Was this the adrenaline that fuelled her? It was almost overwhelming, as if an animal inside was clawing its way to the surface. It ran through my veins like electricity, mechanizing my movements and train of thought. The elevator dinged to the top, and I stepped out. She'd temporarily blinded this evil man we used to call the vice president, and literally kicked the shin of one of his little underlings out of place. While he still worked to regain sight, I pointed the gun at the back of his head.
"Hands up." He raised them slowly. "My name is Danny Kegaereta, and the girl you killed was my best friend. Give me a reason not to kill you now." He mumbled something. "Louder."
"My scientists can work with your people, and we'll supply any money you need--" I shoved his head forward and stepped on his back. He was folded into a painful position, for an old man. "I'm sure my scientists can work to get your friend back!!" he rushed.
"Prove yourself." I took my foot off his back and held him up. Ty, who had wiped the tears and now worked as I did, helped me with Mr. Vice Prez in leading him to the elevator. "You're to take us to where these 'scientists' work, and you show us any technology you have." His short, wrinkled finger pressed the button for the lowest floor. We made our descent. I looked out over the herd, and saw a female zombie with no legs and a gun taped to her back drag herself along. I had to look away before the adrenaline was replaced with grief. "Ty, explain to te geezer what we do to prevent an attack."
"Hold your breath when crossing. Even one half breath could be fatal. They'll simply stare, so don't provoke them. Show no fear." Collectively, we all took a deep breath. Ty escorted the old man, Mason escorted Ava, and I did one of the riskiest things I could ever do. I ran into the herd, swerving and swiveling until I'd reached Ariana's reanimated corpse.
I grabbed her by the shirt collar and dragged her along. There was a flatbed near the elevator wall, so I dumped her there and pushed her along. She looked peaceful, for once in her life. Her expression was dazed, and her mouth hung open. There was human drool mixed with blood dripping out, and her left arm flopped along on the ground. I let out my breath by accident. Everyone stopped, and watched Ariana try to crawl off the flatbed with one arm. She flopped to the floor, on her back. Garbled, throaty noises eminated from her, along with the occasional cough. I helped her back up, making sure she would stay on her back. She was tied down, and there was nothing else to worry about.
"We're gonna see if we can make you better, buddy," I spoke to her. She was still, as if listening. I continued. "These scientists could have some kind of antidote, or save a piece of your brain and make a whole new you. That sound good?" She made a noise, like a "gahk". "I know why you commited suicide, I think. You wanted us to find the scientists, so maybe we could find something of use. Anything of use. Am I correct?"
"Gahk."
"Yeah. I bet I am. I'm sorry if this brings you back to a hellish world, but we need you."
"Gahk... ga-ahk..." Her one good arm reached out for mine. I gave her my glove instead of my hand. She chewed on it. Once realizing it was empty, she dumped it beside her.
---
It was in the smaller building that we found offices and labs full of scientists. Plans were scattered about, procedures in the same state. Some papers held chemical equations, which looked to be the most hopeful.
"Our biggest plan was to build a suit of near-indestructible machinery. It reused old ammunition, it was impervious to zombie attacks. You could stroll through a whole city's worth of the critters and stroll out unscathed."
"Anything involving the reversion of zombies back to humans?"
"There have been quite a few attempts, a-and some are still under way. Our most hopeful was when we reverted a limb back to its human state, but never had we tested it on a whole zombie... Not even a single brain."
"Here's your chance, old man. Call on your scientists." He led Ty to a wall (he was still quite visually immobilized), and said if there's a panel on this wall, press the conference button and say "all workers to the cubicles". There was a panel, so Ty followed his instructions. One by one, each pale lab junkie came into the cubicles area. There was a total team of fifty.
"For those of you who haven't even seen a real zombie before, this is a good example." I stood out of Ariana's way, exposing her to the sun-deprived bunch. They gazed at her in fascinated disgust. Her head occasionally thrashed about, but I reassured them all that she was of no harm unless flipped onto her stomach. Even then, it would be an attack at a snail's pace.
"What are we to do with half of a corpse?" someone piped up.
"You all are to perfect an antidote, a serum that can revert zombies to their human state. It doesn't need to create whole new limbs, it just has to bring a zombie back to its human state. Is that clear?" Immediately, a few of them began looking on the ground and on desks for any chemical equations that could be of use for testing. They brought back a stack of papers, all basically scrawlings of equations and questions and alterations to procedures.
"These have been our most hopeful test results. It's not much, but it's something." This scientist seemed to be the most competent. I nodded to her.
"Good. Now, you're all to remain in this building until reinforcements are called from a neighboring base. Is. That. Clear?" No one objected--they didn't have much of a choice, seeing us armed. Ty radioed Ian, who remained at the Humvee, and Ian radioed the base. His order was loud and clear through all of our radios.
"East Coast Base 4, we need reinforcements. Mettox is down and dead, and we may be on the verge of bringing her and everyone back. Bring as many scientists and guards as possible. Also, save anyone still occupying East Coast Base 6. There are government officials occupying 6 without authorization. See any of these 'officials', and shoot them dead."
I looked over to see Mason gazing at Ariana overhead. She reached up for him with her good arm, and he was ballsy enough to reach down and feel the skin of her palm.
"We're gonna bring you back, buddy. I promise."
