Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Chapter 64  Secret Documents

"That's a great haul this time…" Shane muttered as he looked at his Inventory.

[ Inventory: Memory Sphere x21, Item Upgrade Crystals x59, Zombie Cores x165, 55L Water, Bread x60, Acid Pouch x13, Spirit Enhancement Bottle x190, Strength Enhancement Bottle x5, Agility Enhancement Bottle x5, Spitter Tongue x1, Sling Bag x2 ] Then, he finally turned his attention to the secret chamber, where the secret of the World Government lies. He wasn't sure what he was about to find out, but he was excited whatever it was.

As he stepped into the chamber, his eyes scanned the dimly lit room. Thanks to the hole his body created in the wall, there was enough light to see through the things within the room.

The chamber was surprisingly spacious because of the high ceiling and a large window that overlooked the forest landscape outside. The walls were lined with shelves, filled with books, files, and various objects. The floor was covered with a thick carpet, stained with blood and dirt.

Shane then walked around the chamber, curious about its contents. At this time, Harper and Leo spoke.

"Sir Shane, I don't know how to read or write, so I cannot help you here. I'll go ahead and guard the surroundings for now." Harper said.

"I only know how to read a few words. I'll leave this place to you… Right, my hammer is gone. I'll use the spare ones we're keeping in the warehouse." Leo added.

Shane gently nodded as he allowed them to do what they wanted.

"Yes… You can leave me here."

After that, Shane picked up a few books from the shelf and skimmed through them.

He did this several times and confirmed they were mostly academic and historical texts. They were nothing too interesting. He saw titles like "The Rise and Fall of the Zeno Republic", "The History of the Continent and Its Nations", and "The Science of Bioengineering and Genetic Modification". Of course, there were also some other regular books like "The Age of Capital: How the Industrial Revolution Changed the World", "The Economic Collapse of the Zeno Republic", "The End of Poverty: How to Achieve Economic Development", and "The Enlightened Economy: How Innovation and Education Transformed the World"

These books seemed like they would bring him knowledge about the continent before it had become zombie-infested. Nonetheless, he wondered if these books had any connection to the zombies, but he didn't find any clues.

He moved on to the other shelves, where he found more items that caught his attention. He saw a very basic map with only a few regions marked, a radio, a camera, and a telescope. Shane couldn't help but wonder who used to live in this chamber, and what they were doing here. It doesn't seem to be a place for priests.

However, this question was soon answered. He noticed some trophies, medals, and certificates, indicating that the person was a distinguished scholar and researcher. He saw a name engraved on one of the trophies: Dr. Alexander Wright.

Shane squinted his eyes. He certainly didn't recognize this man, but based on the certificates and trophies he found, he could tell that Dr. Wright was a famous scientist who worked for the World Government, specializing in biotechnology and genetics. He was known for his groundbreaking discoveries and inventions but also for his controversial experiments and ethics. Then, Shane saw some old newspapers stacked on the shelf. "Missing Researcher…" Shane muttered as he read the headlines… Apparently, Dr. Wright had disappeared many years ago, shortly before the zombie outbreak. Some said he was killed, some said he defected, some said he went into hiding.

'Could this be his secret chamber or someone searching for him?' Shane wondered. However, the likelihood of this being Dr. Wright's secret base was higher.

If so, what secrets did he hide here?

Shane then continued to explore the chamber, hoping to find more answers. He finally reached the study table, where he saw a broken computer, a lamp, and a folder. The computer seemed to have been smashed, but the folder beside it was fine and it was open, revealing a stack of papers. Shane felt a surge of curiosity. He walked over to the table and picked up the folder. Then, on its cover, he saw a label that read: Project Z.

Curious, he opened it and found what seemed to be the documents he was looking. Anyway, some of these papers were stained with blood and torn at the edges. Shane couldn't help but pray that the important bits of information weren't blocked by these.

'Project: Z… Is this related to the Zombie Virus? Well, I wouldn't get a title if the information here is unimportant.' Shane thought as he scanned through the papers, hoping to find some clues about the origin of the zombies.

After a few moments, Shane smiled at what he found.

"I'm right…" Shane softly spoke as he read the paper.

The documents revealed that Project Z was a secret experiment conducted by the World Government, in collaboration with a biotech company called BioGenix. The goal was to create a super-soldier serum that would enhance human abilities and immunity. This sounded incredible, without a doubt. If it succeeded, it would empower the country, and it would bring its enemies to its knees.

However, although it had a promising outcome, it also had ominous results if it didn't go as planned. Just as Shane had expected, the experiment went horribly wrong when the serum, instead of boosting the subjects' health, turned them into mindless, flesh-eating monsters.

The first outbreak occurred in a remote facility in the mountains, where the serum was tested on a group of volunteers. The volunteers, unaware of the true nature of the experiment, were injected with the serum and monitored for any changes. Within hours, they began to exhibit signs of infection: fever, nausea, aggression, and cannibalism. The infection spread quickly, as the infected attacked and bit the staff and other volunteers. Soon, the entire facility was overrun by zombies.

"So the virus is man-made?" Shane muttered, but he shook his head after some thought. He couldn't just summarize it with that. After all, the scientists who made the serum had probably used some kind of elements or materials that weren't from this world. Shane couldn't help but guess since the mutation was just too much, especially that Giant Zombie that he had seen before.

Anyway, Shane continued reading the documents.

After the facility was overtaken by the man-eating creatures or Zombies, the World Government tried to contain the situation, sending a special task force to eliminate the zombies and destroy the facility. However, they underestimated the zombies' strength and numbers, and the mission failed... To summarize what had happened, the zombies escaped the facility and spread to the nearby towns and villages, infecting more people and creating more chaos.

'So it's really like that, huh… It all started with a failed serum or because of the ambitious scientists of the Zeno Republic.' Shane mused as he continued reading…

He was actually hoping that the researchers had found a way to stop the spread of the virus.

After turning a few more pages, the information that he was looking for had shown itself.

"This is it…"

The documents mentioned something that caught his interest.

It was about a woman named Sofia, who was one of the volunteers in the experiment. According to the records, Sofia was the only one who did not turn into a zombie after being injected with the serum. Instead, she showed remarkable resistance to the infection and even developed some enhanced abilities, such as increased strength, speed, and healing. She was dubbed "Patient Zero," the key to finding a cure for the zombie virus.

However, Sofia's fate was unknown. The documents suggested that she was captured by the World Government and taken to a secret location for further study. But there was no confirmation of her whereabouts or condition. Then, just like that, the documents ended abruptly, and the next parts were deliberately cut off or destroyed.

"Sofia… Patient Zero…"

Shane was stunned by what he had read. First of all, he didn't expect that the zombies were the result of a failed experiment by this world's World Government. He thought that the virus came from an otherworldly phenomenon like a meteor or perhaps, it was brought by whoever brought the Survivors here from Earth.

He also couldn't help but wonder about Sofia's situation, whether she was already dead or being imprisoned by the World Government. Well, he couldn't even tell how many years had passed since these documents were written, so there was really no point in thinking about her. Instead, he should probably consider getting the results of the research done on her.

Anyway, Shane decided to keep the documents safe, hoping to find more clues and answers once he reread them. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Then, as he tucked the documents in the folder, a locked drawer on the study table caught his attention.