/
Moesby spread some butter on his piece of toast.
"Thanks again for inviting me round for breakfast," Moesby said, "Oh? Well, yes, as a matter of fact…"
He slid a piece of paper towards the mannequin.
"Your sons damaged that vase in the lobby that we're always knocking over but then someone catches," Moesby explained, "Do you want me to dock this from your salary or would you like to withdraw it from your bank account?"
Moesby began eating his toast.
"Oh? Cody's still away at Math Camp?" Moesby asked, "Well, worst case scenario, he sits on his compass."
The mannequin, as usual, did not reply.
"Hah!" Moesby laughed, "Good one, circumference of his scar."
Zack walked out of the bathroom in his tracksuit pants and vest. He spent a minute looking around the living room for his tracksuit top, only to find it under a sofa cushion.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Zack sat down at the table
"It's the first of the month," Moesby passed Zack the bacon, "Shopping day."
"Cool," Zack placed several pieces of bacon in his toast, "I'm thinking of getting a leather trench coat."
"Really?" Moesby raised an eyebrow, "Zack, that's a little on the expensive side."
"I can work it off," Zack added, "I got a raise at the mini-mart."
"Well, alright," Moesby nodded, "I guess it is your money."
Moesby had finished eating. He got up, and threw out his paper plate; water was too precious to be wasted on washing dishes.
"You finish your breakfast," Moesby said, putting on his belt, "I'll go load up the car."
/
Zack took the elevator down to the garage, and found Moesby placing boxes in the back of the Hummer. They always wanted to be prepared for anything. This meant taking food, guns, water, and extra gasoline.
"Need a hand?" Zack asked
"No, I've got it," Moesby replied
With one heave, Moesby placed the final box in the trunk. Zack climbed into the passenger's seat.
"Got your belt?" Moesby asked
"Yep," Zack tugged on it, "But today I'm going to use a .38 instead of the Walther."
"OK," Moesby got into the car, and revved up the engine, "Supplies, check, tools, check, guns, check. Have we forgotten anything?"
"Oh!" Zack took a CD from out of his belt pouch, "Forgot the tunes."
The CD turned on: Barracuda, by Heart.
"Good driving music," Moesby noted
/
The mall was a ten minute drive from the Tipton. To keep the Zombies out, all the entrances were boarded up, except for the front entrance which had some bars from a prison cell covering it.
"Keep your eye out for things on sale," Moesby said, climbing out of the Hummer
"And Zombies."
/
Two years ago, a week after the virus…
/
Moesby and Zack had been separated from the SS Tipton; the infected inside it had been moved to a hospital. The two of them had managed to get a room at the Tipton, on the 23rd floor. Zack was lying on the couch as Moesby looked out the window. People were being ordered into their homes by soldiers, some of them were even trying to steal from abandoned stores.
"How long is this going to last?" groaned Zack, "Haven't they found a cure yet?"'
"Synthesizing an antibody for a genetically engineered virus takes up an enduring chronological period," Moesby replied, looking out the window
"Huh?"
"A lot of time is needed to find a cure for something like this."
/
Zack got up, and walked to the fridge.
"Are they still rioting?" he asked
"Uh huh," Moesby nodded, "But if it's any consolation, they won't be…"
He stopped mid-sentence. Moesby couldn't bring himself to tell a sixteen year old that the rioting would stop because people would die soon.
"Look, I've got this in case the rioters come in the building," Mr. Moesby walked to the coffee table, and opened up a black case he had taken from his room, "Smith and Wesson Model 29."
"Will we need it?" Zack asked
"Yes. And I got you something too."
Moesby handed Zack a Walther P-38.
"Wow!" Zack exclaimed
"I couldn't afford bullets for both guns, but you can still use yours psychologically."
"Thanks, sir," Zack said
"Wow, that almost sounded like I respect him…" Zack thought
/
Present day…
/
Zack stood in front of the mirror, trying on the leather trench coat he had found. He did a variety of poses with it.
"What do you think, babe?" Zack asked, turning to a cardboard cutout of Princess Leia behind the counter, "Too Matrix-y?"
No reply.
"Yeah, but did you see the trailer?"
Nothing.
"Are you telling me you've never even seen a preview for The Matrix?" Zack exclaimed, "OK, forget it."
Nothing. Zack threw the coat off.
"No, really, forget it."
No reply.
"OK, fine!" Zack put the coat back on, "There! Happy now?"
/
After they had finished shopping, Zack and Moesby loaded up the car with their clothes.
"Did you get that trench coat?" Moesby asked
"Yep," Zack nodded, "It was seventy percent off at The Leather Man."
"Excellent."
"Did you get anything at the Hankie Hut?"
"Yes, I found a box of imitation-silk in the backroom. The store owner let me use my frequent visitor credits."
"Sweet."
/
They began to drive out, but Zack stopped Moesby.
"Do you see that?" Zack asked
"What?"
Zack pointed to a car in the parking lot. It was like a convertible Jeep, box-like and military-esque.
"What is that?"
"It's a Volkswagen 181, also known as a 'Thing'," Moesby replied
"Could we take it home?" Zack asked
"Hm…" Moesby studied the car, "It might not work."
/
The two of them got out of the Hummer, and surveyed the Thing.
"Keys aren't in the ignition," Moesby said, "Doors are locked, and the engine…"
Moesby opened the hood.
"This will need a lot of work," Moesby concluded, "But if you promise me you'll stick with hit, I'll let you have it."
"I will," Zack said eagerly
/
Moesby assembled a tow-trailer from a box in the Hummer, and latched the Thing on it. They drove away slowly, heading back to the Tipton garage.
"I think I'll rig it up with a starter button first," Zack said, "Then I'll add the padlocks onto the door."
Starter buttons were what Zack and Mr. Moesby used for their cars. If they didn't have the keys, then they would replace the ignition with a simple button that would start the car. Of course, this meant anyone could start the car, but the Zombies abhorred science, and wouldn't dare drive something as advanced as a car. As for the padlocks, well…the Zombies weren't above petty theft.
"The tools are at your disposal," Moesby opened up the Hummer's trunk, and began taking out the clothes he bought, "I'll be upstairs."
/