ZOMBIE UNIVERSITY III

PROLOGUE

SPENCE FELT some remorse as he walked down the road. He heard some rustles in the bushes and was ready if zombies should strike. But none ever did. He suspected that the team had killed a greater portion of them already. And it wasn't like those zombie films where the zombies films where the zombies could unlock doors and get outside to where swarming masses of them were. This was real life.

He stopped and picked some blackberries off a bush and ate them. He took one last sip from his water bottle. Only 150 ml left and he'd need to save that. It was going to be some time before he made it into the heart of Manila, then west to where his parents' house was.

Along the way, he had plenty of time to think. That Fifi, which was not even her real name, had been a real piece of work. She had tempted him with her body, though there had never been a physical connection.

He felt really bad about what he had done. "We'll have fun," she said. "We can play a game to the end of the world, then be together, forever."

Except that he hadn't counted on her actually killing healthy people, of all ages and backgrounds.

"It's an experiment," she had explained. "This may lead to the cure for cancer and to long life. We'll graduate with our medical degrees and become multi-millionaires with the vaccines we will sell."

He sighed. It had made sense to him at the time, but not anymore. Not only had she been responsible for starting the zombie apocalypse by creating a nasty disease, he had been too, as he had assisted her.

He felt so guilty that he couldn't live anymore. But first, he would visit his parents. He had to see them one last time. He could only hope that they were still alive.

One hour later, his feet hurt and he was exhausted. But he forced himself onwards. Overhead, he heard what must be the sounds of a helicopter. He'd heard that flying over the university a few times earlier too.

Then he watched as the helicopter slowly dropped to the ground in front of him, in the middle of the road.

He stopped. Maybe they could assist him? He could get to his parents much more quickly.

The helicopter door opened, and a small rope ladder dropped down.

"Quickly!" called out a man inside.

"Can you help me?" asked Spence, huffing and puffing, as he climbed up the rope ladder. Normally he'd be terrified of heights, but there was just too much going on now.

"Yes, we can get you home. Buckle up."

Spence took the last seat inside the helicopter.

"So glad you could join us," called out the female pilot. "I'm Gee. You're also extremely lucky. We're going to bomb the university."

Spence's eyes opened wide. He looked worriedly down at the university as the helicopter flew back to HQ.