Hero Pandemic chapter 50: Mold
Behind the strange corridors where the whole surface is pure white with lockers, a heavy door resembling a bank’s safe was waiting.
Kaede uses the card key again and inputs a two-digit password.
“Waa”
A gadget was activated and the door thicker than the width of me opened. I was surprised and closed my mouth that had been gaping unintentionally.
“It’s pretty strict, isn’t it?”
“I wonder if it’s strict whether you can see the current world. I think this is helpful”
I couldn’t find words to return and just spit out air and was stumped.
“Let´s go”
“……Yes”
After waiting for the door to open completely, we stepped inside.
What was there was a view of a laboratory seen on TV. There are countless devices that I don’t know how to use. ……A half-mummified object is rolling as well, but I decided not to see it.
“――――There”
“Did you find anything?”
When heading towards Kaede, she is sitting in a chair that has been raised to its maximum in front of a computer. Looking into the screen from behind, she was typing something in English on a black window.
“It seems that there is no information in the corpses, but since the server seems to be alive, I will access the shared folder and try logging in”
“Oh, Okay”
She is hitting the keyboard rattling with tremendous momentum without looking at her hands. Kaede worries whether there is classified information there, and it does not break unintentionally.
I thought that I was only going to get in the way even if I stayed here, so I again observed the surroundings.
It is slightly small for a laboratory because there are about 16 tatami mats in a room that is white like the corridor. Of course not all in total is tatami mat and there is a additional room on both sides.
The wall was easy to see through because it is made of glass and there is a door so that either room left or right was buried in the white wall.
I move to the room to the right to see if there are still other rooms. The room on the right was a room that is mainly for desk work. Tall chairs were lined up without any order. Opening the back door while returning some of the chair that is rolling back to where it was supposed to be.
“Waa……”
Unlike the room which can be said to be completely white until now, it was full of green. In some places yellow and red are also found, and I saw a gorgeous impression.
(It’s amazing……this may be all vegetables）
There are dozens of kinds of vegetables cultivated by commonly mentioned LED cultivation. Some have withered while electricity and water supply has stopped, but there are also some things that are safe. Because time has passed, they have grown arbitrarily, but we should be able to use them as food properly.
“Great, isn’t it? According to calculations, if the equipment is not broken, it can live forever.”
Kaede seemed to have finished fighting with the PC and unexpectedly appeared from behind me.
“Equipment that filters like filtering rainwater on the ground and solar power. Well it will be broken in about twenty years, but it can live here for a while. It’s not made of meat”
Because it relies on the external supply at present, there are some withered vegetables, too, and it seems to be able to cover everything in this place. Of course, the equipment deteriorates, but if you can repair it, it will survive for a lot more years. In it’s anticipation, the equipment seemed to be constructed in a place where it could be repaired relatively safely, and I was horrified at this laboratory which had assumed it.
“Well, if one of the things I was researching here was unleashed, it could be something like this…it’s a natural preparation”
“……Eh?
I thought that it was a mistake or something to hear instinctively. Now, Kaede certainly said, “Even one.” If that is the case, it will be a terrible thing.
“Ah, please be relieved, because even if even one has flowed out it will be destroyed……”
There was no element that could reassure one.
The world has collapsed and it has already leaked, thus it cannot be trusted.
I was restless and looked around.
“It is true that it was a virus that could cause a biohazard, but it was not that we were trying to destroy the world, but rather the reverse……rather to control viruses that humans cannot control……a perfect vaccine. For that I added each element to an existing powerful virus……but we had only one weakness in case”
“Weakness……?”
“Well, when I created the virus, I designed it to be unbearable to over 40 degrees Celsius so that it could be killed quickly in the device.”
I was forced to understand that it was similar to the mating of plants. The question of whether it is possible to do so freely floats, but it might have been done as a fact. It was a worn-out setting in the film, but the human race had arrived there. Just one human who was spending a common routine, didn’t know the thing.
“But actually, that weak point did not make sense……right?”
“……As you can see from the results. But that day, I wasn’t there at that very moment, so I don’t know what or how it happened. Was it wrong to handle it or did it happen by terrorism……”
Kaede put her hand to her mouth and began to mutter grumbling, “why not……?” . She might be full of things I don’t understand.
“Kaede-san?”
“I’m sorry. I had something to worry about. Do you remember the difference between viruses and molds I said before?”
Being questioned, it reminds me of the time I met Kaede.
(……Only penicillin……comes out……!）
While blushing and sigh to remember, Kaede opened her mouth.
“A virus is not a creature, unlike a mold. It is necessary for a parasite on the host cell to increase. So it’s not a mistake to kill the target person to prevent biohazard. However, because all the cells are not killed immediately because human dies, it is necessary to burn the corpse and to sterilize it.”
At a glance, Kaede sees the headless corpse in this room.
I don’t know how to kill or commit suicide to prevent expansion. But there is no need to detach the head.
That is so, as long as there are no heinous parasites on the head.
“――――Ahhh”
Suddenly, Kaede looks up at the sky and covers her face with both hands. Apparently she seems to have noticed something.
“What……did you understand?”
“Perhaps it’s only speculation, but there are parts that I am convinced of because it is my area……I’m sure I will know everything tomorrow morning, you may want to relax until then.”
Kaede goes to the PC without explaining anything when telling it unilaterally.
(Eh, where to relax……? No, more than that, I know its Kaede’s territory……）
“Mold, was it?” I moved my lips, while being left alone.