Chapter Twenty: The Quarantine Zone

After passing inspection, the minibus left the elevated road and continued along the busy highway. They were still about five kilometers from Skywatch Base, but three kilometers out, the base’s outer defensive structures came into view. Drawing on the generator system of Yanglin Town, the entire perimeter was fortified with three layers of electric fencing. Behind these fences stood a five-meter-high concrete wall, enclosing the entire town. Along the top of this thick, broad barrier, there was a firing point every ten meters, each manned by two soldiers. Every three firing points boasted a machine-gun nest—the real firepower of the wall depended on these. Behind this outer wall was a second, inner wall three meters high. Soldiers patrolled this inner barrier only occasionally, and it was not nearly as heavily guarded as the outer wall.

As the sun was setting, Xie Han could clearly see, through the window now devoid of glass, the scattered corpses lying before the electric fences—zombies who were usually shot by soldiers before ever reaching the wires. Should any survive the gunfire and touch the electric mesh, they would be charred to ash in an instant. With defenses this stringent, only a horde of tens of thousands of zombies could pose any real threat to the base.

Yanglin Town was vast, with a permanent population of around a hundred thousand. It was no wonder that when this site was first chosen as the new base, they must have slaughtered zombies until their hands went numb. But such things were not Xie Han’s concern. After the minibus passed through the high wall, they entered the quarantine zone between the two barriers—a wide area stretching the length of the walls, vanishing into the distance.

Once Xie Han and his companions were ushered into a concrete room, the soldier leading them locked the heavy iron door behind them. The ceiling was transparent, allowing those atop the wall to observe every movement inside. Xie Han surmised that if anyone inside showed signs of infection, the soldiers above would not hesitate to shoot at once. There was a small scanner installed in the room, its purpose to detect the presence of the XR virus.

After entering, Chu Tianhe and the others relaxed completely. There were no beds, so everyone simply lay down on the floor. Though the minibus had carried many supplies, most of them were now useless, so each person kept only a few personal belongings.

Xie Han glanced around the room, his gaze finally settling on a stapled booklet hanging on the wall. He picked it up—it contained the base’s laws and regulations. He skimmed through it; anyone arriving would have their firearms and vehicles confiscated and redistributed by the base authorities. At this, Xie Han suddenly chuckled. He imagined the swaggering blond troublemaker from midday must have deflated by now—after all, with their heavy road-clearer confiscated, Xie Han felt a sense of vindication.

Inside Skywatch Base, even the use of lights was strictly regulated. After powering the triple electric fences, the generator had to supply the command center and food processing plant, leaving enough for only three hours of town-wide electricity each day. These three hours were divided into three periods: six in the morning, one in the afternoon, and eight in the evening. Thus, after nine o’clock, darkness fell over the entire base except the high walls, and Xie Han realized they would be spending the night in quarantine.

Deep into the night, the base, once lively with noise, fell silent, leaving only the sound of soldiers patrolling the wall. Beams of searchlights swept the sky and shone beyond the perimeter, ever vigilant for zombie attacks. Lying on the icy concrete, Xie Han found sleep elusive. Several times he considered activating his time-space watch, but ultimately resisted; who knew if there were hidden monitors in these rooms? If anyone discovered his secret, he would likely not die to zombies, but on a laboratory table instead.

At last, around three or four in the morning, exhaustion overcame him, and Xie Han fell into a deep sleep.

It was only five-thirty the next day when a piercing alarm blared from the base, jolting everyone in quarantine awake. All assumed it was a zombie attack, but clearly, they were mistaken—the soldiers still patrolled the wall with ease, their demeanor unconcerned. From their casual expressions, Xie Han could not guess what the alarm signified.

Soon after, the quarantine zone outside became a flurry of activity as countless people seemed to pour from the base, gathering in the open areas beyond the walls. The noise of vehicles and voices mingled into a chaotic market-like uproar. But this confusion passed quickly; as the cars departed, the crowds dispersed, heading not into the base, but outwards.

At seven o’clock, the staff in charge of the quarantine area finally ordered the soldiers to unlock the iron doors of each room, registering everyone anew and entering them into the base’s records.

By the time it was Xie Han’s turn, it was already past seven-thirty. As three staff members entered, everyone hastily gathered their personal belongings—after all, they were well aware of these officials’ ability to requisition anything, as evidenced by their nearly empty rice barrels.

Fortunately, these three merely glanced at the group’s meager possessions and showed no inclination to confiscate anything. One of them asked, “Who is the leader of your team?” Qi Feiwu stepped forward. “Hello, I am,” she replied. The three were surprised to find the leader was a woman, but the man in charge continued, “According to base regulations, to improve management, all teams are to be disbanded upon arrival.” Without waiting for Qi Feiwu’s reaction, he crossed out the number 3277 in his notebook.

Qi Feiwu felt a pang of reluctance, but reminded herself she’d formed this team only to reach this place. With their goal achieved, the team was no longer necessary.

After disbanding the group, each person was given a card with their assigned housing number. By good fortune, all ten of them were placed in the same residential district of the town. Though not in the same building, they were at least close enough to look out for each other.

Once housing was assigned, the lead official said, “All food in the base, except for what you brought yourselves, is distributed by central allocation. The base is under military management. Fighting and robbery are strictly forbidden. If anyone is caught, the penalty is immediate cessation of food rations; in serious cases, expulsion from the base. Please remember this.”

Xie Han hadn’t expected the punishment for fighting and robbery to be so severe—cutting off rations was tantamount to a death sentence, just a slower kind. Expulsion was even more hopeless; outside the base, zombies roamed everywhere—leaving meant certain death. Still, he understood that in this apocalyptic world, the uglier side of human nature would surface. Without strict measures, it would be impossible to maintain order among the tens of thousands inside the base.

Leaving the quarantine zone, everyone felt lost, uncertain how to proceed. Though safe from zombies, they were now, in effect, livestock penned up inside the base, facing a future of idle subsistence.

Seeing their confusion, Xie Han smiled and suddenly said to Xu Qiang and the others, “The team may be disbanded, but our unity remains. If anyone wants to stick with me for a meal and a future, follow me!” Without waiting for a reply, he strode off laughing into the streets of the town.

Chu Tianhe snapped out of his daze, suddenly understanding. He grabbed his belongings and, ignoring his injured leg, dashed after Xie Han, shouting, “Xie Han—no, Boss! Wait for me!” Xu Qiang and Qi Feiwu exchanged a glance, smiled, and followed close behind. Perhaps everyone understood that, in this apocalypse, strength was the key to survival. Thus, the three elders and three youngsters hesitated only a moment before falling in step behind Xu Qiang and the others.

(P.S.: The second update, originally scheduled for noon, is only now being posted due to some delays. Another update will follow shortly. Thank you all for your support! Also, the story has made the potential list for science fiction, which is a pleasant surprise. I, Rainwater, will work even harder!)