replaced it when I was trying to decide on whether to tell the reader how the disease spread, but didn't want to give too much away. This section implied there was a cover up and that it had spread a lot further than what the characters had known in their little community in Tacoma Washington. I
eventually decided not to add anything about how the zombie virus broke out, so I believe I pulled this section out then. But, a friend (Jill) had read it, and not being a big zombie fan, she didn't know much about zombie lore. So I figured I'd want to bring in fans who may not like zombie stories, or
were new to them, so I created a very brief explanation which inspired the name, Eternal Preservative. I guess you'll have to read the book, to know what that's all about. Till then, here's the excerpt.
(Sorry just a little set up: The scene was cut out of the story when the characters regrouped at their base of operations. Tim, the most computer savvy found this video while digging around for what caused the zombie virus.)
“While I was looking around on the web last night I found a
video from a doctor in Oakland at a Research Facility. Apparently he was a fan
of Sci-Fi because his last post was put on this Trekkie Board. I didn’t know at
first to take it seriously but as I watched I knew for sure it was real. The
doctor in the video looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, he was emaciated, and
on the verge of breaking down. Here
watch this, I think it’ll change the way we think about them.”
“It’s
apparent to us that the outbreak occurred weeks, if not months ago. There has
been an attempt to cover it up. We can’t be certain the reasons for the cover
up but it seems as though government scientist were working on a cure. All we
know for sure at this point is that the cure didn’t work. It seemed that the
powers that be realized they were over their heads a little late and decided to
turn it over to a private well funded research facility that I work for. They
released most of their data from the previous experiments hoping it would give
us a head start. Being scientist we’re obviously a curious bunch; it didn’t
take much digging for us to find out the horrifying truth… most areas within
the United States had already been infected. Those in control of this last
minute ditch attempt placed guards and sealed our offices when we told our
supervisors what was going on. We were not allowed to call our families, email,
or give them warning of any kind. Dr. McKinsey tried to leave and he was
stunned by a taser; apparently they needed us alive… if they didn’t, I think he
would have died that day.
We
were prisoners in our own offices.
My
colleagues and I were given but days to try and come up with an antidote for
something we’d never seen. Let me put it in laymen’s… this would be like trying
to find a cure for cancer which they’ve been studying for years and still have
not synthesized a cure.
We worked round the clock but when we ran out
of time we realized that those in power didn’t even expect we’d find a vaccine
that worked. By all intensive purposes these people were DEAD but their bodies
just didn’t know it yet. How on EARTH… did these people think we could find a
cure for DEATH? What did they think we could create the fountain of youth and
stop death in its tracks… you can’t stop death!
I digress… When it was all said and done we
had more questions than answers. Why did they even bother with trying to find a
cure? Did someone at the last minute decide it was in their best interest? Did
someone’s loved one get sick from it and they hoped we’d find a cure, or a way
to slow it down? We simply didn’t know and now I know that we will never really
understand their reasons. We could only speculate, and I had determined that
some bureaucrat probably knew that the end was near and used what pull he or
she had to move the research to our lab. Hoping we could save their beloved…
WHAT EVER! I didn’t see anyone try to save mine; you arrogant… Sorry, it’s hard
not to be angry.
I
had come up with the only conclusion that was a sure fire way to work… total
annihilation of all who were infected. The idea didn’t sit well with most but I
think all of us researchers realized it was the only way. We reported our final
findings to a man dressed in black; he was as cold as he was arrogant. He said nothing…
he just turned around and left us there to rot. Forgive me for my anger but if
I were to ever seen that man again- I’d kill him myself.
Had we
been told earlier on, we may have had a chance to prepare for this event… we
could have set up medical facilities to watch out for early signs or build safe
zones for people to flee too. We could have gathered food and water supplies
and got in shelters. But like a tornado without an advanced warning we were not
prepared for the storm. We could have done something to save lives, but who to
blame isn’t relevant anymore. We must find a way to survive, a way for mankind
to hold on, and we must pray that somehow, someway the plague that haunts us
from coast to coast is eliminated.
Unfortunately
for us we didn’t burn our samples of the bacteria and our team chief was
infected. I was able to blockade myself in a study room but my only supplies
left is this computer I’m now using to send this message. The other members of
the team have been infected too and the only chance I have at survival is for
them to get hungry enough to eat themselves before I starve to death. If anyone finds this and somehow someone from
my family survives please tell them that I love them and that I did everything within my power save them.
I’m Dr. Craven Winfield from Oakland
California and this will likely be my last message. Star Date 2010.”
(It's short, but I think it's a neat view into how sometimes things don't make it into books, not because it's bad, but because the author, namely me, decided to go another direction. And to be honest, when I decided to add something about how the virus spread, I forgot all about this scene.)I hope you all enjoyed this,
Tracy
