A month later.
The pandemic situation of the outside world did not hinder the progress of the Spire Experimental Base at all, which was built seven-hundred meters below the surface.
In the eighth-level of the experimental base where the level-4 biosafety lab was situated, Chen Chen was studying closely a clear image of the virus.
The gene mapping of the Blacklight virus had been researched thoroughly by Little X.
The RNA of the filovirus contained 1467 genes and 50 gene coding. The virus could also perform functions that were not discovered in other viruses such as RNA recoveries and the conversion of messenger RNA into proteins.
Typically, such information could allow for the commencement of vaccine production. However, common forms of vaccines, which were live attenuated vaccines and inactivated vaccines were unsuitable to be used against Ebola viruses.
On the other hand, if genetic engineering methods were to be considered, there already existed a routine method out there. The method required using adenoviruses or vesicular stomatitis viruses to swap out the proteins of BE-006 to restructure the virus.
Adenoviruses were a group of viruses that typically infected vertebrae. It possessed a viral affinity for the lymph gland and was incapable of killing its host. As a result, they made excellent candidates for such tasks.
It functioned like this – certain key elements of the adenoviruses would first be “deleted” and “paired along” with more dangerous viruses. The adenoviruses would behave like a small vehicle, “touring” the dangerous viruses around the body’s immune system. This would allow the immune system to recognize the dangerous viruses and form antibodies against them.
When the true virus invaded the body, the immune system was then capable of mobilizing its armies to swiftly destroy the viruses.
However, to produce a vaccine of such manner would take at least three months even with the aid of the entire world. According to Little X’s predictive analytics, Namibia would have descended into total anarchy by then.
The middle-to-bottom layers of the government were already dead by now.
If they were to wait for the vaccine to be released, Africa’s death toll would have reached 300 million. Chen Chen’s Eco Science City would also be gone by then. After all, it was difficult to erect defensive structures that could completely fend off an airborne virus.
In the past few days, riots had also ensued among the citizens.
In the beginning, the international relief teams were still distributing foods and different sorts of medical supplies to the citizens outside of Eco Science City. However, following the increasing death toll, many halted their operations in fear.
Disease, death, famine, and crimes ran rampantly around the country. The regions outside of Eco Science City had turned into a battleground where Death himself had descended upon.
Looking at the situation out there, Chen Chen and the international community were under immense pressure. Although things had not completely spiral out of control, Chen Chen was also aware that they were slowly running out of medical resources.
The staff of Eco Science City and Namibia’s armies were consuming more than 20000 disposable protective suits on a daily basis. As the resources were becoming scarce, even the military personnel were beginning to show signs of infection.
It would not be long before the dominoes tiles eventually reached Eco Science City and crumbled under the intense pressure.
Hence, Chen Chen needed a quicker way to produce the virus vaccine and serum.
If it was not for Africa, it was also for himself…
Then, Chen Chen took a deep breath and said determinedly, “Little X, let the Black Knights of the nuclear power plant be on stand-by. I’m heading over there immediately.”
“So, you’ve decided?” Little X replied.
“There’s no other choice. If we don’t come up with a vaccine fast enough, Africa will be gone and all my efforts and work along with it. It’ll be the equivalent of wasting two years of my life.”
Chen Chen followed the complex protocol of removing his protective suit and exited the Spire Experimental Base. He then put on a new set of protective suits before entering the lift that ascended to the surface.
After that, Cheng Cao drove Chen Chen to his nuclear power plant.
Meanwhile, the Black Knights had made all necessary preparations in the substation. They sealed the area around a computer, forming a negative pressure isolation room. To enter the room was easy but to exit the room, one would need to go through an even complex sanitization procedure.
Chen Chen did not enter the room, but instead took a turn into the main control room to retrieve his USB drive that had been left charging for a month.
The prolonged charging had once again restored the shiny glow to the USB drive.
Bringing the USB drive into the isolation room, Chen Chen plugged the USB drive into the computer and looked at the monitor screen.
He noticed the addition of a new movie appearing on the screen.
[Resident Evil.mp4]
Chen Chen had mixed feelings about this.
Today, Chen Chen no longer needed to make meticulous preparations just to obtain a few hundred grams of resources like he used to. Following the construction of the nuclear power plant, his ability to garner resources had increased tremendously. He had also unintentionally discovered a new feature of the USB drive.
A black hole that allowed him to travel into a movie-like world.
This black hole was not one that was similar to the real celestial object bearing the same name. Instead, it resembled more like a wormhole, more specifically the Schwarzschild wormhole.
Chen Chen had intended to travel into the world of Resident Evil 1.
In the real world, there were only two kinds of filoviruses, which were the Ebola virus and Marburg virus. However, while Chen Chen was contemplating the pandemic, he thought of the virus in this movie.
According to the movie’s setting, the T-virus was also a form of filovirus.
Moreover, in the world of Resident Evil, biotechnology had been developed to its peak, becoming capable of producing a terrifying virus like the T-virus that could eradicate mankind.
If Chen Chen could retrieve information related to the T-virus or the world’s technology from the Hive, it would be tremendously useful in researching the vaccine for BE-06.
Furthermore, Resident Evil was considered the only movie so far that featured sophisticated biotechnology.
In terms of the movie’s communication of the biotechnological aspects as well as its story plot, other zombie movies trailed far behind.
Chen Chen was no longer hesitating and he immediately plucked the USB drive into the computer.
He opened up the USB drive folder and moved the cursor onto [Resident Evil.mp4] file. Chen Chen then hit the [ctrl+c] button and then hit the [ctrl+v] button in the USB drive.
Then, the loading bar immediately filled swiftly and the 2002 American-produced movie was then successfully copied into the USB drive.
With no further delay, Chen Chen double-clicked on the movie and his vision immediately turned into pitch black. When he finally recovered his senses, he saw a long black tunnel on the screen.
Like a black whirlpool, he could vaguely see the tunnel spinning in a counterclockwise rotation. Although the size of the tunnel appeared to be confined within the screen, it somehow provoked a feeling that it was a tunnel of unimaginable size.
The dimension between reality and Resident Evil had now been linked together…