A Rational Zombie

Chapter 74

Nothing happened on the way to the chief. It was a little after lunch, when most people shouldve been milling about, but oddly enough, Jen and I didnt run into anyone. Perhaps they were still eating. It didnt really matter though whether or not we encountered anyone. The infected was completely under Jens control. How was she so good at steering it? We only met someone once we arrived at the chiefs building which was a little past the kitchens. It was a two-story building, clearly built before the outbreak. There was nothing on it to indicate what it was used for.

Woah. Is that a freshly turned infected? The person guarding the chiefs building was dressed like a hunter: camouflage clothes and a helmet. Didnt the chief just ask for one today? You two didnt do anything fishy like poke a couple of holes in him and slap in some infected blood, right?

Dont even joke about that, Jen said.

The guard raised his hands. Alright, alright. It was just a joke. All Im saying is its odd, you know?

The chief probably heard about the influx of refugees and timed his request for right about when theyd show signs of turning. Theres nothing mysterious about it. The chiefs a smart person. Even though its been over a month since weve arrived, Ive never met him yet. All I know is hes trying to develop a cure. A dumb person wouldnt even think about doing that.

You got a point, the guard said. He opened the door and nudged the infected to the side when it got to close to him. Follow me.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. It wasnt the smell of stink sauce; I was already nose blind to that after working next to the painters all day for a month. It was the smell of something more nostalgic. It stank like my grandmothers medicine cabinet: sickly sweet yet sterile while smelling like old people at the same time. The inside of the building had its furniture rearranged in a manner thatd slow infected down if they broke in. People probably stubbed their toes in here all the time.

The chiefs in the basement. Dont try anything funny like having the infected bite him.

Why would we do that? Jen asked. And if we were going to, do you think wed suddenly change our mind because you told us not to?

You got a point, the guard said. But I said it on the off chance you werent right in the head, you know? Im a guard, but I rarely get to say guard-like lines or do anything guard-like at all. The guard opened a door which revealed a flight of stairs going down. I hadnt seen a basement in a very long time. Chief! That freshly turned infected you wanted is here!

There was no response. A moment later, a gruff voice shouted back, Bring it over!

The guard looked at us. Can it climb down stairs?

Were about to find out, Jen said and nudged the infected forward. It tumbled down the stairs, and I was nearly pulled down after it. Luckily, the rope was long enough that I could release it but still grab hold of it after the infected reached the bottom.

Guess not, the guard said and went down the stairs. It was brightly lit for a place that was underground.

Electricity. I nudged Jens side with my elbow. All thats left is running water and internet and youll have everything you asked for.

Dont forget not having to worry about being eaten alive.

Well, that possibility existed before the outbreak too.

I could feel Jen roll her eyes from behind her visor. Yeah, sure, if you were one of those idiots who climbed into enclosures at the zoo. She nudged the infected on the ground with the butt of her spear until it stood up. Then she jabbed it in the back, steering it after the guard, who had gone ahead.

In the basement, there were a bunch of shelves holding a lot of bottles labeled with a bunch of Cs and Hs and Os with the occasional N and S. There were also tubes of medicine that squeezed out like toothpaste, and there were bottles with all kinds of medications. The chief really was serious about trying to find a cure. I wonder how many pharmacies this groups raided.

The guard stopped in front of a door. He checked the infected, making sure it couldnt bite or scratch before nodding. Then he pushed the door open and walked inside. Jen maneuvered the infected in, and I cut the rope some slack since the door wasnt wide enough for both of us to go in at the same time. Jen went in first, and I went in after. The room was white. It reminded me a lot of the morgue that shows up in TV shows like the place underneath a hospital where someones cut open after theyre dead to determine their cause of death, and once its determined, theyre wheeled into a drawer in the wallthat kind of morgue. I didnt like it.

The chief was dressed in a hazmat suit. I couldnt tell what he looked like at all. He was sitting at a desk which was overflowing with papers with his back to us. I wasnt sure if he was brave or crazy. With the world the way it was now, Id never leave my back exposed to an entrance. Granted, there was a really long table an infected would have to go around first to reach him. The chief swiveled around on his surprisingly posh chair. He stood up and nodded at the infected. Strap it to the table.

Jen and I glanced at each other. The guard walked around to the other side of the table. Bring it over, he said and fiddled with the table. There were straps made of cloth with metal bracings dangling over the sides. Well strap its legs down first, then its neck, then untie its arms and do those last.