Chapter 98: Zombies (3)
Now there was both good news and bad news.
The good news: the sightseeing boat’s control panel was idiot-proof. It was a bit like an automatic car—one steering wheel, a few gauges, and buttons labeled “Forward,” “Reverse,” “Stop,” and so on. After a little figuring out of what the letters meant, even an amateur like Everly could get it moving without much difficulty.
The bad news: according to the gauges, the boat had only 18% fuel left. Everly searched the entire vessel but couldn’t find any fuel cans.
If she wanted more fuel, she’d have to find it elsewhere.
The Chata River originated in Kitka State, formed by the melted snow atop the Abanaqi Mountains. Flowing from north to south, the river was still swift as it passed through Radyard City. Everly’s original plan had been to head upstream to Sandy City, so she could put as much distance as possible between herself and Radyard.
But with so little fuel, there was no way the sightseeing boat could travel upstream for more than a dozen kilometers.
Of course, she could let the boat drift downstream. But that would mean floating past the city’s eastern and southern districts first, before finally leaving the urban area. Everly couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t run into trouble along the way—after all, in some zombie movies, the zombies can swim.
Moreover, if she went downstream and left Radyard, the Chata River would pass through a large, uninhabited area, and it wouldn’t be until near the river’s mouth that she would encounter another city. Downstream, the river’s current slowed. Without enough fuel, who knew if the sightseeing boat could even keep moving!
Everly examined the control panel and discovered that the sightseeing boat ran on diesel.