David Moody - Autumn: The Human Condition

AUTUMN: THE HUMAN CONDITION is a companion book which brings to an end the AUTUMN saga. As well as presenting a number of new stories which take place in the AUTUMN world, the book also details the advent of the infection from the perspective of a number of individual characters who appear in AUTUMN , AUTUMN: THE CITY and AUTUMN: PURIFICATION . An appendix at the end of this book explains each characters involvement in the story. Earlier versions of some of these brief background stories were originally released as AUTUMN: ECHOES .

THE HUMAN CONDITION also expands on the events of PURIFICATION . It is recommended, therefore, that the original series of novels be read before this book.

Thanks to all the readers of the AUTUMN story for their enthusiastic and continued support.

David Moody

April 2005

THE HUMAN CONDITION

DAVID MOODY

INFECTED BOOKS

www.infectedbooks.co.uk

CONTENTS

Eight months ago Jake Humphries and his family immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom. A regional manager for a global finance house, Jake agreed to move his family overseas for a well paid two year posting. His wife Lucy and their two children settled quickly into their new surroundings. The people who found it hardest to adjust were those they left behind. Polly Humphries Jakes well-meaning but highly strung and over-sensitive mother still finds the distance between her and her son difficult to deal with. Mrs Humphries and her husband made their first visit to Canada several weeks ago. The trip did nothing to reassure the old lady. If anything it has made her more neurotic. Jake has grown to dread the weekly telephone calls from the UK. His mother usually phones on Saturdays. It is now the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Jake? Jake, is that you?

Mum? Bloody hell, Mum, do you know what time it is?

Are you okay, son?

Apart from being tired because its gone midnight and Id only just managed to get to sleep Im fine. Were all fine. Why shouldnt we be?

Havent you heard?

Heard what? Christ, Mum, its the middle of the bloody night. I havent heard anything.

Theres no need for the language, Jake, we were just worried about you, thats all.

Why?

Are you far from Vancouver?

Its on the other side of the country. Its thousands of kilometres away, why?

Because somethings happened there.

What do you mean? Whats happened?

I dont know. I dont think anyone knows. Your dad and I saw it on the news and

Look, Mum, Im really tired. Youre not making any sense at all

Im sorry, love. Its just that youre all so far away from us here and we worry about you.

I know, I know Anyway, what time is it there?

Just after seven.

What are you doing up so early?

Your dad couldnt sleep. You know what hes like, once hes awake thats it. And once hes up and about I cant relax. He woke me up with his shuffling and his moaning so we both got up and came downstairs. We were watching the news and

And what exactly is it thats supposed to have happened in Vancouver?

Theyre not sure. No-ones saying very much. No-one seems to know very much yet.

So youve woken me up to tell me that no-one knows very much about whats happening in Vancouver? Come on, Mum, Ive got an important meeting first thing tomorrow and I cant afford to

No. Listen, son, somethings happened there but they dont

Well give me a clue then. Has there been an accident or a bomb or?

I dont know. I heard something about a bomb but theyve stopped talking about that now.

So why have you phoned me in the middle of the night? This isnt little old England, Mum. This place is bloody huge. Just because somethings happening in the same country doesnt mean its going to affect

Im phoning you because theyve lost contact with the city, and all the places surrounding it.

What? What do you mean, theyve lost contact with it? Vancouver is a massive city for Christs sake. There are thousands and thousands of people there. Millions. You cant lose contact with millions of people just like that

I know

You cant lose contact with a whole bloody city, Mum.

I know, but they have.

What channel are you watching? Are you sure its genuine? Are you sure its not just a film or one of those drama-documentaries about

Jake, your father and I may be getting on but were not stupid. I know what Im watching. Its the news and its real. Were sitting in front of the television right now. Your fathers next to me. Im only telling you what weve heard, and Im only telling you because were concerned about you, Lucy and the boys.

So tell me again exactly what it is theyre saying.

Your dad says put your TV on, son. Youre bound to have some news where you are. Youre much closer than we are.

Okay, give me a second.

What can you see?

Hold on, thats strange.

Whats strange?

Cant get a picture on some of the channels. Cable must be down. Sometimes this happens when

What about the radio? Try your computer. Try the Internet.

Hang on, heres something.

What are they saying?

Christ, its just like you said, theyve lost contact with the area around Hold on, you said Vancouver, didnt you Mum?

Yes son, why?

Because the station Im watching here is talking about Winnipeg. Thats miles away. And Seattle, and Portland. Theyre talking about a massive part of the country. Bloody hell, whats going on here?

Are they saying anything about whats happened, Jake? Do they know why?

Christ, Mum, theyve put a map up. It looks like its spreading out from the west. It looks like

Where are Lucy and the boys?

Lucys here in bed with me, the boys are asleep

You should lock your doors. Dont answer the door if anyone comes. Wait until we know whats

Whats the point of locking the door? Mum, this isnt anything to do with

Jake? Jake, are you still there? Whats the matter, son?

Nothing. Thought I heard something, thats all.

What?

Thought I could hear

Jake? Whats happening, son?

Sorry, Mum, Im going to put the phone down. Look, Ill call you back as soon as I

Whats wrong?

Somethings happening on the other side of the river. Theres a fire. It looks like somethings gone into the front of one of the buildings on the waterfront by the Dont know whats going on. I cant see much from here Hang on a second and Ill try and Shit, thats all I need, the kids are awake now. Bloody hell. Lucy, could you go and? Lucy? Honey, whats wrong?

Whats the matter, son?

Lucy? Dont struggle, honey, lie back and Ill get you a

Jake? Jake are you still there?

Over five thousand miles away, Mrs Humphries listened helplessly to the muffled sounds of her son, her daughter-in-law and her two grandsons choking to death.