Hunter and Hunted

Chapter 12

Kate was quiet for a time and just satisfied right where she was. However, a question occurred to her. "How many different races are out there? Are they all susceptible to becoming Zombies?" Was there no one that could resist them?

Rick chuckled a little. "There are a lot of races, perhaps more than you can imagine and yes, they're susceptible to becoming Zombies. Being a Zombie means you die and are reanimated. So, as long as a race can be considered living entities and can die, they can become Zombies, I'm sorry to say." His take was that the number of Zombies out there was an unimaginable number. He could and write the number, but that number was bigger than his mind could wrap itself around.

"So not everyone is human like us." Kate wasn't sure what she was going to think the first time she saw a real alien.

He corrected her. "Us, meaning you and your parents."

"And you, you're human." He certainly looked and acted human. Maybe an alien because he wasn't born here but not that kind of alien.

"I'm Sebacean, not human. Though there are a number of similarities." Rick granted that much. That had Kate getting up a little so she could look at him.

"You're not human?" She looked him over more closely and didn't see anything different about him.

"Alexis, explain it to her, but by voice only please." He didn't need her seeing them like this, though he was betting she already could and was listening.

"Genetically we're similar though there are some differences. There's a delay in females of the gestation of the fetus. Our eyesight's significantly keener than yours. Also our lifespans are, from what I can tell, twice that of yours. We don't have kidneys to help us remove toxins. We use a single organ called a Paraphoral Nerve. If it fails to function we can quickly die from the build up of toxins. It can only be replaced by a suitable donor. Also we do not handle heat well. Extended time in high heat can cause us to go into a coma. We refer to it as the living death. Until the onset of the final stage we can recover if our core temperature lowers enough and does so for long enough. Otherwise the effect is irreversible," Alexis explained.

Kate looked down at him with new eyes. The fact that she could lose him because of high heat was not lost on her. It also told her just how involved she was with him already. And it revealed something about him to her. "That helps explain why you're always walking around in just those shorts." He wasn't try to tease her with his bare chest. He was trying to keep cool. "And no wonder it's cool in here." It wasn't cold but it was cool to her way of thinking.

"Sorry, I can have cooling adjusted a little so it's not as cold," Rick offered just for her.

"NO! I can just add clothes. You can only just take off so many." Kate didn't need him to do that for her or her parents.

"So now you want to deprive me of how beautiful you look," Rick teased which earned him a swat to his chest.

"You think I'm pretty?" She had always thought that she was. A number of guys had told her so. But hearing it from Rick meant so much more somehow.

He sat up straight and put his arms around her. "You're far more than just pretty." Rick gave her a quick kiss. "I should get up and get back to work. Alexis needs to find us more sites so I can collect what we need then leave." The sooner he got his weapon the sooner he was going to like it.

"Fine, but we're helping where we can. Deal?" She wasn't just going to sit here and wait for him to come back.

"Deal. You also need to think about wanting a combat suit. Having one will mean you have to kill. It might mean Zombies but it could mean someone else. Having civilization come crashing down around you can bring out the worst in people." He had already met some of those and had dealt with them. Permanently.

Kate shut up and thought about that. Having the suit sounded really cool, but Rick was pointing out the cost of having and using one. "You'll teach me?" She really wanted to do this next to him.

"We'll see. Better put your swim suit back on. We need more ingredients." Rick got up and put on the shorts that he'd worn to her room.

She stopped him at the door. "Your room next time? Say tomorrow evening?"

"You don't like your room?" He had four so she should like one of them. He looked around. He liked the room, just not as much as his own.

Her bed was easily two queen beds put together to create one enormous bed that you could get lost in. It was mostly a dark chocolate in color with very light purple sheets and comforter. There was a really long chocolate sofa at the foot of the bed that actually was shorter than the bed was wide. It had a chocolate colored headboard that reached the ceiling. Beige carpet, tray ceiling, tear drop pendent lights on either side over side tables. The wall to either side of the bed behind the lights was tin and helped the lights to brighten the room from all the chocolate.

He liked it even if the bed was far too big.

"No, I like it. Especially the bed." Kate turned to look at it again. Its size was what had gotten her to pick this room. When they finally had sex it was going to be so much fun to play in this bed. "Your room, please?" She gave him her best puppy dog look she could come up with.

"Fine, just remember, my room is closer to your parents' room than yours." Rick gave her a quick kiss and left her standing there.

"Shit!" She'd forgotten about that part. Suddenly having her parents seeing her exiting his room half naked, or completely naked, entered her mind. "Shit!" She was just going to have to be more careful, that's all.

She loved her parents, though suddenly having them this close and possibly involved in her relationship with Rick was starting to grate on her. But it beat having them dead or worse.

+x+ [-O-] +x+

Alexis had a couple of leads for ingredients and was moving the ship to get closer.

"The Diamond Match Company. The closest is in Chico, California. There's literally nothing around the building. We can land as close as we want and not damage anything. You can probably get the red phosphorus before they even put it on boxes." Alexis was proud of herself and given the location, Rick was willing to let the Becketts help him. AFTER he had made sure the place was empty.

"Oh, and I've found a warehouse that's storing hundreds of gallons of hydrochloric acid. It's in Rochester, New York…which is on the other side of the country." Alexis scrunched up her face since that was the bad part. "Though Home Depots are all over the place for the paint thinner." She tried to sound positive.

+x+ [-O-] +x+

Rick scrubbed his face tiredly. He was starting to feel like a jumping jack. They'd been hopping all over the place, checking on leads that Alexis had found. However, in-between jumps he spent his downtime constructing a holding tank that actually went into his pool. It was close to one of the openings of the ship, making transfer easier. Plus the pool walls acted like a support structure. It was maybe a little crude-looking, but he'd tested it and found that it didn't leak.

"We need to do this as quickly as possible, Dad. This liquid is going to eat the pump and the piping really fast. This stuff is really toxic." Alexis was warning them all, not only her dad.

"And people inject this crap directly into their veins? On purpose?" Johanna really didn't understand the allure of doing this to yourself, just to what? Get a moment's high? To forget something while you kill yourself slowly and painfully?

Rick put on his combat suit. "Stay away from the pump, the piping, and even the connection to the tank. I don't want a leak hitting you with this stuff. But yell if you start to see any of it." He started up the pump and began siphoning the liquid out of his brewery tank. Up in the air to the ship that Alexis had hovering just barely above the building.

It was only while they were pumping it that Rick kicked himself. How were they going to clean up a leak, if anything leaked? Still it was too late now. If he stopped now he was going to have to find another pump and another hose.

It seemed to take forever. "It's full, Dad! Shut down the pump and throw all of it over the side." None of them cared about the mess they left behind. The Zombies could have it. Not that they had seen any of them yet.

He ran his scanner over every inch of the tank before letting anyone else near it. "Close up, Alexis, get us in orbit, and plot a jump. It's time to go get us a McKenzie Beam." Rick was tired but happy.

+x+ [-O-] +x+

Kate had talked her parents into going up to the bridge so they could see just where they were.

Jim wasn't sure about it. "We weren't invited."

Kate moved in closer and did her best to whisper. "Alexis hears everything." To her way of thinking, if Alexis didn't like this plan she would find a way to stop them.

They arrived just in time to see Rick talk about being right over with his payment. They missed seeing who he was talking to.

"Can we help?" Kate wanted to help. The sooner this was done the sooner she could get Rick in his bedroom.

"Yes, you three can stay here for now." Rick started to walk past them.

"Rick?" Now Kate really did want to actually help.

"Stay here! They only know about me and Alexis and for now it needs to stay that way." Rick did his best to glare at each of them. "Alexis, lock them in here and if they get out… You're not too big or old for me to put over my knee." Rick wasn't sure just what he could do to her. Not really.

"They'll stay, Dad." Alexis didn't show up but did answer him.

Not saying anything, Rick nodded and headed for his combat suit, just in case.

"Alexis!?" There was still one person she could talk to and try and convince.

This time Alexis did show herself. "Sorry, but Dad's right. We need this Beam. It's the one weapon that's powerful enough and will fit in this ship." She had no intention of disobeying her dad. But maybe it was time to tell them something else. "Over here." She walked over to the 3D table and waited for them to join her.

"Dad told you that not all Zombies are that stupid and mindless. Unfortunately he's right." Alexis brought up the image of a military ship. "This is a Bree Battleship, one of the most powerful ships in the known Universe. It alone has enough firepower to kill everything on Earth. Effectively killing everything, leaving behind a completely lifeless rock."

"Wait, wait, wait." Johanna was trying to keep up. "Are you trying to tell us that one or more Zombies has a ship like this and is smart enough to know how to use it?" This was beginning to scare the crap out of her.

"The Bree are not immune to becoming Zombies. If the captain of this ship and enough of his officers managed to maintain a part of who they used to be, they will be able to operate this ship. They could spread the infection on purpose. Perhaps even attack defending ships while other Zombies infect everyone. Other ships, a planet." Alexis lowered her head. What was happening to the Universe was looking more and more unstoppable.

"GOOD GOD!" Jim collapsed against the table and his head dropped until it almost rested on it.

Johanna spun away from the table so she didn't have to see it any longer. Alexis left the display of the Bree ship in place, though.

"This is happening everywhere?" Kate was starting to see just how big the universe was and surely it was big enough for the good guys to stop all this.

"No, not everywhere. However, it is spreading faster and farther every day. Any information I have on what might be called safe areas, might not be any longer or soon won't be. My scans don't show any infection where we are. So provided Dad can make a deal, we'll have our weapon.

"Then we have to find out what the person that can install it wants. Then find out what whoever has the shield emitters wants. Then and only then will we be free enough to move around. Not safe but safer." Alexis knew that Bree Battleship could shoot holes in them even with shields.

+x+ [-O-] +x+

The three of them were starting to fall asleep which wasn't easy when the bridge actually had very few chairs and they weren't meant to be sleeping in. When Alexis showed up. "Dad's coming back, he says he has news." She didn't know what he meant by news, but was hoping it had to do with their weapon.

She unlocked the bridge and let him in.

"Sorry it took so long." Rick walked up to Kate and looked at her parents. "He's accepted his payment and is actually going to install the Beam for us. With my help and Alexis's oversight." Rick thought that wasn't just good news, it was great news.

"Oh, and he also downloaded this." Rick held out a data chip, went over to an access port, and inserted it. Alexis didn't bat an eye and dove right in to find out what was on it. Learning things always had been a passion of hers.

Alexis had all of it in just seconds. "Holy crap, Dad! Is this accurate?" She was hoping he would tell her that it was just a theory or a guess.

"Sorry to say, but no. It's a compilation of everything he knows from other clients. I need you to do the same so I can go back with all of our data." It was part of the deal.

Kate wasn't following. "What are you two talking about?"

"I can guess. It's about Zombies, isn't it?" Johanna had no trouble speculating what would cause these two to sound like this.

"Yeah, between when we had our last data and now, the Universe has gotten smaller by a total of an entire galaxy plus another 12 systems. Those 12 systems are all located in the Milky Way." It wasn't just bad news, it was BAD!

"SHIT!" Jim sat back down and tried to think. "Will this weapon and your shields really help?" After listening to Alexis about that Bree Battleship he was starting to wonder just what chance any of them had. "And why haven't we seen any of these Zombies yet?" Earth was supposed to be covered in them, so where were they?

"Keep in mind Zombies will rip you open and eat you alive." Rick knew that would reduce the number of Zombies.

"But they're dead. Do they eat all of you? What about the bones that remain? We haven't seen any of those. Do they eat animals too?" He couldn't remember even seeing a dog let alone wildlife.

Alexis popped back into view. "Pretty much, yeah. We believe they actually take the bones and gnaw on them wherever it is they retreat to. Which we believe is underground or deep inside a building. They seem to shun daylight. We have no proof that it actually hurts them, but they do avoid it," she restated.

"I think my stomach is queasy." Kate placed a hand on her middle and her imagination had no trouble seeing some toothy dead person gnawing on bones somewhere in the dark.

"And your weapon?" Johanna got back on topic since it was much more useful and far more satisfying.

"He has the weapon and he has a team that can install it. Since I used to be an engineer, I'm going to help them. Plus Alexis can see all parts of this ship so she can watch them. Part of the deal is that we feed them. I, uh, may have volunteered your skills in the kitchen." Rick tried to smile while looking at Johanna.

"Oh, did you now?" Johanna glared at him even if she was more than willing, since it sounded like having a weapon was turning into a damn good thing to have. Still it made her feel good as she watched Rick shrink under her gaze.

+x+ [-O-] +x+

They'd been there for an entire week and had seen workers come and go. They had also watched Rick almost work himself to death. Long after the team had left he was still working.

Kate had tried to talk him into going to his room. Partly because he was working too hard and partly because she was ready to have sex. She wanted the feel of having him inside her. It got to the point that she was sulking in her room.

"Alexis, have you got a moment?" Kate had questions for her.

Alexis popped up. "Of course, what do you need?" Since this entire time was all about the McKenzie Beam, Alexis was guessing she had questions about it.

"Meredith was your birth mother." Kate simply reiterated what she'd been told.

"Yes." Alexis hadn't been expecting that and it had her looking at Kate a little more closely.

"Has he gone on dates or anything since then?" Kate was beginning to really think that despite Rick being 10 years older than she, he was far less experienced than she was.

"No… Why are you asking?" She should be talking to her dad, not her.

"He's shy, almost too shy. He won't talk about his past much." Not that Kate had told him a whole lot about herself either. "He was 15 when he had you and there hasn't been anyone since." Kate had been listening, she just wasn't sure she believed him.

"We've been on the run since I was a baby. Everywhere we went, Zombies were either already there or arrived soon after. Dad did all he could." She didn't blame him for a Zombie catching up to her. He had at least killed it before it ate her.

"All that time." Kate began believing it especially when it came from Alexis. "No one!" He was far too good-looking and way too sexy for someone not to notice.

Alexis stood there shaking her head. "He likes you." Alexis had noticed his attraction to her, not that it was hard to miss.

"I like him, too." Actually she thought she was falling in love with him. "You're not angry?" If Alexis was mad she had a big problem and had no clue what to do about it.

"No, ... I'll only be angry if you hurt him. He's all I have." She literally had no one else.

"What about Meredith's or Rick's parents? Your grandparents." They hadn't yet talked about them yet.

"I don't know anything about my mom's parents. Dad's parents…they stayed behind once to help us get away. We don't know what happened to them." They both thought they were dead or worse.

"So they might be alive." Kate grabbed onto that possibility in an instant. "Can we go looking for them? Go the last place that they were seen maybe? Go where they might have escaped to?"

"You remember how much of the Universe is infected, right?" Alexis watched as Kate nodded a little and hung her head a bit as well. "And that in one jump we could be anywhere? With a few limitations." Meaning even if they had escaped they could have jumped anywhere in the known Universe.

Kate let herself fall back onto her huge bed. "Shit!" In a way she liked being in control. It was just that she also wanted Rick to take charge some times. And it was sounding like she was going to be the second person he had ever had sex with. Not that she had been with that many guys. Most of them had been just blowjobs. And it didn't sound like he had even done that much, if any. He may have lied to her about paying for sex a couple of times to make her feel better and not scare her away.

"Thanks, Alexis." That was all she needed to know and Alexis disappeared.

"Alexis!" She had another question.

"Yes?" The thirteen-year-old instantly reappeared.

"You're sure you're okay with me being involved with your dad?" She felt weird asking a young teenager who wasn't really alive for her acceptance for her to be involved with Rick.

"Dad and I have been alone for long enough. I truly want you and your parents to stay. We were lucky to have found you." Alexis smiled then retreated back into her computer.

"We've been lucky, too." Their future actually looked a lot brighter now. "Out in space." Kate placed her hands over her mouth and smiled widely. "I wonder if I can recreate my Lieutenant Chloe costume?"