Nevadawasahotstate.NotsomuchinDecember,maybe,buteverythingfelthotter wheneverywatersourcemayverywellhavecarriedsomethingworsethandeath.Itwasa constantcycleoffindingwater,purifyingit,purifyingitagain,drinking,praying,andholdingthe peoplethatyoustillhadleftclose.Jason,Victoria,andBenwerenoexception.Theyhadmore leftthantheaveragesurvivor,sure,butthatalsomeantthattheyhadmoretolose.Familywas preciousthosedays.Familywasaliability.Familymeantthatyoufoughtlikehellthroughthe desert,evenwheneveryoneelsegaveup.
“Ben!”ThatwasVictoria’svoice,cuttingthroughtherelativequietofthecampand sendingaflockofdesertswiftsspiralingintotheduskyair.“Whichwaterjugisthatfrom?”
Benshookalockofblondcurlsoutofhiseyes,frowningatthebottleinhishand,then backatthejugthathehadfilleditfrom.Whichwaterjug?
“Uh,theblueone?”Heanswered,loweringthebottleawayfromhislips.Itfeltlike sacrilegetodoit,topeelhimselfawayfrompotentialrefreshment,butheknewbetterthanto arguewhenhisoldersistertookthattonewithhim.“Why,Ithoughtthatwasthesafeone?”
JasonwastherebeforeBenevenhadthechancetodotheresponsiblethingandsetthe waterdown,hisbootskickingupsandashesnatcheditfromhislittlebrother’shand.Hewas breathingharddespitetheminimalexertion,greeneyesflickeringwidewithpanicforthe briefestofmoments.
“No,it’snotthesafeone!”Jasonsnapped.Itwasn’tanger,notreally,notatBen,atleast.
Angerattheworld,attheasteroidthatbroughtthedisease,atthemonstersthatthreatenedthe onlypeoplehehadleft.“Benjamin,howmanytimesdowehavetotellyou:thebluejugis untreated water!Youneedtolisten,buddy,c’mon,please.Doyouwannabeoneofthem,huh? Isthatwhatyouwant?Youwanna—”
“Shh!”Victoriaagain.Sharperthistime,edgedwithdanger.Becausenoisewas dangerous,noisebroughtdanger.
Noisebroughtapairoftwingroansfrombehindthecopseofdyingshrubberythatthe Atkinsfamilywasusingascoverfortheircamp.Thesiblingsfroze,thefadinglightofthesun castinglongshadowsacrosstheredlandscape.Jason’sfingerstwitchedtowardshismachete.
VictoriareachedforBen’sarm.
Andthenallhellbrokeloose.
Thezombiesappearedfrombetweenthebushes,clothestornandfadedfromtherough wearingofbodiesthatnolongerrememberedwhatitmeanttocareaboutanappearance.Red dirtclungtotheirdecayinglimbs,thecolormadestarkerbythebluebiofilmthatcoveredeachof thosewretchedcreatures.ItwasBenthatreactedfirst,recoilingtowardshissisterassoonashe lookedthezombiesintheeyes.Theirpupilsdilatedinthechanginglight,momentsof recognitionflashingbeforefadingbackintomindlesshunger.Butitnevergotanylessjarringto seetheflickersofhumanity,nevergotanyeasiertowonderjust how humantheyremained,even asthebacteriatookover.
Benrecoiled.Jasondidn’t.Theinstantoneofthetwozombieslunged,hemovedfaster Thebiofilmateawayattheirfleshandjoints,makingthemslow Makingthemclumsy,butno lessdeadly.Jasonwasn’tclumsy,hecouldn’taffordtobe.Themachetearcedthroughthe coolingair,whistlingbeforeitfounditshomeinthefirstzombie’sneck.Severthespinalcord, heremindedhimselfsilently,alreadyturningonhisheeltoswingforthesecondone.Toolate.It wasonVictoriaandBen,limitedfingersreachingouttograbitsnextvictim,despitethelackof jawandthefleshcurrentlysloughingfromitsbody.Maybeithadusedtobeawoman;itwasn’t humananymore.Mostly Probably
Benreactedfast,adistressedmixofsqueakandgruntescapingfromhislipsasheshoved thezombiebackhard.Hishandscameawayslickedwithbluefilmthattingledasitseepedinto hispores,thezombiesnarlingatitssuddenredirectionawayfromBenandVictoria.Jasonwas thereahalfsecondlater,bladeswingingdownwithalltheforcethattheformerpointguard couldmuster.Andthenagain.Andagain.Andagain,untilVictoria’sfranticworryingcut throughwhateverhazehaddescendedoverhisvision.
“Hands,showmeyourhands,Benny,now.”Victoriasaid,alreadysnatchingupa discardedshirttouseasarag.ShescrapedthebiofilmfromBen’sshakingpalms,turningthem overandovertolookforopenwoundsorcutsorevenahangnailthatcouldspelltheworst.
Nothing.Nocuts.Theillusionofsafetyreturnedwithcleanhandsandthepromiseof tomorrow
“Clear!We’reclear.We’reokay.”
Jason,Victoria,andBenreleasedacollectivesigh,heartsbeatingtotherhythmofa familytoodeterminedtoletgo.Thesunwasalmostgonethen,dippingbelowthehorizonand paintingthecampincrimson,justasthebloodspillingfromthedownedzombiespaintedthe sand.
KananHejmanowski
RachelStewart
English3264
28July2025 ZombiesinScienceFiction
Theshortstoryaboveisazombiestorythatcontainsmanyoftheclassiczombiefeatures likethedecayingbody,thehungerforhumans,andtheconstantbackandforthpresentinlotsof modernzombiemediaaboutjusthowhumanthezombiesremain.Whatdiffersisthesourceof thezombies,orrather,whatturnspeopleintozombies.Therewereafewallusionstowhatit was,namelythementionoftheasteroid,thebacteria,andthebiofilm.OnethingthatInoticed overthecourseoftheclassasweexploredmoretypesofmonsterswasthatmanyofthemseem tofallsquarelyintotheirownrelationshipswithscienceandtechnology,andIwantedtocreatea typeofzombiethatalmostfallsintotherealmofsciencefictionwhilestillretainingalotofthe classiczombiefeatures.
Inthisiterationofzombies,theyarecreatedthroughtheinfectionofwater.Initially,an asteroidcarryingbacteriafromspacecrashedintoawatersourceonEarth,beginningtospread throughdrinkablewatersourcesandtoinfectpeopleboththroughthatrouteandthroughthe classicbite.ThisiswhyBendrinkingfromthewrongjugissuchahugedeal,becauseitis almostimpossibletotellwhichsourcesaretainted.Similarly,onethingthatIpickedupfromour unitonzombieswasthefeedingmethod.ThezombiesintheshortstorydolungeforVictoria andBen,butIspecificallyavoidedusingtheword“meal”inreferencetothezombiesbecause thezombiesinthisstoryarebacteriadrivenanddriventomultiply/createnewhosts,butnot necessarilytofeed.
Iwantedtosubvertsomeoftheexpectationsofzombieswhilestillkeepingtheactual monstermoreorlessthesame.Thisiswhythefeedingisforadifferentpurpose,thoughthe bitingmethodremainsthesame.Inthesamevein,thebodiesofthezombiesarestillliving, hencewhythezombiesbleedwhenkilled.However,theyarestillslowlyfallingapartand decayingasaresultofthebiofilm,whichisnotedthroughthementionsofthemissingjawand theskinfallingoff.Atfirstread,Iwantedthezombiestocomeoffastheclassicmindless, shambling,bitingcreature,butwithafewdetailsotherwisethatsuggestauniqueoriginand characteristics.
Thestakesinalotofzombiemediaare,ofcourse,thezombies.Typicallytheyalso includeotherhumans,whichthisuniversewouldtoo.Thereisalsotheelementoftaintedwater, however,whichIaddedinbecauseIwantedthestakestoalsoincludeoneofthebasicfunctions oflife.ThisiswhatIconsidertobethescariestelement,thatevenasipofwaterfromthewrong sourcecouldturnsomeoneintoazombieregardlessofiftheyhaveeverevenseenazombie before.
IfIweretoexpanduponthisversionofthezombie,Iwoulddoadeeperdiveintothe sciencefictionelementsandroundouthowthebacteriaworksexactly,whereitcomesfrom,and howitaffectshumanbodiesasitspreadsandages.Ithinkthisisaninterestingmixofzombies andaliensasamonster,andIalmosttriedtoincludeelementsofthedoppelgängerthroughthe referencestothequestionsofhumanityandpersonhoodregardlessofzombiestatus,andwould absolutelyplaywiththatmoreinanexpandedversion.Itwasinterestingtotryandalien-ifya monsterthatIwouldconsidertobe“low-tech”,anddohaveplanstoexpanduponthisconceptin thewaysdiscussedabove.