Today's #flashfiction #ApocalypseVsApocalypse

“1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.”

HAL 9000* #quote

        Today I went to my card game thing and CJ may come over tomorrow. Maybe I'll have Jessica over in a month or two as her schoolwork is swamped because she has shorter half-semester classes where the class is half the semester in length in time and it ends in like October but they cram all that work in. For now I mostly just see her at the card game thing on Saturday as I go to two(Friday and Saturday). Anyway onto the flash fiction!

Apocalypse Vs Apocalypse

        Hanna and a few other survivors escaped the most recent zombie horde into a wilderness next to the city. The group held their weapons tight as they followed the power lines that led into the woods. They found it to be a curious thing considering nothing seemed to be in that direction. What thing would be all the way in the woods away from the city? What would people not want in view? Hanna looked at the red scratches of wounds on her pale, exhausted skin. Her and the others in the group hoped it would be an untouched shelter of some sort to scavenge from.

       A barbed wire fence met them at the end of the power lines. Perfect! Something to fend off the zombies. The thing looked to be electric as well, with a warning on it. Even better. The group used ropes they salvaged long ago along with the adjacent trees and other tools to work their way over the fence and into what they figured would be their new home.

       The steel, vault-like door to the place already had been forced open by someone else. It looked like bombs had been used. Hanna and the others drew their weapons. They all took this as good and bad news. If someone still resided inside and proved to be an ally they could be well equipped if they could access or make something like explosives. If they proved to be foe they could lose someone again. Hanna lost her husband in this zombie apocalypse and everyone in the group of survivors could give an account of someone they loved and lost.

       Inside they found many machines still running and the facility fully lit. The place looked military. Most signs and indicators had been torn off so they couldn't quite tell the purpose of the place.

       In a room at the bottom of the facility they found a man with all the signs piled up. Many had nuclear warning signs and directions.

       “Guests?” The man wore part of a general's uniform sewn together a scientist's uniform. “I thought gathering all the signs would help me make my decision. But maybe you could help. You don't look like them.”

        Hanna, who usually handled negotiations for the group, spoke to the man. “No we're not the zombies.” She could see the man looking at the control console, the signs and them. “What decision are you thinking of making?”

      “To rid the world of the zombies...I can't run anymore. Nobody should run anymore. My friends and family ran together. Then my friends were caught. Then my family were caught. Had to kill them. You have to kill whoever turns y'know? But if we take care of all the zombies then everything will be fine.”

        Hanna looked at the console. The big obnoxious red button under the glass. The man held a key.

        The man mumbled while scratching his sown together double outfit. “I took their roles and lives. I think I should do it. Yeah, I can save us. We can be down here together.” The man moved to the control console. Hanna looked at the all the nuclear warning signs the man horded. The man turned the key to open the miltary-grade glass that protected the button. A bullet hit him in the back and forced him to the ground before he could push it. Hanna rushed over and slammed the glass shut.

        She told the man. “Those undead beasts killed my husband. I'd rather run and fight them the rest of my life, struggling to find a way to cure whatever caused them, then to give up and destroy the world to rid it of them.