The group of survivors arrived inside a large tent with chairs lined up in rows, resembling a conference room of sorts. The man in the black suit who led them here moved to the front where all the chairs were facing him and gestured with his hand for the survivors to take their seats as they did just as he told them to.
Alice's dad kept a protective arm around her as they were sitting down on the chairs along with the other survivors while they were paying attention to the man in a suit, waiting for what he would say to them next.
The man glanced around the tent and saw that everyone was seated and paying attention to him before he cleared his throat with a cough and started talking.
"Welcome to the Freedom Carrier's second extraction point. I'm Larry, the coordinator of this camp, who will explain how we do things around here to you. Now, I know you're all eager to get the fuck out of here to safety outside of the city, so let's get down to business."
The man in the black suit, who introduced himself as Larry, then pulled out a handful of small, pink tickets from his pants pocket and began passing them out to each survivor as the survivors looked at the tickets in their hands with curiosity.
"These are your tickets to our emergency evacuation helicopter service that will transport you out of the city to a temporary camp for the survivors near our HQ. Keep it to yourself at all times and don't lose them if you want to get out of here as soon as possible."
Larry explained the purpose of the ticket while he gave the ticket to Mikoto, who took her ticket and saw only a number on the pink paper.
"The helicopter can only hold so many people at a time, so we've set up a queue system. The order on your tickets is the order you'll be boarding."
The survivors' eyes scanned their tickets with a mix of hope and relief as they listened to Larry. Some whispered to each other, trying to figure out who was going first and who was going last.
"Now, I'm going to lay down the rules of our company's emergency rescue service, so listen up."
Larry continued, his grey eyes glancing at the survivors one by one to make sure they were paying attention to him.
"You get one ticket per person, no swapping, no stealing, or forcefully taking other people's tickets. The helicopter's got a tight schedule, so when your number's called, you get your ass up and move to the boarding area. No dawdling, no sob stories, just go since the helicopter will only be waiting for you to board for fifteen minutes."
Mikoto carefully put her ticket in her notebook like a bookmark after hearing Larry's warning. Her number 244 was scribbled in thick, black ink. The low number was quite a grim reminder that not many people made it to the extraction point. The thought made her feel both dread and incredibly lucky.
"While you're waiting for your queue, you can get yourself checked in the medical tent, grab something to eat and drink at our distribution tent, or even jump in the river to take a bath if you want; just don't expect us to rescue you if you drown or get swept away by the current."
Larry said as he pointed out the different tents around the camp and pointing his thumb at the river behind him, earning a quiet chuckle from some of the survivors and a giggle from Alice.
"And just a reminder, outside the camp perimeter is not safe, so stick close to the camp and don't go wandering off. The zombies are still out there, and they tend to sneak up on you when you're not paying attention."
The group nodded solemnly as Larry spoke; they had survived the city, but their journey was still far from over, and no one was going to risk their life needlessly.
"And last thing before you all can go."
Larry's voice grew notably indifferent as he gave the survivors a hard look that made some of them uncomfortable.
"Don't get too comfortable with us, the Freedom Carrier; we, at the end of the day, are still a private company and not a part of your Japan's government. We don't have an obligation to help you and do all these rescue operations across the city. So, if you somehow decide to become a problem for our company to solve, then don't expect any leniency from us since there's no such thing as human rights in the apocalypse. Now, if you have any questions, ask them right now because I have many things to do that still require my attention."
"..."
As Larry's words sank in, the survivors realized that the Freedom Carrier might have saved them, but it was clear that their benevolence had its limits. Some like to protest or criticize Larry and his company, but the fact that the Freedom Carrier is their only salvation in this hellish city silences them all.
"No one? Good, you all may leave."
With a quick nod after seeing that no one wants to say anything, Larry ended the briefing unceremoniously and walked out of the tent, leaving behind the survivors to murmur among themselves.
The uncertainty in the air was quite noticeable as the survivors looked at their pink tickets, realizing that their escape from Tonokosu City was still not entirely guaranteed for their safety and future; it's only the beginning of the new era for humanity. Who knows how much more they will have to struggle in their new reality?
As the survivors eventually went out of the tent, Alice's father looked at his daughter with a protective gaze and a tired smile on his lips.
"We're going to find something to eat, so stay close to me, okay?"
He whispered, and she nodded, holding his hand as they both walked to the distribution tent where a man and woman in white uniforms were giving everyone food and water bottles.
As the survivors separated, officer Matsushima could see that the medical tent was the first destination for most, the promise of food and water in the distribution tent a close second.
"What now…?"
She mumbles as she thinks back to the people who she left in the supermarket. She wanted to go back and rescue them, but she doesn't know if the Freedom Carrier people will go rescue them with her if she asks.
While Matsushima was lost in her thought, the camp's activity suddenly grew more animated as the helicopter's distant whirring grew louder, signaling the imminent arrival of the evacuation flight to the camp. The air was thick with anticipation as survivors near the helipads clutched their pink tickets, hoping that their number would be called soon.
Mikoto, feeling hopeful about the incoming helicopters, decided to visit the medical tent first to get checked out. She had a few minor injuries from her wandering in the city for the last three days and could use some medical attention before her turn came to finally leave the city behind.
The silhouettes of the approaching helicopters grew bigger until two white helicopters could be seen hovering over the camp, their blades generating a strong wind as they descended onto the designated landing pad. The survivors' eyes grew wide with excitement as their ticket out of the hell that was Tonokosu City was finally here.
The first batch of survivors with the lowest numbers on their tickets began to line up to board the helicopters, clutching their possessions tightly and whispering to one another in hushed tones while the Freedom guards kept watch for any troublemaker, and the men in white bodysuits helped the survivors to get in the helicopters.
In the medical tent, Mikoto made her way inside while feeling the cool night air and sounds of the helicopters outside. Mikoto looks around the tent as she sees a makeshift hospital with rows of cots filled with some injured and the sick, tended to by a handful of people that look like doctors and nurses in white uniforms. The medical staff worked seamlessly as they sorted out and patched up the new arrivals.
Mikoto sees a line of people queuing up for one of the doctors to look at them, and then she also walks to line up as well.
When it was her turn, the pretty female doctor with short black hair and brown eyes took a good look at Mikoto's minor injuries and then told her to go sit on the cot as the nurse will take care of her injuries shortly. Mikoto said thank you and then went to sit down on the cot as she waited for the nurse.
While she was waiting, she couldn't help but overhear snippets of conversations around her from the other survivors.
"...my wife didn't make it out of the hospital..."
"...my kids are still in the daycare..."
"…my cat, John the Fifth, is gone…"
Mikoto's good mood dropped a bit as she listened to the painful whispers of her fellow survivors. The weight of their loss and sadness was quite infectious as Mikoto was also reminiscing about her loss. She is now regretting coming here in the medical tent, as she sighed deeply.
As Mikoto's turn for treatment approached, a young female nurse with a friendly smile approached her and began her treatment.
"Just a few cuts and bruises; I'll clean you up, and you can be on your way."
The nurse reassured her with a smile as Mikoto nodded a bit nervously before the nurse began to clean her wounds with a gentle touch that was so skillful despite her young appreance that Mikoto thought the nurse was a mystical creature that had ten years of working experience after graduation that all of the companies loved so much.
"Do you know there's a boy who cried when I…"
The nurse spoke in a low, soothing tone, sharing stories of other survivors she had treated in the recent days, trying to distract Mikoto from the little pain she felt as Mikoto listened to the nurse while trying to ignore the sting on her wound.
At the same time, outside of the medical tent, Alice and her dad are watching the helicopters starting to take off with the survivors as they munch on a bread that they received from the distribution tent. Alice's eyes are glued to the sky with excitement, while her dad's gaze is filled with hope and a bit of sadness. He is thinking about his late wife, who unfortunately became one of them after she protected Alice from a zombie that came out of nowhere.
"Look, Daddy, it's flying!"
"That's right..."
Her dad nodded with a sad smile, his eyes never leaving the sky. The sound of the helicopter blades grew fainter as the aircraft disappeared into the night, carrying with it the group of survivors to safety. The hopeful whispers of the remaining survivors grew louder as they waited for their turn with great anticipation.
She had made it out, but she believed that so many others probably still remained trapped in the city, desperately trying to survive. Mikoto took a deep breath as she made up her mind to keep on living to honor the memory of her lost family and friends, to survive for the sake of those who hadn't made it out.
The air grew colder as the night deepened, and she wrapped her arms around herself to get some warmth as she looked around the camp until she spotted some kind of heater in the largest tent near the helipads where the survivors are gathering.
She spared one last look as the two helicopters disappeared into the night sky before she headed to the tent where the survivors gathered, the sounds of the helicopters fading away until all that was left was the murmur of the people in the camp and the faint gunfire in the distance.
Mikoto hopes that the future will be kind to her... and also humanity too, I guess? she added the last part in her mind with a small smile as she noticed Alice who currently waving her hand enthusiastically at her with a bread in her mouth. Mikoto then went to the the father and daughter pair with a hopeful heart for the future.