Zone Operatives have become the latest addition to the celebrity ranks. This generation was equally driven by the cult of celebrity as the last. The majority deal with it by working with agents to be low-level celebrities. A few like Sarah and Henry make it to the big time. A very small group mainly me and a few others avoid all attention like the plague.

So, the existence of a “secret” Operative being admitted drove sites like ZWA and others into a frenzy. Other media sites were interested as well in the story. I suspect that they were leaning on their sources to find out everything they could about me. There was even some international interest in the story unfolding.

The Government kept to the line that it was my request to remain out of the public eye and was not interested in any media interactions. This only drove the story more even going so far as to eclipse the rollout of the RCT.

Alexander contacted me shortly after the news conference to measure my reaction and soothe any concerns I might have. I realised after the call that they were panicking as one of the conditions I had installed at my solicitor’s request was that if my identity was revealed due to the Government, I was free to terminate the contract with no repercussions at all.

This made the next week very interesting for several reasons. The press was hungry for the story. They built up the Operatives as heroes. Arising from the population to fight for us all. This was the narrative that the Government was eager to push. The part of the population that loved celebrity and gossip eat it up. The problem was that part of the population like me just did not what this kind of intrusion into our lives.

Alison McDonald and ZWA got a huge signal boost. She began appearing on a lot of main media live streams. She was an outside voice seeking the truth that the Government was obfuscating. She admitted that the search for me was a major factor in her joining ZWA.

It turned out that early in my career during that first chaotic year I was sent into a zone when it was just formed. Some civilians were trapped not realizing that they were in a zone as the area got a lot of fog naturally. I and another Operative went in to locate the breach and identify what monsters were created. We found them as they were getting attacked by three Skeletons. My partner at the time got them out as I fought the undead. Needless to say, I won that one and they were all safely evacuated.

After quite some time recovering, she wanted to thank and interview the Operatives who had saved her and her family. She was studying to become a journalist so put her skills into finding me. By that time the operative, I had gone in with had been lost on another dive. When she went looking for me, she encountered a wall of silence or misdirection.

She did not give up. Over time she discovered a pattern of operations not linked to publicly known operatives. Zone watchers also began supplying information and images taken at a distance of me. She joined ZWA to expand her network of contacts.

The stories about me were becoming wilder and more exaggerated as the week rolled on. This is why was I hiding from the public. The press was hinting about what was I hiding? These stories were becoming more frequent towards the end of the week. A major changing point came at the week’s end with Henry.

He was at an event and was being pestered with questions about me. Normally he handled the press extremely well but today he snapped live on stream when reporters got up in his face.

“Why will he not come forward you ask” He started.

“Well look at you all! Animals that’s why if I was him, I would be hiding as well.” This stunned the press. “I know him and I will tell you this he will not come forward because all he wants to do is his job then go home to peace and quiet.”

This swung the public opinion against the malicious stories and the majority of media sites backed off. However, the “Axeman Watch” became a popular site subforum trying to track my activities and what info was out there about me.

I was panicking that week and when my mother asked what was wrong, I said work stuff. With the shift, the pressure lessened and I still had to be vigilant but I think the worst is over. I made sure my mother did not get involved.

## ## ## ## ##

It was the second week of March when I got the next call to be ready. This was odd as I was technically in my cool time and was not to be disturbed.

“Hello” I answered the Government phone.

“Zone Command Alpha 1-1-C” The voice on the other end said.

“Harrington 2-T-3” I countered signed.

“Orders from Zone Command the breach located at Arbroath, Scotland has been designated to be closed in ten days’ time. Will you accept this assignment?”

“Confirmed” I answered.

“Understood further details will be sent at a later date.” The call was ended.

Alright, my local breach was going to be closed good news for the town. The more cynical part suspects it is due to the fuck up by the Minister. The breach here is one of the first in Scotland and I was there when it appeared. I saved council workers from a skeleton attacking them and prevented the breach zone from expanding. So, it is classed as one of the smallest in the country.

So, a light day for me hopefully.

## ## ## ## ##

I filled the next few days with my usual routine. I told my mother that I would be called away again soon. She was about to go off again when I told her it was the one located in the town. This stopped her and she unhappily agreed it was going to be good closing a breach so close.

The Western Cemetery was located on Forfar Road on the outskirts of the town. The road led out to the military base RM Condor which housed 3rd Commando Royal Marines and a waystation for Zone Command operations.

The cemetery was the largest in the town. It was surrounded by a zone barrier wall. The housing around the area was mostly abandoned or was sold off for a loss. The former petrol station had been converted into a charging station for electric vehicles that dominate the roads now. The area had a lot of different types of properties but the area was quiet and depressed.

The tent was set up right at the entrance to the graveyard. The roads were blocked by the base camp transports and the population was indoors or moved on by the military units assigned to security.

I was changed into my gear and ready to go. The briefing was simple go in clear the zone and call in the breach closer. The plan was for a no muss or fuss operation. I would be happy to see this zone gone.

This was my first. The place where I had discovered I had the ability to be a Zone Operative. I was walking off a bad day with my mother and me not handling the recent deaths in our family. I had found myself across town walking in the cemetery. The place was going through its usual vegetation pruning when the breach occurred. It happened all so fast that the council workers and all others in the cemetery heard the crack. It’s hard to describe think a sound of thunder but really close and a ripple through space. We were all knocked down by the distortion and suffered a nasty case of vertigo. Even today I could not really describe it.

The area was fog-bound before we understood the danger. The cemetery is designed in an oddly shaped grid pattern to help find plots better and exiting was made far simpler. The issue was the two skeletons that had appeared in front of the entrance.

They were attacking the council workers who had been working near the entrance. I discovered this when I was heading to the entrance/exit of the cemetery. I was freaked out by what I saw but the anger that was within my chest made me act. As an avid reader of fantasy, I realised that smashing the skulls was best. I grabbed the nearest tool which was a shovel and went to work on the Skeletons.

The Police showed up and took statements. This was during the chaos of the collider accident. I expected nothing more if I knew what I knew now I would have disappeared before the Police arrived. A few weeks later the Government came calling.

## ## ## ## ##

I walked into the zone through the arches at the front of the cemetery. One large arch for vehicles with two smaller flanking for foot traffic. The effect on me from entering a zone begins. I am getting so used to it now that I can ignore its effects to a large degree.

The caretaker’s abandoned house was to my right and the plants that were once organised grew wild. The building is looking a bit worn now with the lack of repair work. The windows and door are still intact. The rest of the building also looks relatively solid.

The cemetery pathway continues a few meters more to the first path junction. The fog blocks my line of sight in all directions from about five meters. This however still allows me to see the looming trees that frame the pathway that is in front of me. The trees are not natural to Scotland and are imported. I don’t know where from but this is the only real dangerous part of the zone. They are evergreen trees, tropical by my guess.

Designed to present a pleasant and scenic view as you enter the cemetery it also makes an excellent ambush site. The tress and tall bushes normal hide the zones defenders.

I normally come in and clear this zone twice a year but due to my recent adventures, another Operative was brought in to do the culling. They reported that the zone had three Skeletons in it and they were eliminated. For this zone that is part of the course and no surprises were noted.

The path was ahead passing through two more junctions before I will have to turn to follow a different path to the breach. The trees and shrubbery block nearly all of the little daylight getting through the fog. The path ahead is dark and I will need to use my chemical lights to mark out the pathway so the support team can follow the shortest route to the breach.

I stand there for a few minutes working out how I was going to do this. I chose to head around the central part of the cemetery first. This will allow me to gauge if the number of threats is above average. During the zone’s formation, a lorry had crashed into the cemetery wall. The driver had done this as not to hit a child who had become distracted by the fog and zone effect. The seven and half-ton lorry went through the brick wall at speed. It was still there today blocking the fastest route to the breach’s location via the paths in the cemetery. The zone extends past the brick wall and covers about half the road.

I turn left and slow start to walk. It would only take me fifteen minutes to walk the cemetery and return to my starting point. It takes me closer to an hour by my reckoning because of all the stopping and checking for threats. I get close to the breach but make sure to avoid it for now.

I return to the start without a single encounter. This is a mixture of good and bad news. I turn to the trees. If the zone has respawned any Skeletons, they would be in there.

Gritting my teeth, I advanced into the darkness before me.