The days passed very slowly.
As the fighting expanded into the surrounding areas, Jason directed the course of the battle against the walkers toward the side of Georgia.
After much work, a safe route was established and gradually the walkers were directed toward special places that the S.C.T. organization called "shelters," where all the walkers were safely gathered.
With this, all of these undead would be used to convert them into energy. Jason had drawn up a serious plan with them, and those that were not useful to him would be turned into energy.
Inside the city of Columbia.
All traces of the undead had disappeared from the streets, and the abandoned cars were gradually moved toward the border to serve as a provisional wall against the walkers. Now, no trace of trash could be seen in the surroundings, and everyone seemed to have awakened from a nightmare. Some buildings were put into operation, where families and couples received a home independently.
Jason assigned Joel and his brother Tommy along with Reginald as the leaders of this place who would help with the stability of this new world. All the survivors, without exception, agreed to be part of the plans, and in a short time everyone had their tasks.
From Georgia, 500 police officers with real training were sent, and more than 1,000 border soldiers were distributed among different checkpoints to the north, where the organization's domain was constantly expanding.
The people from this place were gradually transferred to Georgia, and through open surveys many decided to come to South Carolina to work on opening this new territory as was being done in Alabama.
Everyone was impressed to see numerous supplies, soldiers, and personnel arriving in South Carolina. They also saw how the military bases were taken, the provisional posts cleared, tanks withdrawn, and helicopters removed from the city.
Jason took advantage of this to seize important military bases and managed to find incredible military resources. In addition, there were numerous factories where, with the right people, they could produce the necessary ammunition to continue the fight in South Carolina and not depend on Georgia.
But even if he trusted Joel, Tommy, and Reginald greatly, Jason appointed Liam as general leader, having total control over what was happening in this place and the course the battle should take.
All this new formation was accepted by everyone, and although some openly complained about the random tests and interrogations that were carried out, everyone concluded that it was necessary.
Work, study, points that were the money currently used in the organization, different jobs that no one ever thought would be seen again began to take shape and gradually the city came to life.
Reginald saw the crowd walking back and forth carefreely, while others moved resources, and some greeted the police officers patrolling the streets. As long as the police were present, everyone knew there was no need to carry high-powered weapons in their daily lives.
Everyone trusted the new government once again!
Just as the city was so busy, there were some people chatting at the fork in the road outside the city.
"Hahaha, I never thought there would be a new government that is truly doing things right."
Five heavily armed men who belonged to the cleanup group in the sectors that still contained walkers stood on the main avenue, and behind them was an armored vehicle that contained special sensors.
Merlene, the leader of the Fireflies, looked at Tommy, who was standing right in front of her, and said, "I never thought the S.C.T. would have such power, they took the city completely in less than a month..."
"Do you think we will defeat the CRM?"
Looking at Merlene in front of him, Tommy asked about his concerns.
"I have seen the CRM destroy communities of one hundred thousand people, real survivors like you. I truly admire everything you have achieved, but it is hard to say." Merlene was not lying. The CRM was incredibly powerful, but what she did not know was that Jason knew his future enemy very well and was prepared to face them at any moment.
If he was now expanding his domain, it was because he had the power, time, and resources to do so. He could even allow himself now to enter the sea and hopefully recover some cruise ships or vessels. But of course, these were only some of his plans.
The first thing was to take as much territory as he could and gather people to build an army. Only then would he be sure that he could defeat the CRM.
"Do you have somewhere to go?" Tommy asked something he did not know.
"There is still a Fireflies base in Arkansas. I will meet with my people and tell them everything I have discovered, and we are also taking this." Merlene took out a metal box and said, "I never thought that as long as someone died from something other than a walker bite, which is what activates the virus in our body, we might not turn into walkers."
"That is certainly incredible..." Tommy nodded.
"Do you know what this means?" Merlene whispered. "A future without walkers, a safe place. As long as we remain hidden and have this vaccine circulating in our veins, sooner or later the walkers will cease to exist..."
"Jason will take the reins of the future." Tommy was sure of that.
Merlene only smiled, looked at her most loyal men, and said sincerely, "Thank you..."
"Don't mention it."
Tommy knew what Merlene meant. She was grateful that he spoke for her so that the rest of the Fireflies would peacefully join Jason's organization.
"Jason placed his trust and something very important, the victory to defeat the CRM, in you, Merlene."
Merlene nodded and said, "With the S.C.T. building the future, I am sure the world will return to what it was before."
"Alright, it's time for us to leave."
After some people talked for a while, Merlene looked at the sky and said it was time to go. Then she looked at Jason in the distance and said, "I promise I will return."
Hearing Merlene say that, he only nodded indifferently.
"There will always be space for people who want to keep living."
"Yes..."
After that, a group of people got into the vehicle, and Merlene and her group drove away.
Seeing Tommy staring for a long time, Jason slowly walked to his side and said in a low voice, "Let's go back..."
Tommy looked at Jason's back and did not know how this man could agree to let Merlene go without fearing that she would eventually betray him. But what Tommy did not know was that Jason had sent drones to observe the place Merlene had told him about, and everything from now on was under his plans.
In fact, having the power of the Fireflies and what they know about the CRM was something that would be very useful to Jason when he faced that organization which, even until the end of the original story, was something unknown.
In the comic, there is no mention of an organization called the CRM, so Jason only knew what he had learned throughout his journey in this world. Therefore, now that he did not fear the CRM, what was the point of holding back instead of moving more aggressively toward the future?
The CRM could come whenever they wanted. Jason was now prepared to strongly resist the attack of any enemy that knocked on his door.
...
Three days later.
Central base.
Gabriel, dressed in a black religious outfit, was reciting a prayer to watch over all the lost souls in the battle to reclaim South Carolina.
Many of the people who had lost someone were near the gravestones, kneeling in front of the names of those they considered important in this unpleasant life.
A little girl was crying breathlessly in her mother's arms. Her father had died in the end, and her mother had been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer that would take her life in a very short time.
As for the rest of the losses, everyone understood what was happening in South Carolina.
As a result, many turned to religion to pray for those soldiers who were currently giving their lives for the future of humanity. Both men and women were on the battlefield, recovering what was once considered lost.
Jason had a cross around his neck. Although he did not believe in religion and detested some habits that this belief had, it was undeniable that everyone turned to a divine being to calm the worries in their minds.
"Finally my struggle is beginning. Their deaths will not be in vain. Both in the future and now, everyone will remember their sacrifices, and I swear on my life that I will not rest until I build that world I have always promised you."
Jason, who was bandaged in different parts of his body, looked at hundreds of gravestones spread across a large open field, and with strength he carried all those deaths, and that was what was giving him an unparalleled strength to move forward.
"I will win!"