Chapter 19. First Spread (1)
When I turned on the light, I could smell burning dust. I sneezed, opened the window, and swung the duster. Barricades were torn down and curtains were thrown into the washing machine. The washing machines lined up in a row were whirring in unison. Just then, Camilla came down to her laundry room carrying an empty laundry basket.
“Have you finished tidying up the rooftop flower bed?”
“Yes. I moved the ones in good condition into pots. Anything that was too good was just thrown out. “I opened the water tank and swept the floor, so it will be okay to dry the laundry.”
It seems like a long time ago, but I made a flower bed on the rooftop and planted various kinds of seeds. There were various types of seeds and different types of soil. Something collected from the wilderness, something sold in plastic packaging at a plant supply store, something taken from someone’s flower bed… I wanted to know how plants grow depending on the type of soil.
Originally, I planned to watch it until the 2nd and 3rd generations. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to see it in this lab. However, the results so far have been quite appalling.
First of all, those grown in soil dug up from the wilderness achieved rapid growth, bordering on overgrowth. It grew two to three times faster than ‘normal’ soil.
As a result, the nutrients in the soil were depleted very quickly. Then these crops spread their roots like vines into the adjacent furrows.
It was difficult to eat those ‘overgrown’ things. The stems were very thick and the leaves were thick. When Cassandra looked at the dried-up watermelon vine, she expected that the fruit would be about the size of a mortar. Of course, the inside is not cooked at all and is just bluish.
At least the crops that were sterilized in the scorching sun and supplemented with compost and grown in plastic-wrapped soil sold at plant supply stores were ‘normal.’
“It means that growing and eating plants will become more difficult in the future.”
I gave a pretty gloomy outlook, but Camilla seems to have a different take.
“It might be okay if you grow it quickly and focus on edible crops. “There are things that can be eaten even if they are not ripe enough.”
“For example?”
“Turnip.”
Camilla’s eyes sparkled.
“… Turnip?”
Of course, I also like turnips. Things like turnip wraps eaten with meat or Ganghwado turnip kimchi. But that’s not a stock.
“Yes. There’s no one like Elsa who can’t cook at least ten turnips, right? I know how to do it too. Turnip pickles, turnip cutlets, turnip jam, turnip bread… ….”
For some reason, an image came to mind of Camilla wearing only an apron on her naked body, putting her batter on cut turnips. That would be great if you could make a normal batter.
“… I think pickles will suffice. Or something like beans might be okay.”
At that moment, the washing machine beeped. It was said that the laundry was finished. Camilla took out her laundry and put it in her basket.
“Anyway, since the rooftop has been cleared, you should also bring the laundry. “The lines are all laid out.”
Camilla, who seemed somewhat excited, went up first. She glanced behind her. Her hair tied up tightly with an elastic band, her short-sleeved tee, dolphin pants, and slippers on. Although it is a light outfit that I have never seen before, it is more lively than ever. I don’t think it’s just the lighting.
“Life is so rich even with just proper electricity.”
Everyone agreed that we were going to pack up and leave the lab anyway, and that we would just run the generator as hard as we could for a few days and live as if we were living there.
It was a complete abandonment of the previous policy of concealment, but there was a reason.
This building is the tallest four-story building in the area. Even at night, if the lights are bright, you will be visible from quite a distance away. This means it’s enough to attract crazy zombies. What if a group of humans come? The entire area around here is an open plain, so it cannot escape our surveillance.
After drawing them in, they increase their power by infecting them with the ‘Korean-style Cro virus’.
We don’t know how to control zombies 100% yet. However, I know how to communicate at a minimum, such as giving simple instructions such as ‘Attack that side’ or reassuring people by saying ‘I have no intention of harming you.’
Four leading zombies, including military police zombies, and ten following them. If we combine the combat power of the four of us, we can easily take over a fairly small village.
We make zombies on our side.
* * * * *
Everyone was excited, perhaps because it was under bright lights. Camilla, who was carefully folding stiffly dried clothes in quite skimpy clothes, or Leticia, who was singing a song while taking a hot shower on this hot day. She was even blowing on a bottle.
“So this is the last blood draw?”
And here I am in the infirmary with my arms rolled up and blood being drawn.
Cassandra nods her head with her usual expressionless face. Still, it was nice to see that the shadows under her eyes had cleared, and her once pale face had taken on a blush.
“For the time being. Since blood donation is still at a normal level, it will not cause much harm to your health. As long as electricity is turned on, your pheromone extraction process will proceed more smoothly and efficiently. “I don’t know where the new settlement will be, but it will be enough to ensure our safety.”
“To go north.”
“North? Lake?”
“Across the lake and further up. Beitra city.”
“Baytra… Isn’t that a city where quite a lot of people live? I remember it being a place where about 1 million people live. “Because it is a human-free zone, many people may have left, but it would still be very dangerous.”
It is possible.
Beitra is a city with quite an interesting structure. It is said to be a multi-nuclear city, so the central axis of the city is not just one, but is spread out in several places.
Rather than a million people living together in one city, it feels more like a small city with about 200,000 to 300,000 people living together, tightly packed together like snow, and called Beitrah. So, each of the five sections of Bait has a very different feel and strategy.
“I’m going to a wealthy area. As far as I know, there is a clinic there run by Elsa National University. Although it is small, it is a medical facility that only the elite can use, so it will have good equipment, and such areas will also have their own generators in case of power outages.”
Of course, it remains to be seen whether it will remain or not, but it will be much better than finding a portable generator in a remote corner like this. Still, Cassandra seems worried.
“… But why do you want to go to the city? “Up until now, I had tried to live in a place where there were no zombies or people, as if they were there or not.”
“That’s right. “Before they invaded from Minsk, the western country.”
This is the information Leticia told me.
Minsk did not dispatch mercenaries because it had surplus money and people. They want information to help them overcome the virus. Even allowing groups to cross the border.
It is true that the mercenaries obtained considerable information, but they will not be satisfied with that. In the end, the information taken by the mercenaries is likely to be fragmented, and even if the code is decrypted, it is highly likely that it will be information they already know, a discarded theory, or information that cannot be deciphered except by researchers at Elsa Cybele.
Then the next move is to dispatch regular troops.
“… “Is there going to be a war?”
Cassandra turned pale after hearing the explanation. I nodded.
“They say that’s highly likely. “Minsk, a western country, does not need Elsa land, so a full-scale war will not break out, but they said there is a higher possibility of a local war targeting important bases.”
For example, a hydroelectric dam power plant located quite close to Minsk. It supplies electricity to as many as three states. If Minsk takes over this place and says, ‘If you want the power plant back, give us your medical information,’ Elsa will be in serious trouble.
“It is too dangerous to fight against the regular army. I won’t come back bare-chested. I should have brought heavy equipment. “In that case, I think it would be better to live near a city where they won’t touch it at all, rather than hiding on a street where they might pass by.”
One way to avoid danger is to jump into it. I gently squeezed Cassandra’s hand. I was a little embarrassed, but I didn’t bother to take it out.
“If it were just the four of us, we certainly wouldn’t have gone to the city. Because it’s too dangerous. But there are zombies. Zombies that could be on our side. If we can control those zombies, we can save more people. Buy yourself more time to make the cure. We are guaranteed safety. “Not to mention the rest.”
Of course it’s a lie. A cure cannot be created.
But should I tell Cassandra this? I don’t know about that. If you think about it that way, it wouldn’t make sense to share emotions with zombies. But wasn’t it successful? Perhaps, in this episode, a cure may also be created.
“John.”
Cassandra looks at me with her red face. Now that I think about it, maybe it’s because I’ve been sleeping well lately, but I don’t look as tired as I used to. Should I say that my face has opened up?
“Yes.”
“Blood collection is complete.”
Ah.
She quickly let go of her hand. I felt strangely embarrassed. Cassandra pulled out her needle and handed me an alcohol swab.
“Make sure to press and hold this. “Keep your hands off her.”
“Uh, yes.”
“You can’t take your hands off me?”
Cassandra turned behind me. Something soft and fluffy touched the back of her head. There was a nice smell in the faint heat. Her slender arms gently wrapped around my neck.
“Uh, Cassandra?”
“Thank you.”
Cassandra hugged me from behind. She almost let go of her hand, but she didn’t let go because she had to listen to the doctor.
“You, Johan, are the first to worry about the world like Cassandra. Happy.”
Her intense hug lasted only a moment before she withdrew. When she turned around, she saw that her breathing was quite heavy and her clothes were disheveled. I could see her breasts slightly rolled up in the middle of her shirt.
“Now that we have already picked something else….”
Cassandra moaned as if she were in pain, but she quickly shook her head.
“Oh, no. Being too excited is not good for your body. Go in and rest. Don’t shower today. You said you already did it, right? Good.”
“Uh, are you okay?”
“Cassandra is always okay.”
Considering that, I’m panting a little too much.