Chapter 10: Police, Thieves, and Zombies

Escaping was easy. The zombies that had been shot collapsed while chasing us. Only the taser-struck zombie kept up the pursuit normally.

Panting heavily, I called out to Do-hyung who was slightly ahead of me.

“Do-hyung! Let’s take that one out before we go!”

“No way, really!”

Do-hyung ground his teeth but turned around.

Our stamina was nearly gone anyway. At this rate we’d eventually be caught and attacked. Better to somehow deal with the zombie now.

The zombie charged forward with farming-built stamina.

We split left and right, raising our hatchet and hammer. The zombie charged straight at me without hesitation.

‘Why me!’

Do-hyung was right there, so why me specifically? What did I do wrong? I glared at the shadowy figure with wide eyes. My raised hammer trembled violently.

One chance.

If I didn’t strike the head precisely, I’d die. Either from being bitten or infected.

In that instant, a thought flashed. My gaze turned to the dragging sound of the taser.

‘No, shouldn’t fight. Too dangerous.’

Gwaaah, the zombie lunged while spraying saliva. I rolled sideways almost simultaneously. The cold ground seemed to strike my whole body as my vision spun.

I screamed.

“Taser! Use the taser!”

The electrodes were still embedded. Just pulling the trigger would send current flowing.

I desperately rolled across the ground, threw my hammer aside, barely got my bearings, then ran circles around the area.

The zombie chased after me, dragging the taser like a tail, while Do-hyung repeatedly crouched and straightened trying to grab it.

“Slow down! Can’t catch it!”

“If I slow down I’ll get caught!”

What nonsense – I’d get bitten the moment I slowed my steps.

We kept running in circles until Do-hyung dove and managed to grab the taser, ending the chase.

Zzzzt-

As the sound of electricity flowing rang out, the zombie went stiff as a log and collapsed forward.

Catching my breath, I gestured vaguely.

“Wire, ankles, wrap.”

“Hnnng.”

With trembling hands, Do-hyung pulled the trigger every 5 seconds while wrapping the long wire several times around the zombie’s ankles.

Then he raised his hatchet high, but-

I stopped him.

“Don’t. Let’s not leave unnecessary traces. Just take the taser.”

“…”

Do-hyung seemed to briefly turn his head. Toward me. The hatchet’s direction also seemed to waver slightly. I immediately gripped the hammer I’d dropped.

Betrayal? Honestly he could rebel anytime since I’d led him into danger. Even pirates, one of my role models, had shipboard mutinies.

A strange silence passed between the hatchet and hammer.

Do-hyung sighed. The hatchet lowered.

“This makes us even for my life. You saved me from dying to a zombie, and now from killing you when you put me in danger.”

“Right. Now we’re equal partners.”

I smiled while dusting off my dirt-covered clothes.

This was a world where people died easily. As life’s weight became infinitely lighter, the value of saving someone’s life diminished too. This was a fair exchange.

I was actually satisfied with how his thinking had been influenced.

‘This kind of thing will build up to become the group’s character. New recruits can’t help but be affected one by one.’

I looked ahead long-term, as a marauder and as a leader forming a group.

“Really…”

Around when Do-hyung muttered in disbelief, our stamina had somewhat recovered. We kept shocking the zombie whenever it started recovering, and it couldn’t move well with wire wrapped around its legs.

“Let’s go.”

We quickly moved away from the zombie, then walked slowly while hiding in darkness. Of course we left the used cartridge with the zombie and took the taser.

Do-hyung fiddled with the taser, clicking it around before speaking.

“33 percent battery left, and there’s one unused cartridge attached to the handle. Can still use it as a stun gun even without cartridges.”

The distinctive crackling noise and lightning arcing between electrodes.

“Perfect.”

Seeing that blue light, I clenched my fist. Intense satisfaction.

We’d survived those dangerous zombies and even obtained a taser. A taser wasn’t just any weapon. It held the power of lightning.

A human victory. Proof we’d triumphed over zombies. The world was still livable for now.

We chatted while returning to the camper van.

“Won’t the police track us if we take this?”

“Seems unlikely. They’ll probably think a zombie dropped it while running around. We left the gun behind too. And I saw earlier the zombie destroyed their body cam.”

Day 11 of the zombie outbreak.

We’d looted a taser. A gun? That was just a noisy weapon that attracted zombie hordes. A taser containing lightning’s power was better.

Day 15 of the zombie outbreak.

Signs showed the world was starting to collapse.

The nomadic life had its downsides. Time barely passed. At most we watched videos on a phone stolen from a cafe.

A phone someone had left on their cafe table that I’d taken while they were away. Of course I’d removed the USIM and connected to Do-hyung’s hotspot to watch videos.

They’re not zombies. They’re patients.

Not creatures. People.

A public service announcement from some human rights group.

I quickly scrolled past that video.

All sorts of news flowed by. News about strengthening drone regulations, or demanding social distancing.

Some videos caught my eye.

Prison occupancy rates surging…

Videos exposing conditions in prisons where infected were being concentrated. Or isolation facilities converted from shipping containers.

Military bases relocating…

News about converting military barracks and old buildings into isolation facilities. The soldiers who’d used those barracks were being reorganized due to reduced combat-ready personnel from infections.

Estimated over 80,000 showing symptoms…

Expected to exceed 1 million infected within a month…

Watching the news, I frowned at a strange sense of disconnect. Something felt off about these numbers.

Of course there weren’t virus test kits yet. It was all estimates and speculation. They hadn’t even caught all the symptomatic people who’d turned into zombies. Contact tracing was impossible with the month-long incubation period where it still spread.

Still, the numbers felt understated.

From what we’d seen roaming the city, it was definitely not just that many.

“This is weird…”

I drummed my fingers on the table, lost in thought. The optimism saying this was like COVID and no big deal. But the government must know the danger.

‘Seems like they should declare a national emergency or month-long lockdown.’

At most they just recommended social distancing, working from home, online classes, avoiding public transport and going out, and restricting military leave.

Though it was clearly headed for total collapse if left alone, the government’s response was strangely moderate.

‘Even if zombies are people… Even with public opposition…’

It felt like they’d decided the I-virus couldn’t be stopped. No way this was real optimism, right? Or was it political or economic issues? Just waiting for test kit development?

Unable to know what those in power were thinking and discussing… Though this collapse would work out well for me…

Just then I heard someone sharply inhale.

It was Do-hyung. He was glaring at a chat window like it held some historic puzzle.

“Is this info reliable? Ah, getting it wrong means debt…”

“What are you doing?”

Do-hyung glanced at me.

“Looking at a stock info chat. Seems like someone leaked real insider info.”

I looked at him in disbelief. The world was ending and he was worried about stocks?

Seeing my eyes, Do-hyung waved his hand. Having inherited from his parents and dropped out of college, he spoke like it was bothersome:

“There are ways to make money even as the world ends.”

Really? I’d heard there were ways to profit from market crashes. Though it seemed pointless when we could just loot things.

Though puzzled, I asked out of boredom:

“So what’s the info?”

“Says nuclear plants will shut down soon. Then they’ll do rolling blackouts, and raw materials for thermal power plants will get expensive.”

“Does that make sense?”

Rolling blackouts. Cutting power by region to balance excessive demand with insufficient supply.

Society hadn’t reached apocalypse state yet, so forcing rolling blackouts seemed excessive-

That’s when it hit me.

The world was ending. The apocalypse had come. But maybe not just a zombie apocalypse alone. A radiation apocalypse. If all the nuclear plants exploded from losing their maintenance staff.

I felt goosebumps rise. Zombies and viruses were manageable. But radiation was absolutely not.

Because there’d be no way to survive once radiation spread.

‘If the government and experts think like me…’

If they were certain the world was ending, wouldn’t they force nuclear plant shutdowns even if excessive?

Then Do-hyung added:

“Looking it up, nuclear plants produce about 25 percent of electricity. Losing a quarter seems suspicious…”

Stopping 25 percent of power generation. My imagination became certainty.

The government had given up. It felt like they were preparing for the future since they couldn’t stop it immediately. My hands trembled with excitement.

I glanced down at the phone. A list of videos showing the zombie outbreak’s impact.

Ships drifting at sea, trains derailing on land, chain-reaction car crashes, planes falling from the sky. All because drivers turned into zombies.

I suddenly recalled the human rights group’s ad.

They’re not zombies. They’re patients.

Maybe saying zombies were people meant zombies could cause the same accidents as people. Wasn’t it a chilling warning?

After all, human-caused accidents were the most dangerous.

Thud-

My trembling fingers suddenly slipped and clicked a video. A gloomy voice from someone using the username Professor Kim.

Everyone, destruction has come. We must each find our own way to survive.

Not the usual doomsday talk. I quietly looked down at the phone. Do-hyung also seemed to be listening intently.

Just 80,000 showing symptoms. That’s only counting infected past incubation. Including those still incubating, it’s over 400,000.

Professor Kim displayed a graph. COVID-era confirmed case statistics. A steep upward curve.

Over 2.5 million in a month, then 5 million a month after that. 10 percent of Korea’s population will be zombies. And after another month…

A number appeared in large text. 10 million. Calculations showing 20 percent of Korea’s population would be zombies within three months.

Professor Kim seemed unable to continue speaking, opening and closing their mouth before hanging their head. What sounded like crying briefly came through.

The video ended there.

Silence fell in the camper van. I clenched my fist tight.

‘Finally.’

Finally, people who recognized the Chairman’s grand plan were appearing. Of course the government must know, and clever people would notice too.

Apocalypse!

Just then, Do-hyung spoke in a trembling voice:

“Test kits. They say development’s almost done. It won’t be that bad, right?”

“No!”

I spoke rapidly in a voice hot with excitement.

“Think about living alone. Or your whole family getting infected. But if you turn into a zombie trapped at home, you’ll starve to death inside.”

Test kits would accelerate the chaos.

“Confirmed infected will all come outside! Better to wander outside as a zombie than starve to death trapped indoors!”

Hope for a cure someday. Hope they might return to normal even after becoming zombies. That hope would drive the infected outside. I would do the same.

I bounced excitedly while quickly patting Do-hyung.

“Let’s move fast! Get resources while the world’s still livable!”

“We have enough weapons and food… Seems better to head to the outskirts…”

“No, not those resources.”

Do-hyung nervously took out the car keys, and I raised my fist.

“Human resources.”

Those who understood the Chairman’s big picture would start showing their true nature. Like Professor Kim from the video.

The disaster response expert professor was a fervent doomsayer, spreading apocalyptic ideas to cause social anxiety.

And doing it professionally through professorial authority, statistical logic, and emotional tears. This skilled psychological manipulator and doomsayer qualified to join my marauder group.

‘Plus as a disaster response expert, they’ll know useful apocalypse information.’

Long-term professional guidelines we lacked. Or information we didn’t know.

I quickly found Professor Kim’s email and made contact.