Since the U.S. government cut all civilian networks, television and radio have become the only way for all citizens to get information from the outside world. The news anchor solemnly delivers the main news from the past few days:
"According to the latest information obtained by our internal staff from the World Health Organization, it has been confirmed that the latest vaccine failed the trial phase!"
"The bureaucratic government has been unable to control the epidemic in the infected areas. They have dug massive 'mass graves' on the outskirts of major cities, and inhumanely grouped those still alive with those already dead!"
"..."
After finishing the main news, the anchor, holding a few papers in her hands, suddenly changed her expression. With pain and resentment, she looked into the camera and said:
"Fellow American citizens watching this broadcast, what you are about to see are images taken by our reporters, who risked their lives. Everything you are about to witness is real and happened in the infected zones."
Then, the camera shifted, and a blurry image appeared on the screen. Several soldiers were wielding assault rifles, shooting violently at the infected who were rushing towards them. Survivors were running out of the building next to them. Although the footage was blurry, their body language revealed that these people were extremely distressed.
One soldier approached the survivors and confiscated all their weapons. Just when everyone thought the survivors would be escorted to safety, what happened next left everyone watching the broadcast utterly shocked.
After the soldier left, the remaining soldiers raised their rifles without hesitation and shot down the dozen survivors in front of them. They were all killed in a matter of seconds, without regard for the elderly or children among them.
Next, the television showed more footage of soldiers in different areas shooting and killing survivors in infected zones. When reporters interviewed people who had escaped from these areas, they angrily condemned the government's brutality.
Brian even recognized, in one of those videos, the cabin by the lake where they had once stayed, as well as Angela and Barton, now lying as lifeless corpses on the ground.
"Bastards, what are they doing!" Seeing such cruelty, the crowd around them erupted in fury, with angry shouts filling the air.
Immediately afterward, the scene changed again, and the camera focused back on the anchor. Holding the papers in her hand, she screamed hysterically: "Everything you've seen in these videos comes from orders issued secretly by our country's bureaucrats. They've implemented a plan of 'indiscriminate eradication.' It doesn't matter if the people in the infected areas are sick or not—everyone is being killed in a deranged attempt to control the disaster by eliminating all potential threats!"
"My fellow citizens, this infection is completely out of control. They've been lying to us! We cannot blindly wait for a vaccine any longer. Time is running out, and we cannot let these corrupt officials continue leading our country. We need capable leaders who can truly guide us. Only then can we hope to save this nation..."
At that moment, a loud bang was heard on the TV, and the screen abruptly turned 180°, as if something had hit the camera.
Several soldiers appeared on screen, rushed forward, and grabbed the anchor. One of them said sharply, "Ma'am, you are under arrest for deliberately creating and spreading false terrorist information. Please come with us now..."
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, the TV screen abruptly froze and turned to a "no signal" message...
After the broadcast signal was lost, a brief silence fell over the survivor camps across the country.
But soon enough, all of Dallas erupted like boiling water.
Whether it was the city residents or the survivors who had escaped the infected areas, they had always thought that this terrible epidemic, like the viruses they'd faced before, was only temporary and would eventually be defeated.
But today, with everything exposed like a window smashed open, they finally understood what had happened and what the U.S. government had done. Especially after learning that the vaccine production had failed, they began to feel the real fear of death and the despair of an apocalyptic future.
This is an outrageous conspiracy...
While comforting Sarah, who was already crying over Angela and Barton's deaths, Brian sighed quietly, observing the emotional reactions of the people around him.
He finally understood why the soldiers hadn't pursued them after they broke through the blockade in Austin: it wasn't that they didn't want to, but that someone had deliberately allowed them to escape.
The anchor kept repeating the word "bureaucratic," there was an overwhelming amount of footage showing soldiers shooting survivors, confessions from people who had narrowly escaped being hunted, and the precise moment when the signal was cut after the anchor's arrest...
If viewed from a third-party perspective, this looked like a conspiracy that had been carefully planned for a long time. Some people were trying to use this situation to provoke the public's anger, applying pressure through public opinion to confront, overthrow, and seize control of the White House administration.
But Brian knew that, whether in the past or the future, relying on public outcry wouldn't have much of an impact on those in power—unless... the military was also involved in this conspiracy...
"Forget it, what am I even thinking? This isn't my problem."
With a wry smile, Brian shook his head, patted Sarah on the back, and watched the people around them. Some whispered, others sobbed bitterly, and many looked defeated and hopeless. Even the children, who had been playing energetically that morning, now clung silently to their families.
He turned to Osborn and Kelly, who were standing nearby with somber faces, and quietly said, "Now's not the time to think too much. I fear Dallas won't be peaceful in the coming days. We better not let anyone know how many supplies we have. Otherwise, someone might get the wrong idea."
Hearing this, Osborn realized the panic these recent events could trigger. He was somewhat relieved that he hadn't reached out to his friends that morning, and thankful that the reporter had exposed the situation before being arrested.
Unexpectedly, they had been in Dallas for less than a day when this all happened. Who knows what will happen next?
He nodded, took Kelly back into the RV, and began reorganizing their supplies, planning to hide them in places where they wouldn't be easily seen from the outside.
Meanwhile, their neighbor Antoine, normally a sociable man, had rushed back into his RV as soon as the TV signal was cut off. He closed the door, and it was unclear what he was doing inside.
By the following afternoon, the entire camp had sprung into activity, as if someone had given them instructions. Brian frequently saw people outside their tents or RVs, making weapons and knives out of whatever they could gather.
Sensing that something was wrong, he asked Sarah to return to the car while he stayed outside, observing closely. He noticed several men dressed in black, moving from tent to tent, as if they were trying to recruit people for something.
Alarmed, Brian told Osborn about what he'd seen. Although he didn't know exactly what was going on, he thought it was best to give a heads-up, just in case something unexpected happened.
A while later, Brian saw a bald man, also dressed in black, walking toward their area. Pretending not to notice him, Brian casually approached the car door.
"Hey kid, are there any adults around?" The bald man approached the RV, saw only Brian, scratched his head, and asked with a friendly smile.
Before Brian could answer, Osborn, having heard the noise outside, opened the RV door. Wiping the sweat from his thin face, he looked at the bald man with curiosity and said, "Hello, what's going on?"
When he saw Osborn, Brian wisely took a couple of steps back. After all, there were some things that a "kid" couldn't handle, and it was better for the adults to take care of it.
The bald man, without much preamble, said, "We can't wait any longer. We need to plan ahead. Look around you, everyone's already preparing weapons. By tomorrow, we're going to rise up and take supplies, try to gather as much food as we can. If you want in, get ready."
After delivering these hurried words, the bald man turned and walked towards another RV, as if he had come only to pass the message and didn't care whether they participated or not.
Watching the bald man walk away, Osborn furrowed his brow deeply. He looked at Brian and said, "Looks like you were right. There won't be any peace in the coming days."
"Don't worry about them. I'll just wait for the next government announcement," Brian shrugged indifferently. He just wanted to know what the government's next move would be, because that would ultimately determine how humanity would continue to survive.