Mira Grant - Deadline

Subject 139b was confirmed as bitten on the evening of June 24, 2041. The exact time of the bite was not recorded, but a period of no less than twenty minutes elapsed between exposure and initial testing. The infected individual responsible for delivering the bite was retrieved from the road. Posthumous analysis confirmed that the individual was heavily contagious and had been so for at least six days, as the virus had fully amplified through all parts of the body.

Analysis of blood taken from the outside of Subject 139b’s hand confirmed that infection had been successfully passed when the bite was delivered. (For proof of viral bodies in Subject 139b’s blood, please see the attached file.) Amplification appears to have begun normally and followed the established progression toward full loss of cognitive functionality. Samples taken from Subject 139b’s clothing confirm this diagnosis.

Subject 139b was given a blood test shortly after arriving at this facility and tested clean of all live viral particles. Subject 139b was given a second test, using a more sensitive unit, and once again tested clean. After forty-eight hours of isolation, following standard Kellis-Amberlee quarantine procedures, it is my professional opinion that the subject is not now infected, and does not represent a danger to himself or others.

With God as my witness, Joey, I swear to you that Shaun Mason is not infected with the live state of Kellis-Amberlee. He should be. He’s not. He started to amplify, and he somehow fought the infection off. This could change everything… if we had the slightest fucking clue how he did it.

—Taken from a letter sent by Dr. Shannon Abbey to Dr. Joseph Shoji at the Kauai Institute of Virology, June 27, 2041

Contents

Front Cover Image

Welcome

Dedication

Extras

Meet the Author

A Preview of BLACKOUT

BOOK I: Point of Infection

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

BOOK II: Vectors and Victims

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

BOOK III: The Mourning Edition

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

BOOK IV: Immunological Memory

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-one

Twenty-two

BOOK V: The Rising

Twenty-three

Twenty-four

Twenty-five

Twenty-six

Coda: Living for You

Twenty-seven

Acknowledgments

By Mira Grant

Praise for Feed

Copyright

BY MIRA GRANT

The Newsflesh Trilogy

Feed

Deadline

Writing as Seanan McGuire

Rosemary and Rue

A Local Habitation

An Artificial Night

Late Eclipses

Praise for Feed

“Welcome to the world of Feed . It’s perfect summer apocalypse reading.”

—io9.com

“Gripping, thrilling, and brutal… Shunning misogynistic horror tropes in favor of genuine drama and pure creepiness, Grant has crafted a masterpiece of suspense with engaging, appealing characters who conduct a soul-shredding examination of what’s true and what’s reported.”

— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“… Complex, amazingly intelligent…”

—blogcritics.org

“It’s a novel with as much brains as heart, and both are filling and delicious.”

—The A.V. Club

“The zombie novel Robert A. Heinlein might have written.”

— Sci-Fi Magazine

“The story starts with a bang as corruption, mystery, danger and excitement abound.”

— Romantic Times (4-1/2 Stars)

“What I know for a fact is that this book is terrific entertainment, likely to be remembered as the one that put zombies over for the previously uninitiated.”

—greenmanreview.com

“So if you want a dash of political intrigue, a dose of journalism, zombies, horror, suspense, brilliant writing and a heaping and often steaming pile of truth—then go get yourself a copy of Feed by Mira Grant.”

—flamesrising.com

“While there’s plenty of zombie mayhem, political snark, and pointedly funny observations here, the heart of this book is about human relationships, which are still the most important thing in the world… even in a world where you might have to shoot the person you love most in the head, just to stop them from biting off your face.”

— Locus

“ Feed is a proper thriller with zombies. Grant doesn’t get carried away with describing her world or the virus. She’s clearly thought both out brilliantly, but she doesn’t let it get in the way of a taut, well-written story.”

— SFX

“Like the most memorable works in the zombie canon, Feed uses its zombies (those reanimated corpses teeming with Kellis-Amberlee) to examine humanity. And this, dear readers, is really goddamn cool.”

—thebooksmugglers.com

“This is a thriller… the worldbuilding here is fascinating in and of itself. And the characters kept me hooked all the way through, particularly as Grant pulls no punches in showing just how ugly a conspiracy in high places can get… I can’t wait for the next book.”

—N.K. JEMISIN, author of The Broken Kingdoms

“ Feed is a cross-country tour through a post-apocalyptic America with certain contemporary digital trends blown up to satirical proportions, punctuated regularly by zombie attacks… Grant delivers some excellent surprises along the way.”

—Beatrice.com

“A classic zombie tale with a great new twenty-first century media twist.”

—DAVID WELLINGTON, author of Monster Island

“Plain and simple, zombie fiction fans should definitely seek out and read this ingenious (and deeply thought-provoking) novel.”

— Explorations, PAUL GOAT ALLEN

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coThis book ental.

Copyright © 2011 by Seanan McGuire

Excerpt from Blackout copyright © 2011 by Seanan McGuire

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-316-13426-2