Please Bite Me

Before leaving the second floor, Lee Ga-on approached the Research Director's Office. Lee Se-on's figure was hidden behind cover, out of sight — and even if she could have seen him, it wouldn't have meant much. The emergency lights cast a faint glow across her face.

Lee Ga-on whispered in a small voice.

"I'll be back."

The zombie, hearing a human voice, let out a guttural growl. Lee Ga-on turned away without further hesitation.

To reunite with Mo Hae-in and Gwak Han-muk, we headed for the fifth floor of the Research Institute. Rather than taking the stairs, we used the same method of travel as before — though with Lee Ga-on along this time, we quietly opened a window instead of smashing the glass.

Je Hyeon-o unfurled the metal wings he'd kept folded. The sight of those wings left Lee Ga-on looking utterly stunned. The goggles and the metal hands she could maybe write off as some kind of auxiliary weapon. The wings, however, were clearly a long way past anything her common sense could accommodate.

It would've been nice if she'd just accepted the wings along with everything else, but since we were already here, I gave her a sincere explanation.

"It's a new weapon the military developed in secret."

Lee Ga-on still didn't look entirely convinced, but she managed a clumsy nod.

"R-right. I see."

In a world where zombies were walking around, a pair of wings on someone's back wasn't that big a deal. Give her a few hours and Lee Ga-on would adapt just fine.

"Excuse me for a moment."

I scooped Lee Ga-on up in my arms. She awkwardly looped her hands around my shoulders. Je Hyeon-o stared at me.

He's not going to throw us again, is he?

Having zero faith in Je Hyeon-o, I quickly fired off a Transmission.

Je Hyeon-o clicked his metal hands together. It looked like the gesture of a man disappointed he couldn't just hurl us.

Fortunately, Je Hyeon-o quietly lifted me and Lee Ga-on and carried us up to the rooftop. After landing, I set down a trembling Lee Ga-on and checked the ventilation system again.

The ventilation system was a critical piece of equipment that kept the viruses inside the Research Institute from getting out. If it stopped, every virus in the building would spread outside — an instant Bad Ending. It had to be kept running at all costs, which meant most of the emergency power went to the ventilation system. Vaccine development, then, would require an additional power supply.

Right now the emergency generator inside the Research Institute was broken, running at maybe twenty percent capacity. We needed to repair it and restore it to full output.

I'd already gathered almost all the delivery items. A few from the Yellow Zone, the Red Zone, and the Dead Zone were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still missing, but I could just send Je Hyeon-o out to farm those. He can fly. He'll be back in no time. Je Hyeon-o had no trouble with zombies, so there was nothing to worry about on that front.

The most urgent task was repairing the emergency generator. I was thinking through how to handle it when Lee Ga-on let out a small sound of surprise. When I looked over, she smiled, a little embarrassed.

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sun's coming up."

The sky had gone pale. A full day had passed. Lee Ga-on gazed at her first sunrise in a very long time, lost in the moment. I, on the other hand, grew a little more anxious.

Day two since entry. A day had passed since the infection. Mo Hae-in's aggression would only have grown stronger.

I took Lee Ga-on and moved to the fifth floor, not forgetting to hold the door for Je Hyeon-o. He currently had the Crow Gloves unequipped, which meant all he could do to a door was smash it.

When we arrived on the fifth floor, zombie corpses were everywhere. Their heads had been smashed in as if someone had clubbed them — Gwak Han-muk's handiwork, no question. Guy really is strong, I thought, approaching the lab's sealed entrance with Lee Ga-on.

The airtight sliding door was designed to open only when it recognized an ID card. Lee Ga-on looked at me, and I nodded. With trembling hands, she pulled out her ID card and scanned it.

At the sound of the door opening, the researchers inside the lab startled and came rushing out. The moment they saw Lee Ga-on, they started to let out a sheepish laugh, as if they'd gotten worked up over nothing—

"......"

Then they saw me and Je Hyeon-o, and quietly shut their mouths again.

I checked the names on the ID cards hanging around their necks.

Tak Ju-cheol. Paeng Sang-do.

Both names I knew. In the game they died early. Surviving this long was unexpected. I looked at them with a faintly curious expression, and Paeng Sang-do fumbled for words.

"Um... are you military? Are you with those people from earlier — I mean, are you on the same team...?"

"Yes."

There was no reason to waste words on these two. I stated my purpose immediately.

"Help Lee Ga-on make the vaccine."

I deliberately said nothing about the cure. The moment I issued the order to the researchers, a system window appeared.

It was openly hurling abuse at me, telling me not to do this. I dismissed the system window blocking my vision and looked at the researchers.

Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do were classic zombie-movie villain types — the kind who put their own survival first and wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice someone else to get it. In the game, those two had died because they'd thrown Lee Se-on to the zombies and fled, only to run into a boss zombie.

This time they survived.

Since it had turned out this way, I intended to put them to good use. I was going to wring them dry until they'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠contributed everything they had to the world of Dead Zone Delivery. Maybe it showed in my eyes, because Paeng Sang-do, who'd been glancing at me, started looking increasingly uneasy.

I pulled out the bait that would handle them most effectively.

"I know the location of the survivor shelter."

"...!"

Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do held their breath and locked onto my words.

"It's well-stocked with food, and zombies barely show up there. But it's a considerable distance from the Research Institute."

There was no way these powerless researchers could make it to the Green Zone shelter on their own. The Research Institute itself was crawling with zombies as it was, and Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do knew that perfectly well.

"If this research is completed successfully, we'll escort you to the shelter."

Threats alone wouldn't extract genuine cooperation — and since I'd have to leave them with Lee Ga-on, I needed to make sure they didn't get any stupid ideas. These were men with a powerful hunger to survive. Dangle a shelter in front of them and they'd throw themselves into making the vaccine with their eyes rolled back.

Sure enough, they'd been radiating noncooperation just moments ago. Now even their eyes had changed. Paeng Sang-do's nose twitched, and he and Tak Ju-cheol exchanged several looks. Then he cautiously opened his mouth.

"W-well, of course we want to make a vaccine. Who wouldn't? But the key material..."

"We have the meteorite."

At my words, Lee Ga-on startled and clutched the pocket of her lab coat. So that's where she stashed it. Having confirmed the meteorite's location, I looked back at Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do.

Tak Ju-cheol asked in a cracked voice.

"You know about Pandora?"

The virus in Dead Zone Delivery had begun with a meteor shower that fell on Earth one day. A new virus was discovered in the fallen meteorites, and the researchers named it Pandora. It was a zoonotic virus capable of infecting both humans and animals, but it was deemed heat-sensitive — too vulnerable to infect mammals with high body temperatures.

That conclusion, however, had been the product of rushed research. The meteorites had fallen on a development zone, and pressure had come from every direction. In the end, the Research Institute failed to warn of the virus's potential danger and delivered the answer the corporation wanted. Development proceeded as planned, and in the meantime Pandora evolved at an unbelievable speed, adapting to high temperatures. Then a construction worker on the development site was bitten by a stray dog infected with Pandora, and the catastrophe began.

Lee Se-on had been the researcher who kept warning about Pandora's danger. He had secretly siphoned off a portion of a meteorite slated for disposal and hidden it at his home. The meteorite Lee Ga-on had gone all the way to the Yellow Zone to retrieve, hoping to save her brother, was that very sample — the key ingredient for the vaccine.

"How did you know?"

Before I could answer Tak Ju-cheol's question, Lee Ga-on cut in. She was trembling even harder than when she'd been afraid of Je Hyeon-o.

"That the meteorite is the source of the virus... and that my brother and I have it..."

Before the trust I'd so carefully built could start to crack, I answered simply.

"The truth is, we're not ordinary military. We're attached to a secret government agency."

"Ah...!"

Lee Ga-on let out a gasp of recognition, as if everything had finally clicked.

"The NIS... something like that? I get it now."

Close enough, I guess.

There hadn't been a single lie in what I'd just said. Having spoken only the truth, I nodded. While Lee Ga-on convinced herself, Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do were busy whispering. Tak Ju-cheol stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking dignified, while Paeng Sang-do stepped forward to do the talking.

"We'll cooperate, but we have conditions. If you could procure the supplies we need for the research..."

Not worth listening to. What they meant was they wanted to live in luxury for the duration of the research. I looked to my reliable superior, and Je Hyeon-o handled it appropriately.

"Waaaaagh!"

"Gaaaaah!"

He'd grabbed both researchers by the scruffs of their necks with both hands and lifted them off the ground. The lab coats, pierced by his metal hands, tore with a sharp rip. The researchers, who'd been drooling and thrashing, hit the floor one after another with a thud, thud, the backs of their coats ripped clean open.

Just as I was about to receive their oath of loyalty as vaccine-development slaves, the Captains arrived.

"Whoa, Goyo hyung-nim, having all the fun without me?"

Gwak Han-muk hurried over, eyes gleaming. He wanted a piece of the action, but I had nothing to give him. Any more intimidation and they'd be too terrified to do the research. I calmed Gwak Han-muk down and approached Lee Ga-on.

"Lee Ga-on. Can you do this?"

Lee Ga-on, who'd been looking around the lab, seemed to think of Lee Se-on for a moment and swell with emotion, but she didn't let any tears show. Instead, she answered with resolve.

"I have to."

Clutching the pocket of her coat, Lee Ga-on looked up at me softly.

"There are things I'll need for the research..."

"I'll get you everything you need by the end of today, and I'll have the emergency generator repaired today as well. You don't need to worry about food."

I answered before she'd even said what she needed. Lee Ga-on froze for a beat, then her expression shifted to one of understanding. I could practically see the letters N-I-S flashing through her mind.

"Thank you! The emergency generator was really urgent. Thank you so much."

After thanking me repeatedly, Lee Ga-on suddenly grabbed me and pulled me along. Once we were outside the lab, well away from Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do, she whispered.

"The vaccine. My brother already finished the entire design. If we have the materials and a power supply, I can do it in three days. It's molecular synthesis, not culturing, so once the power's on I can extract the raw material from the meteorite and run the sequence immediately. We'll have to skip clinical validation, of course."

Lee Ga-on watched my face for a reaction. I'd lied and said I didn't know about the vaccine, and it seemed to bother her that it was actually nearly complete. But I'd already known. In the game, too, Lee Se-on met the player with the vaccine research almost finished.

The siblings were the same. Just as Lee Ga-on had, Lee Se-on couldn't find a reason to complete the vaccine when his sister might already be dead. He kept failing to finish it, and only produced the vaccine once he had to save his younger sister, Lee Ga-on.

"You said you'd get the materials and repair the emergency generator by the end of today, so I'll finish the setup in the meantime. The problem is the cure..."

Lee Ga-on, who'd been speaking calmly, let ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out a sigh.

"I've done research on it before, but the screening results for viable candidate substances that could serve as the key ingredient weren't good. Even using the meteorite as a control, there was no reaction at all, and existing antiviral compounds were the same. It's just... so hopeless..."

"Please focus on the vaccine first. I'll look for the candidate substance."

Lee Ga-on looked at me as if she couldn't believe it. This time, I lied.

"I have some information related to it. I'm not certain, but I think it's worth looking into."

I didn't actually know the candidate substance either. But I'd seen a few clues in the game, like Easter eggs, and I intended to track those down.

Lee Ga-on looked up at me for a long moment, then whispered.

"I'll trust you."

I sent her back to Tak Ju-cheol and Paeng Sang-do in the lab, then stepped out into the corridor with Je Hyeon-o and the Captains.

"We're going to start vaccine production now. Lieutenant Colonel Je, please farm the remaining items we need. Captains, I think it would be best if you repaired the emergency generator with me."

Mo Hae-in and Gwak Han-muk each responded to my briefing.

"Recruit. I've never fixed a machine in my life."

"I've fixed cars before, but I don't know jack about generators."

"I know how to repair it."

If we followed the repair method from the game, it wouldn't demand anything outrageous.

"The problem is the basement-zone boss zombie guarding the emergency generator."

Two people would repair the generator while one fought the boss. In the game, the Lee siblings had repaired the generator while I fought the boss. But now Lee Se-on was a zombie, and Lee Ga-on had to make both the vaccine and the cure. Excluding Je Hyeon-o, who had to go gather research materials, that left me, Gwak Han-muk, and Mo Hae-in. The three of us would have to handle it...

The problem was Mo Hae-in's aggression as her zombification progressed. The chance she'd suddenly attack during the operation was more than high enough. As I explained the approach, Mo Hae-in and Gwak Han-muk seemed to be thinking the same thing. Mo Hae-in's eyes darkened. She was already pouring a great deal of effort into suppressing the aggression rising in her even now.

"I do have a plan, though."

I didn't say it immediately, letting a beat of silence hang. I could already picture Mo Hae-in calling me a lunatic again. In fact, she was already looking at me like I was insane.

Captain Gwak, I'm counting on you.

Hoping Gwak Han-muk would back my plan, I opened my mouth.

"Captain Mo."

"Spit it out."