Navis Salubris – Chapter Four – Riitta

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Navis Salubris Serialized Short Stories

by Mel Dawn

We’ve met our three previous characters, and have two more left to meet. They were each carrying on what was anything but a normal day—Abdul was fighting a war in Iraq until he realized he should be fighting for the human side—Nell suffered from an illness and was confined to home until the zombies broke in—and Wei was a young girl trying to avoid the zombies at a market in China. Each has been presented with a ticket—but what type of ticket do you send to five people who are experiencing the end of the world? Let’s see if Riitta and Sam receive a ticket too.

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Riitta of Sweden

Riitta had been running for the Prime Minister of Sweden until zombies had taken over the small town of Trosa, where her parents lived. One by one her family had succumbed to the zombie plague, but the first thing Riitta learnt was that that was no guarantee that one would continue living. One by one she watched as her parents succumbed to the illness, and then her younger sister and brother. 

But instead of them turning into a family of zombies, they each disintegrated before her eyes. What was giving life to the zombies banging outside their doors and windows was not what would give them life. 

Riitta was doing her best to shovel dirt over their graves in the back yard, when she heard a zombie coming up behind her. She tensed and raised the shovel into the air. It was not the first time that she had to knock the head off a zombie. 

The zombie tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to drop the shovel. Since when were zombies civilized? She whirled around to confront him.

This zombie was male, and besides his distinctive glowing blue eyes, he was in relatively good condition for a dead person. He lifted his right hand and held something out to her.

“I don’t want any trouble,” she said to him in Swedish. 

The zombie mumbled a reply in turn. He nodded to the envelope, asking her to take it.

Riitta took it from his hands and watched as he turned and left the yard. How strange. They didn’t do that normally, did they?

She tore open the envelope. Inside was a ticket. She smiled, but had difficulty, as the flesh on her face was toughening up and turning black. Even though her eyes were glowing blue, she could still read the instructions on the ticket. 

Next... Chapter Five – Sam.

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You may be interested in these other chapters:

Navis Salubris – Chapter One – Nell
Navis Salubris – Chapter Two – Abdul
Navis Salubris – Chapter Three – Wei

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BC Government Asks: Citizen, are you ready for the Zombie Apocalypse?

Today, for your amusement let’s chat about the Zombie Apocalypse. You won’t need a job after December 21^st, right?!

Apparently the BC (British Columbia) government has decided that a Zombie Apocalypse is a real threat and has set up a website and blog with coping strategies. Click here to check it out.

While it’s not new to post online tips about the Apocalypse, the American CDC did the same last year, but it is unusual for a government hopping on the bandwagon. In a few week's time I won't be surprised to see a website telling us that the threat is imaginary and for no need to panic!

I don’t see a specific date mentioned, though it is claimed that the Mayan’s calendar ends on December 21^st. But then they found a new calendar going into the 2040s, so now I won't have to worry about an Apocalypse until I’m old and grey. I need not worry about what I have to save up for retirement as I can just plunder what I want from Safeway in 2040ish and/or the neighbours. They leave their door open so the zombies will get them first.

With the recent NDP haranguing the Conservative government on every issue from cuts in education, health and federal employees, I’m pleasantly surprised to see this new website. It offers some great tips on survival strategies and what to store in your supplies kit.

Apparently the goverment felt their citizens weren't taking earthquake preparedness serious enough, so they set up this wonderful new website. Their hope is to reach a segment of the population, approximately 95%, that generally ignores what they have to say.

Check out the Government BC website for helpful on planning strategies for the Zombie Apocalypse. Because if you are prepared for zombies, you are prepared for a disaster!

Will You Thank the Lord for the Apocalypse?

It's eerily quiet outside

An article on Yahoo entitled "Will the world end in 2012?" reports that 9 percent of Canadians believe in the December 21, 2012 Apocalypse. These people believe that according to the ancient Mayan calendar, the world will actually be ending!

There has been some dispute over whether the Mayans in fact have predicted this or they just hadn't invented an infinity symbol for their calendars yet.

What gives me a chuckle is the contingent that the Mayans got the date wrong, or that we have somehow miscalculated it due to the Gregorian calendar not existing during Mayan Times. Does this mean that these people believe that the Apocalypse is coming, but that we have the date wrong?!

For the 9%, I'd like to do a poll and find out how they believe the world will be ending. A World War III? Perhaps a drought or flood? An alien invasion? Or will it be an all-out zombie Apocalypse? Zombie fans are a-plenty on the online social groups.

I'm also finding it a bit troubling that 9% of Canadians even have this belief. Are they depressed over the Canadian economic predictions? They should be jubilant. Now there's no need to find a job, as one will not have to support oneself past December 21st.

Perhaps the believers are like me, a science fiction fan who has hopped on the bandwagon and decided that a big celebration is in order. I joined a Zombie Apocalypse survival group. She who is prepared has greater chances for survival. 

I've even bought a calendar containing the countdown, plus survival tips. The calendar does go past December 21st, but all those days are crossed off. I was a bit annoyed at first that there is no space to write anything on the calendar, but then realized that there really is no point in celebrating or doing anything this year, unless it is in direct correlation to the Apocalypse.

The title of this post is in reference to a song by Abney Park. They'll be entertaining us after the Apocalypse.

I'd like to tell everyone that I'll see you all there, but sadly I can't.