Our Extinction Event {Daryl Dixon}

No More CDC

After that, they returned to their rooms, and Parker began to put her belongings in her bag. She didn't like the way Jenner looked at everyone when Vi told them about the decontamination process, so she was packing her things in case they had to leave. Daryl returned after a while and asked Parker if she was okay before seeing that her things were packed. 

"Are you hoping for a getaway?"

"Yeah," Parker answered in a rush, just throwing things in her case. "I don't like the way Jenner didn't say anything about that decontamination process. There are bad things here, so this can't be any better." Daryl shrugged and offered Parker his half-empty bottle of whiskey.

"Want some?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Daryl Dixon?" Parker asked jokingly.

"It's the end of the world. It's better to be drunk." Suddenly, the lights went out in their rooms and Parker shared a confused look with Daryl before heading to the door, looking down the hallway only to find the rest of her friends just as confused.

"Why is the air off?" Lori asked her assuming she of all people would know.

"And the lights in our room?" Carol added.

"What's going on?" Parker asked as Jenner walked towards her and headed down the hallway.

"Why is everything turned off?" Daryl tried stopping Jenner but he just continued walking.

"Energy use is being prioritized," Jenner explained bluntly, taking the bottle of whiskey from Daryl.

"Air isn't a priority?" Dale asked. "And lights?"

"It's not up to me," Jenner responded. "Zone five is shutting itself down."

"Hey!" Daryl yelled. "Hey, what the hell does that mean? Hey, man, I'm talking to you! What do you mean it's shutting itself down? How can a building do anything?"

"You'd be surprised," Jenner spun to look at them, going to who knows where.

"Rick?" Lori sighed in relief when she saw her husband appear through another door.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick asked.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power," Jenner explained. "It's designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second. That started just as we approached the half-hour mark. Right on schedule." Jenner gestured to the clock on the wall, which was approaching the last thirty minutes of its countdown. He handed the bottle to Daryl and he snatched it away with such force that most of it spilled across the floor at his feet. Jenner looked suddenly sad. "It was the French."

"What?" Parker muttered not knowing what the hell he was blabbing about.

"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs until the end." Jenner explained. "They thought they were close to a solution"

"What happened?" Jacqui asked quietly, she already knew the answer and so did the rest of them.

"The same thing that's happening here," Jenner waved his hands around. "No power grid. Ran out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuels. I mean, how stupid is that?"

"Let me tell you-" Shane began. Rick grabbed his arm.

"To hell with it, Shane. I don't even care. Lori, grab our things. Everybody get your stuff. We're getting out of here. Now!" An alarm began to blare and Shane tensed at the sudden sound.

"What is that?" A timer appeared on the screen in front of them, Vi's cold voice announcing the last words anyone wanted to hear.

"Thirty minutes to decontamination."