Read Online Anno Zombus Year 1 (Book 9): September by Dave Rowlands - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dave Rowlands
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
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Viking and Giant, we decided that we’d take a brief detour, head to the west a ways and sent out some scouts. The enormous blonde man gave the command, and The Elephant swung around slowly to the west. The Captain’s Cabin seemed a little lop-sided for a moment as first one, then the other ‘foot’ went over a raised section of terrain, a small hill or pile of rocks most likely.
I radioed AR-18, telling them that there would be a delay, asking to speak to Apocalypse Girl. Her voice sounded a little strained, and perhaps a little hoarse as she asked if everything was alright. I told her about the message from Ginger, that we’d be checking it out, and that she’d practically shit herself when she saw what Stutter and Nutter came up with this time. I heard a loud, excited bark as I spoke. We allowed a few minutes for personal talk, then I signed off and walked out onto the main deck.
It was really difficult not to think of this beast as a sort of land-ship. The escalator that we rode up to the deck folds up neatly whenever The Elephant is in motion, for practicality’s sake, as otherwise the technologically mastodonic trunk would prove an awful impediment. The Mech-Techs truly had outdone themselves.
September 12 th Year 1 A.Z.
morning
I dreamed of Elder last night, an odd dream, but then he had been an odd individual. He kept saying that I needed to see, that I needed to know. However, when I asked him what I needed to know, he simply smiled at me in silence as his head slid from his severed neck. Every time this happened I would wake in a cold sweat, only to doze off back into the same fucking dream, every fucking time.
Was this a message from beyond the grave? Was it just my own mind trying to resurrect the ghosts of my past? Elder had been a friend, certainly, though I had known him only a short time. To have been the one responsible for executing the poor old dude… That had been a waking nightmare just by itself. Maybe it was just my subconscious expressing guilt… Fuck knows.
The Elephant kept lumbering along to the west, Static keeping an ear to the radio and an eye on the multitudinous screens in the cockpit. Driver operated mainly by compass, Static occasionally barking out instructions, such as “Avoid the big-arse rock to the left,” or “Watch out for that tree,” but The Elephant was able to pretty much flatten almost anything in its path.
There seemed nothing but dry, empty terrain before us, though we found a handy Meat-Beast on the way. Driver parked The Elephant over the Meat-Beast, hit a couple of buttons and manipulated a few levers and The Elephant squatted over the former cow. Mech-Techs lined the upper decks, manning the weapons placed strategically around it and a crew of four dropped almost onto the Meat-Beast’s back with large knives, carving off great hunks of flesh.
noon
Ahhh, fresh Meat-Beast steak for lunch… A delectable meal indeed. Not something that we dined on frequently at AR-18, but my favourite dish of Apocalyptic Australia. The Meat-Beast had been butchered in short order, we were back on the road almost before we stopped. At least that was how it had seemed.
After travelling for another few kilometres, we discovered signs of the Dead. A large group had shuffled through here, that was certain. Viking, Giant, Scar and I were examining their tracks while Wall and Maori followed in their bare footsteps. Every other group that we had come across had been at least partially clothed, I think every Dead one I had seen had been wearing shoes. This was a gritty, sandy dirt that had been trampled by many thousands of bare feet.
The sounds of a pair of motorcycles heralded the return of my two scouts, both of whom were signalling like crazy as they approached. Riding their bikes up into the garage, the pair then ran up to us, sheer terror on their faces.
“They’re coming!
I radioed AR-18, telling them that there would be a delay, asking to speak to Apocalypse Girl. Her voice sounded a little strained, and perhaps a little hoarse as she asked if everything was alright. I told her about the message from Ginger, that we’d be checking it out, and that she’d practically shit herself when she saw what Stutter and Nutter came up with this time. I heard a loud, excited bark as I spoke. We allowed a few minutes for personal talk, then I signed off and walked out onto the main deck.
It was really difficult not to think of this beast as a sort of land-ship. The escalator that we rode up to the deck folds up neatly whenever The Elephant is in motion, for practicality’s sake, as otherwise the technologically mastodonic trunk would prove an awful impediment. The Mech-Techs truly had outdone themselves.
September 12 th Year 1 A.Z.
morning
I dreamed of Elder last night, an odd dream, but then he had been an odd individual. He kept saying that I needed to see, that I needed to know. However, when I asked him what I needed to know, he simply smiled at me in silence as his head slid from his severed neck. Every time this happened I would wake in a cold sweat, only to doze off back into the same fucking dream, every fucking time.
Was this a message from beyond the grave? Was it just my own mind trying to resurrect the ghosts of my past? Elder had been a friend, certainly, though I had known him only a short time. To have been the one responsible for executing the poor old dude… That had been a waking nightmare just by itself. Maybe it was just my subconscious expressing guilt… Fuck knows.
The Elephant kept lumbering along to the west, Static keeping an ear to the radio and an eye on the multitudinous screens in the cockpit. Driver operated mainly by compass, Static occasionally barking out instructions, such as “Avoid the big-arse rock to the left,” or “Watch out for that tree,” but The Elephant was able to pretty much flatten almost anything in its path.
There seemed nothing but dry, empty terrain before us, though we found a handy Meat-Beast on the way. Driver parked The Elephant over the Meat-Beast, hit a couple of buttons and manipulated a few levers and The Elephant squatted over the former cow. Mech-Techs lined the upper decks, manning the weapons placed strategically around it and a crew of four dropped almost onto the Meat-Beast’s back with large knives, carving off great hunks of flesh.
noon
Ahhh, fresh Meat-Beast steak for lunch… A delectable meal indeed. Not something that we dined on frequently at AR-18, but my favourite dish of Apocalyptic Australia. The Meat-Beast had been butchered in short order, we were back on the road almost before we stopped. At least that was how it had seemed.
After travelling for another few kilometres, we discovered signs of the Dead. A large group had shuffled through here, that was certain. Viking, Giant, Scar and I were examining their tracks while Wall and Maori followed in their bare footsteps. Every other group that we had come across had been at least partially clothed, I think every Dead one I had seen had been wearing shoes. This was a gritty, sandy dirt that had been trampled by many thousands of bare feet.
The sounds of a pair of motorcycles heralded the return of my two scouts, both of whom were signalling like crazy as they approached. Riding their bikes up into the garage, the pair then ran up to us, sheer terror on their faces.
“They’re coming!
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