Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 6.2: Disco Ain't Dead...It's Undead, Baby!

The fight lasted a couple of (subjective) minutes more after the song was over, as well as my near brush with death. "That seems to be the last of those suckers, children," the DJ's raspy voice said through the sound speakers just as we took down the last few remaining zombies. "Let's give it up for these brave folks who gave their all on the dancefloor! YEAH!!!" He started clapping, and without hesitation, the civvies over at the VIP section cheered as well.

Most of TP, including Cara, ended up standing close to one another at this point. So, we all took a bow at the applause. Never being one for praise, Clint was the of the two who didn't bow. He just waved and nodded humbly at them. Norah had even regained control by this time; indicating that the danger is more-or-less over with. She simply waved like Clint. TO and Sgt. McTeer even got over their barricade at this point; making their way toward us and stepping over many a fallen zombie as they moved. All except Jorge, who continued to move through the dead, giving a good head-bashing to those who were still twitching and had long stopped twitching alike.

Felix made his way to us around this time, waving his hands and walking slowly so not to get mistaken for a zombie.

"Thanks for taking care of business, friends," he said to us, gratefully. "The ones in the VIP lounge say thanks as well. They're still in there, putting the chairs and tables back where they found them." He turned to Mattie and Tom. "Would you two go over there and keep them company, please?" he asked them. "Just until we know for sure that the danger is really over." Tom and Mattie nodded and ran over to the VIP lounge.

"And see if you can wake Warhol up," he shouted at them as they left. He turned to the rest of us, and added, "Someone knocked him out when he tried to break the barricade down." The playfully suspicious look in his eyes told me all too well as to who knocked out Warhol.

Felix looked over to Rozz. "Oh, and Jagger said to tell you it was great to see you again, my friend of the Infernal persuasion," he said to Rozz. "And to see him again sometime." He paused, then added. "But next time, no zombies."

Rozz chuckled at this, "Tell him not to worry about it," he said. "It's not like it was I who brought them around." He gave me a look as soon as he said it, a look that said that he had an idea how this had happened. Trying my best not to look suspicious, I looked over to how Jorge was doing.

"I'm going to go call a cleanup crew to handle to mess in order to lift the quarantine," Felix continued, nodding over to Jorge. "Just as soon as Cortez over there finishes what he's doing. He knows that cleanup does that for us in situations like this, right?"

Lady Lane shrugged. "I've learned long ago not to argue with that one's methods, Felix," she said with a thin smile. "No matter how redundant they seem." Her face suddenly changed to one of worry. "Did you happen to check on the Timeline, Felix?" Lady Lane asked her friend, rightfully concerned.

"As a matter of fact," he said as held out his Tempralmanac. "I was just about to do that." He looked around at the rest of us. "Do you mind?" he asked.

We all silently gave him the go ahead. He then held up his Tempralmanac to his lips, whispered to it, then opened it to a random page. For the next (subjective) minute, his eyes were rapidly moving as they received the information that only they could perceive. When he was finished, he closed the book shut. "And, done," he said as if it was something trivial.

Lady Lane took a dee breath. "So, what is the damage?" she asked, her voice filled with professional concern.

"Actually, not as bad as you'd expect," Felix said, somewhat surprised as he pointed to his Temporalmanac. "According to this, the club reopens a couple of weeks later, everyone chalking what happened up to people going berserk over a bad batch of acid. Also, it seems that, besides those who're in the Still with us, all the other people important to the Timeline, for one reason or the other, survived this; apart from a few bumps and scrapes, and perhaps a few sleepless nights.