Her dad said, “We should be prepared for all kinds of emergencies and disasters. For instance, a zombie apocalypse.”

Genesis gave him a perplexed look. “What are you talking about zombies for? This is serious...”

He laughed a nervous sound. “It may seem funny or far-fetched, and you cannot be blamed for thinking it can never happen, but it is something that could happen and something we have to be prepared for, should it ever happen.”

“I just want to know what’s happening to me,” Genesis said as she sat down on the couch opposite her parents. Apprehension and fear twisted her hands together in her lap.

“We’ve all seen at least one movie or read a book about zombies, and the rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea it is possible a zombie apocalypse could happen. During a study of various scenarios, it was concluded that zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets, eating anything living in their way. The growth of this idea has led many people, including scientists, to wonder how the world could prepare for the event of a zombie apocalypse.”

A tear slid down her cheek, but Genesis did not bother to wipe it away. “Are you saying... What are you saying?”

He let go of her mum’s hand and walked across the room to sit next to Genesis. He pulled her hands apart and took one of them in his own. The mere touch of his warm hand made Genesis feel a little calmer and not so afraid. Her eyes connected with his dark brown eyes. “Let me explain from the beginning, so you understand it all clearly.”

Genesis nodded.

“If zombies did start roaming the streets, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention would investigate, the same as with any other outbreak. The CDC would have to determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection or virus, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. However, even though movies are only fictional it is a great way to study different disaster scenarios which threaten society, as a whole. We realised if there is a zombie apocalypse, all these measures would be too time-consuming to save humanity quick enough. I then decided to leave the CDC to join a select group of scientists to do our own research, and in doing so, save the world should there ever be a catastrophe of this nature.”

Genesis lifted her head to look at him directly. “What? I thought you worked at the CDC. Always have, always will, you always say.”

“That’s not important right now. Let me explain, because I think we might be running out of time.”

Genesis felt a fresh flood of worries push up from the pit of her stomach, but this time it was accompanied by a feeling of hunger.

Her dad continued, “I left the CDC before you were born. Nicolai, the geneticist who had joined us then successfully gave life to ten human babies grown entirely in-vitro. When these ten children turned two years old, they were each given a series of injections, which flipped a genetic switch in their DNA to make all their organs shut down at a pre-determined time, although we were unable to establish the exact time and date. We knew it would ultimately result in death, but the body would remain animated, while retaining self-awareness and intelligence.”

Genesis looked at her mum and saw her utter despair as she rested her face in her palms. Looking back at the man beside her, she realised she was adopted. Not legally adopted because her real parents did not want her, adopted because she did not even have any parents.

He turned to face her, cupping her chin in the palm of his warm hand. “These ten babies all survived, all lived for sixteen years so far. They were created on the same day, opened their eyes to the world for the first time only seconds apart, and you, Genesis, you were the first to open your eyes and you are the very first of your kind.”

Her chin rubbed against the palm of his hand as she shook her head. Quickly, she pulled away from him and jumped to her feet. “You are saying… Am I…”

He stood up as well and reached for her. “You are special, Genesis. You will save the world.”

She took a few steps away from him until she backed up into the wall behind her. She whispered, “I am a… Zombie.”

He smiled a reassuring smile. “Not the horror kind. However, by now you should be feeling a hunger, a deep hunger you know instinctively will not be satisfied by the food you are used to eating.”

He was right, Genesis felt her stomach muscle spasm as it made a loud rumbling sound.

“We will be leaving to go to the facility, it is quite a distance so for your safety and mine, I am going to sedate you and you will only wake up once we’re there. There you will have the opportunity to meet the nine others who are like you. You will all arrive at the facility today or during the night, but you have all learned the same thing about yourselves in the last few hours. We wanted you to live normal lives so that you will have empathy for your fellow human beings and the world. We needed you to want to save the world against disaster.”

Genesis looked across the room at the woman who raised her as her own, for help. She wanted her to tell her it was not true. “Mum?” Genesis said softly.

Josie got up from her chair quickly and started walking toward Genesis.

Her dad, Peter Mathison, stepped between them. “No, Josie. I am sorry, but I cannot allow any physical contact.”

Josie looked at Genesis with a look full of sadness.

Genesis started sobbing. “I would never hurt her.”

Peter turned to face Genesis. “I am sorry, Gen. Once we’re at the facility and you are on the programme to stabilise your need for human flesh, Josie will visit often.”

Not only did Genesis feel abandoned and alone, she felt lost. She could not even feel like an orphan because the two people she believed to be her mum and her dad was still alive, but they had suddenly become Peter and Josie.

She had never noticed, but she did not even look like them. Josie was short and petite, with green eyes and light brown hair which she kept styled in a short bob as if she got stuck in the eighties. Peter was a head taller than Josie with a stocky build. His eyes were dark brown, almost black and his hair was medium brown, always cropped short. Genesis was a few centimetres taller than both of them, with grey-blue, pale eyes and straight, long black hair.

Peter rummaged in the medical bag on the coffee table and brought out a big syringe and a small bottle with a clear liquid. He pushed the needle into the rubber stopper at the top of the bottle and filled the syringe. He held it up to his face and pushed the plunger until a few drops emerged from the sharp needle before he turned to face Genesis. “Ready?”

Genesis nodded. At first, the hunger felt imagined, as if her dad… Peter, was putting ideas in her head, but now she could smell them, and they smelled delicious just like Brandon did. She was not sure if the urge to eat her parents would fade like when she walked away from Brandon, and she knew it was for the best Peter sedated her. He said even though her body was dead, she still had self-awareness and intelligence, so she was not exactly like the zombies she had seen in movies, but it also meant that if she started gorging herself on Peter or Josie, she would never forgive herself.

Peter stepped closer to her, and she lifted her arm.

“Okay, try to stay still. You’ll feel a little sting, but I’ll try to be as quick as possible. Relax.”

If only relaxing was that simple. To say the word and automatically a body would respond. Genesis was still trying to bend her mind around the fact she had no parents, she was created in a lab, grown in a Petri dish, then transferred to a sack resembling a womb until the day she was born. Could she still use the word, born? She had no choice in leaving, to start her life over somewhere she did not have any friends.

Genesis blinked hard when the sharp needle pushed against the skin in the crook of her arm. She balled her fists and scrunched her eyes closed to keep from crying when she felt the sharp sting, as the needle pierced her skin.

Completely disoriented, Genesis tried to stay upright when she felt her knees buckle under her. She was aware of Peter’s arms wrapping around her as he caught her before she fell, but it lasted only an instant before blackness swallowed her.

CONTINUE READING