stations that the zombie virus was the result of a terrorist attack. A lot of people were wary of foreigners in the first place. This has made them even warier.’
‘But you’re not a foreigner,’ I frown. ‘You’re London born and bred.’
‘Yeah, but I’m a different colour to most people here,’ Vinyl says softly. ‘That makes me a threat to those of a certain mindset. You shouldknow that better than most, B.’
I stiffen, then sigh. ‘Yeah, you’re right. I’m just shocked that buggers like my dad are still going strong.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Vinyl snorts. ‘This is the perfect time for them. People are never more receptive to horror stories than when they’re already scared. Bigots have seized on the fears of the masses since time began and used them to their ownadvantage. Some things never change.’
We round a corner and Vinyl lowers his voice. ‘Apparently some compounds have been segregated. Whites live separately to others, or have driven out anyone who wasn’t to their liking. I’ve even heard wild tales that a branch of the KKK has formed in England, that its members are going round the country, imposing their order on compounds where their messageof hate finds welcome ears.’
‘That can’t be true,’ Carl says. ‘The Ku Klux Klan were only in America. They never made it over here.’
‘Not for want of trying, I bet,’ Vinyl retorts. ‘Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for them before. Maybe this is what they’ve been waiting for.’ He grimaces. ‘I’m sure there’s no truth to the stories, that they’re being spread by idiots who want toscare people. Still, it’s a sign of how volatile things are that rumours like this are circulating.
‘The world crashed to its knees when the zombies ran riot. Assuming we can eliminate them, someone’s going to get the chance to build civilisation anew. Zealots are already putting their plans in place, trying to ensure they get to make the world the way they want it next time round.’
Rage smirks at Vinyl. ‘Sounds like it’s not just the zombies you need to worry about. You might have to start whiting up.’
‘Not in this life,’ Vinyl says hotly. ‘I’d rather die than play along with cowardly scum like them.’
‘Yeah,’ I say quietly, remembering that day in the school when I made my belated stand against my father. ‘I know how you feel.’
‘Good to have you on the team,’Vinyl smiles, then puts the doom and gloom behind him and carries on with the tour, though it’s hard for him to be as cheerful as he was after that troubling conversation.
EIGHTEEN
The racists aside, I’m impressed by New Kirkham. The people are doing their best to ignore the chaos on the other side of the walls and get on with their lives. There are schools, training programmes for adults, gym classes. Vinyl tells us there are shows most nights, plays and concerts. They’ve put together a well-stocked library. They have oil-run generators, but rather thanrely on them, they’re busy installing solar panels and they plan to construct a wind farm on a nearby hill. As well as scavenging, they make their own clothes, fashion their own spears and knives, preparing in case they ever have to shut themselves off from the world.
By the end of the tour I’m smiling thoughtfully. I have real hope for the first time that mankind can put the world backthe way it was. They’ll probably need us to help get rid of the zombies, but it’s refreshing to see that the survivors are taking matters into their own hands, not just sitting around and waiting miserably for someone to come save them.
I’d settled into a routine in County Hall. I knew that ultimately we were supposed to be fighting for the living, but I’d forgotten what that actually meant,how much was at stake.
Now I feel re-energised. Vinyl and the others are building for a bright new future and I want to be part of that. I want to help them expand. I want to be involved.
‘So what
‘But you’re not a foreigner,’ I frown. ‘You’re London born and bred.’
‘Yeah, but I’m a different colour to most people here,’ Vinyl says softly. ‘That makes me a threat to those of a certain mindset. You shouldknow that better than most, B.’
I stiffen, then sigh. ‘Yeah, you’re right. I’m just shocked that buggers like my dad are still going strong.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Vinyl snorts. ‘This is the perfect time for them. People are never more receptive to horror stories than when they’re already scared. Bigots have seized on the fears of the masses since time began and used them to their ownadvantage. Some things never change.’
We round a corner and Vinyl lowers his voice. ‘Apparently some compounds have been segregated. Whites live separately to others, or have driven out anyone who wasn’t to their liking. I’ve even heard wild tales that a branch of the KKK has formed in England, that its members are going round the country, imposing their order on compounds where their messageof hate finds welcome ears.’
‘That can’t be true,’ Carl says. ‘The Ku Klux Klan were only in America. They never made it over here.’
‘Not for want of trying, I bet,’ Vinyl retorts. ‘Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for them before. Maybe this is what they’ve been waiting for.’ He grimaces. ‘I’m sure there’s no truth to the stories, that they’re being spread by idiots who want toscare people. Still, it’s a sign of how volatile things are that rumours like this are circulating.
‘The world crashed to its knees when the zombies ran riot. Assuming we can eliminate them, someone’s going to get the chance to build civilisation anew. Zealots are already putting their plans in place, trying to ensure they get to make the world the way they want it next time round.’
Rage smirks at Vinyl. ‘Sounds like it’s not just the zombies you need to worry about. You might have to start whiting up.’
‘Not in this life,’ Vinyl says hotly. ‘I’d rather die than play along with cowardly scum like them.’
‘Yeah,’ I say quietly, remembering that day in the school when I made my belated stand against my father. ‘I know how you feel.’
‘Good to have you on the team,’Vinyl smiles, then puts the doom and gloom behind him and carries on with the tour, though it’s hard for him to be as cheerful as he was after that troubling conversation.
EIGHTEEN
The racists aside, I’m impressed by New Kirkham. The people are doing their best to ignore the chaos on the other side of the walls and get on with their lives. There are schools, training programmes for adults, gym classes. Vinyl tells us there are shows most nights, plays and concerts. They’ve put together a well-stocked library. They have oil-run generators, but rather thanrely on them, they’re busy installing solar panels and they plan to construct a wind farm on a nearby hill. As well as scavenging, they make their own clothes, fashion their own spears and knives, preparing in case they ever have to shut themselves off from the world.
By the end of the tour I’m smiling thoughtfully. I have real hope for the first time that mankind can put the world backthe way it was. They’ll probably need us to help get rid of the zombies, but it’s refreshing to see that the survivors are taking matters into their own hands, not just sitting around and waiting miserably for someone to come save them.
I’d settled into a routine in County Hall. I knew that ultimately we were supposed to be fighting for the living, but I’d forgotten what that actually meant,how much was at stake.
Now I feel re-energised. Vinyl and the others are building for a bright new future and I want to be part of that. I want to help them expand. I want to be involved.
‘So what
Similar Books
