Chapter 7- The Sun will come out

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” ― Anne Frank

Paul and Jenna recovered completely and the whole little town was in recovery. Jenna told Paul about the zombie named Sal who saved her and kept her and his son safe and about how Jenna hit on Sal, but he was a zombie, and she felt creepy for it. Paul hated Sal; his jealousy overcame him. He had to work for years to get Jenna even to like him. He didn't have super strength or a magical stupid cure... He saved me and Jenna and kept Jake safe... I am thankful, he sighed outwardly as he was thinking to himself. Jenna squeezed his shoulders. Paul got quiet after she told him about the incident where she wanted Sal.

“It was only a brief moment.” She said trying to make him feel better, but he made a face and turned from her even more.

A knock on the door came and Jenna said, “come in.”

Akari's voice gently said, “We will be discussing the party that will return to Hope city and what we must do. Please come out when you're ready so we can sort things out.”

“We will be out right away master.” Paul quickly said then stood and walked out.

Jenna knew he would come around; Paul was kind and sweet, she trusted he would work through it his own way. She stood and walked out, and everyone was sitting in the living area, and some new faces were standing by master Akari.

Mandy ran and hugged Paul and Jenna and spoke. “I knew people would come back to life! Just like the book Rick loves said!”

Rick heard her and said, “It is like that, but the book means it in a different way, i think. It says God will raise up all the dead, this is only the ones that were still zombies. We will have to wait longer for that day sweet little one.”

She smiled even bigger, and a tear was in her eye, “I can't wait for that day!”

Rick chuckled and smiled and looked around at all the people and his friends and said, “Me too little one.”

Paul's bad mood lightened, Jenna held his hand, and they smiled at each other.

Akari spoke up. “Now friends we are at a crossroads. We will have some wait behind for Roma and Merik to return and find the people further out who are paralyzed and waiting for the antidote, some will journey back to Hope and get their child,” He stopped and smiled at Paul who he knew was anxious to see Jake. “And some need to head to Phoenix Ash to get a party together and meet with the president of the Union and inform them of Jetsen's new toys and how bold they are becoming now.”

Akari continued, “I will be going with Jenna, Paul and Sal with the people from this town, those who wish to stay at Hope will stay and those who wish to continue to Phoenix will continue with me.

Rick spoke up next, “Id you will help them with finding the people that still need to be helped and wait for Roma and Merik please, they will need your help to find then bring back the rest of our new friends. If you see Jensen or any of his men do not engage and keep the people away from him. They and decide for themselves but we will be the ones to bring them up to speed. Jensen will just kill them if they disagree with him.”

“Yes, Sir.” Id replied.

Rick looked at Blase and CIN and said, “Can you two help out here too?”

“Yes, Sir 'Ree. Said CIN

Blase tipped his hat in agreement.

Rick looked at Akari then all his friends and the new ones and said, “everyone knows what to do, God willing we carry out our tasks, take care my friends.”

Everyone left and it was just Blase, CIN and Id left alone.

“Alright Id,” said Blase “Let's find these old boys and get em home quick.”

Id was excited to find the zombie who rode the car frame. “YA!” Id yelled in excitement.

They made it to the old bank building and found the big zombie Id fought with Akari.

“Holy cow!” Exclaimed Blase. “Would you look at the size of this guy? Was this really a human?”

CIN chimed in, “The Sand Lions morph into animal forms, it would seem that these guys can gain in size and morph from their original shapes.”

Blase said, “I know I'm just surprised, is all. I was bein rhetorical.”

“Oh, right partner, haha” said CIN

Blase chuckled at the robot and said “Please dig em out and carry em. We're not gonna be able to handle more than this guy for now, especially if he gets violent when he wakes up.”

They couldn't get him in the house or around through the big RV gates, so they put him in a patch of grass and Id threw one of the antidotes into the zombie's mouth. Nothing happened for hours. Id suggested to use two, but Blase said no. Just wait longer.”

Blase got tired and said, “I’m gonna go lay down we should get some rest Id. Keep watch CIN.”

“Can  do,” Replied CIN

Id shook his head, “I'm gonna wait a while longer, I have to talk to him when he wakes up.”

More hours passed by, and Id fell asleep. Cin kept watch and just talked to the zombie until the sun began to rise and hit the zombies face and he started to move.

“UH OH” Said CIN and Id woke up just as IN sounded an alarm to wake up Blase.

Id walked up and said “Hello Mr. Zombie.”

The zombie grunted and pushed himself upright, unable to walk because of his legs.

The zombie grunted and looked around and then looked at Id again, so Id repeated “Hello.” and smiled.

The zombie blinked and tried to form a smile and said “hello” back but just stayed in place and grunted as it was breathing.

Blase ran out of the house and saw the zombie and stopped and watched as he turned and looked at him and said “Hello” and rocked from side to side happily.

Id motioned for Blase to come over and said, “Can we give him another antidote now?”

“Maybe a might bit more will do em some good.” said Blase.

CIN chimed in and said “He has shrank 15% over the past 3 hours. We should wait longer and see what happens.”

“Ok buddy, we can wait and see.” replied Blase.

Id spoke to the zombie again, “What is your name?”

He grunted happily and said “Duncan” then made more happy grunting noises. “what is your name”

They made small talk for a while and Duncan shrank and shrank. When he was small enough CIN carried him into the back yard under some shade. Duncans legs started to straighten out and his back straightened, and his form started to heal. Duncan was talking more and more clearly and said, “Oh no!”

“What happened to my body!”

Id replied, “You're being cured!”

“I do not want this; I want my old body.” And he despaired and was sad.

“I don't know how to stop it,” said Id “What do we do CIN?”

“I don't know.” Replied CIN.

Duncan started crying and his back bent and his legs went back to their old shape. He propped himself up and continued to cry but Id yelled “Look!” and Duncan realized he was back to his self again.

Id said “This is the real you? I love it, you're wonderful!”

CIN didn't really understand but he did know that he loved fitting in, and Duncan defiantly fit in with them.

Duncan looked up at the group and said i need some wheels, can you guys help me find parts? I can build anything; I'm an engineer and scientist. I can make anything you can think of.” He smiled big.

CIN said “I can help ya out with anything you need. I have scanned blueprints and schematics from ruins all over this area, I can help make tools and anything.”

Over the next few days, they found and helped six people and gathered parts and pieces to make tools to build circuit boards and shape small metal pieces and scavenged chips from computers and built a suit for Duncan. He was so excited when it was finished, he flailed his arms around, scrambling to get into the Exo-suit. when he was harnessed in he began jumping around for joy.

“I'm still me and I can walk!” He shouted for joy.

“You’d still be you whether you were healed or if you have a suit.” said Sal smiling because his new friend was so joyful.

“I know but I like me, and I used my gifts to help make this happen. Not that I'm ungrateful for this wonderful cure that took away the zombie virus but i just feel more at home with exactly what I was born with.” He replied in a single breath because he was so happy he strained to finish his sentence.

Duncan jogged in place and flapped his arms around in a half twirling motion and smiling ear to ear.

All the people who were cured watched silently and didn't know what to think of the world or if this is what all humanity was like now...

The brothers came back and greeted the new people first and introduced themselves and Peter the scientist. Duncan ran up to meet the new friends, Sal and Id came up after smiling because their new friend had this limitless joy even when they first met him, he was so enthusiastic despite his physical limitations, and he worked so hard to improve things not only for himself but for everyone and his friends.

The brothers greeted his and all the new faces and introduced Peter the scientist and explained they had to find a machine to analyze the antidote. The only one that was known is in Jetsen's land and it was basically suicide mission and the brothers loved a challenge.

“We must head to Phoenix as soon as possible and talk with Rick and make sure before spending any lives. There might be other options, and it is better that we are all alive.” Said Roma

Duncan cut in, “I might be able to fabricate one as well, I would just need the schematics and a good scientist or two to test it and make sure It is working accurately”

“You see,” said Merik. “New pathways are opening all the time!”

Everyone was very hopeful, and they all encouraged each other on the way to hope city and Duncan was wondering about what happened after the world ended.

“What happened after the world ended?” Duncan asked.

Roma explained it to him. “It was chaos in the beginning, but survivors were able to hide, and people started to learn how to live with the zombies. Society formed into small groups then towns and we now have two cities. After fifty years, some were divided racially to try to revive the “pure blood,” of each country but that didn't matter to anyone, we all banded together and survived and were able to save the languages and practices of most people's heritage from the 3 continents. Hundreds of different races and cultures survived even after a few hundred years but we are only starting to come back. There were bands of cannibals everywhere and zombies and the zombies even started to change to their environments and get faster and stronger, so did the animals so humanity has been on the bring dozens of times. Now we might have hope of recovering so much more knowledge with the help of people like you”

“I like the way the world turned out,” Duncan said. “Er wait no... that's not what i mean... It's tragic and bad that so many people died, and I wish the world didn't end but everyone here seems to say exactly what they mean. All of you don't just say yes to everything and there are real world consequences.”

Blase smiled and knew exactly what Duncan meant. “I read a lot of books and had CIN read me many books and explain to me the significance of works from your time and I got the impression everyone were pushovers.” said Blase

“Exactly!” Duncan said.

Duncan was wide eyed and asked a hundred questions about history until Roma got tired of it and told him to ask Merik who answered questions until he got tired of talking and had him talk to CIN until they made it to Hope City.

Judy greeted them at the entrance of the town again and made all the new guests welcome with the others that chose to stay that Rick led.

“Who all will be staying here? raise your hand.” Judy asked All of the new people besides Duncan decided to stay because they felt safe so high up.

“Ok, I will give you a tour and a rundown of how we handle things in my town.”

She led a tour down deep into the center of the mesa they lived atop. The jail was carved into stone and dirt. There were tons of cells, but most were empty except a decently large group of violent offenders, thief's and rapists but no child molesters because the inmates always killed them.

“Ok, here we are.” Said Judy. We have judges who see cases and deliberate on crimes and hand out punishments. If you break the law, you will end up here with these men. You are free to practice any religion you want or do whatever your heart's desire, but you will not break the simple rules of liberty by intruding on another person's. Ok?”

All the new people understood and agreed. Most people were scared straight by the encounter with Mr. Johnson one of the inmates.

Roma and the group were done so they left and made it to Phoenix Ash with their new friend Duncan and met up with Rick and everyone.

“I see you all made it safe, and Id didn't drive anyone crazy. Rick laughed.

“I saved everyone on accident actually.” Said Id. I'll probably elaborate at another time but it's true.”

“It figures but I'm glad your safe.” Said Rick.

“You're a new face.” Rick said then shook hands with a man in a robot suit.

“Im Duncan Russell, Its nice to meet ya!”

Peter saw Duncan and was eustatic. Woah! I can't believe you're here!”

Duncan was confused so he said “Hey, you.” Then thought better of pretending like they used to in the old world and said. “Where do you know me from?” so he could figure out who this guy is.

“Oh, I've read about your innovation and genius.” Peter said. “With your help we could build a device to analyze the antidote. Then we wouldn't have to go on a suicide mission for sure!”

Duncan started talking but Merik and Roma groaned in unison. “We haven't had a challenge in so long.”

Peter said “Uhhh” unsure what to say.

Rick spoke up. “Good if we can save people and not engage with Jetsen the better. That will be for the Union to take care of and figure out. So we will go to the union and speak with the president.”

“The orange guy?” Id asked.

“He is not orange he just uses tanning lotion that protects from the sun because he's out in the fields with his people so often.” Said Rick.

“Why doesn't he use black lotion then he’d look like you Rick. Said Id.

Peter spoke up and said, “It doesn't work like that. The skin creates Melanin and protects people like Rick. The president is white due to being underground for so long, so his type doesn't have the same properties.”

“So, Rick is better than white people and even brownish people like me and Sal?” Asked Id

“No no, no. No one is better... Just suited for different things. For instance, you and Sal and Rick can survive just a tiny bit easier in sunny places but in caves it would be just slightly harder because you'd must go out and get sun. And the president and people like me would have to be careful in the sun because it can burn us badly. It's just slightly different ways to live and adapt to climates you see.”

“That makes a lot of sense.” Id replied. “The lotion is like white people medicine.”

“Uhh, yup exactly.” Laughed Peter.

Petter realized Duncan was wearing the Exo-suit and asked. “Did you build that? Thats amazing!” So, Peter and Duncan talked to themselves for a long time while everyone else talked.

Rick took control of the conversation and said, Me Master Akari and will have to remain here, you youngsters are going to have to lead. I must serve the people here. It's your time to shine. You will be our envoys to the union now, if there are any ways we can serve you just let it be known and whatever you need will be given.”

Paul or Jenna couldn't think of anything.

Peter and Duncan stopped talking about nerd stuff for long enough to say they couldn't think of anything yet but that they will make a list if they need anything.

Sal was listening to Duncan and peter talk to see if his electrician skills could be used but they were both so smart he didn't want to say anything yet. He was stuck in his head, so he didn't hear Rick.

Roma, Merik, Blase, CIN and Id declined to go to the union because they had their own things and some of them didn't want to talk to politicians or big groups of people, so they offered to help when they all got back from the union.

Duncan and Peter had list of parts or materials to make parts and machines to craft what they needed to analyze chemicals by the end of their conversation and an exact number of supplies for their journey with a little extra for some wiggle room just in case.

Paul and Jenna had all they needed, and Sal relied on the others because he really had no idea what to bring or do or think yet.

He wished he was like Duncan who seemed to be back at home in this world. He just wanted to know his place and have some kind of grip on his reality, but he just didn't have his own place to start on yet. Some baseline to stand on at least...

So, he kept quiet and trudged on through.

Rick spoke up and brought Sal out of his head.

“The union is to the north here and Jetsen is down here on the sand.” He pointed on the map. “You will be safe from him, but we will post guards and watch them closely. Id, I need you, Roma and Merik, to post guard, since you are staying and if you are available for service.

“I am here to serve.” They all said in their own ways.

“Move out at your leisure.” Then Rick went back to sorting paperwork and filing stacks of papers on his desk.

Paul got the groups attention and told them to meet over at Brock Kellers to get more weapons and stock up, so they all met there.

Mr. Keller was working on a weapon in his workshop when Paul walked through the curtain, Keller heard him come in and knew it was Paul without looking and spoke. “Hello Paul.” In his raspy voice.

“Hello, Brock. We are in need...” Paul started to talk but Keller interrupted.

“This beauty right here is just for you.  You can tag a zombie, or any enemy and this gun will home in on them without even aiming. I have a paralyze particle grenade and paralyses thrower gun. Fresh off the crafting table.”

“Whoa, this would have come in handy earlier this year.” Paul laughed.

“It comes with these neural muscle release pills just in case of an ally getting hit.”

“Thank you, Brock!” Paul said then met with his party.

Paul handed the thrower gun to Jenna because he trusted her judgment more and the tracker gun and kept the tracker gun and grenade.

“We shouldn't need any of this but its good just in case. Said Paul.

Duncan interjected, “we have a secret weapon and that’s me.” He flexed in the exo-suit.

“Yes, but no killing.” Jenna wagged a finger at him and smiled.

Duncan agreed. “I want to bring back everyone, of course I won’t kill. He laughed.

Paul, Jenna, Sal, Peter and Duncan all set out for the Union all the way to the north.

After a few days of walking, Duncan carried Peter because he wasn’t used to moving so much. The party kept moving until they were stopped by a giant zombie.

It just stood silently until they got closer. He watched as the party got closer until they finally saw it and stopped.

Paul hit it with the tracking rounds and each bullet hit its mark and should have taken him down but he still stood. That’s when the panic set in. Paul said run Jen and the strange zombie was already on the. Duncans instruments tracked it but he was still caught off guard. Paul and Jenna went flying with the Shockwave but Sal took the brunt of the damage and flew into a tree that caught him. Peter ran as soon as he realized what was going on and hid so Duncan could have room to maneuver.

Duncan grabbed the zombie and threw him but he immediately got back up and hit Duncan’s suit throwing him far.

Sal stood up , unsure why he wasn’t dead. He looked at his hands and they still looked human and ok. The last time he turned into a zombie he remembered with vivid detail now after he was hit and he felt the same as he did back then but his skin didn’t change colors.

Sal was on the zombie almost instantly, just in time to save Peter. Sal hit the zombie so had he flew through a tree and it fell with a huge crack and bang. They were back close range and exchanged blows. Their faces began to crack and bruise. Sal’s bruises turned green and slowly went back to his normal skin color. They fought for fourty minutes and the strange zombie started to slow from the paralysis projectiles. The party stayed far away but noticed the zombie was getting sluggish so they came up with a plan.

They yelled it out to Sal but the zombie understood them and tried to throw a large Boulder at them because Sal kept some distance for the party. Sal hit the zombie before he could throw the Boulder but it fell on Sal’s arm pinning him for a moment. The zombie got closer to the party but Sal was able to stop him just in time. He threw the zombie on its back and held him down. Paul gave Duncan the grenade and said throw it down his throat so he did it with perfect aim and the grenade went off blowing a hole through its stomach. Sal got out of the way just in time.

Even with the grenade the zombie still wasn’t down completely. It still crawled for the party.

Sal ran to his friends and said, “Give me an antidote! Quick.”

Sal gave it to the zombie and it turned Into a human and shrank back to normal size but the hole in its stomach didn’t get fixed. The man was dying. He coughed and said “Jetsen, experimenting…” then fainted.

They didn’t know what to do. They expected the antidote to fix him because Jenna said Sal was torn up but he was healed.

Peter said “maybe the antidote didn’t heal your wounds.. you must have regenerated your body before you accidentally took it…”

Paul said, “he’s going to dye now, what do we do?”

Sal took the dying man’s arm and bit him. He turned back into a zombie and started moving. Jenna already had her poisoned knife out so she hit the zombie with it and it stopped moving.

“interesting,” Peter said. It seems as if the antidote can heal but not if the wound is too big. Further, more It will take away any ailments like the poison tipped knifes we use. And Sal has been a zombie multiple times and now is reacting differently to the zombie virus, I must study this antidote at a molecular level.”

They all looked at Sal with wide eyes. Jenna quickly asked, “How are you feeling? Are you ok?”

“Yes,” he said in his normal voice.

“How many antidotes do we have?” asked Paul.

“We have about 50 here so there’s plenty. Here Sal.”

“Should I just stay this way just incase? I am so strong this way!”

“No,” they all agreed.

She handed him one and he ate it and felt normal again.

“Its still a long journey, let’s camp after we get a few miles from this place.” Said Paul.

Paul instructed everyone to be totally blacked out, no lights, no fire no noise. They slept in the trees and took shifts listening just incase. He was afraid after the zombie mentioned Jetsens name.

Sure enough, more zombies were in their area so they waited and moved as quietly as they could but Duncan wasn’t very subtle in his exo-suit. Every crunch of sticks and leaves made Paul’s neck hurt, the muscles tightened with every step until he got a headache.

They crept along the shadows, didn’t use fire or lights even though it was so dark they couldn’t see their hands infant of their faces and the temperature dropped fifteen degrees lower than the lows in their desert. Their nerves were as raw as their skin was unaccustomed to the weather, Jenna hated the cold, Paul held her as much as he could and embraced her in the trees when they slept to give her his warmth. No one truly slept for the entirely of their journey.

“We’ve been through worse" Jenna often said. They had been through far worse but going through it again kind of feels worse in the moment. They just held each other when they could and got through it. Duncan and Peter had a harder time so they tried to focuse on helping them adjust but Duncan found a way to safely vent heat from his suit on his friends so they took care of each other.

Small towns started to appear but they avoided human contact for fear of their pursuers. Paul disappeared for a few hours and came back after telling local authorities about what happened and what they carried so people stayed out of their way and they passed through the rural areas quickly and even were brought food by some fearless neighbors. That night they were finally full for the first time in months.

Sal emotions and temper fluctuated like the heat of the day and cold nights, he had to tap deep down into his heart of hearts to survive, he wished he had stayed a zombie so he didn’t have to feel. When he was happy he had to remember it will be bad and when it was bad he remembered he would be happy again so he pushed the good feelings away and the bad feelings, grasping at some kind of middle ground and always drowning in it despite his efforts but the hard part was almost over. All of his expenses taught it it was never over but if he could find some kind of release, he took it. That’s why he had to give up alcohol because he used to fall into it too fully it made it harder to remember what normal felt like and he abused alcohol so he had to willfully end the addicting like he was having to currently end his pain or it would overtake him.

The north star and big dipper lined up to be around six o-clock when the sun came up over the horizon and black splotches of armored men and women moved and walked for them headed by a man and a small contingent.

As they got closer the saw an orange man followed by a mélange of colors. Orange, red, yellow black and white. Duncan saw it and fell to his knees, he had never saw anything so beautiful or terrifying in his life.