Aggy and the Dinos

Chapter 8

Many people whose attention could have been better used elsewhere have devised equations to work out how long it would take for a zombie invasion to wipe out humanity (without lending thought as to whether zombies may still count as human, and what their evolutionary trajectory may be - for example, would there develop among them those with a penchant for vegetarianism?), and the writer believes that the most often agreed upon figure is something like 21 days.

21 days is of course the best part of a month, and is a somewhat ambitious figure; it took 14 days, for example, for the Dinosapien race to overrun London.

British TV channels were off. The radio was off. After the first South West train from Weymouth arrived in Richmond to find several very curious looking prehistoric hybrids looking through the windows, public transport was off too. The nation went into a state of high alert. Sky was still available, and at first people clustered around watching American news, until they were sickened by the bidding war that wealthy nations were waging over their country – each wanting to be the first to come in and clean up once all the people were dead. There would be no rescue, no backup.

Telling of the many brave and daring missions run by the British Army into the capital to rescue survivors and destroy the Dinosapiens, dubbed 'Dinos' by the international media, is useless, save to say that there were no survivors apart from those sensible enough to run away. The story soon spread of the human level of intelligence of the enemy; torches used to lure soldiers into traps, the use of hostages, and a taste for easy listening – one squadron entered a house in the suburbs when they heard music, believing there to be survivors inside, only to find a pair of nesting Dinos in the front room. Within six weeks the South West had fallen into darkness. In the Midlands, work began on a very very high wall. It was built quickly, but not quickly enough, and soon the United Kingdom was darkened, surrounded by the shining lights of Europe.

It turned out that the previously undesirable reality of living in a high rise was the best way to survive the first two months. There were plenty of people for the Dinos to eat at ground level, so blocks of flats remained mostly untroubled. Aggy and Dean were in the flat, dividing out the last portion of rice.

"Well, we've got to make a move after this," said Aggy, giving Geezer his bowl. The dog gave her a filthy look, but he dug in regardless.

"Correct," said Dean.

"Although where to I'm not sure."

"Out of the city."

"Well I thought we'd go and see who wants to come with us from the block, then find a super market."

"What?"

"Well we'll need food."

"No we'll be food. Aggy we have to just get out of London. That might mean being hungry for a bit. And we can't afford to take loads of people."

"Shut up. We have to give people a chance to come with us."

"Ok, tell you what. You go and knock, I'll go and pack."

"No no no. You're coming with me."

It turned out that Dean was right.

The pair left the stricken block via the basement, and hurried away into the night. Geezer was angsty, growling at shadows and sticking close to Aggy, who felt very vulnerable. They took shelter in a rhododendron bush.

"What now?" Asked Dean. Aggy stared at him.

"Well I haven't got a plan, have I?," he added.

"I don't know. Do you think there's anyone still alive in that block?"