Volume 1 - Chapter 42

  The Second Iteration

  "I am not a god," the alien entity repeated. "Nor do I think I am cruel. In fact, among my kind I am not even considered that strong or powerful at all."

  "It's not about you. It's about what you're doing."

  "I understand."

  "Do you?"

  "Yes. This is not my first battle with our alien brethren. I have bore witness through multiple host species at the ends of their civilizations."

  I shook my head. "And you don't find it cruel what you put us through?"

  "No. Survival is a necessary trait."

  "But why would you put us through everything like this? If your kind has access to such great technologies and abilities, why not simply select ten thousand people based on your favorite criteria?"

  There was a long silence for a while before I received an answer.

  "In the past we made such foolish assumptions, but not every sentient being is alike. By allowing you to compete, we truly get the best of your species. It benefits your kind more so than anyone."

  It was a flawed logic, at least in my opinion. "But what about people like Dempei and Genta? They will find a way to survive, but are they truly worthy? They are sick and twisted people who only want to kill."

  This was followed by more silence for a while. I wasn't sure how time passed in this place, but I didn't grow tired or hungry. I simply wanted answers.

  I asked, "You don't know how to answer that one?"

  "I do, but you already know the answer to it, so I remained quiet."

  "What's the answer? That we need evil in order for good to exist?"

  "That is correct."

  "I don't think so," I shook my head. "That's a cop out, and you know it!"

  "Calm," the fake Aiko told me.

  "Don't tell me to calm down! Tell me what the point of it all is. Why should I care if I get selected to be one of these Archived Specimens for the future of Humanity? I won't be there anyway! I'm dead!"

  "If we fail to gather enough of you, your people cease to exist."

  I exhaled, not really caring about the future of my people. "And?"

  "That is not enough to motivate you?"

  "No," I said, "my people abandoned me, and apparently I have not known love until after I died!"

  Again, silence for some considerable time.

  "Your genetic data and personality are unique, Hachiro. You will make a great specimen if you are able to survive."

  I rolled my eyes at the answer, choosing not to verbalize any further anger.

  It was apparent this being could not truly empathize with me. After all, I considered, how could it? I was already dead, and they were some type of powerful being playing games with us.

  "Can you answer more questions?" I asked.

  "You may ask, and I will try."

  I nodded. "What types of zombie powers are there for us to find or deal with? Like the mind control thing Genta used, or the speed Dempei had. Haru could move objects, couldn't he? Is there a list or a reference guide?"

  "No. There is not. I can only discuss with you the things you have already experienced."

  "That's stupid, but whatever. So the mind control aura thing, what is that, and how did Genta get it?"

  Silence for a moment, as if the entity inside Aiko chose their words slowly and deliberately.

  "Genta developed that power after being bitten by a zombie with that trait. Many different abilities do exist, but it is impossible to know what you will end up with before hand."

  My mind raced. "Even if you are bit by the same zombie?"

  "If you are bit by the same first-level zombie in another iteration, the effects would be the same, however, if you are bit by the same second-level zombie, the effects may differ because that person may have been bit by a different first-level. Does that make sense?"

  "Yes," I said quickly, "so a second-level is like one of the hybrid zombies?"

  "If you mean like Genta, Haru, or Dempei experienced during the first iteration, then yes. Other second-level zombies exist that are not actively participating to become a specimen."

  "What do you mean by not actively participating?"

  "Hachiro," the fake Aiko said, "most zombies are mere obstacles for those of you who are actively participating. The more undead you kill, the stronger you become. If you are bit, you develop supernatural powers that help you accomplish your goal of surviving."

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  I smirked, "so I want to get bit and turned into a hybrid?"

  "Yes, but it comes at a cost."

  "What cost?" I laughed.

  "You become ill the way Yuki did, for a short period of time. If you are not in a safe place, your weakened state leaves you vulnerable for about six hours. It is a risk you may not want to take in some situations."

  "Oh," I said, "of course. Right."

  My mind continued coming up with questions. I opened my mouth to continue learning more, but was interrupted.

  "Iteration one has ended at ninety-eight days," she abruptly told me. "All participants were killed and no specimens were collected."

  I looked over at the false Aiko, suddenly excited for what might happen next. I was tired of looking at the cream-colored walls of my artificial prison.

  "When does it reset? When do we enter the second iteration?"

  "The world is currently being cycled through a reset. The second iteration will load in five… four…"

  "Wait!" I said even as Aiko continued counting. "So quickly? And just like that?"

  "Three…"

  The voice did not stop.

  "Two… One…"

  I exhaled, bracing myself for any sudden pain or shock of emotion.

  The walls holding me within this portion of the system faded to black. Aiko and the chairs vanished, and I stood within a confined space that expanded infinite until new visuals appeared before me.

  The office.

  In my cubicle I stared at the screen, eyes burning. The numbers blurred together, but I had to get the work done.

  The voice of my boss played on repeat in my head. "You will type numbers into the computer until you die."

  It was true, but Mr. Tanaka had no idea what was about to happen. I gritted my teeth and kept mashing keys on the numpad.

  My mind was fully aware of the events that would soon transpire, but I watched helpless as my body continued working.

  Air conditioning hummed in the background, that constant reminder of my old life. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glow across empty cubicles.

  I was just another cog in the machine; a nobody among billions that somehow had the correct genetic makeup to be immune to some alien virus.

  My mind watched as the old me performed everything he did previously leading up to my death at the computer.

  Through the windows I saw a bright blue streak in the night sky, headed in my direction.

  The power flickered and then went out completely. I heard a loud boom on the rooftop above me and the building shook.

  A sudden surge of electricity exploded through the computer monitor in front of me. I was electrocuted by a massive charge of energy.

  It happened just like that with no ability to react, only this time I understood what had happened. The Uchuujin had entered my body, simultaneously killing me and preserving all my data.

  My vision was black for a half-second at most, although a significant amount of time could have transpired.

  It was only then that I woke up within the second iteration and regained full control of myself.

  I sat there in the darkness, not believing it had happened. I stood up after a while and stretched, remembering what I had done the first time.

  I knew I needed to start off doing exactly what I had done before, that way I could find my way back to Aiko. She was the only thing that mattered to me.

  She had rescued me near my apartment, so I would go there and wait for her.

  Feeling around on my body, I was not injured. This time I knew what had happened.

  Grabbing my bag, I headed for the elevator. The only lighting in the office came from emergency exit signs, but I was still able to find my way.

  I left the office, ignored the zombies I didn't know were zombies the first time, anxiously rode the subway, and finally arrived at Motoyama Station.

  I got off the train and walked slowly through my dark, eerie neighborhood, trying to do everything exactly as I had before. The power flickered multiple times before going off completely, leaving me in the dark.

  So far, so good.

  In the night sky above me I saw that strange spotlight displaying the giant number:

  364

  I knew then with absolute certainty it was our countdown.

  The first ten thousand who survived a full calendar year during one of the iterations could secure their place as one of The Archived Specimens.

  We would no longer have to fight day in and day out. It was a cruel system, but it also made sense. Only the greatest among us would seed the future of humanity.

  Pressing forward, I allowed myself to be trapped between the zombies from my neighborhood, and the row of apartments where I lived.

  Pretending to close my eyes, I waited for Aiko to arrive and save me. Zombies surrounded, and yet no red sports car appeared.

  At the last possible second, right before old lady Kimura could bite into me like a Yakitori skewer, I managed to slip away and run.

  I was either early, or Aiko was running late. As I jogged down the street, zombies chasing me, that was when I heard a vehicle approaching.

  A white van slammed into a group of the undead, sending them flying like bowling pins.

  "Hah!" I laughed.

  No longer in disbelief, I enjoyed the events that unfolded.

  The van came to a stop nearby, with four familiar faces inside.

  Aiko stepped out, wearing that all black jersey with the number seventeen. She held a baseball bat like she knew how to use it, and her eyes looked at me with pleasure.

  She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. My heart pounded in my chest at the sight of her, and I knew she was my reason for wanting to survive.

  I didn't care about the future of humanity. I just wanted more time with Aiko. She proved a similar feeling when she ran over and wrapped her arms around me.

  "I love you," I said.

  "Oh, Hachiro, I love you too, silly man."

  "Thank you for coming back to me."

  After the long embrace, she looked towards my arms and hands. I was still wearing my long-sleeve work shirt, and she couldn't see if I had any bite marks.

  "You're not bit, right?"

  "No," I answered, still lagging in the brain department.

  She smiled. "Okay, but things are different this time. We have to do everything different."

  "Oh, I know…" I said. "We can't trust anyone."

  "I trust you," she said, "but only you. Come on, we need to get out of here. Genta's looking for us."

  I followed her to the van, legs suddenly trembling with fear and adrenaline.

  "Genta!?"

  "Yeah…" Aiko answered, opening the door for me to climb in. "The bastard tried to ambush us at my house right from the start. As soon as we left the baseball field and went there, he was already waiting!"

  My mind raced with anger and frustration. We should have never taken it upon ourselves to try and rescue that man and the kid.

  "Did you kill him?"

  She shook her head. "Tried, but he got away. He's not a hybrid yet. Hasn't been bitten, so he was taking an early risk but still also playing it safe."

  I nodded. "What an asshole."

  "Yeah," Aiko nodded, kissing me again.

  I thought quickly about what that meant for Haru's fate. If Genta chose not to be with him this time, maybe the kid would turn out different.

  My mind quickly snapped back to Aiko. It was wonderful to be in her arms once again, even if we were stuck in a repeating hellscape full of zombies.

  I looked in the van and saw Chiemi, Ryotaro, and Yuki.

  "Get in the van-oh, Stan-oh!"

  I smiled at Ryotaro and climbed in to sit next to him. "Yes, sir, old man!"

  Yuki looked back at me from the passenger's seat. She didn't act like the same sad Yuki I knew before, and I guessed that her previous experiences and our time between iterations was the reason.

  I wondered where Mio was, but then realized I didn't care.

  Aiko slammed the doors shut and drove us away from my old neighborhood before I could ask about the petite woman, and before Genta could find us.

  As we drove away, Yuki said, "Let's get some revenge on these alien zombie fuckers! What do you all think?"

  Chiemi said, "Dempei is mine if we see him again."

  Enthused by their new attitudes, I said, "I think that sounds like a great idea."

  "There's a zombie killer in all of us," Ryotaro said. "And now that I know what this place is, I'm about to be a psychopath grandpa, you know that, right?"

  Aiko brought us back from the hype. "Okay. Let's just get somewhere safe, first!"

  I smiled.

  I didn't know where we were going, but I didn't care.

  I was with Aiko and my friends, and we would try to survive as long as possible in the second iteration.