Chapter Text
I was awakened by the loud blare of a siren.
It took me a few seconds to realize where I was. The ceiling above me was gray, metallic, and covered in scratches. The air smelled of disinfectant.
The siren sounded again.
I sat up on the narrow bed and blinked in confusion. My head ached. I felt like I had been asleep for weeks.
Or years.
I tried to remember my name.
Nothing.
My family.
Nothing.
The place where I lived.
Nothing.
My mind was just blank.
The door to the room opened.
"So you're awake."
A worker in a protective suit stood in the doorway. He was covered from head to toe in white material. He had a mask with a dark visor over his face.
"Come with me. The leader wants to see the new arrivals."
New arrivals.
The words made me feel strange, but I couldn't say why.
I stood up and followed him down the hall.
The camp was bigger than I had expected.
People were running around everywhere. Some were carrying crates of supplies. Others were patrolling the walls. Loudspeakers hung above our heads, blaring a monotonous voice that reminded us of the camp's rules.
"Every arrival must pass a check."
"Every worker must fulfill their duties."
"The safety of the camp is the highest priority."
No one stopped.
No one smiled.
After a few minutes, we arrived at the administration building.
Inside, a man was waiting for me, sitting at a desk.
Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a hazmat suit.
"Welcome."
His voice was calm.
"Don't worry. You're safe."
I didn't know why, but those words didn't reassure me.
The man scanned through some documents.
"Your results show a first-degree infection."
My heart skipped a beat.
"It's nothing serious," he continued. "The first degree causes memory loss. Otherwise, you're perfectly functional."
Memory loss.
That's why I don't remember anything.
"I have a job for you."
He slid a file toward me.
"You'll be checking incoming survivors and returning supply vehicles. Everyone who enters the camp must be screened."
"And if I find an infected person?"
"You won't let them in."
His answer came immediately.
"One mistake could mean the end of the entire camp."
After a brief training session, I was sent to a station at the main gate.
From there, I could see the driveway.
And something else.
Not far from my workstation, there was a metal cage.
Inside sat a man.
His hair was disheveled, his clothes were dirty, and his hands were bound with chains.
He didn't look like a zombie.
He didn't look like someone in the second degree, either.
Yet he was locked up like an animal.
When he noticed me looking at him, he smiled slowly.
"Newbie?"
I didn't answer.
"I can tell."
He stood up and moved closer to the bars.
"They told you why you lost your memories?"
I froze.
"They told you."
"And do you believe them?"
I didn't know why, but his question made me shiver.
The man looked around to see if anyone was following him.
Then he leaned against the bars.
"If you want advice, look at the people who bring supplies here."
"Why?"
"Because something's wrong."
Before I could ask another question, the sound of an engine was heard.
The first truck was approaching the gate.
The man in the cage stepped back.
"Just watch," he said quietly.
"And don't start believing everything they tell you here."