After learning the rules for entering the quarantine zone, all the survivors woke up to the fact that they had been completely used by the military.
Whether it was entering the quarantine zone or leaving the city, all the supplies they had obtained through great hardship would belong to the military. Some hot-tempered people immediately flew into a rage, denouncing the domineering conditions and declaring that they would never accept them.
However, others, upon hearing that if they didn't enter the quarantine zone now, they might never get the chance again, fell silent. They just quietly went back home to pack their things and prepare to enter the quarantine zone.
Some people did think about protesting through marches and vandalism, but this time, the military was no longer lenient with the demonstrators. Instead, they took decisive action, detaining people on the spot and charging them with disturbing public order during a special period. They were severely punished, stripped of their eligibility to enter the quarantine zone, and immediately expelled from the city.
This chilling approach quickly silenced those who wanted to take advantage of the chaos and made them think twice about causing trouble.
Though the conditions for entering the quarantine zone seemed incredibly harsh to Americans who value freedom and democracy, for those who had been living in fear and uncertainty, it was still a haven. Even if they were unhappy, they had no choice but to reluctantly accept the reality.
Still, some refused to be pawns and decided not to hand over their supplies. Instead, they chose to hide in some secluded spots within the city, hoping to wait until everyone else had entered the quarantine zone before leaving.
Time quietly slipped away as everyone harbored their thoughts and plans.
A Week Later.
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. Along with the noisy construction sounds each day, a towering wall, dozens of meters high, had risen in Dallas, covering a fifth of the city's area. The wall was spray-painted with the word "FEDRA" in red.
During this time, some people had already packed their bags, ready to enter the quarantine zone at any moment. Others had found hiding spots and had already moved all their supplies there, waiting for the military to enter the quarantine zone. Some felt utterly disillusioned with this "New America" and chose to abandon everything here, taking their families and a few supplies to leave the city.
Though some people chose to leave, the majority still wanted to enter the quarantine zone. Looking at the endless sea of people around them, everyone knew that the quarantine zone had a limited capacity. Some people would inevitably be assigned to other quarantine zones.
There was no other way. Dallas was a key location in the entire southern region. After the southern area fell, most refugees chose to gather here, causing the population to become overly saturated.
Once the initial construction of the wall was completed, hundreds of soldiers waited in the management offices in various areas, ready to head to the survivor resettlement sites throughout the city to record information as soon as the time came.
Meanwhile, dozens of police cars, with loudspeakers blaring, drove slowly around the city, broadcasting the latest notifications:
"Attention, please have your identification cards or ID cards ready. At 9:00 a.m., head to the nearest registration office. We will register your information and determine whether you will be assigned to another quarantine zone through a lottery system. If anyone volunteers to go to another quarantine zone, please apply at the nearest management office. We will prioritize your request and make arrangements accordingly..."
Brian stood on the side of the street, watching the military vehicle slowly pass by and listening to the announcement from the loudspeaker. His eyes followed the vehicle until it disappeared at the end of the road, and then he slowly shifted his gaze back.
**He glanced at his watch; it was only 8 a.m. He turned his head and looked down the street toward the abandoned factory. The information registration site was empty, clearly because it was still too early and the staff hadn't arrived yet. After a moment of hesitation, he started walking toward the management office two blocks away.**
On both sides of the street, everyone was closely watching the time, ready to sprint to the registration site once it hit 9 a.m. Seeing their anxious faces, Brian knew exactly what they were thinking.
A few days ago, a rumor had spread, claiming that the first 5,000 people to confirm their identities would be recognized as enthusiastic participants and automatically granted entry to the quarantine zone, without the risk of being transferred to another zone through the lottery.
Though people knew it was probably just a rumor, many still chose to believe it. Even with a military escort to other quarantine zones, no one knew what the situation was like outside the city. Who would dare take the risk of leaving? It was better to try to stay behind.
At the Military Management Office.
This place used to be a local Dallas bank. The arrival of the virus had temporarily shut it down, but as the number of survivors in the area grew, the military requisitioned it to serve as the management office for this region.
"Are they going to deceive us?" one person muttered.
"Why don't you go ask first?" another suggested.
"Nah, nah, I'll just wait a bit longer," someone else replied.
At that moment, a dozen or so men and women were gathered at the entrance of the management office, whispering and nudging each other, trying to get someone else to go in first. None of them seemed willing to take the first step.
Dallas was filled with survivors who had fled from the southern region. Most of them didn't have any family in this city and didn't want to stay here. However, their fear of the infected outside the city walls kept them from leaving. They had no choice but to accept that their future would be spent either in the quarantine zone of this unfamiliar city or being sent to some other unknown place.
Today, through the military broadcast, they learned that if they volunteered to go to another quarantine zone, their requests would be prioritized. But they were afraid that the military might deceive them with words and force them to go once they were inside. Yet, they were also reluctant to stay here. So, with a glimmer of hope, these dozen or so people stood at the entrance of the management office, none daring to be the first to step inside.
Two fully armed soldiers stood tall at the entrance, looking down at the group of people who had been hesitating for nearly half an hour. A hint of disdain flickered in their eyes. It was clear that if it weren't for their duty, they would have driven these people away.
As the group continued to waver, a young Asian boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, walked past them. To the astonishment of the others, he strode up the steps in just a few quick strides and pushed open the door to the management office, walking right in.
One of the soldiers at the entrance glanced at the calm boy walking past him, then looked back at the hesitant adults still lingering below. He scoffed and muttered, "A bunch of cowards, not even as brave as a kid!"
Ding!
The glass door of the management office made a pleasant chime as it opened. Brian noticed that aside from a few staff members and some guards, there was no one else inside. This was expected. Firstly, the military had just started broadcasting the message, so many people probably hadn't heard it yet. Secondly, like the group outside, they were afraid of being deceived by the military again.
Brian walked up to the counter and sat down under the surprised gaze of one of the staff members. "Hello, if I volunteer to go to another quarantine zone, can I choose where I go?"
Seeing the young boy in front of her, the staff member recovered from her surprise and didn't pay too much attention. There were indeed children in Dallas who had escaped from the infected areas on their own. Without adults to accompany them and no one to take them in, they had to survive in the city by themselves. It was likely that this boy was one of them.
It's not that the new government didn't care about these children; it was just that everything had to wait until they entered the quarantine zone before arrangements could be made. After all, children were precious resources for the future.
"Have a seat. Tell me where you want to go first," the staff member said.
"Washington," Brian replied.
Hearing that the boy wanted to go to the capital, the staff member's hand, which was about to type on the computer, paused for a moment. She then shook her head slowly and said, "We don't have the authority to let people go to the capital. If you have any... special status, I can report it for you."
"Oh, I see," Brian nodded, not showing much surprise. Washington was the capital, and right now, countless people were probably trying to get there. It was unlikely that he would have a chance. As for the "special status" the staff member mentioned, it was probably reserved for the children of high-ranking officials or important researchers.
"Is there anywhere I can go that's close to Washington?" he asked, after thinking for a moment.
"Hmm, let me check..." The staff member nodded at the reasonable question and looked down at the computer. But after a moment, she looked up with a somewhat pitying expression and said, "The farthest place we can reach is Greensboro, but they're no longer accepting survivors. The closest places to Washington that you can go to are St. Louis and Memphis."
Brian stood up and walked over to the wall where a map of the United States was hanging. He scanned the map for the locations of St. Louis and Memphis, and his expression darkened. These places were just too far from Washington.