Location from The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman (comics), Frank Darabont (TV), Telltale Games
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta — where the group went looking for answers and found one scientist, a ticking clock, and the truth that nobody was coming to save them.
The CDC is the show's first false hope. Dr. Edwin Jenner is the last person alive in the building, maintaining research that he knows is pointless. He lets the group in, gives them hot showers, wine, and food, and then reveals that the building's generators are failing and the facility is programmed to self-destruct to prevent the release of biological agents. The choice he offers — stay and die painlessly or leave and face the world — is the show's first philosophical test. Most choose to leave. Jacqui and Jenner stay. The CDC explodes behind them as they drive away. Jenner whispers something to Rick before they leave: everyone is already infected. You don't need to be bitten to turn. This secret shapes Rick's decisions for the rest of the series.
A massive government building in Atlanta with reinforced concrete walls and blast-proof doors. The interior is sterile, automated, and running on backup generators with a visible countdown timer. Fluorescent lights flicker in empty corridors. The main lab has screens showing brain scans of infected subjects. Wine in the kitchen. Hot showers. Air conditioning. All the comforts of a world about to self-destruct.
Also known as: The CDC, Centers for Disease Control