Humanity First

By W. D. Smart

They called it 'The Outbreak'. Such a pitiful name for something that would shatter the world into a thousand pieces, decimating the population, and even pull technology itself to a screaming halt as the world tried to reorganise its life.

Humanity, however, is ever-resilient. The same traits that allowed us to become the dominant species on the planet ensured that we survived what was once thought to be its end. New countries and nations emerged, new powers and leaders of the desperate and hopeless sprung up from the cracks in the Earth.

In New Australia, a new government was created with the creed 'Humanity First'. These two words became the rallying cry of the people. A new world rose from the ashes of the old where people could live again and where a human could be born and live their life free in the knowledge that they need never fear the horrors of The Outbreak.

Finally, humans were safe from the zombies.

Everyone understood that the price of safety is freedom. However, what could be said is that the New Australia's city-states effectively run by Humanity First were very, very safe.

As for freedom, though, well…, that was another matter entirely.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. D. Smart
• Release date: Jul 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201550202

Book preview

Humanity First

An Australian Zombie Apocalypse

W. D. Smart

In Collaboration with Robert Hill

Publishing History

Edition 1 / June 2021

Paperback

Black-and-White

ISBN: 9798734831281

Color

ISBN: 9798501920491

Hardcover

Color

ISBN: 978-1-6671-0802-5

Draft2Digital Ebook

UBL: https://books2read.com/u/4jAVNX

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright @ 2021 W. D. Smart

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

All Maps were retrieved online from Google Maps.

All images are either public domain or the rights purchased from Shutterstock.

Books by W. D. Smart

Fiction

Cap’n Billy – 2014

Kepler-438b – 2015

Jihadi – 2015

The Gliese Project – 2019

(Four-book Set)

Book 1 – Helios

Book 2 – Kronos

Book 3 – Aeolus

Book 4 – Demeter

The Gliese Project – 2020

(Single, Consolidated Book)

The Seven Scepters of the Apocryph – 2020

Humanity First - 2021

Non-fiction

The Icarus Syndrome – 2020

Table of Contents

Introduction

Prologue – The Outbreak

Chapter 1 – Port Elliott

Chapter 2 – Life Day

Chapter 3 – Zombie

Chapter 4 – Reassignment

Chapter 5 – A Calm Night

Chapter 6 – Goolwa

Chapter 7 – Blood Test

Chapter 8 – Time to Go

Chapter 9 – Betrayed

Chapter 10 – The Black Hospital

Chapter 11 – The Pit

Chapter 12 – The Experiment

Chapter 13 – Escape

Chapter 14 – Snapper and Yabby

Chapter 15 – Invasion

Chapter 16 – West Bay

Chapter 17 – Massacre and Retreat

Chapter 18 – Setting Sail

Chapter 19 – Corrororee

Chapter 20 – The Cure

Chapter 21 – The Sanctuary

Chapter 22 – Zombies!

Glossary

Introduction

HUMANITY FIRST is a subgenre of science fiction called zombie apocalypse. Rather than trying to define it myself, I will quote the ultimate source of all online knowledge, Wikipedia:

"Zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which civilisation collapses due to swarms of zombies overwhelming social, law-enforcement, and military structures. Typically, only a few individuals or small bands of survivors are left of the living.

In some tales, parasitic organisms cause zombification by killing their hosts and reanimating their corpses. In this case, zombies also prey on the living and their bite causes an infection that kills.

In either scenario, this causes the outbreak to become an exponentially growing crisis: the spreading ‘zombie plague’ swamps law enforcement organisations, the military and healthcare services, leading to the panicked collapse of civil society until only isolated pockets of survivors remain. Basic services such as piped water supplies and electrical power shut down, mainstream mass media cease broadcasting, and the national government of affected countries collapses or goes into hiding. The survivors usually begin scavenging for food, weapons and other supplies in a world reduced to a mostly pre-industrial hostile wilderness. There is usually a 'safe zone' where the non-infected can seek refuge and begin a new era." (Wikipedia.com)

This book was specifically written to fall squarely within this subgenre.

Humanity First has an unusual history.

Early in 2017, I was hired as a collaborator/ghostwriter by Robert Hill of Australia to assist him in writing a novel based on a story idea and a list of characters he had. We worked on the book for several months, but our work suddenly stopped after Robert suffered a personal tragedy. The last I heard from him was in late 2017, and despite repeated efforts to contact him over the years, I’ve been unable to do so.

At the time of the stoppage, the book was about half-written. Because of Robert’s initial development and collaboration on the first part of the book, I have registered him as a contributing author on all editions of this book. I acknowledge that this book was his brainchild, and it would not have been written but for him.

Recently, I resurrected the book from my archived files and decided to finish it. While doing so, I had to complete the story, including the ending, which, at the time of my losing contact with Robert, he had not yet shared with me. So, I have no idea how Robert wanted to see the story end, or even if he had an idea at that time. I also went completely through it, rewriting many portions, adding things here and there, and editing everything again. The results can be seen on the following pages.

Because the book was with the story taking place mainly in Australia, it was written using Australian English spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It also contains a lot of Australian slang – ‘Strine’. To help the non-Australian reader interpret these, a glossary has been included at the end of the book. If you come across any words or phrases you are unfamiliar with, check there for a possible reference.

One interesting feature I discovered in revisiting this book is how much the threat of and devastation of zombies is similar to the fears and effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Just a coincidence?

I hope you enjoy reading Humanity First as much as I enjoyed writing and re-writing it.

W. D. Smart

Humanity First

An Australian Zombie Apocalypse

W. D. Smart

In Collaboration with Robert Hill

Prologue

The Outbreak

THEY CALLED IT ‘THE Outbreak’. Such a pitiful name for something that would shatter the world into a thousand pieces, decimating the population, and even pull technology itself to a screaming halt as the world tried to reorganise its life. Mankind learned that a word they had only ever used to scare each other, a word pulled from the depths of their own imagination, could exist in reality as well.

Governments around the world reacted to The Outbreak in their own ways. Some sealed their borders or towns with walls and rules. Many governments lost their own countries as the people, desperate for their own survival, took laws and their fate into their own hands. Of course, some places became completely overrun. Britain no longer exists in today’s world. Its people now mindlessly shuffling through the decimated ruins of a country that once controlled the known world.

Humanity, however, is ever resilient. The same traits that allowed us to become the dominant species on the planet ensured that we survived what was once thought to be its end. New countries and nations emerged, new powers and leaders of the desperate and hopeless sprung up from the cracks in the earth. In New Australia, a new government was created with the creed Humanity First. These two words became the rallying cry of the people. A new world rose from the ashes of the old where people could live again and where a man could be born and live his life free in the knowledge that he need never fear the horrors of The Outbreak.

Finally, man was safe from the zombies.

Safety, however, like everything else, has its price, and that price was freedom. The Humanity First government of New Australia had been given a crystal-clear mission from its citizens. That mission was to create both a new physical environment and social structure that were as safe as possible. This was not only the primary goal of the government but, in fact, the only goal.

Assuring physical safety was the easier task of the two. To avoid a repeat of the horrific catastrophes of wholesale slaughter visited upon all major metropolitan cities during the darkest years of The Outbreak, the surviving population was split up into medium-sized communities known as city-states. Each of these communities was located in an existing town chosen strategically to take advantage of food production and natural food sources.

Some were located inland where they had access to good soil and could grow crops and mine the mineral resources needed to support all of New Australia. These inland cities were protected on all sides by an imposing wall. The valuable resources outside the wall essential to the life of the city were effectively guarded.

The sea afforded a natural barrier and protection on one side of the coastal city-states, also serving as a source of food and means of safe transportation. A new web of roads known as the Refuge Road linked all the city-states by land. The walls and adjoining lands were guarded at all times by members of Humanity First’s domestic security forces known as The Guardians.

However, providing the social security the terrorised citizens were asking for was a much more complicated matter. In order to do this, Humanity First needed to assume complete control of all aspects of its citizens’ lives. All commerce, including access to food, was done only in Humanity First outlets. No private forms of motorised transportation were allowed. Humanity First ran buses throughout the walls of the city-state and operated transportation both by sea and overland for those few citizens that required inter-city-state travel. All news media, both electronic and paper, were under the strict control of Humanity First.

Since the contagion threat had only been controlled and isolated but not completely eradicated, government healthcare was essential. Humanity First developed an elaborate and effective system of clinics and hospitals to both test and treat any citizens at risk for contagion but also to serve as research centres to continue the all-important search for an actual cure.

Everyone understood that the price of safety is freedom. What could be said, however, is the New Australia’s city-states, effectively run by Humanity First, were very, very safe.

As for freedom, though, well..., that was another matter.

Chapter 1

Port Elliott

ANDREW YOUNG GROPED for his phone that was lying beside him just out of his reach on his bedside table. It was playing an obnoxiously cheerful tune in an effort to wake him up. He was having none of it. He held his pillow tightly over his eyes to keep out the morning sun and was trying to reach the phone without having to look. He succeeded in touching it, but only to knock it off the table onto the floor. It was still playing that annoying ditty he had chosen to use to get him out of bed. It was working. He finally gave up, flung his pillow off the bed, rolled over, picked up the phone, and mercifully turned off the alarm. It was now 6:32 a.m. Time to rise and shine.

He got out of bed and shuffled over to his closet. It was a workday, so he didn’t have to make a choice of what to wear. He pulled one of his three sets of light green coveralls off a hanger and laid it on the bed. He looked at it proudly. It had taken him two years of study to get to where he was today. First, there was a year devoted to learning about the government itself, how it came into being, and what services it is able to give to all the citizens. The second year was focused on blood drawing and testing and how to conduct an effective patient interview.

Over the left breast pocket of the coveralls was embroidered the official seal of the Healthcare Division of the Humanity First government with his title above and name below:

OVER THE RIGHT BREAST pocket was the official seal of the Humanity First government, showing a family thankful for the protection their government is constantly providing them:

AS HE UNDRESSED TO prepare for his morning shower, he took the time to look at himself in the full-length mirror attached to the back of his bedroom door. He thought he looked pretty good for his age, twenty-four. He was a little thin, but that’s better than being fat like some of his colleagues. He could always put on weight, he thought. Maybe it was time to start the exercise program he’d promised himself for the last four years. After all, many on the radio had been talking lately about the importance of everyone being physically healthy. Yes, that was a good idea. He made a mental note to start on that next week, for sure.

After his shower, he dressed and went into his small kitchen to fix his breakfast. What would it be today, oatmeal with raisins or oatmeal without raisins? He couldn’t’ decide, so he just closed his eyes, reached into the drawer in which he’d thrown all the packets of instant oatmeal, mixed them around a bit, and pulled one out. Aha! Oatmeal with raisins it would be, then.

After he put a cup of water in the microwave to bring it to a boil so he could make his instant oatmeal breakfast – with raisins – he turned on the radio. The only station was the official Humanity First news station, and the usual morning broadcast was already underway:

... kilometres of road repairs. Port Elliot’s Farmer’s Group 7 has reported a record harvest of 357 kilogrammes of potatoes from their Field 12, a 10% increase from last year. Fishing Group 3 reported their lobster catch for the last week has been down, but the oyster harvest has more than made up for it. Port Elliot’s Guardians reported three attempts at wall-breaching overnight. All attempts were thwarted, making today the 212th day without any zombie attacks within our walls. Next time you see a Guardian on the street, let him know how much you appreciate his efforts to keep you safe.

The microwave bell sounded, and Andrew removed the hot water and emptied the instant oatmeal packet contents into it. Suddenly, preceded by a series of soft tones, Chris White, First Protector and leader of the Guardians, broke into the regular news for a special announcement...:

Unfortunately, I have some bad news to report. The citizens of Hahndorf were attacked last night by a swarm of an estimated fifty zombies. We were alerted to this attack by our sister city, Goolwa. We sent a squad of Guardians to join with them to assist the citizens of Hahndorf. At this time, the mopping up is still underway, but the latest causality figures reported were twelve citizens killed and infected, eight citizen suspected of infection, and thirty-five zombies destroyed by Goolwa’s and our combined Guardian forces. No Guardian casualties have been sustained.

Hahndorf was a community sixty kilometres north of Port Elliot and about twenty kilometres south-east of the ruins of Adelaide. It was mainly a farming community but also had a large group of the descendants of the once-proud city of Adelaide. Adelaide was the site of one of the most horrendous massacres during the height of The Outbreak, which has been immortalised by the patch on the right shoulder of all Guardians. It depicts a raised, clenched fist with the words above and below, exhorting, Remember Adelaide! It was not a city-state in and of itself and was not completely walled-in. It didn’t have a permanent attachment of Guardians stationed there. It did have an enclosure of a two-meter-tall chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, but that will only slow down a swarm of determined zombies. With no regular detachment of Guardians to protect them, they were at the zombie's mercy, a quality which zombies decidedly do not possess.

Andrew stirred the oatmeal and tested it for heat. As soon as he could stand it, he wolfed down the oatmeal along with a glass of powered, instant orange juice and headed out the door for work.

The bus stop was close to his apartment complex, and when he approached it, he saw it was just as crowded as it usually was this time in the morning. He moved through a portal that read the ID chip embedded in the back of his right hand and gave him a priority for boarding. He didn’t have top priority. Humanity First government officials had that, and Guardians had a second-place priority. Still, health workers were high on the list, certainly much higher than regular workers like those in commodities distribution, general maintenance, farming, or fishing. He only had to wait for the second bus, and then he was off on his short bus ride to the clinic in the centre of town.

The streets were already crowded with bicycles. A few small motorbikes also buzzed around here and there, but most people not riding the Humanity First bus were either walking or pedalling their way to work. What few motorised vehicles that could be seen were either Guardian police vehicles or pickup and delivery trucks and vans, also operated by Humanity First.

Andrew’s bus moved past the main bus depot without stopping. There were large crowds of people there, most having been bused in from Goolwa, Port Elliot city-state's sister city. Goolwa was home to farmers, manual labourers, and others who provided services for Port Elliott.

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IN CONTRAST, PORT ELLIOT was home to the Port Elliot City-Sate’s Humanity First personnel, including the local headquarters of the Guardians. Also, all highly-skilled workers, such as Andrew, a healthcare worker, were provided accommodations within the city’s walls. The two cities were each protected by their own walls on three sides, and the fourth side was protected, of course, by the sea.

The city centres were about 15 kilometres apart and were connected by a section of the Refuge Road. This road was also protected by a high fence and was regularly patrolled by teams of Guardians. Zombie incursions on the road were rare but not entirely unheard of. The last one Andrew could recall was over six months ago and involved one of the commuter buses that operated between the two sister cities. It occurred in the evening, on the return trip to Goolwa, and resulted in the deaths of all citizens onboard.

From what was reported, the bus was attacked, forced off the road, and turned on its side. By the time the Guardian patrol arrived, the zombies had broken into the bus and were slaughtering everyone. The Guardians had no choice but to use their immolation weapons and cremate the entire bus – zombies and citizens together.

The only good zombie is an incinerated zombie...

...is a slogan born of experience learned at a terrible cost.

As Andrew got off the bus at the city centre and weaved his way through the crowd towards the clinic, he spied a colleague strutting her way towards him. Hey, Nikki, he greeted her, How are you today?

Great, and you? she cheerfully replied as they arrived at the clinic, and she unlocked the door. After relocking the door behind them, they walked through the waiting room and into the back offices.

I’m good, at least a lot better than some of those folks over at Hahndorf, he quipped as they turned into the lab where they did most of their work. Zvipo and Willow, their other two colleagues, had already arrived and were making coffee.

Hahndorf? Willow called out as she turned around to welcome Andrew and Nikki. Yes, I heard about that this morning.

Heard about what? asked Nikki and Zvipo simultaneously.

The massacre! Andrew asserted. I heard the First Protector on the radio this morning report that last night they were attacked by a swarm of zombies, and hundreds were killed.

Not ‘hundreds’, Willow interrupted, I heard the latest casualty count is still only in the twenties. There may be more to come once they’ve run blood tests on the survivors, she added.

Well, maybe not ‘hundreds’ yet, but you know how these kinds of things snowball. You never know who’s going to end up infected, Andrew countered, trying to defend his exaggerated statement.

I heard some of our Guardians were deployed to help, Willow added. When they return, they’ll probably all have to check in here for their own tests.

Yes, agreed Nikki, as if we didn’t already have our plates full with our regular testing schedule.

Speaking of which, Zvipo broke in, the clinic will open in five minutes, and if I’m not mistaken, we are all booked up throughout the entire morning.

Andrew sighed, went over to the duty board, and read the morning’s assignments. This was not as easy as it sounded. There were three blood clinics in the Port Elliot City-State. Two were in Port Elliot itself, one near the city centre and one near the harbour. The third clinic was in the smaller, sister city of Goolwa. There were two four-person teams assigned to each clinic. These teams cycled around working some days at the clinic and some days in the field. Each of the teams had their own regularly scheduled day off. Andrew’s team, Team 2, had Saturdays off, and the other team, Team 1, had Sundays off. There was also an emergency team made up of four Guardian medics who could fill in during absences or even take over an entire clinic if necessary. All the team members of all teams were completely cross-trained and would rotate between the three jobs at each clinic.

Andrew mumbled to himself as he navigated through the complex chart, Okay..., Team 2, Wednesday, Port Elliot, Central Clinic..., here they are, and then barked out the assignments for the day, "Willow, you’re at the front desk. Zvipo and I are drawing blood. Nikki, you’re in the lab