Chapter 569: Cholera 3
That afternoon, infected people began appearing in The Undercity as well. Lynn Pierce brought a team over to seal off the entire floor where they were found, and personnel in hazmat suits started a full-scale disinfection with backpack sprayers.
Evelyn Ford gathered everyone, explained the gravity of the situation, and repeatedly stressed that no one was to leave their rooms until the cholera outbreak was over.
"The shelters outside are probably even worse. Are there any hospitals in Flumen?"
"Yes, the old People’s Hospital is still standing. A medical team has already been dispatched to help. As long as the cure is effective, they should be able to get the situation under control quickly."
Disinfection was also crucial. Evelyn Ford noticed that the disinfectant being sprayed in The Undercity wasn’t very effective, and its smell was extremely pungent.
Although the Solar Lamps released heat, the oxygen levels had not yet recovered. Hypoxia combined with cholera caused the death rate to skyrocket. Thirty percent of the infected had already perished—a terrifying statistic.
The Undercity’s broadcast came on again, and an unfamiliar, deep male voice sounded from the speakers.
[Good afternoon, residents. Due to the cholera outbreak, residents of the base have become infected, and some have died. Any resident needing to leave The Undercity must first pick up a hazmat suit from the service desk. Any resident returning to The Undercity must report to the service desk for full-body disinfection. The medical team is working to develop a cure. We ask that residents do not panic and cooperate fully with The Undercity’s administrative staff.]
"It feels like it’s getting more and more serious. Life was already hard enough, and now there’s cholera. It’s like God wants to wipe us all out."
"Tell me about it. I heard a lot of people died at the hospital last night. There were bodies all over the floor."
"When will these days ever end? It feels hopeless. What’s the point of just barely surviving like this?"
...
Outside the door, the two workers disinfecting the area complained as they worked. Inside the room, everyone sat in a circle, their moods heavy.
"Ronan Kendrick goes out every day. He has to be so careful," Officer Graham said with concern. But he also knew that whenever Ronan left, it was for something extremely important.
Ronan Kendrick gave a slight nod. "I’ll be fine."
"Everyone, take one of the pills. Prevention is crucial, after all."
Evelyn Ford took out a bottle of medicine and distributed it. Annie and Zoe each got half a tablet, and the adults each got one.
"Once the base manages to produce the cure, they should distribute it for preventative use, whether someone is infected or not. That should help. One pill per person isn’t a huge amount." Evelyn Ford sighed. ’I can’t believe I forgot to tell Liam Sterling this. Then again, he’s smart. He should realize that prevention is as important as treatment.’
"Evelyn, how much of the cure do you have left?"
"Not much, just a few dozen bottles. I’m keeping these as a backup."
"Is there any spare land in the planting area?" Evelyn Ford looked at Ethan Dawson.
"There’s some. We were planning to put up stakes to grow green beans and chayote."
"Let’s plant more medicinal herbs. With herbs, it’s better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. The planting cycle in the space is short, the soil is fertile, and the herbs grown there are more potent. Have Wendy plant herbs in her two-acre medicinal field too. In the future, we’ll need to set aside ten acres of our personal plots for medicinal herbs. This is something I didn’t think through properly."
"Understood."
Evelyn Ford’s eyelid was twitching violently. She used to be a materialist, but after so many years in the apocalypse, it seemed she was becoming superstitious.
Rubbing her eyes, Evelyn Ford continued to assign tasks.
That night before bed, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick were talking about the base’s medical team.
"I wonder if they’ve managed to produce it yet. I wrote down the formula and proportions in great detail, and every step and calculation was clear. There shouldn’t be any issues. The herbs are all high-quality. As long as they have all the ingredients, they should logically be able to get results within two days."
"I’m sure it’ll be fine. Don’t overthink it. Rhys Chase’s people are no slouches. You have to trust their abilities." Ronan Kendrick gently soothed her back. "Go to sleep. I’m sure there will be good news tomorrow."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Okay. I hope we wake up to good news."
「The next day」
Liam Sterling came by again.
He was in a hazmat suit, so bundled up that if his name hadn’t been taped to the back, no one would have recognized him at first.
"Ma’am, we might need you to come to the lab. Their development process is stuck on one of the formulas. They produced a batch of finished medicine last night, but the pills are ochre-colored and smell sour—completely different from the pearly white ones you made."
Liam Sterling’s voice was hoarse. He looked exhausted, as if he hadn’t rested properly in days.
"Have something to eat first. We can go after."
Liam Sterling managed a faint smile. "Thank you, ma’am."
Quincy and Officer Graham put together a few dishes for him, and Liam Sterling devoured the food.
"Liam, Mr. Chase should hire a couple more assistants. Otherwise, you’re going to work yourself to death."
Liam Sterling smiled. "Mr. Chase is even busier than I am. He hasn’t rested these past few days, with endless meetings every day. There are troubles from within and without. The plane sent to Arden Base has returned, but the weapons they sent weren’t enough. Management held several meetings and finally agreed to send them another shipment of weapons."
Evelyn Ford frowned. "The people from Yarrow haven’t given up yet?"
"The environmental devastation in Yarrow is too severe. They have almost no food reserves. To survive, Yarrow’s government has officially started endorsing cannibalism."
As he said this, Liam Sterling suddenly gagged and retched.
"Liam, you’re not infected with cholera, are you?!" Quincy shouted.
Liam Sterling shook his head. "No, it’s just... talking about Yarrow makes me sick. I took the medicine you gave me, ma’am, and I feel perfectly fine."
Evelyn Ford took out another bottle for him. It contained twenty pills.
"Take this. It’s important you take care of yourself."
Liam Sterling was so moved his eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you, ma’am."
After the meal, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick followed Liam Sterling to the laboratory. Ronan didn’t feel safe letting Evelyn go alone and insisted on going with her.
The laboratory was also in The Undercity, but on the lowest levels. Before entering, they had to undergo a full-body disinfection and then put on hazmat suits. Inside, more than a dozen people were busy at work. The oldest was in their seventies, and the youngest was only in their early twenties.
As everyone stared at the various instruments, Evelyn noted that there was even less equipment here than what she had in her space. She finally understood why she had been able to develop the cure. ’It’s because I used the equipment from Quincy’s company.’
"Director Shaw, this is the developer of the cure, Evelyn Ford."
Evelyn Ford quickly corrected Liam Sterling. "I re-developed it. I’m not the original inventor."
Liam Sterling relayed her words. Everyone looked at Evelyn Ford eagerly. The cure was a matter of life and death and couldn’t be delayed any longer. Rhys Chase’s side had already run tests: infected individuals who took the medicine made a full recovery within eight hours, with no side effects at all.
"Miss Ford, could you please help us see if there’s a problem with this formula?"
Talent respects talent. Evelyn Ford really liked this kind of work environment.
"The formula is fine. There must be a slight error in the proportions. Let’s run the experiment again."