because the noise of the explosions and the burning
itself would attract more zombies. That noise also let us be less quiet in our
escape, giving us some cover, but we still had to be careful to avoid running
into other zombies as we moved out.
“In that sense, the spotters’ role
never ended, and whenever we were moving, they’d help us pass nearby zombies
unnoticed, by timing our movements and telling us when we needed to stop for a
while. The way it worked, we weren’t rounding any up until we got to an area
that already had a large number of them. We were focusing on spots with a lot
of zombies, but of course that made it more dangerous, too.”
He thought for a moment. “When it came
to gathering zombies in the traps, it was like stirring water in a pot very
fast without letting any of it pour out, and when it’s already full almost to
the top. It was a very delicate process. The spotters also helped get rid of
zombies, and helped the teams out of jams.”
“Did you get in trouble a lot, with
the zombies?”
Alan nodded. “Yes. It was usually
because of the large flamethrowers we had to move. Even after they were taken
off wheels and put on treads, accidents happened, loud ones. Sometimes we had
to abandon the things, carry off as many drums of fuel as we could by hand, and
burn up the zombies manually. That was even more dangerous.”
“What happened when things went
wrong?” Jack asked.
“We did what we were trained to do: we
ran and tried to minimize loss of life.”
Jack looked confused. “But you always
got through the mission, right?”
“Now Jack,” Senna said, stealing a
glance at Sasha, who was beginning to look scared again, “we can talk more
about that later. Do you remember the rules we taught you?”
“The zombie rules?” Jack said.
“Yes.”
“Will you repeat them for me?”
“All of them?”
Senna nodded. “Yes, but you don’t have
to think of it as a memory test. Think of it like this: what are the most
important things you would tell someone about the virus, someone who’s never
heard of it and has never seen a zombie before?”
Jack grinned. “Like someone from
another planet, an alien? ”
“Exactly,” Senna said. “And Sasha, you
listen closely.”
Sasha nodded obediently, the
beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Alan smiled, watching the exchange.
Jack’s capacity for enthusiasm and Sasha’s bright-eyed cheerfulness were inspiring.
“Okay,” Jack said. He furrowed his
brow in concentration. Sasha watched his face change, and put a hand over her
mouth to suppress a giggle.
“First,” Jack said, “the virus kills
someone and they die, but it keeps using their body because it needs something
to infect others with. It makes them a zombie. ”
“Right,” Senna said.
“Then,” the boy went on, “the zombie
tries to bite other people and animals to make them into zombies too. But the
zombies are stupid, so if we’re smart we can get away, except when they’re
moving very fast, and sometimes then it’s too dangerous.”
Sasha gasped.
“It’s okay, Sasha,” Senna said, “we’re
just going over the rules.” She turned back to Jack. It was important they get
through this. “What do you mean about them being fast? Are they always fast?”
Jack shook his head. “No, not always.
First they can be slow and not really see you. But as you get closer and make
more noise, they wake up, and they wake up more and more until they’re fast and
chasing after you, and then you have to kill them right away, or…”
“Right,” Senna said. “When they’re
slow, they stay in a small area and don’t go too far. They’re not chasing
anything yet, well…not really. But noise wakes them up, and gets them going
faster and faster. When they speed up all the way…they break, and rampage. They
move extremely fast after the break, and even the most experienced spotters and
cleaners know to avoid a zombie that’s broken.”
This
itself would attract more zombies. That noise also let us be less quiet in our
escape, giving us some cover, but we still had to be careful to avoid running
into other zombies as we moved out.
“In that sense, the spotters’ role
never ended, and whenever we were moving, they’d help us pass nearby zombies
unnoticed, by timing our movements and telling us when we needed to stop for a
while. The way it worked, we weren’t rounding any up until we got to an area
that already had a large number of them. We were focusing on spots with a lot
of zombies, but of course that made it more dangerous, too.”
He thought for a moment. “When it came
to gathering zombies in the traps, it was like stirring water in a pot very
fast without letting any of it pour out, and when it’s already full almost to
the top. It was a very delicate process. The spotters also helped get rid of
zombies, and helped the teams out of jams.”
“Did you get in trouble a lot, with
the zombies?”
Alan nodded. “Yes. It was usually
because of the large flamethrowers we had to move. Even after they were taken
off wheels and put on treads, accidents happened, loud ones. Sometimes we had
to abandon the things, carry off as many drums of fuel as we could by hand, and
burn up the zombies manually. That was even more dangerous.”
“What happened when things went
wrong?” Jack asked.
“We did what we were trained to do: we
ran and tried to minimize loss of life.”
Jack looked confused. “But you always
got through the mission, right?”
“Now Jack,” Senna said, stealing a
glance at Sasha, who was beginning to look scared again, “we can talk more
about that later. Do you remember the rules we taught you?”
“The zombie rules?” Jack said.
“Yes.”
“Will you repeat them for me?”
“All of them?”
Senna nodded. “Yes, but you don’t have
to think of it as a memory test. Think of it like this: what are the most
important things you would tell someone about the virus, someone who’s never
heard of it and has never seen a zombie before?”
Jack grinned. “Like someone from
another planet, an alien? ”
“Exactly,” Senna said. “And Sasha, you
listen closely.”
Sasha nodded obediently, the
beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Alan smiled, watching the exchange.
Jack’s capacity for enthusiasm and Sasha’s bright-eyed cheerfulness were inspiring.
“Okay,” Jack said. He furrowed his
brow in concentration. Sasha watched his face change, and put a hand over her
mouth to suppress a giggle.
“First,” Jack said, “the virus kills
someone and they die, but it keeps using their body because it needs something
to infect others with. It makes them a zombie. ”
“Right,” Senna said.
“Then,” the boy went on, “the zombie
tries to bite other people and animals to make them into zombies too. But the
zombies are stupid, so if we’re smart we can get away, except when they’re
moving very fast, and sometimes then it’s too dangerous.”
Sasha gasped.
“It’s okay, Sasha,” Senna said, “we’re
just going over the rules.” She turned back to Jack. It was important they get
through this. “What do you mean about them being fast? Are they always fast?”
Jack shook his head. “No, not always.
First they can be slow and not really see you. But as you get closer and make
more noise, they wake up, and they wake up more and more until they’re fast and
chasing after you, and then you have to kill them right away, or…”
“Right,” Senna said. “When they’re
slow, they stay in a small area and don’t go too far. They’re not chasing
anything yet, well…not really. But noise wakes them up, and gets them going
faster and faster. When they speed up all the way…they break, and rampage. They
move extremely fast after the break, and even the most experienced spotters and
cleaners know to avoid a zombie that’s broken.”
This
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