Bright Side [TWD Season 1]

7: TS-19

"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn asked. "He just locked us in!" Bianca panicked. Jenner just sat down at the computer and started talking as everyone panicked.

Daryl went blind with rage as he ran to attack Jenner, but Shane and T stopped him, holding him back. "Hey Jenner, open that door now." Rick said, walking back over.

"Theres no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed." Jenner said. "Well open the damn things." Daryl snapped.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that." He told Rick

"It's better this way." Rick rushed at him. "What is? What happens in 28 minutes?" Jenner ignored Rick and started typing on his computer.

Rick rushed him again, more aggressively this time. "What happens in 28 minutes?!" Rick yelled. Daryl and Shane were trying to hold him back as Jenner quickly stood to his feet.

"You know what this place is?! We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!"

He stopped to take a breather as everyone watched him. Bianca was very scared but she tried to appear strong. Jenner sat back down in his chair with a sigh.

"In the event of a catastrophic power failure-- in a terrorist attack, for example-- HITs are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out." He explained calmly this time.

"HITs?" Rick asked. Jenner looked at Rick, who was waiting for an answer. "Vi, define." He called.

"HITs-- high impulse thermobaric fuel air explosives consist of a two stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear."

Bianca heard Carol and Sophia crying, along with Lori and Carl and she couldn't hold it in any longer. Glenn wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she buried her face to hide her tears.

"The vacuum pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between 5,000° and 6,000° and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."

"It sets the air on fire. No pain. An end to sorrow, grief... regret. Everything." Jenner simplified it for them.

Bianca felt so numb by this point that she just sat down and accepted it while everyone else was trying to find a way out. Daryl and Shane started to hit the door with axes, but it didn't seem to be doing much.

"You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier." Jenner said. "Easier for who?" Lori asked, angrily.

"All of you. You know what's out there-- a short, brutal life and an agonizing death." He turned to face Andrea and Bianca.

"Your sister, your brother-- what were their names?" He asked. "Amy." Andrea replied. "Calvin." Bianca said softly. "Amy. Calvin. You know what this does. You've seen it." Jenner turned to Rick. "Is that really what you want for your wife and son?"

"I don't want this!" Rick said emphatically. "Can't make a dent." Shane said, breathing hard. "Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher."

Daryl rushed over with his axe. "Well your head ain't!" Dale and Rick were the first ones to grab him and hold him back as a couple more went to help.

"You do want this. Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead." Jenner said to Rick as everyone looked at him in shock.