“The infected will rot away, sooner or later.”
“Not in our lifetime. The degradation you’re witnessing is only skin deep. Their tissue is hostile to most natural microorganisms. For all intents and purposes, the infected aren’t just dead. They’re also embalmed.”
–Dr Ava Sherman. Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. 2 Months After.
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It was all like riding a bicycle.
That’s what wilderness trekking was for the veteran survivalist. Liam had done more hikes and conquered more mountains than he could count. His legs might have been sorer now that he was in his fourties, and his willpower more drained, but a couple of days breathing mountain air and supplementing his diet with fresh fruit and their extra vitamins, and he had never felt half as invigorated.
The arid wastelands of Los Angeles had first given way to the dry foothills that pocketed the plateau. There, the temperature leveled out and clusters of trees became regularities. Slowly but surely, the wind-swept brush submitted to a more lush mosaic. California walnuts and white firs overtook the dried yuccas beneath, and the flow of water was never far from the ear. Somewhere along the way, they could find easy refuge from the overbearing sun.
But the travel was slow going. Leah had insisted on keeping off any roads that transcended the slopes for fear that they’d be seen, and then had gone the extra length to avoid the valleys beneath. Hollows had a habit of congregating there, she claimed, though Liam had his skepticism. Not many had crossed their path once they had broken free from the city, and fewer still wandered into the open after a few days of traversing the land. Their path ultimately led them to zig-zag through the mountains, circumventing Lancaster altogether as they pushed north.
His companions seemed to be weathering the journey with flying colors, at least. The rezzers kept watch when Liam went to sleep, and always seemed to have woken up well before dawn. They never stopped to rest unless he asked for it, and they seemed to ignore the rapid changes in temperature altogether, in spite of wearing three layers of clothes at any given time. Even their injuries didn’t affect their pace. Within days of the firefight, they had all recovered as though nothing had ever happened.
Liam floundered onto the latest ridge. “Never thought I’d be the one to slow them down,” he said to Thirsty before giving him a tap. The “Life is good” label was almost mocking under the hot sun.
Kurt took a step back and gave Liam a lift with his hefty, gloved hand. “All things considered, I think you’re doing pretty good. Most rezzers don’t do so great in the wilderness, and we’re more durable than you lifers.”
Liam let out a breath. “You don’t get it. I’ve been out here like this for most of my life. If it wasn’t hunting with my father back in England, then it was the weeks I’d spend camping with Nelly after my family moved to the States. We were living just outside the Adirondacks at the time, and she was only my high school sweetheart. Then we were truly alone in Alaska after that. We didn’t even have a refrigerator. Instead, we’d take chunks of meat and shove them on a pole to keep away from scavengers. Very old technique, first used by ancient Inuit, I believe.
“Anyway, even when we went back to California after Lilith was born, I got myself a job taking stock photos of the mountains for this advertising firm. Thought my adventuring days were done then, but fate had other plans.” He smiled. “One of the executives heard I liked camping, and starting asking about my experience. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was the lead star in a documentary series about wilderness survival. That’s how much I’ve been doing this.”
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“They made a show about surviving?” Kurt asked. “Sounds stupid. Everyone who isn’t dead is surviving. You, me, them. There’s no exception. So why make an entire show about it? You might as well just watch paint dry.”
Liam smiled. “Ah, but this is different, mate. It’s one thing to survive in the middle of a city with all the amenities, but when you’re a naturalist, all you have to work with is that which you can find out here.”
Kurt raised his sole eyebrow. “So you’re saying they made a TV show based on what we’re doing right now?”
“I suppose, in a sense, yes.”
“So it goes then. That’s terrible story construction.”
Now Liam was starting to get offended. “You’re telling me that wilderness survival isn’t the least bit intriguing to you? Exploring some rugged landscape, untouched by man. Fighting off predators both large and small. Scavenging everything from the exotic to the grotesque, all to survive. None of that sounds like a compelling story to you?”
He kept walking. “You don’t get it. This is the boring part of any story. That’s why they always skip over it, or just use the space for bullshit dialogue. Nobody cares about how some jackass got from one part of the woods to another. You know he’ll get to the other side. Talking about it is just a waste of time.”
“Well, I’ll have you know that ‘wasting time’ got me seven figures and millions of people tuning in, every week we ran, for more than seventy episodes across four seasons. Would’ve had a fifth had things turned out different.”
“I hear the living used to make shows about rich women bitching at each other, and a lot of people watched them. Doesn’t mean they were good.”
Liam couldn’t believe what he was hearing, especially from Frankenstein’s monster reborn. “You know what your problem is, Kurt? You’re not looking at the trees for the forest it created. What made Survive In Wild so successful wasn’t the plot, but the presentation. I’d do the things the other guys wouldn’t. Maybe I’d jump in quicksand, or squeeze water from dung. The people loved watching the spectacular unfold, and wouldn’t shy away when I’d impart the valuable lessons they needed, should they find themselves in a similar predicament. My foreign accent helped to keep them interested, but mostly, it was my showmanship and experience that kept people tuned in.
“That let me do what I wanted most, which was to share my knowledge. Me and Nelly learned a lot living as naturalists, you see. More than I could ever explain in a lifetime. But if I could use the telly to distribute even a fraction of what I had gained, I could make people’s lives better. Sure, journeying for free to romantic lands was fun, but it wasn’t half as fulfilling as knowing that I was making a difference. It was all about helping people to learn to survive.”
Kurt grinned. It wasn’t his best look. “Should’ve made an episode on the Hollowing then. I’d bet a lot of people would’ve appreciated that.”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Oh, you can just bugger off.” With another huff, he rounded the next bend. They were still several hundred meters from the others. “Well, I’ve shared my story to you, mate. Why not waste my time with yours?”
“Not much to tell. I made my way to Pandemonium after hearing the rumors like everyone else, and then did construction for a couple months. Work sucked. The city needs renovations left and right, but they never pay enough to keep you thinking. Thought I’d rehollow there.”
He gazed ahead. “Until I met Leah. She said I didn’t have to be a useless meathead. Said I could make something of myself. Didn’t believe her at first. Felt like I’d just screw things up. But then I got my hands on a couple books. Learned a lot. Got smarter. Built a stronger Rez. Suddenly, I was more than the mindless hulk that everyone said I was.” He paused. “I owe everything I have to her.”
Liam watched Leah. She was miles ahead of the rest of them, scouting for a path forward while scanning behind for threats.
He supposed that Kurt wasn’t the only one to owe her his life.