Hope had never been particularly afraid of driving at night.
The roads around Riverton were familiar.
She knew where the highway narrowed, where deer sometimes crossed, and which stretches of road had poor cell service.
Tonight, every mile felt different.
She had the truck running before she had completely decided what she was going to do.
Her aunt and uncle were supposed to be traveling home.
Their last known location was several hours away.
Hope had no idea whether they were driving, waiting for another flight, staying at a hotel, or dealing with something else entirely.
The rational part of her mind told her to wait.
The other part reminded her that rational decisions depended on circumstances remaining rational.
They weren’t anymore.
She opened the System.
[Current time until Global Event: 6 days, 1 hour, 54 minutes.]
“Can you locate them?”
[Unable to directly locate individuals.]
“Can you search public information?”
[Limited external information access unavailable.]
Hope gripped the steering wheel.
“Then what can you do?”
The System displayed a map.
A route appeared between the Blackwater property and the city where her aunt and uncle had last contacted her.
[Estimated travel time: 5 hours, 42 minutes.]
Hope studied it.
“Traffic?”
[Current conditions unavailable.]
“Of course.”
She started driving.
The first hour was easy.
The roads were nearly empty.
Hope drove carefully, keeping her speed reasonable while listening to the radio.
Every radio station seemed to be discussing the virus.
Most were still repeating official statements.
The situation was serious.
The public should remain calm.
Hospitals were under pressure.
There was no evidence of widespread societal disruption.
Hope changed stations.
A talk-radio host was saying something different.
“We’re getting calls from listeners who say hospitals aren’t accepting patients.
We’re trying to verify those reports.”
Hope listened.
A caller came on.
“My sister works at a hospital in Fairview.
She says they’re overwhelmed.” The host asked what she meant.
The caller’s voice became shaky.
“People are getting sick really fast.” Hope turned up the volume.
“Are they dying?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s happening to them?”
“I don’t know.”
The call ended.
The host tried to reassure listeners.
Hope turned the radio off.
The silence was worse.
Two hours into the drive, she encountered the first checkpoint.
A police cruiser sat across one lane.
An officer waved traffic through.
Hope slowed.
The officer looked into her truck.
“Where are you headed?”
“North.”
“Reason?”
“Picking up family.”
The officer nodded.
“Keep your phone charged.”
Hope noticed something in his expression.
He looked exhausted.
“Is there trouble?”
The officer glanced toward the road behind her.
“Not here.”
The answer was technically reassuring.
It was also not reassuring at all.
“What’s happening?”
“Nothing you need to worry about yet.”
Hope nodded.
“Thank you.”
She drove on.
After several miles, she looked into the rearview mirror.
The checkpoint disappeared behind her.
Yet.
That word stayed with her.
Her aunt finally answered nearly three hours into the trip.
Hope’s phone rang through the vehicle’s hands-free system.
She nearly jumped.
“Aunt Sarah?”
“Hope?” Her aunt sounded tired.
Hope felt a rush of relief.
“Where are you?”
“We’re at a hotel.”
“Which one?”
Her aunt gave her the name.
Hope pulled the information up on the navigation system.
It was nearly two hours away.
“Are you both okay?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“We couldn’t get a flight.”
“I know.”
“Then the rental car company closed.”
Hope’s hands tightened around the wheel.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.
They said they were having staffing problems.”
Her aunt paused.
“Then we found someone willing to drive us part of the way.”
“Who?”
“A friend of your uncle’s.”
“Where is he now?”
“He left this morning.”
Hope frowned.
“Why?”
“He was sick.”
Hope’s stomach tightened.
“Was he infected?”
“We don’t know.”
“Did he have symptoms?”
“Hope…”
“Please.”
Her aunt was quiet.
“Fever.
Confusion.”
Hope felt cold.
“How long was he with you?”
“Several hours.”
Hope slowed the truck.
“Are you sick?”
“No.”
“Uncle?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“We’re fine.”
Hope closed her eyes for a moment.
“Stay in the hotel.”
Her aunt laughed weakly.
“That’s what we planned.”
“Don’t leave.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
Hope looked at the road ahead.
“I’m coming to get you.”
There was silence.
Then:
“Hope, you don’t have to do that we have a vehicle now.”
“Yes, I do.”
“How long will it take?”
“About two hours.”
Her aunt sighed.
“You really bought that farm, didn’t you?”
Hope smiled despite herself.
“Yes.”
“Your uncle still thinks you’re crazy.”
“That’s okay.”
“He says the place sounds nice.”
“It is.”
“Maybe when we get home, you can show us.”
Hope swallowed.
“Yeah.”
Her aunt’s voice softened.
“We’d like that.”
The call ended.
Hope kept driving toward the only family she has.
The System remained silent for several minutes.
Then it appeared.
[Potential exposure event detected.]
Hope’s stomach tightened.
“Can you assess them?”
[Direct assessment unavailable.]
“Can you assess the person who was sick?”
[Insufficient information.]
“Can you tell me how the virus spreads?”
[Virus A: Respiratory and contact transmission.]
Hope nodded.
“Anything else?”
[Secondary agent detected.]
She frowned.
“Agent B.”
[Correct.]
“What does it do?” The System remained silent.
Hope exhaled.
“You’re really going to make me figure this out myself.”
[Correct.]
She thought for a moment.
“Does Agent B infect everyone who gets Virus A?”
[Negative.]
“Does everyone who gets Agent B get Virus A?”
[Negative.]
Hope’s eyes narrowed.
“So people can have one, the other, or both.”
[Correct.]
“And Agent B causes powers?” There was a pause.
[Possible.]
Hope’s pulse quickened.
“Does it cause powers in everyone who catches it?”
[Unknown.]
“Does it affect zombies?”
The response took longer than usual.
[Possible.]
Hope stared at the road.
“That’s not an answer.”
[Current data insufficient.]
She sat back.
At least she knew something now.
The strange abilities weren’t necessarily connected directly to the zombie infection.
There were two biological agents traveling together.
Some people would catch one, some the other and some both.
And apparently, something about the second agent could awaken abilities.
Hope suddenly wondered how many people had already changed without knowing it.
The closer she got to the hotel, the worse traffic became.
Cars were leaving the city not entering.
Hope passed a long line of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.
Some were packed with luggage.
Others were loaded with supplies.
One family had tied several large containers to the roof.
Hope slowed.
The highway was becoming crowded.
Then she saw the first accident.
A sedan sat sideways across the shoulder.
Its doors were open.
Nobody was around it.
Hope slowed but continued.
A few miles later, another vehicle, then another.
Not major accidents.
Just abandoned cars.
Hope’s unease grew.
She turned on the radio.
Static.
She switched frequencies.
More static.
Finally, a station came through.
“…officials are asking residents to avoid unnecessary travel…” Hope listened.
“…reports of disturbances at several medical facilities…” Static.
“…police are responding…” More static.
Then silence.
Hope turned the radio off.
She reached the hotel shortly after midnight.
The parking lot was almost empty.
Hope parked near the entrance and hurried inside.
Her aunt and uncle were waiting in the lobby.
For a moment, Hope simply stared at them.
Then she crossed the room and hugged her aunt.
Her aunt held her tightly.
“You came all this way.”
“Of course.”
Her uncle shook his head.
“You’re stubborn.”
Hope smiled.
“I get it from you.”
He laughed.
“Probably.”
The reunion should have felt wonderful.
Instead, Hope noticed how pale they both looked.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Her uncle nodded.
“Just tired.”
Her aunt touched Hope’s arm.
“We’ve been stuck here for three days.”
Hope looked around.
The hotel had perhaps twenty guests remaining.
Several had bags packed.
A television in the corner showed a news broadcast.
Hope looked at the screen.
The headline had changed.
AUTHORITIES WARN OF INCREASING VIOLENCE IN AFFECTED AREAS
She stared.
The reporter was speaking.
“…while officials continue to stress that most patients do not become violent, a small percentage have exhibited extreme agitation…”
Hope looked at her aunt.
“Did your friend become confused before he left?”
Her aunt nodded.
“Yes.”
“How bad?”
“He couldn’t remember where he was.”
Hope’s expression hardened.
“Did he attack anyone?”
Her uncle answered.
“No.”
Hope nodded.
“Good.”
Her aunt looked at her.
“Why?”
Hope hesitated.
“Because I don’t want to take any chances.”
She didn’t tell them about the System.
She didn’t tell them about the countdown.
She didn’t tell them what she thought was coming.
Not yet.
They needed to leave.
The drive back began before dawn.
Hope had insisted they leave early.
Her uncle drove their rental car behind her.
The roads were quieter than before.
Too quiet.
Hope kept checking her mirrors.
At one point, her aunt called.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re driving like someone is chasing you.”
Hope looked at the empty highway ahead.
“Maybe I’m just in a hurry.”
Her aunt laughed.
Hope smiled.
For a few minutes, the tension eased.
Then a road sign appeared.
RIVERTON — 87 MILES
Hope felt a small sense of relief.
They were getting closer to home.
Then the traffic stopped.
Completely.
Hope hit the brakes.
Ahead, hundreds of vehicles filled the highway.
Some were stopped normally.
Others had simply been abandoned.
People stood beside their cars.
A few were arguing.
Hope got out and she walked forward.
“What happened?”
A man shook his head.
“Police closed the road.”
“Why?”
“There’s been trouble ahead.”
“What kind?”
The man looked at her.
“People attacking people.”
Hope’s heart sank.
“How many?”
“Don’t know.”
A woman nearby was crying.
Someone else was yelling that everyone needed to turn around.
Hope returned to the truck.
She opened the System.
A map appeared.
The highway was marked red ahead.
[Route compromised.]
Hope stared.
“Alternative route?” A second route appeared.
It would add nearly an hour.
Hope looked at the line of cars.
Then at her aunt’s vehicle.
She called.
“We’re turning around.”
Her uncle answered.
“Why?”
“Road’s closed.”
“How bad?”
“Bad enough.”
He didn’t argue with her.
They turned around.
The alternate road was narrower.
It passed through small towns and rural communities.
For the first thirty minutes, it was empty.
Then up ahead, they saw smoke.
A building in the distance was burning.
Hope slowed.
There were no fire trucks no police, no emergency crews.
Just smoke rising into the morning sky.
Her aunt’s car remained behind her.
Hope kept driving toward home.
Another town appeared.
The streets were almost empty.
A grocery store had plywood across the windows.
A pharmacy had its doors locked.
A gas station was surrounded by cars.
Hope didn’t stop.
She wanted to but something told her not to.
The System suddenly appeared.
[Threat detected.]
Hope’s foot came off the accelerator.
“Where?”
A marker appeared ahead.
Three hundred yards.
Hope scanned the road.
Nothing.
Then she saw movement.
A man stood beside an abandoned vehicle.
He was facing away from them.
Hope slowed and the man turned.
Something was wrong.
His posture and his movement were off.
His face.
something not right.
He stumbled toward the road.
Hope stopped the truck.
The man lifted his head.
Then he ran.
Not like a normal person.
He sprinted.
Hope locked the doors.
“Stay in the car!”
Her aunt’s voice came through the phone.
“What is it?”
Hope didn’t answer.
The man slammed into the side of the truck.
His hands struck the window.
Hope flinched.
His face was gray.
His eyes looked wrong.
He opened his mouth and screamed.
Then another figure appeared behind him.
Then another.
Hope stared.
Three.
Five.
Seven.
The System appeared.
[Hostile biological entities detected.]
[Threat classification: Infected.]
Hope’s heartbeat thundered.
She looked at the road behind her.
Her aunt and uncle were still there.
She couldn’t let them get surrounded.
Hope shifted the truck into reverse.
The infected began moving toward the other car.
Hope’s expression changed.
The fear disappeared.
What remained was determination.
She stepped on the accelerator.
The truck surged backward, forcing the infected away from her aunt’s vehicle.
Hope spun the wheel.
The truck swung around.
She stopped beside the rental car.
“Get behind me!”
Her uncle opened his door.
“Hope!”
“Get back in the car!” She grabbed the weapon she had secured inside the truck.
The infected were coming.
Hope’s hands were steady.
She had spent weeks preparing.
She had been training, learning, building and waiting.
She had hoped she would never need any of it.
The first infected creature crossed the road.
Hope raised the weapon.
The System flashed.
[Awakening threshold reached.]
Hope froze.
For half a second, everything became silent.
Then something inside her ignited.
Not fire, something deeper.
Power surged through her body.
Her vision sharpened.
The world slowed.
Every movement became clear.
Every sound separated.
Hope could hear her aunt breathing inside the car.
She could hear her uncle shouting.
She could hear the infected approaching.
And beneath all of it, she could feel something awakening inside her.
The System appeared.
[Awakening initiated.]
Hope looked at the approaching infected.
Her eyes changed.
And for the first time, Hope understood that the System hadn’t been preparing her simply to survive the apocalypse.
It had been preparing her to become something capable of changing it.