The television and radio stations all aired the same story. Frightened newscasters reading police and government reports stating that due to unknown reasons that the recently dead are rising and attacking any living thing in sight.

Nashville Cannel 11 News, "It seems that all recent reports have been proven to be true that the recently dead are for what reason is yet unknown, reanimating and attacking the living." The frightened reporter continued his grisly report, "These reports have been triple checked and all federal and local agencies are setting up heavily armed rescue stations over the entire country." The newscaster began to weep, "To reduce risk to you and your families you are urged to get to one of these immediately." 

At twenty-five thousand feet a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter is surveying the Nashville downtown area. The Tennessee National Guard command and control helicopter is overseeing the evacuation of the city. Colonel Tom Minetti is in command of the days operation, "This is Hawke one six to Liberator three four over?" The call was repeated three more times before being answered by a frantic soldier, "This is private Andrews the Captains dead the Lieutenant is dying too, the dead are all over the place please help us get the fuck out of here!" The soldier continued, "The missions fucked the entire shel <sound of heavy automatic weapons fire> is over run we need…" The frantic voice was replaced with the gurgling sound of a torn throat and the chomping of freshly torn meat being consumed by voracious mouths. Minetti vainly tried to re-establish contact but it was useless, the only reply he was given was the sounds of carnage that replaced the once orderly rescue mission. Below in the carnage soldiers were trying to form hasty firing lines desperate to fight off the dead. Frantic aiming and exhausted ammunition supplies crushed all hopes of walking out of the mission alive.

Minetti tapped his pilots helmet, " OK get us the hell out of here!" As the helicopter approached the cities federal building the pilot called in, "This is Hawke one six to dispatch over." The dispatcher called back in the all to common frightened voice, "This is dispatch hurry and land you’ll have to refuel immediately," "We lost contact with the first floor twenty minutes ago." He continued, "We might have to make a quick exit." As the aircraft landed; a flood of soldiers running for their lives greeted them. They were being followed by a slow moving mob of ghouls. Minettis heart sank as he looked up to see that the helicopters blades had stopped moving. The crew was quickly trying to refuel and start the aircraft. Running out of time and ammunition the soldiers tried to detonate the extra fuel drums to try and buy more time for the crew but in the rush that their fear had brought on they planted too many charges. A soldier screamed, "Set off the charges!" The resulting explosion was too effective sending flame and shrapnel into the soldiers and the aircraft. Minetti awoke in a world of pain, soldiers were being massacred everywhere he looked. The crew tried to get the aircraft airborne even if it was missing three blades on the main rotor. The helicopter managed to get five feet in the air before losing control and slamming into a wall of zombies. The resulting explosion managed to knock Minetti out once again. When he awoke he was greeted by being the only available food source for the approaching dead. Losing his weapon during the first explosion the only choice he had was to await his journey to oblivion.

Six months after it all began for the first time in history the UN sent forces to the United States. The hurriedly assembled force called the operation the Reanimation War. The forces were sent to try and bring the plague to a quick end before the problem spread across the globe. Humanities reaction was far to late for the problem spread within the months of the operation being assembled. Soldiers in the operation began to desert and flee to their homelands that are suffering the same plague. Some units decided to stay, among these was the armored scout unit second platoon of the fourth company the Iron Dragons. The unit was composed of soldiers from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. With all contact lost from their command structure the unit began to write their own mission platforms. Priorities were set: food, fuel and safety. The unit was composed of scout vehicles, Humvees and two command vehicles. The scouts were composed of four M-3 Bradelys and four LAV-25s. There were also four Humvees and two command vehicles. The Humvee is the high-speed vehicle of the unit. Half truck and half jeep the Humvee can carry troops or a variety of weapons ranging from machine guns to grenade launchers. The M-3 Bradley is tracked armored infantry fighting vehicle that has a twenty five millimeter auto cannon and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. This vehicle has a three-person crew and also carries six mechanized infantry soldiers inside the troop bay. The LAV-25 is similar to the Bradley except it has six solid rubber wheels and the cannon is replaced with twin forty-millimeter grenade launchers and a 7.62mm machine gun. The LAV also has a three-man crew with six soldiers in the troop bay. The two command vehicles were modified LAV-25s sporting two 7.62mm machine guns and no cannons the command vehicle is designed to direct the operation not to give fire support. The command vehicle also has radio and satellite communications equipment allowing it to communicate with its base and all of the units in the battlefield. The commanding officer of the unit is Captain Lawrence Keel, sitting in his command LAV he surveys the area terrain as his armored units’ roll through the deserted rural road. Keel looks over to the other command vehicle and sees his executive officer Patrick Laroche the young Lieutenant from the French foreign legion was lighting his second cigarette in less than ten minutes. The captains radio operator taps him on the shoulder, "Sir Strider one one is calling in its situation report." He responded, "Outstanding!" "Give me the handset." The captain made contact with his recon section, "Strider one one this is Strider one six over?" The recon unit responded, "This is one one stand by to copy sitrep over." The three-man team riding in the scout Humvee reported the days activities, "Stand by for salute form out." The crew sized up the objective in front of them, "One one is approximately four hundred meters from a truck stop on route 47 about thirty dead lumbering around in no real direction all appear to be civilian in dress, the truck stop has twenty diesel pumps and a main building is a single story structure with numerous windows with no movement inside the structure we are one mile east of your position over." The captain took in all the information and began to form a plan for a hasty raid on the truck stop. He yelled over to his second in command, "Laroche get over here I got an idea." Keel looked over the map that the soldiers from the recon team had created. The truck stop consisted of four five fuel pump islands and the main building. He called over his section leaders as well as his second in command, "This is how we’ll do it." He pointed to the map; "I want our four Bradleys from Sergeant Iberrez scout section to make two sweeping passes down the four lanes of the fuel area, dismount and then clean up the rest with the mechanized infantry." He continued to detail his plan, "After you clean up the outside begin to refuel, the dismounted infantry can split up having half provide cover while the others refuel the vehicles." Keel pointed to Sergeant Harper, "OK Harper while Iberrez is making his runs on the truck stop I want you to provide cover from overwatch positions on the hill twenty meters to the objectives east." "Once Iberrez has finished cleaning up the outside of the station you need to move your men in fast and assault the building, clear it fast and get any supplies we can use." "Priority should be given to can foods and medical supplies." "Once Iberrez finishes fueling Harper you need to repeat the same fueling process while Iberrez provides cover for your team." The captain looked everyone in the eye to make a serious point, "Now lets make sure everything is done with precision because the dead in the area are going to swarm on the noise we’ll be making and don’t start shooting wild because if one of those pumps goes up its going to be a real mess." "Todays mission will be called Symphony." The name said it all. Everything had to be coordinated perfectly. 

The soldiers began to start their vehicles, making final equipment checks and rehearsing the battle plan. Iberrez and Harper looked over their vehicles and then began inspecting their infantry. Each soldier was outfitted in urban camouflage and armed with the French FN Herstal assault rifle. The unit rolled toward the objective and Iberrez called his commander on the platoon radio net, "This is Symph two six making our first run."

The four vehicles moved on the truck stop. Iberrez held his arms in a "V" shape letting his other vehicle commanders know that he wanted them to maneuver their vehicles in a wedge formation. Leading the wedge, Iberrez was sweeping the entire area with his machine gun. The dead were dropping over the entire station. Two more passes and it was time to dismount. Inside his vehicle Iberrez addresses his men, "Alright count off!" The men began to count from one to six. The even numbers would exit the vehicle from the right and the odds would exit on the other side. He called to his other vehicle commanders, "Dismount!" "Dismount!" "Above all match the pumps." "Kill everything that moves and make sure they stay down we don’t want any surprises." The soldiers moved through the area making sure not to hit the pumps. The dead stayed were they belonged on the ground and unmoving. Their shell casing were falling like a brass rain shower. Private Martin began to have his own fun at getting payback at the things that had ruined his world, "Look at me I’m Billy the fuckin’ kid!" Corporal Cruz began to egg him on, "Yeah get some mister the kid!" Watching the battle from a neighboring hill Keel notices movement to his left. He shouts an order to his gunner, "Gunner two targets west identify?" The gunner answered back, "Two dead fucks maneuvering aggressively!" Half-laughing Keel commands his driver to run them over. The outside of the station was now clear it, was time for the refueling to begin and sergeant Harper’s unit to move in. Harper’s unit dismounted and moved on the building. Two soldiers were on each side of the door with a third standing in the center. The soldier in front of the door through in a grenade and shouted, "Frag out!" The grenade went off in a thunderous roar. Harper motioned to the other members of the entry team, "Move in!" They entered in two man teams but the building was empty. The building had been emptied long ago. With their tanks full and their stomachs empty the soldiers drove towards the west in search of food.

Hours turned to days, days to weeks and weeks to months. Fuel became impossible to find. Equipment had to be abandoned. The captain’s radio came to life with frantic calls from an unseen battle. The radio was alive with calls for fire support and calls for medics. Keel called to his recon unit, "Strider one six to one one over?" He was greeted with screams and weapons fire beaming over the radio. Private McTavish answered his call, "One one is under heavy attack we are eight miles west of your posit<automatic weapons burst> it’s the Charleston navy base that’s under attack sir they even have air support." "We established contac<series of explosions> minutes ago." "The base is evacuating the rest of the city I recommend we <soldier screaming in the background>." The soldier became unglued; "Oh shit! Parker’s fuckin’ dead!" The radio fell silent. Keels attempts to reestablish contact were met with dead air.

The captain gathered his section leaders around his vehicle. He addressed his men, "This area is the Charleston harbor, From what I heard over the radio it is a damn horror show in there but the best option I can see to get out of this mess is get onboard one of those ships." Keel continued, "I have established contact with the U.S.S. Roosevelt." "All ships in the harbor are planning to leave in less than eight hours." Keel pointed to the map once again, "They estimate that they can hold the harbor for at least nine more hours." Everyone stared at the maps with desperation. Laroche spoke up, "We will have to slug it out for five miles to get to the port and if it is anything like the cities we have been in it is going to be very difficult." 

Looking over his unit Keel called them over the radio, "We’ll deploy in a staggered column, do not by all means get out of your vehicles." "I want everybody shooting its all or nothing keep driving until we get to the harbor." He stressed his point; "This is a full cavalry charge we don’t go back we only go forward." "If you get held back you are on your own." Laroche broke in, "Sir are we supposed to leave men behind if they get behind?!" Captain Keel became very serious; "If we stop to go back and pick up those left behind we can all get over run."

Captain Lawrence Keel surveys his unit. Hopes all rest on making a desperate charge for the port. At forty miles an hour the group charges for the Charleston port. The Bradleys were in front followed by the humvees and the LAVs. They slammed into their first wall of zombies. The machine gunners were firing in all directions. The mounted soldiers were firing out of gun ports in the sides of the transports and the gunners were even firing their cannons. It was al or nothing and they were making it to the port. Within a mile of the port ship could be seen taking on passengers and their decks could be seen filled with crewmen firing over the sides. The situation at the port looked desperate and that made their charge become all the more ferocious. Warrant Officer Hendersons Humvee was the first to fall. A large group of the dead breached their charge and engulfed his unit. One of his men in his fear dropped a live grenade in their ammunition crate. Hendersons Humvee could be seen flying five feet in the air. The radios came to life with the frantic chatter of battle instructions and calls for support.

"This is Strider one five I’ve thrown a track." The now immobile vehicle began to open its troop bay as soldiers tried to scramble to an adjacent troop carrier but with everyone being on the move they just let themselves become active participants in the grounds carnage. Some tried to make it back to the vehicle but the rolling sea of the dead engulfed all. Hendersons gunner tried to hold them off but as he was being eaten alive he held his hand on the cannons trigger system. Laroche was the first to get hit. Three hard cracks and his troop carrier was on fire. Laroche yelled back to his men, "We have to get that fire out bef…" He could not complete his instructions because the fire met the ammunition supply causing it to cook off and incinerate all occupants of the LAV. Keel turned to see his second in command be engulfed in flame. To his left he saw another humvee explode, coming under the fire of the wildly shooting vehicle. He called to his gunner, "Gunner target Bradley six o’clock." The gunner answered, "Identified on the way." The gunner began firing his cannon into the trackless Bradley. All of the soldiers that were still alive were now a memory.

The group continued to charge ahead, the ships could be seen leaving dock. Their crewmen still firing over the sides and urging them to keep going. The captain grabbed his radio, "When we get to the port go for the water they can pick us up at sea!" One LAV didn’t bother to stop it just sped right over the side. The crew scrambling out to swim to the ship. Keel looked to the port, this was it. He call to his driver, "Driver pull a one eighty and start backing up." Keel traversed the turret in a similar fashion firing the cannon at the rear of his LAV. "Now back us up!" The LAV backed up until the troop bay was at the edge of the water. Keel yelled to his troops, "Open the troop bay and jump in the water." His soldiers followed his directions perfectly. Three other crews followed suit with the same maneuver. Twenty-two men made it to the water. The others on the pier opened their troop bays too early or too late. Their crews were engulfed before they could get to the water. The crewmen from the ships began lower rope ladders and cargo nets to allow the swimming soldiers to get aboard. 

We have been at sea for a long time now. Occasionally approaching the coasts of many countries but always seeing the same thing. Scores of the dead will be seen mulling about the piers and harbors. Holding their hands out and mouths open in eternal hunger. We go from island to island seeking supplies and fuel. With the safety of being out at sea the only danger is boredom starvation and tidal waves but at least we don’t have to sleep with the tension of being eaten alive. One of the scientists onboard says it will be at least ten years for the numbers to taper off. Our apparent option seems to be Antarctica. The frozen tundra will be our home for the next ten years. The dead would freeze before they could move and we have enough provisions to last for awhile. We’ll have to improvise with the rest.