J. Knoll - Zoe, Undead

She nodded in slight motions and pitifully replied, "Me."

His brow shot up. "You?" he barked in a loud voice. "You think you're the enemy here? You'd better get your head on straight, little girl."

"But I'm a zombie," she whined.

"I don't see it!" he yelled. "I see someone we've taken in here. I see someone who has gone out to help us win this war we have to wage against an enemy that has no remorse, no honor and will not stop until we are all extinct. Now, do you intend to keep on helping us or are you going to lay there like some worthless, non-fighting hippie who expects to be given an easy living at the expense of the rest of us?"

Zoe looked away and considered.

Colonel Halstead raised his chin and barked, "Are you part of my family or not?"

Pushing herself up, Zoe held the teddy bear to her and slid from the bed, and she stood as straight and tall as she could as she replied, "Yes, Sir."

"I can't hear you!" he shouted.

She shouted back, "Yes, Sir!"

"Outstanding!" he yelled. "You know where the rally area is downstairs?" When she nodded he barked, "Sound off, young lady!"

"Yes, Sir!" she yelled.

"Be down there in fifteen minutes. We are going to equip you properly, then you are going to learn how to execute this war upon your enemy with great prejudice. You will be instructed in the art of combat, stealth, and you will learn to be a little killing machine, unleashing a hellish wrath upon your enemy that they will have no answer for. Does this turn you on?"

She raised her chin, a sense of pride and importance welling up inside of her and she replied in a loud voice, "Yes, Sir!"

"At the rally point in fifteen minutes, soldier!" He squinted slightly and looked to the sides of her head. "And do something with that hair! You will report fully regulation and ready to unleash a vengeful fury upon your enemy and by God you will make them regret the day they killed your family!"

"Yes, Sir," she repeated.

The Colonel stormed past her, toward the door as he commanded, "Carry on, Private."

Zoe reported early, her hair pulled up in a pony tail. She had traded her scrubs for her shorts and a white tee shirt that fit her too big, and her pink running shoes and stormed from the elevator with a sense of purpose she had never felt before. Stopping among the soldiers who were cleaning weapons and checking other gear, she looked around her and finally saw a familiar face, a private who she had been on the last mission with. Approaching him from behind, she tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Have you seen Colonel Halstead?"

He looked her up and down and replied, "Uh, no, I haven't seen him."

She nodded and turned away, looking for him again. Approaching Sergeant Morris' driver on the last mission, she folded her hands behind her and inquired, "What'cha doing?"

He glanced at her and smiled, then looked to the disassembled weapon he had laid out on the table and picked a piece up with the dirty rag he had. "I'm cleaning up Ma Deuce. She fires a lot better when she's clean."

"Ma Deuce?"

"M-2 heavy machine gun," he explained. "Fifty caliber. It'll stop just about anything short of a main battle tank. Works wonders on moaners."

Zoe nodded, looking to the pieces and parts, and asked, "Can I help?"

"Sure thing, Princess," he answered. "Right there is the solvent we use to remove powder residue, dirt and gack from the parts. Just wet one of those rags and start wiping something down. Gotta get her all nice and clean!"

With another nod, Zoe picked up an important looking part, took a rag and went to work.

"You look like you've done that before," he commended.

She smiled at him and kept working.

A few minutes later, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to the elevator as Colonel Halstead yelled, "Where's my zombie girl?"

Still holding the piece she had been cleaning, Zoe spun around and announced, "Here!"

He strode right up to her, looked to the machine gun part in her hands and nodded. "I see you're jumping right into the middle of things. I like that."

"I'm good at this," she informed.

"Yes you are," he confirmed. Looking around him, he loudly said, "Okay people, listen up! We have a new recruit signing up and we need witnesses." Looking back to her, he raised his chin and folded his hands behind him, ordering, "Put that down and raise your right hand."

She complied, setting the rag and part down on the table behind her and raising her hand.

"Your other right hand," he growled.

She switched hands.

He started by clearing his throat, then, "Do you solemnly swear that you will uphold and defend the constitution of the United States, defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and kill the hell out of any and all zombies you contact so help you God?"

Zoe nodded and confirmed, "Yes, Sir."

"State your name," he ordered.

"Zoe Rebecca Templeton," she complied.

"I don't like that name," he announced. "From now on your name is Private Princess."

A little ripple of laughter swept through the room and she smiled just a little.

"You got that, soldier?" he barked.

With a quick little nod, she giggled, "Yes, Sir."

"See to it you remember that, Private. Finish up with this M-2 and then report to Sergeant Morris for outfitting. He'll be in charge of getting you trained and equipped." The Colonel turned smartly and strode back toward the elevator, ordering, "Carry on."

Not quite an hour later, Tex strode into the rally area, looking around for the girl and finally saw her, and he did not expect what he saw. From the beginning, the other soldiers largely rejected her. She was a zombie, the enemy, and that was all the soldiers had been able to see. Now, most of them were embracing her. Most of them surrounded a table and seemed to be cheering her on as she worked to reassemble the big fifty caliber machine gun, and he stopped behind part of the crowd as she slid the last pieces into place, turned the barrel to lock it into the receiver, then she pulled back the bolt and let it slam home, and when this happened, the soldiers around her raised their hands and cheered her.

Morris folded his arms and shook his head as she raised her hands and cheered with them.

Her eye caught the Sergeant and she lowered her arms as she saw him and she smiled a big smile.

"Okay, children," he called. "I need to borrow Zoe for a while. Everyone carry on and get your gear ready to go. Zoe, come with me."

She bounded to him with the springy step of an excited teenage girl, and when she reached him she informed, "Colonel Halstead doesn't like my name anymore, so now I'm Private Princess."

Hesitantly, he nodded, then turned to the elevators and folded his hands behind him. "Private Princess, huh? Well, okay. Come on then, Private. We have an appointment."

Zoe also folded her hands behind her as she followed him, she still had that little spring to her step and a little swing in her hips as they approached the elevator door.

As they stood at the door and waited for it to open, he looked down at her and observed, "You seem to be feeling better than you did a little while ago."

She nodded, just staring at the door as she confirmed, "Yes, Sir. I feel better." She glanced up at him and explained, "Colonel Halstead explained to me that we are all a family here. I miss my mom and dad and my brother Steve and I think I always will, but he said I'm part of his family now."

"Halstead explained that to you," he said. "So, the Colonel found your smile."

Zoe just nodded and stared at the door.

Tex shook his head and mumbled, "Who knew that crusty old Marine actually had a heart?"

The door opened and they entered the elevator, and both turned to face the door as it closed.