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The police, who had swarmed in, hesitated and stepped back. The momentum of the infected was close to madness. Even as their skin tore and blood flowed, they threw their entire bodies against the iron bars.

“Kuaaak!”

Spit sprayed like a mist.

The masked police officers were startled and stepped back further. A bewildered voice came out.

“Can we even subdue this?”

“No, subduing isn’t the issue. We need to give first aid to that bleeding uncle over there first!”

The police officers’ gaze shifted beyond the zombie. I also glanced at the drunk uncle. Blood was pooling heavily from his neck. If we don’t stop the bleeding now, even if the paramedics arrive, he won’t make it.

And that would be a burden for the police. There’s a difference between someone dying in custody and someone being saved and loaded into an ambulance.

I clasped my hands together in prayer.

‘Please, just open the door.’

Because then I’ll be safe.

The police officers, looking at the violent tattooed young man zombie, gritted their teeth.

“If someone dies here, it’ll be a big problem. And if we leave that infected person as is, it’s dangerous. Open the door first. Make sure the infected can’t escape. And you, bring the taser!”

“Yes!”

As the person who seemed to be in charge spoke, two people moved. One approached the cell cautiously with keys, while the other hurried to bring the taser.

I subtly shifted my body backward. It’s dangerous to leave as soon as the door opens. My path might cross with the zombie.

As I expected, the zombie moved. Clang! As soon as the iron door opened, the zombie rushed toward it.

“Uh, it’s coming! Stop it!”

“Ah!”

The zombie and the police tangled. The zombie tried to bite with its chattering teeth and swung its arms to hit the officers. One officer tackled the zombie with his whole body, while others grabbed its joints or swung batons.

“Get off! No, damn it, it doesn’t seem to understand words!”

“I can’t hold it! It’s too strong!”

“Ah! I’m getting hit too!”

It was chaos. The blows rained down like a storm, indiscriminately hitting both the attacking zombie and the officer grappling with it, and the beaten officer screamed.

At that point, I quietly got up from my seat. Chaos is an opportunity. My gaze fell on the wide-open cell door and the entrance leading into the cell.

I could escape now.

But should I escape?

-Immortal Company’s virus dispersal has been confirmed to have started three weeks ago-

I looked at the TV. The scene of Immortal Company’s drones dispersing the virus. A terminal buried in snow and a rally banner dated three weeks ago.

A scenario formed in my head.

‘The dispersal was three weeks ago. But now, zombies are appearing.’

This means the zombie virus has an incubation period of about three weeks. And the virus can spread even during the incubation period. Just look at COVID—it could spread three days before symptoms appeared.

I clenched my fist.

‘The apocalypse is coming!’

Before turning into a zombie, there are no symptoms. That tattooed young man turned without any warning. Who knows how many people he infected during that asymptomatic period? It’s impossible to predict.

This wasn’t just a simple zombie apocalypse. Zombies are the symptoms; the real problem is the virus. It’s like a zombie apocalypse and a pandemic apocalypse hitting at the same time.

No matter how advanced modern society is, it can’t handle this. The virus is spreading everywhere without restraint. How can anyone withstand this?

‘Let’s run!’

I naturally left the cell and walked briskly along the wall.

If the apocalypse is coming, there’s no need to wait for trials or anything.

‘Given time, the courts and the police will all lose function.’

I moved to find freedom.

***

The important thing is to be natural.

Without any awkwardness or discomfort, making people feel like background objects. Like extras in a movie. Even if they see you, you go unnoticed.

I walked leisurely, blending into the background of the cell.

“Ahhh! Stop, stop hitting! I’m going to die! Ah! My bones, my bones!”

The police officers who had just arrived were completely focused on the zombie. They had no time to worry about small fry like me. They only saw the infected and swung their batons.

In the face of the real threat of zombies, first aid had completely disappeared from their minds.

Meanwhile, the zombie, perhaps due to the stimulation, became even more excited and thrashed violently. Fortunately, the zombie’s attention was also focused on the police.

The zombie’s fierce attacks and the police’s response.

I left the cell without any hindrance and entered the violent crimes division office beyond the cell.

‘Are there no detectives?’

Whether they had a lot to investigate or received many reports of violent crimes, all the detectives in the violent crimes division were absent.

Behind me, except for the commotion in the cell, it was quiet.

This reality added more basis to my speculation.

‘Killing a zombie is still murder…’

Then citizens who commit violent crimes against zombies would also be targets for the detectives. Probably, with so many zombies appearing, the detectives are busy. So busy they can’t even guard the violent crimes division office.

The situation was very good.

Subtly, I naturally stole a detective’s clothes from a nearby desk. I put on the hat and the leather jacket hanging on the chair.

I also squeezed some hand sanitizer that had just been placed there and sanitized my hands.

In my mind, the image of Immortal Company’s chairman from the TV came to mind.

‘That guy, he was smiling even as he was dragged away.’

No matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t the expression of someone who had failed in terrorism. The smile that seemed to mock me took shape again in my mind.

With the confidence of a mad scientist. With a sneer that mocked the whole world.

I muttered without realizing it.

“I believe. I believe in Immortal Company. I believe in the chairman. The apocalypse is coming.”

It was both a logical speculation and an emotional belief.

If the apocalypse doesn’t come? It’s just trials, prison, social stigma, shattered dreams, and a dark future.

But if the apocalypse comes? It’s just shattered dreams and a dark future. If the apocalypse comes, there’s less to lose. I desperately hoped for the apocalypse and walked on.

Along the way, a police officer with a taser hurried back to the cell, but fortunately, no one recognized me as a criminal and tried to catch me.

“Finally borrowed it!”

It seemed all the tasers had been deployed to the scene, as the officer muttered about finally borrowing one and brushed past me.

And just like that, I left the police station.

The rising sun shone brightly, making my eyes sting. I pulled my hat down low, casting a shadow over my face.

The commotion is temporary. The police will soon realize I’ve escaped. Right now, in this fleeting moment, I need to move quickly, seizing the opportunity.

I counted on my fingers, roughly calculating. The point when the zombie apocalypse, the I-Virus, would explode.

“One week? Just need to hold out for about that long?”

I don’t know how many days before symptoms appear the virus can spread. But it’s certain that zombies will soon be rampant everywhere. The incubation period for the first infected is ending.

Following those who show symptoms quickly, countless others will become zombies. Zombies will create more zombies. The police won’t even have time to worry about me.

So now.

‘Let’s avoid the police and prepare for the apocalypse.’

***

Day 2 of the zombie outbreak.

I, who was once a zombie skeptic, became a fervent doomsayer, firmly believing in the zombie apocalypse, and moved for survival and freedom.

***

The world seems fine.

Early in the morning, people heading to work, crowded buses, and cars lining the roads. Even though zombies have appeared, people are diligently heading to their jobs.

The only thing that’s changed is the masks. Thanks to the lessons learned from COVID, which ended a few years ago, everyone has pulled out white masks from somewhere. People with tired eyes, only their eyes visible, walked around like zombies.

For now, that’s a good thing.

‘More people is better.’

Blending into the crowd makes it harder to track me with CCTV or anything.

On top of that, I changed my appearance slightly every so often as I walked. Taking off my hat and jacket, crouching to make my height and build seem different, flipping my hair back.

I’m not sure if it’s effective, but I did my best.

Around then, my mental strength also reached its limit.

Suddenly, I stopped walking.

“What am I even doing right now?”

Beep beep, woop woop, the distant sirens of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks in the city. Every time the sirens passed by and the flashing lights hit my face, my heart dropped.

What if they’re coming to catch me? My hands trembled with fear. My conscience and small-town spirit wavered.

I walked unsteadily, not even knowing what I was thinking.

“Ahhh!”

“Watch out!”

Up ahead, I saw a bus staggering. It looked like a drunk bus, swerving between the sidewalk and the road, running wildly. People on the street screamed and scattered. Bang! Someone hit by the bus flew past me like in a cartoon.

“Ah!”

My mind snapped awake. I let out a short scream and quickly jumped to the side.

Vroom!

My reaction was a bit slow, but fortunately, the bus turned back onto the road. As I turned my head to follow the bus, I opened my eyes wide even as the wind blew.

At the moment the bus and I crossed paths, the scene inside the bus was vividly imprinted in my mind like a photograph.

The bus driver, gritting his teeth. People inside the shaking bus, either falling or clinging to the handrails. Two zombies going berserk.

With a screech, the bus stopped as the brakes were applied. The windows opened almost simultaneously, and countless hands reached out. Shouts were heard.

“Run! Zombie, zombie, ahh!”

“Help me!”

People fell out of the windows. Someone, perhaps grabbed by the ankle by a zombie, was pulled back in, while others, having landed wrong, limped away. Faces filled with terror.

As I turned my back to the scene, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Public transportation is dangerous. Noted.’

If it’s just a bus, that’s fine, but if zombies appear on subways, planes, or buses on highways, it’s really over.

With only thoughts of safety in mind, I suddenly chuckled. It was a strange laugh.

“Apocalypse. Yeah. Useless worries aren’t important.”

Survival is the issue, right? Conscience, future, all of it is just a waste of time. I’ll struggle to survive day by day.

Maybe it’s because I killed a person before a zombie. It felt like a string in my head snapped. My thoughts cleared, and only the apocalypse survival scenario unfolded.

I walked toward the person who had fallen ahead. Someone who had been hit by the bus while riding a bike. The person was clutching their leg, groaning.

“Leg, ah. Is the bone broken?”

My shadow fell over them. The person, sensing my presence, looked up. I pretended to help them, lifting the bike first, and the fallen person spoke.

“My phone’s broken, can you call 119? Uh, the bike, the bike! Bike thief!”

I laughed loudly and pedaled away. The fallen person’s pleas faded behind me, and even the sound of people running away from the bus quickly disappeared.

The wind blowing felt refreshing.

 

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