Tank!

[bRobertson]

Thought I'd make a stab at this. I'm frankly a little surprised that no one has already done this. Anyway - fan fic based on the Left 4 Dead video game. Critiques requested. This first portion is the usual slow start, but things should accelerate fairly quickly.

Harvey Chesterton was normal. Unfortunately, the world he lived in was not. Specifically, it ? or the portion that he concerned himself with, at least ? was infested with zombies. Fast ones, slow ones... no point in categorizing them, there were plenty to go around.


On the thirty-fifth day of the zombie apocalypse, Harvey Chesterton awoke to find himself late for work. The culprit was obvious ? his alarm clock was still, its face showing the time at which the building's diesel generator finally died: 1:53 AM. He would have to scavenge for fuel today. Harvey swore viciously as he stumbled into his bathroom to prepare to face the day. Solar-heated shower, a shave with an ancient straight razor inherited from his paternal grandfather. Coffee, made using yesterday's grounds and the remnants of the hot water. Fetch some water from the new spring in the park, drop a half-dozen iodine tablets to kill the Virus, pour into the solar bag to heat for tomorrow's shower and coffee. A quiet sigh, and he took up his rifle and went to check his traps.


Harvey Chesterton had been an accountant before the Virus hit. During lighter moods, he fancied himself now an accountant of a rather different sort. Instead of spending his days ulcerating over Accounts Receivable reports and dreaming about his hunting lodge on the US/Canadian border, he now spent his time rebalancing the Books of the Dead. His job now was simple: kill as many zeds, asymptomatic carriers, and threats to his apartment building as humanly possible. By day, he hunted them and tried to find supplies to keep his life worth something. By night, he jealously guarded his hoard of canned goods and batteries.


He had surprised himself with how readily he had adapted to a world without rules. During Z-Day, he had formed tentative, cautious alliances with those who refused to flee the building. They had held together until the canned goods started to run low.


On the forty-second day of the zombie apocalypse, Harvey Chesterton was bitten. Again he surprised himself with his reaction. He knew his fate ? death from any of a million sources. He could shoot himself. He could lock himself in a cage behind a timed lock, and hope that the Virus wasn't transmitted. He could confine himself to bed, and hope that one of the filthiest animal mouths on the planet hadn't given him anything his immune system couldn't fight off.


He chose the cage, and took his favorite pistol with him. Just in case.


Fourteen hours after being bitten, Harvey Chesterton began to feel ill. Superficially, it was just a flu ? mild nausea, body aches, fever, sniffles, coughing, sneezing. But then, hadn't the lady downstairs complained of flu symptoms, and then tried to eat him not a day later? He managed to persuade himself that while he could not prove that he had the Virus, there was still hope. And if hope ran out ? well. There was always the pistol.


Eighteen hours after being bitten, Harvey Chesterton was convinced that he was going to die from this bug, Virus or not. It was an effort of sheerest will to bring the thermometer to his eyes, and a feat of Muse-inspired brilliance to read the tiny digital display: 106.5 degrees Fahrenheit. He could practically feel his brain proteins coagulating.


Twenty hours after being bitten, Harvey Chesterton fell unconscious and collapsed to the floor.


Fifty-two hours after being bitten, Harvey Chesterton awoke. After gathering his wits and guzzling several liters of water, he unlocked his cage, wiped up the worst of the vomit from that one time he missed the bucket entirely, and simply was for a few minutes.


It slowly occurred to him that he didn't feel sick anymore. In fact, he felt healthier than he ever had before. He celebrated his return to health with a small private feast ? nothing exotic or over the top; just a turkey, some vegetables, noodles, and a bit of wine. Oddly, there were no leftovers ? he couldn't seem to sate his appetite, even after stuffing himself to brimming. After cleaning up the dishes, he flopped contentedly into his bed and slept the undisturbed sleep of those for whom all is right in the world.

[tagsnola]

... Can't wait to see what comes next!

[slayerovsims]

This reminds me of the 28 weeks later story posted quite some time ago in the archive. It was never elaborated on, but I hope to see this go a bit further; like seeing how he reacts when he finally realizes he is infected, or who he reacts with. I like where this is going. Keep it up!

[mlbjock]

Wonder what the infection did to him.

[olympic876]

good set-up... can't wait for the next installment...

[funboy]

"Thought I'd make a stab at this. I'm frankly a little surprised that no one has already done this."


You're kidding - right? Either that or you haven't read the archives.

That being said - if you have a fresh take on the story - let 'er rip. I am interested in reading.

[bRobertson]

Originally Posted by funboy

You're kidding - right? Either that or you haven't read the archives.

Well... neither, actually. I won't claim to have read every single thread, but I was lurking here before and after L4D was released, and I don't recall anything along those lines.

Pulling the last year of story posts (back to 6/24/08 or so) doesn't reveal anything. A couple different Google searches gets me nothing.

I admittedly don't pay much attention to the other sub-boards - perhaps it was posted to one of those? In any event, would you mind providing a link?

Thanks,

Bob R.

[Xyggurat]

Heh, as someone who plays L4D with his friends, the title of this story made me chuckle. It's what we start screaming as soon as we hear the Tank music.

-X-

[cellardoor]

I love the buildup. Can't wait to see what happens!

[xxaddict]

i thoroughly enjoyed this set-up. please continue this very, very soon