BXBX NOVEL Chapter 47 It’s Going to be a Long Day Part 1
Chapter 47 It\'s Going to be a Long Day Part 1
Eight o\'clock in the morning, July 27th, 2023.
It\'s been six days since the apocalypse started, almost a week. Richard claimed his daily rewards which weren\'t something of importance. The third-day reward was simply a chest containing a package of soldiers with different specialized fields, the fourth-day reward was a chest containing a package of weapons, specifically the FN SCAR, fifty of them.
Richard decided not to summon the package of soldiers since the space in the condominium was limited. As for the weapons, he opened the chest and distributed them among his troops. Although the choice of weapons for soldiers didn\'t make a substantial difference in their effectiveness against zombies, it came down to personal preference.
The fifth day\'s daily reward consisted of three capsules that increased experience points gained by one hundred percent. On the sixth day, something more valuable came his way—a discount capsule.
The discount capsule, as described in its text, offered a discount ranging from a minimum of 10 percent to a maximum of 70 percent. Essentially, it was a game of chance, with the lowest possible discount being the least favorable outcome Richard could get.
"Let\'s test my luck," Richard said as he tapped on the icon of the discount capsule, and a holographic screen popped up in front of him. The display looked like a slot machine one would often see in video games.
[Tap to spin and get favorable discounts!] instructed the system.
Richard tapped the spin icon and suddenly, the slot machine-style display began spinning. The anticipation was palpable as he watched the symbols whir past. With each passing second, his chances of getting a substantial discount hung in the balance.
After a heart-pounding moment, the spinning finally slowed down, revealing the outcome. The symbols aligned, and Richard was rewarded with a 40 percent discount.
[Congratulations! You have received a forty percent discount on all available items in the shop tab for three days!]
His lips curled into a satisfied grin as he tapped the screen to confirm his reward. It was a decent discount, not the best he could have hoped for, but certainly better than the minimum 10 percent. Every bit of savings counted in a world where resources were scarce, and survival was paramount.
Now, he could buy more sophisticated military hardware at a cheaper price. But before he could do that, he\'d have to assess the situation first in the command center.
So he took his bath, got dressed, and made his way to the command center.
Upon entering the command center, the military staffers, as usual, performed a salute.
"At ease," Richard waved his hand down and the military staffers returned to their work. He made his way to his desk and sat down, contemplating his plans for the day.
Just as he was about to immerse himself in the daily routine of managing their base, Mark approached with a cup of steaming coffee in hand.
"Morning, sir," Mark greeted, offering a cup of coffee. "Figured you could use a pick-me-up to start the day."
Richard nodded appreciatively, accepting the coffee. The aroma of the freshly brewed brew was invigorating. He took a sip and felt a wave of warmth and caffeine course through him.
"Thanks, Mark," Richard said, acknowledging the thoughtful gesture. "It\'s been quite a week, hasn\'t it?"
"Indeed, it has. From a small force to a battalion-sized army. Now we have expanded our base, our men are in the process of clearing the streets of dead zombies. They have been burning the corpses since twelve o\'clock midnight. It\'ll be a day or two before the square kilometer grid becomes habitable for the survivors and our men," Mark said.
"That\'s good to hear," Richard took another sip of his coffee. "So, about Andrea Mcdonie, how is she?"
"Unresponsive sir, although awake, she was only staring blankly in front of her as if her mind had retreated into some distant place," Mark explained. "We tried offering her food but she doesn\'t want it. Maybe she doesn\'t eat human food?"
"That\'s a possibility, maybe she only eats that pill thingy from mutated zombies. Speaking of pills, have you found one in the corpses of the Flyers?"
"According to the staff responsible for that, they dissected the Flyer and found no pill inside their body. Maybe only a select few have those?" Mark assumed.
"Or the Flyers don\'t have pills in them," Richard clicked his tongue. "If we encounter a Hunter and take it down, I want them brought back to base for research."
"Understood sir," Mark acknowledged the order.
"How\'s her medical test?" Richard asked.
"About that," Richard set his coffee cup down pulled out a folder, and grabbed one piece of paper. He handed it to Richard who then perused the content, his brows furrowed.
"Is this it? A single paragraph?" Richard arched a brow.
"Well, sir, we have limited medical equipment in our inventory. We can only do a blood test if we want to learn more about her physiology, the doctors have compiled a list of equipment needed for a complete medical examination."
He shifted his eyes back to the report and read it:
Blood Test Report:
Subject: [Andrea Mcdonie]
Observation:
Red Blood Cells (RBCs):
Identification of an unconventional hemoglobin variant termed "Hemoglobin-X23."
Hemoglobin-X23 is characterized by an aberrant tertiary structure and heightened oxygen-binding affinity.
Elevated oxygen-carrying capacity associated with Hemoglobin-X23, potentially contributing to increased endurance and energy supply.
White Blood Cells (WBCs):
Detection of a unique leukocyte protein designated as "Leukocin-Theta."
Leukocin-Theta exhibits enhanced phagocytic activity and heightened antimicrobial response.
Increased affinity of Leukocin-Theta for pathogenic invaders, potentially contributing to rapid recovery and immunity to infections.
Implication:
The presence of these unusual protein compositions within both RBCs and WBCs indicates a significant genetic alteration or mutation in the subject\'s physiology. Further genetic analysis is recommended to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the subject\'s extraordinary regenerative abilities and exceptional strength.
]
"I don\'t know what I just read," Richard chuckled softly. "Where is the list of equipment the doctors need?"
"Here sir," Mark handed him another letter, and upon seeing it again, Richard frowned.
"DNA Sequencer, PCR Machine, Biopsy Needle, Microscope, X-ray Machine, CT Scanner, MRI Machine, EMG Machine, Nerve Conduction Equipment, Metabolic Rate Analyzer, Hormone Assay Kits, Laboratory Equipment, Blood Analysis Equipment…" Richard paused reading and glanced at Mark. "Look there is a hospital not from here, it\'s called Makati Medical Center, it\'s about 250 meters away. Maybe that hospital has this equipment that our doctors can use…Oh speaking of doctors, were there any survivors in that hospital?"
"Not on our record sir, it seemed as though everyone inside was killed in the outbreak," Mark answered somberly.
"That\'s unfortunate," Richard smacked his lips. "Okay, enough with this Andrea, let\'s talk about increasing our defenses. I plan on acquiring new military hardware."