Zombie Life Survival [2. Nuka Brain]

The music was playing at a soft volume throughout the apartment. 

After returning home from his zombie drug run, North cleaned the place last time and then spent some time decorating. 

With preparations nearly complete and the guests still yet to arrive, North turned his attention to his final task. On the kitchen counter sat an array of plastic bags and containers, each holding the assortment of drugs he'd bought earlier. Using his supernatural intuition, he combined and refined them into one potent concoction he had come to name ‘Nuka Brain.’ The new drug compound was a very intense deliriant. Once taken, it would trap the person's – or anyone's – consciousness in an altered state where fungi spores could no longer fully cripple the brain during the body's zombification. Of course, it was only a half-baked solution, and the chances of death remained high. But it was a necessary sacrifice to preserve their personalities and memories, rather than becoming mindless, flesh-eating monsters.

Overall, dosing his friends without their consent with powerful psychotic drug was unquestionably fucked up and morally wrong, but considering the circumstances, he didn’t see another option. And if any of them did not turn into a zombie, then they could simply treat it as a bad experience or death (which was a better option for what was upcoming.)

He premixed the Nuka Brain into beer bottles to avoid any complications later. But in case anyone decided they weren't in the mood for drinking anymore, North had also bought a large humidifier and replaced its water reservoir with a diluted version of the Brain Nuke cocktail. He could rely on that as his backup plan.

Maybe I should give them a choice. Forcing others to suffer isn’t the right path. Then again, no one would believe me anyway…

What is right and what is wrong in this situation?

Why do I suddenly sound like a villain?

Soon, his guests started arriving one by one, and North greeted each of them with genuine warmth, as if he was seeing them after a long time - which, according to his mental clock, he actually was. It had been at least three and a half years since he'd seen these people alive and healthy, even though from their perspective, they'd probably hung out just a few weeks ago.

Anyway, North didn't have an extensive social circle. He was an art student working toward his master's degree at UCLA primarily because he hadn't been able to find steady employment after finishing his undergraduate degree (no surprise there, considering the job market for fine arts majors.) Jake, meanwhile, worked as a data analyst from his home office, which gave him flexible hours and decent income for their age group.

Besides North and Jake, their small but close-knit friend group consisted of four additional people who had all remained connected since their undergraduate years together.

There was Sarah, a struggling actress who worked part-time at a coffee shop in West Hollywood while auditioning for roles. She had long blonde hair and an infectious laugh that could brighten anyone’s mood.  Marcus was a film student, always working on independent projects and short films. Joyce was a psychology grad student and research assistant at UCLA. The most analytical of them all, she often played the role of unofficial therapist often. She was dating Marcus, and they’d been together for almost two years. Lastly, David worked as a bartender at an upscale downtown restaurant. He knew everything about cocktails and had introduced most of them to quality alcohol. 

"I recently got cast in a zombie TV series that's going to be released next year," Sarah announced, holding a slice of pizza in one hand and her drink in the other. "It was actually my first real speaking role, even if it was only for one episode."

“Wait, for real?” Joyce sat up straighter, setting her beer bottle down on the coffee table. “That’s awesome. What was it like acting in a zombie show? I imagine it was… chaotic.”

Everyone's attention shifted toward Sarah.

Sarah tucked her legs beneath her on the couch, clearly pleased to have the spotlight. “Honestly? Not that much ‘acting’ involved when you’re playing a zombie. Shuffle around, moan like you just woke up from a coma, pretend you want to eat someone. That’s pretty much it.” She grinned. “Still, it was fun. I just wish I had more than one episode. My character got crushed by a military truck during some big chaos scene.”

Joyce winced. “God, that sounds horrible. Like, in real life? That kind of thing would be my worst nightmare.”

“Yeah,” Sarah agreed, “They used a prosthetic body for the scene, but watching it get flattened in real time? Kinda messed me up.”

“Zombies always creep me out,” Joyce said with a shiver. “Thank God none of that stuff is real.”

“Oh,” North felt it was his time to shine, so cutting in from his spot. “But what if it was? Like, say the outbreak starts tomorrow. What’s your first move?”

The conversation pivoted fast.

Joyce furrowed her brow, fully leaning into the thought. “Honestly? First rule: don’t be an idiot. That alone probably increases your survival odds by at least fifty percent.”

“That’s true,” David chimed in, lifting his red plastic cup.  "Personally, I'd wrap myself head-to-toe in thick blankets or padding before even thinking about stepping outside. After all, zombies aren't wild animals with lion teeth or eagle claws that could tear through multiple layers of fabric. They're just reanimated humans with regular human teeth."

“That’s smart,” Sarah admitted, pointing her half-eaten pizza slice at him. “Just don’t fall into a pool or something.”

“I’d go full duct tape,” Marcus said, mouth full of chips. “Wrap my arms and legs, pad my jacket with phone books. And I’d never go anywhere alone. That’s how people die in those shows, ‘I’ll be right back’ energy. Or simply ignoring rules that are clearly set for your own safety. But for some reason, you have to act like a little bitch and insufferable.”

“Exactly,” Joyce said, nodding. “It’s like watching people volunteer to die.”

Jake wiped his fingers on a napkin. “I’d just stay inside and wait it out. Isn’t that the point? Don’t go where the zombies are.”

“But then supplies run out,” North pointed out from the edge of the couch, where he sat quietly nursing a drink. “What do you do then?”

Jake shrugged. “I’d raid the neighbors’ houses.”

Everyone chuckled.

“Okay, little psycho,” Sarah said, grinning.

“I’m not a psycho,” Jake mumbled as if stating the truth, “It’s just basic logic.”

“I think the scariest part,” Joyce said, her tone softening slightly, “wouldn’t even be the zombies. It’d be how people turn on each other. That’s what all those shows are really about, right?”

Marcus nodded. “Panic’s worse than infection."

“Actually, in similar real life cases, people either become extremely cooperative and resourceful, or they completely fall apart and start making irrational decisions based on panic and fear." Joyce said thoughtfully.

“What about you, North?” Sarah then turned to him, leaning forward. “You’re the one who brought it up: what’s your zombie apocalypse plan?”

North hesitated, eyes flicking across the room before answering. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “Honestly? I think I’d probably just want to go early. Get it over with as soon as possible.”

There was a short silence.

He looked around the table, shrugging a little. “I mean... do you really want to watch the world fall apart around you? All the panic, the desperation, the people turning on each other? That’s not surviving. That’s just... stretching out the misery.”

Jake gave him a small snort and shook his head. “Damn, man. That’s bleak.” He grabbed his drink and took a swig. “I get that everything sucks lately, but come on. We made it through COVID, didn’t we? Power outages, toilet paper wars, all that. A zombie virus? At least you can see it coming. Zombies don’t lie on the news.”

“Zombies also don’t care if you're wearing a mask,” David muttered, half-smiling.

Jake laughed. “Exactly. They're dumb and slow. You board up some windows, stay quiet, maybe grow some tomatoes on your balcony – you’ll probably outlive half the population. Moreover, if our government has even a little bit of competence, the chances of an outbreak spreading without getting properly contained are basically negligible."

"Mmm, that's probably true," North nodded thoughtfully, though he was thinking about how utterly wrong Jake's optimism was. In reality, half of our government had taken been taken over by aliens since decades ago. They were the real culprit of human suffering all along. Though, there was no point in saying it out loud,  "Unless, of course, the government is somehow involved in causing it in the first place."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Oh boy. Here we go.”

North glanced over. “You think it’s impossible?”

“I think you’ve been watching too much late-night YouTube,” Marcus said, reaching for another beer. “But hey, anything’s possible, right?”

Sarah laughed, raising both hands like she was surrendering. “Alright, nope. We’re cutting this off before it turns into a conspiracy rabbit hole. I already feel like the ice caps melting are enough existential dread for one week.”

She turned to David, eyes brightening. “Anyway… you! What happened with that girl you were seeing last week? When are we finally meeting her?”

David gave a kind of bashful laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “She’s... um, yeah, she’s great. Still seeing her. We’re going on our fifth date this weekend, actually.”

“Ohhh,” Joyce teased, leaning forward with a grin. “Look at you, Mr. Committed.”

“What’s her name?” Sarah asked. “What does she do?”

“Rebecca,” David said, and there was something soft in the way he said it. “She’s a vet. Works at this animal clinic in Santa Monica. She’s... honestly just really cool. Super grounded. She talks to anxious dogs like they’re little people and somehow it works.”

Joyce smiled. “She sounds lovely.”

“She is.” David took a drink, then added, a little quieter, “I haven’t felt like this in a while.”

Marcus raised his beer. “To David. May this one not ghost you by date seven.”

"Hey, don't jinx it!" David laughed and clinked his bottle against Marcus’s anyway. 

North could see the hope in his eyes, “She sounds wonderful,” he said, meaning it. “I hope it works out.”

David glanced over at him. “Thanks, man.”

“Actually, now that most of us are getting settled down,” Joyce said, nudging North’s leg with her foot. "Your last breakup was a really long time ago. I don't even remember you dating anybody seriously during university."

"Well," the question finally made North slightly flustered, “I mean… dating’s not exactly easy. And finding someone who actually clicks with you? Harder than people think.”

“Pffft,” Jake scoffed, lifting his beer. “That’s just code for ‘I like staying single.’ Which is fine, by the way, but don’t act like you’re some tragic romantic martyr.”

North raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say…”

“No, no,” Jake said, cutting in, “Remember when Natalie said she had that friend she wanted to set you up with? The girl actually had a job and worked as an animation artist in a big gaming company. She thought the two of you would be a perfect match. But, guess what, you ghosted the entire idea. Didn’t even text her. Don’t tell me dating’s hard when you’re turning down actual help.”

The group laughed… not mean-spirited, but egging things on like friends do when someone’s cornered.

“Honestly,” Jake added, smirking now, “at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if you came out as gay.”

“Booo,” Sarah and Amy groaned in unison. “Jake! Come on.”

“Dude,” Marcus chimed in from the floor, chuckling, “at least wait until he finishes his drink before you out him.”

Jake held up his hands. “I’m just saying – if he is, I support it!”

Sarah leaned in, teasing. “If that’s the case, North, I do have a very attractive friend who might be your type. Has a great jawline, big reader, and loves hiking. You’d be smitten by him, if you saw him once.”

North raised both hands in mock surrender, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Okay, okay. Thanks for the offer, but… no. Jake’s just talking out of his ass.” He looked over at Jake, giving him a dry glare. “You’re spreading fake news.”

Jake grinned back. “I only speak truths the world isn’t ready for.”

North shook his head, then grew a little quieter. “It’s not that I don’t want to meet someone. It’s just… I don’t think I’m in the right place for that kind of thing. Not right now.”

Joyce smile, “Yeah? Why not?”

He hesitated, eyes dropping to the floor for a beat before answering. “Because when you really care about someone… you owe them the best version of yourself. And I don’t think I’m there yet. I’m still figuring my own stuff out. So, I can only wish to encounter someone whom I can love one day in the future.”

Time drifted on. The laughter softened and the energy in the room thinned into a warm, content quiet. Empty bottles cluttered the table. Someone had queued up a chill playlist. Everyone leaned back into couches and floor cushions, dazed with food and drink, slipping into that hazy space where no one really wanted to move.

Around midnight, North glanced around the room. He let the silence settle for a moment as his eyes lingered on each of them. Sarah was curled up under a blanket, Marcus half-asleep while leaning against Joyce, who was still nursing a half-finished drink. Jake had his back against the arm of the couch, scrolling through his phone..

Finally, it was time. He started to rise quietly from his seat, but Jake reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Where you going, man?”

“Just grabbing more beer,” North said.

“You sure? Kinda feels like we’ve hit the limit.”

Sarah groaned softly and sat up. “Yeah, no more for me. I open the cafe at seven. If I wake up still drunk, I’m quitting on the spot.”

“I can’t even feel my stomach anymore,” Marcus mumbled without opening his eyes. “Think I hit capacity two slices ago.”

“No worries,” North didn’t press. “Let me grab some water instead.”

“I need to use the bathroom,” Joyce said, rising at the same time. She stretched with a wide yawn.

North nodded, already moving toward the hallway. His steps were slow, partly from the alcohol and partly from what he was about to do. He paused just long enough near the wall-mounted humidifier, his backup, then reached behind it. His fingers found the small toggle he’d wired earlier in the day. A soft click, and the green LED blinked to life. The Nuka Brain began releasing into the air. It was odorless, colorless, and undetectable. North watched the gentle mist spiral upward through the vented top of the unit, dispersing silently into the surrounding air where his friends were sitting and breathing. Next, North made his way toward his bedroom to check on Danielle and her friends. She had brought two friends with her - a boy named Adam who looked about her age, and her best friend Emma. He had barely exchanged two words with them when they arrived and had taken over his bedroom due to the limited space in the living room and had closed the door behind them.

Right now, from the soft, muffled sounds of laughter and conversation coming from behind the door, it was clear they were still wide awake and having a good time.

North knocked gently on his own bedroom door. "You guys doing okay in there?"

The chatter in the room suddenly quieted, and after a brief pause, Danielle's voice called back through the wooden door, "We're fine, North."

North smiled faintly at her polite response. "Mind if I come in for a second?"

"Ahhh..." There was an awkward silence for a moment, followed by some whispered discussion he couldn't quite make out. Then Danielle spoke again, "Sure, come in."

North pushed the door open and stepped inside. Danielle, her best friend Emma, and the boy Adam were all lying on their stomachs across his bed, watching YouTube videos on a laptop. They hadn't completely trashed his room, though they had thrown his comforter on the floor and scattered snack wrappers and crumbs across his bed sheets. On any other normal day, he would have been annoyed by the mess, but right now he genuinely didn't care about something so trivial. What did catch his attention was the presence of the boy. What was his story? He was curious about why Jake had allowed Adam to come to what was supposed to be a sleepover with just the girls. There was something suspicious going on with him.

North casually walked over to the small desk beside his bed and quietly turned on the secondary humidifier he'd placed there earlier as part of his backup plan.

"Is everything alright?" Danielle asked, puckering her lips.

North turned to look at them. "Do you guys need anything? Water, more soda, snacks?"

"Nah, we're good, thanks," Danielle replied. "You can close the door behind you when you leave."

Wow, it's my room and my house, and I'm being ordered around by a thirteen-year-old. Kids these days...

North felt a flash of irritation, but it was actually convenient that she wanted him to leave quickly since he'd just activated the humidifier. It would take maybe five minutes maximum before the Nuka Brain vapors knocked them unconscious. Plus, teenagers could be incredibly cruel when they wanted to be. Danielle had given him plenty of firsthand experience with her mocking behavior whenever she felt like he was being too serious or boring, so he felt it was probably better not to engage with her attitude right now.

"Okay, sounds good," North nodded and was about to leave when his eyes happened to glance at the laptop screen. His footsteps immediately halted and his attention was completely captured. He took a step closer to get a better look at what they were watching, squinting at the image.

“Wait… who’s that?” he asked in confusion, pointing to the girl in the center of the screen.

It was Emma who replied, “Oh… that’s Skye. She’s a singer.”

North didn’t respond right away. He wasn’t asking out of curiosity or interest in pop culture. He was asking because she looked almost exactly like someone he’d encountered in three different loops. Though, a little dishevel. She always showed up at the worst moment and brought chaos with her. She was also the half-reason for his deaths in three different time loops, and he still remembered the first time vividly - he'd been hiding from alien monsters when she came running straight toward his position, being chased by a zombie horde. Thus, he had to reveal himself to save her, which ended up alerting his enemies to his location. It had been a complete disaster. At the time, he’d thought maybe she was unlucky, or cursed. However, the scenario repeated two more times later, making him suspect if she was his death star. He needed to steer clear of her.

Anyway what the hell was she doing in a music video?

“I’ve never seen her before,” he muttered. “Or… any of them, actually.”

“She’s actually part of a three girl band,” Emma explained helpfully, scooting forward a little. “She’s also a model. They do kind of a hybrid thing, pop, fashion, dance. Mostly for younger audiences. You probably wouldn’t know them.”

North blinked. I’m twenty-four, not sixty.

“They’re not that famous,” Danielle added with a shrug. “I mean, they’re talented and have super pretty faces, sure, but nowhere near the numbers they were hoping for. So, maybe that's why you never heard of them.”

“That’s not true!” Emma said quickly, already on the defensive. “They’ve had multiple songs charting. Just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean they’re not doing well. They’re still figuring things out.”

“Ha, you literally can’t defend them. They have been singing for four years now, so they should have things figured out by now. Also, all the hype is because their label threw a ton of money at marketing,” Danielle replied. “That doesn’t mean they’re actually good.”

Emma frowned. “You’ve literally never listened to a full song.”

Danielle rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard enough to know they’re overproduced and hollow.”

“That's just your opinion,” Emma snapped. “Some people like fun music that isn’t sad and money all the time.”

North took a half-step back as the argument flared between them, voices overlapping. Emma sounded like a devoted fanatic, while Danielle clearly preferred some other bands. Adam, meanwhile, remained completely silent throughout the debate as if it was not worth it. North decided the boy was probably the smartest one in the room, but after inadvertently starting this war between the girls, he felt it was time to make his exit. 

The Brain Nuke cocktail would be taking hold soon. He hadn’t felt it yet, but he knew the signs. It was similar to a dam filling up with continuous rain until the flood broke without warning. There was no easing into it. Just bam – a full-system override.

He quickly grabbed several water bottles from the mini-fridge and walked back toward the living room, where the others were still sprawled across the couch and floor, laughing and arguing.

However, just as he was about to sit down and rejoin the conversation, it felt like someone had suddenly switched off all the lights inside his skull. His legs gave out. The water bottle slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor, rolling out of reach. North’s body slammed onto the couch with a soft thud. Following, his limbs began to convulse and his muscles seized, chest rising in short bursts as if he couldn’t remember how to breathe.

At the sametime, Jake and others looked on in shock and confusion, not understanding what was happening to him or why he'd suddenly fallen.

Someone shouted his name.

But then, like dominoes falling, others joined him in the delirium.

…

At some point during the next morning, the world fell into chaos. 

People froze in their positions, stopping whatever they were doing as their eyes rolled back into their sockets like something had flicked the off switch in their brains; followed by the distant sound of metal crunching and rubber burning as cars slammed into each other on highways, intersections, and wherever drivers had passed out behind the wheel. 

Minutes later, the skies cracked open as planes started falling. Commercial airliners dropped like dying birds, crashing into cities and fields, exploding on impact. Fires broke out, columns of black against a blue morning sky, but no one came to stop them. Helicopters spun out and crashed into buildings. Train operators slumped over controls. People collapsed in their kitchens, bathrooms, classrooms. Hospitals overflowed with unconscious bodies, doctors and nurses included. The scene looked like war, but the enemy was invisible.

By noon, more than seventy percent of the world’s population had fallen into a state somewhere between sleep and death. They were unmoving, and unresponsive. No shock, sound, or drugs could brought them back. 

Meanwhile, the ones left standing had no idea what to do.

Some thought it was a gas leak, some talked about a terrorist attack or a bioweapon gone wrong. Though, most screamed about God or aliens or judgment day, saying it was punishment for humanities sins. In the beginning, people tried calling loved ones, emergency services, hospitals, local news. Social media exploded with footage, shaky phone videos of entire subway platforms frozen, of neighbors screaming as their families dropped to the floor.

However, as the gravity of the situation sank in, fear started to morph into panic, anger, and desperation.

Across the globe, the scene was the same.

In Tokyo, trains piled into one another underground. In Berlin, people dropped in the streets, still clutching their morning bread and coffee. In Beijing, in Mumbai, in Seoul … gridlock. Everywhere, there was nothing but panic and silence.

What was left of governments scrambled to respond, but it was like trying to put out a wildfire with a garden hose. The White House lost most of its cabinet. Parliament in the UK was down. Military bases across the world reported mass blackouts in personnel. The few departments still functioning switched into survival mode, issuing vague emergency declarations, mostly just reruns of outdated disaster protocols no one could enforce.

Police departments, where they were still intact, tried to hold cities together. Some managed for a while. Others splintered within hours. There were still people in uniform doing patrols, trying to protect neighborhoods, but most were just as scared and lost as everyone else.

The whole world was affected and went down the same way, and everyone still awake realized at once: they were on their own.

The looting started not long after. First it was food and water, then electronics, then just random items because people didn't know what else to do. Gas stations got picked clean. Grocery stores turned into brawl zones. The roads became jammed with stalled-out vehicles, many of them containing unconscious drivers still strapped to their seats. Cell towers overloaded. Power grids flickered. Emergency services, overwhelmed and leaderless, soon collapsed into confusion. Many people packed up and left the cities. . Others locked their doors, blocked their windows, and waited - hoping it was a temporary situation, praying someone would show up with a cure or a plan. Others formed small groups, neighborhoods banding together for protection.

In the middle of all that, hanging in the air like static electricity, was the unbearable question:

What the hell happens next?