Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 95: The World Pushing You Forward

Chapter 95: 95: The World Pushing You Forward

The loud banging on the door jerked Zara awake, her heart racing as she sat up in the dim light of dawn. Leo stirred beside her, his small form shifting restlessly, and Winter’s eyes snapped open, his body immediately tensing.

"Wake up!" a person’s voice barked through the door. "Get up, freeloaders. It’s dawn."

Winter took a slow, calming breath, pushing himself out of the bed. He walked to the door and swung it open. The soldier stood in the doorway, looking at him with a mix of disdain and impatience.

Zara quickly sat up, pulling the blanket tighter around her as she tried to wake Leo, who was blinking up at her, still half-asleep.

"I said move it!" the soldier snapped, glaring at the three of them.

Winter’s fists clenched, but he held back. "We’re getting ready. Give us a moment," he said coldly, his voice low but controlled.

Zara, sensing the tension, quickly stood up and stepped toward the soldier. "We’ll be out soon," she said firmly, putting a hand on Winter’s shoulder to steady him. She turned to the soldier, trying to remain composed, though the edge in her voice still slipped through. "There’s no need to be rude."

The soldier didn’t seem to care much for her tone, but he stared at her for a moment, his eyes calculating. He sneered, muttering something under his breath about getting rid of the dead weight, before stomping off down the hall.

Winter slammed the door behind him, and the quiet that followed was thick with tension.

Zara raked her hand through her hair and walked back to the bed. Leo, now wide-eyed, tugged on Zara’s sleeve. "Why was the man so mad?"

She took a deep breath, softening as she crouched beside him. "He’s just doing his job, sweetie. Don’t worry about it." She stroked his hair and tried to push down the knot of frustration building in her chest. "Let’s get ready. We’ll be out in a minute."

As Zara began to gather their things, her mind wandered, and she caught a glimpse of the sky outside their window. For the first time since the apocalypse, she didn’t have to cover up. The air felt different now, safer.

The mist, the ever-present threat that had loomed for so long, was no longer a danger here. She could actually step outside without worrying about suddenly being surrounded and dying or worse being turned into a zombie if she wasn’t properly covered.

The base’s atmosphere was already buzzing with activity as the morning started. She could hear the distant hum of engines and the faint clink of tools being sharpened. The smell of food, something warm and greasy, drifted in from somewhere outside their quarters, mingling with the more industrial scent of metal and machinery.

Groups of people moved quickly, headed to their workstations, some still in the haze of sleep but all with purpose. Children, few as they were, played in the courtyard, laughing and chasing each other in the early morning light.

But Zara’s heart tightened at the sight of them, bittersweet, because she knew they were growing up in a world that wasn’t quite right.

And above it all, always, was that massive moon-like object in the sky, hanging there like a constant, looming reminder of everything that had changed. Its silvery surface seemed to pulse faintly in the pre-dawn light, casting a shadow over everything it touched.

Zara’s mind raced, spinning with scientific possibilities. What was it? Why had it come? Was there any way to send it back into space, to push it away from Earth? Could she, with her background, find an answer?

Another heavy sigh escaped her lips as she tried to shake off the thoughts. She was still so new to the base, to this strange, rigid system they had to live within. The assignments, the rules—everything had to be carefully maintained because this was all that was left. The trio had a quick wipe down and change of clothes before leaving their room.

They bumped into Mike and Sam on the way. "Hey! You also get the nice wake-up call?" Mike asked, waving them over.

"Yeah," Winter grunted, clearly still pissed about it.

"Nearly punched me in the face," Sam said absentmindedly as he waved at Leo who waved enthusiastically back.

"We might have to get used to the schedule quickly or face problems," Zara sighed, adjusting Leo on her hip.

"Why not let him walk?" Sam asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Um, well, actually..." Zara faltered, struggling for the right words. "I’m not comfortable with that yet." Her grip on Leo tightened protectively, and her eyes darted around the hallway.

Winter, noticing her unease, stepped in. "It’s crowded, and he’s small," he said firmly. "She’s just being cautious."

Sam held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fair enough," he said. "You’ve got your reasons. No one’s judging. Just saying, the kid’s got energy for days."

Mike laughed, clapping Sam on the back. "That he does. But hey, better safe than sorry in a place like this."

As they reached the central courtyard, the faint buzz of activity grew louder. The base was coming alive, everyone moving to their assigned roles for the day. A soldier with a clipboard approached, scanning each of them with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze before stopping in front of Sam.

"Samuel Grant," the soldier announced. "You’re needed at the hospital. You’ll undergo an assessment before the assignment."

Sam raised an eyebrow but nodded, his posture straightening slightly. "Right. Doctoring it is," he muttered under his breath, though there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"Winter Steele," the soldier continued, turning to Winter. "You’ve been selected for military integration. Report to Sector 3 for evaluation and placement."

Zara’s heart sank at the words. Her eyes darted to Winter, who stiffened but didn’t argue. She knew he had expected this, they had talked about it, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear.

"Mike Redding," the soldier called next, barely sparing a glance. "You’ll be assigned to the engineering sector. Sector 5."

Mike grinned, though there was a nervous edge to it. "Guess I’ll be building stuff again," he said, trying to keep his tone light.

"And Zara Ashford," the soldier finished, his tone clipped. "You’re scheduled for a hospital evaluation. Report to Sector 2 for job placement."

The soldier didn’t wait for a response, turning on his heel and marching off to continue his rounds.

The group stood in silence for a moment, the morning sun slowly lighting up their features.

"Well," Sam said finally, breaking the silence. "I guess this is where we split for now."

"You’ll be great," Zara said encouragingly. "They need someone like you here."

Sam nodded, his expression softening. "I’ll catch you all later."

Mike nodded, clapping Winter on the shoulder. "Yeah. Let’s not make this goodbye. We’ll all find each other later. Right?"

Sam gave Leo a quick pat on the head before disappearing into the crowd.

Mike also gave a small salute before running off in the direction the soldier had pointed earlier.

Zara glanced at Winter, who was staring at the ground, his jaw tight. She reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "Hey," she said softly, "You’d better get going, I think they’re waiting."

She looked at the soldier standing across the field staring at them.

Winter took a deep breath and shouldered his bag and rifle. "Stay safe."

"You too. And don’t do anything reckless."

Winter smirked, his usual bravado surfacing for just a second. "Reckless? Me? Never."

For a brief moment, the tension between them melted away. Winter reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His touch lingered, his hand warm against her skin. "I’ll see you soon, alright?"

"Alright," she whispered, feeling a little weird.

Winter leaned down slightly, his forehead brushing hers for the briefest of moments before pulling away. "Take care of the kid."

"I will," she said, her voice steadier now.

He gave her one last glance before following the soldier, his figure disappearing into the sea of uniforms.

*****

The hospital was a hive of activity, the antiseptic smell sharp and sterile. Zara stood in line, waiting to be assigned her placement. The sharp voice of the administrator echoed over the noise as names were called and duties were handed out. She held Leo close, trying to steady her nerves.

When her turn came, she stepped forward, holding her breath as the administrator scanned her papers. "Zara Ashford," the woman read aloud, "You will be switching between farm duty and cleaning staff."

Zara’s heart sank. It wasn’t what she wanted—it wasn’t even close. But she forced herself to nod. "Understood."

The administrator raised an eyebrow at Leo, who was squirming in her arms. "You should consider enrolling him in one of the daycare programs."

Zara blinked, a daycare program made sense here, people would have to work without interruptions after all. But she wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet.

"Miss," the woman said, looking her over, "The man with you is your husband, right?"

Zara froze for a moment, unsure how to respond. Before she could find the words, Leo managed to squirm out of her hand and darted off to run around in the sunlight, his little feet kicking up dust.

Zara moved to stand and go after him but the words of the person stopped her in her tracks.

"He seems old enough" the woman mumbled, her tone almost clinical.

Zara stiffened, her stomach dropping at the insinuation. "What do you mean?"

The woman didn’t seem to notice the tension in Zara’s voice. "The government is trying to raise the population rate. You should be looking into having another child soon. Keep the noise down, alright?"

Zara’s blood ran cold, fury rising in her chest. How dare they suggest something so personal, so intrusive? How could they think that having another child was a reasonable request, given the conditions they were living in?

She clenched her fists, eyes narrowing as she stared down the woman. "Now look here, you can’t just—"

The woman didn’t seem to care about her reaction. "Anyway," she continued, "you’ll be working in farming for the foreseeable future."

Zara’s throat tightened, her words caught in the back of her mouth. She could barely contain the surge of frustration that wanted to escape.

The woman didn’t wait for any response, and a soldier stepped closer, motioning for her to get going.

Zara had no choice but to nod stiffly. As she walked away, Leo’s laughter filled the air, innocent and free, and Zara couldn’t help but feel the unfairness of it all. But she would keep going.