'My body is so battered and my head feels so heavy.'
Nigel Oneal thought in his heart as he sat there feebly leaning against a broken helipad stair while his body was covered in bloody scratches and bitemark.
'Looked at that, they sure can't wait to eat me.'
His eyes focus on the trembling baton on the door handle where he jammed it when he ran through the rooftop, the shaking keep on getting harder and harder as if there was a great force trying to push the door open.
Nigel keeps on hearing the unintelligible roaring and messy footstep sound and as his nose twitch when he sniffs in the stink of the dreadful scent of decaying meat in the air, he knew right away that the number of zombies is increasing.
He looked upon the dimmed night skies that once in a while there will be a falling star adorning the bleak atmosphere of this zombies apocalypse world.
'Ah.. so this is my last mission and where my journey will end, not bad, not bad at all actually. They're saying that with every star that falls is another human who died. I wonder if it's true.'
BANG-
Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the door direction as it burst open and many zombies are slammed into the concrete ground as they keep on pushing one another just like a wave while trying to reach Nigel.
Nigel sat there waiting for the swarm of zombie's waves to come to where he is as he was too weak to do anything to put on the last hurrah of his life.
'I eventually die at this e-commerce headquarter rooftops... It is all my fault for being too delusional and not listening to any of your reasoning, goodbye.'
Nigel thought his last and closed his eyes so that he can't see the hateful zombies and just rely on his hearing, Nigel can hear the zombies coming closer to his position while the surge of stinkiness scent that they bring confirmed it.
Finally, Nigel feels the burning pain of his skin and flesh being torn apart by the zombies starting from his leg to his torso and lastly his neck until he can't feel any more pain.
___
Nigel believes that he is dead but he is so confused as to why he feels comfortable as if he just woke up from a good rest. He slowly senses through all of his body, it was warm, just like his last memory of the bed he used to sleep in before the apocalypse.
tring-tring-tring
'Why am I hearing my old alarm clock at a time like this?'
He slowly opened his eyes and to his surprise what awaits him is a clear white ceiling, unlike the moss moldy ceiling he used to see whenever he woke up from sleep. Nigel hurriedly sat up and look around while scrutinies every nook and cranny of what he believed to be his old apartment
"What... happened?" he asked himself a question of what he considered to be unbelievable, even he had a doubt of what was shown before him.
Nigel picks up his long-lost smartphone that was charging on a small table at the side of his bed and take a peek at the calendar that revealed the date, 'impossible, I went back 8 years to the time before the virus accident and its 3 months before that happen again!'
He searches through his memory back to the time when the zombies apocalypse begin where the dark yellowish fog covers the entire world.
He remembered clearly at the time when he just finished his work and relaxing at his apartment watching the news when suddenly an emergency broadcast show up telling people to be at home at all cost because an explosion and bio-chemical leakage was happening at a bio-medical research and development center
Since then, the world shifts in unprecedented ways; the living dead that is known as a zombie he sees from watching movies and believe to be another fantasy becomes a reality, unpredictable mutation that gives ordinary people a power many dreamt of having before sprouts everywhere
The government bodies having a hard time keeping the intrinsic balance of orders running smoothly between groups of survivors and the dark side of humanity shed its veil as the bright side get devoured by the depressing ugly truth where powers reign supreme.
After he confirmed his memories of those 8 years of surviving the apocalypse and remembering every little important detail, he got up from the bed and take a cold shower to calm down his nerves.
"It's 3 months away, luckily I had enough time to prepared for the incoming apocalypse once more and this time I will live a life where I don't have to be hungry every time as I can just rent a large house before the apocalypse and grow my own food." Once Nigel thinks more about the life he will be having, he got excited that he said it out loud unconsciously.
When he got dressed ready to go enjoy the little bit of civilized day and quit his boring jobs, a sudden sound like a cold talking robot talk sounded in his mind
['The Apocalypse Shopping System' is now online]
'What?' Nigel stood in front of the door, with a confused expression on his face
[Dear valued customers, we are happy to announce to you that our system is now online. You can call me Iris and if there is anything you like to ask, feel free to call me anytime from now on]
'What do you mean? Iris? What is this?' He got more confused and lost by the voice on his head as he scratches the now beardless chin
[Hello, Mr. Oneal.
Thank you for calling Iris, we are 'The Apocalypse Shopping System' that have span our businesses to multiple planets and galaxies.
You have been chosen by us as one of our valued customers and we will offer you our various product ranging from your home planet and many other planets out there and assist you throughout the apocalypse with our services for your home planet 'Earth']
"…" Nigel struck speechless as he can't believe that something ridiculous like 'The Apocalypse Shopping System' existed. But, he can't say for sure as he himself went through one of that ridiculous experience of reincarnation as he comes back to the past.
'So.. what must I do for you and what type of currencies that you accepted?' He tried to calm down by asking any relevant question that he wants to know and went back to the living room to sit on the sofa.
[What you must do is stay alive, as that is one of our wishes so you can keep buying our product and increasing your customer status as you get to live throughout the apocalypse more easily with our help.]
[The type of currencies that we determined to be of use in your 'Earth' is the Origin, or what you called 'Energy Nucleus Core' from the zo…]
"How can you know about Energy Nucleus Core?!!" Nigel cut Iris's talk as he believes that he is the one who currently knows about the Energy Nucleus Core that will be produced from the back of the zombie's brain in the future.
[Before we determine someone eligible to receives our System, we will study and analyze his or her memory. So, we already know beforehand the civilization, culture, language, and so on in your planet 'Earth' as we can't take a risk before we study the market.]
[Now, do you have something else you want to ask me?]
'Ok..' Nigel doesn't know whether to laugh or cry as his biggest secret got revealed and there are many embarrassing situations in his memory.
'Why do you choose me now as there are still 3 months before the apocalypse happens?' He asked Iris just to make sure why they choose him now.
[It is for us to give you our introduction package and complimentary service as we invest in your growth before you handle the apocalypse]
'Wow, so nice of you to give me something like that. So, how do I get this introduction package and its services?' Nigel still can't trust their word until he got something out of this Shopping System.
[As it took quite an energy to open up a portal to delivered the package before the instant-delivery device got in your hand, we estimated the portal to be set-up and ready in one and a half months from now on. Which means it will arrive on March, 20th.]
'Well, it's understandable if you delivered it from the 'distance galaxies'. What is your recommendation on what I do before the package arrives? And I believe you must have goals or missions for your businesses right?' Nigel now curious on why they set up a business based on an apocalypse theme
[You just have to exercise to get your body ready as delivering something without a tool take up your energy and as our prospective customer, we don't want any negative outlook from you]
[And for your second question, it's simple actually, as our founder doesn't want any civilization to perish and go through what he experiences. So, 'The Apocalypse Shopping System' mission is to eradicate or prevent whatever apocalypse that threatens to destroy any civilization in the universe.]