The Problem and the Truth

"People are demanding to know the truth; I fear that if we don't tell them what they want to know, there will be a riot." Victor shared his thoughts as they headed towards where most people were gathered.

Daniel, who overheard this, said, "It was a problem to set them free; they don't trust us."

"They will have to trust us, or they might as well leave this place. No one is a prisoner, and we will release them if they choose to return to the undead." Dominic wouldn't tolerate any disorderly behavior in his makeshift refuge.

"Letting them out is a serious mistake."

"Your job is to keep them calm; Daniel's job is to help me command the soldiers of this place, period. If they can't handle these simple tasks and make decisions on their own, then I made a mistake in choosing them. However, only this time and on a few more occasions will I need to take control of the situation." Dominic made it clear that he needed leaders, not assistants.

Daniel understood this perfectly; Dominic was desperate to have a solid and loyal command structure that would solve the most problems for their overall benefit.

"We want to know the truth; what are they hiding from us?"

"Yes, what exactly are they doing to the people they take from the cells?"

"We need answers."

"We want the truth."

Daniel immediately thought upon seeing this, "This is a disaster."

Dominic signaled to Cole and said, "Bring Miss Exner."

Cole nodded and ran off; Doctor Bethany Exner wasn't far since he had seen her before.

Everyone, including those volunteering as doctors except for the guards remaining outside, gathered outside the cells, while Dominic and the leaders of each section stayed on the stairs.

"They are all gathered except for the soldiers who are outside on guard duty and the civilians who are moving equipment, sir," Diaz said calmly.

Dominic nodded. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he applauded and said loudly for everyone to hear, "Alright, I ask for everyone's silence."

The atmosphere quickly calmed down, and Dominic pointed out, "Everyone is afraid, and I know that. You have been treated very poorly, but you know that now. There are few things soldiers cannot endure, and seeing their people being treated this way when our families outside should be going through the same as all of you is painful."

"We are soldiers, and we follow orders. We have been prioritizing control of the situation all this time. We didn't have the chance to worry about whether you were well-informed, but now things are different."

Dominic quickly caught everyone's attention; many didn't notice Dominic's age difference compared to other soldiers. The way he spoke was clear and direct enough that no one questioned him.

"In the best plans, we have failed; the government has failed because what they have asked us to do is inhumane and immoral. Everyone seems to have forgotten that we are also humans. The soldiers around you are here, not knowing how their families are faring. Out of respect and empathy, I ask everyone not to insult my subordinates."

"Is the army lost?"

"How is that possible?"

"It can't be; what will we do now?"

"Everyone quiet down for a second."

After hearing that there was silence again, Dominic looked at everyone who remained silent and said, "How long do you think life will last for all of us if we just run away like this in the future? A year, half a year, or just a few months? I can tell you all that the fuel to keep the facilities running will not last more than three months."

Speaking up to this point, everyone's faces turned pale. A small number of days passed through everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer. They had just rekindled their hope for freedom, but Dominic's words shattered all their illusions.

Despite others' fear, Dominic was calm as he saw that his words awakened that survival instinct within everyone. He nodded and pointed out, "That is, of course, if someone else doesn't come and try to take away what we have. When I take command from major mayors, I have turned all of us who want to follow us into a community that will fight to survive in the days to come. So now I announce that our group will be called the New Colony of Renewal!"

Everyone seemed confused, but in the face of this confusion, Dominic said, "Don't get me wrong; you are free to leave at any time. But don't forget that out there, nothing is in order, no one has order, and I have privileged news that the government is considering bombing the major cities."

Everyone didn't have time to process because Dominic immediately said, "In the Colony of Renewal, we will protect ourselves like a family. We will watch each other's backs as if we were brothers; everyone will have to wield a weapon and kill those who want to harm us, whether they are alive or dead."

If Dominic's words were heard from a third party, it would be understood that he wants everyone to survive in a new world and adapt to these changes. Everyone understood that walkers wouldn't be the only enemies trying to kill them.

Some people were scared at the thought of these possibilities; others didn't want to accept them as real; and many others remained silent without showing any expression.

But Dominic knew very well that, whether in the past or the future, trusting people outside their comfort zone would be a grave mistake, and soon enough, they would learn what humans are capable of.

"But you don't have to be afraid; as long as we work together and train, we will be so strong that no one can disturb our peace. No one will even think of harming us. I need you; I need you to master your fear and come with me to a place where we can protect ourselves."

"I don't care if you are children, women, or elderly men; the world has changed; who you were in the past no longer matters; your main priority is to protect your family and loved ones in the future. That's why those who want to stay will be reassigned; they will know what we will do, and we will move together. Those who want to leave just need to say so to be released."

Everyone knew what this meant; if they didn't work for Dominic, they would have to manage on their own. Many wanted to leave and were easily escorted outside by the soldiers.

Daniel knew that the fewer foolish people they had, the more chances they had of surviving.

Only a few left; the elderly were the most stubborn, but the young ones stayed, and after a few minutes, Dominic knew the time had come.

After a moment of silence, Dominic looked at everyone and announced, "I would like to give you some advice; don't expect the world to return to how it was before or even better."

Dominic looked at Bethany Exner, who was wearing a blood-stained gown. She nodded and stepped forward in front of everyone. "I'm sorry to say it like this, but there won't be a society anymore unless a cure is found, and that's because everyone present, including myself, is infected with the virus that turns people into walkers."

Those words immediately caused a lot of murmurs in the crowd, and there was suddenly a lot of discussion, and even two women fainted.

Several people standing next to Dominic also looked at him in shock.

"Dominic, is what she said true? Then why don't we become walkers?" Victor couldn't help being the first to ask.

Everyone fell silent, looking at Dominic for answers about what he had just said.

Dominic had expected this reaction from people; he hadn't planned on revealing this secret, but he finally did after hearing Daniel's advice; after all, they gained nothing by hiding this information.

"I believe those questions will be answered by Bethany, the doctor in charge of keeping as many lives as possible with us in this place."

After Dominic pointed to Bethany, she nodded and stepped forward. "Indeed, this wasn't important to point out before because there weren't many people in this place, but now everyone must be aware of the truth."

"And the answer is yes, we are all carriers of the virus! As for why we don't become walkers or undead, it's because our immune system helped protect a certain amount of invasion of the virus in our body, but once the body's motor functions shut down, it doesn't matter if an infected person has bitten or scratched you; as long as the brain isn't damaged, eventually, everyone will become a walker after accidental or intentional death."

Bethany paused and continued, mentioning information found in the files that Dominic had been given: "Because of that, until we find a cure, no matter who they are with, if they die from natural causes, remember to be compassionate and damage the brain enough to prevent the people next to us from becoming walkers."

Having said that, the crowd shouted one after another, and it was difficult for people to accept it. Although reality is cruel, Dominic also thought that telling the truth was better; with time, people can get used to it.

Taking this into account, it's better for everyone to be aware that people who die from natural causes can also turn into walkers. For the elderly who are bedridden, certain care must be taken, and for security reasons, a protocol must be followed as it has been until now.

Looking at the people arguing in front of him, Dominic had no intention of stopping, so he pointed out, "You should know why I'm sharing this very new information with all of you; for those who still don't understand, it's for two important reasons."

"The first is that all of you must be aware that even if we eliminate all walkers from the world, even if many of us die to achieve that, there will still be walkers around the world!"

"And that's why we must stay united and in a safe place. Just follow our instructions; tomorrow morning, helicopters will arrive for us and take us to a temporary place. The idea is to go to an island; we will move away from the cities."

Everyone agreed with this idea; many even started helping to store the supplies that would be taken from this base to the place where they would be for the next few days.

When Victor saw that everyone had calmed down, Dominic looked at him and said, "Take charge now; you will know what we will do, so your duty is to keep them under control."

"What if they don't obey?"

"There are weapons and ammunition; if they don't help, then they will be banned. If they don't want to, then we will use lethal force."

Daniel didn't say anything about it; this was expected after knowing Dominic's plans for the future.