How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 224

Aiden and Jane.

After entering the research facility and taking some time to calm down, Jane made a proposal to Aiden.

"Aiden, let’s make a vaccine."

"A vaccine?"

"Yes, a vaccine. You and I might be able to do it."

Jane spoke confidently.

Rather than worrying about the future and feeling anxious, Jane seemed to be thinking about the core problem.

Instead of preparing weapons to fight against the zombies surrounding them, or making concrete escape plans, she meant to develop a vaccine to overcome the virus itself.

Aiden shook his head.

"That’s impossible, Jane. There are only the two of us here now, and we don’t even know how long we can hold out, let alone develop a vaccine without manpower in this situation."

Aiden couldn’t help but be pessimistic.

Even though he’s a doctor, his knowledge of vaccine and new drug research theory is only at a very basic level.

And that’s just what he learned briefly in college.

Of course, Jane did work on making vaccines at this research facility, but she wasn’t a veteran nor someone with years of experience in this field.

Could Jane, who had only worked for 3 years, conduct the research?

"There’s no guarantee that it will work well, Jane."

Aiden’s thoughts were natural.

To make a vaccine, you obviously need samples.

That means you have to directly contact zombies and collect samples.

It was too dangerous an idea.

"That’s why we have to do it, Aiden. Trust me."

Jane didn’t back down from her assertion.

She said that as soon as this situation occurred, she immediately thought of returning to the research facility.

She was worried about whether she could bring him back here in the chaotic situation outside, but she actively explained to Aiden that coming back was lucky, and that they should use that luck.

"Just follow me for now, Aiden. I have a lot to show you."

She led Aiden around various parts of the research facility.

While doing so, she showed him various instruments installed in the research facility, numerous drugs prepared for conducting research, and also showed food for their survival and emergency power facilities operated by solar energy.

From what Aiden could assess, the interior of the research facility had supplies stocked to last at least two months, and seeing Jane’s strong determination to definitely succeed, Aiden also began to think there might be a possibility.

And anyway, even if Aiden himself didn’t agree, Jane would conduct the research alone.

"Alright Jane, I believe in you. I think it’s better to pursue a dream-like goal with you than to live day by day without any hope."

"Thank you Aiden!"

Jane fell into Aiden’s arms.

In Aiden’s eyes looking at her, a light of love and hope sparkled.

* * *

Before officially starting the vaccine research.

The two organized the supplies that were messily placed here and there in the research facility.

The research facility consisted of 3 floors in total.

They organized perishable food items in the refrigerator of the cafeteria located on the 1st floor.

They couldn’t carry the refrigerator to the 3rd floor, and since perishable items would be consumed first for now, they sent canned food items with long shelf lives to the 3rd floor.

From the security guards’ night duty room on the same floor, they gathered various clothing and shoes, items necessary for living, and weapons left behind by them.

The 2nd floor was the researchers’ personal office space.

From there, they gathered books necessary for vaccine research, PCs, and items left behind by researchers.

The 3rd floor was the laboratory.

It’s where all the machines and instruments needed for vaccine development were gathered.

The reason for moving all items to the 3rd floor was simple.

It was in case of an unforeseen situation where zombies might take over the 1st or 2nd floor.

Since the 3rd floor is a laboratory, it can be self-isolated, so it was Aiden’s intention to make the 3rd floor their last stronghold.

And fortunately, there was plenty of water.

There were more than 5 water purifiers on each floor, and there were quite a few spare water tanks for using those purifiers.

The two spent two days organizing all items and checking the conditions necessary for survival.

And Aiden inspected the weapons brought from the 1st floor.

Two MP5 submachine guns and 4 magazines.

Three Glock pistols and 2 magazines.

Two bulletproof vests.

One military knife.

When the full-scale research begins, they’ll have to go outside to secure samples.

Aiden has no practical experience.

What shooting would a doctor do, it’s just that because the world is dangerous, he had bought a gun for his own safety and only shot it at a shooting range.

Still, having weapons would be a great help to Aiden and Jane.

It was the 5th day since the zombie outbreak occurred.

Preparations were roughly finished.

* * *

To conduct full-scale vaccine research, the two started zombie research, that is, observing zombies from the rooftop.

The reason was simple.

The wall they hit was not a lack of knowledge, nor the difference between theory and practice, but a very basic and simple problem.

They needed a sample of the virus, that is, a person infected with the zombie virus.

However, that ultimately meant that either Aiden or Jane would have to open the door and go outside the research facility, and bring a zombie into it as if hunting.

Jane said it wouldn’t matter if the sample subject died, but there was no need to explain how terrifying such a task would be.

That’s why zombie research began at Aiden’s suggestion.

It started with simple observation.

There were several zombies visible to the naked eye around the research facility from the rooftop.

Aiden and Jane gave each zombie an experimental name based on the clothes they were wearing or physical characteristics, and began tracking their behavior according to day and night, and date.

Among them was a zombie wearing a suit.

"Robert..."

Jane explained to Aiden that he was an employee of the bank near the research facility that she often visited.

Robert usually wandered around the buildings near the research facility, but he only showed such behavior during daytime.

During the day, he would wander around that area for hours, but when the sun set and night fell, he was no longer visible from the research facility.

But still, he would invariably appear again the next morning.

"It’s like he’s commuting to the bank, is there a fixed pattern?"

Aiden speculated that it might be memories remaining from when they were human.

However, as time passed, they could see that the patterns of some zombies like Robert began to simplify, indicating that those memories don’t last long.

So, when the data from Aiden and Jane’s observations was organized, they moved on to the next step.

This time, they directly stimulated the zombies to observe and analyze their reactions.

Initially from the rooftop, then from the 2nd floor of the building, and finally from inside the iron bars of the windows on the 1st floor, they played various sounds or shone lights in the middle of the night to zombies approaching the building.

What they learned from this was that while some zombies had hearing and vision worse than when they were human, most maintained a level similar to humans.

Also, it seemed they couldn’t distinguish sounds specifically, as they showed the same reaction to human voices and animal cries.

So this time, Aiden suggested to Jane that they try a bolder method.

"Aiden, don’t you think directly showing yourself on the 1st floor is too dangerous?"

Aiden held Jane’s hand tightly.

"The iron bars are so sturdy, and the windows are made of material that can’t be broken under normal circumstances. Don’t worry, Jane."

"Then I’ll come with you."

"Jane, haven’t you watched zombie movies? When you say things like that, something always happens. Haha!"

"Still... I’m worried."

Jane knew that Aiden was trying hard to act cheerful.

But because she knew that even this behavior was his way of trying to reassure and protect her, Jane also forced a smile.

Jane firmly resolved that with Aiden, they would definitely develop a vaccine and survive.

"I’ll be back, if you’re really worried, you can secretly watch from the stairway leading down to the 1st floor."

"Alright! Don’t forget to come up without looking back if it seems dangerous!"

"Okay!"

Aiden went down to the 1st floor with a bright smile.

Without making a loud noise, he carefully moved to the window one step at a time.

Beyond the window, a zombie was blankly staring at the sky.

"Phew... It’s really sturdy, right?"

Aiden thought it would be safe because there were iron bars on the window, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Knock knock.

Aiden tried stimulating the zombie using sound.

-Uuuuh?

The zombie slowly turned its body.

Then, the zombie’s gaze fixed on Aiden.

-Kieee!!!

Bang bang bang!

The zombie frantically strikes the iron bars.

It looked like a wild beast growling at its prey.

It endlessly strikes and bites the iron bars, spewing madness like crazy.

Fearing that all the zombies in the area would rush in at this rate, Aiden turned and ran into the 2nd floor.

"Aiden! Are you okay?"

Jane rushed out in surprise seeing Aiden’s pale face covered in cold sweat.

-Kieeek!!

The zombie’s roar echoes behind Aiden.

"L-let’s go up for now."

Aiden tightly held Jane’s hand and went back up to the 3rd floor.

After a short while, the zombie’s roars and the sound of striking the iron bars could no longer be heard.

Jane looked worriedly at Aiden who was breathing heavily, but Aiden kept recalling the face of the zombie that had rushed at him.

That terrifying face full of madness only wanting to bite and eat.

Aiden kept shaking without realizing it.

As a doctor, he had seen countless horrific corpses and many patients struggling with serious injuries, but this kind of fear was a first.

Jane approached and gently hugged Aiden like that.

"It’s okay, Aiden. It’s okay..."

Jane’s expression was full of tears.

"Jane... Can we survive? Can we make a vaccine? Are terrible things still happening out there right now?"

"Yes, we can do it. We’ll make a vaccine, we’ll survive, and we’ll be able to save everyone with the vaccine we make."

Aiden’s trembling body gradually calmed down as he stayed in Jane’s arms for a long time like that.

"Let’s stop the experiment here for today, Aiden. Let’s eat something and rest a bit, everything will be okay if we do that."

"Yeah, Jane. We need to rest today. Let’s try to cheer up again tomorrow."

The two finished a simple meal as if nothing had happened. And that night.

Aiden couldn’t sleep.

Jane quietly sleeping in his arms.

Hoping that this warmth would continue tomorrow and in the future, Aiden sought God, whom he usually didn’t seek.

Pleading for both of them to be able to survive.