Day 6b: The Tide Turns

With daylight, Agents Kay and Sculder set out in the SUV to determine - if possible - where the zombies are coming from.   They go off-road, travelling into the woods where the kids first encountered the zeds.  The sound of the SUV bouncing slowly through the woods attracts a following of zombies, but that's the thing - a following.  Most of the zombies are BEHIND the vehicle.  As the path appears to be clear ahead, both agents breath a little easier, hoping against hope for an easy day.  They only see one zed ahead of them - the path is clear.

Turn 1: The agents are active, with the zeds failing activation, but the SUV stalls.  They don't want to bail out and pass through the woods on foot, so they stick with their vehicle.  It hasn't let them down before.

Turn 2: The zeds again fail to activate while the agents are active and get the SUV into gear.  They edge 8" forward, closer to the zombie in front of them, but also 8" farther from those behind them.  Their hope continues to build.  The sound of the vehicle bouncing along through the woods attracts three more zeds to join the throng already following in their wake.

Turn 3: The zeds activate first, beginning to close on the agents.  The SUV stalls again, allowing one zed to remain at the driver's door.  

Turn 4: The agents activate while the zeds do not.  The SUV remains stalled, but our intrepid government employees hesitate to jump from the vehicle while it still might carry them away.  Kay does, on the other hand, roll down the window and blast the zombie by his door with the Kill-O-Zap.  

Turn 5: The agents activate first.  That's the good news.  They are set to finally go bounding away from the zeds when the SUV dies completely.  The bad news is that this allows the zeds to close on the agents in earnest.  Three now have the vehicle surrounded with the others a mere turn or two away.

Turn 6: The dice gods favor the agents, who activate while the zeds don't get to spit.  Quickly rolling down their windows and thrusting their weapons out, Kay kills the zombie on his side with the Kill-O-Zap while Sculder gets the one on his side with a shotgun blast.  The shotgun, however, attracts another zed to the fold.  

Turn 7: The dice tables turn with the zeds activating first.  They close fast now, with one just outside the driver's door, one at the passenger's side rear, and the remainder arrayed behind in a semi-circle.  The agents make their move this time.  Sculder bails from the passenger door and moves far enough to keep him outside of charge reach, but close enough to support Kay.  Kay fumbles while climbing over the console and exiting the passenger side, and only makes it out of the vehicle, putting him firmly within zombie range.  

Turn 8: The agents activate first, putting them in position to escape the crowd of zombies.  They head away from the zombie horde.  Though the zeds follow, our heroes can move faster and gain a couple of inches on the zeds.  They are home free!

Turn 9: Disaster strikes!  The zeds activate first!  Kay passes 2d6 on his Charge Reaction test, and is able to eliminate one of the zeds with the Kill-O-Zap, the other three are on him like white on rice.  Sculder only passes 1d6 and can't fire, but is prepared for Melee.  Like Kay, the zeds are on him in a heartbeat, with one lonely zombie bringing up the rear.  In the ensuing Melee, Kay receives an Out of the Fight, while Sculder is knocked down.  The zombies will spend the next three turns making a meal of our heroes.  Thus ends the saga of Kay and Sculder, who had already lost his partner, Mully a few days previously.  

Once they have eaten their fill, the zombies return to wandering aimlessly through the forest, scattering in all directions and leaving only the SUV as evidence the agents were ever here.  

Day 6a: Friend or Foe?

I've been thinking about this one for a while and finally got some time to myself tonight so I played what turned out to be a short game.

Turn 1: Bob is still hanging in there.  As usual, he stepped out of the hotel this morning to see what's going on.  A few zombies were scattered here and there, wandering aimlessly in the distance.

Turn 2: The zeds actually wander away from Bob and the motel.  Perhaps they have heard about the wild-eyed crazy man living here and want no part of him.  But...what's that sound?  Thunder?  No, it's a continuous roaring...  Bob hasn't heard it in a while and like an image through a fog, he slowly starts to realize what it is: Motorcycles!  Motorcycles?  'Who'd be crazy enough to ride motorcycles with these things roaming the streets?' Bob wonders aloud.

Indeed, motorcycles tear up the road, and though the drivers are Unaware, they pass their In Sight test, noticing Bob - perhaps because he's human and they haven't seen one for a few days.  They roll up to him, surrounding him as he stands at the door of his motel room.  Dazed and confused, Bob isn't sure if he is in danger, if they are rescuers, or if they are simply others passing through on their way trying to escape.  He raises his hand and waves in greeting, confusion still clouding his face.

Fortunately for Bob, he passes 2d6 to their 1d6 on the Talk the Talk Table, and the Cooperation Table has them joining forces - under BOB!

Unfortunately, the zombies are attracted to the roar of the motorcycles, and though no new zeds appear, those already on the board turn and move towards the group gathered in front of the motel.

Fortunately, there are only five...four, after one walks straight into the swimming pool and sinks to the bottom...

Turns 4 and 5: The activation rolls are doubles, and everyone is frozen in place, though the motorcycle gang turns outward to face the threat of the zombies and prepares their weapons.

Turn 6: The zeds win the activation and close in, with one entering - and losing - melee with the gang member with a chainsaw.  There are two more just feet away and closing, while on the other side of the group, the sole zombie is blasted by a gang member's shotgun, getting Out of the Fight.  Bob takes a couple of steps to come around the end of the camper, takes two more steps then fires his shotgun at the remaining two zeds.  He hits both and gets Out of the Fight on both, ending the skirmish.  Despite the motorcycles, the chainsaw, and the shotgun blasts, no new zombies appear, the one in the pool can't find her way out, and quiet returns to the motel.

It Would Appear That It Has Begun...

Day 6: Interlude

Agent Sculder and Agent Kay take turns watching while the other catches some sleep.  When they are rested the question before them is what to do next?

"I don't know, Kay, I don't really fancy heading into the woods on foot," Sculder mused.

"Well, I don't either, slick," Kay retorted, "but we need to find where these things are coming from.

"Do you really think they're coming out of the woods?"  Sculder looked at him curiously.  "What do you think we'll find out there?  A secret government scientific underground research facility?"  He shook his head.  "Between the two of us, one of our agencies would know about it and inform us, don't you think?"

Kay paused for a second.  "Well, maybe, but do you think there are that many people still alive at either agency to worry about informing us of anything they might know?"

Sculder had to nod his head in agreement.  "If we're going to pursue this deeper into the woods, let's at least take the truck as far as we can."  He gestured towards the SUV parked outside the cabin.  "Maybe we can take it all the way through, and it will save us having to walk through the woods with those things out there."

"Of course," Kay said, indicating it was the obvious decision.

Sculder hesitated, staring at Kay.  "OK, so when are we going?"

"Let's wait for the sun to get up a little higher.  I'd rather be out there in the sunlight, than in the dark with those things, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I would," Sculder nodded.

"OK, then.  Let's give it another couple of hours."  Kay laid back on the bunk again.  "Let's try to get a little more sleep in the meantime.  Your turn to watch."  He closed his eyes and drifted off.

Day 5b: The Rail Siding

Bob arrived at the rail siding in the afternoon after crossing the field without incident.  At the siding, though, the zeds began to take notice of him.  This was a long game.  I realized halfway through that I was playing it wrong.  In Better Dead Than Zed, it is clear that when rolling for new zombies to appear, you roll once per shot.  I used to use 1st Edition rules, which weren't so clear and the hive mind determined that I should roll once per target rating.  For a shotgun that's 3d6!  I almost always replaced a killed zombie with an active one every turn.  The other mistake I was making was that in Better Dead Than Zed, when shooting zombies you use the shooter's Rep to determine the results.  Since Bob is a Rep 5, I should have been killing way more zombies that I was.  Ah, well, it's been a while since I played...

Apologies for the sideways pic, but at the start of the game Bob was in the middle near the green freight car with a zombie on three sides.

Turn 1: Bob didn't activate so the zeds moved into the position shown in the picture.

Turn 2: Zeds not active.  Bob moves out of zed movement range and shoots, getting an OD, but spawning a new zed.

Turn 3: Zeds not active.  Bob moves to one zed and fires, getting a Knock Down and spawning another zed.

Turn 4: Zeds not active.  Bob pops the weasel on the zed on the ground.  No new zeds.

Turn 5: Bob's not active.  The zeds close in.

Turn 6: Doubles.

Turn 7: Bob activates first.  He backs off and fires, getting two hits for an OD.  The zeds continue to close, but no new spawns.

Turn 8: Zeds not active.  Bob backs out of movement range of the zeds and shoots, only getting a Knock Down.  No new zeds.

Turn 9: Bob's not active.  Zeds close.

Turn 10: Zeds not active.  Bob backs off again and shoots, getting an OD, but spawning two new zeds (remember I was playing this wrong).

Turn 11: Doubles.

Turn 12: Bob's not active.  Zeds move closer.

Turn 13: Zeds not active.  Bob climbs onto a freight car and continues to fire from there.  He gets two hits for a Knock Down.

Turn 14: Doubles.

Turn 15: Doubles.

Turn 16: Bob's not active.  Zeds move to the base of the freight car.

Turn 17: Zeds not active.  Bob gets three hits, but only one OD (remember, I was playing this wrong).  Two new zeds spawn.

Turn 18: Doubles.

Turn 19: Zeds activate first.  The continue moving to the freight car, appearing almost as regularly as Bob kills them.  He fires, getting an OD, but spawning a new zed.

Turn 20: Doubles.

Turn 21:  Oops!  Another sideways picture.  Bob activates after the zeds.  He gets two hits for one OD and one Knock Down, but spawns another zed.

Turn 22: Bob activates first getting an OD but spawning a new zed.

Turn 23: No one activates.

Turn 24: Zeds not active.  Bob fires for no hits.

Turn 25: Zeds not active.  Bob gets two ODs with no new zeds.

Turn 26: Zeds activate first.  Bob gets one OD with no new zeds again.

Turn 27: Bob's not active.  Zeds just move to the freight car.

Turn 28: Zeds activate first, but nothing left for them to do.  Bob fires, getting three hits for two ODs and activating one more zed.

Turn 29: Doubles.

Turn 30: Zeds not active.  Bob climbs down off the freight car to go after the last zombie.

Turn 31: Doubles.

Turn 32: Zeds not active.  Bob finally ODs the last zombie with no new appearances.

The zeds really didn't stand a chance once Bob climbed on the freight car.  It was like shooting ducks in a barrel, especially after I realized that I should have been rolling against his Rep for the effects die roll.  Bob didn't really find anything useful in the cars, but it gave him some ideas for moving forward.  Refrigerated food, obviously, would be bad, but finding canned goods and other non-perishables would provide plenty of food.  He got back to the motel without incident and started thinking more earnestly about his next move.  In thinking about the situation, he didn't know if he could trust people knowing that they would fight for resources that were left, but if he could find a couple of people without friends, he could build a new team.  He had some ideas about places to go where they could survive relatively easily.  If they hadn't already been staked out, that was.

Day 5: Interlude

Editor's Note: It's been 5-1/2 years since my last post.  When we left our heroes, Bob was the last of the original group still standing.  He's at the motel at the crossroads, trying to decide where to go from here.  Somewhere along the way, I lost the gray paper that made up the parking lots at the crossroads.  Hmm, I guess I'll have to do something about that if Bob's going to stay here much longer.

Bob stood by the highway looking up and down, trying to decide what the best plan would be.  There were a few zeds off in the distance, but they didn't see him and they were shambling off in other directions anyway.  For the moment it was peaceful in the early morning sunlight.  The car was packed in case he had to abandon the motel in an instant, even if it meant leaving the trailer behind.  Heck, he could have even taken Ted's car if he had to.  He recovered the keys from Ted's body after the zeds got him.  

'Dang!  No point going back to the city,' Bob thought to himself.  He had heard the newscast the previous day and it was looking bleak for the people there.  'There's food and gas here - at least for the time being.  I have some security in the motel, though I do wish it was more isolated.'

The highway stretched off into the distance.  Beyond the buildings at the crossroads, the terrain was back to farmland and light woods.  Behind the motel, Bob noticed an open field and in the distance, a railroad siding with an abandoned train sitting there.  He decided to explore the rail siding later in the day.  There might be some equipment there that he could use, and if nothing else, he might be able to turn a boxcar into an impromptu shelter if he had to. 

He of course knew nothing about the turmoil the agents encountered at the cabin.  For now, he was only concerned about his own needs, but frequently wondered how his friends - the two who were still alive - were faring. 

He went back into the motel, closing and locking the door behind himself.  He even went so far as to put the chain on the door.  He stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes, just for a few minutes he thought.  He just felt tired.

Zombies!!!

I picked up Zombies!!! Director's Cut.  Figured I could play with the game group, but when the kids see my ATZ campaign stuff out, they always ask to play a zombie game with me so I thought this might serve dual purpose.  Pulled it out to play with the little guy since my daughter didn't want to play it.  We had a ball. 

You start the game with all players on the town park tile.  Each player has three brain (life) and three bullet (ammo) chits, which can be used when you're fighting the zombies.  Each player adds a tile with a set number of zombies and, sometimes, brain and bullet chits.  You also get cards which give you special abilities or bonus chits when you reach certain tiles.  You roll a die to see how far you can move, and you have a 50/50 chance of killing any zombies you choose to fight.  The brain and bullet chits give you a second chance or better your chance of killing the zombies.  After you move, you roll the die again to see how many zombies you move one square.  You can use this movement to clear your own path, or impede other players. 

I actually think we were playing it wrong the first couple of times we played it.  I had it in my mind that you had to play an ammo chit to attack the zombies, but rereading the rules you don't - you just attack, and if your die roll is low, you can add an ammo chit or two to adjust your die roll, or play a brain chit to reroll altogether.  Next time I play, we'll play it correctly and I'm sure the game will go more smoothly and make more sense that way.

Anyway, the little rat kept pushing zombies my way to kill me off and force me back to start, but the plan ended up backfiring on him.  See, there are two ways to win the game: the first is to collect 25 zombies, but when you get killed, you lose half of your zombies and start over at the beginning, and the second is to be the first player to get to the center square in the helicopter pad tile.  Well, the boy was off on a wild goose chase of his own and killed me off, which actually put me closer to the helicopter tile.  I was able to clear the way and make it to the tile in both games we played, winning, but the kid isn't such a bad gamer even at 7.  If he got over the idea of having to use his cards, he could have played a little different strategy and given me a closer game. 

It's a lot of fun and there are about a dozen expansion sets to add more variation, ways of winning, and more fun to the game.  It's a very simple game, but strategy can become complicated with the ability to move zombies into your opponents path, and the multiple ways to win.  I recommend it as a great beer and pretzel game, and it could easily become a classic within the niche. 

Day 5a: Siege at the Cabin

"What's that?"

"Mmphnhiomna"

"That noise - what was that?"

"What time is it?" mumbles Kay through his pillow.

"I don't know.  1.  2.  What difference does it make?  What's that noise?"

"I don't know, why don't you look outside."

"What the . . .?  There's zombies everywhere out there . . ."

The flash of light must have attracted zombies far and wide.

NOTE: Do not adjust your computer screen.  It's the middle of the night.  What did you expect - broad daylight?

Turn 1: Teams rolls a 5, but the Zeds are inactive.  Kay and Sculder both OD a zed a piece.  No new zombies appear.

Turn 2: Team rolls a 4 and again the Zeds are inactive.  Kay ODs another zombie, but Sculder misses.  The shotgun doesn't attract any zeds this turn.

Turn 3: The Zeds activate first with a 4, over the Team's 1.  The zombies on the periphery close, but those right up at the cabin are unable to gain entrance.  Kay misses(!) but Sculder gets one with an OD and attracts another zed.

Turn 4: The Team is inactive, while the Zeds activate with a 1.  All of the zeds close the cabin this turn.  The team can't fire, so no zeds are attracted.

Turn 5: This time the Team activates with a 1 while the Zeds are inactive.  Kay ODs two zeds with the Kill-o-Zap and Sculder gets one with the shotgun.  No zeds appear from the gunfire.

Turn 6: Zeds go first with a 4 to the Team's 1.  Kay and Sculder both OD a zed each, but the gunfire attracts another zombie.

Turn 7: Activation roll is a tie so no one can move.

Turn 8: Zeds get a 3, activating before the Team with a 1.  The zeds are still unable to get through the door, but Kay ODs one more.  Sculder stops firing so he doesn't attract anymore zeds.

Turn 9: The Team activates with a 4 to the Zed's 2.  Kay ODs one.  The other zed closes and gets through the door, charging Sculder.  Fortunately for him, he passes 2d6 on the Being Charged test.  He fires and blows the zombie away with an OD, but he attracts another one from the shotgun blast.

Turn 10: The Zeds activate first with a 3, but the Team is inactive.  The remaining zed closes, but the team can't see it yet in the dark.

Turn 11:  The Zed moves first with a 3 over the Team's 2. 

Kay blasts the last zed, and doesn't attract anymore. 

Quiet now returns to the woods, but our heroes can't get back to sleep.  With the windows blown out and the door now unhinged by the charging zombie, they have to stay up and keep watch so they don't get caught off guard.

*     *     *     *     *

 

The team got a lot of lucky rolls - Sculder almost always ODed a zed whenever he fired with the shotgun, they didn't attract a lot of new zeds, and the zeds were inactive a quarter of the game, as well as not being able to burst through the door.  Good game but it could have turned out significantly differently . . . as could they all.

Day 4: Interlude

"Looks like we're going to have to spend the night in the cabin," Kay said.  "It's too far back to town and I don't remember whether there was a motel there or not anyway."

"I think I'd just as soon spend the night in the SUV, but you're probably right."  Looking around, Sculder added, "Doesn't look too bad, though.  Might just be comfortable after all."

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," Kay added.  Sculder started to turn towards him.  "I wanted to show you this pen..."

*FLASH*

Sculder was temporarily disoriented by the flash, so bright that it even lit up the woods through the cabin windows.

"You will remember everything about today, except the Kill-o-Zap and the cockroach comment," Kay said, finally removing his sunglasses.

"I will remember everything about today, except the Kill-o-Zap and the cockroach comment," Sculder repeated.  A few minutes later, he shook his head to clear it and went on with bedding down for the night in the cabin.

*     *     *     *     *

 

'Another stellar day,' Bob thinks as he throws himself down on the bed.  'What am I going to do next?' 

 

 

 'I wonder what's going on in Suburbia.  I almost forgot about it!'

 

Suddenly, he sat up and said out loud, "Hey!  The TV!"  He had been so tired he hadn't even thought about it or turned it on.  With a click the TV popped to life - right in the middle of a newscast. 

 

". . . we had to run into a building to escape those things, Kim.  Now we're trapped here.  We can hear the things outside, scratching at the door with their claw-like fingers, trying to get in.  Hopefully we'll be safe until someone can rescue us here."

  

 

"Thank you for that report, Sandy.  That was Sandy Miles reporting from on-location, somewhere out there.  We don't know how much longer we'll be broadcasting.  We don't know how many of you are left watching.  Suburbia is being overrun by those things.  Some call them zombies.  Some say they're other things.  We may never know.  Things are so confused and we can't get reporters out onto the streets to find out what the situation really is.  This is Kim Porter, signing off for WSNN.  See you soon."  She smiled briefly, and when the light on the camera went out, her smile went out.  She sat for a minute with her head in her hand before she collected her papers and went to her dressing room, where a cot had been set up so she wouldn't have to leave the studio.

 

'Guess there's no reason to go back to Suburbia,' Bob thought.  'Doesn't sound like there's anything left there.  Might be a few people, but there won't be for long.'  He stared at the ceiling, gradually drifting off to sleep.

Day 4b: Back to the Woods

"Here's that cabin those kids told the sheriff about, Agent Kay," Sculder tells the other agent, who is on interagency loan (Agent Kay: Rep 5, "Pistol", Slow).

"Hmm, looks pretty quiet to me,"  Kay answers glancing around.

"I don't know," Sculder responds uneasily, "I wouldn't take any of it for granted.  You never know.  And these things are pretty vicious."

"Humph!  You ever been in a cockroach's belly?" Kay asks.

"Huh?" is all Sculder can get out - confused by this question.

Kay realizes he's said too much.  "Nevermind.  Let's see what we can find here."

*     *     *     *     *

 

"Uh, Kay?  Did you bring a shotgun with you?"  Sculder asks with a stutter.

 

"Well, I've actually got something better," Kay responds cryptically.

 

Sculder is again confused.  "Better than a shotgun?"

 

Kay confirms his previous statement with a "Yup!"

 

"OK, well good," says Sculder.  "Looks like you're going to need it - here come some of those things!"

 

Turn 1: There is a tie so neither side can move, but the agents whip out their weapons and get ready to fight. 

 

"What is that thing?" Sculder asks when he sees the tiny handgun Kay is holding. 

 

"A Kill-o-Zap," replies Kay simply.  (Kill-o-Zap: Range 12, Target 2, Impact 2 minimum(!))

 

Turn 2: Zeds are active first and begin to close the circle around the two agents.  Will this be the end of our intrepid agents? 

 

"Let's get the three in front of us first," Kay directs Sculder.  "That way we'll have some space to move in."  Sculder hits one for an OD with the shotgun.  "Good shot!  Here let me help," offers Kay. 

 

He fires and solidly hits the first zed, which - explodes!  The second one he only hits in the leg, but it tears the zed's leg off and drops it to the ground.

 

Kay yells, "OK - GO!" and the two of them take off running (Fast Move) through the space they just opened up. 

 

"What are you using - exploding ammo?" 

 

"Something like that."

 

Two more zeds appear as a result of the gunfire.

 

Turn 3: Agents activate first this time around.  Sculder fires his shotgun again and gets a Knockdown, while Kay gets another solid hit and the zombie explodes.  The zeds turn and move towards them, even the one missing its leg is crawling as best it can towards them.  No new zeds show up this turn.

 

 

Turn 4: Agents activate first again.  "Don't shoot, Sculder - let me try something," Kay calls.  Kay fires, getting two solid hits, but only ODs one, knocking a leg off the other one and dropping it to the ground also.  They then Fast Move to the left, trying to circle the zeds in a plan to move back to the car.  "Watch our backs, Sculder!"  Good thing Kay reminded him - another zed appears to their rear from the gunshots. 

 

 

Turn 5: Doubles - neither side can act.

 

Turn 6: Agents are active first.  Sculder fires the shotgun and gets two hits on a zed for an OD.  Kay explodes another zed, but only takes an arm off a second one.  Two more zombies appear from the shotgun blast.

 

"Head for the truck!"  The two agents Fast Move making it around the zombies to the truck.

 

Turn 7:  Zombies are inactive, so the agents jump in the SUV and fire it right up.  Fortunately, the noise doesn't attract any new zeds, but as Sculder drops it into reverse and is about the stomp on the gas, Kay says, "Wait!  We can't leave!  We have to find out the source of these things." 

 

"Darn it, Kay!  You're right, of course."  Sculder puts the SUV back in park and turns off the motor.  "Ready?"

 

"Let's do it!" and the two of them step back out of the SUV and move to where they can get a clear view of the zeds.  Kay fires and explodes another one, while Sculder fires at two of them but only hits one, fortunately getting an OD.  One new zed appears.

 

Turn 8: Agents activate before the zombies.  "Don't shoot unless you have to, Sculder.  I think it's your shotgun that's attracting them," Kay directs.  Kay explodes another zed with a solid hit.

 

 

Turn 9: Zeds are good, but the agents fail to activate!  Not a good place to be in.  Kay passes his Being Charged test against the first zed and fires, missing it completely(!).  With his second shot, he vaporizes the first zed just feet from him.  Two more charge and again he passes his Being Charged test, and prepares for melee.  In melee, they pass the same number of dice and the melee will continue.

 

Turn 10: Zeds are inactive, the agents are good.  Sculder rushes up and jams the shotgun into the mouth of one of the zeds meleeing with Kay.  He blows its head clean off.  Kay passes 2d6 to the zeds 0d6 in the melee and ODs it, but one new zed appears. 

 

Turn 11:  Zeds are inactive again this turn.  Kay explodes two more with the Kill-o-Zap, but another one appears.

 

Turn 12: The agents are inactive this time, so the few zeds remaining continue to close.

 

Turn 13: Agents are active first, followed by the zeds.  Kay explodes one more zed, but one charges Sculder.  He passes his Being Charged test and hits it for a knockdown.  Better than nothing!  No new zeds appear.

 

Turn 14: Agents are active first again.  Kay knocks one zed down, ripping its arm off.  No new zeds appear. 

 

Turn 15: Zeds are inactive.  Kay explodes a zed, but the one Sculder knocked down gets back up.  No zeds appear.

 

Turn 16: Team is active first.  Kay hits the last zed, but only knocks it down with its leg torn off. 

 

The team quietly picks off the last three zombies.  They can only crawl after all, and the team can finish them off at their luxury.  As they are finishing off the last one, another zombie appears.  On the next turn, Kay explodes it with two final shots from the Kill-o-Zap. 

 

*     *     *     *     *

 

The agents survived and can continue their quest to find where the zombies originated.  They might never know.  Or they might stumble on the secret one day.  We'll just have to hope they can solve the puzzle before they get eaten!