Desert City

With the immediate threat of the mutated crows eliminated, the group took some time to tend to their injured and recover from the ordeal. Despite the tension and fear that had gripped them moments before, the air began to lighten as people shared brief words of encouragement and checked on one another. Gradually, the group regained their composure.

Once everyone had settled, Claire and Leon called for a gathering. Standing before the survivors, Claire cleared her throat and began to speak. "We've been drifting for years now, moving from one safe spot to another, never really having a place to call home," she said, her voice steady but carrying an undertone of hope. "But that might finally change. Ryan here has revealed that there's a survivor base in Alaska—a sanctuary that's safe from the infected."

The announcement sent a ripple of reactions through the group. Whispers turned into excited murmurs, and for the first time in years, a glimmer of hope returned to their weary faces.

Leon stepped forward, adding, "We've endured so much—loss, hardship, constant danger. This might be our chance to start over and rebuild something better. But this decision isn't just ours to make. It affects all of you. So, we'll leave it to a vote. Do we continue to drift as we always have, or do we take this opportunity and head to Alaska?"

The vote, as expected, was unanimous. After five grueling years of aimless wandering, the survivors were tired of living on the edge of survival. The promise of a safe haven reignited their resolve, and they chose to journey to Alaska. Cheers erupted, but the excitement was tempered by a sobering realization: they lacked the necessary resources—fuel, food, and weapons—for such a long and perilous journey.

That's when I stepped forward, addressing the group with calm confidence. "There's a way to make this work," I said. "Instead of scavenging for scraps like before, we can head to a larger city. A place where we can restock everything we need in one go." My gaze swept over the group as I continued. "I know that's something you've avoided because of the risks—zombie hordes, swarms, and worse. But now, with me by your side, you don't have to fear them."

The mention of my powers and the display from earlier bolstered their morale. The group cheered at the prospect of tackling something they had once thought impossible. After a brief discussion, it was decided: that we would head to Las Vegas from Salt Lake City to gather the supplies needed for the journey to Alaska.

Meanwhile, at Umbrella Corporation's Headquarters

Deep in a fortified research facility, the White Queen AI, an advanced system tasked with monitoring global activity, detected a surge of energy unlike anything recorded in years. It was the unmistakable signature of my powers, a match to an anomaly they had long been searching for. The AI immediately alerted Dr. Isaacs, a key figure in Umbrella's experiments with the T-virus.

Dr. Isaacs stared at the data on his screen, his lips curling into a satisfied smile. "After all this time," he muttered, his voice tinged with triumph. The White Queen's confirmation only cemented what he had suspected: I was alive, and the power I wielded was the key to perfecting his experiments.

His attempts to domesticate the infected had yielded mixed results, including the creation of a new breed of zombies—faster, smarter, and far more dangerous. Yet, they still lacked the compatibility he sought to stabilize the T-virus in humans. My existence, however, represented a breakthrough. If he could capture me and study my abilities, he believed he could unlock the secret to controlling the virus.

Isaacs turned to his assistant, the White Queen issuing orders to recalibrate Umbrella's satellites to triangulate my location based on the energy patterns emitted by my flames. The task was made easier by the faint but detectable trail I had left during the recent battle.

Wesker's Intervention

Albert Wesker, the enigmatic and ruthless leader within Umbrella's high command, was not blind to Isaacs' ambitions. Having already been informed of Isaacs' unregulated experiments, Wesker placed Captain Alexander Slater in charge of monitoring the scientist. "If Isaacs steps out of line again, deal with him—permanently," Wesker ordered, his tone cold and authoritative.

However, Isaacs was one step ahead. With the help of the White Queen, he manipulated Umbrella's systems, recalibrating Wesker's voice commands to give the appearance of authorization. Using this deception, Isaacs deployed his new breed of zombies to ambush the convoy, disregarding Wesker's explicit orders to stand down.

Back to the Convoy

Unaware of the sinister forces now tracking us, the convoy traveled steadily toward Las Vegas. Spirits were high, bolstered by the shared sense of purpose. However, I knew that White Queen was watching me through the satellite and had been for some time. It's because of my techinopathy.

As we approached the outskirts of the city, a strange sight came into view. The once-magnificent city of Las Vegas had been overtaken by nature, transforming it into an apocalyptic desert. Most of the city was submerged, with only a few iconic landmarks and remnants visible.

The city loomed ahead, its once-bright lights now reduced to a skeleton of metal and ruins. The iconic Las Vegas Strip, now overrun by sand and crumbling buildings, stood as a ghostly reminder of what humanity had lost.

The surprising thing is that the city was completely devoid of zombies or mutant creatures; perhaps they had moved on in search of food. However, in the next installment of the movie series, Los Angeles was overrun with zombies and various types of mutant creatures. Now I understand the huge number of infected individuals there—zombie hordes from nearby cities had migrated to Los Angeles. I'll head there once I've dealt with Dr. Issacs and his evolved zombies. 

Whatever is left of the city is quiet and abandoned, and there seems to be no place where we can find supplies. One of the survivors suggested a location where we might be able to find fuel to refill our vehicles. So we reached the location just like in the movie and there was a container blocking our path to the parking where we could refill fuel. I could see through my Supervision all the evolved zombies getting restless in the container as soon as they sensed living creatures nearby and just waiting to be unleashed.