/
/
/
Two years ago…
/
Most of Boston had succumbed to the virus by this time; the city had been sealed off by the military. Zack and Mr. Moesby were in the Tipton, all alone. The two of them were in the lobby, seeing the horrors that the streets had become.
"What'll we do?" Zack asked, "No power, no food, no water…and the Zombies don't seem to like us too much…"
"Get a hold of yourself," Moesby ordered, "Things are going to get tough, but we'll survive."
"How?"
"We can get a generator," Moesby decided, "We'll have lights, heating, that kind of stuff."
"What about company?"
"I'll have to be enough for you."
"Oddly enough, I'm OK with that."
/
Two weeks later…
/
Moesby and Zack were busy putting up barricades over the glass in the lobby; the Zombies knew where they lived; it was best to do this now so they didn't have to replace the glass later.
"Power drill, please," Zack said
Moesby climbed up the ladder, and passed Zack the drill. Zack finished placing the bars over the first window.
"Great job, Zack," Moesby said, "Now, we'd better get these hatches battened before we stop for the night."
/
Present Day…
/
Zack worked all through the afternoon and into the night on his car. The Zombies soon came out from their hiding places, and began heckling the Tipton hotel.
"Shut up you grey skinned freaks!" Zack yelled
Suddenly, there was a loud thump. In panic, Zack turned around, and drew his gun.
"Who's there?" Zack yelled
Zack hastily took out his flashlight, and followed the noise.
"Zack to Moesby," Zack said, into his walkie-talkie, "I just heard something down here."
"Understood," Moesby said, "I'll be right down."
/
Zack estimated that the noise came from the basement. He took the service elevator down there, finding Arwin's abandoned workshop. It was kept clean by Zack and Moesby, out of respect to their friend. They found stuff in there on occasion that was a lot of help to them, devices that saved power and such. Zack hated the idea that somewhere out there, there was a Zombie Arwin who went around with the rest of the Zombies destroying museums and library.
"OK, who's down here?" Zack yelled, taking out his flashlight
There was no one there. Zack was about to give up, when he saw the bookcase, and remembered that one Halloween. Wasn't that bookcase hiding something? Zack pulled the bookcase aside, and revealed a dark room.
"Who's there?" Zack yelled, "I'm armed!"
"Hi Zack!" came Arwin's yell
Zombie Arwin? Zack thought, No, please no!
The lights turned on, revealing Arwin eating a hot pocket in what appeared to be a gothic Victorian-style chamber. Zack couldn't believe it. Arwin, plain old fashioned Arwin, jumpsuit-clad hold-his-socks-up-with-duct-tape Arwin! Not an ounce of Zombie on him!
"Hey buddy," Arwin munched on the leg, "What's up?"
"Arwin, you're…you're…!" Zack gasped
"What?" Arwin asked
Zack held up his walkie-talkie.
"Moesby, Arwin's down here!" Zack exclaimed
"What?" Moesby burst into the room
"Hi Mr. Moesby!" Arwin said
"Arwin, how are you alive?" Moesby asked
"Fine, thanks."
"That's not what I…never mind…!"
/
"So you've been down here this whole time?" Moesby asked
The three of them were up in their room, eating spaghetti.
"Oh yeah," Arwin nodded, through his full mouth, "Sealed myself off from the virus."
"But you're not immune?" Zack asked
"Nope," Arwin sprinkled some more parmesan on his spaghetti, "Are you guys?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid we don't have any more cure," Moesby explained, solemnly, "We had some composite flu-shots that just about did it."
"Hm…" Arwin thought for a moment, "Have you considered that your blood may contain the anti-bodies necessary to combat the virus?"
"Uh…"
"Well, I could rig up a primitive blood transfusion with some surgical tubes," Arwin suggested, "I just need a pint of Zack's blood, it'll give me the necessary immunity."
/
Fifteen minutes later…
/
Arwin was extracting blood from Zack.
"Arwin, what's wrong with using my blood?" Moesby asked
"Nothing," Arwin said, "It's just that Zack's is probably stronger since he's younger."
"Ah huh," Moesby nodded
/
The blood was extracted from Zack, and Arwin rigged up an IV needle and surgical tube to transfer it into himself. He did it while watching a movie with Zack and Moesby.
"So what's this film called?" Arwin asked
"The Omega Man," Zack replied, eating popcorn, "Charlton Heston plays this guy who's like the last man on earth."
"Just like us."
"Yeah. It's almost as if the last two years of our lives were inspired by this film…"
/
Soon, the blood began to take its effect on Arwin. His hair and skin darkened; it had begun turning pale when he emerged from his workshop.
"Awesome!" Zack grinned
"Fantastic!" Mr. Moesby smiled
"So what do we do now?" Arwin asked
/
Five minutes later…
/
"Well if that's the way you want it, then I'm out of here!" Zack yelled
"Fine! See if I care!" Moesby yelled
Zack walked out of the Tipton, walking across the street. There was an apartment block he could stay in; he and Moesby prepared it for in case the Tipton was ever compromised.
"Problems, brother?" came a taunting voice
Zack turned to Zombie Cody, who had come out from the sewers.
"Stay away from me!" Zack warned
"Don't worry, brother, I'm just here to offer you a place in the Zombie society," Cody said, "We don't care that you're not one of us, you can change."
Zack lowered his gun.
"You know what?" Zack sighed, "I should have given in a long time ago."
Zack took off his utility belt, and threw it down on the ground.
"I'm sick of clinging to the past. I want to be a Zombie…"