The Trotting Dead: Unquiet Equestria

The Trotting Dead: Unquiet Equestria

As written by Joseph Raszagal
Inspired by Fallout, Metro 2033, and a show that really took me by surprise
Prologue – An Excerpt from the Personal Diary of Nurse Redheart

“Fear is a part of life. It's a warning mechanism. That's all. It tells you when there's danger around. Its job is to help you survive, not cripple you into being unable to do it.”

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“So it seems that our dreams will never come to be
How could such a stupid thing destroy humanity?
A few weeks till extinction and there's nothing we can do
A message sent to other worlds will say, 'It was just the flu'”

• “Just the Flu” by NOFX

~ ~ ~

Despite the griffons' many bombing runs, it didn't really start with a loud bang or a roar of thunder.

No, once the dust had settled, everything was quiet. Far too quiet. We should have taken that as a warning. We knew that they had chemical and biological weapons, we just didn't know what kind.

It all truly began afterward, with a simple cough. That was what they wanted. That was the first sign.

Soon thereafter, the victim in question would experience cold chills throughout their body and a strong fever. From there the fever would continue to escalate and delirium would set it, leaving the victim rambling incoherently for hours on end. The strong would last longer, sometimes retaining their lucidity for several days, but by day five it would always end the same way.

They would die...

...and then they would get back up.

I still remember the quake in my legs as I watched it happen for the first time. Were the patient not strapped down to their bed in response to their thrashing while they were still frantic and alive, I'm certain I wouldn't be here recording this right now.

I was frozen in place, my hooves heavier than lead.

I should have reacted faster. As a nurse, I've been trained to respond to any and all medical situations.

Well, most situations.

Doctor Strain paid the price for my slow response. Before I could muster up a coherent warning, he had already approached the bed. In an instant, the patient lurched up with a frightening amount of speed, using their only free limb, their head, to take a sizable bite out of the doctor's throat. The rush of blood was instantaneous. Before I knew what had really even happened, Doctor Strain fell to the floor in a series of convulsive spasms.

He was dead within minutes.

I just stood there, aghast, as my former patient moaned and groaned, no doubt seeking freedom from her straps so she could do the same to me.

Once I finally found my strength, I rushed out of the room and down to the hospital's security station. My story must have sounded insane at first, but I suppose my frantic urgency was what had convinced the officers to investigate the situation.

Several gunshots were fired... at two targets.

Autopsies were performed on both, the results of which were at the same time confusing and horrifying.

It was clear that they were dead, but at the same time they were not.

A virus of unknown origins had infected just about every cell of their bodies. Strangely, the virus seemed to react to both living and dead cells. However, the way in which it reacted to them was vastly different. The virus appeared to be some form of symbiotic parasite, attacking living cells and then regenerating them after death, converting them into factories that produced yet more of the virus. For a viral infection, this was nothing new or groundbreaking, but the way in which the process took place was. The cell structure changed significantly after regeneration, to the point that the barely resembled the cells that they once were.

Little fillies and colts were the first to succumb to the unknown epidemic, their underdeveloped immune systems incapable of battling the virus. After them, the sick and elderly followed suit. Young adult mares and stallions seemed to stand the best chance of immunity, but only against airborne infection, now known as “primary infection”. Contact with bodily fluids from an infected victim, however, left no room for any such immunity. We've dubbed this “secondary infection”.

It should be noted that several species do seem to be completely immune. The bulk of my research has revolved around discovering why. Of the three members of our group who were exposed to secondary infection, only Spike (a dragon) and Skitter (a changeling) survived. For precautionary reasons as well as for the sake of further research, they remained confined to their beds for several weeks even after showing no signs of infection. It broke my heart to do it, but it had to be done. Luckily, both Spike and Skitter were compliant, understanding even, and neither resisted even once during their time in isolation.

Whatever this virus is, all I know now is that it can't be battled. Thus far, there is no conceivable cure. Worse yet, studying it now seems hopeless. Only once we reach Friendship City in the Manehattan metros will I even be safe enough to continue my research. To anypony reading this, that is where the last of Equestria is based. If you want to survive, go there.

I only hope I'll be able to do the same.

Good luck, everypony. May the Goddesses be with you.

• Nurse Redheart

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To be continued in Chapter One – Awakening to Death Following a Near Death Experience...

~ ~ ~

Author's Game:

Guess the opening quote before the song lyrics!