The Survivor Part 1

    Warning: The following is incredibly gritty, bloody, and just all-in-all violent and dark. It's kinda pseudo-Shadowrun, without the magic because I prefer pure man and machine.

    I woke up, three weeks ago, in the hospital. I fragged another run, and was in deep drek. They had to replace half of my right body because of the burns from that feedback. At least I was lucky enough to be chromed enough to resist whatever it is that's been making the people go crazy. At day, I wonder if they have souls as I run to collect what I can before the night, the never-ending struggle. I don't know how to cure them, I don't know how to save them. All I know is that I have a soul, they don't. They are not human. The second I forget that, is the second I forget the other survivor.

    He didn't have to die. I just let him. There were only eight, I could've taken them on, but I was afraid. I was still recovering, I was in enough of danger of dying of my own problems

    Those things keep on going. You take off a head, you stop 'em, but you've gotta get the head. Or most everything else. Don't stop with an arm and a leg, or they'll take yours. Why do I even bother? I'm the last one left. But if I don't win, then who will? The monsters? I'd rather die with a fight.

    I'm keeping the shotgun ready, it's the best. It'll take out the entire creature with just one shot most of the time, and they don't come back after any hit. The pistol was laughable back when I tried it, but I guess it would be better than only having four shots. Maybe if I run tonight to get to tomorrow, then I can see if there are any survivors.

    Here's a bike I can use. Its motor's still fine. Won't be any good for long, it's only got a couple hours of fuel, but it'll help me check for any survivors. Plus, I can use it for a barricade. Not that barricades do much good. That's how I got my rifle broken. Zombies can come from any direction. At least during the day I can see them coming. They're not too bad during the day. During the night, the lights are gone, and I have to burn something, they oblige, to keep them from getting me next.

    I wonder why they hate me. Do they want my blood? They sure leave plenty of it behind everywhere they go. They hunt all day, all night. Occasionally I find one that isn't paying any attention. I don't think they see well during the day. They can hear fine. The second I get this bike goin', I'm gonna have to move fast if I don't want them to cut me off.

    When I'm on a bike, I feel free. It keeps me going, I don't have to trudge down bloody streets filled with the dead or zombies, I can just relax, nothing can get me.

    Sometimes, I think about where most of the animals are. Do the zombies hunt them? I've only seen a couple animals since this thing started.

    Is it the end, or simply another beginning? Is humanity in deep drek, or are the zombies humanity? The more I think about it, the more I wish that there were other survivors around here somewhere.

    It's getting dark. I need to find shelter. They know I'm blind. The bike died a couple hours ago. At least I have thermographics, but it's hard to tell when your opponent has a body temperature just above their environment. Those fancy ultrasound eyes I got are worth almost nothing. They can't tell me anything I can't hear.

    I wonder what happened to Cyberspace. I've heard that the least painful way to die is in Cyberspace. Granted, I don't know if I want to die, or live. If I wanna live, I've gotta stop eating out of refrigerators, I guess, 'cause they're a finite resource. I wish I'd gotten that photo-productive skin back at the bio-clinic a couple months ago, but it's too late now.

    Here come the zombies. All I could find was a fire extinguisher. I've got four shotgun shots and a fire extinguisher. A couple weeks ago, that would've been horrible, now, it's all I've got. I'll paint this place red.