Chapter 15—The beginning of the end

by Bocchan13

Song Yu’s mood wasn’t great. The closer it got to the zombie apocalypse, the more erratic he became. He went to the local shops and bought out all of the candies and goodies, gnawing on the cheap candy as if he was an addict on crack. He drove around the local village before making his way into the city.

The zombie apocalypse wouldn’t happen immediately. It took a few days after  the meteor hit. The people affected were people struck with heat stroke. They didn’t die, but their heat stroke broke way for a summer cold. Their bodies hot while fighting infection were the perfect host for the parasites in the meteor.

The infection was airborne, so people who had weak bodies went first. That included people with low immune systems, people with open wounds, and people suffering from intense heat exhaustion. Song Yu knew that after the second day, people would start changing causing a massive wave of panic and death. In just two days, almost 30% of the world’s population would become zombies.

Song Yu drove into the city and saw the signs of the meteor shower viewing. It would pass over Country A and hit Country D. The pharmaceutical company in B Country would assemble a team in the first half hour in their hazmat suits and take a trip to the site, where they would bring back the samples.

B Base would then assemble a team of biochemists and biology experts to find a cure after the zombie virus came out. Song Yu could only do his best as he parked his off road vehicle. This would be his last chance to feel the contact of humans in a normal way. He tried his best to smile, but the overgrowing feeling of guilt encompassed him.

He didn’t want to sound like a broken record player, but he had spent 20+ years as a work mule for him base. He hated how the world spat on him, and that his kindness wasn’t rewarded. Instead, the people he trusted had thrown him down and stomped on his heart.

But that didn’t mean that he didn’t want to hurt the innocent people of today. If he shouted that the zombie apocalypse would happen, he would be labeled a madman. But if he could warn people first through some channel, then the guilt might abate.

Song Yu looked around the commercial street and spotted something in an antique shop. Eyes widening, they sparkled as he saw what was on display.

I must get it!

He pasted his hands and face on the display, his eyes roving over the beautiful statue! It’s so pretty! He checked his balance and nodded his head. He had enough money!

“Sir, do you want to come in and view anything?” A nice younger man opened the store door, his eyes glazing with boredom.

“H-how much is this beautiful creature?”

The shop keeper looked at the statue in confusion then looked at Song Yu.

“Uhhh…it’s around 300$ It’s been here for so long though.”

“No problem! Get it ready for long travel! I want it!” Song Yu jumped happily as two handymen took the figure off the display. He couldn’t help but clap!

In less than 20 minutes, Song Yu had mounted the gigantic cool looking statue in his car. To make sure it wasn’t going to get harmed, they styrofoamed the entire back. The gloom in Song Yu’s heart lightened a bit as he brought the statue back.

“Derpy! Squinty-eyes! Don’t you think he is beautiful!?”

The small foal and dog were playing in the fields when they heard Song Yu coming back. Song Yu smiled gleefully as he opened the back.

Derpy:….

Squinty-eyes:….

“What? He’s cool right? He looks like a knight! He’s handsome!”

Derpy:….

Squinty-eyes:….

Song Yu rolled his eyes as he unfurled the beautiful male statue. It was an off-white statue of a man, one leg leaning on a shield while the other hand had his hand on a sword pointing to the back. His hair was softly curled and his eyes were bright. His expression looked serious, but otherwise showed his status.

Song Yu couldn’t help but place him outside in the garden. It would deter birds! And it was handsome!

What Song Yu didn’t know was that this was the replica of Prince Eric in The L***le Mermaid.

…

Song Yu decided that in order to warn people of the zombie apocalypse, he would record himself and send these recordings throughout the world. He couldn’t do it before the meteor hit, but not after people became zombies. He had to infiltrate the government satellite so they could be broadcasted over the official government sanction.

When the apocalypse occurred, the military did little to nothing, and the only thing the channels said were to stay indoors. Nothing about surviving. Song Yu would broadcast what he learned throughout the apocalypse.

Song Yu prepared a microphone and recorded all the necessary things to help people. Under a pseudonym, he started.

“This is a warning to everyone and anyone who will listen. The meteor that hit will release a toxic virus and cause horrific damages to you and your loved ones. Please note that going outside will be detrimental to your safety. Do not attempt to go outside. Do not try to call the government. This recording is to help you right here and right now.”

Song Yu sighed deeply, hoping this wouldn’t cause a mass panic. But he couldn’t stop people from doing this. He sniffed a bit, the hope of helping at least a few would be better than the death of many.

“…Stockpile water and non-perishables. In a few days, the water will be contaminated with the virus. Good ways to keep the water safe is to boil the water, let it cool and boil again. You can stockpile water via the bath tub. Put them in as many bottles as you can.”

“If you do not have much food, you can try to go out. Please be careful of the virus infected people. A bite can give you the virus. They respond to hearing and body heat. A good way to keep yourself quiet…is to gag yourself.”

Song Yu squeezed the microphone. Before learning the heart technique, a good way to stop yourself from screaming was to gag yourself. This caused many people to die as a result, not by zombies, but because they couldn’t ask for help.

But remembering the screams that attracted a hoard to a safe zone, made Song Yu steel himself.

“Do not go to crowded areas, and make sure your weapon is adept at killing. The head is the most vital area. Only take what you can carry. Greediness can result in death not from the infected, but people in the same situation. Do not trust anyone. Only trust yourself.”

“For those staying at home, the power will go out after 10 days, water will pollute in 5, and the internet will go out in 3. Use this time to contact your loved ones. Do not attempt to leave until you are sure of a safe route….”

“….and please…everyone…stay alive.”

Song Yu ended his recording. He used a speech to text app to convert his information and posted it on several forums.

The entire text could fit a book. He recorded the words so it would come on the TV the first day, the radio in one week and as a last reminder, on the 2^nd week.

This was all he could do.

Saving the recording, he sent it to a hacker who was renowned in Country A. He would ensure through a program that these recordings would go out at the prompted time.  Song Yu leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. He felt a small lick on his fingertips and looked down to see Squinty-eyes.

Picking the puppy up, he gently petted it on the head.

“Humanity is quite fragile, isn’t it?”

Squinty-eyes stared at him before cocking his head to the side. Song Yu laughed as he took the dog outside the room into the living room.

“C’mon. Let’s watch the meteor shower.”

The night had just started, as Song Yu snuggled with Squinty-eyes. Turning on the TV, he watched as the local TV station recorded the trajectory of the meteor shower. Song Yu could not see which meteor would bring the virus, but at this point, his heart had hardened, looking on with mild disassociation.

“…and we can see that the meteor shower will pass at 12AM on the dot. This cluster of meteors will be the closest it has ever come in nearly 2000 years. According to scientists, it will not come into contact with the earth’s gravitational pull…” Song Yu looked at the time. 8:40pm. There was still time.

“Dinner?”

“Woof!”

Song Yu went into the kitchen and took out some easy instant ramen. He also got Squinty-eyes wet dog food, so Squinty-eyes flew to his bowl and ignored Song Yu while munching on dinner. Song Yu went back to the sofa and watched as the time dialed down. Before 12 AM, Song Yu closed his eyes as the memories came to him of a certain man.

The memory of a single night where it was just him and Lan Zhou. A kiss, an embrace, the loving gaze of someone on his. The sacred kiss on his forehead and the warm hands that held him all night.

When 12 AM hit, a single tear slipped from Song Yu’s eyes as the camera panned to the starry sky, and the meteor shower came into view.

 

…

In B City, Lan Zhou oversaw his team’s equipment. Wang Cheng patted Lan Zhou’s shoulder.

“We are ready boss. We will head over to the military base in two hours.”

Lan Zhou nodded; his thoughts somewhere else.

“Anything wrong boss?”

“Did I ever meet Song Yu in our last life?”

“Huh?”

“Song Yu. I don’t think I met him last time.”

“You’re right. Is the timeline wrong?”

“…I don’t know.”

Lan Zhou kept thinking. Did he remember wrong? Did he ever meet Song Yu before?