[A/N: Hello everyone.
New chapter from Bryan's perspective.
The next one is the last from this perspective, and then I'll continue with two or three very special chapters (the titles of these chapters will be at the end).
Comment, donate Power Stones, and hit the heart button on my profile.]
.
----
.
Sunday, November 15, 2026, 2nd Infantry Division of the Army.
Continuing the call.
"For what you're preparing for, that's what happened."
"Really?" Adams asked, feeling surprised. He couldn't possibly inform non-military personnel about the procedures carried out by the military, including his friend Alex, who was calling.
"Yes, a neighbor died and came back to life, although they just think he had rabies or something… However, we both know it's not rabies," Alex said with a concerned tone.
"Are your parents okay?" Adams asked with a concerned tone, although he already knew the answer.
A couple of days ago, Adams ordered some officers to guard some warehouses that were conveniently located near his parents' houses. These soldiers, in addition to being lookouts, were also responsible for the safety of these four people.
"Yeah, nothing happened to them. They're just a little shaken up," Alex said, sounding slightly more relaxed than at the beginning of the call.
"That's good."
"Do you know what happened to our neighbors?" Alex asked.
"I've been informed of several cases around the area. It could be one of them," Adams replied without giving details, only hinting that there were more cases.
"What will they do with them?" Alex asked.
"It depends on the condition they were found in," Adams replied casually.
"The man turned into a zombie, and the woman was bitten," Alex specified.
"The woman will be under observation, awaiting recovery. While the man will undergo extensive testing, we'll try to find a cure," Adams said, feigning calm.
"I don't think there's a cure for this," Alex said in a low voice, almost a whisper.
"What do you mean by zombie?" he asked, remembering Alex's comment.
"Mr. Ruiz died, Bryan… He had been suffering from a fever for several days due to a dog bite. Yesterday he collapsed, and today he died. He couldn't breathe for several minutes, his pulse stopped, and then a few minutes later he came back as if nothing had happened, attacking a neighbor… What is that but a zombie?" Alex commented, sounding frustrated and annoyed at the same time.
"We still don't know, Alex," Bryan denied, surprised by how much his friend knew, but something Alex said caught his attention.
"Was that person bitten by a dog and transformed? Did the dog transmit the virus to him, or was he already infected and came back to life after dying?" Bryan reflected.
"I'm very sure, Bryan. You must be very careful; those bitten people will start to have a fever, vomiting, and other symptoms. Then they'll die and return to the dead, attacking everything in front of them. The only thing that will stop them is the destruction of their brain," Alex warned Bryan with a worried tone. "I don't think what you say will happen, but I'll take your recommendations into account," assured Bryan, who continued to be surprised by his friend's knowledge.
Bryan, being in the military, had access to confidential information about some things happening in the country. The information about this virus was one of them.
But Alex almost seemed to know more than them, or at least he didn't base his knowledge on assumptions; rather, it was information he believed and seemed to have corroborated.
"Can you take care of our parents?" Alex suddenly asked in a serious tone.
"I can do that," Bryan stated without hesitation.
"Fuuu… I hope so," Alex said after a sigh.
"See you, Alex."
"See you, Private Ryan… Remember my recommendations," Alex mocked, then gave him a friendly warning.
This had been the most important conversation they'd had in a long time. Now Bryan felt his shoulders slightly heavy. He was burdened with the responsibility of taking care of his parents and his best friend's parents.
"First Lieutenant Adams, the colonel needs you," said the colonel's aide, entering the communications room.
"I'll be there immediately," Bryan told the aide, who quickly left. "I need a radio with direct communication with the division's health department," he told the communications officer.
"Understood," he said, handing him one of the radios from a nearby table.
Bryan walked slowly toward the colonel's office.
On the way, he began sorting through the information he had on the infected. He pieced together what his superiors reported from headquarters and what he had heard from Alex.
Bryan was quite surprised by the conclusions he was reaching.
As crazy as it sounded, he now believed Alex. He believed it was possible the infected could be those beings from the movies or at least had similar characteristics.
"Adams, we've got the situation under control," the colonel told Bryan in a relaxed tone as he entered the control room.
"That's good news, sir… Sir, I need to report a new discovery," Bryan commented in a serious tone.
"Report it," he said in a serious tone, although he seemed more annoyed because he anticipated that Bryan's report would not be good news.
"Sir, I have information on the infection conditions, or rather the reason for the appearance of the infected… We believe the virus may have emerged from its dormant state and is now reviving people who have died of natural causes," Bryan reported his deduction as if it were a report from the medical area.
.
----
[A/N: I'm still using the TWD virus, but you have to keep in mind that they didn't know all the details from the beginning, or maybe they did?]
----
.
"Are you saying that the first infected people who arrived in the morning were people who died and then returned to that state of resuscitation?" the colonel asked, confused and frightened.
"That's right, sir… We can speak with the medical area personnel to confirm the condition of some of the infected people we received in the early morning," Bryan suggested in a confident tone.
"Do it," the colonel ordered, noticing that Bryan was carrying a portable radio.
"This is First Lieutenant Adams, speaking from the control room."
"Roger that. What do you need, First Lieutenant?"
"I need you to corroborate the status of the first infected… I want you to look for bite marks or determine the cause of death prior to resuscitation."
"Copied."
The colonel and Bryan waited patiently. Each viewed the situation differently.
The colonel clung to the hope that the information would prove incorrect, believing the situation could become much more serious if resuscitations occurred after a person's death.
If the virus was spread only through physical contact, the solution would be fairly simple: isolate the affected areas, eliminate all biological hazards, and then disinfect the area.
However, if the scenario Bryan described was correct, the crisis would be endless. Any living individual could become a potentially reanimated individual.
Bryan pondered the strategies needed to keep the division operational. He no longer had any doubts and was preparing to face this calamity as best he could, even though deep down he hoped he was wrong.
"Reporting from Medical Office 3… We have detected two categories of cases among the isolated infected. The first is transmitted by direct contact, either through bites or exposure to highly pathogenic fluids. The second refers to individuals who have died and entered a state of resuscitation," the man who had spoken previously reported.
"I'm the Colonel. Contact your superior and ask him to immediately alert the camps and headquarters," the Colonel instructed, taking the radio from Bryan.
"Understood, Colonel."
Bryan looked at the Colonel, who was now massaging his temples and sighing in frustration. Both of their fears had been realized. The Colonel was thinking about how they could overcome this, while Bryan tried to figure out where Alex had gotten the information.
"Bryan, do you think we can get out of this situation?" the colonel asked with a weary tone, using a more familiar tone and calling him by name.
"Sir, I think we need to start making more thorough preparations," Bryan replied firmly.
"Things are getting complicated, Adams... I'll give you authorization to manage expendable personnel and do everything possible to increase the budget... I need you to be ready for any eventuality," the colonel told him determinedly.
"I'll do everything in my power, sir," Bryan stated confidently.
Monday, November 16, 2026.
"Sir, here is yesterday's report," the colonel's aide said as he entered the control room.
"Summary of the report," the colonel requested.
"Sir, the total number of infected people is 342, of whom 112 died of natural causes and the rest were attacked by other infected people. All people who had direct contact with the infected people are under observation."
"Why are there so many cases of attacks?" the colonel asked.
"Sir, the incidents were very sporadic and difficult to anticipate. The easiest cases to handle were those who called emergency services after the attacks or those who immediately showed up at health centers… At Camp 3, an entire park had to be isolated due to the large number of infected people. In that location alone, 20 infected people and many injured people were found."
"What happened in that park?" the colonel asked.
"It was an area occupied by homeless individuals and addicts, who considered the space their own. According to doctors, several addicts died of overdoses, which caused the rest of the residents of that area…"
"I understand. Inform the containment teams to investigate locations where similar situations occur and to maintain units near hospitals and health centers," the colonel instructed.
"Of course."
As the conversation between the colonel and his assistant unfolded, Bryan was lost in his thoughts. Camp 3 was in a stadium in the city where Alex resides.
The situation could have been dire, and luckily, this city escaped imminent chaos.
Had a massive spread occurred in the area, military forces would have surrounded the city and even bombed it.
Bryan was truly terrified of his friend this time. What Bryan didn't know was that Alex had been in that park just a few hours before the situation became chaotic and required the intervention of the authorities and the military.
"Adams... Adams!" the colonel exclaimed, catching Bryan's attention, who hadn't realized he was being spoken to.
"Yes, sir."
"I need you to begin preparations immediately. I've secured more funding, but actions must be taken quickly," the colonel ordered Bryan in a somewhat agitated tone.
"Okay, Colonel," he replied.
Friday, November 20, 2026, 2nd Infantry Division Management Office.
"Adams, headquarters has informed us that a forced curfew is very likely to be implemented," the colonel told Bryan in a weary tone.
"Because of the protests, Colonel?" Adams asked.
Over the past four days, the situation has been worsening on several levels.
In some places, cities and towns managed to control the spread to some extent, but many people began to panic over the army's actions.
Due to their lack of information about the actions the army was taking, most of the population thought it was an attempted coup or measures to impose severe control on the population.
This was also affected by some lockdown zones that became necessary in some towns, and even in certain closed sectors of large cities. Furthermore, activist groups and extreme political organizations took advantage of the army's actions to encourage the population to demonstrate.
As for the Second Infantry Division headquarters, the situation was handled excellently; this was attributed to the density of the population in the vicinity. However, it was also due to Bryan's meticulous preparations.
"Fuuu... Fear, that's not what matters, Adams," the colonel replied.
"What do you mean, Colonel?" Bryan inquired anxiously.
"Things will soon get out of hand," he replied, sinking into his seat.
"However, main command hasn't communicated anything relevant so far, or maybe it has? What's bothering you, Colonel?" Bryan inquired, already suspecting that the situation was getting complicated.
"There are some small countries abroad with which we have not been able to establish contact since yesterday morning. The high command had intended to mobilize an army in conjunction with our neighboring nations to contain the crisis in those countries, but due to the global magnitude of the virus and the precarious conditions in our territories, the deployment was canceled… Now they are adrift, without support… And soon we will find ourselves in a similar situation."
"What is happening to our nation?" Bryan asked.
"The situation in the country is on the verge of collapse. We no longer have the necessary personnel to handle infected people, military laboratories have been unable to discover a cure, and those who initially discovered the virus and researched it have taken refuge in their secret facilities."
"The most worrying part is that the government is only trying to cover this up as best it can… I personally asked the general if there was any way to inform the population, but he told me that the military has little opportunity to act independently… However, when the curfew is implemented and disorder invades the streets, we will be able to act."
.
----
.
[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Thanks everyone for reading.
I hope you enjoyed it.
I know I said there wouldn't be chapters without action, but believe me, there weren't many ways for certain information to be narratively corroborated. The only other way was to add flashbacks or force new characters.
----
The following chapter titles:
Chapter 61: Tales of Chaos – Bryan III (Z)
Chapter 62: Agents of Chaos – First Agent
----
Read my other novels
#Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time
#The Walking Dead: Emily's Metamorphosis from Visions of Future Saga
You can find them on my profile.]