S.W. Tanpepper's GAMELAND, Season One Omnibus by Saul Tanpepper Read Free Book Online Page B

strike the thing down. And, honestly? Nobody except a few rights activists really wants to. We may not like the idea that we’ll become one of the Undead someday and have to pay our dues to the government, but it’s better than going back to the old ways, when living people fought wars and cleaned sewers.
    The road finally reaches its lowest point, which is still about sixty feet above water level. It’s where the experts say sea level will be when all the arctic ice finally finishes melting. They say that won’t happen for another hundred years, but that’s what they said forty years ago before the first major ice shelf broke off and raised sea levels by thirty feet.
    â€œ Times Square,” Micah calls out. We all look to the right. The place is a dump, abandoned and disintegrating. “We should be just about parallel with the tunnel now. A few more blocks to the south and we’ll be there.”
    Traffic has thinned out quickly and is now almost nonexistent. We come to one last checkpoint. Here, the guard is all business. We sit silently as he checks our Links. He takes each one and scans it, then does the same with each of us, making sure our Links match our implants. He spends a lot of time with Micah’s until, finally, Micah asks for his Link back. He messes with it for a moment before returning it to the guard.
    â€œ It’s been having problems lately,” Micah says. “I think it’s time for an upgrade.”
    The guard frowns for a moment, stares at the screen, then at Micah. His jaw clenches and he takes in a deep breath.
    â€œ This is an inner zone,” he says. “What’s your reason for coming here?”
    This time, when Ashley explains that it’s an extra-credit project for summer school, he just stands there tapping his thumb on his own Link, waiting for us to come clean.
    â€œ We swear it,” Ashley insists. “It’s part of our community service commitment.”
    â€œ And the NCD permit? How does that fit in?”
    â€œ My brother works for the department,” I explain. “Eric Daniels? You probably know him.”
    The guard just stares.
    â€œ We’re doing a survey in conjunction with the police department. It’s on…”
    â€œ Potential sources of outbreak transmission,” Kelly says.
    The guard sighs. “Zombie freaks. Okay. Just don’t go anywhere restricted. Heed the signs. Don’t get in any trouble. Fines are doubled in an inner zone. And remember the curfew.”
    We all breathe a sigh of relief as he waves us through.
    â€œ Outbreak transmission?” I ask Kelly, once we’ve pulled away.
    â€œ I had to say something. You guys were totally boffing it back there.”
    â€œ Thanks,” I say. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.” I lean over and grab his face for another kiss.
    â€œ Aw, sheesh,” Ash complains. “Not again.”
    We stop at a traffic light, and dutifully wait for it to change, even though there are no other cars around. I glance down and see an empty water taxi stand just outside the old Grand Central Station. A bunch of obsolete train cars had been hoisted onto the rooftop platform and converted into high-priced restaurants and hotels. They all stand empty and rundown now. Grass sprouts out of every corner and crack.
    â€œ Take a left here,” Reggie says, checking his Link. Micah turns on his blinker, making Reggie snort and shake his head.
    After a few more minutes, the buildings thin out, become shorter, squatter. Then the vista suddenly opens up. We all exhale as one as the dull gray desert of the East River spreads out before us, as if it’s the most wondrous thing we’ve ever seen. In truth, it kind of scares me.
    â€œ According to my Link,” Micah says, “we’re almost where the opening should be. Just a few hundred feet .”
    We all look down, but of course there’s nothing to see.