The Ford F-150 and Camaro, lights flashing and sirens blaring, arrived at a residential area in less than 15 minutes. The area was now completely blocked off by HPD police cars.
Where there was usually only one cordon, there were now three. The innermost tape was a terrifying red. Police cars were parked three abreast, completely blocking every intersection.
All the officers stood outside the first two cordons. Most of them were confused about what was happening, looking nervously at a house completely wrapped in transparent plastic sheeting, whispering among themselves.
Danny led everyone to the last cordon and went to find someone to investigate. When he returned, his expression had become even more grim.
"What happened? The officers outside said it was just a simple domestic incident." Kono also took a look outside, but apparently didn't get any valuable information.
"Besides waking up a foot shorter, this is probably the most terrifying nightmare I've ever had." Danny, who stood only 165cm tall, was quite good at self-deprecating.
"A wife called 911, saying her estranged husband was trying to break into the house. As soon as the HPD officers arrived, he was found bleeding and dead on the front lawn, his body covered in pustules similar to those on toad skin.
The CDC's preliminary diagnosis is hemorrhagic smallpox. The governor just called me again, hoping we can conduct the investigation as secretly as possible."
"Secret investigation?" Jack glanced at the number of officers around him. "I bet news of the deadly virus will spread throughout the island before tomorrow morning."
"I thought smallpox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization last century." Perhaps because he had just left school, Kono's knowledge base was clearly the most extensive among the three people. This was also a reality.
Most people gradually forget the "useless" knowledge they no longer use in their daily lives after leaving the learning stage. This is why the phenomenon of people becoming more sophisticated with age is more evident in sociology than in the natural sciences.
Of course, most people have heard of smallpox, a deadly virus on par with the Black Death and plague. Many Chinese mistakenly believe the small scars on their arms are from the smallpox vaccine, also known as cowpox.
In fact, since the 1980s, most Chinese haven't been vaccinated against cowpox, as the WHO (World Health Organization) declared smallpox eradicated as early as 1980.
China stopped vaccinating newborns with cowpox in 1981, but the small scars on the arms of those born after that date are actually from BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), a vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis.
"So what does hemorrhagic smallpox mean? A military biological weapon?" Cheng Hao realized the error the moment he spoke and quickly lowered his voice.
Jack, in a similarly low voice, replied, "Hemorrhagic smallpox is also called 'black smallpox.' While the mortality rate of regular smallpox is 30%, hemorrhagic smallpox has a 97% mortality rate."
This statement made everyone pale, and they instinctively took two or three steps back.
"You don't need to be so scared. I have completed the cleaning and disinfection."
A figure in a one-piece protective suit staggered in front of the few people, and took off his helmet with a "puff", revealing a round, chubby face.
He was wearing black-rimmed square glasses that looked very dull at first glance. His voice was almost flat, like a robot.
Jack raised his eyebrows slightly. This was another familiar face, the Nakamura Hiroshi in the American TV series "Heroes" who could travel through time and space at will.
"Wow, Max, did you get this equipment from NASA? You look super cool in it." Danny teased.
Nakamura Hiroshi. Uh, the young Asian man who should be called Max here didn't seem to hear the teasing in Danny's tone, and bowed his head in thanks seriously.
"Thanks, I felt the same way, but this gear is making me itch all over."
Kono, still a kindhearted man, couldn't bear to watch, and offered to introduce Jack. "This is Max Bergman, the medical examiner from the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office."
It was better not to call him Hiroshi Nakamura. Jack wasn't afraid of superpowers, but rather the increasingly unresolved plot lines in the original "Heroes" series, where almost everyone acted as if they were morons.
So he shook Max's hand, now out of his hazmat suit. "Were you examining the body?"
The latter's face showed little emotion, and he nodded at him sternly. "I gave it a quick check before the CDC removed it for cremation."
"Cremation?" Kono wasn't surprised by the CDC's decisive handling of the body, but asked with some concern. "But without the body, we've lost all leads. What happens to the investigation?"
"Don't worry about that. I've already collected blood and tissue samples, and taken lots of photos," Max showed everyone, his camera in a waterproof bag.
After handing the scene over to the CDC, everyone returned to the Five-O office with Max.
"This tastes like mom," Max said solemnly, holding Jack's noodles in chicken broth, leaving him feeling a bit amused.
"The photos are processed," Kono said, a look of distress on his face as he sat in front of the computer. "I hope you'll still have a good appetite after viewing these photos."
A series of terrifying photos, the kind that would make someone with trypophobia faint, appeared on the large screen in the conference room.
"The deceased's name is Brian Palmer, 36 years old. He retired from the Army ten months ago and had been stationed in Iraq. He had been living on a pension since being diagnosed with PTSD." Kono pulled up the deceased's identification information.
The deceased's pre-mortem photos on the screen showed him to be an average-looking white male, compared to the photos Max had just taken of his body.
The dark red bruises covering his body made it impossible to tell what his original skin color was. Even more terrifying were the countless blisters, large and small. Some had broken and scabbed, but many were bulging yellow-green pustules.
The face, arms and even the insteps, all exposed skin were covered with these horrific pustules, making the deceased completely unrecognizable.
The only two people at the scene who remained calm were the forensic doctor Max and Jack, who was half a forensic doctor. Max's appetite was not even affected at all. He drank the noodle soup in one breath before patting his belly with satisfaction.
Danny looked uncomfortable and signaled Kono to quickly remove the photos of the corpses.
"As far as I know, soldiers stationed overseas will receive a lot of vaccines. Smallpox vaccine should be among them, right?" Cheng Hao asked.
Max wiped his mouth with a tissue and nodded. "But vaccines lose their effectiveness. Early studies once believed the smallpox vaccine was effective for life, but subsequent studies have shown that, depending on each person's physical condition, the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine is generally around 3-5 years.
After that, its protection level gradually decreases over time and eventually becomes completely ineffective."
Danny scratched his head and gestured to stop, having just recovered from his nausea. "Shouldn't we really be discussing how this guy contracted this confirmed extinct virus?"
Those of you who have monthly tickets, don't forget to vote. We're still a little short of 2,000 tickets, so just give 2,000 and you'll be fine.
(End of this chapter)