Chapter 2："Voices from the Apocalypse: The News Broadcast"

Chen was jolted awake by the loud crackling of radio static, a cold sweat breaking out as he realized the noise could attract zombies. He quickly dashed downstairs to the laundry room on the first floor to shut off the radio.

"Crackle... received... Louisville... reporter's signal... crackle..."

The radio emitted intermittent sounds, heavily disrupted but clearly trying to broadcast something about Knox County.

Chen glanced at his watch—it was 7:12 AM on July 8, 1993. At this hour, the softball field camp in Louisville should still be standing with surviving residents and military police. Sadly, in a few days, they would all be wiped out, abandoned, and forgotten.

With a bitter chuckle, Chen mused that the zombie plague didn't even have a known pathogen. People died mysteriously and then rose again, hungry for human flesh.

Adjusting the radio volume to the lowest setting, Chen pressed it against his ear.

"Jay... you mentioned... the Knox... situation?"

"This is Kentucky Radio... Jay... Louisville camp... riot, General McGruder attacked by subordinates! The General suspects... mutiny! Some maniacs are tearing... oh my god, what's happening to them?"

"Repeat that? Jay?! Jay!?"

The static went silent. No signal, even though the source was close. The U.S. military was likely suppressing the broadcast, trying to cover up the situation.

No matter. In half a month, even the residents of Washington D.C. would become flesh-eating monsters. Zombies couldn't tell the difference between the powerful and the powerless.

Chen turned off the radio and removed the batteries, placing them beside the unit to preserve power.

He wandered through the house, peeking outside through a lifted curtain. The gated community seemed devoid of zombies, likely because most affluent residents had fled or sought refuge at the military camp in Louisville.

For now, the area was relatively safe, though small hordes could still follow him. He could live here for a while, but who knew when water and electricity would cut off? According to the game, services usually stopped by mid-July, and the quarantine around Knox would collapse as America succumbed to the zombies.

Sealing off the unknown airborne pathogen was pointless. Covering up the truth? The runners would expose the reality to Congress and the military.

Chen found a pot of stew in the kitchen surprisingly still edible. He heated it up and sat in front of the TV, watching the occasional program amidst the static of 1993 television.

In the game, videotapes and books were excellent sources of skill experience. Corresponding skill books provided theoretical knowledge and multipliers for gaining experience, while tapes directly offered skill experience.

The fastest way to level up in the game was to find educational VHS tapes like "I Love Auto Repair" and "Craftsmanship" at the video store, combined with skill books for quicker leveling.

However, tapes and books were hard to collect, especially in small towns like Riverside. Books could be found in homes, post offices, and libraries, but tapes were rarer, with most in the sole VHS rental: "Shock Video."

Chen approached the town from the southern forest edge, spotting the town center complex from afar. The double-story building housed liquor stores, restaurants, camera shops, and more, including "Shock Video." But the hordes around it kept Chen at a distance.

He found a "I Love Auto Repair, Season 2" tape in the villa, perfectly paired with a skill book for an upgrade. While eating stew, he watched the tape, the low volume ensuring stealth, until his Mechanic skill reached level 2.

Chen remembered that Electrical level 1 and Mechanic level 2 allowed him to hotwire vehicles. Cars from this era lacked security locks, so hotwiring was straightforward, with no issues post-ignition.

Life seemed hopeful.

Chen decided to dismantle some furniture and small appliances to raise his Carpentry and Electrical skills. Though inexperienced in woodwork, he expected dismantling several tables and oak beds would boost his Carpentry to level 2.

Game skills were easy at first and harder to progress with time.

Knox had 350,000 residents before the outbreak. Post-quarantine, counting workers, military police, and medical staff, the figure was around 400,000. Most were in towns, like Louisville, with at least 200,000 people.

Riverside had only 3,000-5,000 people, making clearing it of zombies relatively feasible.

Chen peered out a window where a girl had reposed peacefully. The street bore only debris and a few wandering zombies. Eastern Riverside's lower population density made it safer than the west.

Lighting a cigarette, Chen soothed his severe nicotine cravings from the "Smoker" trait, calming his nerves.

Reflecting on his experience in Project Zomboid, an immersive, hardcore survival game with strong community support and entertaining mods, Chen realized he knew the layout of "Knox County," based on real-world Kentucky.

If only he'd arrived years later, the game would have provided even more insight.

He still had a "Blueberry Town Travel Guide" – a mod extra. Blueberry Town lay southwest, near a mysterious military base.

Finishing his cigarette, Chen saw the zombies retreat from the sun into bushes.

Crushing the butt, he realized his limited cigarettes must last. He geared up with a crowbar and a handsaw, entering Lizi's room where he'd dragged her and her mother's bodies, ready to dismantle furniture.

Although the smell was terrible, he didn't want to risk attracting zombies by throwing them out the window.

Lightly prying nails from the wooden furniture and dismantling the oak bed and chairs with precision, he skillfully dismantled the room. The distorted bodies were too ghastly, so he covered them with a bedsheet.

With the room cleared, he moved on, needing various skills to survive, from using generators and making rain collectors to sawing planks.

A week had passed since the outbreak. Water and power could cease any moment; unprepared, he'd end up like the upstairs bodies.

Breaking a sweat in his denim gear, he stripped the house of dismantlable items, leaving only a bed for himself. He changed into clean clothes from the laundry room, noticing the radio again.

Fitting the batteries, he adjusted the channels, hoping for signals. "Voice of America" came through clearly, while most channels were static.

Persistently searching, he stumbled onto a clear signal.

"...We're in hell..."

Swiftly tuning back, Chen heard a voice say, "...good life has left us..."

The clear radio suggested a nearby source, possibly within Knox County, ignoring military jammers.

"I know most Americans are clueless about Knox, but I'm from Rosewood. We're living in hell..."

Chen turned up the volume slightly, aware the military likely detected the frequency and interfered.

The transmission was filled with static, "Dead rising... God, pity us..."

"...Knox is done... don't hesitate! They're not who you knew... I'm... dead..."

The signal drowned in static. The outside world hadn't accepted reality, and the military spent efforts to mask it.

Chen pondered the mixed blessing of hearing another survivor. The oppressive government dampened his relief.

They would ruin everything.

Keeping the radio on low, hoping to catch more broadcasts, Chen turned his focus on survival, knowing he couldn't die here.

Hungry, he raided the kitchen, well-stocked with sauces, canned goods, and perishables. Enough food for a fortnight.

Chen planned to stay until utilities cut off, enhancing his strength and skills. By then, zombies would weaken, fewer runners making it safer. A survivor base wasn't feasible now.

His Electrical 1 and Mechanic 2 skills from dismantling furniture meant he could hotwire cars, but doubt gnawed at him. Could he really do it?

In the game, an unskilled person could hotwire after dismantling hundreds of watches to reach Electrical 1 and watching videos for Mechanic 2. In real life, knowledge gaps left uncertainty.

Nevertheless, time made zombies weaker; some resources like meat and lemons would expire, but survival trumped it all. Staying put seemed best.

Without nearby hordes, he could explore neighboring villas once his foot healed. For now, a meal was needed.

Opting for something quick, Chen grabbed a can of peas, considering future steps and his limited weapons, primarily the fragile spear.

Bleak prospects clouded his thoughts.

He'd sleep, hoping tomorrow brought clearer solutions.