The Last Broadcast

A preview of an idea I am working with.

The Last Broadcast

~Catherine Day~ I Catherine do tell this tale, but I must be dreaming or having a nightmare. I was the first to see it. The bombs fell, the mushroom clouds plumed, but there was no radiation, something worse emerged."

“This is the most insane, ridiculous, outlandish idea anyone has ever brought to this council!” Rue McMahon nearly lost her voice choking on what was running through her mind. “For a year you have been receiving short messages on your receiver from some unknown person, probably a spy, telling you he has a plan to remove all the warlords….” Unable to continue, rage paralyzing her voice she bare-knuckled her hands the table with such force the drinks nearly spilled.

“You have put this colony at risk.” Stephan Malar, another paranoid member of the council rested his hand on Rue’s shoulder coaxing her to return to her seat. “We have spent enormous effort keeping our survival a secret from these warlords. We few have survived the apocalypse, avoided the zombie infestations, meticulously scrutinize our every move to gather supplies without being found out and you said this person who identifies only as ‘Meridian’ says we need to join with other colonies? Out of the question”

Catherine Day kept her mental frustration from reaching her vocal chords, barely, as she spoke. “Whoever this ‘Meridian’ is, already knows where we are and as his or her messages instructed I was never to respond. Each message was short enough not to be tracked so he or she is aware of the war lord’s ability to trace radio signals.”

“You kept this information from us and you put us all at risk for discovery.” Rue’s voice was slightly lower from the nearly enraged octave prior. “For that alone, this councils has no choice but to place you in permanent solitary isolation away from this colony with no chance of revealing our location.”

“You of all people Catherine Day saw the horrors first hand when the bombs descended. You were at the D.C. command center watching the world, every government, every country’s political, moral, religious and economic system fail.” Silas Money, oldest of the council and the weariest was once her closest friend but now too old and tired to contradict the others. “Even if by coincidence you were at ground zero you saw friends and family become infected and transform into one of those things and you want to risk what little freedom have left?”

“The apocalypse of the dead has only changed who has unjustly governed us. Someone once said ‘no man is good enough to govern another man without his consent’. As if that was ever true with an elected government how greater the threat when we sit back and consent to unjust governing over us?” She stood from her chair and reached into her worn pocket inside her shirt. “Meridian promised a demonstration of the group he is gathering, today.” The guard grabbed the paper roughly from her hand handing it to the council. “At 1 p.m. this afternoon we are to look outside the walls of the compound, which is in just a few minutes.” She smiled and sat down. Meridian, whomever he or she was, knew a great deal about their compound, much more than she let on to the council, even some of its weak points. Had this Meridian wanted to the compound could have been easily taken over. Before the council could respond a guard burst into the chambers.

“Something is happening in the woods, movement, lots of movement.”

“Call out every available armed able-bodied individual and line the wall.” Stephan barked several more orders before pointing to Catherine and ordering she be brought with them.

~ Meridan ~

Along the top ledge of the makeshift wall of stone and lumber the council, along with Catherine, stood in silence. All the guards, even with binoculars, reported signs of massive movement but unable to see what it was through the dense tree line and no one was allowed to leave. There was only one dirt road leading in or out. Not a road really but one made through the forest by frequent travel of carts or vehicles. From the bend in the road a single figure, a young man wearing jeans, shirt, and leather-like trench coat was walking casually toward the compound. Catherine guessed he was in his twenties and, he was looking directly at her when he smiled. “Meridian” she whispered and smiled. Guards were taking up positions all along the wall but ordered to hold fire at this stranger approached, alone.

“Far enough! Rue demanded. ”What is your business here?”

“Release my friend Catherine please. I wish to speak with her directly.” His voice was very calm however, the demand was clear.

“You demand nothing,” Rue responded. “Do not attempt to leave, you are now under our jurisdiction and if you want to live will make no attempt to flee.”

Sudden warnings from multiple guards were being shouted from multiple locations. The warnings did nothing to prepare Catherine or anyone for that matter for what was about to come next. From the edge of the woods, moving slowly with an apparent purpose never seen before, were the infected, the zombies. Some were armed with clubs and others lined up in unison carrying large trunks of trees like a battering ram, the walls would not hold up. At first, it was dozens, then hundreds and within a few minutes there were too many to count they were so dense and stopped in a circle around, she assumed, the entire compound from all the reports the council was getting via shouts and relay runners. And there stood this young man, unharmed and seemingly ignored by the infected, the zombies.

“Send her down.” Silas said softly and with surprising command in his voice. At Rue’s reluctant nod Catherine was allowed to go down the steps and out the narrow door at the base.

Catherine walked slowly to the young man standing outside less than fifty feet away with the infected hardly a stone throw behind him. She heisted by instinct but curiosity compelled her to move forward with such force she could almost imagine the feeling of the blind force driving the zombies and their usual hunger. She stopped within arm’s length, “Meridian.” She looked at him briefly and glanced behind him. “How?”

He stepped closer offering his hand. She took it and it felt warm, alive and his hazel eyes had a vibrancy of life she could not explain. He put a second hand on hers and said, “I can hear them.”