The lobby was as pristine as Victoria remembered it, only much darker - the last fluorescent bulb over the reception desk flickered with an incessant thrum - and felt cavernous without all the hustle and bustle of another world.
The twelve survivors stayed in formation as they entered the lobby. They were a ragtag group of women, children and men carrying guns, however, Victoria didn't get the feeling they were looters or anything as nefarious - they were just people.
Victoria started down the grand marble staircase, her footsteps echoing like gunshots. The survivors jumped, raising their weapons at the shadow approaching from above the reception desk.
She holstered her pistol and raised her hands, hoping they weren't going to shoot her if she made any sudden movements.
"Any of you infected?"
"One of our group was," Said the man dressed like a Sheriff, his Georgian twang coated in remorse. "he didn't make it."
"The CDC isn't what you think it is anymore, man." She announced, hands still raised as she descended further down the steps. "There aren't anymore doctors and the military is long gone."
The survivors deflated, some even shot the Sheriff dirty looks like it was his fault.
"What do you want?"
"A chance."
There was a sharp crackling over the intercom. "You'll submit to a blood test."
The group startled again, wildly glaring around the empty lobby for the phantom voice.
Fucking Jenner, with all the bedside manner of Frankenstein. Victoria released a long suffering sigh. "That's Dr. Edwin Jenner. It's just us left but what he says, goes."
Without hesitating, the Sheriff lowered his revolver. The rest followed, albeit without his blatant confidence. It was clear who was the leader among them, if the uniform was any clue.
"We can do it."
The intercom crackled again. "Get your things if you have them outside. Once those doors shut, they stay sealed."
The survivors sprang into action, bolting back through the doors to a fleet of cars parked behind the military blockade.
Victoria lingered from a safe distance inside.
She hadn't been outside since everything went to shit but nothing changed; smoke billowed in the distance as Atlanta burned for another consecutive week, the tank was dormant near the blockade and the rotting corpses of picketers were unmoved by the doors.
Victoria was more than happy to shut the doors behind the last survivor, the howling of undead a little too close for comfort.
"VI, seal the main entrance and shut down the power up here." Victoria breathed a sigh of relief as the shutters fell over the doors again, sealing them away from the horrors outside.
The Sheriff approached her. He was handsome, Victoria couldn't help to notice, lean with a clean shaven face. He seemed relieved, all the survivors were but the Sheriff's striking blue eyes didn't hold any suspicion like the others.
"Rick Grimes."
Victoria stared at the offered hand, surprised by the manners of a forgotten civilization. "Victoria Morgan." She gave his hand a firm shake and flashed a wry grin. "Welcome to the Center for Disease Control."
The survivors followed her back up the stairs she approached from, into an elevator that was pretty tight squeeze for thirteen people.
Victoria tried not to stare at them but she couldn't help the wonder she was overwhelmed with - they were real people, not looters or infected but real people with manners.
It was a silent ride until the hick clutching his crossbow spoke up gruffly, "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?"
Victoria patted her holster as a reminder that she still had it. "Only around strangers with guns pointed at her, man." She realized how hostile she sounded and shook her head. "But you all seem harmless enough." With a glance over her shoulder, she saw they weren't paying attention to her anymore anyways.
They were slumped against each other, exhausted and trying to take everything in with stride. But the young boy watched Victoria from his mothers side, his bright blue eyes watching her with childish interest.
"Except you." Victoria winked at him. "I'll have to keep my eye on you."
He flashed her a toothy smile and when Victoria glanced back up, his mother was watching them with an identical smile.
They were good people, Victoria decided, and hopefully after a warm meal and a good nights sleep, they would be a little more refreshed in the morning.
After a relatively short ride, Victoria led the survivors through a dimly lit hallway. She was taking them to Jenner, despite not agreeing with his condition. Whatever he needed their blood for, couldn't it wait until morning?
"Are we underground?" Asked the woman clutching the young girls hand.
"A few hundred miles, give or take." Victoria estimated, turning to watch as the woman cringed. "Are you claustrophobic?"
"A little."
"You forget about it once you've been down here long enough. Try not to think about it. VI, bring up the big room lights."
Stark fluorescent lights illuminated the big room, which was a large platform suspended off the ground, holding a series of desks, monitors, computers. Above the platform, a theater-sized projection screen wrapped around the wall.
It was once the heart and soul of the CDC but now it was just used as a security room to check topside.
"Where is everybody?" Rick questioned as he followed Victoria up the platform. "The doctors? The staff?"
Victoria lifted her shoulders. "I told you, man. There isn't like, anybody left."
"What about the other person you were speaking with?" Asked the boys mother. "VI?"
"VI. Say hello to our guests."
"Hello, guests." A robotic, feminine voice drones over the loudspeakers.
"She A.I." Victoria explained, smirking at their bewildered expressions. "Yeah. It takes a little to get used to."
"I'll take it from here, Victoria." Edwin announced, making his presence known at the bottom of the platform. "Welcome to Zone Five."
Jenner looked worse for ware. He was usually well kempt, so it was strange to see him look like he had just rolled out of bed.
"Follow me, we'll do the blood tests now. VI, bring up the lights in the conference room."
Victoria watched the survivors file out behind Jenner with a head shake. It wasn't right, those people were so out of it already. What the hell was Jenner playing at?"
"Ain't ya' comin'?"
She looked up from the doorway, startled to see a shotgun wielding survivor still on the platform.
He was another exceptionally handsome man, tall and rugged, with a crooked nose and high cheekbones. Except, something about him didn't sit well with Victoria - the sour curl of his lips, perhaps, or the way he stared at her, cold and calculating.
"Nah." Victoria mindlessly adjusted the straps of her holster, giving him a better view of the heat strapped under her arm. "Jenner doesn't need me slowing him down, dude. I was in the middle of dinner, anyways."
He visibly perked at dinner, relaxing for a snap moment before remembering himself and scowling again.
"I bet a home cooked meal sounds like heaven, huh?"
His narrowed his eyes at her and for a split second, she felt completely scrutinized under his surly glare. But Victoria realized what he was doing - she recognized the probing glare of an officer when she saw one.
"This is all..." He trailed off, his southern drawl dripping with suspicion. "very kind of you."
With an award winning smile, Victoria shrugged. "Take it while it comes, Mr...?"
"Deputy Sheriff Shane Walsh."
Of course, Victoria could see it coming from a mile away. "Detective Morgan, Atlanta PD."
His skeptical glare remained but slackened enough that Victoria felt comfortable enough to thrust her hand out.
With a surprisingly gentle touch, Shane wrapped his hand around hers and shook it.
"You should catch up with your friends." Victoria told him as they parted. "Just mention to Jenner what I said about a meal."
He nodded and, just like that, Shane Walsh disappeared through the doors with the others. Victoria stared at the doorway for a little longer, wondering if she was imagining them - a hallucination during her distress?
"Stop." She warned herself, stepping off the platform. "You're not going crazy, yet."
On the other side of the room, a giant red clock ticked down another minute - 12 hours remaining