Beyond the Walls

The Third Round

[02:45:12]

“I don’t understand. Why give away our supplies?” A man with a bun glared at the munching starved players as they eat food messily.

“They have the numbers.” Liam replied after finishing his water and opening his second bread.

“That wasn’t an issue before.” The man retorted back.

“That was before… before their group made a move.” Liam tilts his head to Lucas' group who is silently waiting on their bed observing the surroundings.

His subordinate still doesn’t get it.

Liam smirked and laughed low before continuing his explanation. “Before we have the manpower and time so as long as Aaron doesn't join, we can defend ourselves by breaking the arms of other players and avoid the punishment all together. If Aaron had joined, he would have been the biggest threat and we will have no choice but to repress him. Even if they successfully get supplies on the first day… Aaron will wear himself out and eventually, we will control the rest of the meal.”

“What changed now? We can still do it. One man is nothing.”

Liam swallowed his sigh and hid his thoughts. ‘This is the reason I don’t talk with dumb asses.’

“They waited until other players were desperate…”

Players are on the verge of killing each other and capable of doing unimaginable things for their own survival.

Recycling their own body fluids to eating thrown out food. Players are losing their rationality.

Lucas’ group waited for days and lived at minimum to maintain themselves, to prepare for this day.

“And today. they fed them with little hope...”

By showing they secured their own food and instigated the deprive one to get their own. Deprived and desperate will no longer be able to reason out. Their hunger will win and push the punishment out of their judgment.

“They plan to hide behind the crowd if the attack breaks out and with time left we will be exhausted or injured even before the next level starts.” Liam stood up and stretched.

[02:39:15]

“I can’t have my men injured before the big day. There is still excess bread there, eat it all..” He said with a solemn smile as he patted the shoulders of his subordinate.

He settled in his bed, passing time as he observed Lucas’ group again.

“It was a shame.” He whispered as he looked at Aaron. He was such a strong shield, because of that person, the group during the level 1 games survived.

By just placing him in the back formation Liam was able to stop a stampede like the first one where he had lost Lucas in the process.

Though it was such a shame to lose a good soldier, the most regrettable is he lost Lucas.

“I am sure it was Lucas’ plans! He always comes up with the most ridiculous ways” Brandy said as he stood at the foot of the bed.

‘Ah, he's still here.’ Liam thought. He only took this person to inquire about Lucas activities and he spilled everything right away.

Liam doesn't like this kind of person. He heard how he was beaten after betraying their group.

‘Another dumb ass.’

“Ridiculous? Isn't it because of him that you are still alive?”

“Ah! That… he isn’t strong and j,just good at observation and t,thinking.”

“It’s not always the strong one that survives…”

Unable to retort back, Brandy bit his lips in shame. He is trying hard to curry favor from Liam by selling out Lucas.

Liam knows it. He is grateful to know Lucas' activities but it doesn’t change that Brandy is a betrayer.

‘I guess, he can die first in the next round then.’ Liam thought.

“Don’t worry too much about them, Brandy. Just focus on conserving your energy.” He said with a smile.

Before Liam closed his eyes, he felt a gaze from Lucas turned to him.

It’s not like he can also trust Lucas. Especially with top notch acting ability like that.

‘Is he a cat on a tiger's skin or was it the other way?’

****

“Huh? What do you mean? Lucas is a coward like me! There is no way he will go outside the walls!” Donald exclaimed and tried to explain in a loud voice.

“Why don’t you advertise it more?” Gabrielle glared.

Donald looked around and he really did it loudly more than he anticipated.

“I, I am sorry. It's just… That is impossible…” He said in a small voice.

“Why is that?”

“He has a younger sister that needed extensive care in the hospital, so he said he can’t take any dangerous job because he is all left for her sister… he cares deeply for his sister. She meant the world to him..”

“Where is his sister now?” Gabrielle is unable to sympathize.

“Eh? She is in the local hospital.”

“What wall?”

“Here on wall 103.”

“There is a hospital here?” Gabrielle sounded skeptical.

Small or larger hospitals are usually not seen on the outer wall district, especially not on the outest wall.

“Yes, the doctor there is nice to move his hospital whenever there is a new wall built. He is like a hero to all of us.”

“Lead me there.”

“It was a little long walk, the hospital is located in the heart of the district. Like Donald had said, there was indeed a small hospital. It has a closer look to a clinic.

There were nurses and staff inside.

After requesting for the doctor, he was not contacted immediately because it was past midnight but after Gabrielle showed her badge as renaissance member, the staff quickly went to get the doctor.

The doctor is old which made Gabrielle question more.

“What can I do for you?” The doctor asked.

“Were you a doctor before the apocalypse?” She asked, frowning.

“Yes.”

“Ah!”

The person in front of her is higher ranking than her. She steps back and bow politely to him.

There are two types of doctors in the post apocalypse world. The doctors of post and pre apocalypse.

If you are a doctor after the apocalypse, then captains of Renaissance are higher in ranking but it was different from pre apocalypse doctors. They are higher, so much higher than any military officers. There are only a handful of post apocalypse doctors and they are not expendable and replaceable nor they can’t be reproduced anymore. That’s why the government protects them most.

“Please treat me like any doctor, What can I do for you?” The doctor said,

“Doctor, it’s me Donald.” Donald stepped forward.

“Yes, Donald, why are you here? The doctor smiled warmly at him.

“That is right. Did Lucas visit Andrea?”

The doctor only shook his head and said he too hadn't heard about him. Gabrielle took her curiosity about the doctor aside and asked about Lucas' person.

“When have you last seen him, Doctor?”

“About 12 days ago. Why?”

“She helped find Lucas. I can’t believe he left his sister alone. Something must’ve happened to him.” All worried Donald said.

“I told you, he left for a job. Though I am not sure where. He said that he was able to take an advance and paid for his sister’s bills.”

“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier, doctor, you had me all worried. That dude, can’t even say goodbye to your best friend?! Ummm. I am sorry for wasting your time…”

Busy swiping her mini tablet, Gabrielle, didn’t hear the rest of Donald’s words.

“Excuse me, can I see the sister?” Gabrielle asked the doctor and was led to her.

Gabrielle didn’t say for a few minutes and just observed the room. It was a regular room with a window and machine attached to the young sleeping girl.

“Is she turning?” Gabrielle asked as she saw marks of bulging veins in the girl’s hands and neck.

“She is now receiving all the medications she needs, she is currently stable but still in a state of coma.” The doctor explained as he fixed the girl’s blanket.

“How much is the cost of her medicines together with this room?”

“Excuse me?”

“How much did Lucas Maximillian pay for all of these?” She said, the tablet in her hand showed the file of Lucas Maximillian. The doctor saw it.

There is no way a wall maintenance can afford these treatments and facilities.

“It was not until 12 days ago when Andrea had this room. Lucas, barely paid for the medicines alone… but one day, he appeared here and said that he has the money and has his sister transfer here…”

“How much did he pay?”

“$10,000”

Gabrielle was silent for a while, looking at the peaceful look on the girl.

“Doctor, what kind of job should he be taking to have an advance payment like that?”

“That’s why I told you. Can you help find out? I am worried about that young man.”

Gabrielle is in deep thoughts when she and Donald exits the hospital.

*Bzzt bzzt

Gabrielle took her mini tablet and saw a message.

“You know, it’s really amazing to see… Hey! Where are you going?”

Donald tried to follow Gabrielle, but she ran away fast.

“I haven’t asked for your name yet…” He mumbled as he put his hands on his jacket’s pocket.

With a strained expression, Gabrielle walked to the wall’s gate, leaving Wall 103.

“It’s the same!” She said to herself.

Apart from Victoria, Brandy and Lucas disappearing around the same day, according to the message she had received it was the same amount of money Brandy walked into the auction house.

$10,000

‘Someone is paying them to go beyond the walls but why? I need to report this. Ah, wait. I should find more similar cases. Should I run a test for all missing people.’

*Thud

Occupied, she didn’t notice, she already reached her parked car. Closing her car door, she dialed a number.

“Hey, Finn, I’ve read the file you sent me. Thanks. Can you run a report for me again? Yes… I promised to get you a souvenir from the outside world next venture. Okay. so run a missing person report for me. . . No, that's it. Okay, just do outer wall districts maybe from wall 90-103… It’s important. Thanks.”

*Click

She closed her phone and put her head on the wheel. The sun is rising on her side.

****

*Shiiiiiiiiiiik

A gas was released in the room as the timer hits [02:00:00]

All players drop one by one and as soon as they are all unconscious, several doors open up and a person wearing all blacks with gas masks enters with a stretcher on wheels. One by one, they put the unconscious body to it and transport it. Outside the room is a grass field.

The gas masked men lined up pushing the stretcher inside the opened reinforced crossed wired gates.

“Uwarghh!”

On the other side of the fences are hundreds of undeads shaking the barrier as the sleeping players are being brought inside of another facility.

Another door was opened, they were welcomed inside a hallway with overturned and broken long chairs and tables, passing that room players are taken to different paths all of them are placed on identical cells.

Prison cells.

[01:00:00]

“All preparations done.” A gas masked man said over the radio after closing the reinforced doors.

“All preparations done. Go to your positions.” replied a man.

*THUUUUUD

The fence that separates the door pathway and the undeads opens up.

The door leading to where the players were also left open.

Soon undead pours inside the prison halls and to cells.