Chapter 13: The Fake Bunker
As they reached the outskirts of Atlanta, the massive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention building loomed on the horizon. But it wasn't a hopeful sight. The building was dark and silent. Surrounded by military barricades and dozens, perhaps hundreds, of bodies, both soldiers and civilians. This place felt more like a massacre than a bunker.
The group's last shreds of hope were about to vanish.
"It's over," Shane whispered. "We came for nothing."
Lori sobbed as she hugged her children. Everyone's faces were filled with profound disappointment.
But Rick didn't give up. "No! Someone has to be inside! They have to see us!" he shouted, running toward the building's massive steel door and pounding on it. "Hey! Is anyone inside? We're alive! Help!"
Jayden, watching Rick's desperate struggle, focused all his senses on the building. Thanks to his enhanced Perception (PER), he noticed something the others didn't. The camera lens above the door had moved imperceptibly. Someone was watching them.
"Rick, wait!" he called. "Someone sees us."
At that moment, a bright light came on near the door, and the massive steel door slid open with a piercing squeak. The bright, sterile light from inside dazzled his eyes. Standing in the doorway was a man in a white coat, looking tired and weary.
"Are you going to come in, or are you going to draw all the walkers to us?" Dr. Edwin Jenner asked in a weary voice.
After a moment of shock, the group rushed inside without hesitation. The relief they felt when the door slammed shut behind them was indescribable. They were safe. Fresh air, silence, a world free of walkers… It felt like paradise.
But for Jayden, this wasn't paradise; it was a ticking time bomb. From the moment he stepped inside, his mind was in analysis mode. His eyes scanned everything: the cameras in the ceiling, the vents in the walls, the access card in Jenner's hand. He noticed the faint numbers on the large screen at the end of the hallway. A countdown timer. While the others breathed a sigh of relief, he was already thinking about his exit strategy.
Jenner gave them a brief tour and led them into a large, circular room that served as the facility's main operations center. In the center was a massive central computer and a multitude of screens.
"I'm Vi," a calm, synthetic female voice said from the ceiling. "Welcome."
While most people stared at the AI in surprise, Jayden's eyes settled on Jenner. There was something strange in his eyes. More than fatigue, it was a kind of acceptance, a resignation. This man wasn't fighting for survival. He was waiting for the end. And that made him the most dangerous thing in the facility.