TS-19
Rick broke the silence.
"Hello?"
A gun cocked from the darkness"Anybody infected?"
Rick stepped forwards "One of our group was. He didn’t make it."
There was a pause before the voice asked, "Why are you here? What do you want?"
"A chance."
The voice replied, skeptical. "That’s asking an awful lot these days."
Rick nodded "I know."
The voice shifted, more demanding now. "You all submit to a blood test. That’s the price of admission."
Rick glanced back at the group before answering. "We can do that."
The voice continued, firm and final. "You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed."
The group shook their heads as the man nodded.
A series of beeps followed, and the sound of mechanisms locking into place echoed through the air.
"Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here," the voice instructed.
The group watched as the heavy doors rattled and clanged, sealing them inside.
"Rick Grimes," Rick said, extending a hand.
The man shook it firmly it firmly. "Dr. Edwin Jenner," the man introduced himself.
The elevator hummed softly as it descended, carrying the group deeper into the facility. The man who had spoken to them earlier stepped forward, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the control panel.
Daryl, standing nearby, eyed Jenner’s holstered weapon. "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
Jenner’s expression didn’t waver. "There were plenty left lying around," he replied. "I familiarized myself." He glanced at the group, his gaze lingering on each of them before adding, "But you look harmless enough."
His eyes landed on Carl. "Except you," he said with a smirk . "I’ll have to keep my eye on you."
Carol looked around uneasily. "Are we underground?" she asked,
Jenner glanced over at her. "Are you claustrophobic?" he asked.
She hesitated, then nodded faintly. "A little."
"Try not to think about it," Jenner said with a faint smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He turned to the control panel. "Vi, bring up the lights in the big room."
A faint hum filled the air, followed by the soft beeping of the system booting up. The lights flickered on, illuminating the expansive and eerily quiet space.
"Welcome to Zone 5," Jenner said, gesturing to the area around them.
Glenn looked around and frowned. "Where is everybody? The other doctors, the staff?"
"I'm it," Jenner replied simply, his tone somber. "It's just me here."
Rick tilted his head, confused. "What about the person you were speaking with earlier? Vi?"
"Vi?" Jenner glanced at the ceiling, then nodded toward the speakers. "Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them... Welcome."
The computer’s disembodied voice responded, smooth and mechanical. "Hello, guests. Welcome."
Jenner looked back at the group. "I'm all that's left," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
For a moment, there was silence, the weight of his words sinking in. Andrea broke it, her voice heavy with skepticism. "What’s the point of the blood tests? If we were infected, we’d all be running a fever."
Jenner straightened, giving her a pointed look. "I’ve already broken every rule in the book letting you in here. Let me at least be thorough."
He moved quickly, retrieving a syringe. Most of the blood tests were completed fast, the results clear. Harry leaned against a table, watching as Dr. Jenner worked on the last few samples. The quiet beep of the machine was the only sound in the room.
When Harry’s turn came, he sat down and extended his arm, letting the mandraw his blood. The others had drifted toward the far side of the room, caught up in murmured conversations. Harry remained seated, watching as Jenner inserted his sample into the machine.
A moment later, the doctor froze. His hand stopped mid-motion, his eyes fixed on the monitor. A deep frown creased his brow as he stared at Harry’s results. Harry noticed the sudden shift and straightened slightly in his chair.
“Something wrong?” Harry asked, his tone cautious, his eyes narrowing as he studied Jenner’s expression.
The man hesitated, his frown quickly smoothing out. He shook his head, forcing a neutral expression. “No,” he replied evenly. “Nothing’s wrong.”
Harry didn’t look entirely convinced but nodded slowly, letting it drop for the moment. Jenner turned to address the entire group, his voice steady as he called out, “You’re all cleared.”
With a soft click, he finished another sample and looked up. "All done," he said.
Sophia winced slightly. "Ooh," she murmured.
"Are you okay?" Jenner asked, his tone softening slightly.
"She hasn’t eaten in days," Carol interjected quietly. "None of us have."
Jenner paused, glancing at the group, and gave a faint nod. "We’ll see what we can do about that.
The group sat around the dining table, the room filled with warmth and laughter for the first time in what felt like forever. Plates were empty, and a bottle of wine was passed around, glasses clinking softly as each member indulged in the rare reprieve from their harsh reality.
Rick shook his head with a wry smile as Carl eyed the bottle. “You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner,” he said playfully.
“And in France,” Dale added, joining the conversation.
Lori smiled “Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then.”
“What’s it gonna hurt?” T-Dog teased. “Come on, let the kid have a sip.”
“Come on,” Glenn echoed, nudging Rick.
Dale laughed, pouring a tiny splash into Carl’s glass. “There you are, young lad,” he said.
Carl took a hesitant sip, immediately scrunching up his face in disgust. “Eww,” he groaned, sticking out his tongue.
The table erupted into laughter. Lori grinned, ruffling Carl’s hair. “That’s my boy. That’s my boy,” she said
Carl shook his head vigorously. “Yuck. That tastes nasty.”
“Well,” Daryl drawled with a smirk, “just stick to sour pop there, bud.”
He turned his attention to Glenn, grinning “Not you, Glenn.”
Glenn looked up mid-sip, startled. “What?”
“Keep drinking, little man. I wanna see how red your face can get,” Daryl said with a wicked grin.
The men burst into laughter, and Glenn sheepishly put his glass down.
Rick stood, holding his glass high. “It seems to me we haven’t thanked our host properly,” he said, glancing at Jenner. “He is more than just our host.”
“Hear hear!” T-Dog said enthusiastically.
Daryl raised his glass. “Here’s to you, Doc. Booyah!”
“Booyah!” the group echoed, their glasses clinking together.
Jenner gave a small, almost bashful smile. “Thank you,” he said simply
T-Dog raised his glass higher. “Booyah!” he repeated, earning another round of laughter.
The moment of levity was short-lived as Shane leaned forward, his expression serious. “So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc?” he asked bluntly. “All the… the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened—where are they?”
Rick frowned, gesturing for Shane to ease up. “We’re celebrating, Shane. Don’t need to do this now.”
But Shane wasn’t backing down. “Whoa, wait a second,” he said, looking around the table. “This is why we’re here, right? This was your move, Rick. Supposed to find all the answers. Instead…” He let out a humorless chuckle. “We found him. Found one man. Why?”
Jenner’s face darkened, his voice quiet but firm as he responded. “Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families.”
Shane’s brow furrowed. “And when things got worse?”
“When the military got overrun, the rest bolted,” Jenner continued.
Rick’s voice was tinged with disbelief. “Every last one?”
Jenner shook his head solemnly. “No. Many couldn’t face walking out the door. They… opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time.”
Lori tilted her head, her gaze steady. “You didn’t leave,” she said softly. “Why?”
Jenner hesitated, then shrugged faintly. “I just kept working. Hoping to do some good.”
Glenn looked at Shane. “Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man.”
The group laughed, the tension easing slightly. Later, Jenner led them down a hall, gesturing towards the room. “Most of the facility is powered down, including housing, so you’ll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like.”
The group exchanged surprised glances at Jenner's words, a flicker of excitement cutting through the exhaustion that had been weighing them down for days.
"There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy," Jenner added, glancing toward the hallway.
Carl's face lit up at the mention, and Clementine perked up slightly. "Really?" Carl asked, barely concealing his enthusiasm.
Jenner held up a hand. "Just don't plug in the video games, okay? Or anything else that draws power. The same applies if you shower—go easy on the hot water."
Glenn’s eyes widened. "Hot water?" he repeated
"That's what the man said,"T-Dog said
Carol put a hand on Sophia’s shoulder, her own smile spreading. "Go ahead, sweetie. You and the kids can check out the rec room," she encouraged.
Carl and Clementine exchanged quick grins before trotting down the hall, Sophia close behind. Jenner watched them go for a moment, his weary expression softening ever so slightly.
Later, Harry hesitated for a moment at the doorway before stepping in, his boots clicking softly against the sterile floor.
“How’s the blood?” Harry asked casually, crossing his arms as he watched Jenner work.
Jenner startled slightly at his voice, straightening up from the table. He turned, his expression unreadable for a moment before his eyes locked onto Harry. “I didn’t mean to be rude, but… what are you?” he asked, his tone quiet but pointed.
Harry blinked, taken aback. “What do you mean?” he asked cautiously.
Jenner gestured toward the monitor, his fingers tapping the screen where Harry’s blood sample data was displayed. Beside it were other samples, presumably from the rest of the group. “Your blood,” Jenner began, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”
Harry stepped closer, his curiosity piqued despite the unease curling in his chest. “What does that mean?” he asked, his voice low.
Jenner pointed at the data on the screen, his fingers tracing over rows of unusual readings. “There’s something in your blood—something I’ve never seen before, something that’s never been recorded in all of history. It’s not a cure, but…” He paused, searching for the right words. “Your DNA is… different. Different from every other human in history.”
Harry froze, his thoughts racing. A chill ran down his spine as Jenner’s words settled over him. He stayed silent, not trusting himself to speak. Could it be? Could his blood still carry traces of magic from his old life, from the world he’d left behind when he was reincarnated here? He glanced at Jenner’s earnest but puzzled expression, his mind spinning. As far as Harry could tell, witches and wizards didn’t exist in this world. Neither did magical creatures or spells. Magic itself was an anomaly—something that didn’t belong here. He had searched long and hard, he even went to where he knew Ilvermorny was in his old world, and yet it wasn’t there. No hints of magic either.
Deciding quickly, Harry kept his face neutral, shaking his head slightly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said evenly, his voice betraying none of his inner turmoil.
Jenner studied him for a moment, his brow furrowed. “If you say so,” he said at last, though his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced.
Harry stepped back, his posture relaxing as he gave Jenner a faint, unbothered shrug. “If it’s not a cure, then it doesn’t matter, right? It’s just blood.”
Jenner hesitated, then sighed. “Maybe,” he said softly, turning back to the monitor. “But it’s still worth noting.”
Harry left Jenner after that, heading to the rec room. Carol sat on a worn sofa, a small pile of books beside her as she flipped through one thoughtfully. Harry leaned against the doorway, glancing around the room.
"Any good books?" he asked, breaking the calm.
Carol smiled, closing the book in her lap with a soft thud. "Uh-huh," she replied, gesturing to the shelves lining the walls. "Enough to keep us busy for years."
Nearby, Lori clapped her hands to get Carl and Clementine's attention. "All right. Come on, kids, it's bedtime," she said.
Carl groaned softly. "Do we have to?" he asked, holding game they were playing "Yes, you do," Lori replied with a small smile. "Baby, go say your prayers. I'm gonna browse a bit."
Clementine and Sohpia put down their cards with a sigh but followed Carl toward the door. "Come on," Lori urged them gently, ushering them out of the room.
Carol glanced at Lori and nodded, her voice quiet but filled with relief. "This is the first night we might actually get some real sleep."
Lori smiled softly in agreement. "Feels strange, doesn’t it?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Harry stepped out of the rec room. As he wandered into the hallway, he paused mid-step, an amused smirk spreading across his face. Shane and Andrea were pressed up against a door, both clearly drunk and laughing as they fumbled to twist the doorknob. Shane leaned forward, whispering something in Andrea's ear that made her giggle uncontrollably before the two stumbled inside, slamming the door shut behind them.
Shaking his head in mild disbelief, Harry continued down the hallway. His gaze caught Donna and Alan shepherding their twin boys toward the room they’d chosen for the night. The twins darted ahead, giggling softly before disappearing into the room beside their parents’. Donna gave Alan a tired warm smile before stepping inside after their sons.
Across the hall Ben and Travis entered their own room.
Harry barely spared the interaction a second glance. Donna and Alan were among the quieter members of the camp, and Harry had rarely exchanged more than a polite nod or greeting with them. His attention, however, was focused elsewhere.
“Now where is Amy?” Harry muttered under his breath, glancing down the hallway as he left the others behind.
Rick stepped quietly into the room he and Lori had chosen, careful not to wake Carl, who was already sound asleep on a small cot in the corner. The faint sound of his son's gentle breathing filled the space as Rick lingered by the door for a moment, his eyes scanning the room.
Lori was already lying on the bed, her face turned toward him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She looked calmer than she had in days.
Rick sat on the edge of the bed, removing his boots before slipping under the covers beside her. Turning to face her, he reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.
“We don’t have to be afraid anymore,” Rick murmured, his voice low. “We’re safe here. All right?”
Lori nodded slightly, her smile deepening as she squeezed his hand. “All right,” she whispered back.
The morning light filtered into the room, soft and warm, as the group stirred from their scattered sleeping arrangements. T-Dog stood at the makeshift breakfast station, cracking open powdered eggs and stirring them in a pan over a small electric burner.
Carl approached the table, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Hello," he said groggily.
"Morning," Lori replied with a soft smile, glancing down at him.
Carl tilted his head, studying his father. "Are you hungover?" he asked innocently.
Rick let out a short laugh.
"Mom said you'd be," Carl added, matter-of-fact.
Lori chuckled, shaking her head. "Mom is right," Rick admitted.
"Mom has that annoying habit."
"Eggs. Powdered, but… but I do 'em good," T-Dog said teasingly, motioning to the pan.
Glenn made a face. "I bet you can't tell," he said doubtfully.
Lori smirked. "Protein helps the hangover," she said lightly.
From across the room, Daryl groaned, sitting up and rubbing his temples. "Oh, man…" he muttered as he slowly stood, catching the smell of the eggs. "Where’d all this come from?"
Lori nodded toward the hall. "Jenner," she said. "Could you help me, please?"
T-Dog stepped over, grabbing a plate and helping to portion out the food. "He thought we could use it," Lori added.
From the corner, Glenn winced as he sat up on a couch, his face pale. "Don’t ever, ever, ever let me drink again," he groaned, clutching his head.
Shane appeared next, yawning and looking just as rough. "Hey," he muttered, plopping into a chair.
Glenn glanced up at him. "Feel as bad as I do?" he asked.
"Worse," Shane replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
T-Dog’s attention was caught by the faint red marks on Shane's neck. "The hell happened to you?" he asked, motioning with his chin.
Shane blinked and instinctively rubbed at his neck. "What are you—" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing. A sheepish grin crept across his face as Andrea wandered in behind him, conveniently looking the other way to avoid any further questioning.
Shane leaned on the table, directing his words at Dr. Jenner. "Hey, doc," he began “Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing..."
Jenner raised an eyebrow, cutting him off with dry humor. "But you will anyway."
Shane nodded, unapologetic. "We didn’t come here for the eggs."
Jenner sighed, turning to a nearby console. With a few deliberate clicks and beeps, he brought up a screen. "Give me playback of TS-19," Shane requested.
The screen flickered to life as the computer’s monotone voice responded. "Playback of TS-19," Vi intoned, followed by a series of beeps.
Jenner crossed his arms, watching the screen for a moment. "Few people ever got a chance to see this," he said softly, almost to himself. "Very few."
The grainy image on the screen shifted, revealing a detailed scan. Carl furrowed his brow as she looked closer. "Is that a brain?"
Jenner nodded solemnly. "An extraordinary one," he replied. "Not that it matters in the end."
He tapped the screen again. "Take us in for E.I.V.," he instructed.
Vi’s voice responded: "Enhanced internal view."
As the scan zoomed in, Andrea squinted at the cascading patterns of lights. "What are those lights?" he asked.
Jenner gestured at the display, his tone turning reverent. "It’s a person’s life… experiences, memories. It’s everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you… the thing that makes you unique. And human."
Glenn frowned, tilting his head. "You don’t make sense ever?"
Jenner smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages," he explained. "They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death."
"Death? That’s what this is, a vigil?"
Jenner nodded, his expression darkening. "Yes. Or rather the playback of the vigil."
Rick leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but probing. "This person died?"
Jenner hesitated, then answered. He gestured to the screen. "Test Subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected… and volunteered to have us record the process."
He turned back to the console. "Vi, scan forward to the first event," Jenner instructed.
"Scanning to first event," Vi replied, the screen shifting as the playback continued.
The group watched in silence as the lights within the brain’s scan began to flicker unnaturally. "What is that?" T-Dog asked, his voice tinged with dread.
Jenner’s face was grim as he explained. "It invades the brain like meningitis," he said. "The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death." He looked around at the group. "Everything you ever were or ever will be… gone."
Sophia’s voice wavered as she whispered, "Is that what happened to Jim?"
Carol pulled her close.
"Yes," he said. "Scan to the second event."
"Scanning to second event," accompanied by the faint beeping of the console.
Jenner gestured to the screen as the image shifted. "The resurrection times vary wildly," he began. "We’ve had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we’ve heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute… seven seconds."
Rick furrowed his brow, leaning forward. "It restarts the brain?" he asked.
Jenner shook his head, his expression grim. "No, just the brain stem," he clarified. "Basically, it gets them up and moving."
Lori swallowed hard. "But they’re not alive?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jenner’s reply was blunt. "You tell me. It’s nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark."
He pointed to the display, the scan showing vast areas of dim light. "Dark, lifeless, dead," Jenner said, his tone heavy. "The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part... That doesn’t come back. The you part."
Jenner continued, his voice low. "Just a shell driven by mindless instinct." A object passed through the brain in the image
Andrea’s hand flew to her mouth. "God," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What was that?"
Rick turned to Jenner, his tone cutting. "He shot his patient in the head. Didn’t you?"
Jenner hesitated but nodded solemnly. "Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations," he instructed.
Vi responded efficiently, "Powering down main screen and workstations."
The room fell quiet for a moment before Shane broke the silence. "You have no idea what it is, do you?" he asked
Jenner sighed deeply, his voice strained but honest. "It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal..." He paused, glancing at Andrea. "Or the wrath of God?"
Dale swallowed hard. "There is that."
Rick turned to Jenner "Somebody must know something. Somebody, somewhere."
Carol stepped forward, her voice shaking slightly. "There are others, right? Other facilities?"
Jenner hesitated, then gave a vague nod. "There may be some. People like me."
Carol’s brow furrowed. "But you don’t know? How can you not know?"
Jenner’s voice cracked slightly as he replied. "Everything went down. Communications, directives… all of it. I’ve been in the dark for almost a month."
Rick stiffened. "So it’s not just here," he said slowly. "There’s nothing left anywhere? Nothing?" His words carried the weight of the group’s collective fears.
Shane exhaled sharply. "That’s what you’re really saying, right?" he asked, his voice bitter.
Daryl walked away, muttering "Jesus. Man, I’m gonna get shit-faced drunk again."*
Dale stepped forwards "Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you, and I hate to ask one more question, but..." He pointed toward the clock on the wall, its numbers steadily counting down. "That clock... It’s counting down. What happens at zero?"
Jenner’s face tightened, his expression grim. "The basement generators... they run out of fuel," he said simply.
Rick pushed further. "And then?"
Jenner didn’t reply directly. Instead, he turned to Vi. "Vi, what happens when the power runs out?"
Vi’s answer was cold as it responded "When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur."
Glenn stiffened, his voice strained. "Decontamination... What does that mean?"
Jenner simply turned and walked away.
Shane crossed his arms, his skepticism clear. "I don’t like the way Jenner clammed up. The way he just wandered off like that."
"What’s wrong with him? Seriously, man, is he nuts, medicated, what?"
Shane pointed toward the hall Jenner had retreated into. "In there," he said,
"Check that way," he called, pointing down one corridor before heading in another direction himself.
T-Dog held up a fuel can, tossing it aside when he realized it was empty.
A loud mechanical clack echoed through the building, and the lights shifted again, dimmer now than before.
"Vi: Emergency lighting on," the computer’s voice droned.
Daryl, standing near the main hallway, shielded his eyes momentarily before glancing around. "What the hell is this?" he asked sharply.
Shane returned to the group, glaring at the dim lights. "Hey, you guys kill the lights?"
T-Dog shook his head, glancing toward the others. "Nah," he said grimly. "It just went out."
Rick appeared, his face etched with concern. "Anything?" he asked, addressing T-Dog.
T-Dog sighed heavily. "Yeah, a lot of dead generators and more empty fuel drums than I can count," he answered. "It can’t be down to just that one."
Meanwhile, Carol knelt beside Sophia, who tugged at her sleeve. “Something wrong?"
Carol hesitated, brushing a strand of hair from Sophia’s face. "Nothing," she said softly "It’s just... the air conditioning stopped."
Jenner appeared in the hallway, "I did the best I could in the time that I had," he said, seemingly addressing no one in particular. "I hope you’d be proud of that. We always think there’s gonna be more time... Then it runs out."
Shane straightened up, his tone sharp now as she faced Jenner. "Why is the air off? And the lights in our room? What’s going on?"
Jenner barely glanced at him. "Energy use is being prioritized," he replied flatly.
Carol frowned. "Air isn’t a priority? And lights?"
Jenner’s voice was cold, almost resigned. "It’s not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down."
Shane stormed after Jenner, his frustration boiling over. "Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?"
At that moment, the sound of the power whirring down echoed ominously through the facility, the building growing eerily quieter.
Shane stepped closer, his voice rising. "Hey man, I’m talking to you. What do you mean it’s shutting itself down? How can a building do anything?"
Jenner glanced at him, his expression detached. "You’d be surprised," he said simply.
Rick stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on Shane’s arm. "Jenner, what’s happening?" he asked.
Jenner sighed "The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power. It’s designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark. Right on schedule."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their sense of dread intensifying.
"It was the French," Jenner said suddenly.
Glenn blinked in confusion. "What?"
Jenner turned to him "They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know," he said. "While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution."
Andrea leaned forward, her voice trembling. "What happened?"
Jenner’s answer was grim and final. "The same thing that’s happening here. No power grid. Ran out of juice."
He paused, his voice tinged with frustration. "The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?"
Shane snarled "Let me tell you…”
“To hell with it, Shane. I don't even care. Lori, grab our things. Everybody, get your stuff. We're getting out of here now!" Rick interrupted
Lori nodded quickly, moving to gather their belongings. "Oh, okay,"
Suddenly, the blaring of an alarm filled the air, its piercing sound sending a wave of panic through the group. "What's that?" Glenn asked, his voice rising. "What's that?"
Vi’s monotone voice echoed through the room. "30 minutes to decontamination."
Daryl stepped forward, his tone sharp and demanding. "Doc, what's going on here?"
Rick turned to the group, his voice urgent. "Everybody, y'all heard me. Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!"
Daryl nodded "Come on!" he shouted, moving toward the exit.
But before anyone could leave, the auto doors shut, lokcing them in. The group froze, their eyes darting toward Jenner.
"No," Rick muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. "Did you just lock us in?"
Daryl’s voice rose in anger. "He just locked us in!"
Jenner’s voice was calm, almost detached as he began recording "We've hit the 30-minute window. I am recording."
Carl clung to Lori, trembling. "Mom!"
Shane stormed toward Jenner, his fury boiling over. "You son of a bitch!"* he shouted. "You let us out of here!"
Rick stepped in, trying to calm Shane. "No, stop. Don't!"
Shane shoved Rick aside, his voice desperate. "You lying... No no no no! Wait, no! No, don't do it."
Rick turned to Jenner, his voice steady but filled with urgency. "Hey, Jenner, open that door now."
Jenner shook his head, his tone resigned. "There's no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed."
Rick’s frustration mounted. "Well, open the damn things!"
Jenner’s reply was cold. "That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that."
Jenner’s voice cracked as he shouted. "It's better this way!"
Rick stepped closer, his voice sharp. "What is? What happens in 28 minutes?"
Jenner turned to the console, his fingers tapping the keyboard. "What happens in 28 minutes?!" Rick demanded again.
Daryl slammed his fist against the wall. "Come on!"
Jenner’s voice grew darker as he explained. "You know what this place is? We protected the public from very nasty stuff. Weaponized smallpox. Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country. Stuff you don't want getting out. Ever."
Rick’s face twisted in disbelief. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure... in a terrorist attack, for example..."
Jenner nodded grimly. "H.I.T.s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."
Glenn frowned. "H.I.T.s?"
Jenner turned to Vi. "Vi, define."
Vi’s voice responded efficiently. "Hits... high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between 5,000° and 6,000° and is used when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."
The group stared in horror as Dale concluded. "It sets the air on fire."
Jenner’s voice softened, almost wistful. "No pain. An end to sorrow, grief... regret. Everything."
Rick’s voice broke through the silence, filled with desperation. "Open the damn door!"
Shane stepped forward, his anger boiling over. "Out of my way!" he shouted, shoving past the others.
Jenner stood his expression cold and detached. "You should've left well enough alone," he said "It would've been so much easier."
Rick stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Easier for who?"
Jenner’s gaze swept over the group. "All of you," he replied. "You know what's out there... A short, brutal life and an agonizing death. You know what this does. You've seen it. Is that really what you want for your wife and son?"
Rick’s voice rose, emphatic and unwavering. "I don't want this!"
Daryl swung his axe at the door, the sound of metal clanging against reinforced steel echoing through the room. "Can't make a dent," he muttered angrily.
"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner told him
Daryl stepped closer, his frustration boiling over. "Well, your head ain't!" he snapped, raising his weapon.
Rick intervened quickly. "Whoa! Whoa! Daryl! Daryl! Just back up! Back up!"
"You do want this," he said, his eyes fixed on Rick. "Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."
Lori froze "What?"
Shane turned to him "What? You really said that? After all your big talk?"
Rick hesitated, his voice faltering. "I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?"
Jenner shook his head, his tone final. "There is no hope. There never was."
Carol stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tears in her eyes. "There's always hope," she said firmly. "Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody somewhere..."
Jaqui interrupted "What part of 'everything is gone' do you not understand?"
Jenner gestured toward Andrea. "Listen to your friend. She gets it. This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."
Carol’s voice broke through the rising tension, filled with desperation. "This isn't right," she said, her tone trembling. "You can't just keep us here.”
One tiny moment... a millisecond. No pain.”
“My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this."
Jenner’s gaze softened slightly, though his words remained cold. "Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?"
The sound of a gun cocking snapped everyone’s attention to Shane, who stepped forward, his weapon raised. "Shane, no!" Rick shouted.
Shane’s voice was filled with rage. "Out of the way, Rick! Stay out of my way! Open that door or I'm gonna blow your head off. Do you hear me?!"
Rick stepped between them "Brother, brother, this is not the way you do this. We will never get out of here. “"Shane, you listen to him. It's too late. He dies, we all... we all die!" Lori told him
Shane hesitated, his grip tightening on the gun. "Shane!" Rick shouted again.
Finally, Shane lowered the weapon, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Are you done now? Are you done?" Rick asked, his voice steady.
Shane nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess we all are," he muttered.
Rick turned back to Jenner, his voice cutting through the silence. "I think you're lying."
Jenner’s expression shifted slightly. "What?"
Rick stepped closer, his tone unwavering. "You're lying about no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn't. You chose the hard path. Why?"
Jenner’s voice faltered for the first time. "It doesn't matter," he said quietly.
Rick shook his head. "It does matter. It always matters. You stayed when others ran. Why?"
Jenner hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Not because I wanted to," he admitted. "I made a promise... To her. My wife."
Rick’s voice softened slightly. "Test subject 19 was your wife?"
Jenner nodded, his voice breaking. "She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?"
Jenner’s voice cracked as he spoke, his pain evident. "She was dying. It should’ve been me on that table. I wouldn’t have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world."
He paused, his eyes glistening as he glanced at the group. "Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I’m just... Edwin Jenner. She could’ve done something about this. Not me."
Rick stepped closer "Your wife didn’t have a choice. You do. That’s... that’s all we want... a choice, a chance."
Daryl let out a frustrated grunt, slamming his axe against the door once more, the sound reverberating through the room. "Let us keep trying as long as we can," Rick pleaded.
Jenner sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I told you topside’s locked down. I can’t open those."
Suddenly, the sound of whirring machinery filled the air, and Vi’s voice echoed. "28 minutes remaining."
The group sprang into action as the beeping intensified. "Come on!" Rick shouted. "Let’s go! Move it! Move it!"
Daryl gestured toward the hall, his voice urgent. "Come on, let’s go!"
Carol held Sophia’s hand tightly, her voice trembling "We’re gonna get out of here, Sophia," she said, pulling her daughter close.
Jenner hesitated, watching the group as they scrambled for any hope of escape. He hit a button, opening the doors. "There’s your chance," he said quietly. "Take it."
Rick turned back to him, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you."
Jenner looked away, his voice barely audible. "The day will come when you won’t be," he replied, his words hanging heavy in the air.
“Let’s go!” Glenn yelled.
The alarms blared louder
"Hey, we’ve got four minutes left! Come on!"
T-dog grabbed Jaqui’s arm "Let’s go. Let’s go!"
But she shook "No, no, I’m staying," she said.
T-Dog’s eyes widened "I’m staying, sweetie," she said, placing a hand on his arm.
T-Dog froze, disbelief washing over his face. "But that’s insane!" he protested.
Jaqui looked back at him, a faint but calm smile on her lips. "No," she said, her voice steady. "It’s completely sane. For the first time in a long time. I’m not ending up like Jim."
"There’s no time to argue and no point, not if you want to get out," Jaqui continued, "Just get out. Get out."
Glenn pulled at T-Dog’s sleeve, urging him to move. "Come on!" he shouted. "Let’s go! Let’s go!"
The group was in full panic mode, the blaring alarms and countdown driving their desperation. Kenny shouted above the chaos "Get them doors open!"
Daryl swung his axe at the reinforced glass, "Come on!" he yelled, striking it "It doesn’t work!"
T-Dog stepped forward, his hands fumbling with the controls. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" he called out. "Try it! Try it! Try it now!"
The group held their breath as T-Dog hit the switch, but nothing happened. "Come on! Come on!" Rick urged, his voice filled with urgency.
Carol clutched Sophia tightly, her voice trembling. "Stay close, sweetheart," she whispered, pulling her daughter closer.
Daryl swung again, grunting with effort. "Time’s almost up!" he shouted.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed as part of the ceiling gave way. "Daryl, look out!" Glenn screamed.
Daryl dove to the side as debris rained down. "Dog, get down! Get down!" Rick shouted, pulling Lori. Harry and Carl back.
Sophia’s voice broke through the chaos, trembling with fear. "The glass won’t break?"
Carol stepped forward, her voice steady despite the panic. "Rick, I have something that might help," she said, reaching into her bag.
Shane glanced at her, his tone skeptical. "Carol, I don’t think a nail file’s gonna do it."
Carol shook her head, her voice firm. "Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform, I found this in your pocket." She held up a grenade, its dull surface glinting in the emergency lights.
Rick’s eyes widened as he grabbed it. "Come on," he said, moving quickly toward the glass.
"Look out!" Daryl shouted, pulling Glenn back as Rick positioned the grenade.
Rick pulled the pin and shouted, "Get down! Get down!"
The group dove for cover as the explosion rocked the room. The reinforced glass shattered, shards flying outward as the way was finally cleared.
"Shit!" Daryl muttered, shielding his face from the debris.
Rick stood, coughing as he waved the dust away. "Let’s go!" he shouted,
"Come on. Come on," Rick urged, waving the group forward. "Get in, get in, get in!"
The survivors scrambled into the vehicles, slamming doors shut as the growls of the walkers grew louder. The engines roared to life, and the caravan began to move, tearing away from the CDC compound.
Behind them, the building erupted in a massive explosion, the force of the blast shaking the ground and sending debris flying into the air. The fireball consumed the facility.