Free S.W. Tanpepper's GAMELAND, Season One Omnibus by Saul Tanpepper Page A

paranoid, since zombies don’t last very long in water. But you never know. Maybe the zombie germ does.
    The truth is, nobody knows for sure how it happens. They don’t even know what causes the disease in the first place.
    Except maybe the government, and they’re not talking.
    â€œ Why’d they move the Omegaman training facilities off LI?” I ask Kelly. “After the second flood, I mean.”
    â€œ Well, the island was pretty much a lost cause,” he answers, reciting history that both of us supposedly learned years back. I’ve since forgotten so much of it. The explanation sounds familiar, but it also sounds too convenient, like a lie. “The Army Corps of Engineers went in and walled it off and evacuated any people still alive.”
    That was the official account. Unofficially, I’ve heard there weren’t any of them left.
    â€œ Grandpa says the Marines moved the Omegaman training facilities to Washington State seven or eight years ago. He says they were just going to let the remaining IUs keel over.”
    Most zombies just sort of run out of energy after a while, contrary to the old stories about them. Without human flesh, they’d last maybe a year. After a dozen years, the place would essentially be free of them.
    About four or five years ago, Arc Properties went in and reclaimed some of the zones. They said they were going to do a survey. While they claimed to have found a few active zoms, the ones they did find were so slow that they were harmless. Of course, nobody cared a whit by then. Nobody wanted to go and re-inhabit the island.
    Year before last, Arc Properties converted one of the zones into a new type of gaming arcade, which they called Gameland. They imported a whole new crop of fresh zombies as Players.
    â€œ Arc,” Kelly spits. “Bastards.” It’s the only time I’ve ever heard him say anything bad about the company. It comes as such a surprise now because for the past couple of years, the rest of us talked about joining the company after high school and Kelly was actually pretty supportive of it, even though he had different plans.
    â€œ What, Kel?”
    He shakes his head bitterly. “Rich bastards. All they care about is money. Did you know it costs a million bucks to buy into The Game ? And that’s not even for a good zombie, but an older one, probably with a first gen L.I.N.C.”
    I frown, wondering where this hostility is coming from and why he’s all of a sudden talking about Arc and The Game .
    â€œ People who have that kind of money should use it for good instead of just throwing it away. If I were that rich, I’d make sure Kyle got treated.”
    I lean away from him.
    His eyes clear. “Sorry, Jess. I guess I’m just a little tired after everything that’s happened today.”
    He gets up and fetches his clothes from the dryer. “Think I’ll head home.”
    â€¡

Chapter 8
    Ashley pings me that evening. Thankfully, she waits until after dinner this time. Grandpa and Eric are at each other’s throats again in the kitchen. At the moment, Eric’s shouting and Grandpa’s sitting there with his trademark military composure, which only seems to infuriate Eric all the more.
    I close my bedroom door, muffling their voices.
    â€œ What’s up?”
    â€œ Reggie wants us to meet at his place,” Ashley says. “Can you come?”
    â€œ Right now? Um, I guess. What’s this about?”
    Stupid question, of course. There’s only one thing it could be about.
    â€œ He’s figured out how we can do it.”
    I snort. “Right.”
    â€œ Just be there, okay?”
    As soon as she disconnects, Kelly pings me. “You hear?”
    â€œ Just got off with Ash, but she didn’t give any details, just told me to meet her at Reggie’s.”
    â€œ I guess they got equipment.”
    â€œ What equipment? Scuba gear? How?”
    I slip