Attack of the Zombies (8 page)

The shout goes out along the wall, as dozens
of Creepers burst forth from the Portal and dash towards the wall.
Before we can even raise our Bows, hundreds of arrows are launched
at us by the Skeletons.

Diving behind our defenses we are lucky and
no one is hit, but many others along the wall are not so lucky.

"Come on Captain, what are you waiting for.
Give the command already," mutters the Corporal, squatting next to
me behind the wall.

"What command sir?" I ask.

"Never you mind soldier, ok men, on my mark,
take out the Creepers, now!" he screams, but before we can even
pull ourselves to our feet the first of the Creepers reaches the
wall and explodes, knocking us back to the floor.

As we struggle to our feet, more and more
creepers reach the wall and explosions ring out all along our
defenses.

"We've been breached," someone calls from
further down the wall. As the dust starts to clear, I lean over and
try to get a glimpse at the damage.

"What's the damage Jeb?"

"The walls been breached in at least four
places sir, maybe more, it's hard to see with all the smoke."

"Darn Creepers. Ok, you can expect the
Zombies to advance again now that the defenses have been breached,
take them out, make every shot count. Ok everyone, I need to find
the Captain, until I return Pippa is in charge, obey her every
command, do you understand?" he snarls, looking at Darth, who
cowers away and mumbles something under his breath.

"Are you trying to upset me soldier? I asked
you a question," screams the Corporal, grabbing Darth by the collar
and dragging him forward until their noses touch.

"Uh no sir, I mean yes sir. No, hang on, I
mean no I'm not trying to upset you sir and yes I understand. Sorry
sir."

"Good, DO NOT disappoint me, or you will
regret it! Numbers and Hoody. In the next lull I want you both to
start working your way around the wall, Numbers go left, Hoody go
right. Instruct each squadron to build a defensive wall before it's
too late, if anyone questions you say it is by the command of the
Captain, don't worry if this ever comes out he'll back me up,
everyone give them any blocks you have in your inventories, now
move."

"Yes sir," replies Numbers and Hoody who
immediately scoop up all the blocks that everyone tosses on the
floor, and dash off in either direction, dodging arrows as they
go.

"Ok Jeb, you're with me, let's move out."

Dashing after the Corporal, with arrows
flying all around is not my idea of fun but I must admit being
chosen to help the Corporal for a second time is pretty cool.
Looking over the wall into the compound I am shocked as hundreds of
Zombies push their way through the openings in the wall.

"Corporal, the Zombies are through the wall,"
I scream at the Corporals back as we dash for the stairs at the far
end.

"Nothing we can do Jeb, let's just hope Major
Larrson is prepared."

"Major Larrson, what's he going to do?"

"Look!" shouts the Corporal pointing over the
wall, "it's Major Larrson."

Glancing to my left I am once again shocked -
yeah I know it's getting a little common now! - to see dozens of
diamond clad soldiers riding on horseback out of the smoke. With
swords raised they charge down the Zombies as they emerge through
the breached defenses, cutting and slicing them to bits.

"Keep moving Jeb!" screams the Corporal and I
am shocked - yep sorry, but I'm shocked once again - to find I had
stopped and was watching the cavalry engage the Zombies. Pulling
myself together, I dash after the Corporal and catch up with him at
the stairs.

"Ok Jeb, so far so good. Major Larrson should
be able to keep those Zombies engaged at the wall which should give
us enough time to get to the command post. Now listen up, this is
really important. If I do not make it you need to tell the Captain
what you witnessed at the Portal. The numbers of Zombies, Skeletons
and Creepers, all working together. Tell him we have to use the
weapon, now!"

"What weapon sir?"

"Don't worry about that Jeb, just make sure
he gets the message, you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good lad Jeb, now move out."

And with that we dashed down the steps into
the compound and ran towards the command centre. We were no more
than 30 blocks across the compound before a few Zombies broke
through the cavalry and gave chase, which was pretty scary, but
what came next was terrifying. Between the Zombies legs these small
shapes appeared and started chasing after us, and man were they
fast, gaining on us with every step.

"Corporal, we got problems sir," I yell,
looking back over my shoulder as a dozen Baby Zombies screamed
along behind us.

"Keep running Jeb, we do not have time to
engage them."

"Uh ok sir, but maybe you should tell them
that," I shout, drawing my sword as I ran.

Looking back over his shoulder the Corporal
nods at me and swings about, drawing his sword in one fluid motion
as the first of the Baby Zombies catch up with us and throw
themselves against our legs. Hey, they may be babies, but they are
definitely not cute and man can they bite.

Trying to shake them off while slicing with
our swords, the little monsters cling to our legs and the rest of
them arrive and jump on us. Man, if it was not such a dangerous
situation it would almost have been funny. The two of us were
stumbling around with six little screaming biting machines stuck
all over us.

"Jeb, stop messing around and get on with
it," screams the Corporal as he runs towards me.

"What, where did all his Baby Zombies go?" I
think as I rip one of the little critters off my leg and drive my
sword through its stomach. Grabbing the next Baby Zombie by the
back of its neck, I slice its throat and throw it to the floor just
as the Corporal arrives and slices the remaining four Zombies in a
single stoke. WOW! So that's what happened to his Zombies, this guy
is

"Come on Jeb, move it before the real Zombies
get here," he screams, turning away from me and dashing for the
command compound.

Taking a quick look over my shoulder I'm
shocked
, no I'm actually horrified to see
maybe twenty Zombies now shambling in my direction.
*gulp*

"Right behind you Corporal," I reply, dashing
after him.

Right, so anyway me and the Corporal ran from
one end of the compound to the other, dodging Zombies all the way,
until we reached the command post, but get this, the door was
smashed in and everything inside was destroyed. All that way for
nothing!

"So what now Corporal?"

"This is bad Jeb, how did the Zombies know
that this was the command post, it looks just like all the other
buildings?"

"So what do you think happened?"

"I can only hope that they survived and have
fallen back to the secondary command. Feel like another little
run?" he grinned as he dashed off at a sprint.

I guess that was a rhetorical question, I
grin as I dash after him.

So anyway, here I am, sat at the backup
command post. The Corporal has just gone in and left me here so I
thought I would write in my
diary
, drat, I
mean journal, just in case anything happens to me.

"Jeb, get in here," screams the Corporal.

Ok, time to go, will try and update this
again later.

*****

Right, so here's what happened next. I was
called into the command centre and the sight that greeted me nearly
took my breath away. The Headmaster and Colonel Mayer were arguing
and screaming at each other. My jaw dropped open as I came to a
stop next to the Corporal.

"Attention soldier, you are in the presence
of the commander," the Corporal ordered.

Standing to attention, my jaw remained open,
as I stared at the scene before me.

What? Oh you don't get it. Ok, that's because
you don't know what they were saying to each other, so let me fill
you in.

Colonel Mayer:
Steve, I know these are
desperate circumstances but do you really want to reveal yourself
to the troops. You know that once there realize who you are there
is no going back.

Headmaster:
Colonel, thank you for
your concern but I have hidden behind these Headmaster robes long
enough. It is time to take my place at this time of need.

Colonel:
But Sir, why not wait and see
what happens before making a decision that you may later
regret.

Headmaster:
I fear that it may already
be too late Colonel. The mobs have formed an army the likes of
which have never before been seen and they have already caused more
destruction in one attack than they have ever managed to inflict
before.

Colonel:
Yes Sir. I don't know how
they managed to find and destroy the command centre but the loss of
the Captain and the destruction of the Survival Room controls could
prove problematic.

Headmaster:
Oh you have a way with
words Colonel, but problematic does not do the situation justice. I
would prefer to use the word catastrophic.

Colonel:
Sir?

Headmaster:
You do realize that we can
no longer manipulate the Survival Room, don't you Colonel? When the
mobs killed the Captain and destroyed the controls in the command
centre they destroyed our ability to use Cheat Codes in the
Survival Room. We are now effectively on the Overworld, and we are
under attack by mobs that do not see emotion, do not feel pain and
will stop at nothing until we are destroyed.

Colonel:
Yes Sir, but they are
brainless mobs. With our advanced strategies we can ...."

Headmaster:
Corporal Henckman, please
explain to the Colonel what you observed at the Portal.

Corporal Henckman:
Yes Sir, Steve, uh,
Headmaster sir. I observed hundreds of Zombies working in tightly
controlled units with Skeletons and Creepers to form an attack
force that will overwhelm our defenses within the next hour.

Colonel:
Impossible! Mobs do not work
together.

Corporal Henckman:
That may have been
the case in the past Sir, but what I observed was a well defined
and executed attack. They may be brainless mobs but they are
working together with devastating results.

Headmaster:
Thank you Corporal. So
Colonel Mayer, you still think we have the luxury of time?

Colonel:
No Steve, if the mobs are
organized then it appears that the time has come, but the troops
will not arrive for days. What do you suggest?

Headmaster:
Why Colonel, you should
know the answer to that, just like last time, in the Zombie wars,
we make a glorious last stand and hope that reinforcements arrive
in time.

Jeb:
Why don't you just reset the
system?