Within Three Days

"Pretty much," Ding Naiqing nodded, looking drained. "We're stretched thin right now. A third of our Pioneer Team has been pulled to monitor the uninjured survivors, and the Executive Department guards don't have much experience with aliens. We Pioneers have to pick up the slack."

"Monitoring uninjured survivors?" Tu Ran caught onto a key point.

She thought of the little girl in the red dress.

A single girl—why would they need so many people watching her?

"Right, Ran-jie, you might not know this, but some of the uninjured have mutated too."

Tu Ran's brows furrowed. "How is that possible?" She couldn't wrap her head around it. "Don't aliens only infect through blood?"

Ding Naiqing shook his head. "The Research Institute hasn't figured out the cause yet. But there aren't many of those uninjured mutants—only a few cases in total. Of course, we can't rule out that they actually had wounds that the instruments just didn't pick up."

Tu Ran's face clouded with worry. Clearly, the situation was far more serious than she'd imagined.

The biggest threat to the Federation had become those invisible carriers—the uninjured infected.

"Ran-jie, we only need to hold this position for three days. The Research Institute says the virus can linger in a human body for at most three days—it will definitely break out within that window."

At least that was some good news.

"Alright, I've got it. Go get some rest."

She patted his shoulder.

Ding Naiqing looked terrible right now.

He'd been on edge all night, and Tu Ran worried he'd collapse asleep on the floor any second.

"Okay, I'll sleep then. If anything comes up, just call me. I'll be at the end of the corridor, bedding down with the guards."

"Mm, got it. Go on now." Tu Ran urged him along.

Ding Naiqing's eyelids were barely staying open. He dragged his heavy steps toward the break room.

Finally, he could close his eyes for a bit. With Ran-jie here, he could rest easy.

Tu Ran watched him enter the break room.

She did a loop around the corridor, getting a good sense of the floor's layout.

From Ward 401 to Ward 410, all the survivors were housed here.

Each room held three patients.

The small equipment room at the end of the corridor had been hastily converted into a rest area, temporarily serving the Pioneers and guards.

Another ward served as the doctors' quarters. One doctor had died, so only two were left.

Tu Ran paused outside each ward, peering through the transparent glass to observe what was inside.

Most people lay in their hospital beds.

Some were unconscious, the instruments beside their beds showing unstable vital signs.

Others had leg injuries—casts propped up and suspended high.

Those who weren't in bed crouched in corners, hiding.

They were afraid of the person sharing their room mutating.

Every room had surveillance cameras. Zero could monitor the patients in real time and would raise an alarm at the first sign of anything wrong.

The ward doors were unlocked, each one openable from the inside.

That way, if someone spotted their roommate starting to mutate, they could escape in time.

But from what Tu Ran had seen on her patrol, very few people could even manage to run.

"Beep—Patient in Bed 3, Ward 403, heart rate dropping sharply! Now at 43 beats per minute! Patient in Bed 3, Ward 403, heart rate dropping sharply! Now at 43 beats per minute! Medical attention required! Medical attention required!"

Zero's voice cut in abruptly.