Chapter 587: Red Patch Tinea

"Evelyn, will the base’s crops and livestock be contaminated?"

"The research team ran tests. The crops and livestock are all normal. The patients who developed red spots and rashes are all children under twelve. This suggests that the unknown viruses and bacteria from the outside world are more likely to take root in young children."

"Are these bacteria and viruses just picking on the weak? Only going after children."

"Young children have weaker immune systems, poorer constitutions, and inadequate nutrition. The ones showing symptoms were all born after the apocalypse, which might make them more suitable hosts for the bacteria." Evelyn Ford looked at Zoe and Annie. "Have you two been exercising these past few days?"

Zoe looked serious. "Yes. I run and jump rope every day."

"Me too," Annie said, straightening his back. He’d gained some weight recently, and his face was getting chubby.

Evelyn Ford patted Zoe’s high ponytail. "You can’t slack off. You have to keep exercising. Make sure you’re drinking your milk and eating your vegetables, fruit, and vitamins. If this pathogen suddenly mutates, there’s no telling if it will start targeting middle-aged or elderly people next."

"Evelyn, when you went out earlier, was the wind still blowing?"

Evelyn nodded. "It’s still blowing, and the wind is getting stronger. I had to wear a protective suit when I went out. You have to wear one now to enter or leave The Undercity and the hospital."

"The base experts said the sun would come out in about two months. And what happened? The sun is nowhere to be seen, but this terrifying pathogen shows up instead. I told you those experts are unreliable," Quincy grumbled.

Miles Vaughn clicked his tongue. "Experts aren’t fortune-tellers. In this post-apocalyptic world, even the most advanced equipment can’t predict if it will rain tomorrow. Who could have known the cold wind would bring a pathogen with it?"

"Then why did they say the sun would come out in about two months? Making big promises like that, you’d think they’d be afraid of eating their words."

Seeing the two were about to start arguing again, Officer Graham quickly stepped between them.

"The members of the research team are brilliant. The lab is already developing an enzyme to kill the bacteria. We should have results soon."

"If there’s no medicine to treat those children, what will the base hospital do?"

Taylor Vance’s expression was full of pity. "Once their bodies are completely covered in sores, treatment becomes meaningless. It’s better to let them find an early release than to have them live in agony."

"Liam Sterling said the base leadership is still deliberating. At first, they were afraid the pathogen was contagious. Thankfully, extensive testing confirmed that it’s infectious, but not contagious. If it had been contagious, the base would have secretly eliminated the patients when they first arrived at the hospital with unidentifiable symptoms, just to prevent it from spreading. On the other hand, the base still doesn’t know where this pathogen came from, and they haven’t developed a treatment. It’s cruel, but we have to admit they’re treating the first batch of patients as guinea pigs. For any new disease, the first cases always serve that purpose."

Evelyn Ford took a deep breath. She had seen those children. ’I just can’t reconcile their vibrant lives, as full of promise as the morning sun, with the image of lab rats.’

Everyone fell silent after Evelyn spoke. Disasters are cruel, and the weak can only passively accept that cruelty.

For the next few days, Evelyn holed up in her dorm. She couldn’t be of much help at the lab, so she decided not to get in the way.

No bad news came from the hospital, which meant the patients were likely still alive. Evelyn threw herself into cooking again, making different dishes for every meal. With her feeding them, Zoe and Annie gained over five pounds in a single week.

The medicinal herbs and cotton she had planted earlier had sprouted. Evelyn would occasionally take a stroll through the cultivation area. The livestock in the breeding zone didn’t require her attention. After ten days of this relative peace, Liam Sterling and Ryan Rowe arrived.

Liam Sterling was scruffy and looked exhausted. Ryan Rowe was in slightly better shape, but his clothes were wrinkled and his hair was a mess. It was clear they hadn’t rested properly in a long time.

"How are things at the hospital?"

Liam Sterling forced a smile. "We’ve stabilized the situation for now. The sores on the patients aren’t spreading or worsening. The problem is, so many new patients have come in this week that the hospital is completely full."

"If you can stabilize them, that means it’s treatable. Liam, how are you communicating with the other bases?"

"By telegraph. After the apocalypse, all the satellites and signal towers were destroyed. With no signal, the telegraph is the only way to communicate."

"Have you been in contact with other bases during this time?"

"We’ve been in constant contact. The other bases are in the same boat—they were all hit by the cold wind. The situation at Arden Base is particularly severe. They’ve already had fatalities."

"Any news from Yarrow?"

Liam Sterling’s expression grew grim. "Half a month ago, Arden Base sent out over two hundred people to ambush one of Yarrow’s small outposts. Yarrow’s bases are almost entirely men; there are hardly any women left. Even before the apocalypse, their country had a severe class divide. Now, women not only receive no aid, but they also suffer even more brutal exploitation and oppression. They’ve even tried to cross into our territory to abduct women. It’s despicable."

"Those people from Yarrow are worse than animals. You used to see all sorts of bizarre news stories about their country all the time."

"Tell me about it. Their day will come, sooner or later."

"Right, what about Flumen and the resettlement housing? There must be a lot of patients there, too, right?" Evelyn asked.

"There are over a hundred cases in Flumen and more than eighty at the resettlement housing. The base is facing a new problem: our supply of hemostatic medicine is running low, and the herbs in the medicinal fields aren’t mature yet. So, the plan is to send a team out to find Furnace Stone and Mica."

Evelyn had some hemostatic vine in her space, but not a lot. ’It would be a drop in the bucket for the base’s needs,’ she thought.

Quincy frowned deeply. "The areas beyond the reach of the Solar Lamps are prone to oxygen deprivation, and that cold, pathogen-carrying wind is still howling outside. How is anyone supposed to find stones in these conditions?"

"The mission is daunting, but we have no choice. Someone has to step up and bear this burden," Liam Sterling sighed.

Ryan Rowe had been silent the whole time. The mission to find Furnace Stone and Mica had fallen to him. He was well aware of how difficult the task would be—he might even die out there. But it was his mission. As a soldier, he would obey his orders.

"What do Furnace Stone and Mica look like? Do you have pictures?" Evelyn asked. She thought of the mining area in her space. ’Maybe I can find the stones they need in there.’

Liam Sterling shook his head. "I don’t have any pictures on me. Neither of those stones can be found near the base. The team will probably have to search much farther out."

"Do you have any samples? If so, bring a couple over for me to look at."

Liam Sterling’s eyes lit up. "Evelyn, you can find these stones?"

"I can’t be sure until I see a sample," Evelyn said, unwilling to make any promises.

Ryan Rowe shot to his feet. "Dr. Ford, I’ll go get the samples right now. The lab sent a couple of stones to Mr. Chase. They should still be on his desk."

With that, Ryan Rowe hurried out.