𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 | 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 ¹

𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆

Chapter Twelve,
Fire & Smoke

  

IN HER ROOM, Chloe hastily gathered her belongings while Daryl hastily collected the few items he had with him and those he'd scavenged along the way, including the bottle of whiskey he'd found earlier.

The air conditioning remained off, and the lights flickered erratically, creating an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of an impending apocalypse.

Jenner was passing through the hallway when Daryl poked his head out of the door, clutching the bottle of liquor in his hand.

"What's going on? Why is everything turned off?" Daryl inquired.

Jenner swiftly snatched the whiskey bottle from Daryl without missing a beat and replied, "Energy use is being prioritized."

With that explanation, everyone followed Jenner as he continued to stride down the hallway, seemingly uninterested in their concerns.

"Air isn't a priority? And the lights?" Dale pressed on as Jenner took a sip directly from the bottle.

"It's not within my control. Zone 5 is shutting itself down," Jenner informed them.

"Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?" Dale inquired once more.

"We have to leave," Chloe interjected as Jenner continued walking, ignoring everyone's questions.

"Hey, man, I'm talking to you. What do you mean it's shutting itself down? How can a building do anything?" Daryl's patience wore thin, and just as Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and Shane joined them, he couldn't contain his frustration.

"You'd be surprised," Jenner replied.

"Rick?" Lori called out, but Rick signalled for her to wait. Jenner descended the stairs and walked up to the workstation in the large room where everyone had gathered. He handed the bottle back to Daryl, who snatched it from Jenner with anger.

"It was the French," Jenner said, directing his gaze at Andrea.

"What?" Andrea asked, clearly confused.

"They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know. While our people were fleeing and meeting their demise in the hallways, they remained in the labs until the end. They believed they were close to a solution."

"What happened?" Jacqui dared to inquire.

"The same thing that's happening here. The power grid failed. Ran out of energy. The world relies on fossil fuels. How foolish is that?"

"Let me tell you-" Shane began, but Rick cut him off.

"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!" Rick declared.

"Oh, okay," Jacqui mumbled just before an alarm blared.

"What's that?" Shane and Carl both asked simultaneously.

VI: 30 minutes to decontamination.

"Doc, what's going on here?" Daryl inquired as Jenner scanned his badge and entered a code into the security pad.

"Everybody, y'all heard Rick," Shane announced.

"Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!" Rick added.

"Let's go," T-Dog urged.

"Come on!" Glenn chimed in.

The group urgently rushed toward the security door that was sliding up to block the exit from the C.D.C.