The Walking Dead: Rebuild

Chapter 155 The expansion of fungal viruses

Time passed and it soon came to the summer of May 2014.

At this time, more than ten months have passed since the implementation of the stronghold network plan. Except for a few states in eastern America, which have not yet established strongholds belonging to the People's Federation, all other states have already had activities of members of the People's Federation. trace.

The number of staff sent from the People's Federation headquarters to various states has reached more than 2000. In some of the first strongholds established, such as Tennessee and other strongholds closer to Georgia, the number of survivors has exceeded Hundreds of people.

Although the number of members in the People's Federation headquarters is getting smaller and smaller, after another year of development, including more than 3000 people in the small stronghold network and more than 4000 people in Florida, the current total number of people in the People's Federation organization It has reached 5000 people.

However, unlike when the People's League was first established, when all the survivors gathered together to survive, after the People's League was established, many people were sent to all parts of the country. They agreed with the concept of rebuilding human civilization and were willing to take risks to carry out the tasks assigned to them by the organization.

At noon that day, Leon was enjoying the radiated crab he brought back from Florida with his family. The plump and tender meat was dipped in a special spicy sauce. It was fragrant and tender and melted in your mouth. It was simply unforgettable.

Even Judith, who was just under three years old, liked eating this kind of meat very much. She slapped her warm hands and urged Karl to keep feeding her.

However, Leon's good mood did not last long. He had just eaten a few kilograms of crabs when he was interrupted by Avril's sudden arrival.

The girl handed over some faxed photos with a serious expression, pasted them in Leon's ear, and whispered:

"Boss, Miss Jasmine and the others have made a major discovery."

"Because they cannot determine the seriousness of the matter, they have returned to the nearest Arkansas stronghold, waiting for your order."

Leon frowned, took the photo in Avril's hand and looked at it.

These photos were taken from a bird's-eye view from a helicopter. Located in the wilderness of Texas, a group of special zombies with mushrooms growing on their heads and upper bodies infected with fungal spores are chasing people from the sky below the plane. The helicopter passed by.

The appearance of these zombies wrapped and decorated with various mushrooms is more frightening than the original decayed appearance.

After just one glance, Leon recognized it immediately. It was like the zombie monster in the very famous game he had played before. When he thought about it, Joel and Sarah, the father and daughter who had now joined the People's League, felt... A pain in the balls.

If I remember correctly, these fungus-infected zombies are much stronger than the weak zombies in The Walking Dead, and the infectivity of fungal viruses is also wider than that of zombie viruses. Even if these two different viruses are put together, will it be possible? No one can say for sure whether more dangerous mutations will occur.

Although thoughts were racing in his mind, Leon still kept a smile on his face, as if it was no big deal. He picked up a crab leg as thick as an arm from the plate, picked up a glass of ice-cold Coke, and finished it slowly. , just said hello to Amy and Paige at the same table, and took Avril to go to the satellite command center.

After arriving at the satellite command center, Lyon also saw footage of zombies in Texas recorded from helicopter cameras and satellite photography systems.

The streets that were originally full of zombies now only have a small number of fungal zombies with mushrooms growing on their heads. Most of the other infected zombies seemed to be affected by the fungal organisms' preference for dark and humid environments, and they all ran into rooms and buildings. , hiding in a dark corner.

This made the originally crowded streets seem a little empty, and in those damp and dark places, various mushroom-like fungal creatures grew out of nowhere.

Although the buildings in these streets have always been quiet, once there is a noise somewhere, the zombies with mushrooms on their heads will immediately rush in from all directions like wolves, swarming up and tearing apart the creatures that make the noise.

Leon could detect that these zombies were very agile and extremely aggressive. They had even reached the running speed of ordinary people, far exceeding the level of ordinary zombies. Even those mutated zombies that had been restored by radiation could not compete with them. They are on par.

It is conceivable that ordinary survivors without protective equipment will basically die if they are surrounded by these fast and attack-minded fungus zombies.

Even those survivors wearing metal armor will be exhausted to death because they cannot get rid of the entanglement of these zombies.

I don't know when, without anyone noticing, these fungal viruses have infected so many zombies, and now the entire state of Texas has become an extremely dangerous place.

Moreover, it is certain that these fungal viruses that are invisible to the naked eye are definitely expanding rapidly throughout the world at an extremely rapid rate. With the power of modern humans, it is basically impossible to stop their spread.

Leon looked at the picture captured by the military radar and was silent for a few minutes. Finally, he picked up the communicator and ordered Jasmine, who had retreated to the Arkansas stronghold:
"Jasmine, you, Carol and Lao Li will temporarily return to the stronghold in Mississippi. By the way, inform everyone in the stronghold in Arkansas that a transport plane will come over tomorrow to pick them up together."

"Until we figure out what kind of harm this new zombie will cause, all of us must try to stay away from them."

"Yes, Your Majesty the President."

Although Jasmine was a little strange, why did Leon pay so much attention to this kind of zombies? In the past few years after the disaster, they had seen many strange and strange monsters. This kind of zombies whose fighting power was only at the level of ordinary people, to them In fact, it is not a big threat.

However, since the supreme leader has spoken, of course they can only follow the order.

Unexpectedly, this operation, which was thought to be the last mission in the stronghold plan, would have such twists and turns.

After obtaining this information, Leon did not delay and immediately went to the research center of Hathaway and Dr. May Alpha.

The reason why Jasmine and others were not asked to go to Texas to collect samples from the corpses of these fungal zombies.

Just out of caution, before we understand how these fungal viruses are spread, if we come into contact with them rashly, we may be walking into the tiger's mouth and losing our lives in vain.

Moreover, even if he collected samples of these fungal viruses, he did not dare to take them directly to the headquarters of the People's Federation base.

If the protective measures are not taken well and there is an internal bloom in the headquarters, it will be Barbie Q.

Soon, Leon came to Dr. Melfa's research center, and met Professor Malloch, Hathaway and Dr. Melfa who also rushed over.

Without delay, Lyon told the three professional researchers in front of him the information he had detected from the military satellite, and secretly expressed his speculation about this fungal virus.

The three professors and doctors all attached great importance to this newly emerged fungal virus. However, out of scientific rigor, they did not rush to put forward their ideas. Instead, they asked Lyon to provide them with a copy of this fungal virus first. Only after samples can we make a judgment.

Of course, Lyon had no objection to this, but he also expressed his doubts.

After the three professional researchers discussed in low voices, Professor Malok said with a solemn expression:
"Your Excellency President, your concerns are not unreasonable, although most fungal viruses can only be transmitted through parasitism, and are easier to be detected by instruments than cellular viruses."

"But no matter what, we have to be cautious."

Having said this, the white professor, who had turned into a muscular man, pushed his eyes and continued:

"In this case, I don't have any important research in hand right now, and I need to complete it immediately."

"It's up to me to take a portable instrument and go to the Arkansas stronghold closest to Texas to conduct close research."

"After I get the preliminary research results on this fungal virus, we will discuss the next step."

When Leon heard this, he knew in his heart that this was the safest way, but he still looked at Professor Mallock with serious eyes and asked:
"Are you sure? Professor Mallock, this is an extremely dangerous task. Maybe we can wait and maybe we can think of a better way later."

Professor Malok smiled casually and said:

"It's okay, Your Excellency the President. In this world, everyone needs to take risks, and I am no exception."

"When I took refuge at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, I thought the world had lost hope and had almost given up on fighting."

“It was you who got me out of there, and it was the Human League that made me understand that there is hope for survivors in this world.”

"I'm willing to take risks for the future of humanity."

Unexpectedly, Professor Mallock still had such an awareness, and Leon felt a little moved in his heart. Perhaps, the organization he established has become a kind of belief-like existence in the hearts of many survivors. It is a belief for many people in the end of the world. The spiritual sustenance of still refusing to give up and working hard to live.

He was silent for a few seconds, patted Professor Malok's shoulder with his hand, and said:

"In that case, it's up to you, Professor."

"Any help you need, I will try my best to satisfy you."

"I will also send an elite team of soldiers to escort you, and have the satellite command center monitor your situation at any time to prevent any accidents." Professor Malok touched his shaved head, smiled, and said:
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty the President, I will successfully complete this mission."

………………

Just when Lyon focused on the danger of fungal viruses from Texas, a new situation also emerged in Jesus, Ohio.

After nearly three months of hard work, Jesus not only managed to get along well within the Salvation Army because of his outstanding skills and brave personality, but he also figured out the route of the tribute team through insinuations and found three others who were being exploited by the Salvation Army. survivor camp.

They are a seaside hotel located on the seaside, a miner's camp hiding in a mine, and a college community hiding in a high school.

Among them, the survivors in the seaside hotel suffered the most. When they were found by the Salvation Army, they resisted the most fiercely. All the men were killed by the Salvation Army, leaving only the old, weak, women and children lingering.

Not only do they have to provide food to the Salvation Army every once in a while, they also have to endure the surging hatred towards the Salvation Army in their hearts and force themselves to smile when facing their enemies.

When Jesus came to unite them with sincerity and the news of the People's Association, the group of women immediately agreed, and often urged Jesus to start revenge as soon as possible.

The opposite is the miners' camp. This camp is located in a large mine in Pennsylvania. The mine is on the mountainside. The residents inside are miners and their families who have worked in the mine.

Because of the complex terrain inside and the remote and hidden location outside, they are rarely attacked by zombies. The rich metal resources in the mine also give each of them the ability to forge a pair of metal armor for themselves, and they live a relatively comfortable life.

Even if they face the Salvation Army, although this group of miners cannot confront them head-on, they can still escape into the inner mines and use the complex environment and countless secret caves hidden in the darkness to entangle with them.

After a period of confrontation, the Salvation Army finally reached an agreement with them. The people in the miner camp would regularly provide them with metal armor, metal weapons, tools and other products, and the Salvation Army would no longer embarrass their residents. Sometimes they even thoughtfully give them some scarce supplies.

Perhaps it was precisely because there were almost no bloody casualties on either side that the residents of the miner camp were unwilling to risk their lives to confront the powerful Salvation Army.

As for the last college community, it used to be an aristocratic private high school with pretty good protection measures, walls and supporting living facilities. It was a camp composed of high school students and teachers and a small number of parents of the students.

Because there are a large number of young people, the residents of their camps are relatively impulsive and bloody. However, the parents and teachers of the students are very resistant to the use of violence because they are concerned about the safety of their children or for other reasons, and their current attitudes are wavering.

Jesus could not tell whether it would be the children who would eventually convince their teachers and parents, or the adults who would discipline their children and not let them take risks.

During the past three months, due to special circumstances, Rick and Sean have been staying in the stronghold in Ohio. With the help of Jesus and their own efforts, the stronghold in Ohio has developed rapidly, and the number of survivors has also increased. It has exceeded 100 people.

Including the staff dispatched from the People's Federation base, their total number is close to two hundred.

However, whether it is luck or some other reason, their stronghold has developed with a high profile so far, and has not attracted the attention of the Salvation Army.

"Mr. Rick, it has been more than three months, and I have already contacted two camps that are willing to fight with us against the Salvation Army."

"Excuse me, when can we start taking action?"

Perhaps he was really anxious. In a daily conversation, Jesus couldn't help but asked his question directly.

Rick didn't mind this either. After getting to know him for such a long time, he knew exactly what kind of person Jesus was.

"Sorry, Jesus, we have temporarily encountered a very difficult problem at our base."

Jesus' face looked a little ugly. Rick quickly added:
"But don't worry, His Excellency the President has given me the responsibility for this matter. I can handle the relationship with the Salvation Army on behalf of the People's Federation."

Rick thought for a few seconds and finally told Jesus the truth:
"Jesus, The Salvation Army is just a small problem. You may not know that our world is not as simple as you see."

"These zombie monsters you have seen are just the weakest, ordinary monsters that have not mutated. Their individual combat power is not even as good as that of a wild dog."

"Now there are many monsters beyond your imagination in the world, just like the mutant monsters in the movies in the past."

"Any one of them can destroy a survivor camp with hundreds of people without any resistance."

"And now, according to the latest intelligence from our People's Federation, a brand new virus has appeared in Texas. They use fungi to infect ordinary zombies."

"Turning them into monsters that are as fast as a normal person running."

"Can you imagine? When these slow-moving, rotting zombies around you all turn into extremely aggressive zombies that move as fast as a sprinter, how do ordinary people deal with it?"

"Whether it's you or the Salvation Army, in front of them, they are just a bunch of moving delicious food."

Jesus was shocked by Rick's words, and even couldn't help showing some doubts in his eyes.

In his opinion, the world is already difficult enough now. Survivors often die violently when faced with slow-moving zombies.

If in the future, as Mr. Rick said, there will be monster zombies that can run as fast as humans, then even experienced survivors will be besieged to death when facing multiple zombies.

Zombie-dense towns and villages like this, and even residential buildings and manufacturing factories in the suburbs, will become danger zones for most survivors.

It will be extremely dangerous for the survivors to search for supplies or other tools. Even if they are discovered by these fungus zombies and surround their camp, everyone in the camp will be trapped alive within the wall.

As if guessing that Jesus might be suspicious, Rick continued:

"Operations against the Salvation Army can begin at any time."

"You must find a time to bring all the camp leaders who are willing to participate in the operation to me. Let's discuss a plan together. By the way, I will share some information with you that you don't know."

"Let you understand what this world has become."

………………

At the same time, at the headquarters of the CRM Citizen Republic, General Ross and Dr. Evelin also obtained some information about the fungal virus in Texas through their own intelligence network.

Seeing those agile and aggressive fungus zombies captured on military satellites, General Ross's anger suddenly arose again.

He couldn't help but light a cigar for himself, and while smoking, he cursed:

"Damn scientists, damn viruses, damn Masonic bastards, at this time, these Masonic bastards are still studying those disgusting, disgusting viruses."

"Look what they have done. After turning the earth we live on into a hell, now they want to create even more evil monsters."

"Damn these, sons of bitches."

"One day, I will use their flesh and blood to pay tribute to those innocent people who died in vain."

The elegant woman on the other end of the phone seemed to be drinking coffee. After a subtle sucking sound that made the man's blood swell, the beautiful female voice said:
"That's probably a good thing, General Ross."

"I have never seen relevant research on this fungal virus. It is probably a special mutation caused by accident."

"As for the research and development of zombie viruses, we are too far behind the Freemasonry. Now this kind of accident occurs, it is very likely to bring us both to the same starting line."

"Although the world will become more unpredictable, it will actually increase our chances of defeating the Freemasons."

The beautiful female voice chuckled and continued:
"My teacher, Dr. Manhattan, probably couldn't have imagined that such a flaw would occur in his carefully planned plan."

"Haha, I really want to see now what kind of expression he will show after knowing this."

(End of this chapter)