Through Rough Times - A Zombie Apocalypse Adventure (alternate-timelines.com Edition)

[ukron]

Intermission #9: Maps


(Soundtrack for this intermission)



Earliest reports of KPV cases in northeast China and the Sino-Korean border. Dark red in the Sino-Korean border indicates possible areas of Ground Zero while red-orange indicates early cases in Manchuria which was initially covered up as "mass rioting of dissidents."
​
- A. Rumsfeld. (2021). Chinese Reactions To the 2018 Outbreak. The New York Times: The New York Times Building, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY, USA. p. ix




Tokyo Bay Area during the first day of the outbreak.​
- Released by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (厚生労働省, Kōsei-rōdō-shō), 1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8916 Japan




Killer Pandemic Situation by the WHO as of November 30th, 2018 (Z-Day +43) by country. Since this is by country, some overseas territories are shaded even though if there was no outbreak reported. The WHO acknowledges that there are errors in this part and hence we urge our readers to verify the facts first before assuming the place is overrun with the Infected. ​
- F.C. Barrows. (2020). The Dead Walk! The Nightmare of 2018. Yale University Press: New Haven, CT, USA. p. iv.

Attachments:

[stevep]

  ukron ,

   Interesting and depressing.  I suspect with the world map that some of the 'medium and small size outbreaks are less because their less affected and in part because information isn't actually getting out of the full details.  Especially with so much of the world in sheer chaos.

  Steve

[ukron]

You are right Stevep, considerring how Covid developped and spread around the world, @gillan (our Map designer) and myself didn't get too wrong on how a disease spread all across the world.

[ukron]

Chapter 58: Dunkirk 2.0

Date: October 21, 2018, 12:30 AM (Z-Day+4)
Location: NAS North Island
San Diego, California

The captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt looked at the bridge towards the view of San Diego bay where the chaotic evacuation of southern California was taking place. Around him, XOs and junior officers ran around the CINC[1] with papers and maps. Others were in the radio, coordinating with other ships and military units still holding the city to save as much lives as possible. The Merchant Marine and other civilian shipping lines have contributed to the evacuation. Now dubbed by the media as "Dunkirk of the Pacific", this evacuation was now larger than the Dunkirk Miracle in 1940 and the 9/11 boat lift.

"There's just too much people. Not everyone can be saved." The captain muttered to himself.

Looking back at the skyline, he could see lots of helicopters flying back and forth while airplanes took off to designated safe-zones across America.

"Fort Iwin, do you copy? Fort Irwin do you copy..."

"SEALs on Coronado have faced constant attack but are holding on but they will not last another day. Request evacuation immediately."

"North of the city has been overrun with the infected..."

"Sir, we just lost contact with Twentynine Palms..."

The captain did not speak. Looking back at the boats leaving the bay with armed destroyer, cruiser, and Coast Guard cutter escort, he knew that they could at least save 400,000 people. A number that is too much even for America's mighty carriers. Sure there was the USS Carl Vinson in the harbor, along with varrious LHAs, LHDs, LPDs, and LSDs, but still not enough to save everybody. The troop ships remained anchored at bay, they would be the last to evacuate as the civilian liners exited the bay. Over the entrance of the bay, the captain could see the destroyers USS Russel, the USS Decatur, and the USS Paul Hamilton guarding it. The cruisers USS Bunker Hill, USS Mobile Bay, and USS Lake Chaplain were exiting the bay. The USS Cowpens and USS Chosin chose to remain behind, as the USS Lake Erie, USS Princeton, and USS Cape St. George were compromised by the Infected. A huge gun battle erupted in the infected crusiers though it would seem they would be left behind. Some of the destroyers were also dealing with the infected.

"They already got some of our ships." The XO said, banging his fist on the dashboard.

Beside them, an RHIB currently hosting some SEALs shot some Infected that fell overboard. A small Coast Guard patrol boat hoisted a fishing net picked up some of the Infected at the water. Once aboard, the Coasties took out their sidearms and killed them.

"They're also in the water too. At least they can't swim." A sailor said.

"Yeah, but they can't drown either." Another replied.

"But at least they are prone to animal attack." A Seabee replied. "Saw a video of a waterlogged zombie being attacked by fishes and crabs[1]. For some reason, the virus does not affect animals."

"Thankfully, our amphibious assault ships have reported no infection so far." A junior ensign replied.

"Hope they do. There is simply no way to hold them all." The captain said.

Looking back towards the skyline, he could see the fires already starting to spread throughout the suburbs. He knew the Infected were coming. They were attracted to the screams and gunfire as well as the countless streams of refugees seeking refugee to the sea. Explosions and tracer rounds were seen, a sign that military were covering the retreat. Yet, hard as it seems, others will have to be left behind.

"God bless us all." The captain said to himself.
**************************
Author's Notes:
[1] Basically a Fear the Walking Dead reference where a bisected zombie is being feasted upon by crabs.

[stevep]

Apr 4, 2022 16:10:08 GMT ukron said:

Chapter 58: Dunkirk 2.0

Date: October 21, 2018, 12:30 AM (Z-Day+4)
Location: NAS North Island
San Diego, California

The captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt looked at the bridge towards the view of San Diego bay where the chaotic evacuation of southern California was taking place. Around him, XOs and junior officers ran around the CINC[1] with papers and maps. Others were in the radio, coordinating with other ships and military units still holding the city to save as much lives as possible. The Merchant Marine and other civilian shipping lines have contributed to the evacuation. Now dubbed by the media as "Dunkirk of the Pacific", this evacuation was now larger than the Dunkirk Miracle in 1940 and the 9/11 boat lift.

"There's just too much people. Not everyone can be saved." The captain muttered to himself.

Looking back at the skyline, he could see lots of helicopters flying back and forth while airplanes took off to designated safe-zones across America.

"Fort Iwin, do you copy? Fort Irwin do you copy..."

"SEALs on Coronado have faced constant attack but are holding on but they will not last another day. Request evacuation immediately."

"North of the city has been overrun with the infected..."

"Sir, we just lost contact with Twentynine Palms..."

The captain did not speak. Looking back at the boats leaving the bay with armed destroyer, cruiser, and Coast Guard cutter escort, he knew that they could at least save 400,000 people. A number that is too much even for America's mighty carriers. Sure there was the USS Carl Vinson in the harbor, along with varrious LHAs, LHDs, LPDs, and LSDs, but still not enough to save everybody. The troop ships remained anchored at bay, they would be the last to evacuate as the civilian liners exited the bay. Over the entrance of the bay, the captain could see the destroyers USS Russel, the USS Decatur, and the USS Paul Hamilton guarding it. The cruisers USS Bunker Hill, USS Mobile Bay, and USS Lake Chaplain were exiting the bay. The USS Cowpens and USS Chosin chose to remain behind, as the USS Lake Erie, USS Princeton, and USS Cape St. George were compromised by the Infected. A huge gun battle erupted in the infected crusiers though it would seem they would be left behind. Some of the destroyers were also dealing with the infected.

"They already got some of our ships." The XO said, banging his fist on the dashboard.

Beside them, an RHIB currently hosting some SEALs shot some Infected that fell overboard. A small Coast Guard patrol boat hoisted a fishing net picked up some of the Infected at the water. Once aboard, the Coasties took out their sidearms and killed them.

"They're also in the water too. At least they can't swim." A sailor said.

"Yeah, but they can't drown either." Another replied.

"But at least they are prone to animal attack." A Seabee replied. "Saw a video of a waterlogged zombie being attacked by fishes and crabs[1]. For some reason, the virus does not affect animals."

"Thankfully, our amphibious assault ships have reported no infection so far." A junior ensign replied.

"Hope they do. There is simply no way to hold them all." The captain said.

Looking back towards the skyline, he could see the fires already starting to spread throughout the suburbs. He knew the Infected were coming. They were attracted to the screams and gunfire as well as the countless streams of refugees seeking refugee to the sea. Explosions and tracer rounds were seen, a sign that military were covering the retreat. Yet, hard as it seems, others will have to be left behind.

"God bless us all." The captain said to himself.
**************************
Author's Notes:
[1] Basically a Fear the Walking Dead reference where a bisected zombie is being feasted upon by crabs.

  Small quibble in that your got two [1] footnotes.  The 1st is about the CinC for the CVN, assuming its Commander in Chief?

[ukron]

Apr 5, 2022 12:51:03 GMT stevep said:

Apr 4, 2022 16:10:08 GMT ukron said:

Chapter 58: Dunkirk 2.0

Date: October 21, 2018, 12:30 AM (Z-Day+4)
Location: NAS North Island
San Diego, California

The captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt looked at the bridge towards the view of San Diego bay where the chaotic evacuation of southern California was taking place. Around him, XOs and junior officers ran around the CINC[1] with papers and maps. Others were in the radio, coordinating with other ships and military units still holding the city to save as much lives as possible. The Merchant Marine and other civilian shipping lines have contributed to the evacuation. Now dubbed by the media as "Dunkirk of the Pacific", this evacuation was now larger than the Dunkirk Miracle in 1940 and the 9/11 boat lift.

"There's just too much people. Not everyone can be saved." The captain muttered to himself.

Looking back at the skyline, he could see lots of helicopters flying back and forth while airplanes took off to designated safe-zones across America.

"Fort Iwin, do you copy? Fort Irwin do you copy..."

"SEALs on Coronado have faced constant attack but are holding on but they will not last another day. Request evacuation immediately."

"North of the city has been overrun with the infected..."

"Sir, we just lost contact with Twentynine Palms..."

The captain did not speak. Looking back at the boats leaving the bay with armed destroyer, cruiser, and Coast Guard cutter escort, he knew that they could at least save 400,000 people. A number that is too much even for America's mighty carriers. Sure there was the USS Carl Vinson in the harbor, along with varrious LHAs, LHDs, LPDs, and LSDs, but still not enough to save everybody. The troop ships remained anchored at bay, they would be the last to evacuate as the civilian liners exited the bay. Over the entrance of the bay, the captain could see the destroyers USS Russel, the USS Decatur, and the USS Paul Hamilton guarding it. The cruisers USS Bunker Hill, USS Mobile Bay, and USS Lake Chaplain were exiting the bay. The USS Cowpens and USS Chosin chose to remain behind, as the USS Lake Erie, USS Princeton, and USS Cape St. George were compromised by the Infected. A huge gun battle erupted in the infected crusiers though it would seem they would be left behind. Some of the destroyers were also dealing with the infected.

"They already got some of our ships." The XO said, banging his fist on the dashboard.

Beside them, an RHIB currently hosting some SEALs shot some Infected that fell overboard. A small Coast Guard patrol boat hoisted a fishing net picked up some of the Infected at the water. Once aboard, the Coasties took out their sidearms and killed them.

"They're also in the water too. At least they can't swim." A sailor said.

"Yeah, but they can't drown either." Another replied.

"But at least they are prone to animal attack." A Seabee replied. "Saw a video of a waterlogged zombie being attacked by fishes and crabs[1]. For some reason, the virus does not affect animals."

"Thankfully, our amphibious assault ships have reported no infection so far." A junior ensign replied.

"Hope they do. There is simply no way to hold them all." The captain said.

Looking back towards the skyline, he could see the fires already starting to spread throughout the suburbs. He knew the Infected were coming. They were attracted to the screams and gunfire as well as the countless streams of refugees seeking refugee to the sea. Explosions and tracer rounds were seen, a sign that military were covering the retreat. Yet, hard as it seems, others will have to be left behind.

"God bless us all." The captain said to himself.
**************************
Author's Notes:
[1] Basically a Fear the Walking Dead reference where a bisected zombie is being feasted upon by crabs.

  Small quibble in that your got two [1] footnotes.  The 1st is about the CinC for the CVN, assuming its Commander in Chief?

Actually i can't find the 1st footnores in my archive, so i suppose Gillan have that exact thought.

[ukron]

Chapter 59: The New Normal

I'm a little worried... Brave New World seems a bit more real everyday. . .”​
― Solange Nicole



Date: October 22, 2018 (Z-Day +5)
Location: San Diego, California

On the first day of the outbreak, everyone fled in all directions to avoid the clutches of the ravenous Infected. This mass collective panic known as "mass hysteria" caused secondary chaos that did more damage as the Infected did. Riots, looting, car accidents, fighting over supplies, and accidental shootings were a common place. Fingers would be pointed out on who or what caused all these but would it really matter when the real enemy is one that wants to eat one's face?

Panic is something that is always in every person's mind when a disaster strikes. The flight or fight response makes people seek for safety from harm. Yet when everyone has the same idea, there will be unintended consequences as a result. There will be those left behind as simply there is no room for everybody else. There are those who fight to protect their loved ones which is understandable. Self-defense becomes a norm.

By the second and third days of the outbreak, there those individuals who want to cause trouble and impose their will on the weak in times of disaster. These power-hungry individuals living in their self-proclaimed "kingdom" or "colony"; taking advantage now that law and order has collapsed. Essentially, they are the law. There are those who just want to loot every survivor they come across instead of helping each other. Some of these included gangs like the Crips and the Bloods who controlled much territory in Los Angeles following Operation Cobalt. These criminals that somehow managed to survive the firebombing would control entire neighborhoods where they demand tribute from the survivors. They waged war with other rival gangs. It would have been better if they united to fight the Infected instead, but alas, their hunger for power and control is too much to handle. In the American South, some groups of white and black supremacists tried to carve an ethnostate, often fighting each other and killing survivors that came across that did not match the color of their skin. In areas like San Diego (or anywhere still holding out) where law and order was slowly collapsing, groups of looters would raze homes and settlements. These young people, without allegiance to any cause except anarchy, caused more damage than the Infected themselves. The SDPD and the National Guard were too spread out thin to stop these anarchists since all personnel and equipment was focused on the evacuation. While these looters were mostly outgunned and poorly trained, there were still some who knew how to shoot a rifle much less lead a group. Hence they should not be underestimated.

If one thing this outbreak showed, humans are the real monsters.

[lordroel]

Congratulations ukron and gillan1220 on being awarded the Grand Order of the Master Writer for this Timeline, keep up the work.

[ukron]

Apr 6, 2022 3:43:08 GMT lordroel said:

Congratulations ukron and gillan1220 on being awarded the Grand Order of the Master Writer for this Timeline, keep up the work.

Thanks a lot  

[ukron]

Chapter 60: Stories from the Pearl of the Orient

Date: October 21, 2018, Afternoon (Z-Day +4)
Location: Off the coast of Siquijor Island, Philippines

The fisherman casts on his fishing net into the deep sea that divides the island province of Negros Oriental and the island of Siquijor. This beautiful island, known locally as the Mystic Island or the Island of Fire due to being associated with vodoo and witchcraft has attracted a lot of local and foreign tourists for its ecotourism. It would be the perfect Halloween destination in the Philippines if one wants to indulge in this mix of paranormal or supernatural twists. Due to the global situation of the Killer Pandemic, there were many foreign tourists stranded in the Mystic Island. Sure the fisherman heard of the Infected and what they do along with procedures how to defend ones' self, but so far no Infected were reported in Siquijor. There were some in nearby Cebu and Bohol, as well as other parts of the Philippines but so far he was safe.

Pulling up the net, he then grabbed so hard. The catch was unusually heavily. He found himself a jackpot of fish, mainly the parrotfish which is a delicacy around the country along with other expensive finds. However, as he was about to open the net, a hand emerged from the pile of fishes. It tried to grab him but thankfully the net prevented him from being pulled. The hand's owner reared its ugly head, revealed to be one of the Infected.

Terrified, the fisherman pulled out his bolo[1] and repeatedly hacked and slashed the creatures head. The locally PNP garrison in Siquijor has made public announcements on the residents on how to defend themselves. Since most islanders had no access to firearms, most were armed with farming tools or any weapons they could master.

The creature was killed but its blood contaminated the catch, meaning it would not be edible (After all? Who would eat fish that was smeared in the Infected's blood?)

"Yawa, sayanga dah, sunogon gyud ni. (Fuck, what a waste. I'm gonna need to burn this)". The fisherman cursed to himself, knowing he would not be able to sell this at the local market in Siquijor.

Suddenly, he was then interruped by a loud announcement on the speaker.

"Ayaw duol aning lugara! (Do not come near this area!)" An authoritative voice said.



PCG Special Operations Group patrolling the waters.​

Turning his head, he saw a small Philippine Coast Guard craft accompanied by two PNP Maritime Group surface vessels approaching his area. It was there then he realized that the he was surrounded by Infected in the water, some rotting and some with life vests. Some even had fish and and eels eating their putrid flesh. 50 m, he could see a ferry on fire with people jumping over board. Some were already infected. The Philippine Coast Guard were gunning the Infected down with a mix of .50 caliber machine guns, .30 caliber machine gun, and their service issue Scorpion EVO submachine guns. The Maritime group did the same, shooting down some of the Infected in the water with their CTAR-21 carbines. They did rescue some of the living on their boats, but the police or the coast guard immediately shot those who were hiding their bites regardless if young or old, man, woman, child, or disabled.

The site of the massacre and the rotting Infected caused the fisherman to lose his lunch altogether. He retreated back to the Port of Siquijor, disgusted. In the port, people were gathering and watching the massacre. Some were even filming it on their smartphones. The police armed with M16A1 rifles and CAR-15s shove them back as the shoreline was cordoned off incase some of the Infected would wash ashore.

The fisherman along with the residents and trapped tourists of Siquijor knew the Mystic Island would no longer be paradise as the waters around it turned red.
**************************
Date: October 21, 2018, 6:00 PM (Z-Day +4)
Location: Fort San Pedro
Cebu City, Philippines

The fort was buzzling with activity. The previous day, it had been turned into a forward operating base. The roads around it were barricaded with buses and other vehicles while V-150 APCs guarded the entrance. Soldiers and policemen went back and forth defending the old centuries Spanish fort. Most of Camp Lapu Lapu had been evacuated as it was indefensible so most soldiers pulled out here.

On top of the old Spanish walls, the soldiers could see fires rage out in the different parts of the city. Cebu City, like other cities around the country and the world, was under siege but it not as bad. The slums were worse though, so they were literally razed by fighter jets, OV-10 Broncos, and MD-520 scout helicopters coming from the PAF. Somehow it was a miracle the Philippines' second largest city had not fallen for now. It was all too startegic, housing a seaport and a nearby adjacent airport. There were a few Infected that stumbled but they were hastily gunned down by the sentries.



Army sniper providing covering fire.​

"Five tangos, one o' clock." Said one of the spotters for one of the Philippine Army's special forces unit.

"Copy." The sniper said. He then adjusted to scope of his Knight's Armament SR-25. A few seconds later, five Infected fell to the road with bullets on their forehead.

"Five tangos neutralized." The spotter said.

The defenders of the city knew this would be difficult, but they too were buying time for refugees to escape to areas far from the Infected. The mountain barangays[2] have been spared of the Infection as the roads leading to them were bombed out while the Mactan bridges were barricaded. Just how long they will defend Cebu was the question they would ask themselves.
***************************
A/N:
[1] A bolo (Tagalog: iták, Cebuano: súndang, Ilokano: bunéng, Hiligaynon: binangon) is a large cutting tool of Filipino origin similar to the machete. It is used particularly in the Philippines, the jungles of Indonesia, and in the sugar fields of Cuba.
The primary use for the bolo is clearing vegetation, whether for agriculture or during trail blazing. The bolo is also used in Filipino martial arts or Arnis as part of training.

[2] A barangay or baranggay (/bɑːrɑːŋˈɡaɪ/ (abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.)), formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In metropolitan areas, the term often refers to an inner city neighbourhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood.

[ukron]

Troubled Waters - New Orleans (LA) - Part 4: Invasion

Date: October 18, 2018 (Z-Day+1; 2:45 AM)
Location: Loyola Avenue (Defense Perimeter code-named Charlie)
New Orleans, Louisiana

"Camp Beauregard have been put into quarantine after some 256th Infantry Regiment elements have fallen ill to to the contagion. No reports of enemy activities in close proximity of the base, hold your position..."

Lt Meyers from the 61st Troop Command nodded without true certitude. After all, the 256th Infantry Regiment units have been torn apart during deployment in Lafayette, it seems obvious that those "junkies" are far more dangerous that a bunch of armed PCP addict and if one of the strongest (if not the most strong) military force in the world can't even restore order in his cities, the apocalypse is coming for sure.

"Lieutenant?" asked one of the fellow militiaman (a 60yrs old bold man equipped with an M14) that hold the roadblock.

"Yes?" "We have heard that USAF will bomb major cities. It can't be true, right?"

"What do you expect, we are losing ground so fast that even those lazy ass of Air Force can't hold their bases. I think they try to make their best to cut bridges and roads in order to stop this shit"

"But...but this means that New Orleans will be a target?" The man asked with a tone of fear in his voice.

"Calm down sir, we have hundred of refuges in Mercedes Benz Stadium waiting for evac. They won't surely bomb as we haven't move back to northern defense perimeter.."

The old man was not convinced.

"This is like Katrina, Sir, they say they will help but we won't never see anything." The old man asked. However, this was nothing like Katrina. Sure the floods were bad, but that was nothing compared to an enemy that wants to eat one's face and turn you into one of them. To add insult to the injury, the enemies they were facing were not even supposed to exist. They were products of fiction and should have stayed that way. The gamers who played Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising, and The Last of Us thought it was their time to shine. Without proper body fitness, condition, firearms training, and even basic survival, they were the first to die. At least the survivalists and the wannabe Rambos held the ground.

"Listen old man, we aren't here for waiting and worring about what Federals are thinking" Lt Meyers begins to doubt himself. "We are Here in order to hold this fucking Street and let's a maximum of refuges to join FEMA camps...."

"Sir, we have a contact at 250 meters" interrupted a soldier

"Foes or Friends ?"

"It's an only man, certainly infected. Shit, if we shoot, noise will attract every bastards around all this avenue."

"Hold fire, he seems human."
***********************************
Karpov sees the military blockade and raises his arms.

He shouts in a heavy Russian accent: "Don't shoot, I haven't been bitten, please."

"Holy shit! This can't be true! This guy is coming from the No-Go Zone and he isn't infected." One of the soldiers said.

"What do you expect Americans, I am a Russian" says with a point of irony Karpov as he reachs the defense perimeter.

"Oh my God, this is a commie." The 60 year old man replied. He had lived throughout the Cold War living in fear of a nuclear war. He distrusted the Russians all throughout his life and swore to defend America should the commies ever step foot. But today was different, the enemy did not care of your allegiances or political beliefs.

"Da and I am here to help you." Karpov said.

[ukron]

Chapter 61: Eerie Calmness

Date: October 21, 2018 (Z-Day +4; close to midnight)
Location: San Diego, California

"Hey thanks for letting us stay here, Tamara." Spencer said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Sure thing." Tamara replied.

"Once we are out of the U.S. mainland, we can now rest away from the muertos." Jim said, checking his M4A1. "Always wanted to see the islands."

Surprisingly, Tamara's apartment was far from the chaos or so it seemed. There were no infected in the other rooms. A few blocks ahead, the riots were ongoing. Fires could be seen along with shouts and explosions. There were less cops to stop the rioters from destroying everything that could be destroyed just for the heck.

The men swept the other rooms where they were greeted with opened drawers and cabinet. Left-over canned food from boxes half-opened littered the hallway. Whoever left them didn't care probably because salvation was only a drive away. Naturally, the group took what supplies such as food, clothes, and medical supplies before hunkering down for the night. The food mainly consisted of canned SPAM, cream-of-mushroom soup, and some bread. Not exactly the same "gourmet" food the group had in that beautiful house in Huntington Beach two evenings ago, but still food nonetheless. Over at dinner, the combined groups of survivors gave out their stories of how they survived. Nathan, the apparent leader-figure of the other group, told his account. He was originally a 25 year old networking manager with his co-worker Keith when the whole thing started.

"San Diego remained safe for the meantime, Nathan explained, but they needed to get out. "The city was turned into a fortress but how could it be a fortress when the Infected are already here?"

"So Keith and I armed ourselves with what weapons we could find. We made it a priority to get out. Along the way, I saw an Infected SDPD officer. I had to kill him and looted his gun." He said as he showed us his SIG Sauer P229.

"We then rescued Tamara. I only learned this girl is only 20 and was working in a clothing store. She was in the process of being attacked by a group of Infected but I had to put them down."

"Then we met Darren, then we just stuck together. We were holding up in some convenience store for the past few days. We hoarded some supplies but we saw the whole place getting looted. There are armed gangs out there, way more dangerous than the Infected. They are known to kill people for supplies and even rape women and children. We gotta stay alert. The Infected are the least of our worries here."

Despite everything collapsing, there were those people that still wants to destroy everything. The apocalypse was just another excuse.

The group took his warning and some of the SWAT men as well as Nathan and Darren volunteered to be on guard for the night.

*****************************
"Buddy, we're almost out of this." Gillan said, patting both his friend Mike and Gabrielle as they prepared to sleep at some mattresses prepared by Tamara.

"I hope. Then from Hawaii, I could probably hitch a flight into French Polynesia, the nearest French territory in the middle of the South Pacific." Jules said. "I always wanted to go on a beach holiday away from home. Guess a zombie apocalypse would make it happen LOL." Jules gave out a dry bitter laugh.

"I just want to see my family again, then I really want to embrace my sister so hard. That's all I ask for." Gabrielle said, starring up at the ceiling. Her P2000 pistol resting by her side while her MP5A3 rested on the side of couch beside the carbines of the men. She had been getting a better shot with it ever since they took it from a dead apartment owner when they were still in Los Angeles.

"When this is over, let's all have some drinks together." Jules joked.

"Hush, don't jinx it." Gillan said, laughing. "We're not out of this madness yet."

"Alright let's get some rest folks." Mike said.

[ukron]

Chapter 62: Sorry To Interrupt Your Sleep

Date: October 22, 2018 (Z-Day +5; 12:45 am)
Location: San Diego, California

A loud crash awoken the group followed by shouts and screams. These weren't the Infected, but rather looters and rioters that made their way unto the block unnoticed by the survivors. Rocks were pelted at windows while cars were overturned. There were a mix of racial and profane epithets were shouted. Unlike the riots in Los Angeles which were contained at the early stages, here in San Diego was largely left unabaited as whatever authorities and military left were focused securing the airport and the seaports. The overextended fire department could not respond to all the fires, either due to the lack of personnel (due to desertion or getting killed by the Infected) or fear for their own safety. Such as sight was new to the relatively low-crime city of San Diego. If one block did not fall to the Infected, then they fell into anarchy by the looters and the rioters.

"Guys, you gotta get up now! The building next is on fire." Nathan shouted. The wall next to them was heating up.

The shout woke up the others.

"Oh shit." Mike said, grabbing his pack and weapons. His friends followed suit, rubbing their eyes and grabbing their packs. The attack was so sudden that they did not even have any chance to change into proper street clothes.

"It's bad guys." Francis said, rifle aimed the window below.

"We're gonna have to shoot our way outside?" Spencer asked.

"If those fuckers would posed harm, then shoot them."

"Merde!" Jules shouted.




As the group got out, they saw how quickly chaos ensued. Rioters were throwing molotov cocktails, bricks, and stones. Some were even fighting the Infected with baseball bats and crowbars. At least it did some good, but there were also those who got grabbed and bitten upon. Majority did not even take notice of those being mauled apart.

"Gabrielle, stick close." Gillan said, holding her hand in one and his SIG on the other. His M4 was slung on his backpack. Mike and Jules followed him, aiming their weapons at any potential troublemaker.

"Get out of the way!" He shouted, aiming the pistol on the rioters who backed off knowing their improvised tools was no match for a guy with 9mm in one hand and an automatic rifle on the other.

Meanwhile, the others fired warning shots in the air. Those nearby went down, but majority still continued what they were doing. As they reached the cars everyone got on to get away from the scene. The fire from the adjacent building started to spread to the apartment they were in. It was lucky they got out on time.

Suddenly, some of the rioters that had concealed handguns with them started firing at the group. Gunshots rang throughout the pandemonium. Unfortunately for the armed rioters, they were no match for the training the SWAT men had. They simply dropped. The others started throwing bricks and shooting at the survivors, but they simply sped their vehicles away from the chaos.

They didn't have time to look back. They needed to find somewhere to hold out till sunrise. It took them a few minutes to reach a place where there were no fires and Infected, but eerily quiet and empty.

"That was close." Someone said.

But fate would have had it. An out of control truck suddenly bumped the side of the SWAT van the group was following. The other cars behind the convoy stopped in their tracks. The driver of the truck was already Infected[1]. Hitting the SWAT van caused it to swerve before exploding in fiery fire. The Infected driver went with it. The street was then lit with an eerie red-orange glow.

"Holy shit!" Mike shouted. "We gotta get them out!"

Gillan, Gabrielle, Jules, and the rest followed suit.

"Check for any fuel leaks!" Nathan shouted.

Getting up, they reached the van. Francis crawled out wounded but alright. In the driver and passenger seat however, it was a gruesome sight. The officer known as Johnson sat slumped on the wheel lifeless, blood dripping down his head. He was dead. Ray on the other hand, was stuck.

"Leave me, fuel is leaking!"

"We gotta get them out!" Gillan yelled.

"No, we're not leaving you behind!" Francis replied. "Get me a knife or any tool to pry this open."

The others went and tried to get him out. To their horror, Ray's legs have been crushed by the dashboard of the van. The other officer pleaded to be left behind, as they neither had the means to let him out.

"Go, get out of here. Head to the San Diego Civic Center. FEMA's got an evacuation point there! Take my gun."

Francis reached out for the Benelli shotgun before trying to reach his friend's hand. Unknown to the group, the fuel leak was approaching the fires created from the crashed truck.

"GOOOOO!" Ray shouted last before the trail of fuel hit the fire. The flame returned the favor and was headed to the remains of the SWAT van. Knowing they could not do anything for Ray, the rest of the group ran as fast they can before they would be consumed by another explosion. The flame then consumed the SWAT van before exploding, taking Ray with it.

The group stood speechless. They didn't know what or how to react. Two of their survivors were just killed. A few days ago, the same men helped Gillan, Mike, Gabrielle, Jules, and Jim from their escape from LAX as that safezone was overrun with the Infected. Now it was just Francis left from the LAPD Metropolitan Division that escaped Los Angeles before Operation Cobalt. Another sad truth of the outbreak. Another number in the statistics of the death toll of the Killer Pandemic.

"Come on guys, let's go." Francis said. "We gotta keep moving."

They returned to their cars and drove away from burning wreckages.
******************************
Back in the pick-up truck, Gillan took the wheel. He had no international driver's license but yet he drove in unknown location.

"Rules be damned." He muttered.

How many more people have to die in this outbreak? He thought. The Infected weren't only their problems. There were crazy maniacs, psychos, sociopaths, all the scumbags out there. Even worse were accidents. Death waited at every corner.

Gabrielle sat beside him, holding his hand as he held the gearstick. She was traumatized. She just wanted to get out as with everybody else. Jules and Mike sat behind, weapons ready.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"I'm just following the car in front of us. I heard the Civic Center. Frankly I've never driven in another country. First time I have done this." He replied.

"What if it is not safe? What if it is overrun or burned to the ground?" The girl asked.

"I don't know. We just have to look for another place until we get closer to the naval base." He thought. If we can get there on time.

They drove for what seemed like a lot of hours (in fact it was only minutes) until they reached another blockade manned by police and CNG troops. They were then redirected to towards the Civic Center. It was safe but was blooming with evacuaees. If one Infected got through, then the whole place will be in chaos again. Many would perish in the stampede that would surely follow.

The group got down and waited inside the crowded Civic Center but made sure they were near the exit. Inside the building, civlians were permitted to walk with weaponry. There were even some civilian volunteers armed with AR-15s, shotguns, and hunting rifles that guarded the place, reinforcing the overextended police officers and soldiers. They rested up for a few hours to grab some sleep before waking up early in the morning to get to the naval base.

The longer anyone delayed, the slimmer the chance of survival was.
*****************
Author's Notes:
[1] Resident Evil 2 reference
[2] Photo is from Fear the Walking Dead taken from this article "Survival Rule of the Week: The human rot."

[ukron]

Intermission #10: Photos and Highlights Weeks Before Z-Day



USS Makin Island (LHD-1) enters Naval Base San Diego. (Source: U.S. Navy Photograph/DOD)



Protesters against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on September 24, 2018. (Source: ABC News)



Migrant caravan from Central America enters Mexico a few days before the outbreak of the Killer Pandemic. (Source: Express UK)​

Prior to the outbreak, the "migrant crisis", the protests against Brett Kavanaugh, and the upcoming 2018 Midterms elections were the headlines the stormed the news. Other than that, celebrity gossip was the common talk of the days. No one imagined that in a few days, the world would see the worst Pandemic in history. Only those who were prepared - Doomsday Preppers, Texans with lots of guns, the hillbillies and militias of the American South - often considered nutjobs and crazy people, resisted the outbreak well in their communities and even eased the work of the military during the reclamation in early 2019.

By the time the outbreak was known to the public on October 17, 2018, much of these political headlines disappeared as another greater crisis took over that would be worse than the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic a hundred years before.

- E. Colinsworth. (2022). Almanac of the Great Plague: An Analysis of the the Killer Pandemic. Random House Incorporated: New York, NY, USA.

[ukron]

Chapter 63: Darkest Dawn

You want to put some kind of explanation on all this? Here's one as good as any other. We're bein' punished by the Creator. He visited a curse on us. Maybe He didn't want to see us blow ourselves up, put a big hole in the sky. Maybe He just wanted to show us He's still the Boss Man. Maybe He figure, we gettin' too big for our britches, tryin' to figure His shit out.​
- John, Day of the Dead (1985)

"World market has taken a huge collapse ever since this pandemic began with the loss of Wall Street and the global trading network."

"Most of Eastern Europe has now gone dark. Ukrainian government said to have relocated to the Republic of Crimea on the offer of the Russian Federation..."

"Sri Lanka has been declared a dead-zone by the United Nations as millions of refugees from India - many of whom are infected - swarmed the country."

"Parks rangers and poachers in Africa have declared a truce in eradicating wandering infected in the savannas."

"Wine producing regions of Chile napalmed by the government, Chilean economy affected.

"Most South Pacific countries and foreign territories have not reported infection."

"350 million estimated dead by the Killer Pandemic, - WHO."
- Various global news outlets on the fifth day of the outbreak

"How to defend yourself from a reanimate!"
- Angry Cops, YouTube, date uploaded October 20, 2018

"Idiots react to the Killer Pandemic."
- Paul Joseph Watson, date uploaded October 20, 2018
*************************************
Date: October 21, 2018 (1:00 AM, Z-Day+4)
Location: San Diego, California

It all happened so fast. Our so called sanctuary that Tamara offered us for the night was no longer safe. We were under attack by humans no less! Crazy fuckers make me lose my faith in humanity. In a world where there are monsters trying to eat our asses, some sick bastards decide to destroy everything when unity is the only thing keeping the entire human race together after this plague blows over. We had to encounter looters, rapists, and now these sick people who want nothing to pillage like they were the Mongols in the age of the old.

We were on our way to the civic center were a FEMA holding center was established. Temporary my ass. I muttered.

But it was still dark outside and very dangerous to run into one of the Infected. The Civic Center was our best option.

"Good thing we got out in time." I said to myself.

Turning on the radio, I listened to the voice of the reports:

"A spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet has stated that today October 21st, 2018 would be the last day of the naval evacuation of southern California. If you are not in the harbor or the vicinity within the naval base, we cannot guarantee your safety."

"The Department of Defense has not confirmed of a possible Chinese coup detat and attempted use of nuclear weapons on Taiwan and American bases in the Asia-Pacific."

"We gotta hurry up then." Gabrielle said. "It's our only chance to get to Hawaii and my only chance to see my mom and dad."

I nodded as I gripped the wheel. We would stop by at the civic center to rest up for a bit before starting our journey to the Naval Base.
*************************************
Location: San Diego Civic Center

We then arrived at the Civic Center where the Marines, National Guard, police, and FEMA personnel lead us to the hall. Again, they didn't mind us carrying weapons. They get the point. One way or another, we can no longer depend on the military and the authorities to protect us. San Diego was a city under siege. Any day that it has not fallen to the Infected is a blessing on its own right. However we knew the inevitable was on its way.

The Civic Center was a mess. Tons of people camped on the seats and the aisles. Some had brought sleeping bags while others had slept on their luggaes alone. There were less FEMA personnel that would assist. here were tons of garbage littering the hallway. Fights also broke out, in which the authorities or civilian volunteer patrols armed with the AR-15s, shotguns, and hunting rifles managed to break up. Obviously, law and order was collapsing here. The place also reeked of human waste.

Our group stayed near the exit by the hallway and grabbed some sleep, though we kept watch as some people gave an indication that they wanted to loot our supplies.

The place was also full of nutjobs. There was this guy, a self-proclaimed pastor, stating this whole thing was the Second Coming of Christ or the second flood.

"We've been cursed by the Creator Himself for our sinfulness. We cannot be saved unless we repent our sins." The pastor said. Some were willing to follow his preachings while others just did not mind at all. Crazy people taking advantage of the chaos to say obnoxious claims of what caused this disease to emerge and spread.

In the morning, Gabrielle woke me up. "I look like crap. I need to wash-up and change, could you accompany me to the washroom?"

"Of course, you can't go there alone. There are many sick people out there."

"If they catcall you, I wish you punch them in the face." Jules joked.

"Hold this." She then passed me her MP5. "I just need this handgun with me just incase."

Jules and I stood guard outside the women's bathroom. Some women were there, others brought accompanied their daughters while their husbands waited outside, also armed making sure no sick fuck would try them in. Gabrielle came out five minutes later looking more groomed, having groomed her hair and changed into a white sweater and blue jeans."

"You look better now." I said, passing on the submachine gun back to her.

"Thank you." Gabrielle replied, slinging the weapon on her back.

Back at our resting place, I then put on a brown tactical jacket over myself to keep me warm. It was still cold even though the place was full of people that would have made the place warmer with the amount of CO2 being expired. I then got some MREs from the counter and shared to my group. Some time later, everyone in our group grabbed a bite, got changed and geared up.

"You all good to go?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, let's roll.

We then headed to our respective vehicles. I saw several others refugee follow us. However, it was eerily orderly but in a fast pace. Just as we left, we then heard gunshots and screams coming from the Civic Center. It was not pleasant. A brawl must have erupted or worse...I didn't need to know. We did not look back at we stemmed closer to the naval base.