Punks Versus Zombies - Episode 42 of the weekly post-apocalyptic zombie survival serial

Welcome to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything...

The van cruised down the deserted highway, the engine rumbling as they approached the outskirts of Indianapolis.

Tommy leaned back in the passenger seat, his brow furrowed. “We still looking at going into Indy for a supply run?”

Roxy shook her head, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “No way. Columbus is only three hours away if the roads are clear. We should just keep moving.”

“She’s right,” Zero said. “We need to keep pushing forward.”

Tommy frowned at him. “You were the one pushing for this.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe Roxy has a point. We can last a few more hours on what we have, Tommy boy.”

Tommy sighed. Roxy and Zero had a point, but they couldn’t keep running on empty forever.

Jimbo leaned forward, his head popping up between the front seats, a grin splitting his face. “Dudes, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we swing by the Indy Speedway? Take a few laps, blow off some steam. It’d be a blast.”

Zero fixed Jimbo with a stare. “Are you serious? We’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and you want to play racecar driver?”

Jimbo held up his hands, his grin widening. “Hey, I’m just trying to keep things interesting. We could all use a little fun, right? Maybe we could Mad Max this thing.”

Tommy shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He glanced over his shoulder at Laila, who sat hunched against the window, her arms wrapped around herself, her gaze distant. She’d hardly said a word since they’d left the farm.

“What do you think, Lai? Indy or Columbus?”

She blinked, seeming to come back to herself. “I don’t care. Just…I don’t care.”

Tommy’s chest tightened at the flatness in her voice. But he didn’t know how to help her, how to ease the burden she carried.

He turned his attention back to the road stretching out ahead of them. “Okay, let’s put it to a vote. All in favour of pushing on to Columbus?”

Roxy raised one hand from the wheel. Zero’s hand shot up too. After a moment’s hesitation, Laila lifted her hand.

Tommy glanced over at Jimbo, who shrugged. “Majority rules, dude.”

Tommy nodded. “Alright then. Columbus it is. Let’s just hope the roads are clear.”

Roxy pressed down on the gas, the van surging forward, her jaw set in concentration as she navigated the empty highway.

“You okay?”

She flicked her gaze to him before turning back to the road. “I don’t know. I just…I just want to get home.”

He reached over, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. “We’ll be fine.”

She nodded, but the tightness around her mouth didn’t ease. “I hope you’re right.”

Tommy swallowed hard, his own longing for home, for Niamh and Sean, rising up to choke him. “We’ll make it back, no matter what it takes.”

She held his gaze for a long moment, searching his face for something. Then she sighed, focusing back on the road.

The van sputtered and rolled to a stop, the engine dying with a final, wheezing cough.

Roxy frowned, twisting the key in the ignition.

The engine cranked, the sound harsh and grating, but it refused to turn over. “Damn it!” She slammed her palm against the steering wheel. “Not now. Not here.”

Jimbo leaned forward from the backseat. “What’s going on? Why’d we stop?”

“Van’s dead.” She tried the key again, but got only a sickly clicking in response. “Won’t start.”

Zero unfolded himself from the backseat, reaching for the door handle. “Pop the hood. Let me take a look.”

Roxy complied and Zero made his way around to the front of the van and lifted the hood. He disappeared from view, obscured by the raised metal.

Jimbo scratched at his beard, his eyes flickering from the open hood to the empty road stretching out ahead of them. “This is bad, dudes. Like, really bad. We’re sitting ducks out here.”

Roxy shot him a glare. “You think? Tell us something we don’t know.”

Tommy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. His head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing behind his eyes. He needed a drink.

But he pushed the thought away, forcing himself to focus on the problem at hand. “Okay, let’s not panic. Zero knows his way around an engine. If anyone can get us moving again, it’s him.”

Laila shifted in her seat, her arms wrapped around herself. “And if he can’t? What then?”

Tommy met her gaze, seeing the fear and exhaustion etched into her face. “Then we’ll figure something out. We always do.”

Roxy snorted, shaking her head. “Sure, because that’s worked out so well for us so far. Face it, Tommy. We’re screwed.”

Before Tommy could respond, Zero reappeared at the driver’s side window, his face grim. “It’s the fuel pump relay. Damn thing’s fried.”

Tommy blinked, the words washing over him without really sinking in. “The what now?”

Zero sighed. “The fuel pump relay. It’s what sends power to the fuel pump. Without it, the engine won’t get any gas.”

“Okay, so how do we fix it?”

“We don’t. Not without a replacement.”

Tommy threw up his hands. “Great. That’s just great. And where exactly are we supposed to find one of those?”

Zero shrugged, his eyes hard. “We could try to scavenge one from another car. But that’s assuming we can find one that’s compatible.”

Roxy leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest.

Tommy rubbed at his temples, the ache behind his eyes intensifying. He glanced over at Laila, hoping for some support, some guidance. But she remained silent, her gaze distant and unfocused.

“Okay, look. We need to make a decision. We can’t just sit here waiting for something to happen. Let’s head into the city, find one of these fuel cap thingies.”

Zero rolled his eyes. “Fuel pump relay.”

“Whatever, man. Let’s get moving.”