MTLNOVEL Chapter 21 - Steps Forward
Hi everyone, i hope that you enjoy this chapter as well. I want to point out two things about the story . First, while is a crossover with Call of Duty , the concept of zombie still doesn't exist. Second , while CDC is part of the story , Rick and his group won't arrive at CDC because i'm going with a mix of events from the comic for them .
----------------------------------
Being led through several hallways of the CDC, Price, his squad, and the team of scientists reached a large room filled with humming machines and multiple terminals. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered faintly, casting a pale sheen across steel counters and glowing monitors.
Price let his eyes sweep the room, then fixed his gaze on Candace. "So what is it you wanted to show us?" he asked, his voice low, edged with that calm command of his.
Candace nodded toward her team. "Bring up Subject Seven," she instructed.
The other three scientists moved quickly to their terminals, fingers tapping at keys, monitors flaring to life with lines of code and green diagnostic overlays. Price stayed near Candace and Dr. Edwin, Ghost looming beside him like a silent shadow while Soap and Gaz leaned forward, eyes narrowing at the screens.
The monitor showed the brain of a walker, its body securely restrained somewhere off-screen. Most of the tissue was dead and inert, black and decayed like a corpse should be. But one section still flickered faintly with activity—the lower brain regions that controlled only the most primitive instincts: hunger, movement, aggression.
For a long moment the scan remained steady, only the faintest activity pulsing there. Then, a ripple surged through the dark tissue. A muted purple spark, thin and unsaturated, crawled across the dead mass before fading back to nothing. It pulsed again a few seconds later .
Soap's eyes narrowed. "Bloody hell… so only that tiny bit keeps it moving?"
Candace nodded grimly. "The rest of the brain is gone—completely necrotic. But this region… something forces it to remain active. It isn't standard bioelectricity. It doesn't match anything we've studied. Something we can't categorize with any instruments we have."
Edwin added, more grimly, "Whatever it is, it's enough to reanimate them. But it gives nothing back. No memory. No emotion. Just instinct."
The video ended, the static fading to black. For the first time since they entered, Candace exhaled, shoulders sagging slightly. Edwin brushed her arm with a reassuring hand, a small gesture that didn't go unnoticed.
Gaz raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly. "Earlier you said you two were just colleagues. But you've both got the same name."
Candace blinked, then let out a quiet sigh. "We are married. I introduced Edwin as a colleague to keep things professional."
Soap gave a small chuckle, shrugging. "Understandable."
Price stayed silent, his eyes still on the black monitor, the faint hum of machines filling the pause.
...
Price's eyes stayed fixed on the screen a moment longer, then he exhaled through his nose and straightened.
"Anything more you've got worth showin'?"
Dr. Edwin exchanged a look with Candace before nodding. "Yes. We've run limited tests on the behavior of the subjects. We recorded everything we could before we were to evacuate . Let me show you."
He clicked through files on the terminal, pulling up a series of grainy recordings. The walker strapped to the table appeared again, thrashing weakly.
"This first one," Edwin explained, "is with no external stimuli. After several hours of activity, the subject eventually fell into what we can only describe as a dormant state. Movement slowed. Brain activity—what little there is—reduced to a faint pulse. Almost as if conserving energy until provoked."
Ghost tilted his head. "Like it's waitin'… lurkin'. That's worse than if it never stopped movin'."
Edwin gave a tight nod. "Exactly. Now here—when a non-infected person was brought into proximity…"
The video cut to a technician approaching the strapped walker. Almost instantly, the creature jerked awake, thrashing with renewed ferocity, its teeth snapping toward the figure.
"The aggression spikes. Always. We theorize this reaction evolved solely to spread the pathogen. They don't want food—only to infect."
Soap frowned, muttering, "So all they want's to share their bloody misery. Brilliant."
Edwin clicked again, and the next clip began to play. "We tested other triggers as well. Smell, for instance. Food, blood . Minimal reaction—little more than a twitch."
Candace stepped in, arms crossed as she added: "But sound? That's different. Even small noises. A metal tray dropped on the floor—"
The recording showed exactly that, the walker straining violently, head whipping toward the sound.
"—always produces heightened aggression. It doesn't matter if the sound is familiar or not. The louder or sharper it is, the faster the response."
Gaz leaned on the edge of a console, brows knit. "So… blind as bats, but they'll hear you comin' a mile off. That's good to know."
Candace gave a slight nod. "Yes. We also tried light stimuli. Bright flashes, changes in shadow. The subject reacted, but inconsistently—suggesting they retain basic visual response, though degraded."
Edwin brought up another log. "We also measured endurance. The subject struggled continuously for nearly twenty hours before entering dormancy. When re-provoked, it reacted instantly, with no sign of exhaustion."
Price let out a low grunt. "No need for sleep, then. Bloody nightmare."
Candace hesitated, then added softly: "We even tested pain response. Heat. Cold. Cuts. No reaction. They don't feel pain."
The room went quiet for a moment.
Price broke it with a curt nod. "Right. So they're quiet till they're not, can't be worn out, don't feel pain, and the only way to drop 'em is a round to the head. We'll make do with that. Keep your files safe, Doctor. The more we know, the longer we'll last."
Price's eyes shifted toward the thick concrete walls, as the thought at the men outside , holding the barricades popped up. He gave a slow grunt.
" The soldiers out there are dead on their feet," Price said flatly. "If they keep standin' watch without rest, they'll crack before the walkers get through. You got somewhere they can put their heads down?"
Dr. Candace Jenner hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. There's a dormitory wing meant for staff during emergencies. Come with me."
She motioned for them to follow, Dr. Edwin falling in step at her side. Price gestured to his men to follow . Their boots echoed softly against the concrete floor, past sealed labs and storage rooms, until they reached a reinforced door. Candace pulled it open, revealing a quieter section of the facility.
The dorms were utilitarian but serviceable: a corridor lined with twenty compact rooms, each holding a bunk bed, a locker, and little else.
Candace stopped, turning back to Price. "There are twenty rooms here—enough for the soldiers to rest. It's not much, but it's safe, and they'll have beds."
Price gave her a short nod . "That'll do. My lot'll take over guardin' the building while the lads get some shut-eye. We'll set a rotation through the night—no gaps on the perimeter, no surprises."
Edwin looked faintly relieved at the decision. "That… would help morale. They've been running on adrenaline and scraps of sleep for days."
Price's expression didn't soften, but he spoke with quiet certainty. "Then they'll sleep until night falls. I will speak with Sergeant Miller—my men will cover until his are back on their feet. No one fights well half-asleep."
Candace inclined her head in acknowledgment, while Soap muttered with a grin, "Aye, and maybe we'll finally get a proper kip ourselves."
Price shot him a sidelong look. "Don't get too comfortable, Johnny. We'll be on shifts too."
The squad spread out as the first orders went down the chain: a night guard schedule established, Rangers and CDC soldiers alternating posts, ensuring the fortified building would stay secure until dawn.
.....
Back at the resort , the following morning, after a quick breakfast in the mess hall, Andrew stood with Major Griggs and Nikolai at one of the long tables that had been cleared for maps and scribbled notes. A crowd of civilians lingered nearby, waiting for assignments. The Rangers moved among them, checking rifles and gear, preparing for whatever came next.
Griggs leaned over the map, tapping a marked section. "We'll split into two teams. One goes after construction materials—lumber, steel, concrete, whatever we can get. The other secures machinery—excavators, loaders, trucks. We won't be able to build walls without any of them."
Nikolai nodded, his accent thick but his voice steady. "Da. With right tools, job goes faster. Without them, we waste strength we cannot spare."
Andrew glanced over the faces of the people waiting, then back at the map. "Civilians gather, Rangers cover. We keep it simple—no one wanders off, no one plays hero."
As the group broke apart to begin preparations, two familiar figures—Jun-hyuk and Erik—approached. Both looked hesitant, as if unsure if this was the right time.
"Andrew," Jun-hyuk started, adjusting his glasses, "the teachers and students… we've been thinking. We'd thought about installing solar panels. At least enough to power essentials when the grid goes down."
Erik nodded quickly. "We know it won't be enough for everything, but it could keep lights on, maybe refrigeration for both food and medicine. We just wanted to see what you thought."
For the first time that morning, Andrew smiled. "That's a damn good idea. We'll keep an eye out for locations—warehouses, depots, anywhere that might have panels. When we get them, i will inform you ."
Relief flickered across both their faces. Jun-hyuk gave a grateful bow of his head, while Erik grinned faintly.
"Good work," Andrew added. "Keep thinking like that. Every bit we add makes this place more secure and stable ."
After a little more back-and-forth about wiring and storage batteries, Andrew returned to Griggs and Nikolai. The three quickly finalized the rosters. Andrew would lead the group tasked with retrieving materials; Nikolai would head out with the team securing machinery. Major Griggs would remain at the resort, overseeing defenses and keeping the civilians steady until they returned.
"Right then," Andrew said, voice steady as he looked over both men. "We've got a plan. Let's get it done."
...
The convoy's left the resort just after sunrise, the early light glinting off the cracked roads of the outskirts of Atlanta. The group that Nikolai was part of , was split: a small recon team of three Rangers in a civilian car moved ahead to scout the area, while Nikolai, a Ranger, and the civilians rode in the military truck, keeping close but still leaving enough distance to wait for confirmation from the recon team. The goal was the same, reach the residential block at the edge of the city that was under construction, secure the machinery, and get it to the resort.
The recon car navigated through narrow side streets, weaving between apartment blocks and piles of debris. Through the radio, Nikolai kept in touch with them quietly. "Any movement?" he asked, eyes scanning the road and alleys from the military truck.
"Clear so far," came the reply. "No walkers, or signs of anything else."
The residential block that was under construction loomed ahead—rows of partially completed apartment buildings surrounded by cranes, scaffolding, and stacked pallets of materials. Several pieces of construction machinery, including excavators and a forklift, sat idle in the open courtyard, along with a pair of transport trucks. Nikolai motioned the military truck to a low concrete barrier, signaling the civilians to stay inside while they checked the surrounding area.
Once the reconnaissance team confirmed the area was clear, the civilians cautiously climbed out, moving toward the machinery under the watchful eyes of the Ranger with them. Some of the volunteers carried bags of materials—metal pipes, or anything else they could carry—loading them into both the military truck and the civilian car. The younger ones hesitated at first, but with quiet guidance from Nikolai and the Ranger, they quickly got into the rhythm, lifting, stacking, and securing.
Engines roared as the excavators were started and carefully maneuvered onto the transport truck bed. Despite the calm from the recon team, every shadow was scrutinized, every distant noise causing brief glances toward the street . The city was silent but menacing, reminding them that danger could strike at any moment.
Once everything was loaded, Nikolai touched the radio. "Recon, status?"
"Ready to move," came the calm reply.
Nikolai climbed and swung open the door of the first transport truck, the metal creaking under his hand, and climbed into the driver's seat. He adjusted the mirrors and checked the controls with practiced ease.
A few feet away, one of the volunteers—a man who had spent years on construction sites, climbed into the second truck's cabin. He settled in and starting the engine. The low rumble echoed across the empty street.
Nikolai glanced at him in the mirror from the first truck and said to him . "Keep it steady. No rush. We stick together, eyes peeled."
The civilian gave a small, confident nod and responded , raising his voice to be heard over the noise from the engine . "Got it. Let's get this back safely."
With that, the two trucks rumbled forward, loaded with machinery.
The military truck rumbled to life as well, and the convoy carefully retraced their route back to the resort, the weight of machinery and supplies in the back , a tangible sign of a successful operation. The both civilians and Rangers breathed a collective sigh of relief, proud of their work .