The Zed Conspiracy

A Government Conspiracy Zombie-Science Thriller Short

By: Meera Masen

Narrated by: Tyler Ulrich-Hicks

A murdered wife. A closed courtroom. A gene that shouldn’t exist.

When Jonathan Bigwell shoots a woman in an alley, he swears she was already dead—shuffling, grey-skinned, eyes empty. The law calls it first-degree murder. Jonathan calls it self-defence against a zombie. In a bench trial with no jury and a powerful lawyer demanding his head, he has one impossible task: prove the undead are real.

Deep underground, geneticist Tonya Farris has done the unthinkable—engineered the Zed-Gene, a man-made mutation that can turn corpses into walking weapons. She thinks she’s helping humanity. The prime minister thinks she’s just handed him the perfect tool for control.

As political elites erase witnesses, disappear enemies, and start filling secret cells with the undead, a classified operation called Project Zed moves into place—using prisoners, the vulnerable, and anyone who won’t be missed.

The Zed Conspiracy is a three-part sci-fi horror story about a rigged justice system, weaponized science, and a government willing to manufacture a zombie outbreak to tighten its grip on power.

If you like courtroom horror, bio-engineering gone wrong, and government conspiracies with teeth, this one’s for you.

Previously published under S.M. Phoenix
Based on a writing prompt.

©2023 Meera Masen (P)2025 Meera Masen

Cuts directly to the heart of the matter

Yup. There's zombies, but not for the typical reasons. With intrigue, devious plots, and collateral damage stacking up, will the perpetrators of this outbreak be discovered in time? An enjoyable brief story with delightfully enticing narration by Tyler Ulrich-Hicks, paving the way to future parts. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 2.0x.]

Interesting take and fun listen

Interesting and fun zombie short story.
It’s well worth the listen and quite fun to see where it goes next