(Ben and Tim Rugby both belong to AquaDestinysEmbrace.)
(Steven Walker belongs to Overrunner.)
(Eric Fulmine belongs to FanficCrossoverMaster15.)
(Shani Lawrence belongs to XxClemClemxX)
(Kristin Smith belongs to TacoQueen-Inc.)
(Link Hiro belongs to Pokegod.)
The group was brought inside of Sacramento, onto tenth street. They were led into the US Army command center which was set up inside of the California State Capitol building, the leading US figure in charge of the country wanted to speak directly to them, wanting to know their stories and also to know exactly what happened to the three doctors. The group saw two large flags in the interior of the dome; A California state flag, and a heavily worn American flag.
Dawson and Campbell brought the group to a flight of stairs, leading them up to the second floor. Guards were everywhere in and around the building, keeping what remained of the peace and security. Citizens went about their daily lives outside, albeit without electricity. The group was brought directly to a large room that had two heavily-armed soldiers on the outside, and they were made to sit on a pair of benches.
"One of you at a time will be going in to speak with who we want you to speak to." Campbell instructed.
"Who exactly are we speaking with?" Link asked.
"The person wanted it to be a surprise." Dawson replied.
Both Dawson and Campbell started walking back to the stairwell. The group watched them go inside and shut the door behind them, much to their confusion. Then they saw the door open from the office they were led to, and they had surprised looks as they saw who wanted to speak with them: The Vice-President of the United States, Jack McCarthy. And also a general that Mettic knew was commanding Operation: Saving Grace, Mitchell Wells.
"Who's first?" General Wells asked.
Ben and Tim both stood up, although knowing they specifically said 'one at a time'.
"Is it okay if me and my brother both go in together?" Ben asked.
"It's against our protocol, but I'll allow it." McCarthy replied, nodding in agreement.
Ben and Tim nodded back as they saw McCarthy and General Wells walk back into the office. The two brothers followed them in and had the door shut behind them by one of the guards. McCarthy smiled and gestured to a pair of chairs that were in front of his desk as Wells went to look out the window, holding a lit cigar in his right hand. Ben and Tim sat down in the chairs as McCarthy sat behind his desk with a solemn look on his face. They also noticed that there was a video camera on a tripod next to the desk that was being pointed at them, meaning they were being recorded.
"I assume you boys and your group went through hell to get to Sacramento... I know a lot of us have... President Marshall didn't survive; Air Force One went down in Wyoming, which means I'm the President now... Boys, could you tell me a little of how you got here?" The now-President McCarthy asked.
Tim lowered his head, honestly unable to explain how they managed to survive the trip... But Tim looked McCarthy straight in the eyes, well-willing to tell him everything he needed to know.
"San Francisco was hell... It was an honest-to-god hell... None of the doctors survived, and we lost a friend along the way. We saw San Francisco get obliterated, and we saw corpses eating people alive... I don't know how any of us managed to survive, sir." Tim replied.
Ben sighed, gathering his resolve back and helping to explain to the President. "We had a friend of ours with us; Eric Fulmine. We met the others along the way and we eventually got out of San Fran JUST in time... Look, Mister President, can you tell us what's happening anywhere else in the country? Are we winning anywhere else?" Ben asked.
McCarthy simply stared at the two teens; a look of defeat... General Wells turned and looked back at Ben and Tim, frowning a little.
"No... In fact, we're losing pretty badly... Chicago, Miami, Seattle, and Dallas all ended up like San Francisco. Cleveland and Phoenix are both on the line, too. Atlanta, however, is a 'maybe'. We're still trying to regain contact with the teams inside of the city." McCarthy informed.
"Atlanta might be destroyed?" Ben asked, going wide eyed.
"We're debating on it... So far the atomic destructions of cities isn't stopping the dead. In fact, it seems possible that it may be making it spread faster! Plus the CDC is still active in the city, and we're keeping a communications line open with it. A 'Doctor Jenner' is the only one left at that facility, however. All of the other CDC personnel either ran off or committed suicide." General Wells replied.
"Can they come up with a cure...?" Tim asked.
General Wells and McCarthy both had looks of doubt...
"We have no fucking idea." McCarthy replied, being as blunt as possible.
Ben noticed a piece of paper on McCarthy's desk. The paper was red and had black ink on it, apparently coming from a nearby red folder. Out of curiosity, Ben picked up the paper and looked at it. McCarthy didn't stop him as Tim also looked at it. The two brothers both had confused looks as they read the contents, with one sentence catching their eyes.
"Codename: 'XANA'"...
Ben and Tim started reading through the first sentence that was in the folder...
"Reports coming in from nations around the world is that the dead have come back to life. Evidently this is because of the Codename: 'XANA' computer virus that was made in the TOP SECRET 'Project Carthage'. SecDef has authorized deployment of US National Guard forces across the United States, and has approved several operations to try and find and collect any scientists who were in direct relation with 'Project Carthage'. Three scientists in the San Francisco area have been identified as HIGH IMPORTANCE, but Codename: 'XANA' has the city firmly in the middle of an outbreak. It is not known how or when US forces will EVAC the scientists."
Ben and Tim both had confused looks as they read through it, going wide eyed as they read.
What was Codename: 'XANA'...?
But McCarthy knew they were wondering what exactly Codename: 'XANA' was... So, as they looked up at him, he began to explain everything...
After Ben and Tim were finished with their meeting, Shani and Kristin went in next. Everyone decided it was quicker and for the best if they just simply used two people at a time for the meetings.
Shani and Kristin both sat down in the chairs, just like how Ben and Tim did. This time, however, President McCarthy was on the other side of the room, getting himself some coffee from the coffee machine in the room. General Wells was sitting in a chair near the window, watching all of the civilians on the street below.
"Do you two want any?" McCarthy offered.
Kristin and Shani both politely shook their heads, not really wanting any coffee right now.
"No thank you." Shani replied.
McCarthy filled himself a cup and then went back to his desk, picking up a folder showing off the results for what government scientists thought may have caused the outbreak. The folder was a red color, complete with a black biohazard symbol on the cover.
"How did you women get here?" McCarthy asked.
"I was working at a FEMA detachment in downtown San Francisco, and I was trying to help as many people as I could. Our position was eventually overrun by the walkers, and later I was saved by Sergeant Mettic and his squad The FEMA camp was overrun with thousands of the undead, and I'm shocked I lived through it." Shani replied.
"I was with this boy I met, Link Hiro, and he was a student at the school I studied at. We made it out of downtown but we got hit by walkers a lot... We just kept walking until Sergeant Mettic's squad and Shani saved us. After that it took a lot of effort to get out of San Francisco before it was destroyed... Honestly, I'm shocked we managed to make it out alive." Kristin also said.
McCarthy nodded. He then put down his coffee and held up the folder, pointing at it.
"We think we know what caused all of this... A rouge computer virus took over several Russian military facilities and unleashed a plague they were working on..." McCarthy informed.
Kristin rose an eyebrow as McCarthy handed them the folder. Shani and Kristin both opened it and looked inside, reading the contents of the pages. One of them caught their eyes.
"On April 27th, 2014, The Codename: 'XANA' computer virus infiltrated a Russian scientific facility called "Браво Чарли" (BRAVO-CHARLIE) in the outskirts of Moscow city, and infiltrated the computer systems at the facility. Codename: 'XANA' then diverted the virus outside of the facility and into highly-populated areas, infecting a massive percentage of the Russian population before spreading it to Europe and North America in a period of less than 24 hours, taking the world governments completely by surprise. Operations by NATO military units to destroy the Codename: 'XANA' computer virus in French city of Amiens has been deemed unsuccessful, as a massive amount of walkers is present at the facility where Codename: 'XANA's' supercomputer is housed."
Shani and Kristin both had confused looks, reading the strange report... What was 'XANA'?
"Excuse me, mister President? What is 'XANA'?" Kristin asked, completely confused.
McCarthy frowned, staring at Kristin and Shani with a look of seriousness etched on his stressed face.
"The cause of all of this." McCarthy replied.
Eric and Link were the two who were next. After Kristin and Shani were done with their meeting, the two boys sat down in the same chairs that the previous people sat in. They were given the same exact report that Kristin and Shani saw, and they went wide eyed as they read through it.
"Codename: 'XANA' has disrupted all communications inside of the United States and NATO countries, along with Russia, China, and Japan. Operations at NORAD have ceased to function, and the Pentagon has been completely infested with the undead. All efforts to contact US Military personnel overseas has been unsuccessful, and Codename: 'XANA' has disrupted all air traffic around the globe. All attempts to locate any and all personnel affiliated with 'Project Carthage' has been unsuccessful, with all but one of the scientists either dead or missing. Codename: 'XANA' has been assumed to have eliminated most of the scientists hours before the outbreak has taken place, saving the rest for the undead, and Codename: 'XANA' also eliminated a number of ambassadors from the United Nations, possibly to try and ensure turmoil."
Link and Eric were both baffled by this report, and even a little surprised at its contents. ALL US forces around the world were out of contact with each other, NORAD was not in function, and all air traffic around the world was grounded...?
They knew this outbreak wasn't going to be fixed for a long, LONG time...
"What's the bold-lettered words? What's a 'XANA'? What's Project Carthage?" Eric asked.
"We'll get to that in a little bit... Where did you guys go once the outbreak started? What happened with you?" General Wells asked.
Eric sighed, trying to relax in the chair he was sitting in.
"San Francisco was my home... I had a family there, and lots of friends... My friends Ben and Tim Rugby got to my house before I even knew what was happening in the city. They saved me... If they didn't save me, I'd probably be dead. We couldn't find a way to San Francisco International Airport, so we just walked until the others found us in a gun store." Eric said.
"Kristin and me were in school when we first heard the sirens go off... So, we just ran out and we tried looking for our families. We couldn't find them. After all of that we tried to get to the FEMA camp in downtown but we couldn't get through one of the Army roadblocks. We saw it get overrun by the walkers. After that we got our weapons from a Wal-Mart that was nearby, and we got my katana from my house, and then we met the others." Link said.
McCarthy nodded as Eric and Link then proceeded to stand up. Both of the teens had frowns on their faces, as they wanted to know what the President knew about the walkers and the outbreak.
"Sir, what's happening? What specifically is 'XANA'?" Link asked.
"And what exactly do you know about this outbreak?" Eric also asked.
General Wells had a look of interest at their stories. McCarthy also had an interested look... And just like Ben, Tim, Kristin, and Shani, they began giving answers to their questions...
"Mrs. Osborn, may I start by saying I'm sorry for your loss..." McCarthy said, sympathetically as Mira and Ellie walked into the room together.
Ellie had a saddened look as she sat down in one of the chairs. Mira simply walked past them and sat down in a chair that was in a darkened corner of the room. The three adults knew she was in no mood to talk to anyone at the moment. No one blamed her for that.
"Thanks, mister President..." Ellie replied, softly.
"Could you tell us a little of what happened to you and your family...? If you don't want to, or can't, then we completely understand." McCarthy said, gently.
Ellie nodded instantly, but a sad look was still on her face.
"I do, I do... For my husband..." Ellie replied.
General Wells went to a military radio that was on a nearby desk. He started listening to reports from other parts of Sacramento as Ellie sighed, trying to gain some resolve and to try and tell her story.
"Gregory was called in to active-duty service about... maybe four or five hours after we saw the first reports of the outbreak on the news. I tried to convince him to just come with me and Mira to my mother's house in Oregon, but... Heh... my Greggy said 'Sorry Ellie, but if I don't report for duty then who'll be there to take the credit once this is over? Who'll be there to get the medals?'" Ellie replied, smirking a little as she said the last part.
McCarthy smiled back at Ellie, wishing that Private Osborn survived the journey. But his smile faded as he saw Ellie's smirk disappear.
"My husband and his group found us on the road... Greg brought us in the RV and we all kept trying to get here... We didn't even get to spend two hours with Greg before he was murdered." Ellie replied, tears forming in her eyes.
McCarthy gently handed her the red folder. Ellie had tears in her eyes as she opened it, slowly going wide eyed with every sentence she read... now she knew the cause of the outbreak, and the causer of the situation that killed her husband. She read through the reports that the others read, eventually finding one that was written less than three hours before the meeting.
"Worldwide US Military operations have all but failed. Undead made by Codename: 'XANA' has overran US overseas forces in Berlin, Paris, Tel Aviv, Baghdad, London, Mexico City, Ottawa, and Tokyo. Surprisingly, the only armed forces that have had any kind of success anywhere is the North Koreans and the Korean People's Army, which has used the shock and effect of the outbreak caused by Codename: 'XANA' and invaded South Korea. Codename: 'XANA' has, however, spread the outbreak all across Asia and right into the North Korean mainland; the invasion of South Korea is assumed to have failed by this point due to a combination of civilian resistance, the South Korean military, and the walkers. It is more than likely that the Korean People's Army has fallen apart."
Tears from Ellie's eyes fell onto the paper as she read; her fury building up inside of her as she saw the thing that caused the apocalypse.
"This... 'XANA'... caused the outbreak and caused my husband's death...?" Ellie asked, her fist balling up.
"Yes... We believe so..." McCarthy replied, nodding.
Ellie stood up and set the folder back on McCarthy's desk before looking him in the eyes... He saw she had a look of vengeance in her eyes.
"When are you going to kill the son of a bitch?" Ellie growled.
Mettic and Steven were now in the chairs in front of McCarthy's desk. Mettic saw that General Wells was standing right behind McCarthy, his arms crossed. McCarthy sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at the soldier and the teen in front of the desk.
"Sergeant Mettic and Steven Walker, right?" McCarthy asked, curiously.
"Yes sir." Steven replied, nodding.
McCarthy nodded and held the red folder in his hand. He sighed as he saw Mettic was looking at the floor, still reeling at the loss of his mission to save the doctors. McCarthy handed Steven the folder as he saw Mettic finally look up.
"Before you read, can you tell me a little about yourselves? What's your stories?" McCarthy asked.
Steven sighed. "It wasn't easy in San Francisco... I lived alone. The only thing that was easy was that it wasn't hard to evade the walkers. Just run, hide, kill if I had to. I didn't really have anything else to worry about. But after hours of doing all of that, I started noticing that the US Army was losing... I knew I had to get the hell out of there, and eventually I met the group."
"I fought in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan... And I've never seen anything as bad as this. It was truly hell. After the first reports came in me and my squad were detached to San Francisco to try and evacuate as many VIP's as we could. Our objective was changed to get the three doctors to Sacramento, and I was put in charge after our squad leader was killed. None of the doctors survived." Mettic said, full of disappointment.
"I'm sorry about the doctors, sergeant, but I think you should read that." McCarthy instructed.
Mettic nodded as he leaned over and looked at the contents of the red folder. Both he and Steven both slowly went wide eyed, seeing the contents.
"As of July 3rd, 2014; all efforts to fight the undead caused by Codename: 'XANA' has been unsuccessful. The United States Government has been officially relocated from Washington D.C. to Sacramento, California. All members of the Senate and the House of Representatives are all on the dead or missing lists, and several towns and cities are now in insurrection due to the loss of National Guard enforcing the laws of the United States Constitution. It is currently not known how strong Codename: 'XANA' and his undead forces are, but it is hoped that finding the remaining scientist of 'Project Carthage', (Identities used being 'Franz Hopper' and 'Waldo Schaeffer') will be invaluable in defeating Codename: 'XANA' and destroying the undead."
Mettic and Steven read through the entire report. After they were done, Steven put the folder down on McCarthy's desk with a wide eyed look... Mettic, however, simply had his arms crossed.
"That 'XANA' thing caused this...?" Mettic asked.
"Yes... He was developed to help infiltrate the defense grid in the Soviet Union, and also to help spy on the communists. XANA had a few successful trial runs in Soviet outposts in Cuba, and also the military communications of the Warsaw Pact. After the Iron Curtain fell in 1991, XANA was used to monitor communications coming in and out of the former Soviet republics." McCarthy informed.
"He soon became self-aware. The Russians soon found out about XANA and they started kidnapping several of the scientists who made him. A few got away, but they kidnapped the wife of Franz Hopper right in front of their two kids. We don't exactly know where Franz Hopper currently is, or his wife, but we know one of their children came to America the day before the outbreak started, and the other came on the day itself." General Wells informed.
Steven rose an eyebrow, a little amazed at the non-existent level of secrecy. They were being told EVERYTHING the government knew about the outbreak... but why? Why were they being told all of this?
"Why are you telling us this? How does their kids involve in this?" Steven asked.
"Because we want Sergeant Mettic to go and find them... They would possibly know the location of Franz Hopper, who I might add was the man in charge of Project Carthage. If anyone on earth could stop this outbreak, it would be him. His children are our first lead to finding him." McCarthy said.
Mettic had a surprised look. They want him to find a couple of kids to save the world? And there was others who could stop the outbreak...?
"Why me?" Mettic asked.
"You're the only one we can turn to. Literally every other soldier we have is busy trying to keep Sacramento safe or trying to find supplies for the city elsewhere. We have no one else who can do this." General Wells replied.
"Where are they?" Mettic asked.
"We THINK somewhere in Atlanta... Sergeant, we'll give you whatever supplies you'll need to make the journey. Hell, we'll even try to find soldiers for you to take with. But you've got to find those kids and either bring them back or protect them. At all costs." McCarthy said.
"I thought you were going to nuke the city?" Mettic asked.
"We couldn't regain contact with the teams inside of the city. It's not happening." General Wells replied.
Mettic looked down; a look of deep thought was on his face. Finally, after several minutes of silent thinking, he looked back up at McCarthy and General Wells and he told them his answer.
"Just give me a rifle, a vehicle, and some food and water. I'll get those kids for you." Mettic said, nodding.
Steven, McCarthy, and General Wells all stared at Mettic with wide eyed looks on their faces...
He ACTUALLY accepted a near-suicidal mission like this...?
"Are you sure, Sergeant?" McCarthy asked, cautiously.
"Absolutely... The outbreak needs to end. And like you say, without Franz Hopper it won't ever stop. I'll find his kids if I make it to the other side of the country. And I'll keep them safe." Mettic assured.
The others in the room just simply kept staring at Mettic, looks of disbelief were on their eyes...
But they were also knowing he was probably the only one who could get to Georgia and get those kids...