Zombie Sisters

Outbreak

   “Just another day at work…whoa no don’t mix Z with Z.A.V.” Sabine reminded her colleague, Karen, as they stood in the large white lab. “Oh God that could have been a killer.” Karen surmised putting down the Z.A.V. Sabine looked over at the one way glass catching her reflection, her brown hair was tied back from her face and her eyes were red with exhaustion; Karen was the same, but her blonde hair was down and tucked behind her ears. “I wonder what this stuff actually does if you inject it into a human, I know it’s supposed to be a cure for cancer, but does it actually work?” Karen pondered so Sabine turned looking at the Z. “I don’t know, but I think we get to find out today.” Sabine sighed trying to wake herself up, but it wasn’t working.

 “How are my two favourite people today?” The head of department, Sharon, asked with her white lab coat trailing behind her. “We think it’s ready to test.” Karen announced which made Sharon smile at them both. “I bet your children will be so proud if it works.” The woman grinned with glimmering hazel eyes, but Karen frowned. “Why can’t we tell our kids the truth?” She asked staring Sharon straight in the face. “You can’t tell them because the Nuclear Force Institution needs it to be kept secret we can’t have this falling into the wrong hands, but when the Z serum is perfected we can go public and then the whole world will know how you helped solve the biggest problem known to man; you’ll have cured cancer, you’ll be rich and your children will adore you.” Sharon looked between Sabine and Karen a few times and Sabine chuckled to herself. “Yeah right Mariana would hate me; she’d say, “there isn’t any reason for you to be screwin’ with nature, if nature wanted cancer cured then it would fix it itself; cancer is nature’s way of killing off the population so we have enough resources, but no you had to go and screw up the balance.” So yeah Mari would knock me one no doubt, she hates it when people screw with things that we shouldn’t.” Sabine looked down at the white floor in anguish she knew her daughter loved her it was just the way Mari’s mind was wired she thought differently to most people.

   

Minutes ticked by as both Sharon and Karen searched for the right words, but nothing was forth coming so Sharon picked up a sealed tube of the Z serum and turned it upside down watching the viscous grey formula slowly run down. “If the Z virus is supposed to be a cure for cancer then why did we have to formulate the Z.A.V?” Karen asked so Sabine mentally face palmed herself. “In case the Z serum is defective so if anything goes wrong we can use the Z.A.V to combat the Z serum’s effects.” Sabine explained looking up and noticing the cameras were on. “Come on ladies let’s test this stuff.” Sharon left the lab while Karen picked up the Z.A.V and Sabine followed with a tray of Z serum.

   Sharon brought Sabine and Karen to another large white room, but the expanse of this room was empty say for the table that a man was strapped to. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, he had no hair and his skin was thin and sickly; like a hospital patient he wore a paper gown which was N.F.I’s standard issue for any patient. “Eve is the interface link connected?” Sharon asked and a holographic image of a young woman appeared. The image flickered in black and white until it settled and took on colour. “Yes Ma’am, the Nuclear force institution head office is currently observing the Z experiment.” The hologram informed them with her eyes fixed on the grey Z serum. Hissing filled the room as the doors closed and the mechanical ticking of the inner locks could be heard until a final hiss of releasing pressure escaped. “The doors are locked.” Karen stated bluntly and Sharon looked to Eve expectantly. “Head office required that I seal the facility in case of alternate outcomes.” The holographic interface explained so Sharon nodded.

   “Did this man consent to this procedure?” Sabine asked and the man lying on the table nodded. Sabine nodded to Karen who picked a glass tube of Z serum up. Karen pressed the bottom of the tube onto the man’s arm before clicking a button on the top of the tube which injected the grey liquid into the man. They all watched as the man shook on the table almost like he was having a fit until he stopped. The man smiled happily. “How do you feel?” Sharon asked the question that was on all their minds. “It’s unbelievable, I feel great.” The man told them so they all breathed sighs of relief. “It works our serum works!” Karen announced in astonishment, but Sabine and Eve both watched the man as his breathing hitched and his eyes filled with little red veins which seemed to burst turning the white of his eye red and the blue iris drained of its colour turning white.

   Eve looked to Sabine almost apologetically, which worried Sabine when the hologram faded. The patient threw up black viscous liquid and fell back down flat on the table. “He’s dead.” Sabine stated grimly so Sharon leaned over the man listening for breathing or any sign of life. “He’s dead.” She confirmed, but as she began to straighten up the man shot up tearing into Sharon’s neck. A spray of blood coloured the white room and both Karen and Sabine ran to the door. “Eve let us out!” Karen shouted, but the door stayed sealed as Sharon climbed back to her feet spewing up blood. Sharon and the patient advanced on them startling Karen who ran knocking over a tray of Z serum which smashed; the liquid inside quickly diffused into the air until there was nothing left of it. Sharon and the patient walked towards the door ignoring Sabine and Karen leaving her confused as to what was happening.

   “You’re both infected with the Z experiment they won’t harm you.” Eve said as Karen fell back to the floor coughing uncontrollably as blood sputtered out of her mouth. “Eve if this virus gets out I want you to find Mari and if she’s still alive I want you to give her a message okay?” The hologram projected back into the room and it sat down next to Sabine on the floor. “Yes ma’am I will do my best.” The hologram promised so Sabine relayed the message to Eve who saved it to her database. "It appears the virus has got into the main ventilation system, this facility must be purged. Miss Darkwood the gas released will kill you almost immediately." The interface told Sabine who nodded smiling before coughing up blood which was tainted almost black. "Just promise me you'll find Mari and help her, please?" She asked and Eve nodded. "What of her half sister, Miss Nightshade's daughter?" Sabine looked over to Karen who was lifeless on the floor. Mariana and Lilith were sisters through their father, who had been two timing Karen and Sabine; when they'd found out they'd got shut of him and been friends since so the girls grew up together. "Help both of them Eve." Sabine ordered and Eve gave a solemn bow as a hissing sounded in the room as a murky airborne substance filled the room. "I'll do my best Miss Darkwood." Eve smiled before she faded and Sabine choked on the gas that was filling her lungs. She collapsed eyes growing heavy and breathing becoming too much of a task until it all faded to black.