The door opened and bathed the large group in light. Even knowing what would happen I was dumbfounded when the door opened. Snapping out of it "Everyone inside now!" I called out. Shane moving right behind me "Daryl watch the back." Everyone filed in as gunshots continued to pop off, as walkers got to close and were put down. Moving in to the clean and open lobby Bob called out for someone to close the doors as everyone spread out looking for signs of life.

As we were looking around the echoing sound of a M4s charging handle echoes reveling a man in the shadows holding a rifle.

"Is anyone infected?" the man called out not lowering his gun.

"No luckily we have been lucky we had one man but.." I replied "he was put down."

"why are you here?" he asked "what do you want?"

I gestured around "this is the CDC if you haven't noticed there is the mother of all biological issues going on and we thought if anyone would have a lead or handle on things it….well would be you guys."

"Yes I had noticed that's what ive been doing the last month working the problem… Trying" he replied looking over the massed women and children and the several military clothed men still pointing rifles at him with several more on their backs. "are you military?"

I shake my head no "there is no more military"

This seems to shake him lowering his rifle "you will all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

Everyone relived "we can do that" I say relaxing as everyone lowers their guns

"if you have stuff get it inside once this door closes it stays closed" he said walking forward

I chuckle "we have everything inside."

Nodding he swipes his card "Vi, Seal the main entrance, And shut off the power."

We watch as the metal shutters roll down cutting off sight of the outside world. As we look eachother over I hold out my hand "Rick Grimes" he looks at me for a second before saying "forgive me for waiting until after the blood test to shaking your hand im Doctor Edwin Jenner."

Leading us to a elevator we started heading down when Daryl casually said "does doctors always go around packing that kind of heat?"

Chuckling he replied "there were plenty laying around after, so I familiarized myself." Seeing the group of heavily armed people he joked "but you look harmless enough." Looking at the kids, "Except for you. I'll have to keep my eyes on you." The kids smile making the doctor chuckle.

As the elevators opened and the group stepped out Jenner stayed behind "Stay right here and don't wander off you will get lost ill be back with the rest of your group." The doors closed and everyone chatted among themselves. Not even five minutes later the second elevator load arrived and together they followed Jenner. As they walked small talk sprung up until they arrived to an open room.

"VI, bring up the lights in the big room." The doctor called out

The lights and terminals powered up and started to hum. Turning to the large group behind him, "Welcome to Zone five." As he continues on.

"Where is everyone?" T-Dog asked Dale agreed also asking "yeah where's the other doctors and staff?"

Looking around and raising his hands "I'm it. It's just me here"

Everyone looks at him with confusion as Lori asks about who he was talking to.

With a chuckle he calls out to the room "VI, say hello to our guest. Tell them welcome."

An echoing computer voice calls out "Hello, Guest. Welcome"

He chuckles at everyone looking around realizing it's a computer as reality comes crashing back down on him "im it….im all that's left."

Everyone looks stunned and broken as he apologized "im sorry."

The blood test go much like they did in the show minus the staggering from lack of food but the dinner party still happens if nothing else to let people unwind and relax at least until Shane started up but this was important for the entire group to hear so I didn't try to change it letting it run just like I remembered from the show.

After dinner he started showing us where we could sleep mentioning the hot water which raised everyone's moods except for Shane who after mine and Lori's steamy shower I noticed was hitting the wine hard.

Part of me felt badly for him I wasn't really even mad at Lori either apocalypse that neither her or Carl had the skill to survive offered herself to Shane to keep herself and Carl alive. I need to find a way to resolve this before he loses his shit dude is a badass and would be a hell of a asset in the coming months and years.

As I walked down the hallway past Dale, Amy, and Andrea I saw Lori and Carol walking around as the kids played tag. Merle and Daryl was sitting in a hallway looking over the collected three dozen M16s and M4s cleaning or switching out worn or damaged parts. Feeling it would be a good idea at least with the brothers I walk over crouching

"Hey guys we are not going to be here forever so I would appreciate it if when your done find as many duffels or backpacks as you can and fill them with food, water and see if you can find an armory we don't need more weapons but ammo is always welcome figure on two or three days here better to grab everything we can and it might be a good idea to be able to get out in a hurry."

Daryl looked to Merle who asked "what's up officer friendly, thinking about leaving already?"

I laughed "no, but I always think it's a good idea to be prepared and if the last week has shown me anything it's good to be ready for anything."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before his brother nudged him and he gave me a short nod I thanked him as I rose. I walked into the big room where Jenner was typing away at the terminal. He stopped and looked up as my shoe made a sound on the floor.

"How's the blood?" I ask

He shrugs "no surprises"

Nodding I slide down the terminal to sit looking up to the celling "I wanted to thank you for this reprieve we really needed it."

We continued going back and forth as he asked to hear about the surface and what's it like up there. I told him the whole story. From the time I had woken up to finding Morgan and his son to Atlanta finding my own family and everything that had led up to this point. He seemed honestly amazed at all of our luck. We chatted for over an hour about the infection the fall anything he had managed to figure out. Before either of us knew the clock on the wall read 11:00i excused myself that it had been a long day and bid him goodnight.

Going to the room we shared I found carl fast asleep with Lori crying reassuring her that it's all going to be ok she seemed to find comfort in that and my arms around her and we both drifted off to sleep.

With a jolt I awoke in my real body and across from me was the real Rick.

Rick "who are you really?"

Me "well that's kinda hard my real name is Philip Collins and I died."

Rick "so does that mean I died too? Last thing I remember was getting shot."

Me "well not exactly." I pause thinking of my next words "where I come from your just a character in a TV show called the walking dead."

Rick "A character? How's that possible?"

Me "well im honestly not sure all I can say is what I was told by I guess you could call them dimensional soul recyclers. When you….."

Rick cuts me off "Dimensional what?"

Me "ok so for every option that exist there is a dimension that exist where that choice happens Hitler was the good guy. The twin towers never fell Hiroshima and Nagasaki didn't get nuked the zombie apocalypse never happened or in your case it did. And in order to help the reincarnation possess the beings in charge of the soul possess have altered some peoples brains to glimpse these other reality's to help them choose better."

Rick "whoa whoa whoa let me get this straight so when you died you decided to what take my body over how is that fair to me? I want my family back"

Me"I saw your actions in the show by this point you have already caused the death ove over a dozen people who were with you. Caused a man to saw his own hand off after you handcuffed him to the roof of the building and everyone that's left was half starved including your wife and kid.

Rick slumps to the ground in shock "no that's not true I would never..."

Me "let me try something" I focus of remembering everything I could on the show and imagine opening a door.

And just then Lori shakes me awake. I set up in a cold sweat looking around im back in the room with lori and carl in the CDC. "You were screaming in your sleep are you ok?" as she gets up on her knees and holds me from behind. "Yeah, yeah im fine just a nightmare nothing to worry about. Looking at the clock 08:55 "it's time to get up anyway im not going to be able to go back to sleep after that." As I shower to rinse the sweat off Lori joins me. We finish and start drying off just as Carl wakes up.

We walk into the cafeteria to see several others already there with T-dog Brandon and jim were cooking eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee for everyone the next few minutes people complain of hangovers and asking people to ensure they never drink again when the doc walks in.

Dale is the first to speak up "hey doc I don't mean to bombard you with questions first thing in the morning."

Chuckling as he pours a cup of coffee for himself "but you will."

Shane speaks up "we didn't come here for grub."

Amy however try's to calm stuff down "but we are thankful"

The doc loos around "of course here follow me ill show you all everything I have found over the last month."

As we walk into the main room he walks up to the head terminal hitting a key on the keyboard "Give me a playback of TS-19" the computer repeats the request "Playback of TS-19" the huge monitor on the wall changes serval times as Jenner talks "few people ever got that chance to see this. Very few." As the screen settles on a X-ray of a person's skull when Carl ask "is that a brain?" with a tone of sorrow Jenner confirms "An extraordinary one." Looking back up at the screen "not that it matters in the end." as we watch he calls for a EIV or Enhanced internal view.

"What are those lights?" Shane asked

"It's a person's life..." Jenner said "Experiences, memories everything." Pointing at everyone and then at the screen again "somewhere in all of that organic wiring all of those light is you everything that makes you unique and human."

Everyone looks skeptical but most of all Daryl who said "you don't make since ever do you?" causing several laughs and chuckles

He continues for another several minutes copying the show. until dale asked the question about the clock counting down. Jenner clamped up and walked away. Running down to the basement fuel storage we find dozens more generators and hundreds of empty fuel drums. The last one running was almost empty as the lights click off.

"Shane, Jim, Bob, Glynn and T go round everyone up grab whatever supplies you can grab along the way and get everyone up top we are leaving I'll be damned if we get stuck down here when that decontamination thing happens, Im going to go find Jenner."

As I run down the halls toward the main room I come across Dale, Merle, Brandon, and several others I tell them the same thing as I go grab everything and get to the surface. With no real need to find the doctor I know what's going to happen looking at a clock as I finish the hall where we were all staying 36:15 if I remember right everything locks down around the thirty minute mark.. Seeing no one else was here I run to the elevator if I had only done a little more I could of got the doc out but id have to knock him out and haul his ass out.

As I reach the elevator I hit the button for the ground floor looking at my watch I see ive got about two minutes before the thirty minute mark watching the digital readout on the elevator tick upwards 13…12…11…..10…9….8…..7…..6…5. The elevator comes to a sudden stop fuck there goes the power I thought. Looking up I see the maintenance hatch pushing it open I pull myself up into the elevator shaft looking around I see a latter.

Thank god for government buildings.

As I start climbing it doesn't take long to climb up to the ground floor. The door doesn't open SHIT I start banging on the door calling out "if you can hear me open the door its Rick!" I hear merle and Daryl on the other side and within a minute the door splits with three crowbars spiting the doors getting pulled inside Merle looks down and whistles

"Come on guys, we have to get out of here a giant fuel-air bomb is going to go off in…clanking at my watch…four minutes."

Carol and lori ask "how we have been trying but the doors are sealed and the glass won't break those three were slamming on it with the crowbars since they got here until we heard you banging and nothing." She said pointing at a patch of glass that had several smudges thinking quickly I reach into my bag and pull out a hand grenade I had put in there for this purpose.

Holding the grenade up I yell "ive got it everyone take cover." Waiting for everyone to find a place to hide I pull the pin holding the spoon down I set it down next to the window and run to the pillar hiding behind it just as the grenade explodes shattering the window… and drawing the attention of several walkers outside "lets go everyone three minutes" I call as I help lori and carl through the window hole. The Dixon brothers and Shane are already shooting down several nearby walkers as everyone heavily loaded down with bags, duffels and filled body bags full of food, water and anything else they had grabbed run or stagger as fast as they could away from the building.

We all make it to the vehicles after knocking down over two dozen walkers that stood in our we started pulling away the building exploded and collapsed behind us. As we drove away the black pillar of smoke that was the CDC billowed into the sky.