Rising: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction by Norman Christof Read Free Book Online

drink to wash down her food.  “You know how I mentioned the other day that I knew some secrets?  I think it’s Patzy that’s been telling me them in my sleep.  I couldn’t quite remember the dreams I had with her, and I thought at first they were just random ideas bouncing around me brain.  Now though, I think it was her all along.  Is she crazy?  Can we trust what she tells us?”
Christa nodded her head yes.  “It took me a while, she rambles and babbles a lot.  Much of it doesn’t mean anything.  But if you listen long enough, you start to put things together.  She’s been in touch with me for years.  Ever since they did tests on me here when I was just a kid.  It’s like as soon as you get within range of her, she gets a connection and doesn’t let go.  That’s why it’s been so strange that I haven’t heard from her for days.  She’s been like my mentor, always there to keep me going.  Not hearing from her for days seemed wrong.  Maybe she sees something more in you.  Maybe she doesn’t have the energy for both of us.”
    Leekasha looked into Christa’s eyes.  “I’m sorry, really.  I didn’t mean to steal your Obi-Wan from you.”
    Christa laughed.  “Don’t worry about it.  You didn’t do it on purpose.”
    “I listened in on Montgomery the other day.  I know we’re not supposed to get into their heads.  I know they’re watching us all the time, but I needed to know. She’s been lying to you all this time.  She’s not developing a drug to target just the violent zombies.  She’s been developing a stronger version of Pacize.  That’s why you couldn’t hear those zombies the other day at the maintenance shed.  They’ve totally blocked you out.  They probably want to block me out as well, just haven’t figured out how to do it yet.”
    Christa sat back in her chair.  “Damn, those sons of bitches.  I should have known better.”
    “Don’t beat yourself up, you were trying to do the right thing.  You just picked the wrong people to trust.”
    “Exactly why I’m so stupid.  I should have learned my lesson years ago.  I thought they had changed.  They haven’t.”
    “We have bigger problems though, I think.  Part of what Patzy said to me last night ...  She said ‘redcoats coming.’  What does that mean, like the British are coming or something?”   
    Christa leaned forward, closer to Leekasha.  “There’s been rumbling in the news about England and their economic problems.  Ever since Scotland separated from the UK, their collective economy has been a mess.  They’re desperate.  There was even talk years ago about military action to bring Scotland back in.  This zombie trade export is big news all over Europe, and some are afraid it won’t happen.  Europeans think the people here don’t want it.  Some have called for international law to enforce it.  To make having zombies a basic human right, and force the Americas to export them, no matter what Kongod says.  It could get ugly.”
    Leekasha nodded in understanding. “She spoke to me when I was awake for the first time.  I think maybe she was getting desperate.  She wanted me to go outside.  Do you really think the world will try to take the zombies by force?”
    “Things got hard over there when the wars broke out.  In a global economy, when one big player goes down everyone is affected.  They haven’t recovered over there the way we have.  They haven’t had the benefit of free zombie labor.  If they’re desperate enough, who knows what they’ll do.”
    “It would be kind of ironic, wouldn’t it?”
    Christa raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
    “The zombie outbreak started the war here, and it raged on for fifteen years.  Nobody wanted to be here, and everyone that could got the hell out.  Now, the rest of the world wants their own zombie outbreak, and they’ll fight to get it.  Doesn’t make much sense.”
    “ Yeah.  Humans can be pretty damn