How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse

“Zaid! Linda!”

As the freight train drew closer, Nabin called out those names.

His pace, previously sluggish due to the crutch, quickened slightly.

As Nabin took the lead, Aiden turned his head towards Arian behind him.

“Are there really people inside?”

“Yeah. Two people on that train. He doesn’t seem to have lied about that.”

Not only the presence of his companions, but their number as well matched Nabin’s statements.

Then were they truly residing in this abandoned train as their base?

Amid those thoughts, someone peeked their head out from the train.

“Nabin?”

It was a Southeast Asian woman.

Her age seemed similar to Nabin’s, but she had a curiously frail demeanor.

Upon spotting Nabin, that woman covered her mouth in surprise.

“Nabin, you’re back!”

She hurriedly disembarked from the freight train and rushed over to him.

“Where have you been? We thought you were dead.”

“So did I. I thought I was a goner too.”

Having barely reunited with his companion, Nabin spoke those words with a brightened expression.

“But why is your leg like that? What in the world happened to you…”

The woman began examining Nabin’s injury, specifically the crutch and splint he was using, only then noticing Aiden’s group behind him.

“Nabin, who are those people?”

The appearance of strangers seemed to surprise her somewhat, but rather than reaching for a weapon, she awaited Nabin’s explanation first.

The perceptive woman had likely grasped the situation to some degree based on Nabin’s condition.

“Ah, well…”

“Nabin? Is that Nabin who’s back?”

However, before Nabin could respond, another companion emerged from the train.

A Middle Eastern man in his 40s.

For some reason, his face and hands were stained with what appeared to be black grease, yet he smiled broadly upon seeing Nabin.

“Nabin!”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m back!”

Nabin called out to him as well.

The man rushed over and grasped Nabin’s shoulders, some grease rubbing off onto Nabin in the process, but neither seemed to care as they shared their joyous reunion.

“Ah, my apologies.”

Finally regaining his senses, Nabin recounted the recent events to his companions.

How he had encountered zombies during his scavenging activities, sustaining an injury that left him trapped at the truck repair shop, and so on.

“You made it all the way over there? And here I was, searching the opposite side of the town these past few days!”

The woman spoke those words with a sigh.

She added that they had suspended their scavenging efforts for two days to search for Nabin, even failing to locate his corpse and resigning themselves to the worst.

Scratching the back of his head, Nabin flashed a wry smile.

“Yeah, I did stray quite far from our original location. Anyway, it was these people who found me. A junk dealer, and the ones who treated my injury and brought me here.”

At those words, the wariness in their gazes towards Aiden’s group visibly diminished.

They then offered words of gratitude before introducing themselves directly.

The man’s name was Zaid Karem.

The woman was Linda Green.

“So, about that… I now need to compensate these people. It was a request, you see. I didn’t have anything on me, so I promised to pay later. My apologies.”

Nabin spoke those words with an embarrassed tone towards his companions.

However, Linda shook her head, and Zaid patted Nabin’s shoulder reassuringly.

“I’m just glad you’re alive. More importantly…”

Zaid’s gaze turned towards Aiden.

His eyes, now slightly more serious than before, seemed to scrutinize Aiden carefully.

“What sort of compensation would you prefer? I’d hate to be stingy in a situation like this, but our circumstances aren’t exactly abundant either…”

It was an oft-heard line when receiving delayed compensation for a request.

However, Aiden didn’t simply dismiss it as an excuse.

Considering their situation here in Snyder, it was likely an earnest statement of their precarious position.

The available resources remaining in this town were undoubtedly scarce, and the environment hardly conducive to resupplying.

A small town with a population barely reaching 10,000 even three years ago.

Apart from a few mid-sized stores and a motel along the main road, it was essentially just rows of residential buildings unlikely to yield anything of value.

“Do you have any ammunition?”

So Aiden inquired about weapons instead.

In response, Zaid shook his head with a brief sigh.

“No, we don’t have…”

“What about explosives?”

“None.”

Hmm- Aiden let out a contemplative hum.

When he subsequently asked about gasoline or medicine, the responses were similar.

Just as Aiden was resigning himself to accepting only their blood as compensation, Zaid made an unexpected proposal.

“What about food supplies instead?”

He offered to provide food and water as compensation, if Aiden was amenable to it.

Of course, Aiden was willing to accept those as payment.

The simple reason he hadn’t asked about them first was this:

For survivors dwelling in a town like this, those were the resources most likely to be depleted compared to others.

Food and water weren’t supplies that any survivor group could conserve based on their principles or inclinations. To the extent that, for those eking out an existence in such a small town, it was far more common to have ammunition remaining than excess food stockpiles.

“…Not a bad offer.”

Which was why, even as Aiden accepted Zaid’s proposal, he harbored a slight suspicion.

However, rather than voicing it overtly, Aiden waited for Zaid to continue.

“Then how much would be appropriate…”

Afterwards, Aiden engaged in negotiations with Zaid.

The result was an agreed compensation of some food and water supplies, along with the blood of the two companions excluding the injured Nabin.

“Here you are.”

Immediately after concluding their negotiations, Zaid handed over the promised compensation to Aiden.

An unopened bottle of purified water and a few canned goods.

In exchange, Aiden provided them with the blood collection kits.

“This is the last of them.”

In the midst of that exchange, Arian whispered those words to him.

Had they already depleted their entire stock of syringes?

Making a mental note to replenish them, Aiden spoke up again.

“Do you know how to use these? If not, we could assist.”

“No need. We can manage.”

Zaid took the syringes and retreated into the train.

In the meantime, Aiden meticulously examined the food supplies Zaid had handed over.

“…”

They were cans containing corn, tuna, and potatoes respectively.

While the contents varied, their condition was exceptionally good for abandoned items.

No dents or signs of rust whatsoever.

Of course, their surfaces did bear clear scratch marks of some kind.

However, upon closer inspection, those seemed to have been inflicted very recently.

As if someone had purposefully marred the otherwise pristine canned goods.

Additionally, while the contents differed, all the cans were from the same manufacturer.

“Could it be…”

Considering that possibility, Aiden alternated his gaze between the canned goods and the freight train that served as their base.

He had wondered why those three would choose to establish a base in this barren small town, let alone on an abandoned railway line devoid of anything useful.

But now, he felt he might have grasped the reason.

Perhaps the cargo this train had been carrying… was none other than these very canned goods.

“…”

Of course, whether that was the truth or not, it wasn’t Aiden’s concern.

Even if they were living amidst a veritable mountain of canned provisions, Aiden had no intention of taking them by force.

That would be the act of a plunderer, not a junk dealer.

Instead, a different thought had occurred to Aiden.

If they truly possessed abundant food stockpiles with a surplus of specific supplies, it meant they had the leeway to hire a junk dealer for requests.

“Here you are.”

In the meantime, Zaid had returned and handed over bottles containing their blood.

He still wore an expression of bewilderment regarding why Aiden had requested this, but Aiden accepted it without a word.

“Alright. That concludes our business.”

Aiden announced the completion of their first request.

Zaid nodded in agreement.

However, Aiden then added something he hadn’t originally planned.

“By any chance, do you have another request for me?”

It was nearly a rhetorical question, closer to a statement of certainty.

Out of their small group of just three people, one had sustained a broken leg.

He would likely be immobile for at least a month, so the remaining two would undoubtedly struggle to handle everything on their own during that period.

Which was why…

Zaid briefly hesitated before finally opening his mouth.

“…We do have one, actually.”

“What are the details?”

“Well… it involves finding certain components…”

The request Zaid presented was an unexpected one.

He required several components, including a large steel spring, all matching precise specifications.

“…You’re looking for something like that?”

“Yes. These are standard parts for American diesel locomotives.”

Zaid explained that if they followed this railway line, they would reach a makeshift station.

In the vicinity of that station were various companies and warehouses dealing with train-related components.

“We should be able to find these parts there. It might sound simple, but in truth, that area has quite a few zombies, which prevented us from approaching. Would you be capable of handling it?”

“Zombies, you say… are there any mutants among them?”

“I’m not sure. But it wouldn’t be surprising if there were.”

“Hmm…”

Aiden let out a brief contemplative hum.

It was certainly a request worth accepting.

While locomotive components wouldn’t be easy to transport, the act of locating them shouldn’t pose much difficulty for Aiden’s group.

However, Zaid’s underlying intention for seeking out such items nagged at Aiden’s mind.

“You seem curious about why we’re looking for these.”

Picking up on Aiden’s perceptive gaze, Zaid spoke up.

He raised his hand, gesturing towards the halted freight train.

“We intend to repair this train.”

“Repair it?”

“Yes. I was originally an engineer employed by a railroad company. And the rest of my friends here also worked for the same company.”

They were a type of survivor group that had solidified after being trapped at their workplace by the zombie outbreak, their original workforce numbers dwindling over three years to just the three of them now.

And their goal was the reactivation of this very train stationed here.

“So you truly intend to get this train operational again?”

“It’s possible. Fortunately, the engine itself is undamaged.”

Zaid spoke those words with conviction.

To such a statement from a trained technician, Aiden could only nod in acknowledgment.

“Of course, there are other areas that need work, but we can handle those ourselves. The crucial components are these brake parts, which are currently in a state of complete disrepair and require replacement.”

“…I see.”

“So if you could procure these parts for us, we’ll purchase them at an agreed price. The exact prices would be…”

Zaid then quoted the price for each component in terms of quantities of canned goods.

It was by no means a low figure.

If Aiden could obtain all of them, it would suffice as their food supply for quite some time.

However, Zaid wasn’t being overly generous either.

Rather, his proposal essentially ensured no loss on his side.

The method of purchasing the retrieved items meant there was effectively no failure compensation.

If Aiden was unable to locate the parts after battling through the zombies, he alone would bear that risk without gaining anything in return.

“Hmm…”

Which was why Aiden briefly contemplated the offer.

While there was certainly potential for loss, combat against zombies was a comparatively lighter burden for Aiden’s group compared to an ordinary junk dealer.

Additionally, they currently had a surplus of blood supplies.

Meaning Arian could be deployed if necessary.

So any battle to secure the industrial area occupied by zombies would likely conclude within a day or two at most.

“Alright, I’ll accept it.”

Therefore, Aiden nodded in agreement.

Considering the potential gains, investing that amount of time wasn’t a loss.

“Excellent.”

And so, the next request was confirmed, concluding Aiden’s discussion with Zaid for the time being.

Aiden glanced up at the sky.

A considerable amount of time had already passed.

“We’ll retrieve those components first, then talk again later.”

With those words, Aiden’s group parted ways with Zaid, Linda, and Nabin.

They returned to their temporary shelter on the outskirts of Snyder.

* * *

The next day…

“Is this the place that Zaid mentioned?”

Upon arriving at the small industrial district located at Snyder’s northernmost edge, Arian surveyed their surroundings.

With the railway line running through the center, long and low buildings were arranged on either side.

Interspersed among them were various pieces of heavy machinery like cranes and bulldozers, symbolic of an industrial area.

“It would seem so. And there are quite a few zombies present, just as he said.”

Moreover, within those factory grounds were zombies clad in faded work uniforms.

Perhaps they had unfortunately been workers struck by the zombie outbreak while on duty.

Sadie’s mournful gaze lingered briefly on them as she gripped her crossbow.

“But… which of these places has the components we need?”

Arian gestured towards a few factories as she posed that question.

At a glance, there appeared to be over 20 factory or warehouse buildings in this area alone.

However, Zaid hadn’t specified which particular structure contained what they sought.

“Hard to say. We might need to check them all.”

“All of them?”

“Well, we can narrow it down to some extent by their names.”

Aiden pointed towards a nearby factory’s signboard.

It bore the name and logo of a once-famous telecommunications company.

Hardly a business that would deal in train parts.

“Ah, you mean filter them that way?”

Seeming to understand Aiden’s approach, Arian nodded in agreement.

“Then what about that one over there?”

Arian indicated a factory across from them.

The rusted signboard displayed the name ‘E&T Auto Tech’ – an ambiguous moniker that didn’t immediately clarify their operations.

“That one… we should probably check it out.”

Aiden began heading in that direction.

“Kieeeee…”

At his approach, a zombie standing at the entrance slowly turned its head, alerted by the movement.