NZOMBIE - The Living Dead Read online

  - Help me Nadja, we collect some samples and study them on board our laboratory on wheels! - She nodded even unwillingly, but knew of the need to understand the problem and did not blame her dear Nick Frost for successful events somehow had prepared my whole life for this moment a monumental fatality could happen and leave control.

  - Look Nick! - Pointed once again to one of the buildings which inexplicably had not been destroyed by explosions and much less by heavy fire from attack helicopters! - The fuel depot was spared! - Smiled knowing that all was not lost, but knew it was a military strategic mistake that quite possibly Timochenco not be allowed, unless it had a hidden plan in the sleeve of his pilot jacket, after leaving resources to the enemy was almost to mark the death itself.

  - I believe that they did not see or did not know what was inside stored, or otherwise be just rubble now! - It was a very simple thought for a scientist, not to say completely devoid of reason.

  - Maybe... Maybe... - Nadja knew things did not work well, but allowed to leave believe in those words he had just heard, felt gratitude for Vladimir, was not sure if he knew who had evaded the facilities that it had destroyed a few moments before, in any case deserved the benefit of the doubt. After all maybe he was not the ruffian who until a few moments ago had imagined.

  They spent almost two hours between refueling and survey of what could still be used to follow trip with some caution set up a small laboratory inside half the car party through until the back, leave the other half until the front of the form they could have some privacy and comfort.

  Nadja was concerned with the accommodations where they could rest along the way and was not willing to sleep alone, not only for fear of waking up and not find his beloved, but also because he had other intentions.

  - Time to go my dear! - He kissed her tenderly on the forehead which made her pucker a little forehead.

  - That's the best you can do? - He was surprised by the question that had just been made.

  - No, it's not! But if we want to survive we need to let this kind of stuff for later! - He pulled her by the hand and forced it to turn his back with both hands and the powerful muscles that had lifted her by the waist and put on the first rung of the car that kept the heated engine.

  - "That sort of thing?" - Nadja thought the last words he said - "As well, this kind of thing?" - Still had not absorbed completely what he had heard, but he hated that he referred to his feelings that so, I was sure that sooner or later surely he would pay with his tongue and it does not take long. She blushed and smiled enigmatically without being perceived to remember his last thought - "With language, Nick Frost!" - She laughed quietly and restrained.

  - I'll prepare the samples, follow the GPS signal that will take us to the base Concordia, are at least three hundred miles of open countryside, so if we do not have any mishaps, so walking! - He felt the mission command and not wait for an answer.

  - Yes General! - Nick shifted into first gear and put the vehicle in motion by taking the foot clutch abruptly knew what would happen and looked slightly askance to see if his calculations were right, smiled when he realized that Nadja lost his balance without falling, if supported, one of the horizontal beams that protected the windows. He took the opportunity to turn on the radio and even if they could not capture any station, had always get something to being able to hear, then immediately the melody Celtic and smooth invaded the room leaving the "climate" mildest among them. She was a formidable woman; I should not have lost opportunities as they crossed casually through the halls of Vostok Station...

  Nadja had done a theatrical effort to hold on and not fall, did not look back, had realized the intention once felt the excessive rush of the vehicle, knew he was not as bad driver, so out purposeful, but not enough to hurt -over there. In any event, the marked body waddling certainly have the desired effect. He would still beg for your caresses. - "You will have back, Nick Frost! Wait for me! "- His thoughts now were a killing machine, ready to fight and this was a confrontation that she wanted to.

  Let the thoughts changed of place and give rise to speculation as all that apocalyptic environment had happened, gradually making a history of all events so that they could be listed. It started with his approach in the room, tried to pass to the next memory or return to the original thoughts, then his call to read the analysis by Pavlov, who believed to be correct, followed the experiment with rodents and have been unsuccessful immediately until those little animal experiments were restless inside the containment or incubator box as she liked to call and finally out of control.

  There was no reason for that something went wrong, at worst guinea pigs have died and would be replaced by others, but it was not happened. - Now the chamber was sealed vacuum with the biological sample inside, to insert the guinea pigs had to be pressurized with oxygen... - He spoke to yes same.

  - You mean alone Nadja! - Frost broke off sarcastically.

  - Yes Nick Frost! - He answered without turning to him. - When you need to talk to someone intelligent, I talk to myself! - Completed satisfied with the answer he had given and feeling better than ever.

  The scientist felt that response as a fist tightly closed in his stomach, followed by a straight punch on the chin. There was actually a woman of few words, but admirable. His silence said everything needed to be more kind to her or would eventually lose it.

  On the other side, the beautiful woman was still developing the chronology of events; irritation of animals after uncontrollable way as gnawed rubber gloves inside the chamber and finally direct contact with the outside world. Not remember if they had time to recapture the guinea pigs, probably not, would be extremely useful at that time. He proceeded to examine the human remains that had gathered in the camp. What interested him most was the chest of the unknown that at some point was his co-worker, but he avoided thinking about it or would not do what was needed.

  After putting the gloves with a scalpel and steady hand he opened the top, the meat was tougher than I was accustomed to work, was not the first time he did, after all was part of his activity do autopsies, but imagined it could be due to the intense cold that the corpse had been submitted. He opened the entire front and with some difficulty managed to leave all quite open external.

  The vital organs were blackened and a putrid appearance, but in its most intact which surprised her. - "... It does not make sense" - concluded, in that between them and placed within similar containers with large glass bottles. It took about twenty minutes for everyone to be accommodated and well packaged, did not know if there could be contaminants in these samples, in any case it was too late to think about it.

  Nick Frost left to absorb other issues soon after receiving a withering response from Nadja and for a while did not realize that she was part of the expedition. I thought about what he had seen at Lake Vostok and the way that green stuff has expanded across the surface soil, thought that perhaps the military group containment had managed to seal the drill hole, at least so expected, so the biological incident would be restricted to where they were, over a distance of two hundred miles, than for that deserted immensity, it was nothing.

  Took the decision to change the route and look to dig one last time, I wanted to be sure of the facts and a better understanding of events. He thought it would be smart to somehow contact the Concordia Base before you get there, but did not seem to be a very wise idea, after all the possibility of being sought for escape of a biological hazard area, certainly would not have a good reception, it was just a hypothesis, think about it later and ask for help Nadja.

  He remembered looking at her that she was bent over a microscope and shook his head.

  - What goes Nadja? - Asked in concern tone, I wanted to know the progress she made in an attempt to find something that elucidates the contamination.

  - This fabric was dead before being killed by helicopters... But that does not make sense! - He turned to look at him again. - Do not shoot dead people and this one at least had been dead for more than tw
enty-four hours ago ... - he tried to convey the serenity of maximum in his revelations, by his calculations the incident now was forty-eight hours of happened.

  - It is possible that someone has brought out in an attempt to save him and possibly died of infection or extreme cold! - Was a plausible assumption.

  - I thought about it, Nick ... - He looked again at the microscope and again shook his head. - But what surprises me most is that we still have cell activity, but not as we know it! - Regulated for a few moments the powerful lenses of the microscope.

  - What are you saying? The tissue is dead, but that there is life in it? - He looked at her over his shoulder with some incredulity. - This is impossible! - He shook his head. This theory was playing on the ground of academic lessons they had learned and complete madness.

  - I am many things in my life Nick Frost, less an incompetent scientist! - I told her gruffly. - What do I have before my eyes is another way of life that challenges all our scientific knowledge here! - She took a syringe with a fine needle at the end and poured a drop of solution on the fabric "dead." There was an immediate reaction of the sample that expanded and contracted by a row as trying to free the captive that was under observation meticulous eyes. A faint cry reached the ears of Nick Frost stepped violently on the brakes.

  - What happened Nadja? - He asked afflicted.

  - Is alive! The sample is alive! - I was horrified by what he saw and knew it challenged everything I had learned in the field and the best scientific books and your library was quite extensive.

  Frost ran to hug her, she had to comfort her and tell her she was not alone. On the other hand I wanted to see with their own eyes what looked like such a moment of madness and hysteria of his partner who had imagined minutes ago.

  Death Experience

  Oliver McQueen remained in the comfort of your living room in the apartment in Amsterdam in the Oud Zuid district, overlooking the Vondelpark, looking at the external landscape, still absorbed in thoughts of the latest developments, expected Vladimir Timochenco had succeeded in control , I knew him personally and considered him one of his best men. There was difficulty in admitting that research under their responsibility and with all the financial and technological apparatus that had had failed monumental form, moreover, was not the first time I was in a similar situation, however, the outside dimensions as large spill that the limits of its company, the Corporation NOMAD.

  It was interrupted by the mobile phone touch that was on the table, walked toward him with no intention to meet anyone else. He took the calming device and read the name of Yuri Antonov on the display, do not want in any way to receive that call, but after a few seconds that seemed like endless hours pressed the call receive button.

  - Hello Yuri... I hope you have good news... - waited for the answer of the Russian general was positive.

  - There is no easy way to communicate this Oliver, our satellites as well as their should be showing indicate that the contaminant cloud moves to Australia and must arrive there in little more than twenty-four hours! - The tone of voice was bitter and sullen. - This hourly event we cannot stop, but there is still time for to contain the origin of what we now call Biological accident, as did countless victims from different countries at the source... - I paused to listen to the another man would tell him.

  - I did not know the size of the contamination, I'm out of the office ... and tried to find a solution that met us completely ... - It was a vague and uncertain response and his voice showed that uncertainty.

  - We have permission from the UN Security Council will proceed nuclear solution ... - She sighed, it was not exactly what I wanted to do and that his country had the reputation of being extremely belligerent, such clashes have always avoided at all cost. - As the base is ours, we will be doing the intervention. I regret that things have reached this level of risk ... - He paused again and declined to further comment.

  - I do not know if it will be the best solution, but I recognize that I am not in a position to challenge! - Resigned to being an enterprising man and not a career politician, for that paid his advisers so that took care of foreign policy. - How and when will it be done? - I asked bluntly.

  - One of our submarine K-329 Severodvinsk is on the way and should arrive in about six hours, after that will be a matter of minutes ... - Do not be conformed to make a nuclear intervention in international territory and exclusively research. It was not like confronting a likely enemy, this was only the eradication of a problem.

  - Keep me informed Yuri is all I ask you! - Then hung up the phone without saying goodbye. What would happen soon forever shake their relations with the government and, in addition, there was a huge financial loss on both sides. He picked up the phone again and made a new connection to Urd Wessel, the chief scientist of your corporation. The world they knew would never be the same.

  - Wessel! Any news about Frost Element? - I waited for it to be answered.

  - Good day to you too Oliver! - Did not like the tone in which the call was received; he was a scientist and the man on the other side of the line your boss undoubtedly preserved but good manners above all. - We are to receive a sample taken at Concordia Base that was delivered to Casey Station in the coming hours and needless to say that the military is in our pursuit to know what is, perhaps for use as a biological weapon! - Responded to the question asked.

  - Sorry, you are absolutely right. The happened is no reason to lose civility! - I had understood the message. - In any case, how do you expect to handle it? - I wanted a positive response and not assumption events.

  - Apparently Frost element is a type of highly toxic substance that kills people by inhalation almost immediately! - Reviewed the notes for a moment - this is nothing new in biochemical weapons, however, there are some inconsistent reports that some of the people found in Concordia Base were "alive", but in a violent state and therefore were slaughtered! - I did not believe that there could be a direct link to what was happening, but as a scientist, knew that a possible pandemic of animal rabies transmitted to humans could trigger this kind of reaction.

  - In any case, they are bringing one of the bodies for examination ... - so concluded his report the known facts.

  - Yuri revealed that the cloud will advance toward Australia and will do everything possible to contain the spill ... - Oliver McQueen would not reveal the entire contents of the conversation he had just had with the General, I was tired of talking about this subject the running out literally exhausted his strength. Moreover, sometimes more difficult as things stand information.

  - I did not expect less! - Made a disapproving noise across the line. - We lost Casey Station also four hours ago ... - Wessel did not hear anything on the other side that was not the noise of the broken connection. He looked at the phone's display and was sure that the connection was closed. He thought for a moment that it might be interesting to see the family, was absent for longer than you would like and that seemed like a great opportunity, but before that, I needed to wait for the contaminated sample Concordia Base, it was a human body. At least until that time thought so.

  McQueen fell heavily on the bed and closed his eyes, wanted to escape a little from reality that was submitted and that seemed like a good time. Past memories and happy times ravaged his mind and peace asleep believing that better days would come, could not be more mistaken.

  Vladimir had just received orders to move along with their helicopters to Mirny Station, Russian property located on the coast of the frozen continent and borders the Indian Ocean and which would receive new orders to do if contamination expanded, but noticed something different the behavior of his men, something was not right. He triggered the siren called everyone to the Flight room where they used to before the meetings of the missions and waited until everyone arrived. Four of them did not show up.

  - Where are the members missing? - Vladimir noticed the absence of four of his men, two crews and was not habit that to happen. He gestured with his chin for the second in com
mand, who left the flight room expeditiously. They had been seventy-two hours from the beginning of the biohazard. After about ten minutes of waiting there was only silence, before he heard the cracks of standard Glock Special Forces. He rushed to the exit in time to see Andrei Livanov, his second in command, running to the inside of one of the helicopters. Behind a human mass ten individuals ran in after him, among them four members absent at the meeting.

  - Come in and lock the doors! to ensure that no one from this room! - He looked through a crack in the window concerned with Andrei. I could not understand what was happening, however, he spotted the uniforms of scientific teams of Vostok Base, - "But how was that possible?" - I thought. They were at least a hundred miles on icy lands to the extreme; no human being could make such a journey in those conditions. Anyway I knew there was absolutely failed in containing the contamination, if those people were able to get here devoid of resources against the cold, certainly would reach other places, it was urgent to come out of there.

  Load is a pistol and two magazines full of bullets, ordered his men to do the same. Weaponry was not lacking. An explosion called him again the attention, looked again the window opening, Andrei struggled inside the aircraft with one of his men who was now unrecognizable and bathed in blood, the explosion had been caused by the accidental firing of a missile left wing, thus the dormitories were destroyed, but the worst was to come, the other missile pointed directly to where they were, the Flight room. He prayed that nothing worse happened, but their prayers were not heard. - Get down! - He threw himself on the floor of floorboards that helped in space heating, so saw the propulsion rocket being fired. The impact was fulminant and devastating, the whole complex collapsed.

  The deafening noise of the explosion was still echoing in his eardrums, the slightly blurred vision showed the rubble of what was once the Flight Room of the NOMAD support base, figures ahead of him fought fiercely with each other, but could not distinguish them, needed back a little body down than before off the roof to his senses, but this was not possible, passed in silence immediately afterwards. The time has passed.