them crash through doors invade apartments devour people cowering

invade apartments devour people cowering in corners or on balconies

in corners or on balconies i watched people leap to their deaths or

i watched people leap to their deaths or break their legs and spines

break their legs and spines they lay on the pavement unable to move

they lay on the pavement unable to move wailing in agony as the dead closed in

wailing in agony as the dead closed in around them

around them one man in the apartment directly across

one man in the apartment directly across from me tried to fight them off with a

from me tried to fight them off with a golf club it bent harmlessly around a

golf club it bent harmlessly around a zombie's head before five others pulled

zombie's head before five others pulled him to the floor

him to the floor then

then a pounding at the door

a pounding at the door my door

my door this

this shakes his fist

shakes his fist bomb bomb bomb from the bottom near the

bomb bomb bomb from the bottom near the floor

floor i heard the thing groaning outside i

i heard the thing groaning outside i heard other noises too from the other

heard other noises too from the other apartments

apartments these were my neighbors the people i'd

these were my neighbors the people i'd always tried to avoid whose faces and

always tried to avoid whose faces and names i could barely remember

names i could barely remember they were screaming pleading struggling

they were screaming pleading struggling and sobbing

and sobbing i heard one voice either a young woman

i heard one voice either a young woman or a child on the floor above me calling

or a child on the floor above me calling someone by name begging them to stop

someone by name begging them to stop but the voice was swallowed in a chorus

but the voice was swallowed in a chorus of moans

of moans the banging at my door became louder

the banging at my door became louder more siafu had shown up

more siafu had shown up i tried to move the living room

i tried to move the living room furniture against the door it was a

furniture against the door it was a waste of effort

waste of effort our apartment was by your standards

our apartment was by your standards pretty bare

pretty bare the door began to crack i could see its

the door began to crack i could see its hinges straining i figured i had maybe a

hinges straining i figured i had maybe a few minutes to escape

few minutes to escape escape but if the door was jammed

escape but if the door was jammed out the window onto the balcony of the

out the window onto the balcony of the apartment below

apartment below i thought i could tie bed sheets into a

i thought i could tie bed sheets into a rope smiles sheepishly

rope smiles sheepishly i'd heard about it from an otaku who

i'd heard about it from an otaku who studied american prison breaks

studied american prison breaks it would be the first time i ever

it would be the first time i ever applied any of my archived knowledge

applied any of my archived knowledge fortunately the linen held

fortunately the linen held i climbed out of my apartment and

i climbed out of my apartment and started to lower myself down to the

started to lower myself down to the apartment below

apartment below immediately my muscles started cramping

immediately my muscles started cramping i'd never paid much attention to them

i'd never paid much attention to them and now they were reaping their revenge

and now they were reaping their revenge i struggled to control my motions and to

i struggled to control my motions and to not think about the fact that i was 19

not think about the fact that i was 19 floors up

floors up the wind was terrible hot and dry from

the wind was terrible hot and dry from all the fires

all the fires a gust picked me up and slammed me

a gust picked me up and slammed me against the side of the building i

against the side of the building i bounced off the concrete and almost lost

bounced off the concrete and almost lost my grip i could feel the bottom of my

my grip i could feel the bottom of my feet bumping against the balconies

feet bumping against the balconies railing and it took all the courage i

railing and it took all the courage i had to relax enough to climb down just

had to relax enough to climb down just those few extra feet

those few extra feet i landed on my ass panting and coughing

i landed on my ass panting and coughing from the smoke i could hear sounds from

from the smoke i could hear sounds from my apartment above

my apartment above the dead that had broken through the

the dead that had broken through the front door

front door i looked up at my balcony and saw a head

i looked up at my balcony and saw a head the one-eyed siafu was squeezing himself

the one-eyed siafu was squeezing himself through the opening between the rail and

through the opening between the rail and the balcony floor

the balcony floor it hung there for a moment half out half

it hung there for a moment half out half in then gave another lurch toward me and

in then gave another lurch toward me and slid over the side

slid over the side i'll never forget that it was still

i'll never forget that it was still reaching for me as it fell

reaching for me as it fell this nightmare flash of it suspended in

this nightmare flash of it suspended in midair arms out hanging eyeball now

midair arms out hanging eyeball now flying upward against its forehead

flying upward against its forehead i could hear the other see afu groaning

i could hear the other see afu groaning on the balcony above

on the balcony above and turn to see if there were any in

and turn to see if there were any in this apartment with me

this apartment with me fortunately i saw that the front door

fortunately i saw that the front door had been barricaded like mine however

had been barricaded like mine however unlike mine there weren't any sounds of

unlike mine there weren't any sounds of attackers outside

attackers outside i was also comforted by the layer of ash

i was also comforted by the layer of ash on the carpet it was deep and unbroken

on the carpet it was deep and unbroken telling me that no one or nothing had

telling me that no one or nothing had walked across this floor for a couple

walked across this floor for a couple days

days for a moment i thought i might be alone

for a moment i thought i might be alone and then i noticed the smell

and then i noticed the smell i slid the bathroom door open and was

i slid the bathroom door open and was blown back by this invisible putrid

blown back by this invisible putrid cloud

cloud the woman was in her tub

the woman was in her tub she had slit her wrists long vertical

she had slit her wrists long vertical slices along the arteries to make sure

slices along the arteries to make sure the job was done right

the job was done right her name was reiko

her name was reiko she was the only neighbor i'd made any

she was the only neighbor i'd made any effort to know

effort to know she was a high-priced hostess at a club

she was a high-priced hostess at a club for foreign businessmen

for foreign businessmen i'd always fantasized about what she'd

i'd always fantasized about what she'd look like naked

look like naked now i knew

now i knew strangely enough what bothered me most

strangely enough what bothered me most was that i didn't know any prayers for

was that i didn't know any prayers for the dead

the dead i'd forgotten what my grandparents had

i'd forgotten what my grandparents had tried to teach me as a little kid

tried to teach me as a little kid rejected it as obsolete data

rejected it as obsolete data it was a shame

it was a shame how out of touch i was with my heritage

how out of touch i was with my heritage all i could do was stand there like an

all i could do was stand there like an idiot and whisper an awkward apology for

idiot and whisper an awkward apology for taking some of her sheets

taking some of her sheets her sheets for more rope i knew i

her sheets for more rope i knew i couldn't stay there for very long

couldn't stay there for very long besides the health hazard of a dead body

besides the health hazard of a dead body there was no telling when the siafu on

there was no telling when the siafu on that floor would sense my presence and

that floor would sense my presence and attack the barricade i had to get out of

attack the barricade i had to get out of this building get out of the city and

this building get out of the city and hopefully try to find a way to get out

hopefully try to find a way to get out of japan

of japan i didn't have a fully thought out plan

i didn't have a fully thought out plan yet i just knew i had to keep going one

yet i just knew i had to keep going one floor at a time until i reached the

floor at a time until i reached the street i figured stopping at a few of

street i figured stopping at a few of the apartments would give me a chance to

the apartments would give me a chance to gather supplies and as dangerous as my

gather supplies and as dangerous as my sheet rope method was it couldn't be any

sheet rope method was it couldn't be any worse than the siafu that would almost

worse than the siafu that would almost certainly be lurking in the building's

certainly be lurking in the building's hallways and stairwells

wouldn't it be more dangerous once you reach the streets

reach the streets no safer

no safer catches my expression

catches my expression no honestly

no honestly that was one of the things i'd learned

that was one of the things i'd learned online the living dead were slow and

online the living dead were slow and easy to outrun or even out walk

easy to outrun or even out walk indoors i might run the risk of being

indoors i might run the risk of being trapped in some narrow choke point but

trapped in some narrow choke point but out in the open i had infinite options

out in the open i had infinite options better still i'd learned from online

better still i'd learned from online survivor reports that the chaos of a

survivor reports that the chaos of a full-blown outbreak could actually work

full-blown outbreak could actually work to one's advantage

to one's advantage with so many other frightened

with so many other frightened disorganized humans to distract the

disorganized humans to distract the siafu why would they even notice me

siafu why would they even notice me as long as i watched my step kept up a

as long as i watched my step kept up a brisk pace and didn't have the

brisk pace and didn't have the misfortune to be hit by a fleeing

misfortune to be hit by a fleeing motorist or straight bullet

motorist or straight bullet i figured i had a pretty good chance of

i figured i had a pretty good chance of navigating my way through the chaos on

navigating my way through the chaos on the streets below

the streets below the real problem was getting there

the real problem was getting there it took me three days to make it all the

it took me three days to make it all the way down to the ground floor

way down to the ground floor this was partially due to my disgraceful

this was partially due to my disgraceful physical stamina

physical stamina a trained athlete would have found my

a trained athlete would have found my makeshift rope antics a challenge so you

makeshift rope antics a challenge so you can imagine what they were for me

can imagine what they were for me in retrospect it's a miracle i didn't

in retrospect it's a miracle i didn't plunge to my death

plunge to my death or succumb to infection with all the

or succumb to infection with all the scrapes and scratches i endured

scrapes and scratches i endured my body was held together with

my body was held together with adrenaline and pain medication

adrenaline and pain medication i was exhausted nervous horribly sleep

i was exhausted nervous horribly sleep deprived

deprived i couldn't rest in the conventional

i couldn't rest in the conventional sense

sense once it got dark i would move everything

once it got dark i would move everything i could against the door then sit in a

i could against the door then sit in a corner crying nursing my wounds and

corner crying nursing my wounds and cursing my frailty until the sky began

cursing my frailty until the sky began to lighten

to lighten i did manage to close my eyes one night

i did manage to close my eyes one night even drift off to sleep for a few

even drift off to sleep for a few minutes but then the banging of a sea

minutes but then the banging of a sea offu against the front door sent me

offu against the front door sent me scurrying out the window

scurrying out the window i spent the remainder of that night

i spent the remainder of that night huddled on the balcony of the next

huddled on the balcony of the next apartment its sliding glass door was

apartment its sliding glass door was locked and i just didn't have the

locked and i just didn't have the strength to kick it in

strength to kick it in my second delay was mental not physical

my second delay was mental not physical specifically my otaku's

specifically my otaku's obsessive-compulsive drive

obsessive-compulsive drive to find just the right survival gear no

to find just the right survival gear no matter how long it took

matter how long it took my online searches had taught me all

my online searches had taught me all about the right weapons clothing food

about the right weapons clothing food and medicine

and medicine the problem was finding them in an

the problem was finding them in an apartment complex of urban salarymen

apartment complex of urban salarymen laughs

laughs i made quite a sight shimmying down that

i made quite a sight shimmying down that sheet rope in a businessman's raincoat

sheet rope in a businessman's raincoat and racos bright pink vintage hello

and racos bright pink vintage hello kitty school bag

kitty school bag it had taken a long time but by the

it had taken a long time but by the third day i had almost everything i

third day i had almost everything i needed

needed everything except a reliable weapon

everything except a reliable weapon there wasn't anything

there wasn't anything smiles

smiles this was not america where there used to

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