WalkerZ - A Zombie Apocalypse Story

Chapter 30 - A Man in Uniform

"What the hell?" muttered Merryn, and reached for the microphone. "Captain, this is Merryn. What the heck is going on?"

"Before you get angry with me Scout 2, you need to calm down and listen, please. May I proceed?"

Merryn ground her teeth in frustration but replied in a more measured tone. "You may sir."

"Right. The options we have here are as follows:

"One. We carpet bomb Cardiff and try and take out as many walkers as we can, but end up destroying a large part of the city including major roads to the west which leaves the city impossible to reclaim in the future.

"Two. We nuke the area which would nullify the threat but breach every treaty going, shatter the entire area for generations to come, and endanger the power station on the other side of the river to the south.

"Three. We try a riskier plan first. One that gives us options for the future, including Option 1 should we need it.

"So, the PM has decided to try something different to blowing things up and has discounted nukes entirely. Our scientists have been working with Stan and Hope, and please note I say 'working with' here. Hope is a remarkable young woman and has helped our scientists gain a deep understanding of both her and Stan in the process as well as suggest a few ideas of her own. She will make an amazing scientist herself one day. I will be clear with you here Merryn, we are not intending to sacrifice them for the greater good or anything daft, I want them both back again. But, at this point in time, they can do something no one else can, with the possible exception of you and Darcey, and that is to get close enough to infect this swarm with something that could help us free this country from the walkers. We have to try this. We have to give ourselves a chance to take out as many of these things as we can in one go so we can live."

Merryn remained quiet for a moment, her face pale, her breathing shallow. "You promised me she would not become a test subject Captain, that she would be looked after and treated as a human being, not some sort of lab rat. Yet instead she's been developed as some sort of super-weapon? What have you done to Stan, attached a machine gun to him, and added tank tracks?"

"Merryn, do you trust me?" Mal's voice came over the radio, stopping her tirade dead as she was about to take a breath and launch another stream of invective.

She gathered herself and clicked the button on the microphone. "I would trust you with my life Mal, you know that. I trust you every time I leave Calstone barracks. You are my friend, the closest thing I have to family now and I love you."

"Then trust me now and please listen to the Captain. You know he's a good man, one of the best. Please let him explain. I trust him with my life, as you trust me with yours."

Merryn passed the mic to Lily and nodded, dropping into the Coxswain's chair.

"This is Sands, please go ahead Captain, we're listening."

"Thank you, Captain," replied Summers. "Merryn, you are worried for your friend, I understand that. I worry every time you leave this barracks, worry every time Mal knocks on my door with a request to come to the control room. And Hope worries for you. She asked for updates from Mal every single day she was on the Isle, took in the information you and your team gathered in your travels, and came up with an idea, one she knew only she and Stan could help with. We have done extensive research and testing, and we're as sure as we can be that this will work, but Hope herself asked to take on this task so she could help the people she loves: you, Eddie, Andrew, Tom, and Mal. And Stan wants to be there too.

"You'll be pleased to know that Rob made it to us in one piece and our RAF mechanics have given the helicopter a quick once over, Rob has tested it again and he is flying Hope and Stan to you now."