The following morning, Jason gathered everyone at the prison and announced that he would be leaving for an indefinite period of time. During his absence, he appointed Rick as the new general leader of the central base.
Regarding these changes, the survivors had their own opinions. Many people agreed with Jason's perspective. While they didn't have the courage to leave the prison alongside him, they supported his vision for the future.
Carlos and a young man named Rodolfo were standing together among the crowd, each with a different attitude toward the situation. Their disagreement soon turned into a heated argument.
"Rodolfo, turns out you're a coward. Last time, you said you'd go with the scavenging team, but you backed out halfway. Remember what you told me back then? As for me, I managed to grab some good stuff and even kept a few things for myself."
Carlos paused, then added, "If I hadn't fought through my fear of walkers, I wouldn't have been able to bring back so many useful things on this trip."
Although Carlos had seemed like a timid young man since being rescued by Jason in Atlanta, he had been evolving slowly but steadily, even participating in the latest scavenging expedition outside the prison.
Rodolfo, standing beside him, was clearly embarrassed about bragging in front of Carlos about going on the expedition. Unconvinced, he replied, "It doesn't matter whether I went with the scavengers or not! Don't you get it? Our leader is leaving. Of course I don't agree with him leaving the prison."
"Did you forget what happened last time? When Captain Jason left, there was an accident under Shane and Sam's watch—someone died. It's not that I don't support him. I just don't think it's wise for him to go."
Carlos turned and scoffed at Rodolfo's nerve. It was obvious to him that Rodolfo didn't want Jason to leave because he was scared. In Carlos's view, Rodolfo had potential to be useful on scavenging teams, but he was simply too afraid.
"Didn't you listen to him? Don't you think it's a good thing he's going out there? It's for our future and our growth. I also heard there might be a chance to request relocation to another shelter. That place needs a lot of manpower, and I'm sure some people from here will be sent to help."
The two of them kept arguing in low voices. Not far from them, Daryl was leaning against the side of a car, sorting his arrows.
"I heard you're going out with Jason—is that true?"
Daryl didn't need to look up to know it was Carol approaching. He casually replied without pausing his task.
"That's right."
Carol hesitated, then asked, "Is this really necessary? Is it worth going with him?"
Daryl's hands suddenly stopped moving. He looked at Carol with an unreadable expression, and his tone turned a bit indifferent.
"Seems like I'm one of the few who knows what really goes on in this base while the others sleep. Do you know how many times Jason is up in the watchtowers writing reports and keeping an eye on things? Most people here don't understand the privileges they enjoy. Instead of worrying about trivial things, maybe you should think about how you could actually help him."
With that, Daryl picked up some finished crossbows and walked toward an open area nearby, leaving Carol standing there in silence. As she thought about everything that had happened, she realized it was time for her to step up for the group. She couldn't just stay still and hope the walls would always hold.
Not far away, Beth watched Daryl's figure fade into the distance with a pair of beautiful, thoughtful eyes.
...
Second S.C.T. Shelter – Atlanta
Georgia State University
The buildings around the university had been occupied by many people since Jason had left this shelter to deal with the Governor. He had left Anna and Raúl Méndez— the soldier Jason had contacted after taking down Dmitry's group—in charge.
Inside the central building of the base, a meeting was underway to discuss internal matters, with Jason present via radio.
"Do you think we should stay in this city, considering how few of us there are?" Raúl Méndez asked, analyzing the current situation at the shelter. Though the location was ideal, the vast open grounds and weak defenses posed a serious risk.
Yes, fences had been set up around the area, and according to Jason, that was enough for now. But it might be time to move to another shelter and abandon the idea of slowly taking over Atlanta.
Recognizing this issue, Jason spoke through the radio: "If things could get worse soon, we need to clear out the Georgia Institute of Technology. That campus could house up to five thousand people and the surroundings would be easier to defend than the wide city streets."
"Given our limited manpower and space issues, the city base could serve as a training ground for our soldiers to experience survival in walker-infested urban areas firsthand."
Anna chimed in, "Our scouting team, which found small groups of survivors near our settlement, also discovered parts of the city that were destroyed by the military."
"Since we've already secured this shelter, Jason's plan makes sense—to expand into walker-cleared areas and gradually reclaim the territory," said a Black man, nodding thoughtfully.
This way, there would be no losses. S.C.T. could effectively maintain three shelters—the city base would be under the control of experienced soldiers as a training outpost, and the new shelter at Georgia Tech could serve as a haven for refugees from various regions.
"Even though our situation is unique, this wouldn't be a loss—it would secure our people's safety."
"That's good..." Anna now fully understood the situation. The idea of expanding their influence in the city had seemed laughable at first.
"Sir, as you ordered, the secured zones are now focused around large buildings and factories. We've sealed off as much land as possible, and some people have already begun working on agriculture."
Jason made a sound of approval over the radio. Even though there were more people here than at the prison, he knew the risk of destruction was still high. He had been calm when he left the Atlanta shelter running, but things changed after he wrote reports about the walkers—and how their growing numbers could turn against them.
According to reports, there were now over three thousand people in the Atlanta shelter. Still, Jason knew the terrain was unfavorable. The Georgia Institute of Technology was a far better option. It not only had all the facilities for survival, but its grounds could house over ten thousand people.
If they reinforced it as they had done at the prison, it would be much easier to defend than a massive building. Even so, a dedicated group would remain active in specific city zones, supported by well-trained soldiers.
As for concerns about those shelters being destroyed, Jason no longer worried. With Sam Valdez, Shane, and Elias stationed there, he trusted they would be solid leaders who wouldn't betray him and could act independently if needed.
So what would the people at Georgia Tech do? Simple: weapon maintenance, ammo production, agriculture and construction, medical departments, and communications. Everyone—absolutely everyone—would work to ensure effective survival.
Some particularly intelligent individuals were already considering ways to improve the protective suits used by soldiers and guards against walkers. Now was the time to think big and never stop working.
With all this in mind, Jason, who had been silent, finally spoke: "Soon, I'll begin moving out from the central base. I might even send a large number of people who are used to surviving. That way, everyone can expand their knowledge through hard work."
"Very well, sir. We'll keep you informed," Raúl Méndez responded in a deep voice.
"I trust you all. Report anything to the central base."
"Understood, sir!"