Only a few hours later did I start feeling my arm again. Along with that, the sensation returned. My shoulder throbbed with a dull, sticky pain so strong I couldn't sit, lie down, or stand. The crowbar hit had been much worse than it seemed at the time. My shoulder and forearm were swollen, pulsing with pain. I had to use a painkiller, even though my supplies were scarce just the few ampoules I'd taken from the military base.
Only when the pain eased a little did I finally drift off.
While I was recovering from my injuries, Eric talked to me often. He was a smuggler who spent most of his time officially working in the cafeteria. Technically, Sarah was in charge. FEDRA had set up two food distribution points where meals were given out by ration cards, but the soldiers had neither the time nor the desire to handle all that themselves. So they kept the cafeterias under guard and hired people to run them. That's how Sarah became the boss thanks to Eric. He managed to give the right people the right kind of motivation.
With control over food distribution, they turned the cafeteria into a small, semi-secret base from which they ran their business. They knew many FEDRA soldiers who, for extra pay, looked the other way when part of the supplies seemed to appear out of thin air. Not that anyone had illusions everyone knew how smuggled goods entered the city, but they preferred to stay silent. Still, I can't say they were profiting off it. Judging by the scraps on their table, they didn't eat any better than the others.
When I asked what benefit they got from any of this, Sarah only snapped back that not everyone could just stand by and watch people starve and lose their minds. Later, Eric told me her husband had died of hunger. She herself had been barely standing then, but he found her, brought her to the quarantine zone, and convinced her to take charge of the cafeteria because the other candidate was a real bastard.
That was their business. I had no reason to meddle.
Just as he'd promised, Eric helped me get in touch with people who claimed to be connected to the Fireflies. Though calling them a "unit" would be a stretch. More like a ragtag bunch of the desperate who believed in the loud speeches broadcast over the radio by real Fireflies from another city. Here, a handful of people simply picked up their ideas and slapped together some kind of crooked imitation of an organization. The recent uprising hadn't been a revolution for ideals, but a last attempt to survive amid hunger and harsh conditions.
"We're nobody. We won't last much longer," said Jacob, one of those whom the authorities had pushed to the breaking point.
I looked over the pitiful group hiding in a dark basement like rats. Honestly, I hadn't expected much, but this was less than nothing.
"Where are the main Firefly forces located?" I asked, trying to keep hold of my hope.
"They showed up in the Boston QZ," Jacob replied.
"Boston…" I exhaled.
New York was on the way. The coast had always been one of the most populated areas. Whether I'd make it there was another question. But one thing I knew for sure: there were a hell of a lot of infected there.
"I see," I said and handed him the agreed-upon packs of food.
Getting out of their hole, I headed to Eric.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked.
"No. They won't be any help," I answered.
"Still… it's none of my business, but tell me, why are you looking for them? Maybe I can help?" Eric said cautiously.
"Only if you're a scientist or a biologist who can develop a vaccine," I said.
"A vaccine?" He exclaimed as if he hadn't expected that coming from me. "You're trying to find a way to make a cure?"
I almost felt offended by his surprised face. What, do I not look noble? Or do I already look like someone who cares only about himself?
"Yeah. I don't exactly want to live in a world full of zombies," I answered. Of course, I wasn't about to tell him I was infected. If I didn't find a solution, I'd just die.
"That's great news! I'm in," Eric suddenly brightened.
"What do you mean, 'you're in'?" I frowned.
"There's two of us now. We'll find more people, find a place to start working on it," he said with some strange, almost childlike confidence.
I looked at him doubtfully. Was he serious? Leading people? That wasn't me. I wasn't a leader, and definitely not a scientist. Shooting well was the only thing I was good at and that only thanks to Viktor. Memories from my "past life" didn't help either; back then I was just dealing with paperwork.
On the other hand, this idea sounded a lot better. Why waste time fighting FEDRA? It was pointless and would accomplish nothing. If we gathered every resource and every bit of strength toward one goal, the chances of success were much higher. If I joined the Fireflies, I'd still end up fighting FEDRA sooner or later, getting dragged into their endless conflict and wasting months, if not years, in the process.
On the other hand, taking on a group like this meant taking on the headaches that came with it in times like these. Especially food problems. But it was too early to think about that. Nothing was stopping us from at least starting.
"Why do you want to make a cure so badly?" I asked.
His gaze immediately dropped. The face that had been lively just a moment ago darkened as if covered by a shadow. I'd touched something I shouldn't have. After the collapse, everyone had their tragedies things they preferred not to speak of.
"Alright. Everyone has their own reasons," I said. I hadn't told him mine either.
"Thank you," Eric answered quietly.
When we reached the basement, I sank onto the couch and stared at the wall. I was afraid of taking responsibility, but death didn't care about my fears. Or rather, the cordyceps didn't. All it wanted was to claim my body. And if I didn't pull myself out of this mess, who would do it for me?
The most important thing in any group is the reason it exists. If they're bandits, they live only as long as there's loot. Once the loot dries up or becomes too dangerous, the group will eventually devour itself.
FEDRA is a different example. It's an organization that didn't rise from nothing, but from the remnants of the army, intelligence services, and what was left of the government. They genuinely try to preserve civilization, build quarantine zones and without them, humanity would've been finished long ago. But not everyone is ready to live for some higher purpose. Some just cling to power, inflate their authority, and build a comfortable life for themselves, even now.
If you look at the local Fireflies, the only thing holding them together is their desire to oppose FEDRA. Not because they're fundamentally different. They're simply unhappy with their lives. In any struggle, even if the cause seems righteous, everything eventually boils down to conflict. And bullets don't care what you believe in or why you fight.
I had a goal: to create a vaccine. But an idea alone can't feed the hungry. It can't keep people warm, cure infections, or protect anyone from dying.
You have to start small.
There was no point in staying in Pittsburgh anymore. There was nothing more I could do here. When Eric learned I was planning to go outside the wall, he decided to go with me again for supplies. We had to wait two days until his contact went on patrol and could get us out. After my shooting incident, FEDRA's activity had skyrocketed. They checked every corner, and reinforced patrols walked along the wall almost nonstop. And the exit was right there.
I also met with the remnants of the Fireflies. The people were desperate. Among them, I found a few decent men and managed to recruit them. But as soon as word spread that I was gathering people, the "authorities" came crawling out. Criminals, lunatics, petty thugs. Those conversations were short tell them off and forget them. Others clung to me, begging for help. But I wasn't a Samaritan. I wasn't going to help for nothing.
Three of them agreed to gather supplies together with Eric. They would work outside the camp, and that's where we'd set up a small base to store whatever we managed to find. They would guard it as well. Two of them had family here, which meant they wouldn't try to double-cross me. They were already wanted in the city, and the only one who could help them was Eric. So they had motivation.