Finding Safe Haven ⚊ &Team Nicholas

four

“Even in the apocalypse, when all hope seems extinguished by the darkness, remember: a single act of courage can light the way to a new dawn.” – The Force

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At the top of the cold, metallic stairs stood a woman in her late twenties, dressed in an immaculate white suit. Her presence was a stark contrast to the sterile, clinical environment surrounding her. Beside her, the South Korea's President, who had staunchly defended the continuation of this controversial experiment, glanced with a steely resolve.

The decision had been made despite fierce objections from the remaining senators. The other leaders of the different nations, sequestered in their fortified underground bunkers, had cast their votes in favor of the plan, deeming the potential for success worth the ethical price.

A fleeting smile touched the woman’s lips as she watched the procession below. The guards, clad in ominous black suits and armed with imposing rifles, ushered in a group of kids and teenagers. Their faces, initially radiant with the hope of safety within the President's hidden sanctuary, soon dimmed as they were led through the white labyrinth of the facility.

Their hopeful expressions shattered when they glimpsed the other side of the mirrored partition. Behind the glass, restrained on metal tables, lay the first test subjects—people strapped down with leather restraints, their pleas for mercy ignored by the indifferent scientists.

The scene was haunting; the subjects’ cries mingled with the clatter of instruments and the chilling hum of machinery.

Yet, the true horror lay further back. A massive glass dome dominated the space, and inside, even at a distance, the guttural growls of zombies echoed through the air. The children and teenagers shuddered as they observed, their apprehension mounting.

The situation escalated into sheer terror when one of the doctors performed an unsettling procedure. With clinical precision, the doctor injected the blood of a zombie into the arm of a child, no older than ten. The transformation was swift and horrific; the child convulsed violently before their veins shifted from red to a sickly yellow.

In moments, she became one of them—a zombie, her innocent eyes now vacant and hollow.

The doctor shook his head in resignation. "Another failed experiment."

A murmuring of discontent rippled through the room as the doctors and scientists gathered, their faces etched with frustration and intrigue.

"Where can we possibly find a child who is immune to this virus?" one of them asked aloud, their voice tinged with desperation.

A colleague looked up from her task of dismembering a now-zombified child, her face set in grim determination. "Is it really possible to find such an immune subject?"

"That's why we're here," Mr. Kim interjected, his voice authoritative. "To find a cure."

The room fell silent as Mr. Kim’s gaze swept over his colleagues. His words carried the weight of grim excitement. "If one of these kids is immune, he will exhibit the zombies' abilities without succumbing to the infection."

A collective gasp arose. The notion of a human possessing zombie-like powers was both disturbing and thrilling.

Another scientist, eyes wide with curiosity, asked, "How does that work?"