chsdbacks Chapter 14: The cosplay isn't the point, the point is the play!
Chapter 14: The cosplay isn't the point, the point is the play!
"Where is Shen Yi?"
Alice quickly changed the subject.
"In the laboratory."
Alicia sighed. "The Red Queen said he's researching the T-virus inside."
"Researching the T-virus?"
Alice's expression immediately became wary. You're kidding me. We just managed to get rid of the T-virus, and now you're starting to research it again? Do you think humanity will never die out?
"I'm going to find him!"
Alice walked barefoot on the cold metal floor, through the corridor, and into the laboratory, only to find that Shen Yi was not there. She hurriedly called out to the Red Queen, only to learn that Shen Yi had already gone to sleep.
"Go take a shower first."
Alicia, in her wheelchair, followed and offered a reminder.
Alice didn't initially care about these things; in the apocalypse, finding clean water was difficult, let alone taking a bath. However, she quickly realized that this was no longer the apocalypse, at least not the zombie-infested one, and she had time to rest a bit.
Shen Yi didn't leave his room until noon, and he was somewhat surprised to see Alice.
Compared to yesterday's filthy and disheveled appearance, Alice's skin, though still tanned, looked smooth and delicate today, full of collagen. Coupled with her red dress, anyone who didn't know her would mistake her for a Disney princess who had escaped.
Well, considering that Alice's name comes from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," she is indeed in a sense.
Seeing Shen Yi looking at her with a surprised expression, Alice felt secretly pleased. It seems that even though she is over thirty years old, her charm is still undiminished.
"What are you researching the T-virus for?"
After taking a shower, Alice, now completely relaxed, became much calmer.
Since Shen Yi had allowed her to release the antidote for the wind-borne toxin, it meant that he did not want to destroy the world. In addition, after what they experienced together yesterday, she had developed some trust in him.
This is also why she changed into a dress instead of her combat suit after taking a shower. The apocalypse was finally over, and she no longer had to cower in a corner, fearing zombies or Umbrella Corporation members would come after her. She finally had time to enjoy life.
"Of course, it's about researching how to perfectly integrate the T-virus like you."
Shen Yi shrugged and said casually.
"But the antidote for wind media has already been released."
Alice was taken aback. Even if you could figure it out, you can't live in the Hive Base forever, can you?
"Can't I enjoy doing scientific research?"
Shen Yi rolled his eyes. Although he didn't like studying, he had no choice; he felt restless having this cheat code running around unused.
"Then... don't research any more terrifying viruses."
Alice hesitated for a moment, then warned, "If another enhanced version of the T-virus were to emerge, humanity would truly be doomed."
"No way, otherwise why do you think I would conduct experiments in a beehive?"
Shen Yi waved his hand, signaling Alice to stop bothering him, as he was about to receive the memories of the other Shen Yis.
Damn it, you were staring at me like that!
Perhaps because of her relaxed state of mind, Alice felt she had changed. She walked away with a dark expression, but before leaving, she turned back and said, "By the way, I'm going to rescue the survivors outside. You don't mind, do you?"
"It doesn't matter, but you have to keep an eye on them yourself. Oh, and Red Queen, send Alice the list of spies among the survivors."
After seeing Alice off, Shen Yi began to receive memory red envelopes from other members of the group. Those once obscure gene maps and protein folding diagrams were now as clear in his mind as if he had drawn them himself.
[Bleach]: I think I'm going crazy. When I saw Hime just now, my first thought wasn't what clothes she was wearing, but what would happen to her protein shell if she were infected with the T-virus... By the way, can a soul be infected with the T-virus?
[The Legend of the Condor Heroes]: What's so great about Scarlet Witch? She's as flat-chested as Rukia, and not even as pretty as Lisa Yadōmaru.
[Harry Potter]: You don't understand, do you? As the saying goes, when you're well-fed and warm, you think about other things. Besides, Hisana has the added bonus of a character in the story, and she's even a married woman who hasn't joined the plot yet. Just thinking about it is exciting.
【Mechanical Era】: That makes sense. It's like why otaku like to date girlfriends who can cosplay—because cosplay isn't the point, the point is the play!
Are you sure it's your girlfriend, and not... cough cough.
Shen Yi, who glanced at the chat group, almost got dragged into a trap. Now is not the time to find a girlfriend for a character in the story; he needs to improve first... Wait, that's not right. I'm safe now. The ones in danger are Shen Yi and the others in the chat group!
In any case, he has now transformed from a clueless underachiever into a theoretical expert on the T-virus. The next step, naturally, is to conduct experiments.
Although it was said that Shen Yi was conducting experiments, he was actually operating automated experimental equipment controlled by the Red Queen. All he could do was design experimental ideas, analyze data, adjust plans, and then verify his ideas in the next experiment.
The good news is that with the "five-core drive" of the chat group, plus the Red Queen's super computing power, they can find the cause and make adjustments in a very short time after each experiment fails.
The bad news is, there have been too many failures.
Fortunately, the test subjects were the high-ranking executives of Umbrella Corporation who were frozen in hibernation pods. Shen Yi wouldn't feel any guilt even if they died; these were all participants in the world-destroying plan, and letting them contribute to rebuilding the world would be a way of making the best use of them.
After some discussion, Shen Yi and his colleagues unanimously agreed that the problem lay with Alice's constitution.
Although Alicia and Alice have the same DNA structure, Alice's DNA was modified to avoid Alicia's premature aging. This is why others cannot perfectly withstand the T-virus enhancement. Alice is essentially an enhanced human, a perfect version of Alicia. Even without the T-virus, she would be a mini-superhuman.
But ordinary people can't change their DNA, so after a brainstorming session, the Shen Yis in the chat group finally came up with a solution.
As we all know, the prototype of the T-virus is the smallpox virus, and China has a method for treating smallpox that is 200 years ahead of the world in terms of technology: vaccination!
The best starting point for achieving this goal is naturally Alice, the cow... cough cough, the experimental subject.
"You're not planning to clone me too, are you?"
Alice looked at Shen Yi with a suspicious expression.
In the past few days, she found survivors near Raccoon City, but did not let them live in the Hive. She also met her best friend Claire and then urged her to kill her boyfriend. Oh no, I mean, she told Claire that "the doctor is a spy for Umbrella Corporation".
The result was obvious: Claire lost her beloved doctor on the spot—she shot him to death in a fit of rage.