Prologue
Date: 20?
Location: Northern Miami
My name, is Dean R. Styner. I've been an apocalyptic survivor for almost three years now. I haven't been keeping track, but I'm pretty certain I'm 19 or so by now.
A lot of events are out of order since everything started. I don't remember whether Germany fell first or Sweden, but it doesn't matter anyways, we won't be getting help from anyone soon.
America started it all. Land of the free, home of the economic corporations. With technology advancing as fast as it was by 2026, our leaders thought it best to create a central organization to regulate technological advances, and create them too. The organization was known officially as AFOGG, which spills out to Americans For Our Greater Good. The organization also had a side duty: create weapons to defend from the growing terrorist threat.
What did this AFOGG start now? Nothing much, just the end of the world. I remember the date perfectly: October 17, 2026. The day AFOGG was discovered to be selling to both sides of the war on Pakistan. Naturally, that was the day when boatloads of journalists banged on the door demanding answers. So they did what any corporation hiding something would do; they invited them inside for a tour of the place.
There, some dim-witted reporter had the bright idea to pick up a remote and press buttons. After being yelled at by the guide, the wall promptly exploded, killing our reporters. The remote had detonated a prototype explosive and breached another lab. The lab containing a weaponized virus created from scratch.
The disease spread quickly, infiltrating water supplies, food storage warehouses, the very air. Even being weaponized, the effects were harmless enough. A light cough, mild fever, and congested sinuses were the only problems. Life went on for a couple of years and people forgot about the incident. The virus, known to doctors as the little big deal, didn't forget. Through the test of time the virus mutated, evolved, and right under our noses too. The fever not so harmless anymore, it killed it's host within weeks, then days, then hours.
But the horrors had just begun. Through fever, the virus gained access and eventually control over the host brain, killing them. Then, reanimating them. A viral apocalypse wasn't good enough for us, so we needed zombies. Thanks god.
Of the ones infected, roughly four and a half percent survived, leaving us to the ruins of the world.
This is where the parts come back to me. Now I'd been surviving alone for about 6 months now and my ability has helped me ways I couldn't begin to explain. I can't really do that with what my ability is either. I am somehow able to communicate with computers. Be it an iPod to an underground bunker. I don't exactly understand how it works, but I've been searching. I hope I'll get the answer one day.
Never-mind that. Even more recently since I've been on my own, maybe two months ago I'd found the AFOGG plant where everything went downhill a number of years before. I ran through the plant, desperate for information. A few zombies is nothing for a kid with a pair of silenced Desert Eagles. Further down the halls, I discovered one of the only rooms that the 'tour' so long ago had missed. After placing my hand over the lock, I opened the door with my ability and walked inside. Out in the open, on a small round table was a blue cube. It was just... there. No lasers pointed on it, no scalpels, nothing. I read through 'Recent' on the nearest computer and was appalled at what I'd found. This... cube... was found deep below the Earth during an Archeological dig. The object is made from no known element, and the project was based to find out just what it does.
Shrugging, I made physical contact and placed my hand over the cube. I felt a link immediately and the object began to glow faintly. I jerked my hand back, but curiosity took over and I moved my hand back. It was like a computer, anything I'd ever used before, but it worked in reverse. I could place information on it, rather than just receive. I made a promise to myself to regularly sync my memories with the cube. It was when I used it later that I gave it a name. I was looking at weapon manuals, in my head like usual. This time I drew the information from the cube. The paper floated in the air, much like a hologram. Since then I've called it the Holocube and the name stuck.
But as I said, that was a long time ago. Food was running short, and I did my best to avoid hordes as they came.
Fun in the Florida sun sure has changed.
Well look at this. This is TDL remaking this chapter from scratch. In time terms this is written from chapter 24, so I know that the writing style may change significantly in the next chapter. That is, until, I get off my lazy ass and fix it too. There's a lot more in store, so I hope you liked the prologue to Dean's many adventures!
Yours,
-TDL