In the dream, ash falls heavily enough that John and the listener sometimes black out for seconds. After waters rise near their previous shelter, John and the listener move their supplies, meat, water, and blankets into a crumbling concrete building, where John lights torches and continues recounting the events after his powers became public.

John explains that his group first drew little serious attention because people assumed their videos were deepfakes, marketing, or internet puzzles. M— suggested inviting witnesses in, so the group showed a handful of visitors the walking corpses and allowed tests to be filmed. Most witnesses rejected or fled from what they saw, but the footage spread online and drew conspiracy theorists, skeptics, believers, and people desperate for proof.

As crowds gathered, John discovered he could cure many illnesses and injuries, including tumors and degenerative conditions, though not regrow missing limbs. He spent hours healing people and enjoyed it, but the influx became unmanageable. M—’s nun warned that acting like Christ without limits would bring danger on everyone, so the group restricted healings to one hour a day, even as the site became an international spectacle.

The government viewed John, his followers, and the animated corpses as a cult threat. John’s group gathered loved ones and refused to surrender quietly because they feared being separated or disappeared. P— warned them that a heavily armed riot squad was coming, choosing John’s group over her police career.

To stop the authorities and buy time, John created a massive barrier around the cryo lab. Refusing to use the human corpses, including Ulysses and Titania, he used nearby cattle, sheep, and old bones to build a three-foot-thick wall of meat, bone, and sinew across the property. The horrifying display worked: police could not breach it, the world took notice, and the government agreed to talk.

John admits the act made him look monstrous, even though he argues there were extenuating circumstances. His real goal was to force attention onto the abandoned cryo plans, the lost funding, and the listener herself, but the wall also created new enemies. When John jokes bitterly that they “had beef,” the listener does not laugh; John breaks down over being the only one left, and the listener tells him she still loves him.