The truck rises off the ground with a satisfying hum. It had taken the better part of half an hour of jury-rigging, switching the Fission battery as well as hotwiring the starting mechanism, but the massive monstrosity of a vehicle was finally operational.
“Good work, Ulrich. Now, is everyone ready? It’s time to crush some zeds.”
Soto turns around to look at the other marines, but finds that one of them is missing.
A pang of worry shoots through him.
“Where the hell is Vasquez?!”
“Right over here, sir!”
The marine comes half-running through the checkpoint, carrying what has to be a mounted gun from one of the sleek military vehicles that lay abandoned and neglected around the checkpoint.
“God dammit, soldier. Rule number one is to not go anywhere alone during ZOMCO, and rule number two is to inform your superior officer! If you do anything like that again I’ll shove my boot so far up your ass you’ll taste leather for a week!”
The marine sinks together slightly.
“sorry sir, I just figured we could use the firepower..”
Soto sighs, and his glare softens.
“Next time, inform me and take someone to cover your back. It’s not the act that is the issue, it’s that you recklessly endangered yourself and others by walking off alone.”
Soto eyes what looks to be a plasma-based mounted machine gun in the soldier’s hands.
“…But you aren’t wrong. We could use the firepower. Mount it on the back of the truck! Hagen, get up there as well. We can’t have too much firepower in this situation.”
The female marine nods, and climbs onto the monster of a hover-vehicle.
“Uh, sir. I don’t mean to rush you or anything, but the zeds have noticed us.”
Ulrich’s comment breaks the moment of peace that they had.
Soto grins.
“Well then, people. Mount up.”
“So, uh, cap?”
Soto revved the engine of the truck, and its’ engine whines satisfyingly.
“Yes, private?”
“What movie are we taking this from?”
“That’d be dawn of the dead, private. The remake. We’ve just switched the buses for a massive truck.”
Soto turns, knocking on the rear window
“You guys good to go back there?”
He’s answered by Hagen giving him a quiet thumbs up, and Vasquez gripping the salvaged gun firmly.
Soto was pleased that his troops had remained so calm and collected this far. Then again, the surreal nature of their current situation made it all seem somewhat like a dream.
Turning back ahead, Soto can see that a even larger number of zeds have turned to move towards them.
Soto puts the pedal to the metal, and the hover-truck shoots forwards, crashing into the first of the zeds, sending them flying like bowling pins, with several being crushed in beneath the massive vehicle.
Streaks of purple and green shoot from the two gunners on the top, tearing into the zombie horde with varying degrees of efficiency.
Where the Phasefire of Hagen’s gun tore clean through the zombies, the plasma-based alien cannon was less effective, and it wasn’t until Vasquez compensated and went for the heads of zombies that it managed to put the undead down permanently.
Soto took aim for groups of zombies; As they were inside a huge, quick moving metal machine they should take advantage of the situation at hand.
As a couple of zombies clung onto the driver’s side door, Soto casually removed his right hand from the steering wheel, and drew his pistol, executing the creature as it tried to bash its’ way through the window.
As he holstered his gun, the truck impacted a bloated, pregnant-looking zombie. Instead of being knocked aside or crushed beneath the vehicle the creature bursts, spewing vile, green goop over the front windshield.
Soto isn’t surprised. Exploding specimen are a common zombie thrope, although he does feel disgusted seeing it up close.
He can see masses of tiny worms writhing in the liquid.
Well, at least that gives some hints as to the Zombies’ means of spreading, Soto thinks as he turns on the window wipers.
Pushing the gas pedal to the floor, Soto sends the improvised tank hurtling forwards, crushing anything that comes in into their path.