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

In the early hours of the morning, the sun began to illuminate the entrance of a hospital in King County. In one of the rooms, Rick Grimes lay motionless in a bed, his eyes closed, trapped in a deep coma.

Three days had passed since the shooting, and Rick remained unaware of reality. He didn't know that, beyond the walls protecting him, the world had changed in ways that were unrecognizable.

And far beyond, there was a man analyzing his possibilities with the sole desire to change the future of humanity. He trusted his skills, and despite the difficulty, he was confident he could do a better job than anyone else in this world.

Indeed, Jason spent his days thinking that everything that had happened in his life until now had led to this moment, where he had to prove his worth and fulfill his desire to be the savior who never came for certain people worth protecting.

...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.

At this moment, Jason was in the CDC control room with his team, listening in silence to the "Emergency Action Notification" issued by Washington DC, which was playing on the television.

"It seems it's time to act." Jason thought to himself as images of possible futures filled his mind.

He knew that after the start of the Apocalypse, the CDC's security had been reinforced by the military, and barricades, tanks, and rifles had been placed outside, all aimed at minimizing the advance of the walkers toward the facilities, which had become humanity's top priority.

But he also knew that when the situation became unsustainable, hundreds of bodies were scattered all over the pavement, and the place was practically abandoned.

At least within the first fifteen days, Jason was aware that the CDC's security would be guarded, but soon, the outside would no longer be safe, and that would be when he needed to be prepared, because then it would be his moment to take full control of the situation.

For now, his authority within the CDC wasn't much, and that prevented him from acting freely. So for then, when the security was under his control, he could do as he pleased and practically become the leader of this zone. By then, he needed to be ready to welcome survivors and have a high supply of resources that he had previously prepared.

"Prepare your gear, we'll need to move soon." Jason said directly to the others without openly sharing his plans.

"Understood!"

No one knew what was going on in Jason's head, but as they knew, if there was someone smarter than the others, they wouldn't question his decisions or contradict him. The smartest thing to do was follow his instructions to the letter, just as they were given.

After seeing how chaos was escalating in the outside world, all the soldiers recruited by Jason decided to do exactly what he said.

"Jason, what exactly are we going to do?"

Tylor knew the new Jason much better than the others; he was the one who had contributed the most to all the plans Jason had made.

Upon hearing this question, everyone in the room turned their attention to Jason. They didn't mind knowing what they had to do, but it would be good to prepare mentally.

"We need to move the resources exposed in Atlanta closer to the CDC, and although it pains me to say it, my authority here is not what I want it to be right now, but that can change later, and for now, we need the resources close to keep this place safe, which for now is still secure."

Without waiting for more questions, Jason stood up and walked toward the lab to share his plans.

…

A few minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Jenner were sitting with Jason in the office next to the lab.

The couple looked at Jason with serious faces. They couldn't understand why Jason wanted to leave. You could say that the CDC was the safest place in the world.

"Jason, is there something specific that makes you want to leave the CDC? Are you going to save your family like the others are doing?"

Edwin Jenner was very confused. When they persuaded Jason to come to the CDC with his team, he hadn't mentioned anything about his family, so now Edwin thought the only reason Jason wanted to leave was because there was a loved one he hadn't taken seriously before.

"Edwin, Candace, I don't have family here. I have my reasons for leaving the CDC with part of my team, and they're not personal reasons, but focused solely on protecting these facilities and keeping you safe. Let me explain my plan in detail."

After saying this, Jason furrowed his brows as he scanned the room. After a few seconds of reflection, he walked up to a glass board, took a marker, and wrote in large letters: Energy, Supplies, Experimental Subjects, Weapons, Time.

Then, Jason turned to the group and spoke with a serious tone, far removed from his usual friendly demeanor: "In the past few days, I've spent time evaluating the conditions of the center. I've inspected different areas and analyzed our strengths and weaknesses. As for energy, our fuel reserves are in decent shape, but there's an obvious problem: we don't know how long we'll be here."

Jason leaned on the table with both hands and fixed his gaze on Edwin. "The situation with the cure remains uncertain. We don't know if they'll really be able to develop it or how long it will take. If we stay here without proper planning, we could run out of essential resources. That's why, if we want to ensure the safety of this place, we need to act now."

He took the marker and underlined the word "energy" on the board before continuing.

"If this shelter remains operational for weeks or months, our fuel reserves will run out quickly. We can't afford to waste even a drop if we're not certain the military will support us at all times."

Jason turned and practically ordered: "Edwin, you'll be in charge of evaluating the energy supply system. You have full authority here, so cut off the supply to all areas that aren't absolutely necessary. Turning off inactive equipment and limiting consumption could give us a crucial advantage in the long term."

Jason turned and wrote "supplies" on the board, emphasizing the next point.

"Food is our next priority. I know the center used to store enough provisions for hundreds of people. Now, we're just over twenty. That means, theoretically, we could ration the food and survive for an extended period without needing to search for more. But here's the problem: we still don't know how long this will last or if the experiment will succeed. If the cure fails again and again, eventually we'll have to leave this place and find another shelter."

Jason paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in before delivering the next warning: "If that time comes, finding food reserves will be a much harder task with the streets flooded with infected."

The silence in the room became palpable. Jason allowed everyone to absorb the information before moving on to the next topic. "Now let's talk about an urgent problem: the experimental subjects."

Jason marked the words "experimental subjects" on the board and crossed his arms. "For this center to continue its research, more samples are needed. We can't progress without test subjects. I don't know how you plan to solve this, but this is something we must address immediately. What do you think?"

The Jenners nodded in unison. Until now, they hadn't considered all these aspects together, and Jason's foresight impressed them. They had considered him a capable leader, but they never imagined how meticulous and strategic he could be in survival situations.

Finally, under the amazed gazes of these scientists, Jason focused on the last point: "Next is the weapons supply. This research center is not designed to withstand a prolonged crisis. If we're eventually forced to leave, we'll need more than just provisions; we'll need a good arsenal to protect ourselves. It's not enough to have a few firearms; we'll need plenty of ammunition and training to defend ourselves in any scenario."

He wrote the word "weapons" in firm strokes and then turned to the group.

"In short, someone needs to go out and handle all of this before the epidemic completely spirals out of control. And the only people capable of that task are my team and me."

Jason dropped the pen onto the table and looked at the faces of the Jenners. Their expressions reflected uncertainty, but also acknowledgment. They glanced at each other for a response but only found the gravity of the situation reflected in each other's eyes.

The silence was broken when Candace, in a determined tone, finally spoke: "Jason, what you did is something we hadn't considered. After all, the virus research itself has kept us extremely busy. And even less so the cure; we don't know when a complete investigation into the virus will take place."

After hearing these words from his wife, the look in Edwin's eyes obviously softened, but he quickly lifted his head and solemnly told Jason: "Jason, I'm so glad I chose you to join our group in the beginning! With shame, I leave these things to you and your team! We'll work hard to do our part as well!"

Of course, Jason hadn't only gone to gather supplies, but he couldn't tell the Jenners that, so he just showed a relaxed smile.

"Don't worry, my team and I are a group of retired soldiers, don't forget that," Jason reassured them, giving a calming smile to these people who could be humanity's saviors.

Candace also smiled, stood up, and gave Jason a hug. Edwin also stepped forward and gave him a strong handshake as a farewell.

"We're counting on you!"

"I also hope you can develop a vaccine as soon as possible. I'll help with whatever I can when I return." After Jason finished speaking, he pulled a walkie-talkie from a pocket in his vest and handed it to Edwin.

"Don't tune into the channel; I'll notify you by radio when I get back. Also, until I return, don't open the door to strangers. Each one of you is irreplaceable. You're the only researchers at the center; your lives are very valuable."

"Alright, you must pay attention to your safety!"

"I will. I'm leaving now, Edwin, remember to check the power system!"

"I'll take care of that." Edwin nodded, turned around, and walked toward the underground power supply system.

Once Jason finished his explanation, he walked toward the room where his team was and said, "It's time to move out. Have your weapons ready, and don't forget to wear masks when we're outside."

"We've got it!"

Tyler, carrying light gear, looked at Jason and asked, "Hey, Jason, do you think I'll be of any help out there? I'm the only one who still doesn't know how to handle a weapon well."

Jason looked at Tyler and said, "I'm not taking you as a soldier; you'll be safer by my side. Besides, you're the one who marked the spots where we placed the supplies."

Tyler fell silent and didn't say anything more. He thought he should familiarize himself with this environment, so he mentally prepared himself.

Jon Seda, on the side, looked at Tyler's pale expression and said, "Don't worry, kid, we'll take care of you."

Once everyone was ready, Jason walked toward the door leading to the station's underground garage.

The person left in charge looked at a group of seven people with black masks on their faces and instinctively straightened up, saluting.

"Open the door!"

"Alright, boss."

Behind the CDE, there was a large car garage. At this moment, a tactical vehicle from the center and several other vehicles were parked in the garage.

If strangers were to look, they would definitely be captivated by one vehicle in particular—a modified RV, quietly parked in a corner.

"Look at this beast, it's not just an RV, it's a fortress on wheels." Tommy hit the side of the vehicle, where thick steel plates reinforced the body, and explained, "Reinforced armor, windows with metal grilles, and bulletproof glass. There's no way anything's surprising us in here."

"And if we get ambushed?" asked the frightened Tyler, looking at the huge RV, scanning the roof.

"That's why we have the rotating turret." Tommy pointed to the top, where a heavy machine gun was ready to fire. "We've got shooting slots on the sides, traps in the back, and if things go south, an electric arc on the doors to stop intruders."

"What about the fuel?" Billy, unfamiliar with the RV, asked, intrigued by this magnificent machine.

"Modified to use diesel and biofuels," Tommy smiled and muttered, "And if we run out, we have solar panels to keep the basics running."

Of course, this engineering marvel wouldn't be used in moments where the situation was still manageable, so Jason and his team passed by the RV, leaving Tommy to admire his own creation. They soon arrived at a special tactical truck from the CDC. They stored all the equipment in the back compartment and boarded.

George, the expert driver, sat in the driver's seat, and Jason sat in the back. Removing his mask, he looked at everyone and said, "This time we'll gather some supplies that were prepared for this situation, then we'll move to other objectives before returning."

Looking at Tyler, Jason pointed, "Show George the places we're moving to next."

"Got it," Tyler responded, a bit nervous.

As for the others, everyone remained silent. Taking out a walkie-talkie and pressing the button to communicate, Jason spoke into the microphone: "Zz... Edwin... This is Jason, we're about to leave, please remember not to let strangers in... The changes that will happen outside will be beyond your imagination. I'll be back as soon as possible, I promise."

"Zz... Jason, take care out there."

Jason didn't say anything else. He believed that the subtle influence of recent days had made Edwin and Candace more cautious about the approaching problem. Also, just in case things got ugly, he left some agents inside the CDC, just in case.

When George started the engine, he drove under Tyler's instructions, and soon they exited the CDC.