Hope On The Rocks/Issue 142

This is Issue 142 of Hope On The Rocks, entitled "Just Say Zeta".

This issue is Garrett-centric.

1104, Just Say Zeta
“Hey... can... hear me?” A voice just said over the radio, static covering most of his words. “Hello?” Texas says into the radio’s microphone. “Yes, I hear you!” “Who... guys...” The voice says, barely hearable due to all this static noise. I get closer to the radio, as Texas talks to the man. “We’re a group of ten people.” Texas explains. “Where are you?” “I... tell.” “You can’t tell?” “I... Greenland...” I look at Texas. He said Greenland. Maybe he’s at that Zeta base. “Are you a member of Zeta?” Texas asks. “What... Zeta?” “He doesn’t know what it is.” I say. “Ask who he is.” And Texas does so. “Who are you? Are you in a group?” He asks. “I’ve... should... Zeta.” “What?” Texas says. It appears the signal is going away. “...with...Zeta.” “We’re loosing the signal!” Texas says desperate. “...put.” “What?” “Can’t... have to...” “Go to Greenland!” Texas says and gives me a quick glimpse. “It’s safe there.” “You... Greenland.” And then the static noise stops. And so does the voice of the man. The radio seems to have died. We’re all three silent for a few minutes as we think. “There’s still survivors out there.” Lia mutters silently. “We’re not alone.” “No...” I say and let my hand run through my hair. “We’re not.”

After this, we check the rest of the floor. Nothing interesting, so we get back up. “Who do you think it was?” Lia asks. I’d like to say it was Neil, Gord or Romario. It was a man’s voice, so it couldn’t be Kerri. There was no way to tell who it was though, as the static made the voice only barely hearable. But it is very unlikely it was one of them. “Whoever it was knows about Greenland now.” Texas says. “The things is, Tex, not everybody has a pilot.” I say. “We’re lucky.” “I know.” Texas says, almost ashamed. I probably shouldn’t have said it like that. It’s just... I’m frustrated. I’ve heard a stranger’s voice for the first time in, what, six months. “Sorry.” I mutter as we turn a corner. The stairs to get up to the roof are in this hallway. Jim comes down the stairs as we get closer. “Hey.” Jim says. “Found anything?” “Almost nothing.” Texas says and raises the bag with the supplies we found. Jim nods sideways. And then we hear a scream. We all four run towards it. It’s somewhere on this floor, and we quickly find the one who screamed. Miles is kneeling next to a zombie’s corpse, with Doug laying next to him, a bitemark in his leg.

Deaths

 * None

Credits

 * Miles Vance
 * Lia Camper
 * Douglas Tallie
 * Texas Starr
 * Garrett White
 * Jim Iroas