Survival in the last days of America

"Wait... what was it again? I can't quite remember..."

At Brian's question, Daphne scratched the back of her head, looking a bit confused. She turned to Lucy, who was sitting on the couch, and said with a sheepish smile:

"You told me something about it a few days ago, right? I just forgot the details..."

Lucy gave her a flat stare, clearly annoyed. How had she survived with such a forgetful person for three months?

"Ahem... ahem," Lucy coughed lightly, sitting up straighter. "Let me explain."

"You might not know this, but about two weeks ago, the government of the quarantine zone passed a new law — the Infection Protocol ."

"Its main content was this: a special enforcement team was formed, fully armed with scanning equipment. They can inspect any building at any time, scanning every resident inside. If someone is found carrying the cordyceps fungus, they are executed on the spot with an injection. And if they try to flee, they are shot down immediately."

Brian listened quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly. He had heard of this protocol before, but hadn't paid much attention to it while still at school.

But he didn't jump to conclusions. Simply passing this law wasn't enough to explain the sudden strict management of the quarantine zone. There had to be more to the story.

Sure enough, Lucy continued:

"At first, this protocol was just routine — a full sweep of the enclave to check for hidden carriers of the fungus."

"But the real problem came when some residents near the outer walls accidentally discovered escape routes from the quarantine zone. Some through collapsed basements, others through broken windows in flooded buildings. And once they found these paths, they started bringing back large quantities of supplies."

"Whaaat?!"

Everyone listening wore expressions of shock. But Brian's eyes lit up as if he had just figured something out.

"They brought the virus back in, didn't they?"

Lucy nodded with a bitter smile:

"You're right. At first, they were just smuggling in supplies. But later, one of them mutated into an infected at home and attacked others, causing a major disturbance. The military finally discovered the secret route they were using — otherwise, this might have gone unnoticed for a long time."

"According to the military's report, that infected resident didn't have any visible wounds. He must have inhaled the cordypes spores while collecting resources."

After hearing that, Sarah looked out the window and asked:

"So that's why there are so many soldiers and police on the streets now?"

"Exactly," Lucy nodded. Then she added:

"The government ordered house-to-house searches near the outer walls. They found several secret passages leading outside. Those who had sneaked out were detained — and apparently, they'll be expelled from the enclave soon."

"Now, all those routes have been sealed. The soldiers and police on the streets are just for security. They'll probably all be pulled out in a few days."

As the group absorbed this, none of them expected the recent unrest to stem from something so unexpected.

After a while, Brian checked the darkening sky and pushed himself up from his seat, using his knees for support.

"Alright, we've got the picture. It's getting late. We still need to take Lulu home. Let's get going."

Everyone looked out the window. The fading light reminded them of the time. They grabbed their things and stood up.

Daphne didn't stop them. Though curfews were no longer enforced, walking around at night still carried risks. It was better to leave while there was still some daylight left.

...

Brian and the others left the apartment building. No longer walking slowly, they picked up the pace. In no time, they reached the checkpoint leading to Sector C.

As expected, another round of ID checks and questions followed. But with their official magnetic cards, they passed through without trouble.

At seven in the evening, they finally delivered Lulu to her mother's home.

After dropping Lulu off, the group resumed their journey. They had already crossed one-third of the quarantine zone. But thanks to the school's rigorous training, none of them showed signs of exhaustion.

Once they entered Sector A, they finally slowed down. Though the sky had turned black, the streetlights along the way had turned on, casting a soft glow that made walking easy.

There were still many residents out and about. After a long day of labor, this was their only chance to relax and socialize.

Brian walked in silence, staring at the peaceful scene before him, and murmured:

"I wonder how long this peace will last..."

"Huh?"

Sarah, walking beside him, suddenly heard his words. She paused, then turned to him with a frown.

"What do you mean?"

After spending so much time with Brian, she knew he never spoke without reason. If he said something like this, he must already have a theory.

But Brian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to her, waiting silently — as if urging her to think it through herself.

Realizing his intent, Sarah lowered her head in thought, recalling everything they had heard and seen today. Then, slowly lifting her gaze, she asked uncertainly:

"Is it… because of those secret exits from the enclave?"

"Smart girl."

Brian's face, previously calm, broke into a slight smile. He gave Sarah a light flick on the forehead, teasingly.

"Exactly. Those secret routes to the outside world."

"Ow! That hurt!" Rubbing her forehead, Sarah shot him a glare, then asked with confusion:

"But didn't the military destroy all those secret passages already?"

"Destroy?" Brian scoffed slightly.

"They only destroyed the physical routes. But this incident has already planted a seed in the minds of certain people."

He paused, then continued:

"Right now, the enclave is still receiving supplies from the military and producing resources in factories. Everything seems stable. But in the end, this is the apocalypse. Every time we use resources, we're depleting them."

"If the government doesn't come up with new policies, supply shortages will come eventually. And as the military expands its search range and food expiration dates pass, resources from the outside will dry up in just a few years."

"With daily hard labor and unequal rewards, sooner or later, someone will think of those secret routes again — no matter how risky they are."

Sarah hesitated, trying to process it all.

"But… isn't that just about basic supplies? It doesn't sound like a huge gain."

Brian scratched his head, thinking for a moment before replying:

"Let me explain it this way — imagine it as smuggling."

"Breaking the rules of the enclave, bypassing official channels, and secretly traveling outside to bring back goods — all for personal gain."

He gave her a meaningful look.

"Take this example: the enclave is full now, and no new residents are allowed in. Those stuck outside have no way in. But then, someone comes up with a deal — bring me enough supplies, and I'll get you inside."

"Wouldn't they take that offer? Of course they would."

"Even though there's risk, the reward is huge. If they can bribe the right military officials to look the other way… they'll form a gray-market chain. The ones who manage that area will become their partners in crime."

"But…" Sarah frowned, her voice uncertain.

"What if someone infected sneaks in with them?"

Brian didn't answer right away. Instead, he pointed toward the dark sky, where stars twinkled silently.

"How long do you think this peace will last?" he asked gently.

"If the government doesn't act now, if they don't take control of the situation… it won't be years before someone else dares to go outside."

"And when that happens… who's to say they won't bring the infection back with them?"