"28 Parsecs Later" by Matt Hudson

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Corridor 34D

"Come on!!" huffed the trooper.

"I can't…..it hurts so bad." Responded the other as he held his side and tried to get up from where he tripped.

Yelling was heard down the hall as six of the base personnel rounded the corner, one yelled with intent and rushed. They converged on him as he screamed and they screamed, the other trooper watched in horror as his friend was ripped into.

One looked up and screamed at him.

Around 1st Battalion headquarters

"Sor, we've lost all communication with Bravo and Delta. I don't even think they made it out the barracks." Said Jones after a heated comms conversation.

"What about Alpha and Champion?" inquired Miles.

"They were out training in the fields and they made it to the armory and traded in their stun blasters before it went under siege. Champion is reinforcing the shuttle bay and the ring rooms there for the evac. Half of Alpha is on their way to help us, from what Jessi said Hudson took his platoon to R&D. Colonel Vrecken was there and requested assistance." Said Jones.

Sylvan huffed over to Miles "Sir, we need to get moving. They are getting closer."

"Alright boys, let's get to the bays first and regroup." Said Miles.

R&D

"Mayina, they are going to break through the barricades any minute." Yelled Corry as she threw another shelf on the pile of equipment in front of the doors.

"I'm working on it, we almost have them rebuilt." Said the researcher as she and a few other techs worked feverishly to restore the few alien weapons to working order.

The doors slowly bowed and the barricade loosened as the resounding groans and pounding weakened the defenses. Then a hand came from the door and pulled on the door, and then a body appeared. A technician with half his face missing began to feverishly work through, summoning even more strength to reach his prey.

Corry leveled her pistol at him and fired two shots, one striking him in the midsection and shoulder. He shuddered backwards and leaped forward as if nothing happened, he broke through the opening and leaped at Corry. Two more shot brought him down but still its head shrieked and tried to bite, one of the shots visibly burnt through to the spine. No time could be given to celebrate as another burst through the opening. A shot hit the zombie and its body exploded all over the wall, Mayina stood with one of the alien weapons in hand.

Outside the laboratory blasts rang and sounds of men and zombie alike could be heard but quickly the human voices were the only thing, accompanied by an occasional blaster shot. The colonel and researchers cautiously made their way out, weapons ready.

"So Colonel what movie did they come from?" asked Hudson as he nudged one of the bodies lying on the floor.

"Well from what we've seen, the infection is simple Night of the Living Dead being bitten. Everything else seems to be Day of the Dead and 28 Days Later." Replied Corry.

Galley

"Ya see that, they're eating him." whispered Rin as he watched a few infected devour the corpse of the galley chief.

"I can clearly see that, lets keep quiet." Hissed Rowan.

"How are we going to get out?" Sky asked.

"I'm working on that." Rowan replied, obviously agitated.

She scanned the surroundings around the serving counter, the pots, pans and utensils strewn about. "I have an idea."

After a few minutes of scavenging Rowan came up with two meat tenderizers. Rin got the idea and began to scavenge also. Sky had his pistol and Rin came up with a ladle, butchers knife and a greasy pot on his head. Sky shook his head in disbelief.

Rowan rolled her eyes "They can still get you with that on your head."

"I swore one said 'brains' so I'm gonna protect mine." Said Rin

"Ok, on three we make a run for the door and to the ring room." Said Rowan.

"THREE!"

The trio got up and ran across the galley, the few zombies noticed them and began to move. A few tripped over tables as they scrambled at the new prey. They raced down the hallway, the infected in close pursuit. Turning the corner they hit a group, a group of armed men, the trio immediately dived for the group as a few stepped forward with blasters at ready. The pursuing zombies turned the corner and met a volley of blaster shots.

Rin stood up and saw the face of his lieutenant staring at him, Corry stifled a slight laugh. "I'm not even gonna ask Rin, lets get moving." Said Matt.

Shuttle Bays

"We can't hold the bays anymore, we've retrieved as many people as we can, Admiral Burn is calling for a pull out into orbit." Said Miles.

"Wait, Mike is commanding? What happened to the Admiral?" asked Corry.

"Lost contact with him and his team at the ring room, no word on them making it out." Replied Miles.

"Alright, we'll have to find a different way out then." Sighed Corry.

"I suggest the motor pool and then get out in the fields. Fighters and shuttles are on patrol for anyone that makes it out. Good luck Corry." Said Miles.

"We're gonna need it. Vrecken out."

Miles switched the headset off over the din of blaster fire as the squads pulled back into the bays to load. As they did, many of the living dead followed, running and screaming at their prey. He could only fire on them as he watched them tear through a corporal who tripped and was swarmed by half a dozen creatures, his screams drowned out by the multitudes of yelling, blaster fire and screaming. He moved up the shuttle ramp as the troopers loaded and closed the ramp as the last one boarded.

With agitating slowness the ramp raised, banging of bodies could be heard reflecting off the door. Two pairs of hands held on though and pulled themselves up. One head appeared and was immediately shot off, blood splattering the ramp and the second one made it over just in time to be cut in half by the door. It upper body crawling madly at the men. With one fail swoop of his bionic arm, Miles crushed the undead medic's skull into the floor of the shuttle.

Farpoint Skies

"Jess, you take Din and scout out the northern end of the base, Wraith should be there in a bit to help out along with the shuttles. Darek you're with me, we're going to the west. Remember to keep an eye out for anyone on the ground, reports say that those infected don't have to much as far as communication skills go, so if you see someone waving with a group of crazies right behind them, be careful and try to give them air support until a shuttle can get to them." Said Andy as the quartet entered partly cloudy skies of Farpoint.

"Roger that sir." Came the pair as they powered up and accelerated to the northern end.

"You're right Andy, I see 'em. It looks like they're looking, ya know attentive to the surroundings like they know someone is hiding near." Deduced Darek as he circled another time.

"Well since they're standing there, makes it a bit easier." Said Andy as he banked in and beelined for them.

He watched as they got closer, it was all manual shooting, no sensors to help. They crossed into his crosshair and he fired. Dirt and smoke clouded the spot but when it cleared, nothing but a crater and charred bodies were left.

Motor pool

"All's quiet on the western front." Matt said as he motioned for Rin and another trooper who slowly moved inside the motorpool's massive garage. They kept rifles up and at the ready. Only a few slight humming and rumbling from idle vehicles could be heard.

"We need something big." Said a trooper.

"With alotta guns." Chimed Rin with a smile.

Then a loud moving of feet could be heard from down the halls, they were coming.

"Lets get moving!" said Matt loudly as he watched two zombies turn the corner and acquire their targets. Both fell under two well placed headshots.

The group hustled down the row to the bigger vehicles, searching. Corry and the other hoped inside an APC looking repulsorcraft. Everyone packed inside, except two, Matt and Sky who tried holding off the oncoming hoard. Instead they climbed atop it and held onto a few cargo nets as they watched two dozen zombies run into the garage and run towards them.

Inside Corry hoped in the drivers seat and Rin inside the forward blaster turret. Everyone else strapped in the passenger compartment and waited as Corry familiarized herself. Then banging outside the tank could be heard along with wailing screams of hunger.

"Damn they're tenacious.' Said Sky as he shot a zombie alongside the vehicle that was screaming at him.

"Yes, but watch them. One may get a good handhold and climb. Try not to waste shots since they can't reach us" Said Matt as he readied his blaster. Then the vehicle jerked forward and began to move down the aisle, mowing down a pair of straggling zombies.

The vehicle slammed over a pair of speeder bikes as they exited the garage. They made their way across the grounds outside, past a few more idling vehicles and zombies occupied with the feast they had found but immediately were distracted by the moving vehicle and the two dozen zombies chasing it.

Outer Perimeter

"You ok there?" asked Mayina as a trooper slumped to the side, blaster clattering to the floor and his face flushed from color.

Without warning the trooper tried leaping from his seat, his restraints tightened as he yelled for blood. He had been bitten somewhere they could not see. Mayina screamed as she sat across from him and he tried getting to her but the trooper sitting next to him was his victim. He violently grabbed the trooper trying to struggle from his harness, biting into his neck. Blood flowed from it wildly as the trooper screamed.

"What's going on back there!!!" yelled Corry and Rin almost in unison.

The troopers nearest to the zombie and dying trooper were able to get from their restraints. Mayina was panicking and couldn't find the buckles, a trooper threw her a pistol. She unsteadily aimed but at this range it wouldn't matter. Her shot found home and burned though the infected's head, spraying gray matter and blood on the side of the compartment. One trooper approached the bitten trooper who lapsed into unconsciousness and hesitated a moment before snapping his neck.

Matt and Sky heard the commotion under them and suspecting the worst readied for the vehicle to loose control but it didn't, thankfully. From their vantage point they watched zombies try and keep pace with the rumbling tank across the perimeter of the base. The roar of engines filled the air as a B-wing and X-wing swooped over them, Matt and Sky waved wildly and fired a few shots. Hopefully they'd get noticed.

"Fighters!!" yelled Rin as he watched them swoop over.

From inside all they heard was the explosions and felt the ground rumbling. Outside Matt and Sky watched as the B-wing let loose a pair of proton torpedoes and the ground erupted with dirt and bodies. Matt handed Sky his binoculars and watched as half a zombie crawled from the carnage and pieces of other bodies strewn about.

A shuttle appeared and followed overhead until they reached a clearing that the shuttle could settle. The pair of fighters soared overhead, watching. A squad of heavy troopers deployed from the shuttle as the bloodied but uninfected group approached them. An ensign approached them. "Is anyone bitten or anything."?

"None of us are. We're clean." Said Corry.

"Alright ma'am, but for yours and our safety we will detain you as if you are on the way to the ship."

The group handed their blaster over as they boarded the shuttle and were restrained. With a rumble they took off from the planet.

Frigate Nemhain

"We don't know what to do with him." Said Pierce.

"Well are they going to…..um……I can't think of the right words." Responded Corry.

"I don't know, an extremely slim chance we can mix up something to change him but that'll be a challenge and we don't know how long it will take." Replied Pierce as he chewed the end of a cigar.

Corry sighed and look into the holding cell. The former Admiral was thrashing wildly about trying to get out, throwing himself at the wall and detaining shield. The room was already awash with blood from a few open wounds that refused to stop bleeding.

He looked at Corry with interest before lunging, his body bounced off the force shield and landed with a thud on the floor.