The Walking Dead: A New Beginning From the End of the World

Ten days passed in a flash since rumors of violent attacks and bloodied bodies in the streets of Atlanta began to spread. Uncertainty expanded like a calamity over the world, and in a desperate attempt to contain the chaos, circular containment walls were erected in several regions, guarded by the army to isolate the counties still free from the virus.

It was now clear that the streets were under the army's authority. They were the ones setting the rules and eliminating the infected without mercy.

During this time, those who had prepared to go directly to the quarantine area hoped to find a safe place controlled by the army. Others, far more resourceful, had long retreated to their hideouts, transporting as many resources as possible before martial law took effect.

Even those who were reluctant and anguished about leaving their homes had no choice but to seek refuge in containment zones, where the government assured their safety.

…

Kings County, a suburb of Atlanta

At 12:39 a.m. on July 18, Lori stood at the door of her son's room, speaking softly to Shane while occasionally glancing at young Carl, who was reading comics in his room.

"Shane, what do you mean by leaving here?"

Lori couldn't comprehend Shane's words. Under no circumstances could she abandon her home or her husband, who was now confined to a hospital bed.

"Lori, calm down and listen to me. The county is in total chaos, and it can't be contained. The bastards at the police station have already taken their families to the shelters they've been announcing on the radio."

Shane was losing his mind due to the sheer hopelessness of the situation. He had witnessed the horrors the virus inflicted on people. "We received a broadcast from Atlanta this morning. It said they had prepared a temporary shelter in the city. As far as we know, people are being infected with a virus that makes them act strangely. You haven't seen it, but the infected won't rest until they've devoured anyone around them."

The horrors Shane had faced before the military's arrival were appalling. Each experience screamed that the world was descending into uncontrollable chaos. His only thought now was to get his best friend and his family to a safe place before they, too, were affected.

"Is the viral infection real? I never believed that infected people could be mindless cannibals." Lori was terrified. Just looking at Shane's pale face and trembling movements was enough to believe every word he shared.

"God, I never imagined things would get this bad either. But trust me when I say we can't stay in the county anymore. We must get to that shelter in Atlanta as soon as possible," Shane said seriously as he calculated their chances of safely reaching the shelter.

"What about Rick? My husband is still in the hospital!" Lori wouldn't abandon her husband in this kind of situation.

"I'll go tomorrow to get Rick. You focus on packing for everyone. I'll handle getting more food on the way back." Shane had promised his friend that he would take care of his family if anything happened to him, and that's exactly what he intended to do.

"Yes, I'll take care of it..." Lori was panicking, unsure of the best way to keep her son Carl safe.

"I promise to keep all of you safe." Shane pulled Lori into a strong hug.

"Alright..."

…

Meanwhile, in a completely different location, similar situations were unfolding.

Crash!

"You damn bitch, who told you to pack this garbage in the bags? We need food! Why are you bringing these pictures?"

"I'm sorry... Ed, I'll prepare more food..." Carol covered her face, terrified. She got up from the floor and went to the kitchen to pack more food into the bags.

"Sophia, get me a beer!"

Half-lying on the couch, Ed shouted at his daughter, whose face was barely visible from the room's doorway.

Sophia flinched and meekly said, "Okay, Dad."

After taking the beer his daughter brought, Ed shouted again at his wife in the kitchen. "Carol, hurry up and get ready! We're leaving tomorrow morning. I can't stay in this damn place! Damn it!"

Sophia trembled and ran back to her room.

Similar scenes played out in countless families. Some sought comfort, while others placed blame. But all were packing their bags and preparing to head to the nearest shelter.

…

"Aaaaaahhhh!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Ahh... Please help me!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

The first rays of sunlight on the following morning rose over King County, but instead of bringing peace, they echoed with gunfire and piercing screams tearing through the air. From above, the city appeared to be in complete chaos: streets overflowing with debris, gangs prowling like predators, panicked civilians running aimlessly, and countless soldiers deployed along the roads, struggling to contain the inevitable.

Shane drove to Rick's hospital at dawn, only to find that the front was already heavily guarded by soldiers. Whenever a "conflict" broke out among the surrounding crowd, the soldiers immediately opened fire.

The soldiers' orders were to eliminate all infected individuals and anyone who had been in direct contact with them. Hospitals were the first destination for most of the infected, making them the primary target for cleansing.

This would explain why, after Rick woke up, there were so many body bags in the hospital courtyard and clear signs of a substantial military presence nearby.

Unfortunately, this only delayed the inevitable. Many, including Shane, didn't realize that the military's actions essentially amounted to massacring their own people.

"We're lost…"

Meanwhile, Jason had spent this entire time gathering numerous supplies, and the only task remaining was to find test subjects.

Simultaneously, a black armored truck with the CDC logo had parked outside King County Hospital.

Inside the truck, Jason, dressed in black military-grade tactical gear, put on a mask and held his assault rifle while looking at the ten people waiting for his instructions.

"You know the plan: we will capture a few subjects who haven't lost their sanity yet and bring them to the center for research."

"If you see anyone acting strangely and threatening your safety, eliminate the threat. The virus is deadly, and once someone is infected, there's no turning back. Shoot them in the head and stay close to me."

"Understood!" This time, Jason's team had expanded to include ten special forces members skilled in infiltration and elimination missions. These soldiers understood the importance of orders and would unquestionably follow Jason's commands.

Everyone knew Jason and his rank within the special forces. As a captain, he was more than qualified to lead them and issue immediate orders. Many even idolized him for the circumstances surrounding his discharge.

"Tommy, George, and Tyler, stay back to secure the area and protect our transport." Jason, now fully masked for protection, continued: "Keep communication lines open. Report any detail, no matter how small."

"We'll be fine, Captain," Tommy responded confidently.

"Good, then let's move out."

Over time, Jason had strengthened his communication with the group he had assembled before joining the CDC. It hadn't been easy to vet each person who decided to follow his path, but after months, he knew everything about his followers.

This gave him the confidence to share the looming problem the world would soon face. When he began relocating distant resources closer to the CDC with their help, any doubts about their loyalty vanished.

Everyone understood that they were serving humanity. Each carried a purpose for survival and knew that every decision Jason made was solely to keep them alive.

Equipped with black tactical uniforms and CDC identification badges, Jason's independent team had encountered no issues so far. As part of the CDC, they operated above any government organization.

"Let's go!"

As the ten distinct soldiers disembarked from the armored truck, they went on high alert. They were already aware of the chaos in the area, where gunfire echoed constantly. External control was now under military authority in a desperate attempt to contain the outbreak.

"Stay alert, and shoot infected individuals in the head," Jason commanded, moving forward without a trace of nervousness.

Bang!

Shortly after exiting the truck, Jon, who was behind Jason, shot an infected person in the head, rescuing a woman on the brink of being bitten. They then entered the hospital through a path littered with corpses.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Jason and the others continued shooting and dealing with scattered infected as they made their way quickly to the staircase leading to the second floor.

Before they could ascend, a group of footsteps echoed nearby, and heavily armed soldiers aimed their weapons at them in panic.

"Stop right there! Lower your weapons!"

Although Jason had anticipated this possibility, he was prepared. He stepped forward calmly. When the soldier leading the group approached, he seemed pleasantly surprised by Jason's team's equipment.

"We're under martial law. What is the CDC doing in this remote part of Atlanta? The center is far from here."

Looking at the masked soldiers, Jason pulled a document from his chest and said, "We're here to acquire test subjects. We were informed that suitable candidates might be found in this location. Given the virus's mutations, we are evaluating the entire population of Atlanta."

"Is there anything new we should know, Captain?" asked the soldier after verifying the document.

"Just call me Jason. Yes, I have new information about the outbreak." Jason removed his mask and explained, "The Wildfire virus is a latent airborne virus, possibly transmitted through direct contact, with an infection rate of 99.9%."

"It spreads through the host's blood and concentrates in the central nervous system. The Wildfire virus activates when the host ceases all vital functions or when an active agent of the virus enters the bloodstream."

The soldier was stunned by this information. After reviewing the report in the document, he looked back at Jason's CDC credentials and asked, "What's the quickest way to eliminate the infected?"

"Headshots. One shot or blow that damages the brain is sufficient. Body shots are ineffective."

The soldier nodded and gave a military salute. "Thank you for the direct report. I'll inform my battalion commander immediately."

"Do you need reinforcements to retrieve the test subjects?"

"No, we'll do it quickly and withdraw from this location." Jason's eyes swept coldly over the surroundings. "Inform all soldiers of this information. It will be vital for faster containment."

"Understood, sir!"

"Sir, please help me."

Just as Jason and the others were speaking, and while some soldiers were preparing to contact their superiors by radio, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows.

"Stay still and don't move, or I'll shoot."

The soldiers did not expect other people to suddenly come running behind those seemingly healthy silhouettes, and they didn't bother contacting their superiors. They raised their assault rifles and warned them not to come any closer.

Jason had sharper eyes and noticed more figures behind the infected person. He commanded, "Valdez, open fire."

Under Jason's order, Sam stepped forward and mercilessly opened fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amid the wave of gunfire, Jason looked at the soldier and said, "The CDC is still researching a cure, so you need to contain the outbreak."

"Got it, let's move!"

Jason turned to his team and signaled for them to keep moving. This was one of his main reasons for visiting this place. Upon reaching the second floor, several soldiers were ruthlessly gunning down infected individuals.

Looking at the people in the corridor, Jason entered a room and saw a person lying on a stretcher. Spotting a nurse who was about to run, Jason stopped her and asked, "Is he infected?"

"What?"

"Is he infected?" Jason asked coldly, pointing at the person on the stretcher.

"He was bitten, but for now, he only has a fever…"

"Prepare him for transport. If you help me with that, I can guarantee your safety." Jason glanced back and instructed, "Get ready to move him."

"Understood."

In another room, Shane's heart raced as a soldier opened the door. Just as he was about to pull out his gun, he heard a voice.

"This area is secure; we'll handle it."

"Got it!"

As the voice faded, footsteps echoed through the door, and the voice spoke again: "I saw you enter that room, Shane. Do you remember me?"

Jason had been monitoring the hospital for days, waiting for Shane to appear to know when he would decide to go to the city.

The reason was simple—he wanted to establish a different type of connection in hopes of changing the future. So when he saw Shane enter Rick's room, he approached as soon as possible.

"Jason? Yeah, I remember you. We met a few months ago. What are you doing here?" Shane looked at Jason with confusion. His attire suggested authority.

At that moment, a group of civilians was arguing with the soldiers at the end of the hallway. Suddenly, the soldiers raised their machine guns.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The civilians quickly fell, and Shane's face turned grim upon witnessing the scene. He looked at Jason and asked, "Do you know what's going on?"

"Shane, there's no time. You need to get out of here and evacuate with the others immediately."

"Captain, the test subjects have been selected," González reported from outside the room.

"Jason, are you with the military?"

Jason nodded slightly and explained, "Sort of. I work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. I returned today to collect some subjects for testing. What happened to Rick? Is he infected?"

"No, no, he was shot and is now in a coma," Shane clarified, dispelling Jason's misunderstanding.

"Nurse, give me a report on this person's condition."

At that moment, the nurse helping Jason with the test subjects entered the room. She approached the bed, conducted a simple examination, and reported.

"Rick's injury is severe, and the location of the gunshot is relatively fragile, which likely caused damage to nearby internal organs. Judging by his current state, he shouldn't be able to wake up anytime soon."

Upon hearing this, Shane ran his hands through his hair, looking extremely distressed, and asked in anguish, "What am I supposed to do now?"

He then grabbed Rick's arm and shouted anxiously, "Rick, brother, wake up! We need to leave right away!"

Jason quickly grabbed Shane's hand and stopped his outburst. "Hey! Calm down! He needs to rest now. Even if you wake him up, what are you going to do with him?"

"Right, so what should I do then? Lori and Carl are still at home waiting to find refuge in Atlanta!"

"I have an idea."

"Do you have a solution?"

Jason paused before responding, "I have some authority at the CDC. I can transport Rick in an ambulance and relocate him, so you can return and evacuate to a shelter in Atlanta with the people you just mentioned."

"In Rick's current condition, he shouldn't be moved recklessly, but we have enough medical facilities to treat him. I'll contact you when Rick wakes up. What do you think?"

Shane's eyes lit up at those words. The plan seemed feasible, but he then asked, "So why can't we go to the CDC with you?"