Part 2
The ̶A̶u̶r̶e̶a̶… Scarlet Nation
"Survival is a basic human instinct, but the real challenge is living." —Bear Grylls.
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Chapter 9
Earning Your Place
The elevator doors slid open, and Evelyn O'Hara—or Maga, as her friends called her—strode down the hallway with an energetic, cheerful gait toward the door at the far end. Dressed in trendy, colorful alternative clothing, she exuded an air of optimism that she always tried to maintain, spreading positivity wherever she went.
Her layered, short haircut, dyed a dark violet hue, gave her a youthful and modern look—though she preferred to describe it as "magical."
The number "8" on the door of apartment "E" wobbled slightly when she knocked. She made a mental note to fix it later. When no one answered, she knocked again, but the result was the same. With a concerned frown, she decided to try the handle, only to find the door already open.
That immediately put her on alert.
Taking cautious steps, she slowly entered the apartment. The first thing that greeted her was a narrow hallway leading to a kitchen with a counter separating it from the rest of the space. The air was thick with dust and ash, carrying a heavy, abandoned feeling.
Maga furrowed her brows in pity. The day before, she had offered them several better apartment options—cleaner, more spacious, and far more suitable for a night's rest. But for some inexplicable reason, they had chosen this disaster zone of a unit, simply because it had a balcony.
Men. What could you do?
To her left, what should have been a living room more closely resembled a pigsty. The room looked as though it had been hit by a natural disaster: cracked walls, a ceiling with hanging chunks, and a floor covered in rubble, garbage, and broken furniture.
The newly dubbed Zeta and Rex—formerly Junior and Sheep—were sprawled across a filthy, worn-out mattress that they had thrown on the floor. Their loud snores competed for dominance in the limited space. Maga couldn’t help but smile. Amidst all the chaos, dirt, and dust, they slept soundly, as though they were staying in a five-star hotel.
She threw open the curtains, and the sunlight poured in, hitting them square in the face.
"Good morning, boys! Rise and shine!" she hollered in her trademark loud voice. "It's a beautiful day! Let's give it our all!"
Both of them turned over in place, shielding their faces from the blazing sunlight that had unceremoniously greeted them. They were still completely drained from the chaotic night they had endured to reach the nation.
The previous day had been a whirlwind. After an endless amount of paperwork and form-filling, the two had been directed to the infirmary to tend to their wounds. There, Maga had provided them with fresh, clean clothes—an upgrade from the filthy rags they had been wearing—so they could enjoy a refreshing shower and change.
Once cleaned up, they were taken to the communal dining hall, where their stomachs experienced the most delicious feast they had enjoyed in a very long time. Zeta and Rex shared a common trait: they were both frugal survivors. Ever since the apocalypse began, they had disciplined themselves to eat much less, rationing carefully.
During their respective journeys to the nation, this discipline had only intensified. Zeta had limited himself to one ration a day, usually in the late afternoon or evening, to ensure he never ran out of food. Rex, on the other hand, meticulously counted every piece of dried meat and bottle of mineral water stored in his travel backpack.
So when Maga offered them a second plate of food, they sat frozen in disbelief. And when she returned with a third plate for each of them, it felt as if they had touched heaven with their hands—and their very full bellies.
Later, Maga had given them a guided tour of all the important locations within Scarlet Nation. The layout revolved around "Unity Avenue," a street that started at the entrance to Scarlet Nation, intersected with two lateral streets, and extended all the way to the southern gate of Nation Áurea. It was the only avenue shared by both nations.
However, their tour didn’t last long. Exhaustion quickly caught up with them; their bodies grew weaker, and their eyelids heavier. Maga had to cut the tour short and show them the available apartment options they could rent.
Perhaps it was their fatigue, perhaps it was the fact that they were standing just steps away from Residential Building Six at the time, or perhaps it was the word "balcony" in the description of Apartment 8-E that sealed the deal. Whatever the reason, they chose the apartment without a second thought about future consequences.
Now, there was no going back. Today was a crucial day for both of them, and Maga wanted to ensure they understood all the rules by the end of the afternoon, as she already had new arrivals to attend to.
Exiting the boys’ building, they followed the street to the left, turned at the corner, crossed the bustling Unity Avenue, and continued toward the wall’s edge before making a final turn to the right. The last building on the street housed the storage depot.
"I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to seeing so many people walking around a street," Rex commented.
"Same," Zeta added, entering last among the three.
The depot’s interior was impressively spacious. The first thing that hit them, aside from the scent of wood resin and humidity, was the large grid-like barrier splitting the room in two, leaving a narrow walkway for visitors.
On the other side, dozens of rows of storage chests stretched toward the ceiling, while several people moved like busy worker ants, maintaining order among the nation’s most valuable possessions.
"Three things to keep in mind, boys," Maga began, leading them toward a window at one end of the grid. "Once you’re fully integrated into our society, you’ll be entitled to a chest of your own. You can store whatever you want in it, free of charge. Weapons and vehicles are a separate matter. You’ll need to use the nation’s official currency to rent a parking space or a slot in the armory."
"Wait…" Zeta suddenly realized something. "My weapon! Damn it… I lost it!"
"The red one?" Rex asked.
"That happens more often than you’d think," Maga reassured him. "You can check with the armory. Unregistered weapons are usually sent there. You might get lucky."
Maga approached the window. On a small wooden counter that jutted out on both sides of the grid’s opening, there was a bell, which she pressed with enthusiasm.
"Hello! Magda! Are you there?"
The silhouette of a woman appeared among the shelves at the back of the depot. She took a few steps closer, starting the conversation from a distance.
"Maga? Are you with the newcomers?!" the woman called out.
"That’s right, madam!" Maga replied, her voice carrying loudly. "We’re going to need two Intacs!"
"I’ll bring them right over!" The shouts seemed to echo louder and louder with each exchange, drawing the attention of everyone in the depot. Heads turned to watch.
"Thank you!" Maga turned back with a huge smile on her face. "You’re going to love the Intacs! Just wait and see!"
Zeta and Rex exchanged a glance, unable to hide the budding excitement growing between them.
Magda was the depot manager. She was an older woman with impeccably styled curls that shimmered and bounced with every step she took in her high heels. When she reached the grid, her face lit up with a warm smile as she greeted Maga.
"Hello, darling. Here you go. It’s the latest model from Syna," she said, turning her attention to the boys. Neither had any clue what she was referring to until she handed over two small black boxes. "I’m almost jealous myself."
Maga nodded toward them, encouraging them to open the boxes. Both did so, filled with anticipation, and their eyes lit up as they revealed two sleek and brand-new watches.
First, they removed the protective plastic casing and admired every detail of the device. The watches were round, elegant, and featured a touchscreen display. The straps were matte black, crafted from finely polished metal plates designed to avoid skin irritation and provide maximum comfort for the wearer.
Zeta immediately recognized the watch. It was the same one Sam, the girl who had broken into his RV, had worn. If he remembered correctly, she had been able to use it for communication and even displayed an interactive map.
Rex, meanwhile, scrutinized the back of the device. Etched into the metal were the letters "SYNA," sparking a flicker of recognition. Something about those initials felt vaguely familiar, as though they belonged to a distant memory.
"Syna?" Rex asked, raising an eyebrow. "That rings a bell…"
"Don’t you remember?" Maga replied. "When the infection started, they were the first to provide citizens with preventative measures."
Rex began to piece it together, his mind drifting to a particular memory.
He was sitting in the dining room of his home with his mother and sister. The three of them were gathered around a round wooden table with a wobbly leg that, due to lack of time, Renzo hadn’t bothered to fix.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Before the apocalypse reached its peak, it all started with small signs broadcast on the news. What Maga was saying was true—he remembered hearing and reading about Syna’s research team during the early stages of the infection’s spread across the world.
At first, there were no human infections. The virus, which spread across the planet, began by infecting the plant kingdom, rotting sections of dense forests in isolated regions.
One of those regions was just a few kilometers from the city where Renzo lived.
On that sweltering summer day, he and his family were watching the concerning news reports on television. The footage showed a reporter visiting the outskirts of a natural park they knew very well.
The park contained a small forest that surrounded a river—a spot where Renzo’s family often gathered for birthdays and celebrations with friends. Learning that the forest had died was both striking and difficult for them to process.
It was the first time he heard of Syna, as one of their members was interviewed to explain the situation. A woman representing the company explained that the forest had been "absorbed" by what was known as the "Zero Effect."
This effect had three distinct stages: death, stasis, and expansion.
The first stage described the accelerated decay of plants, as though they were withering and dying—a natural process under unfavorable conditions. However, according to the expert, this was only an illusion.
While it was true that leaves and stems lost their natural color and darkened, resembling typical wilting, the second stage changed everything.
This stage involved a process that halted their imminent death. At a certain point, the plants—trees, shrubs, and everything touched by the effect—stopped shedding leaves and branches. Instead, new growth began to emerge.
This led to the final stage: expansion. During this phase, the plants seemed to take on a new purpose. They unified, grew larger, and sought to spread to new territories. What began as a slow, grim decay quickly became a relentless battle to claim more land.
The small forest in the natural park expanded exponentially until it reached a nearby town. Rex recalled seeing Syna’s teams incinerating the entire area to prevent further spread. The same method was used worldwide in any region where one or more plants were infected by the Zero Effect.
"Yeah, I remember now," Rex said, nodding. "So Syna is still active?"
"Exactly. They’re now responsible for supporting the largest surviving groups," Maga replied. She paused, frowning thoughtfully as she searched for the clearest way to explain. "Here’s the gist: If you’re a large, established group, Syna will reach out and provide you with shelter, supplies, and equipment—like these watches I just gave you. In return, every member of the nation—its presidents, politicians, security forces, residents, and newcomers like you—has to fulfill… how can I put it? A sort of entry fee."
Zeta studied the watch carefully and began to notice that not only Maga and the woman behind the counter, but also every resident wandering near the storage facility, had one as well.
The device was easy to identify, with a halo of LED light encircling its screen, creating a reddish glow that reflected off nearby smooth surfaces like tiny personal suns.
He also recalled that Samantha's watch, for some reason, didn’t shine like these.
“How does that work?” Rex asked.
“Well, you’ll understand better when I explain the jobs available to us here as members of the nation and the type of currency we use,” Maga said, leaning her elbow on the counter. “For now, why don’t you put them on?”
Without delaying the moment further, Zeta and Rex slipped the watches onto their wrists.
“Hold out your hands toward me, dears,” said Magda. She held a tool resembling a special screwdriver with a star-shaped tip, which she used to adjust the straps to fit their wrists and lock the mechanism in place. “Well, I hope you’re ready to embrace the fact that these gadgets are now a part of you. Because you won’t be taking them off again.”
“What…?” Zeta asked, blinking in confusion.
“Don’t worry,” Maga said with a playful wink. “You’ll see why.”
Suddenly, both watches lit up. The LED halo began to pulse rhythmically, then paused for a few seconds, leaving the halo dark briefly, before starting to rotate slowly clockwise.
After a few moments, the halo fully illuminated again, and the center of the screen glowed green. Rex’s watch mirrored the process exactly.
“Awesome!” Maga exclaimed, clapping her hands. “That means you’re not infected! Not that you would’ve made it inside if you were, to begin with.”
“What? These things can detect if we’re infected?”
“Yep!” she answered cheerfully. “That’s why it’s mandatory to wear them at all times. It’s an excellent safety measure. You see, if someone who’s a member of the nation gets infected for any reason, the watch detects it, the LED halo turns off, and the screen glows completely red. And that’s not all! Watches nearby receive an instant alert and send out the infected person’s location on the map.” She nodded with pride. “Oh, and yes, in case you’re wondering, your watches also have a complete city map.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Rex stammered. “Seriously? How…? How is this even possible? This is so futuristic!”
“The future is now, old man,” Maga quipped with a grin. “I told you—Syna produces these. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible for any group, no matter how well-established they are. It’s a little sad, honestly, because there are many shelters out there that don’t have the resources nations like Scarlet or Áurea do, and they have to fend for themselves in an incredibly hostile world.” She glanced at the boys and smiled. “But you already know that—you come from outside, after all.”
As Maga continued her explanation, both Zeta and Rex, as excited as children with new toys, began fiddling with their watches.
The touch screens were incredibly responsive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate the various features. Maga also explained that the watches had a long-lasting battery that could run for a week to a week and a half without frequent charging.
“Alright,” Maga clapped her hands together. “Let’s review the basics. Zeta, what happens if someone gets infected?”
“The watch turns red, and the halo goes dark.”
“Good. Rex, what happens if the LED halo goes dark but the person isn’t infected?”
“That means the person has died, right? And it sends an alert to everyone nearby.”
“The halo is like our lifeline,” Zeta reasoned.
"Alright. What happens if the halo starts blinking, but no light appears on the screen?"
"It means it needs to be recharged, and it has... a day of charge left?"
"Exactly, you’ve got twenty-four hours to recharge your watch," Maga said. "Great job, guys. What color is the halo for the ones in Nation Áurea?"
"I know!" Rex exclaimed. "I saw them when I was there. They’re golden."
"Excellent! What other functions does the watch have besides the map?"
"Me!" Zeta chimed in. "Reference points! We can place customizable markers on the map."
"And besides that?"
"Uh…"
"That the compass always points to the nation?"
"Yes, and what else?"
"That you can use a case to block the light so it doesn’t bother you when you sleep?"
"That’s not a watch function, but I’ll let it slide."
"That we can pay and shop with virtual currency?"
"And…?"
"I can’t think of anything else."
"That you can add me as a contact!" she said, bringing her watch close to Zeta’s, then Rex’s. Both watches emitted a sharp notification sound. "It’s that simple. So, when you feel like stopping by the bar, you can hang out with your favorite Maga."
The two exchanged amused glances and continued their tour. As they exited the storage facility, the boys’ gazes were drawn to the adjacent building. Its exterior was unassuming, almost small in appearance, with a single barred window and a vertical sign reading Armory.
"Don’t drool too much, boys," the violet-haired girl teased, ushering them further up the street. "You’ll come back here when you’ve got fieldwork to do."
Maga led them back toward the main avenue via the street they had first arrived on. The avenue, as usual, was bustling with activity, with people moving freely like ants.
On their way, they passed one of the most imposing buildings, standing proudly at a large corner: the Scarlet House. It featured four columns adorned with vines that framed the entrance, and its entire exterior was painted a striking, dark red—bold and unmistakable.
Maga explained as they passed that this was where all the important decisions of the Scarlet Nation were made, as well as the residence of the nation’s president.
"Does the guy we saw live there?" Rex asked. "Malik?"
"You met Malik?" Maga raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No. See, Malik is one of the leaders in Áurea. Here in Scarlet, we have Máximo."
"Interesting…" Zeta said. "And how was he elected? Democracy?"
"Through Áurea’s presidency," the girl replied. "Still, no one complains. It was a solid choice, and we all know it. Máximo has proven himself capable as president."
Like two boxers facing off in a ring, the Scarlet House stood opposite the second most imposing structure: a massive gate. It resembled the one Zeta and Rex had seen in Áurea, but instead of being flanked by concrete walls, this one was protected by two extensive and sturdy metal fences.
"Oh, this is where they brought me when I told them I’d be joining Scarlet," Rex commented, pointing to the gate, which was guarded by several sentinels. "That means Áurea is on the other side, right?"
"That's right. The wall spans the entire width of both nations inside, and as you can see, the main avenue connects them and leads to their respective entrances. The northern one, in Nation Áurea, where you arrived, Rex," the girl explained, "And Zeta, you came through the southern entrance, which is ours."
The three of them followed the perimeter of the barred wall, walking along the street until they reached another building that stood close to the Scarlet House, separated only by a narrow alley. A golden plaque nailed to the wall read: "Sentinel Building."
The structure, with its cracked brick facade, worn down by time, was dedicated to military and security operations. It was an old building, originally constructed as a school, repurposed to serve as a meeting place, a strategic coordination hub, and a training ground for the nations' forces known as the Sentinels.
In layman's terms, this was the birthplace of those who wielded weapons, wore dark Kevlar armor with red accents, and patrolled the nations. Maga explained that if they wanted to prosper economically within the nation, they'd need to regularly report to this location.
Finally, it was time to learn about how the nation's economy worked.
"Basically, we have a digital currency. The Syna-Bit..." she paused, winking, "But everyone just calls them Syb. Everything here runs on Syb—buying clothes, food, weapons, paying rent..."
"What? We have to pay rent?" Rex asked.
"Did you think you’d get out of that just because it’s an apocalypse? No way!" she said, stepping into the Sentinel Building. "But don’t worry. The first month is free so you can get settled, and the good news is, the apartment you two picked is one of the cheapest."
"Hey! I found my wallet!" Zeta said, scrolling through his watch. "I have two hundred Syb!"
"Everyone gets a little when they join, so they can cover basic needs. For reference, your rent is about eighty Syb a month. A meal at the communal dining hall varies depending on what you get," the girl explained. "You can eat for about six to eight Syb per plate, which will fill you up. Drinks are separate, though. Water is three Syb."
"But yesterday we had three really big meals each..." Rex noted, puzzled. "Was that also a gift? Like the two hundred Syb?"
"Oh, yes. But that was from me," she said, flashing them another smile. "And before you say anything, I won’t tell you how much it cost. If you want to make it up to me, you can come to one of my performances at the bar."
"Great. Thanks..." Rex said.
"Don’t mention it!" she replied, stopping in front of a large bulletin board on the wall. "Alright..." she said, spinning around energetically. "As I told you earlier, Syna provides us with practically everything—energy, weapons, gear, technology, supplies, anything you can think of. But as you might imagine, nothing comes for free. They don’t give us all these resources out of the goodness of their hearts. In return, we have to help them and fulfill our nation's objective. So far, there are only two nations: Nation Áurea and our recently founded Scarlet Nation. Áurea’s initial objective, being the first nation established, was simply to become one of the largest refuges and accommodate as many people and members as possible. Eventually, when Áurea reached full capacity—which didn’t take long; you’ve probably heard the radio broadcasts—they were given a second mission: to create a sister nation."
"Scarlet," Zeta surmised.
"Exactly. Scarlet was officially founded just over six months ago with the help of Syna’s vanguard. They just had to expand a few more blocks and enclose the perimeter with a wall—the ones we saw earlier. Once Scarlet was established as a nation, it was assigned its own objective. An objective that all its residents must contribute to achieving."
Zeta and Rex looked at the bulletin board behind the violet-haired girl. They could only make out a few of the posters pinned to it, but it was enough to give them an idea of what Maga was hinting at.
"In short, Scarlet Nation’s primary objective..." she concluded, her tone serious, "is to hunt and bring back alive every type of zombie we find around the city and deliver them to Syna."