Collateral Damage: A Zombie ACRES Story

It was an unseasonably warm day in May, and not just by Seattle standards. On a beautifully manicured lawn were standing about twenty people all congregated into one group. Some were raising signs high into the sky. All of these people were screaming into the air -- almost chanting, it seemed.

"Death is Eternal!"

An exclamation by the group.

"There is only one who can play God!"

Angry, yet calm, the voices rise into the air.

"There is only one who can raise the dead!"

Channel Four News is live on the scene at the Roslun Global offices in Seattle, where a group of very upset church goers have decided to speak up against the pharmaceutical giant.

A young and very beautiful, blonde woman steps in front of the camera.

We are being told that Richard Roslun is holding himself up inside this very same Seattle complex. Spurred on by rumors of a drug that actually brings the dead back to life - a small chuckle actually sneaks out of Dianne Smolders' professionally trained mouth -- again, these are just rumors and this reporter, as well as the Channel Four News Team, have a hard time believing any of this to be true.

Even with her training and the personal dedication to her craft, Dianne had trouble stifling back her chuckle -- as well as the personal opinions of her team. How can her producers expect the American public to take her seriously when she is reporting about zombies?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry, but I have to add my own personal interjection at this point. I DO NOT believe that Richard Roslun has somehow found a way to bring the dead back to life. I will do my duty and report THE FACTS as they come across, but I cannot report on this B-horror movie scenario as if it were real news.

Silence.

Dianne has her cameraman cut the feed suddenly. If it's horror movie suspense they want, then that is what she will give them. The absurdity of it all still confounds her as she turns to start interviewing the angry crowd of Christians behind her.

"Dianne! Hey, it's Kent from the station on the phone. They aren't happy about the dead air! Hey!"

Dianne just keeps walking away. She hated pagers, but now these cell phones allow her to always be one call away from an ass-chewing. This is not an ass-chewing she wants right now. Zombies? Ridiculous.

"My fellow true Christians," a loud, male voice booms over chanting of the crowd, "thank you for coming out today!"

The crowd falls silent as they wait for the man to begin his speech. When he decides enough time has passed for the cameras to start rolling, he clears his throat and begins to speak to the crowd.

"We have gathered here today, on the door step of Roslun Global, begging their fearless leader to stop his heathenistic ways!" Father Reilly O'Hare is a smart man. He is a very smart man. He knows the only way to control the masses is let them think you are one of them. "Just like many of you, I have a family to worry about every day." He gestures to his wife and three children standing next to him. "Just like you, I have enough on my plate as we slam into the twenty-first century: rapists, murderers, and the dregs of society in general. Do you want one more major problem to worry about? Not only does Richard Roslun want to unleash an evil upon the world, he wants to bring us all to Hell with him!"

As he finishes this last sentence, the crowd erupts into cheers and screams. Dianne slowly backs out of the middle crowd, fearing a mob mentality may be forming. Zombies or no zombies, she was aware how dangerous these people can get.

"The Bible speaks of raising the dead many times -- this is true. But in these cases the dead were being raised by the power of Christ, if not by his holy son himself. Richard Roslun is in this very building contemplating how exactly he will bring the end of the world by playing God. Man shall not raise the dead!"

Father Reilly O'Hare was almost correct. Richard Roslun was inside this very building, and yes, he contemplating something very important. This was not the end of the world, as the good Father would have his people believe, at least not in Roslun's eyes. His Second Birth Serum will bring about a whole new world; one where death is no longer a necessity, but an option... An option reserved for the poor.

"Who the fuck told these Bible-thumping freaks that I was here?!" Small in stature, but large in attitude, Richard Roslun always appeared to be screaming. This may be because he almost always was screaming. "I just got here at three in the morning with nobody except you, me, and the flight crew knowing!"

"Yes, Sir. I am aware of this."

Roslun walks up to Jimmy Hawthorne and attempts to wave his finger in Jimmy's face, which is made difficult by the almost two foot height difference. "You know how much fucking power I have in this one little finger, you piece of shit! DO NOT tell me that you are aware of ANYTHING unless it is who the fuck leaked this to those fuckin' nut jobs!!"

Jimmy Hawthorne was well aware that he can snap this little man in half with no problem, but he is also aware of the consequences. Richard Roslun does have power in that little finger of his. Not physical power, but monetary power. Anything happens to Roslun, it is Jimmy's family that will suffer. This is why he protects this arrogant man -- from himself as well as everyone else.

"I will look into it, Sir. In the meantime, what would you like to do about the gathering outside?"

Roslun walks behind his desk and sits in his over-sized executive chair, made more over-sized with his tiny frame sitting in it. He spins and stares out his large office window at the growing crowd below.

"Let's clean them up."

"Are you sure about that? Wouldn't that draw too much attention?"

This is true. There are too many cameras down there now. Any show of force would not only be admission of guilt, but would be a PR nightmare.

"Fine. Do nothing. For now, let's let them play out their little church service. "

Down on that beautifully manicured lawn, the crowd was growing. What started out as twenty or so bored Christians has turned into almost forty upset Christians. Father Reilly smiles at this thought.

"Is Richard Roslun trying to turn himself into a new God? Is this not blasphemy on the highest level?"

"AMEN!"

"Richard Roslun, we call you out. " Father Reilly turns towards the Roslun Global offices. The sun glaring off the large office windows beats down on Father Reilly's pudgy face, causing him to sweat. "You heard me, Roslun! Come out and answer for your crimes against God! Don't hide behind your laws of man... Man does not make the true laws!"

"AMEN!!" More cheering and clapping come from the crowd ofprotestersbehind him.

With an even bigger smile on his face, Father Reilly continues. "Some say your experiments are cruel to the people - Cruel to both the living and the dead. But what ties both the living and the dead together, we ask you now?! The blood of Our Lord and Savior! And that is who you are offending with this ultimate offense! Stop playing God!! It is not your place!!"

"AMEN! AMEN!"

Father Reilly turns towards his people once again. "Are we going to stand for this blasphemy in our own backyards?"

"NO!!"

"He who plays God must pay the ultimate price!"

"YEA!!"

Dianne senses what is happening and turns to run. Her escape is hampered by the swell of over fifty people rushing towards the offices of Roslun Global. Knocked to the ground, Dianne curls up into a ball. After only a few seconds the crowd has swept passed her and into the parking lot. Her team is already set up with a perfect backdrop of mayhem as she gets to her feet.

It seems Dianne Smolders is back live with an update on the Roslun Global protest. Dianne, what happened to you? Are you alright?

Dianne hadn't even thought about the way she must look. Glancing off to the side, she glimpses her reflection. Her usually well groomed hair was snarled and matted with dirt. She noticed a black eye forming on her right side, which seems to perfectly match the fat lip she already felt she had. There was no reflection needed for her to taste the blood already in her mouth.

I am just fine, Kent. I am unsure exactly what has just transpired here, but one moment these church going folks were happy with just yelling at Richard Roslun. The next moment I was caught in the middle of the beginning of a full on riot. Maybe the sweltering heat has something to do with the agitation in the air, but something has happened.

"Great! Get the rent-a- cops out of the fucking way and get cleanup crews up here now!! I fucking told you we should have cleaned up those damn bugs before they infested my fucking offices!!"

"Yes, Sir." Jimmy Hawthorne turns and leaves Roslun's office. Picking up a phone on a secretary's desk Jimmy dials three numbers. "Ready to engage? Engage." Jimmy sets the receiver down and nods to Roslun, who has gotten up and is now walking down a hallway.

"The chopper is ready. Let's get the fuck outta here before the shit goes down."

Jimmy hurries down the hallway behind Roslun. As they head to the roof, gunfire can be heard breaking out below them.

It seems gunfire has been opened on the protesters turned rioters. I don't know who fired the first shot, but it sounds like a massacre back there. Dianne and her crew run for cover by some trees, making sure to still film all the action. I can still see Father Reilly O'Hare near the back of the crowd, still screaming as his people are mowed to the ground by these men in black outfits. Kent, can you see who these men are? I don't see any logos or anything on their uniforms.

No, Dianne. We have no information on them yet, but we are searching as we speak.

Thanks, Kent.

A massacre was right. With the crowd of Christians mostly unarmed, it was like shooting at wounded animals from the get go. The blasts tore through the unsuspecting protestors. As soon as the first solo shot was fired, Father Reilly stayed behind his people. Today was not his day to be a martyr.

"Only the guilty would fire upon the innocent!!"

Still stirring the crowd on, even as their blood is being spilled all over the cement, Father Reilly slowly backs away. Hoping to make a break for it, he starts to slide off around a van in the parking lot. Dianne notices this, and corners the Father right next to the van he was hoping to hide behind.

Father Reilly O'Hare! Is this what you intended to happen as you started your protest today?!

Dianne had to scream to be heard over the commotion and gunfire. Father Reilly, obviously caught off guard, though only momentarily, composes himself and speaks to his believers at home.

Richard Roslun and Roslun Global have proven themselves to be the heathens we know them to be. By opening fire on a group of unarmed innocents --

I have to stop you right there, Father. I know I heard one solo shot before Roslun's team opened their gunfire. This is not the first 'protest' you have organized that has turned bloody.

Yes, some of my protestors do get a bit overzealous, but who am I to judge, or even attempt to control, how they convey their passion for what is right according to His word. Never has there been violence of this magnitude at any of my demonstrations. That fact in itself has to say something for myself, as well as my followers.

Just because there has never been a bloody riot until now does not mean that you did not fire that first-

A stray bullet breaks through the passenger side window, tearing through Father Reilly's neck. Dianne stands there in shock, watching as blood pours out of the Father's neck. His hand reaches up, asking for help. Dianne turns and runs, looking for any place off camera to vomit.

The violence is over. Gun shots have ceased and the bodies of thirty or so unarmed civilians lay strewn across the ground. A more composed Dianne Smolders appears in front of the camera. Investigators are just now arriving on the scene. It is expected to be a long investigation into what caused this massacre at the Seattle Roslun Global offices. Father Reilly O'Hare, the outspoken Christian community leader that had organized today's protest, has been shot and pronounced dead on the scene.

Dianne shudders as she remembers Father Reilly's last call for help.

"Tell the cleanup crew to salvage what they can and burn the rest. And for fuck's sake can we please hurry this investigation along?! I have a business to run!"

"Yes, Sir."

Read the other Zombie A.C.R.E.S. stories at ZombieACRES.com

Or on the Yahoo! Contributor Network
The Interview: A Zombie A.C.R.E.S. Intro
No Body Knows: A Zombie A.C.R.E.S. Story
The Boy Who Cried Zombie: A Zombie A.C.R.E.S. Story