"Weren't you organized when you came? Call for reinforcements! The Hive has five hundred staff, right? Even if they all mutated, with guns… wiping them out shouldn't be too hard. Just send in a few dozen more mercenaries."
"Well…"
Kaplan's expression turned strange again. Rain, the female mercenary, also looked uneasy. She sighed before speaking:
"Actually, the entrance gate locks three hours after we enter. Whether we leave or not, it shuts."
"No, no, no—that's unreasonable! No company would abandon trapped people like that! What are they, slave‑mine owners?"
"To prevent any possible leak, this is the safest measure. Normally, such a thing wouldn't be done. But to the company's executives, we're property. Company interests outweigh everything. If anything here leaked, that would be true trouble for them."
"…How could this be…"
Not a naïve child, Nathan understood Kaplan's words. But despair still welled up inside him.
Deep underground, once the heavy metal gate closed, there would be no escape. They would be trapped forever, forced to coexist with zombies.
Before that, they might starve—or die from infighting. Men would fight over only two things: women and food.
Wait… food??
Thinking of food, Nathan quickly thought of something else: gold.
Even if he couldn't summon humans yet, with gold he could still produce weapons. As a first‑time user, the system allowed him to craft basic soldiers—conscripts, imperial warriors, peacekeepers—and, as a newcomer's benefit, one single weapon of choice.
If he could make the Empire's MX‑19 plasma cutter cannon, capable of melting future tank armor, cutting through the Hive's gate would be easy, no matter how thick.
As he thought this, Alice also considered something else. Together, they looked at the Red Queen's motherboard lying on the table. Alice acted first, picking up the laptop‑sized board and heading straight for the laser corridor.
Everyone turned to look. Kaplan hurried after her, asking: "Where are you taking that?"
"I'm going to reboot the Red Queen. She must know the Hive's layout. There might be hidden routes, escape paths we don't understand—like ventilation shafts."
Alice spoke without hesitation. Kaplan fell silent. Rain's face darkened.
"That murderous bitch killed my teammates."
"But that bitch is our only hope of leaving."
Alice retorted without looking back. She led the group into the chamber, unzipped the bag, and slotted the motherboard back into its place. Then… what next? She hesitated, turning to Kaplan.
"You handle it from here."
"…Alright, I'll do it."
Kaplan crouched, operated for a while, adjusted the breaker still inserted, and finally seemed to succeed. He pulled out the small remote again.
"Done. The breaker is set. If I press this button, it'll burn out instantly."
As he spoke, the Red Queen rebooted. The overhead camera rotated. A red holographic figure flickered briefly on the floor, incomplete.
Kaplan explained this was due to the forced shutdown earlier. But it didn't stop the childlike voice from echoing through the speakers.
Rain wanted to destroy the AI immediately, but Alice and Matt stopped her. Instead, they began a cautious dialogue.
The Red Queen explained: this facility researched and developed viruses. The most notable, the T‑virus, was a medical breakthrough—it could make the dead… partially revive.
Because it was incomplete, the revived had only basic motor ability, perhaps fragments of memory, but no intelligence. They were driven solely by primitive neural impulses and one fundamental need—hunger.
Severing the spinal cord or heavily damaging the brain was the most effective way to kill them. Originally, the T‑virus purified into liquid then spread as gas. Now it transmitted through blood, surviving in the environment. Saliva was one of its most effective carriers. A scratch could infect a normal person. A bite would turn them into zombies even faster.
Alice and the others asked more questions, focusing on escape routes. The Red Queen offered two: an underground water‑power tunnel, and overhead ventilation ducts. Ventilation was vital underground, so the ducts were large and sturdy enough for people to pass through.
"The underground route is easier. It's wider. If we meet monsters, we'll have room to fight or flee."
Speaking, Alice opened the hidden underground hatch. But Nathan stood still, making her urge him:
"Why are you hesitating? Aren't you coming?"
"Of course I'm coming. But I think the ceiling ducts are good too. Narrow, yes, only one person at a time. But still usable."
"If a horde appears, you won't be able to retreat."
"With a gun, I can kill the ones in front and block the path. Worst case, I'll go back." Nathan shook his weapon.
"But crawling slowly might waste too much time."
"The underground has its dangers too. If hordes appear, pistols won't be enough. So let's split up for now."
He turned to Kaplan: "I think the ceiling suits me. The only problem is… I'm terrible with directions. So… could you give me your wrist computer? I'll use it as a navigator."