99 Problems

Hero 13

We had a transport drop us off at the Lewis and Clark State Park in Clatsop County Oregon.  I was with Dr. Jividen and today we were seeing how far Mortis, a strain of the zombie virus, had spread into the wilderness.  There were about ten miles of trails, one all the way down to the ocean from this point just past Warrenton.  With so many turned to zombies the area was far more wilderness now then it had been previously.  The zombs seemed to prefer areas in the city where human flesh was more plentiful, but we were still weary of the very quiet surroundings. 

 We had to get back to a special meeting the Commander had called but Jividen insisted we work and go out everyday and make the most of each and every opportunity.  We were hanging out at Netul landing, and it didn't make sense to me because we were more or less in the open and we weren't doing anything.  A lonely raven showed up and squawked at us.  I saw a dead mouse being eaten by a slug, that was pretty gross, but we did nothing but wait.

Forest at Fort Clatsop

Eventually I saw a runner in the distance.  Long powerful strides closed the distance easily and with grace.  He was pretty much naked I noticed, except for mud covering his skin. I recognized him, it was Hero 13, my old bunk mate from Fort Stevens.  He carried an old Coke bottle with a rolled message inside.  He ran up to Jividen and stopped handing her the bottle.  He nodded to me and clapped me on the back as he caught his breath. 

Jividen took her time reading the paper which was yellow and looked as if it had been produced on an old IBM electric typewriter.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.  She was very focused.

"A recipe" She replied, "for making the Mortis virus more or less anyway, and also for how it's going to be used as a weapon." 


"That's the meeting at Fort Stevens today," said Hero, "Fort Rilea was invited but we declined, you need to know war has broken out.  Alliances are forming and some say that someone attacked Canon Beach colony with Mortis and turned them all in their sleep, that it is now completely a grey colony." 

"Just think all those colonist going about their day to day business and none of them even know they're dead.  Even the animals..."  

"I'm not even supposed to be here," he continued, "Rilea has not allied itself with Fort Stevens or anyone else.  We have enough weapons to remain autonomous for a long while and fortified.  But I had to warn you."  Hero looked at Dr. Jividen.

"Someone is going to come and try to kill you.  I just heard part of it, so I don't know how, and I don't know when but I do know that you're the target.  You need to get out of here.  Like New Portland or someplace large and safe."  Hero looked at us desperately.  "The message isn't from Rilea, it was passed off to me and passed on to that runner.  It came from as far away as Tilamook, maybe even further.  It was meant to go to New Portland, but I knew you were here which is why I contacted you."  I raised an eyebrow, so it was no coincidence we were hanging out at Netul Landing. 

Jividen looked to the sky a helicopter was over head.  Time to go.