Somali Zombie Wars Endgame

Night fell over the City of Mogadishu, Somalia. Somali men and Somali women armed to the teeth patrolled the Rampart, the massive wall which surrounded the metropolis. Along with the cities of Burco, Kismayo and Galkayo, Mogadishu is home to the few million Somali citizens who remain uninfected during the zombie apocalypse. Beyond the wall, out in the desert, hordes of zombies roam, devouring any humans they encounter.

As the Rampart guards watched, the rest of the city slept. The City of Mogadishu is home to two million seven hundred thousand and eighty-six inhabitants. As the zombie apocalypse puts the race of Homo Sapiens on the endangered species list, Mogadishu's significance has increased. Paris, France, and Washington D.C. along with Berlin, Germany, and Lisbon, Portugal are all overrun with the living dead. America, Canada, Germany, France, England and other great world powers have fallen. Contact with Asiatic powers such as China, Pakistan, Japan, India and North Korea indicates they are barely hanging on.

On the continent of Africa, major powers such as Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Congo are still hanging on. In those nations, the rule of the strong replaced placid democracy during the zombie apocalypse, thus enabling the people to survive. In the Caribbean, the Republic of Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad's policy of isolationism has largely kept them safe from the living dead. For now. Islands aren't completely secure from the zombies. All it takes is one ship full of infected to ruin things.

The zombies have laid siege to the world's nations, both big and small. The Undead aren't going anywhere. The only people making any headway against the living dead are the men and women of Somalia. When America and other world powers fell, Somalia built ramparts around its major cities and mobilized its young men and women into a 'volunteer' force known as the Somali National Army. The Somali National Army's top brass have managed to prevent Somalia from falling to the living dead. For the moment.

General Fatima Said lay in bed, stark naked due to the summer heat. The forty-something African Muslim woman couldn't sleep and if had nothing to do with the summer heat, the mosquitoes, or the fact that she was in charge of defending all of Somalia from the zombies. The General couldn't sleep because Sergeant Amir Aden kept her awake. The well-built, handsome younger man quite simply couldn't get enough of her.

"Hmm, I am exhausted," Fatima Said whispered as she rested in Amir Aden's arms. The younger man grinned and tenderly stroked Fatima's hair, which was sans hijab for a change. Their uniforms were strewn about all over the General's quarters. Aden gently kissed Fatima's forehead. Fatima grinned and kissed Aden, who caressed her supple body. Just like that, they resumed making love. In an age where the dead walk the earth, the living can never take life's moments for granted. Not ever again.

"Now I am tired but in a good way," Aden said, gasping for breath. Fatima smiled, pleased to have worn him out. The two lovers lay in each other's arms, savoring the moment. Like Aden, Fatima has lost friends and family to the zombie apocalypse. The Somali military managed to wall off the major cities and saved millions of Somali lives, but many more perished or got turned into zombies. Tender moments like these allowed these two top soldiers to feel human. The zombie apocalypse was stripping otherwise decent folks of their humanity, and not just through infection.

"Thank you for making me feel alive," Fatima whispered, and Aden nodded. They spent much of the night bantering, discussing day to day things while carefully avoiding discussions of the future. In a normal world, the highest ranking female military officer in Somalia wouldn't be having a torrid affair with a male subordinate. Oh, and the age difference between the two of them would be considered scandalous by both men and women in traditional, patriarchal and Islamic Somalia. The zombie apocalypse was devastating but it was also freeing.

Fatima thought of something which happened the other day. She was in the casern's mess hall, having supper when a familiar silhouette approached her. Fatima was surprised to see her good friend, Captain Cisman Shariff. He approached her with an intent look upon his face. The short, stocky little man recently voiced support for Fatima when she told him about her and Aden. Fatima was pleasantly surprised by Cisman's support. The mustachioed little man smiled and then pulled out an antique cellphone which he kept charged even though most networks had been down for many years. On the screen, Fatima saw Cisman hugging a young Somali man who looked familiar.

"This is my lover Ali Barkhad, he's a farmer, and we've been together two years," Captain Cisman Shariff said proudly. Fatima looked at the picture and smiled. Cisman and Barkhad made a handsome couple. In the nation of Somalia, in spite of rigid Islamic rules and Somali cultural norms, there are gay men, lesbians, bisexual women and bisexual men. There might even be some Somali trans men and Somali trans women out there. The haters and fundamentalists need to let people live their lives and stop hating those who are different. Fatima gently squeezed Cisman's hand and nodded respectfully at him.

"Love is love, my friend, I love Sergeant Amir Aden, and you love your handsome friend Mr. Barkhad, I wish you nothing but happiness," Fatima said sincerely. Captain Cisman Barkhad nodded gently and then put away the phone. The two friends stood up and shared a gentle hug. Fatima wished Cisman a good night and watched him go. Cisman went back to the apartment he shared with his lover Barkhad and their dog Sadiq. Everyone is human, and in the zombie apocalypse, everyone is fighting to stay human, in more ways than one...

A smile creased Fatima's stern features as she recalled that event. Aden had fallen asleep. Fatima rolled next to him and pulled the covers over their bodies. Outside, the night birds cawed and the other creatures of the night went about their business. On the Rampart, the sentinels carried on with their duties. On the streets, Mogadishu metropolitan police officers patrolled and kept the night owls in check. Mogadishu is a city that never truly sleeps. Even before the zombie apocalypse, the locals have always been somewhat restless...

Elsewhere in the city, Habiba Dahir lay next to her husband Abdirahman Warsame. Since escaping from the destruction of the Village of Ham and making it to the City of Mogadishu, life has been somewhat peaceful for them. For these hardy farmers from the Somali countryside, living in a city of millions took some getting used to. The Mogadishu City Council, the Mogadishu metropolitan police and others kept the city folks in line. The people were kept fed and the fortification of their dwellings kept them busy. Survival training organized by the military also kept the city folks occupied. Mogadishu represented the last best hope for Somalia during the zombie apocalypse. If she falls, it all ends...

"Mogadishu is the best place for us and our family," Habiba whispered in the dark. She rested her hand on Abdirahman's chest. The stoic Somali farmer snored loudly next to his wife. Habiba smiled. In a few months, she would give birth to a son or daughter. There were some good doctors in Mogadishu and they'd provided plenty of care to Habiba after General Fatima Said ordered them to do so. The future of Somalia depended on it. Things aren't great but they are okay. Habiba thanked the Most High for her health and that of her husband Abdirahman, and their upcoming litter of course.

Outside the Mogadishu city gates, far from the Rampart, something lurked in the darkness. Malik Osman, formerly a private in the Somali National Army, now one of a growing number of smart zombies, watched the City of Mogadishu. After the civil war which ended with the deaths of Ayaan the zombie queen and the demise of Malik's zombified former friends Mariam Ali and Captain Mohamed Yusuf, the last remaining smart zombie in Somalia had nowhere to go. Malik wandered towards the City of Merca, a settlement with a population of five hundred thousand.

On the outskirts of Merca, Malik ran into a young Somali woman named Hawa Barre and her cousin Farouk Siad. They traveled on foot, heading towards the city. At first, driven by hunger, Malik nearly attacked them. Remembering how Ayaan turned him and the others, Malik decided to turn Hawa and Farouk instead. Satisfying his hunger by feeding on a wastrel named Ibrahim, Malik patiently waited for Hawa and Farouk to make that amazing transition from mundane living folk to intelligent Undead...

"I am hungry," Hawa Barre said, as her eyes opened and the newly made smart zombie looked at Malik. Smiling, Malik helped the tall, slender young Somali woman to her feet. Moments later, Farouk arose as well. The portly, balding young Somali man awakened to the Undead state as well. Malik welcomed them to the glory of the Undead state and then shared with them the bounty he'd captured just for them.

"Feed," Farouk said, and he and Hawa thus fed upon some unfortunate souls that Malik caught just for them. After feeding, Hawa Barre and Farouk Siad, new members of the smart zombie army, felt as lively as dead things could. Like their maker, they retained their personalities and intellect. Malik smiled at them and took them under his wing. He had a lot to teach them. Zombies are stronger and more durable than humans, but can easily be destroyed by those who know how. Malik intends to build his own army of intelligent zombies. Ayaan had been a tyrant and a witch. Malik intends to be a benevolent king of the dead, one who would uplift the intelligent Undead above humanity...

"Welcome to the resistance," Malik said to his new followers as he led them to the deep desert. The City of Merca, located almost eight kilometers south of Mogadishu, is walled and fortified. Somali refugees from the deep desert's last remaining towns and villages travel to Merca and Mogadishu in search of refuge. Malik intends to turn these refugees into intelligent zombies. With an army of intelligent zombies numbering in the thousands, or tens of thousands, Malik just might be able to take over Somalia.

The Somali military makes short work of the dull, slow-moving regular zombies who foolishly throw themselves at the walls and ramparts of Somalia's big cities. The men and women doing sentry duty on those ramparts have a great time shooting the dullard type of Undead. Malik intends to show them a thing or two...someday in the near future. For now, Malik's priority is recruitment.

"Each one of us merely needs to bite or scratch a human and he or she will become a smart zombie, like us," Malik told Hawa and Farouk. The new generation of smart zombie smiled at their king. There is a new king of the Undead, one who deposed a foolish zombie queen and her white knight before seizing the throne. One day, Mogadishu shall fall to Malik's army of sentient Undead and he will rule all of Somalia, and the world. For now, Malik is more than happy to let the humans think they've won. The Undead have eternity, humans have only the present...