Infected - Chapter 53



Only Noblemtl

Episode 52

“You’re a corporal. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-one. But why are you speaking informally to me?”

The sergeant, who was crouching and smoking a cigarette, asked in a bewildered manner, exhaling smoke into the distance.

He had quite a bit of guts.

Normally, you’d get scared if you got hit once, but wouldn’t it be better to speak to him as if you were scolding him?

“That kid is so picky… That’s why I gave him cigarettes. And I’m your senior, senior. It’s been a long time. When I enlisted, you were sucking on ice cream in the neighborhood with a runny nose. Can’t you speak to me a little more informally?”

“… No, please do.”

Contrary to his appearance, he surprisingly had an innocent side.

Maybe because we exchanged blows, Jaejae somehow became close to me.

“The world is like this, and you’re a soldier… You must have a hard time too. What grade is yours?”

“It’s a compliment.”

“It must be really unfair. He probably doesn’t have much time left until he’s discharged.”

“I don’t think much of it. How can I not be dead?”

“but…….”

When the finances were halfway done, the sergeant said.

“But is that true?”

“what?”

“I’ve heard other people’s accounts of how they got here. Riding in a car, evading zombies, luring them with firework arrows, avoiding a crashing helicopter… Is that true?”

“Why? Don’t you think so?”

The sergeant scanned the finances up and down.

“Rather than that, isn’t it just absurd? But since everyone else is saying the same thing, I can’t help but believe it… I don’t know. I’ve been here since day one, so I don’t know the details of the outside situation. But I do know how fast and strong the zombies are. The outer wall almost collapsed several times. Even the wall was barely able to hold it back, but since they say they survived outside, honestly… … .”

“Yeah, that’s ridiculous. I don’t know how I got here. But so what? Whether it’s true or not, what’s important is that I’m alive, like you said.”

“That is true.”

The sergeant nodded.

“But if you’ve been here since day one, you must know the situation here well. Was there a safe zone created from the moment you first came here?”

“It was still being built at that time. It was originally bigger than this, but it became narrower as we retreated and built a concrete wall to establish a defensive line.”

“then…….”

At that moment, soldiers moving to change shifts appeared in the distance.

Jaejung had no choice but to put out his cigarette and get up.

Then he put the cigarettes he had in his pocket into the sergeant’s pocket.

“Thank you. I will enjoy it.”

“Yeah. Your name is… Kim Chanyeol?”

“Please feel free to call me Corporal Kim.”

“Yes, Corporal Kim. Even though we didn’t get off to a good start, let’s be friends while we’re at it. Next time we meet, I’ll buy you another pack of cigarettes. Let’s go to the physical examination room.”

“Yes, I understand.”

So Private Kim brought the finances to the entrance of the inspection room, bowed, and disappeared.

First of all, we needed someone who could dig up information from anyone.

If the soldiers were responsible for the actual safety of the safe zone, it wouldn’t hurt to become friendly with a few.

Moreover, it was Jaejae who knew the military system better than anyone else.

It was easy to become close friends.

Flutter!

Jae-jae, who had finished his examination naked, came out wearing clothes.

Then a short man with a small build clung to me.

The sight of them walking together looked just like cicadas on an old tree.

He introduced himself as the production area manager, but insisted on being called ‘Manager.’

Finance began to tour the safe zone following the manager as if on a field trip.

The manager was busy talking and explaining the inside without stopping.

He seemed to lack confidence overall, with his busy eyes moving around while studying Jae-jae’s face the whole time he was talking and his passive gait.

“I will now show you in order from the innermost part of the safe zone to the outermost part.”

I looked up at the towering financial building.

63 Square stands alone on the banks of the Yeouido River.

The administrator said that the pulse of the South Korean government continues here.

Anyway, it was a good thing.

In this situation, the fact that the government is still in power will give courage to the survivors in many ways.

Even if it was only a facade, there was a difference between a state institution being alive and one that had collapsed.

No, it had to be different.

The current situation was such that it could easily turn into a lawless area where the strong prey on the weak.

In times like these, the government’s role in holding the center was enormous just by existing.

The building is a bit flashy though.

The manager called this building ‘the tower’.

And in front of that tower, numerous barracks were seen, each aligned with the other.

It seemed like this was where the soldiers resided.

Between the tower and the barracks, there was an endless chain-link fence, and sentries stood guard at each entrance.

What an ironclad security.

Finance followed the manager through the military base and reached the apartment complex.

There was another fence between the military base and the apartment complex.

Likewise, there was a guard standing at each entrance.

The manager pointed to a sign stuck in the ground in front of the fence.

A makeshift wooden sign had the words “Area A” written in large letters.

“This is the production area. All the vegetable gardens covering the entire apartment complex were created this time, and we just started farming with the seeds that the soldiers airlifted. It’s only been a few days… but I’m looking forward to summer soon, so I’m optimistic. All the vegetable gardens and seeds are in my hands, and the crops that will be grown in the future will be the same.”

As the manager said, countless vegetable gardens were visible in the apartment complex beyond the fence.

The garden was filled with playgrounds, parking lots, and everything else, creating a spectacular sight.

It was a truly eco-friendly city.

“Who lives in that apartment?”

“Ah, that’s where the producers live. Since we can’t build houses, we intentionally set up the production area here. I heard that Jae-Jeong will be assigned to a military unit, and since it’s close to the production area, we’ll be seeing him often. Please take good care of him in the future.”

Then he bowed his head deeply.

Aha, now I get it.

This seemed to be how this man survived.

What about the rest of the group?

I suddenly became curious.

“Where did the others go?”

“Are you here with us?”

“yes.”

“Let’s see… … .”

The manager took a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket.

The names of all the party members were written there without fail.

“First of all, Min-young lives in the tower.”

“Tower? Why?”

“We decided to go there because we are short on medical staff and we are working to develop our own vaccine.”

“vaccine?”

Finance’s eyes widened.

Suddenly you’re making a vaccine?

“Yes. The doctor is leading the way, and there are quite a few specialists, so I’m hopeful that we’ll succeed someday. All the survivors in the entire area are looking forward to that and doing their best in their respective positions.”

“Is it possible?”

“That’s what they say. I don’t know the details either.”

The manager smiles awkwardly.

It’s a vaccine.

This makes a difference.

But why are they planning to only allow VIPs to escape?

If a vaccine is developed here, they will rush to the Korean government’s rescue.

Are we just leaving both possibilities open?

Of course, developing a vaccine is not easy.

Finances were reminiscent of the pandemics that have swept the world in recent years.

Research institutes in each country invested astronomical amounts of money and resources and competed to research vaccines.

However, it was not developed as quickly as expected, and thanks to this, the general public also learned about vaccine development through the news.

Vaccine development takes anywhere from three years at the shortest to over ten years at the longest.

Even with all the resources and manpower in place, it was like that.

But is it possible to develop a vaccine when everything is lacking as it is now?

Is this really a plausible story?

I don’t know.

I don’t know for sure, but I had a rough idea.

It’s impossible to make a vaccine for this damn virus, which is so lethal and deadly that it only starts to spread once you die.

Of course, there will be no cure to turn those who have already changed back into humans.

That would be tantamount to challenging the realm of God.

We needed a medicine that would not kill or change even if it was passed on.

Anyway, I thought it was a good sign that they were making that kind of effort.

Because it’s better than doing nothing.

Even if it ended as a hopeless torture, it could still unite people during that time.

As the manager said, it’s like all the survivors are just looking at that one thing and doing their best.

The workers tending the garden waved at the manager.

Some looked at the finances with curiosity, others frowned as if trying to confirm whether they were the original people.

There were indeed vast gardens and countless workers.

Finances left me with so many questions.

How on earth did they prepare all this in advance?

But I decided to endure it.

Because if the rumor got to the ears of this man who was the manager, it would spread like a horse with legs.

It wasn’t credible at all.

Also, it wasn’t that important of a part at this point.

As Private Kim said, the important thing was that he survived anyway.

Isn’t this the safe zone you’ve been longing for?

Moreover, it was more systematic and well-organized than I expected.

There was no one to listen to me and nothing would change if I questioned or questioned the past.

I had to adapt quickly here.

“The rest of the people were all sent to Area B, the border area.”

“Borderland?”

“Yes. If we just pass here, we’ll reach the border… Oh my, you’ve worked hard.”

The manager bowed to the soldiers who opened the gate to the fence.

As we followed him across the fence, a completely different sight unfolded before us.

The concrete exterior walls were at least 10 meters high, and in the spaces without exterior walls, high wooden fences made by tying together logs continued endlessly.

“From here on out, it’s the border. This road is Yeoui-taebang-ro. Along this road, there’s an outer wall that goes all the way to Yeouido Hangang Park on the right and to the front of the community center on the left. Oh my! I told you to be careful.”

The manager was annoyed at the sight of a man falling while carrying dirt.

The man was limping on one leg.

Finance’s complexion darkened.

Plus, there are tents lined up along the road.

There were no houses in this so-called border area where people could live.

Just endless roads and tents.

“Why are that person’s legs like that?”

“I am disabled.”

The manager said nonchalantly.

The financial situation has become so suffocating that it has come to a halt.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“What is the criteria for dividing people into each district here?”

“It’s in the order they came in. Of course, even if they came in late, people who were farmers or related workers went to the production area. I know what you’re trying to say. I’m human too. I feel the same way. But there’s no space to accommodate everyone. And these people who are currently repairing the outer wall were originally not supposed to come in. But the government took the risk and accepted them. Many soldiers died in the process.”

“No, but this is a bit… … .”

That’s what the manager said.

Contrary to expectations, we are in a situation where we cannot even use a quarter of Yeouido as we are retreating and building a wall.

In addition, the current situation has come about because of a lack of housing.

He said that the best they can do now is for soldiers to go out every day and provide various items so that the people in the border area can live somewhat like human beings.

When I listened to it, there was nothing wrong with it.

The military and the government did their best, and if it was a choice made to save more people, it was something they had to accept.

At least everyone is trying.

“Where did the people who came with you go?”

“They’re not here. You might have to go to the community center to see them. Do you want to go?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Since you’re in charge of internal security in the unit anyway, you’ll be going around a lot. You can just say hello then. We’re not family anyway. I guess you’re still attached to each other.”

Finance nodded.

There was one thing I forgot while accompanying you here.

That after arriving at a safe zone, each of us will go our own way to survive.

Even though we didn’t even get to say goodbye properly, it doesn’t mean we won’t see each other forever.

There will come a day when we meet again.

Finance let out a hollow laugh.

Infected people