Dawn broke bright and early. Bryan and Sarah were already up and preparing to head out. Osborne planned to see if he could get in touch with his old military contacts to report what they'd learned, but someone needed to stay behind and watch the RV. He left Kelly behind to keep guard.
Leaving the abandoned factory complex and stepping onto the main street, Bryan found it already packed with people—and it wasn't even seven o'clock yet. Every survivor living in the tent cities had left their shelters and was heading toward the central district to collect their meager daily rations.
Looking at the dense flow of humanity, Bryan sighed. He took Sarah's hand to keep them from getting separated and, recalling the directions Antoine had given them the night before, set off in the opposite direction from the crowd.
"Freedom! Democracy! Human rights! The economy!"
"Liberty is everything!"
"Quarantine is worse than the virus!"
"Fear is the only real disease!"
"..."
As Bryan and Sarah turned down a long street, a group of protesters suddenly emerged ahead, waving signs and chanting slogans with fervent intensity.
Along the sidewalk, dozens more people knelt with hands clasped in prayer, mumbling something under their breath. In their midst stood a woman holding a chalkboard that read: This disaster is God's punishment for mankind. Faith in the Lord will protect you from the virus.
Passersby and police alike regarded the scene with cold indifference. No one paid particular attention—clearly, this had become routine.
"Ridiculous." Bryan found the whole spectacle absurd. It reminded him of something he'd heard in his previous life:
Defeating stupidity is more urgent than defeating the virus.
Once the protesters had moved on, they crossed the street. Following directions from various pedestrians along the way, they walked for nearly another hour before finally finding the address Armand had left them.
It was a four-story apartment building. They climbed the stairs to the third floor, and Bryan confirmed the apartment number before stopping at the door. He raised his hand and knocked three times.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
No answer came. He waited, then knocked again. This time, a woman's nervous voice called out from inside.
"Who is it?"
"Hello—does Mr. Armand live here?" Bryan asked politely.
At the mention of the name, silence fell. Then Bryan noticed the peephole in the door go dark—someone was watching them from the other side.
After a moment, the door opened, but only a crack—the chain was still latched. A thin, middle-aged woman appeared in the gap, eyeing the two children with suspicion.
"...What do you want with him?"
Bryan guessed this must be June, Armand's daughter—the one who'd left the note at the lakeside cabin.
He held up the slip of paper with the address written on it. "Mr. Armand gave us this address. We met him in Austin. We just arrived in Dallas yesterday, and we were hoping to ask him about the situation here. Is he home?"
The woman took the paper, glanced at the handwriting, then turned and called into the apartment: "Dad! There are two kids here looking for you. Come see."
"Kids?"
Her words were barely out when a puzzled voice came from inside, followed by hurried footsteps. Moments later, a white-haired elderly man appeared in the doorway—Armand himself.
"Bryan! Sarah!"
Armand's face lit up with surprised delight. He quickly unlatched the chain and ushered them in. "Come in, come in!"
Bryan and Sarah stepped inside and looked around. It was a standard three-bedroom apartment, sparsely furnished and nearly empty. Clearly, things weren't going well for them either.
Armand eagerly led them to the living room and immediately began asking questions—when had they arrived, did they have a place to stay? If not, they were welcome to stay here.
Bryan's sharp eyes caught June's brow furrowing slightly when her father made the offer. She was clearly unhappy about him making decisions without consulting her. But she said nothing, just stood quietly to the side.
Understanding that times were hard for everyone, Bryan shook his head and declined the kind offer. They hadn't come here to impose. He explained what he wanted to know, hoping Armand could provide some useful information.
Armand realized his earlier offer had been impulsive. Hearing what Bryan actually needed, he gathered his thoughts for a moment before speaking:
"Because of the outbreak, the whole country is in a state of emergency. A lot of cities have apparently started refusing outsiders. If Dallas weren't so close to the infection zones and needed to accept survivors, it would probably be locked down too.
"But I've heard Dallas is almost at capacity. The military might start transporting some survivors to other cities by truck. That could be your only chance to leave—unless you want to wait until this whole thing blows over."
Blows over?
Hearing Armand still holding out hope that this disaster would end, Bryan suppressed a sigh. The old man didn't know what they'd been through. He still believed the government might develop a vaccine and solve everything. But ever since learning about the military's "indiscriminate cleansing" operation, Bryan knew the government had likely already lost control of this outbreak.
He listened as Armand described conditions inside Dallas. Combined with what Antoine had told him the night before, he now had a decent picture of the situation.
But one thing Armand mentioned at the end stuck in his mind: after the military took control of Dallas, they'd cordoned off the entire western industrial district. They'd seized all the factories and begun constructing massive walls. No one knew what the government was planning, but it had sparked plenty of speculation among the locals.
Bryan understood that even if this disaster was inevitable, the government wouldn't simply sit back and accept annihilation. They'd be preparing for something. Taking over the industrial zone was likely the first step in whatever they had planned.
With the information he needed, and Armand's promise to look into options for leaving Dallas, Bryan thanked him and took his leave with Sarah.
On the way back, they passed a hospital. Bryan absently accepted a flyer from a nurse standing at the entrance. To his surprise, it was an informational pamphlet about the Cordyceps virus. Intrigued, he started reading:
CDC INFORMATIONAL PAMPHLET
Raising awareness of Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI) and preventing transmission.
Background:
Cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that hijacks its host's mind and alters behavior. Until recently, it only infected insects and certain arthropods. A new mutated strain is now capable of infecting humans.
Transmission:
Two known methods of CBI infection:
1. Inhaling spores released by Cordyceps growths.
2. Contact with bodily fluids of an infected individual, typically through bites.
Incubation Period:
After infection, the parasite migrates to the host's brain within 24-48 hours. Once Cordyceps takes control of major bodily functions, the incubation period ends.
Symptoms:
1. Stage 1 CBI patients exhibit erratic behavior and violent tendencies, attacking those around them.
2. Eventually, the fungus erupts through the host's tissue, releasing airborne spores.
Treatment:
There is no vaccine for CBI. No known methods exist to extend the incubation period.
Diagnosis:
CBI can be detected through blood tests and microscopic imaging (typically of the ear). Infection shows positive results within minutes of exposure.
...
Bryan studied the pamphlet. The information gave him a much clearer understanding of the pathogen ravaging the world outside.
But when he looked up, he noticed something strange. People on the street had suddenly broken into a run. Even the protesters had stopped chanting and were scattering, rushing into nearby buildings as if trying to get home as quickly as possible.
The bizarre sight set Bryan's nerves on edge. Not wanting to linger, he grabbed Sarah and they ran back toward the abandoned factory.
When they reached the factory complex, Bryan was startled to find survivors crowded around a television set, all of them cursing and looking either furious or terrified.
He hurried back to their campsite and found Osborne and Kelly standing outside the RV, staring at a TV screen. The television was in their neighbor Antoine's RV.
Bryan rushed over without even greeting the others, his eyes fixed on the screen. A female anchor was delivering the news.
As he listened to the broadcast, Bryan understood: this country was already terminal. The apocalypse was now inevitable.