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

"Good morning. We report on a disturbing discovery in the suburbs of Atlanta. This morning, police confirmed the discovery of at least four bodies under a bridge in a remote area of the city. While authorities have not yet confirmed the exact circumstances, the initial lines of investigation point to a possible violent confrontation, which could be linked to criminal activities, such as disputes between criminal groups."

"According to initial reports, the events likely took place during the previous night. However, the case remains under investigation, and authorities have been cautious in revealing additional information as they gather more evidence."

"Our correspondent, Antonio Sánchez, is already at the scene to provide us with the latest details. Stay tuned for more updates."

In a motel room, the news was playing on the television, while the bathroom door was slightly ajar, and the sound of the shower could be heard.

The sun shone onto the bed through the curtains. This should have been a very warm image, but due to the metallic gleam reflected by the various weapons and gear placed beside the bed, it exuded a chilling atmosphere.

Jason approached the bed with a bathrobe wrapped around his waist and pulled several large suitcases out from under the bed.

Money—most of the suitcases were filled with green bills, while some contained weapons. Yesterday, he had taken significant risks, yet surprisingly, he didn't feel scared or nervous, as if what he had just done didn't mean much to him.

This world was far crueler than anyone could now imagine, and if it weren't for the walkers that would soon flood the streets, Jason wouldn't be so desperate to prepare for the end of the world.

What he needed now was people—trustworthy individuals willing to work alongside him and survive the events that would unfold in possibly weeks or even days.

Of course, the idea of working alone had crossed his mind, but considering all the things he needed to accomplish, he was forced to find a small group of helpers to begin his survival plans.

Thus, the easiest way to find people willing to work with him would be from his short list of contacts. Last night, Tommy had called him, mentioning that he had just gotten out of military prison and wanted to grab a drink.

Jason knew Tommy would be a good starting point. Being a former Navy member, there wasn't a better companion. Along with him, Billy Butcher and a few other military colleagues who would soon be released from military prison wanted to meet up.

But while he thought about how to tell them about what was about to happen in the world, he needed to gather supplies, and the easiest way to do so was through the dark web. For that, he needed a good computer.

That's why Jason began to move according to his needs.

…

The Metropolitan City of Atlanta

In an urban area of Atlanta, tall, beautiful buildings could be seen, and the roads on both sides were packed with people and traffic. Everything seemed as normal as any other day. It was incredible to think that a virus would soon strike this world and bring down the governments of the world's strongest countries in such a short time.

Every minute, as one would expect in a city like this, ambulances rushed by.

Even though the environment was extremely noisy and mostly normal for everyone else, Jason, who was here only to buy a computer, couldn't stay calm. After all, this world would soon descend into chaos.

"Is this the right place to buy a computer?" Looking at the large shopping mall with crowds of people coming and going, Jason wondered to himself, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Let's do this quickly…"

Jason was not very comfortable in places with large crowds. Although he wasn't afraid of the walkers from the original story, one single mistake could cost him dearly. He had seen experienced men get bitten and infected, whether through lack of attention or otherwise. He knew he wasn't immortal and needed to be cautious.

At that moment, just as he was about to look for a store that sold computers, a loud noise erupted, and Jason instinctively turned his head to look in the direction of the commotion.

Quickly, he saw a large, dark-skinned man kneeling helplessly near the entrance of the shopping mall, his chest heaving as he panted violently. His whole body trembled, the blood vessels in his eyes showing a deep red, and red blood spilling from his mouth—a series of symptoms that made him appear very frightening.

Everyone around him knew this person likely had the new type of infectious disease that had recently appeared in internet news. They all covered their mouths and noses as they moved away from the area.

Of course, for the bystanders, this man was sick and needed help. But Jason didn't think the same way. He instinctively reached into his jacket to grip his knife, the only thing accompanying him on this quick trip.

"Call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention! We need to request an ambulance."

What had happened here caught the attention of nearby patrolling police officers. Jason saw them approach quickly with a walkie-talkie and immediately call for an ambulance.

When they reached the large dark-skinned man, they handcuffed him without explanation. This action by the police sparked strong dissatisfaction among the black men nearby.

"Just because he's black, you cuff him?"

"That's police brutality!"

"We're recording this, and it's going online, you bastards!"

"Black Lives Matter!"

Those with calmer tempers urged the police to remove the cuffs quickly, while the hot-tempered ones cursed on the side and started throwing things.

Some of the officers even had weapons in hand, as if they were prepared to respond to aggression should anyone try to attack them with more than soda cans.

One officer, looking coldly at the crowd surrounding him, drew his gun without explaining the situation, silently warning everyone not to do anything rash.

Jason, observing this, thought that perhaps some areas were being warned well in advance of the outbreak. Maybe that's why the police's behavior was so severe.

After a while, an ambulance arrived with a "beep-beep" sound not far from the scene. At this point, the large black man seemed to have lost his mind, his body convulsing wildly as he continued to scream loudly.

That's when the people insisting he be released stopped. Clearly, this dark-skinned individual was very ill. Many even believed it was rabies and moved even farther from the area.

Soon, many people arrived, and it took a significant amount of manpower to place the man on a stretcher.

When the ambulance left, the crowd of onlookers, showing no emotion, gradually dispersed. The usual scene at the supermarket entrance resumed, as if nothing had happened.

Witnessing the entire process, Jason suddenly became highly alert. A voice in his ear seemed to whisper that everything was beginning. It was highly likely that the CDC had already reported strange cases of a deadly and highly infectious disease spreading worldwide.

"Why do I always have this ominous feeling?" Jason shook his head. Everyone was running out of time, and he needed to make the most of the little he had left.

Although such things happened every day, he couldn't ignore even the smallest details around him. Unlike the people around him, who had more pressing matters to attend to.

Interestingly, it wasn't that people were ignorant—they simply had too many problems in their lives to pay attention to what was happening around them. So if something were coming, they simply waited for it to arrive.

But Jason didn't waste any more time. He quickly found a store that sold computers and entered without hesitation. Now that he had money, all he needed was to buy a device and leave.

Almost immediately, his eyes landed on a Toshiba laptop that seemed to be in good condition. But just as he was about to pick it up, a voice sounded beside him.

"I wouldn't buy a Toshiba laptop if I were you. Their specs are terrible. I'd recommend an Asus A52F instead—they're the best on the market, in my opinion."

"Huh?"

Jason, still surrounded by anxiety, immediately turned his head to the side and saw a young man with glasses and a backpack hanging from his right shoulder.

"Looks like you know a thing or two about computers. Want to earn a few bucks setting this one up for me?"

"I could do that, though it'd be wasted money."

"I'm Jason. You can just call me by my name."

Jason introduced himself to the young man, who didn't seem older than twenty. On second thought, his help might be useful in setting up the computer much faster.

"Tyler Thorpe. It'll be a pleasure to guide you into the world of technology," Tyler said with a wry smile as he shook Jason's hand.

"Then I thank you in advance. I'll make sure to pay you well."

After paying for the purchase in cash, Jason got to know Tyler better. The young man was a computer science student.

According to Tyler, he could use a computer effectively by leveraging all its capabilities—something most people didn't do with their devices.

...

Inside a quiet coffee shop, Jason treated Tyler to a coffee while the latter set up the laptop.

It was already two in the afternoon when Tyler finished configuring Jason's computer, but neither of them seemed to mind as they chatted leisurely.

"So, coming here from abroad just to study must be tough, right?" Jason asked with a somewhat thoughtful expression.

"I don't have much of a relationship with my parents. After my mom left my dad, he remarried, and now our relationship is... complicated." Tyler was very candid, sharing parts of his life naturally with a stranger he'd just met.

Jason, who wasn't exactly eager to meet new people after realizing the state of the world, began to consider including Tyler in his plans.

"Can you help me buy things online?" Jason asked. "I need to get a lot of stuff as quickly as possible, and I want to do it online to save time."

"The delivery times will be tricky. What kind of stuff are you looking to buy?" Tyler sipped his coffee calmly, his curiosity piqued.

"Important things for the end of the world. Do you think you can help me?"

Jason handed Tyler five hundred dollars and waited for his response. The other party had undoubtedly noticed his strange and rushed behavior, so Jason wasn't expecting much.

"This isn't anything illegal, is it?" Tyler narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious of Jason's intentions regarding these purchases.

"Of course not."

"Then you've got my help. Let's go to my apartment. This isn't the best place to talk comfortably."

When Jason followed Tyler to his apartment, he entered with curiosity. Initially, he didn't think Tyler was that trustworthy, but when the young man opened the doors to his home, Jason's impression changed. Now, he was intrigued to learn more about him.

Jason figured his time would be well spent if Tyler helped him. This person seemed very intelligent and thought differently from most people.

How did Jason figure this out? Well, he'd been trained to analyze people and could tell that Tyler had been genuine in all his actions so far.

"Sit wherever you'd like..."

Jason found a couch to sit on, glanced at Tyler, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "If I told you something big was about to happen in the world, would you believe me?"

Tyler's movements stopped. He looked at Jason and asked without surprise, "Do you know about what's happening in France?"

"Know what?" Jason narrowed his eyes. This time, he was caught off guard.

"About the virus that got out of control by a group of scientists in France. There's a lot of that kind of information circulating in the hidden web. When I looked at you, I immediately noticed you were acting strange. And when you bought a computer and mentioned wanting to get supplies for the end of the world, I figured you burned all your equipment when you came across this info on the deep web. Although I doubt that's the case, considering you asked me to set up your computer—unless, of course, you're an amateur."

"Amateurs think they can dive into the dark web, browse through secrets, or read about what's happening in the world without being affected by the same people lurking there, looking to harm anyone careless enough to cross their path."

Tyler paused and continued, "The most interesting part is that you handed me five hundred dollars without blinking. Nobody does that."

"You're very observant..." Jason was once again surprised by who he was dealing with.

Tyler's eyes gleamed as he said, "So you know about it. I wonder if I'm right about everything else."

Tyler smiled, realizing he had hit the mark. Lately, during his vacation, he'd been diving into the web and uncovering some of this less-than-reliable information.

"You might know a lot, but trust me, it's nothing compared to what I know about the current state of the world. Your skills could be useful. Do you really want to know what's about to happen?" Jason's expression was calm; he didn't care what others knew. He was sure he wasn't the only one aware that the world was slowly spiraling into a bottomless abyss.

Tyler nodded slightly and said, "Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"Then let me explain what I know..."