Dead Fall: Forearmed - Short Living Dead story

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Dead Fall: Forearmed
(© Wayne Zimmerman)

This contribution is part of a series:-
1. Dead Fall (24-Aug-1997)
2. Dead Fall: Foreshadow (25-Jun-1999)
3. Dead Fall: Forewarned (14-Jul-1999)
4. Dead Fall: Forearmed (16-Aug-1999)
5. Dead Fall: Forerunner (14-May-2000)
6. Dead Fall: Foreknowing (24-Aug-2000)
7. Dead Fall: Foregone (1-Oct-2000)
8. Dead Fall: Forlorn (15-Nov-2000)

Page 1

Explanation in Brief;

Since creating DeadFall almost three years before, I've taken note of outside critique toward both the writing style and content of this literally sprawling epic. I guess critical mass was reached, resulting in the much shorter work before you.

In this particular backstory, as well as others to come, I actually put a date to the events described in the larger tale. I also flesh out some of the more interesting characters and incidents as well.

Thanks to my supporters who are also my strictest critics.

Wayne Zimmerman

Late Summer, 1973;

LA International Airport had more than it's usual share of traffic as the Douglas commercial liner was finally allowed to land after being kept in a holding pattern over Southern California for more than an hour.

Flight # 310 from Honolulu taxied to Gate 15, plowing through the thick humid ozone laden heat layer which constituted weather in the City of Angels. Like a steamy hot blanket it settled over the city, complimenting the socio-political flames which also held Los Angeles in its' oppressive grip.

"In the news today; the current figures for the smallpox epidemic, raging out of control in India, estimates that anywhere between ten to fifteen thousand might be dead so far from this lethal outbreak. President Nixon has promised aid to the affected areas in the hopes of preventing further casualties.
"Other reports from Asia indicate that a sizeable ground tremor, recorded by seismological centers in neighboring countries, occurred at approximately 6:44 AM, California time, near the India/Pakistan border. Without the accompanying after shocks of a natural geologic event, speculations are that this is the result of a small nuclear detonation.
"There has been no official word on this from military brass or the White House. Pentagon sources suggest that it would be premature at this time to give in to wild speculations as to cause before all the facts are in.
"In other news, there has been a rash of arson in East LA, the most recent occurring last night. A four alarm fire erupted in a warehouse, quickly threatening to spread to the adjacent buildings. Two suspects were caught almost immediately near the scene. Upon questioning by police, it was revealed that the youths, 15 and 18 years old respectively, had thought zombies resided inside.
"Officials from City Hall deny this, citing the last confirmed Dead outbreak had been over four years ago. You will recall the mass rise of the dead which occurred when the Ares satellite... "

"Jesus! " the light feminine voice broke into the usual bad news being broadcast from a nearby portable radio. Standing on the other side of the barrier which segregated the deplaning passengers from waiting friends and relatives, the young plump Hispanic girl spotted her cousin at once.

His tall lean figure, clad in a loud Hawaiian floral shirt and baggy olive green trousers, stood out far less than did his solemn dark eyes. He was a soldier by trade, evident by his easy confident stride and direct purposeful expression.

"Mi Maria. " he answered softly. "You look wonderful. "

"As do you. " she told him as they embraced. "Of course, it's hard enough to know this, what with letters chasing you all over the world. "

Sergeant Jesus DeSantos blushed slightly at her chastisement. Even after being liberated from the rice fields of Vietnam by the Dead crisis of 69, he'd only come home to make sure that mama was safe. She had hardly been alone, looked after by neighbors till Jesus was able to hop a C-40 going stateside. Of course since his older brother Chiro had been killed so many years before, Jesus found little solace in family. Before long he was on the move again.

The uprising of these slavering cannibalistic ghouls had been put down in a matter of months, with only a handful of zombies actually making an appearance on the West Coast. Even so, President Johnson had encouraged the ghoul free communities to adopt extraordinary measures, hoping to make sure that the crisis of the Eastern states did not spread out of control across the country.

Afterwards, the delayed national election finally taking place in mid 1970, President Nixon maintained many of the practices implemented by his predecessor. But gradually, what with the incidents of reanimation dwindling to only an occasional odd event, many people began to regard the precautions as unnecessary.

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