The bombers over Berlin never stopped during that summer. Up until we released the tote Manner tote Manner, Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and the other camps had been spared for some reason. By July, we had a version of the Todesluft device ready for the V2 and after the first few reached their targets, the Allies, realizing where our production facilities must be located, started bombing the camps. I had to drag Weber from our burning laboratories. He wanted to save his "children." I triggered the containment-failure devices and incinerated the last remaining tote Manner tote Manner squads but saved inoculum samples and the Todesluft devices to operate elsewhere. It was curious: the incubation pens and the holding areas were completely destroyed but the gas chambers survived the bombing. squads but saved inoculum samples and the Todesluft devices to operate elsewhere. It was curious: the incubation pens and the holding areas were completely destroyed but the gas chambers survived the bombing.
I had thought to travel immediately to Krakow to be with Elsa. But before I could, Elsa showed up at the camp. Weber, Elsa, Helmut, and I were able to find safety in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the headquarters building. I managed to locate an intact phone and called Willem to tell him where we were.
The bombing ceased in a day or so. The inmates were taken care of and we had food and water. Power was restored the following day.
Weber liked to be near us. Something profound had come undone in him. He mourned the death of his squad over and over. On the third day he accosted me out in the street as I cleaned up the front of the building.
"Could it have been the Jews?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The failure of our tote Manner tote Manner."
I sighed. "The tote Manner tote Manner did not fail." did not fail."
"How can you say that? Germany is still still losing the war!" losing the war!"
I considered responding to this. How could any single weapon ever win a war on its own? It was our our failure, not any failure of the failure, not any failure of the tote Manner tote Manner. But that would only have encouraged him. "We haven"t lost yet."
He ignored that. "We made tote Manner tote Manner out of the Jews. Perhaps there was a out of the Jews. Perhaps there was a judengeist judengeist that impaired them." that impaired them."
"What would you have done instead? Made them out of Germans as Willem did?"
"I should not have been so reluctant to use Poles," Weber said and sat on the bench, sunk in apathy.
I continued shoveling broken concrete and shards of wood out of the street.
Willem showed up that night. He was half-drunk and I was surprised he"d managed to drive all the way from Berlin. Morose and untalkative, he refused to speak until after dinner when Elsa had taken Helmut and herself to bed.
"The Americans are smarter than we are."
"Beg pardon?" I said, ready to defend German intelligence.
"It had to be the Americans. The British would not have considered it."
"Considered what? what?"
Willem stared at me. "Of course. How could you know? They have been raining tote Manner tote Manner on Berlin. All over Germany." on Berlin. All over Germany."
"That"s impossible. Did they drop them out of the bombers? Did they think we would be intimidated by smashed body parts?"
Willem shook his head. "Nothing so complex. All they did was harness them to a big parachute and then tie them together with a bow knot so they would not escape during transport. Then they shoved them out the back of a bomber on a strip line. It undid the bow knot and released the parachute. Some of them were killed, of course. But so what? Between ours and the ones generated from their own ranks, they have enough."
"How were they released from the parachutes?"
"We found a wind-up spring clip. When the spring wound down, the clip opened and they were released. Diabolical simplicity."
I drank some wine. "There are tote Manner tote Manner in Berlin." I tried to frame it as a logical proposition. I could imagine them lurching through the city. in Berlin." I tried to frame it as a logical proposition. I could imagine them lurching through the city.
"There are tote Manner tote Manner all over Germany. There are all over Germany. There are tote Manner tote Manner in London from the V2 Todesluft attack. Von Braun even managed to extend the range of the V2 with a V1 attachment. There are in London from the V2 Todesluft attack. Von Braun even managed to extend the range of the V2 with a V1 attachment. There are tote Manner tote Manner in Moscow. Tell me, Weber. How many in Moscow. Tell me, Weber. How many tote Manner tote Manner must there be to become self-sustaining?" must there be to become self-sustaining?"
Weber peered at him owlishly. "They cannot be self-sustaining. Eventually all of the raw material would be used up."
"You are so comforting," Willem said dryly.
I stared at the wine bottle. "When will they reach here?"
"They were behind me when I crossed the border. One day? Two days? They move slowly but steadily and they will be brought here by our scent."
We had all underestimated them. They were in the camp by morning.
They had broken through the barbed wire holding the inmates easily. The inmates were bitten and mauled by the hundreds. The guards died when they insisted on firing on the tote Manner tote Manner and the and the tote Manner tote Manner, of course, did not fall.
The scent of the inmates was so strong that it overpowered our own smells. The tote Manner tote Manner did not know we were there. We took care to remain hidden in the headquarters building. With so many possible hosts around, the did not know we were there. We took care to remain hidden in the headquarters building. With so many possible hosts around, the tote Manner tote Manner ignored the buildings. Each time a few seemed to take interest, there was another inmate to attack. ignored the buildings. Each time a few seemed to take interest, there was another inmate to attack.
Elsa refused to let Helmut near the windows. During a lull in the fighting she sat next to me as I watched through the window.
"What are those things?" Elsa said quietly. Her face was milk white but her voice was calm. "Max? Uncle? What are those things?"
"We call them tote Manner tote Manner," I said.
"Is that what you were building in the camps? Is that your weapon?"
"Yes."
She shook her head. "Did they escape from another camp?"
"No." Willem laughed dryly. "The Allies were kind enough to return these to us."
"Helmut must not see them."
"Yes," I said. "More importantly, they must not see us."
She nodded.
Eventually, the inmates were all infected. We had discovered in experiments that infected hosts were ignored by tote Manner tote Manner. But there were still so many of them our own scent remained undiscovered. The tote Manner tote Manner wandered off in small groups, heading east toward Krakow. wandered off in small groups, heading east toward Krakow.
The remaining freed inmates, now euphorically infected hosts, were not so ignorant as the tote Manner tote Manner. They tried to enter the headquarters building. Willem and I defended the place as best we could. Hoess and Mengele tried to gain entrance by sweet reasonableness and grumbled when we shot at them. They wandered off arm in arm.
By the end of the third day after the attack, we saw hosts finding small places to sleep. That evening the camp was entirely still.
"We have to leave," Willem insisted. This was Monday morning. By Wednesday night we would be fighting for our lives.
"I"m ready," Elsa said. "Those things things will not hurt Helmut. I will kill him first." will not hurt Helmut. I will kill him first."
I nodded. It pleased me that Elsa understood the situation. "Where shall we go? Our tote Manner tote Manner are to the west and south. are to the west and south. Their Their tote Manner tote Manner are to the north and east. We have no petrol-the depot was blown up in the bombing." are to the north and east. We have no petrol-the depot was blown up in the bombing."
"What shall we do, then?" demanded Willem.
"They are not very intelligent-as I said a long time ago, think of them as crocodiles. They can use their eyes but largely they depend upon scent. Therefore, we can block ourselves up in one of the gas chambers. They are air tight."
"We will smother," said Elsa.
"No." I shook my head. "We have three days. I can devise air circulation. It will be slow and diffuse up through the chimneys. But I do not think it will be sufficient to cause the tote Manner tote Manner to attack the chamber. We can hold out for help." to attack the chamber. We can hold out for help."
It took most of those three days to set ourselves up. We had to change the locks on the doors so we could get ourselves out and convert the exhaust fans to give us a little air. We stockpiled as much food and water as we could carry. I even built a periscope through which I could observe the courtyard in front of the chamber and the areas around.
We were carrying one of the last loads into the chamber when a toter Mann toter Mann leapt on Willem from the roof. Willem grabbed his pistol as he hurled the leapt on Willem from the roof. Willem grabbed his pistol as he hurled the toter Mann toter Mann to one side. Weber cried out and wrestled with Willem. The to one side. Weber cried out and wrestled with Willem. The toter Mann toter Mann attacked both of them. Finally, Willem threw down Weber and emptied the clip of his pistol into the attacked both of them. Finally, Willem threw down Weber and emptied the clip of his pistol into the toter Mann toter Mann"s head. He turned to club Weber but Weber climbed the wall and was gone. Willem turned his attention back to the toter Mann, toter Mann, which had ceased moving as its head had ceased to have any shape. The worms wriggled out like thin spaghetti. which had ceased moving as its head had ceased to have any shape. The worms wriggled out like thin spaghetti.
Willem looked at me and held up his arm. His fingers and wrist were bitten. "Do I have any chance at all?"
I shook my head.
"Well, then." He replaced the clip in the pistol. "Perhaps I have time enough to kill Weber for this."
"Don"t wait too long," I advised. "Once you start to feel the euphoria you won"t want to kill him at all."
"I won"t."
He nodded at me and I saluted him. Then I went inside the chamber and sealed the door.
Which brings me to the present.
It has been ten weeks since we sealed the door of the chamber. No one has come to help us. Sure enough, the tote Manner tote Manner have not detected us though they often walk around the building sensing something. Our scent is diffuse enough not to trigger an attack. have not detected us though they often walk around the building sensing something. Our scent is diffuse enough not to trigger an attack.
But they do not wander off as the previous tote Manner tote Manner did. They have remained. Worse, instead of degrading in ten weeks as our experiments suggested, they remain whole. I am now forced to admit that the deterioration we observed in our experiments was more likely the result of captivity than any natural process. did. They have remained. Worse, instead of degrading in ten weeks as our experiments suggested, they remain whole. I am now forced to admit that the deterioration we observed in our experiments was more likely the result of captivity than any natural process.
I watch them. Sometimes a group of them will disappear into the surrounding forest and then return with a deer or the corpse of a man or child. Then they eat. We never took an opportunity to observe their lifecycle. It seems that once the initial infection period is over, they can, after their own fashion, hunt and eat.
We ran out of water two days ago. We ran out of food nearly a week before that. Helmut cries continuously. The sounds do not appear to penetrate the walls of the chamber-at least, the tote Manner tote Manner do not respond. do not respond.
I had planned to hold out longer-perhaps attempt an escape or brave the tote Manner tote Manner and try to bring back supplies. It is now September. Surely, the impending winter would stop them. Then, when they were dormant, we could leave. But in these last days I have witnessed disturbing changes in their behavior. I saw one and try to bring back supplies. It is now September. Surely, the impending winter would stop them. Then, when they were dormant, we could leave. But in these last days I have witnessed disturbing changes in their behavior. I saw one toter Mann toter Mann walking around the camp wrapped in a rug found in one of the camp buildings. A small group of five or six gathered around a trash barrel in which smoldered a low fire. At first, I thought the disease might have managed to retrieve the host memories or that the hosts were recovering-both indicated disaster for us. We would be discovered. walking around the camp wrapped in a rug found in one of the camp buildings. A small group of five or six gathered around a trash barrel in which smoldered a low fire. At first, I thought the disease might have managed to retrieve the host memories or that the hosts were recovering-both indicated disaster for us. We would be discovered.
But this is different. The tote Manner tote Manner stand near the fires until they smolder and only then move away. They drape blankets and clothes completely over their heads but leave their feet unshod. Whatever is motivating them, it is not some surfacing human being but the dark wisdom of the disease itself. stand near the fires until they smolder and only then move away. They drape blankets and clothes completely over their heads but leave their feet unshod. Whatever is motivating them, it is not some surfacing human being but the dark wisdom of the disease itself.
They are still tote Manner tote Manner and will infect us if they can. There is no hope of escape or holding out. and will infect us if they can. There is no hope of escape or holding out.
Always the engineer, I prepared for this. I kept back a bottle of water. In it, I dissolved some Demerol powder. Elsa and Helmut were so thirsty they did not notice the odd taste. They fell asleep in minutes.
I am a coward in some ways. The idea of me, my wife and my child living on only as a host for worms and microbes horrifies me. Death is preferable. Nor do I trust drugs. The faint possibility they might come upon us in our sleep fills me with dread. I have my pistol and enough bullets for Elsa and Helmut and myself. If they find us we will be of no use to them.
I believe that you, Germany, will triumph over these creatures, though that victory will no doubt be a hard one. The Third Reich will not live forever as we had hoped but will, no doubt, fall to the tote Manner tote Manner. But good German strength must eventually prevail.
For my own part, I regret my inability to foresee my own inadequacies and I regret that I must die here, without being able to help. I regret that Elsa and Helmut will never again see the sun and that they will die by my hand.
But you, who read this, take heart. We did not yield. We did not surrender here but only died when there was no other way to deny ourselves to the enemy. You will defeat and destroy them and raise your hand over a grateful Earth.
It is there waiting for you.
The Skull-Faced City By David Barr Kirtley
David Barr Kirtley has been described as "one of the newest and freshest voices in sf." His work frequently appears in Realms of Fantasy Realms of Fantasy, and he has also sold fiction to the magazines Weird Tales Weird Tales and and Intergalactic Medicine Show Intergalactic Medicine Show, the podcasts Escape Pod Escape Pod and and Pseudopod Pseudopod, and the anthologies New Voices in Science Fiction New Voices in Science Fiction, The Dragon Done It The Dragon Done It, and Fantasy: The Best of the Year Fantasy: The Best of the Year. I"ve previously published him in the first The Living Dead The Living Dead anthology and in my online science fiction magazine anthology and in my online science fiction magazine Lightspeed Lightspeed. He also has a story forthcoming in my anthology The Way of the Wizard The Way of the Wizard that"s due out in November. Kirtley is also the co-host (with me) of the that"s due out in November. Kirtley is also the co-host (with me) of the Geek"s Guide to the Galaxy Geek"s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. podcast.
This story is a sequel to one that appeared in the first The Living Dead The Living Dead anthology. In "The Skull-Faced Boy," Dustin and Jack, two recent college grads, die in a car accident and rise as intelligent zombies. Dustin-called "the skull-faced boy" due to his injuries-organizes hordes of mindless zombies into an army and declares war against the living, while Jack becomes his reluctant accomplice. Their rivalry over a girl named Ashley eventually leads Dustin to carve off her face as well. anthology. In "The Skull-Faced Boy," Dustin and Jack, two recent college grads, die in a car accident and rise as intelligent zombies. Dustin-called "the skull-faced boy" due to his injuries-organizes hordes of mindless zombies into an army and declares war against the living, while Jack becomes his reluctant accomplice. Their rivalry over a girl named Ashley eventually leads Dustin to carve off her face as well.
When "The Skull-Faced Boy" appeared on the Pseudopod Pseudopod horror podcast, it was very well received, and several listeners requested more material set in the same universe. So it was in the back of Kirtley"s mind for a while to possibly expand the story into something longer. When I told him I was editing horror podcast, it was very well received, and several listeners requested more material set in the same universe. So it was in the back of Kirtley"s mind for a while to possibly expand the story into something longer. When I told him I was editing The Living Dead 2 The Living Dead 2, I encouraged him to submit a sequel story.
"This is the first sequel I"ve written, and it"s hard," Kirtley says. "For a long time I was stuck, since by the end of "The Skull-Faced Boy" the conflicts and agendas of the characters are all pretty much on the table. My big break came when I considered creating a new main character, Park. And so as not to repeat myself, I made him completely different from my original protagonist, Jack. Jack is an ordinary young man, sensitive, kind of a doormat type, whereas Park is a very, very dangerous soldier."
Park watched from his car as a pickup screeched to a halt in front of the supermarket. He"d known they would come. The armies of the living were on the march, and the living needed food.
The pickup"s doors flew open and two figures leapt out-a black man and a blond woman. The man, who was older, maybe forty, carried a shotgun. He sprinted toward the store and the woman ran close behind him, her hands wrapped tight around a large silver pistol. The man threw open the entrance doors and vanished into the darkness while the woman waited outside, keeping watch. Smart. But it would not save them.
Park slipped from his car, his scoped rifle clutched to his chest. He crept forward, using abandoned cars as cover. Finally he lay down on the asphalt and leveled his rifle at the pickup.
A dead man in a green ap.r.o.n wandered around the side of the building. He spotted the woman, groaned exultantly, and stumbled toward her, his arms outstretched. The woman took aim at his forehead.