The Interview: A Zombie ACRES Intro
by Joshua Cook
Television sets across America flicked on almost simultaneously. The country collectively held their breath out of sheer anticipation. Few times in our history has one moment brought us all together, instead of against each other. This was one of those times. Probably soon to go down as one of the most important events in human history. But listen to us - we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let us get back to those television screens.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, do not adjust your television sets.” The voice coming from the television was firm, yet possessed a calming quality. “We are intentionally not showing tonight’s guest yet. With the amazing shock to the country that Mr. Lohman’s buzz has already served to our system, we thought it best to try and ease our viewers into anymore shocks.” As Tom Laudner finishes this last sentence, the blank screens show his face, but still no guest. “This interview is taking place at an undisclosed location for the safety and security of all who are involved. I am speaking with William Lohman, a former employee – of sorts - of Roslun Global. Within the last five years, Roslun has had major growth and has become the leading pharmaceutical company in America. Mr. Lohman’s announcement has helped explain why.”
After this intro, there is nothing but dead silence for almost two minutes. A collective nation holds its breath. Finally, a sound comes across airwaves, which are still sending Tom’s face for all to stare at. It wasn’t quite a voice, though you knew words were coming. “Hello.” Rusty. That was the only way Bob Johns could describe what he heard in his Duluth living room that night. “My name is William Lohman.” Hole. A hole in your larynx, to be exact. That is how Phyllis Weidmar would later describe what she heard during her Wednesday bridge game in Miami. Then Tom started speaking again. This generally made people happy, simply because it was not William Lohman’s rasp. “We are going to pan over to Mr. Lohman in just a few seconds. I just want to be perfectly clear on this matter. This is not for the squeamish. That cannot be emphasized enough. Please leave the room or turn the channel if you are afraid of what you may see.”
The camera still focuses on Tom, making sure to give everyone ample time to ponder this thought seriously. With a nod, the cameraman is signed to start to pan over to the hot seat - ever so slowly. Many sources have since claimed to observe much vomiting for a good portion of the interview after this point.
William Lohmans’ skin was heavily blackened and blotchy, making it appear as he had been on the end of an extremely bad beating. Around the sockets and holes, it was sickly receded. Gashes along his neckline were partially draining pus and had to be wiped every few minutes, drawing even more attention to the deep cuts around his throat. They looked to be made in haste, with many stops and starts. William’s teeth seemed large in his mouth, next to the receding, blackened gums. He wore a hat, helping to draw some of the attention away from the grotesqueness of his face.
“So why don’t you begin to tell us what your announcement is, Mr. Lohman.” Tom’s voice came across again, but this time people were not happy since they were still forced to stare at William Lohman’s face of death.
“As you have said, Tom, I was formerly employed with the Roslun Corporation. I was their salesman for special projects. I was a shining specimen of their progress and was made to prove it in secret meetings all over the globe.” That rasping voice coming out of that gut-wrenching face was worse than any horror film, yet his clothes seemed to match his 'salesman' title - an expensive, dark suit with a bright red power tie. “As far back as the sixties, the powers that be have been seriously experimenting on ways to beat death. Their first breakthrough came in 1968, when they managed to partially reanimate a corpse. By partially, I am referring to the fact that Specimen Zero could only wave his arms and legs, but they were dead and moving nonetheless.”
Finally, people get to see Tom Laudner’s beautiful face, at least compared to Lohmans’. “And what proof is it that you say proves that this Specimen Zero even exists? I find it hard to believe even back in the sixties, something this big would not be leaked at some point.”
“Oh it was leaked, Mr. Laudner. And it was just as quickly covered up. The writer and director George Romero has been known as the Father of the Modern Zombie, and that is truer than most realize. George actually worked at an underground testing lab in Pennsylvania in 1968. That lab had managed to somehow ‘misplace’ one of the confidential lab videos from the night of Specimen Zero’s second birth.”
“George being the quickest on his toes that night proposed they film a cheesy horror movie to cover up these film reels of Specimen Zero. One month later, Night of the Living Deadwas finished. What nobody ever expected was the success of this new genre, and the fascination of the American people of this idea of bringing the dead back.”
“Now wait a second,” Tom sounded a little agitated this time. “You expect me to swallow that… that… that Night of the Living Dead was a cover-up?” He spit out this last part like it was burning his throat.
“You may swallow whatever you wish, Mr. Laudner, I expect nothing. I am telling you the truth, and that is all I am doing.” William was doing his best to smirk, but it only made his features more disgusting. “As I was saying, this rise, though unexpected, was a godsend for the Second Birth project, as it had come to be known by. It enabled them to keep producing these low end horror films, which helped finance a little, but mostly it brought every single piece of evidence ever brought to light in doubt. With so many of these films coming out, and the technology so dated, there was no way to prove authenticity.”
“So the Second Birth project just kept on going. The major players would switch every so-often, but the goals and practices would remain the same. With the boom of the pharmaceutical industry during the seventies, drug companies became more and more interested in Second Birth technology. Roslun came into the game during the late-eighties under the generic title ACME Drug Co., due to the Civil Liberties protests and controversy surrounding Second Birth rumors. The early nineties brought the end to the rumors and the beginning of proof as technology finally reached the point to see through Second Birth’s cover-ups once and for all.” “Hey!” Tom almost screamed this at his guest. “I have been in the news for thirty years, and I have never heard of any of this!” “Have you never found information out years after the actions had taken place? I’m dead and even I understand that is how cover-ups work. It was decided in most of these cases that public safety was more important than public knowledge. After a particularly nasty incident, ACME Drug Co. was dissolved and Roslun emerged as themselves and quickly became a powerhouse in the Second Birth project. They were the first ones to bring Zombie A.C.R.E.S. to the idea table.”
“Acres?” Animated Corpses Reintegration Experimental Subdivision. The Second Birth experiments have gotten to the point of actual moving and thinking zombies. Roslun wanted to take the experiments out of the underground labs and into a small gated-community. After much debate, and even greater monetary cost to Roslun, enough power was convinced that Zombie A.C.R.E.S. was built in 2005 in the desert of Nevada.“
“So for the last six years, there has been a zombie housing program in Nevada? And who are the major players involved in this Second Birth project? The government?” “The government had knowledge and closely followed Second Birth, but no government ever once got involved in any actions or projects.”
“IMPOSSIBLE!” This time Tom was screaming. “That’s just outrageous! You’re saying that no government ever had anything to do with these zombie projects and cover-ups?” “Other than knowledge, that is exactly what I m telling you. It may be hard to believe, but again, I m just telling you the truth, that’s all.”
“So why have you decided to come forward now, six years after this has been going on? Did your conscience all of a sudden come back to life?”
“Yes.”
“Yes what?”
“Yes, that is exactly what happened. Before 2010, zombies could not feel.” Zombies came out even more heinous than most of William Lohman’s words. “Early experiments only resulted in much screaming from the zombies, whose ability to speak was just beginning. By summer, 2010, feelings were brought back online, and things were smooth. The zombies said they only felt minimal pain, but there only seemed small traces of any inclination to a conscience. This is when my second birth occurred. I had only been dead a week when I was discovered. At first, I felt nothing inside. Just empty. The more they toted me around, the more I learned. That is when I started to feel something. Anger. That was my first emotion. I wanted to get them for what they have done to us. How dare they play God?!”
“But these experiments are to ultimately help the living, aren’t they?”
“At this point, who the hell knows? I have heard some talk of helping people, but much more it has been of war and weapons. Who knows where…” Instant darkness. Those television stations went dead. After an eternity, or so it felt, two news anchors were smiling at the viewers. “It seems there has been technical difficulty with our live feed. We thank Tom and his...guest... for their time and work. We will keep you informed as this story unfolds. Tonight was unfolding well for these women as the annual Laundry Folding Competition was starting…”
See more Zombie A.C.R.E.S. stories and art at http://zombieacres.com
Don't forget to follow them on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/zombieacres
0 comments:
Een reactie posten