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🕑 Added 2025-05-13 04:23:00 +0000 UTCA New Beginning From the End of the World
Chapter 132 - The Truth of the World
When this woman looked at him, Jason could see several wounds on her face, all covered with gauze and adhesive tape. Many of the bruises and injuries were recent, visible on the exposed parts of her skin. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were caused by beatings, something Jason partially understood.
However, it was too early to take action right after arriving. Jason knew it wasn’t the right moment to deal with everyone’s problems, but after observing the police officers, he decided to stir things up a little.
Having made up his mind, Jason extended his hand to help the woman out and, in a cold tone, asked, “Wait a minute, what’s with all those wounds on your face? Is someone here giving you trouble, or do the people in this room hit you often?”
Instinctively, the woman tried to pull her arm away, but Jason’s grip was too strong. She struggled a little but couldn’t break free. She looked around in a panic and finally fixed her gaze on a police officer standing at the back of the doorway.
Jason immediately turned to where she was looking, pointed at the officer, and exclaimed, “So it was you who hit this woman!”
The officer stared coldly at the woman beside Jason, and just as he was about to speak, Dawn suddenly raised her voice and shouted, “Get out, now!”
“Don’t interrupt me!” Jason snapped, his expression icy as he looked at the officer before letting out a sigh. Just as the situation was about to escalate, he released the woman’s hand and, taking advantage of the distraction caused by Dawn, discreetly slipped a note into the woman’s pocket.
Ignoring Dawn’s slightly anxious gaze, Jason looked around the room and then fixed his eyes on the officer in the back.
“You know,” he said calmly, “I’m used to detecting time bombs—the kind with timers that can go off at any moment.”
Dawn and the other officers started to get nervous. No one truly knew what these people were capable of, but they needed to regain the soldiers' trust.
“Sir, it seems something happened beyond my oversight! Arrest Officer Ramón. It appears he assaulted a civilian!” Dawn ordered quickly.
“I find it hard to believe that after a whole year here, something like this escaped your supervision. But compared to what we’re about to discuss, these details are insignificant,” Jason replied after a moment.
As the officer was handcuffed, Jason found a chair and sat down silently.
“Commander, I apologize for this unfortunate incident. Now, can we talk about what’s happening outside? Everyone here is eager for news,” Dawn said, expressing interest.
After a brief pause, Jason pulled a map from his vest and spread it on the table in front of Dawn, prompting everyone to gather around. What they saw confused them; many didn’t understand what the map was showing.
Dawn hesitated for a moment, then said, “Shepherd, Lamson, you two can stay. Everyone else, leave for now!”
Jason knew a bit about those two. Shepherd was the female officer Rick had captured and exchanged in the original story, and Lamson was the man who tricked Sasha and was later shot by Rick.
At Dawn’s command, several officers glanced at Lamson before exiting the room one by one, until only he nodded in acknowledgment.
Jason noticed clearly that Dawn wasn’t satisfied. There was a power struggle between her and Lamson, with subtle challenges to authority, though they couldn't argue openly due to Jason and his group’s presence.
Ignoring those details, Jason saw Merle eyeing the two officers intently, ready to act if needed.
Once everyone was seated—except for Bob and Merle—Jason greeted them briefly and pointed to the map on the table.
He pulled several rifle cartridges from one of his pockets and placed them at different spots on the map, which primarily displayed Atlanta. Everyone focused on where he placed the bullets, still unsure of what they represented.
Once the last cartridge was in place, Jason looked at them and explained:
“The bullets represent the locations where the shelters I lead are currently operating. Some are steadily expanding, others are still evaluating the situation. The areas without bullets… it’s unknown if any order remains there.”
The three froze in place. Dawn’s eyelids fluttered rapidly, and her lips trembled as she picked up one of the cartridges.
“How can everything be gone?”
“You’re lying!”
“That’s impossible!”
They exclaimed almost in unison. Dawn held back her disbelief, still desperate to learn more about the outside world.
Jason understood their confusion. Some of them had a closed mindset, forcing themselves to stay in this place, waiting for help. It reminded him of the Governor’s shelter. However, unlike that one, this place still had hope. That’s why he said:
“Even if I didn’t want to admit it, many soldiers and high-ranking officers abandoned their posts or died.”
He sighed and added, “Atlanta was mercilessly bombed by the military. It was part of Operation Cobalt, but clearly, it didn’t help much. Some of us disobeyed that order, and now we’re slowly fighting to regain control of the city.”
“We’ve researched the virus, but by now it’s too late to develop a cure that works immediately on people,” he continued, showing a small glass vial. “The only thing scientists have managed to create is this vaccine, which still isn’t ready for human testing.”
At this point, Jason exaggerated the situation a little, but he didn’t lie. He told the truth—just with a bit of dramatic flair.
Dawn was trembling. Everything she had fought for now seemed to collapse. If what Jason said was true, humanity was facing an unprecedented end.
Jason knew that despite her controlling nature, Dawn cared about the survivors. Her goal was to protect them until the apocalypse ended. She put on a hard exterior, but inside, she was a fearful woman, full of doubts about her role as a leader. She even allowed her officers to act however they pleased.
Ever since Jason arrived at the hospital, he had planned to change all of that. And this was just the beginning.
On the other hand, Dawn was starting to believe his words, slowly accepting the truth.
“How can we confirm what you’re saying is true?” Dawn asked, clearly nervous.
Jason looked at her and said, “You will be transferred to one of the established shelters in Atlanta. From now on, this hospital is territory of my community, and its operations, along with its personnel, will be taken over by the army.”
“You’ll all be evaluated to determine your condition. We’ll get into your minds and learn what you’ve been doing here.”
Dawn hesitated. She stared into Jason’s eyes for a long time but couldn’t detect a trace of dishonesty. All she could do was look to Lamson for support.
Lamson appeared to be deep in thought too. Eventually, he looked at Dawn, and they exchanged a silent understanding.
Dawn turned to Jason and asked, “Commander Jason, may we discuss this in private?”
“Of course. Although I’m not sure what exactly you want to discuss… Take your time. But don’t forget—you don’t have many options.”
Seeing the uncertainty on their faces, Jason nodded calmly. He knew they might doubt whether he really belonged to the military, especially since after a year, such authority wasn’t particularly useful or trustworthy.
Dawn didn’t hesitate anymore. She stood up and left the room with Lamson, leaving Shepherd behind. Jason had no interest in speaking with her.
Dawn and Lamson stepped into the hallway and looked around. A few officers were nearby. Then they looked at each other. Just as Dawn was about to speak, Lamson interrupted.
Without thinking too much, Lamson said, “Do you think his words are credible? If they really have a shelter and are taking control of Atlanta to turn it into a safe zone, we should definitely join them. But there’s still the issue of trust.”
Seeing that Lamson spoke first, Dawn’s expression seemed to relax a little. She replied, though still uncertain, “I think that since he came directly to us, it’s unlikely to be false. But what still makes me uneasy is his presence—why would a commander be leading this entire operation himself?”
“What should we do?”
Dawn thought quickly, and after a moment, raised her head and said to Lamson, “There’s only one thing we can do—evaluate them for a while and offer our full support. If things are truly as he says, we’ll definitely be better off under the army’s protection.”
