Chapter 113: Investigation
The zombies were transported back to the base. They were properly secured in reinforced cages bolted to the floor of the transport vehicle, each one bound at the arms and legs, heads covered to limit sensory triggers.
Even then, they didn’t stop moving.
The restraints creaked under the strain as the infected twisted and jerked against them, low guttural sounds slipping through the hoods.
"Still got a lot of fight," one of the operators muttered.
Ryan kept his eyes on them the whole ride back.
"Don’t underestimate that," he said. "They don’t feel pain the same way we do."
The convoy passed through the outer gates of Basa Air Base, security opening and sealing behind them in tight sequence. Armed personnel were already waiting at the designated containment zone.
"Unload!" Ryan ordered as soon as they stopped.
The rear doors opened.
The team moved fast.
Two operators per infected, lifting and dragging the restrained bodies out while keeping pressure on the limbs.
"Easy—keep the head down!"
"Watch the arms!"
One of the infected thrashed harder, managing to slam its shoulder against the metal frame.
"Hold it!" Ryan stepped in, pressing it down with force. "Don’t give it space!"
They secured both inside a reinforced holding cage, steel bars thick and spaced just enough to prevent reach. Additional restraints were locked in place.
"Containment secure," one of the guards reported.
Ryan exhaled slowly, stepping back.
"Good," he said. "Get them ready for observation."
***
Two hours later, in the medbay. Adrian watched Seo-yeon getting her final checks from the doctor.
"She’s good now," the doctor said.
"Thank you doctor," Adrian said and the doctor excused himself.
With that, they were left alone.
"The zombies are ready for observation, do you want to go now?" Adrian said.
"Or do you need more time?" Adrian added.
Seo-yeon sat up slowly, removing the last of the monitoring clips from her fingers.
"I’m good," she said. "If they’re ready, I don’t see a reason to wait."
Adrian studied her for a second.
"You sure?" he asked. "Once we start, it won’t be comfortable."
She met his gaze.
"I didn’t come here for comfort," she replied.
That was enough.
Adrian gave a small nod.
"Alright," he said.
He stepped aside as a nurse handed Seo-yeon a clean lab coat and a pair of gloves. She slipped them on without hesitation, tying her hair back quickly.
"Follow me," Adrian said.
They stepped out of the medbay and into the corridor.
The base was active personnel moving and the sound of equipment being moved somewhere in the distance.
Seo-yeon noticed it all.
"This place is... organized," she said.
"It has to be," Adrian replied. "We don’t get a second chance if it breaks down."
They reached a secured door guarded by two armed personnel.
"Sir," one of them said, stepping aside.
Adrian keyed in the access code.
The door unlocked with a heavy click.
"Stay behind the glass at all times," he said as they entered. "No exceptions."
Seo-yeon nodded.
Inside, the environment changed.
The observation room overlooked a reinforced containment chamber below.
And inside, the two infected.
Still restrained and still moving. Even after everything.
One slammed itself against the restraints, the metal rattling slightly under the force. The other twisted on the ground, trying to drag itself forward despite the damage to its legs.
Seo-yeon stopped.
Her eyes locked onto them.
"...They’re more active than I expected," she said quietly.
Adrian stood beside her.
"As you may know, zombies move so fast. If you are familiar with World War Z zombies or Train to Busan, they are literally like that, which explains the reason why the spread was so fast in dense urban centers." Adrian explained.
Adrian watched her reaction for a second, then shifted his gaze back to the containment chamber.
"Remind me again," he said. "What exactly are you looking for?"
Seo-yeon didn’t take her eyes off the infected.
"Baseline behavior first," she said. "Movement patterns, reaction speed, coordination."
One of the infected suddenly jerked forward, slamming its body against the restraints again.
She tracked it closely.
"They’re not random," she added. "There’s direction in how they move."
Adrian crossed his arms slightly.
"You’re saying they’re thinking?"
"Not thinking," she replied. "Responding. There’s a difference."
The second infected twisted violently, dragging itself across the floor despite the damage to its legs.
Seo-yeon stepped a bit closer to the glass.
"I need to see how they react to stimuli," she continued. "Sound, light, proximity."
Adrian nodded.
"We can arrange that."
She glanced at him briefly.
"Not yet," she said. "Let me observe them naturally first."
He didn’t interrupt.
"After that," she went on, "I want to examine tissue condition. Muscle degradation, blood flow, signs of necrosis."
Ryan, who had just stepped into the observation room, leaned against the wall.
"They don’t bleed like normal," he said. "Not much, at least."
Seo-yeon nodded slightly.
"That’s what I want to confirm."
She looked back at the infected again.
"And I want to see how far they can push their bodies," she added. "Speed like that... it shouldn’t be sustainable. I mean they don’t eat so where do they get their energy from."
Adrian followed her line of thought.
"That’s been bothering us too," he said. "They don’t stop. No food, no rest, but they keep going."
Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes slightly, watching as one of the infected tried to force itself upright again, muscles straining in unnatural ways.
"That means one of two things," she said. "Either their metabolism has changed completely... or something else is driving their movement."
Ryan frowned.
"Something else?" he asked.
She nodded slowly.
"A parasite, maybe. Or a neurological override," she said. "If the brain is being hijacked, then normal limits don’t apply."
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"So the body just burns out?"
"It should," she replied. "Muscle fibers tear. Energy depletes. Systems collapse."
She paused.
"But they’re still moving."
That was the part that didn’t make sense.
The first infected slammed forward again, the restraints holding but barely. Its breathing was uneven, almost like it didn’t follow a normal rhythm.
Seo-yeon pointed at it.
"Look at that," she said. "The breathing pattern is off. It’s not oxygen-driven the way ours is."
Ryan stepped a bit closer to the glass.
"...So they don’t need oxygen?" he asked.
"I didn’t say that," she replied. "But they might not rely on it the same way."
Adrian crossed his arms.
"Meaning they can keep going even if their body should’ve shut down."
"Yes."
There was a brief silence as they all watched.
Then Seo-yeon spoke again.
"I need to confirm internal function," she said. "Brain activity, if there’s any left. Heart rate. Blood flow."
Adrian nodded.
"We can set that up."
She finally stepped back slightly from the glass.
"And I’ll need one of them alive for dissection," she added.
Ryan let out a breath.
"...Alive?"
Seo-yeon looked at him.
"As intact as possible," she said. "If we kill it first, we lose valuable data."
"Okay."