"What?"
Upon hearing Brian mention the name "Administration Office," everyone present looked at him. Even Antoine, who had been silently observing, had a surprised expression on his face.
They had all heard the announcement from the police car earlier and understood that going to the Administration Office meant voluntarily transferring to other quarantine areas.
"What, are you still determined to leave here?" Osborne raised his eyebrows and looked at Brian. He knew that Brian had always planned to leave if it hadn't been for the strange situation outside and the establishment of quarantine zones. Brian had probably already thought of a way to get out of here by now.
But after all, they had been traveling together for a long time, so Osborne didn't want Brian to lose the opportunity to enter the Dallas quarantine zone and instead risk going to other zones.
"I just went to inquire, and… I still haven't decided. And if I don't get into the Dallas quarantine zone, then we'll be forced to go to other zones, but it won't be up to us. So, it's better to go voluntarily, at least we'll have some control over the situation."
Brian shook his head, his expression somewhat confused. Ever since the quarantine bill was passed, moving between quarantine areas without following formal channels was practically impossible. Even if one is allowed to leave, entering another quarantine zone requires official procedures. He remembered what he heard in today's broadcast, where the authorities mentioned strict controls.
Seeing the concerned look on Brian's face, Osborne sighed softly. Though the answer he got was uncertain, Osborne had already guessed what was on Brian's mind by the determined look that flashed in his eyes.
"So… is there an ideal place to go?"
"Yes, Atlanta." Upon hearing this question, Brian instinctively glanced at Antoine and mentioned the possible destination after consulting. However, he didn't say a word more about the rest.
....
"Attention, the curfew will begin in one hour. Information registration will continue tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. Citizens are required to return to their residences by 8:00 p.m. Anyone traveling without a permit after that time will be arrested and prosecuted."
When the curfew was announced on the radio, everyone still waiting in line at the information registration desk began to disperse. Before the Cordyceps outbreak, Dallas had a population of nearly 7 million, and with the influx of fugitives from the South, the current population exceeded 10 million, even though many had fled or died. With the current pace of registration, it was clear the process wouldn't be completed in just a couple of days.
Dallas had become one of the most populated cities in the United States after the Cordyceps outbreak. Considering the entire country once had a population of over 300 million, 10 million was just a fraction of the total. This was a testament to the tragedy of the Cordyceps disaster and the sheer number of humans who had transformed into infected individuals.
This was also why Dallas needed to relocate part of its population to other quarantine zones. The quarantine zone itself couldn't support such a large population and food supply, and other zones also needed more people for production and defense.
Brian leaned against the RV, feeling the warmth of the fire gradually surrounding him. As the weather grew colder, the night fell faster than before. It was barely past 8 o'clock, but the surrounding area had already become extremely dark.
He had been sitting there for nearly a day, thinking about the information he received from the administration office that morning.
Although the staff member only mentioned that the area around Atlanta had become the most severely affected, it was easy to assume that the situation inside the city was no better. It had likely undergone a purge; otherwise, it wouldn't be in such a dire state. The "new government" would probably enforce mandatory reinforcements from other quarantine zones that had surplus resources.
Atlanta must be extremely dangerous right now, which left Brian torn between risking the journey or staying and waiting for the lottery results that could assign him to the Dallas quarantine zone or another, safer area.
Brian rubbed his head, feeling a throbbing headache as his mind swirled in confusion and exhaustion. He looked around and saw that Osborne and Kelly had already gone to bed early, apparently planning to wake up at dawn to queue at the information registration office. At that moment, only he and Sarah remained outside, enduring the cold night wind.
Feeling the chill bite at his face, Brian closed his eyes and meditated for a while, trying to clear his mind. Finally, after swaying between options, he made up his mind to go to the quarantine zone in Atlanta.
"Sarah, wake up!"
Now that he had made his decision, Brian opened his eyes, walked over to Sarah, who was sitting on a bench, and sat beside her. Seeing her sleepy expression, he hesitated for a moment before shaking her awake.
"What's wrong?" Sarah, still groggy, suddenly heard someone call her name and felt a hand on her shoulder. She woke up and looked up to see Brian sitting beside her.
Noticing that Sarah's face had turned red from the cold, Brian reached out and pulled her hood up, saying, "I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead," Sarah said, patting her cheeks to wake herself up when she noticed Brian seemed to have something important to say.
Brian glanced around. Most of the people outside were warming themselves by the fire, and there was no one nearby, so he began telling her about the information he had gotten from the administration office about Atlanta.
"Why didn't you say this when everyone was here earlier?" Sarah asked, frowning slightly in curiosity after hearing what Brian had to say.
Brian shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, "First of all, I hadn't yet decided whether I was going to Atlanta. Mentioning it would've just caused more problems. Also, there were people around in broad daylight. If anyone with bad intentions had overheard, it could've caused another incident. And second, Antoine was also there, so I thought it best not to bring it up in front of him."
"So… have you made your decision now?" Sarah asked, looking at Brian, her earlier thoughts confirmed, but wanting to hear it directly from him.
Meeting her gaze, Brian nodded firmly and said, "Yes, I've decided to go to the Atlanta quarantine zone."
"All right, then let's head to the administration office tomorrow to submit our request," Sarah responded, nodding. Though her eyes reflected concern, her expression didn't show much surprise, as if she had already anticipated this decision.
Brian looked at the girl who had accompanied him throughout their journey. He knew that going to Atlanta involved significant risks. In fact, it would be safer for Sarah to stay behind.
But he wasn't particularly brave or strong. He had his own selfish reasons—he knew that having trustworthy companions would increase his chances of survival. And the only person he trusted absolutely was standing right in front of him. He couldn't leave her behind.
"Sarah…" Brian hesitated, struggling internally. After a moment, he slowly said, "You don't have to take this risk with me. You can stay here, pretend to be Osborne's daughter, and—"
"No need."
Before Brian could finish, Sarah reached out and covered his mouth, cutting him off. She shook her head, looking at him firmly. "Wherever you go, I'll go too!"
Brian's heart skipped a beat as he looked into Sarah's clear eyes and the determination on her face. He opened his mouth slightly, but no words came out. It felt like a lightning bolt had struck him, leaving him breathless.
Quickly, he turned his head, avoiding her gaze. He couldn't understand why he felt so strange, why this moment had affected him so deeply. Only after a while did he calm down, daring to look at her again. Strangely, the feeling had vanished, as if it had all been an illusion in his mind.
"Ahem…" Brian cleared his throat awkwardly, noticing Sarah staring at him in confusion, clearly having sensed something odd.
"What… what is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Sarah, still puzzled, stared at Brian, asking with concern, "What was that earlier? What happened to you?"
"It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired. Anything else? If not, let's get some rest." Unable to explain what had just happened, Brian made an excuse to avoid further questions.
"Well, as long as you're okay. Do you still need to tell Osborne and Kelly about Atlanta?" Sarah asked, glancing towards the RV after feeling reassured that Brian was fine.
"Hmm…" Brian thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, let's not mention it. Since we've already decided to leave, there's no need to worry them."
Then, glancing up at the sky and checking the time on his watch, Brian said, "It's late. Let's get some sleep."
Brian had already begun planning for the future. Since they had decided to go to the Atlanta quarantine zone, they knew they needed to be fully prepared. They couldn't just sit around waiting. They wouldn't be able to rely on their strength or abilities in such a short time, so they'd need to focus on becoming faster and more resilient. Over time, as their bodies grew stronger, they'd have to ensure they could run faster—at least faster than the others!