216: Chapter 216 The Gates of Hell

Following Professor Vanossi's report, the entire advance team was placed under emergency quarantine, with all contact prohibited. Most of them didn't understand what was happening before they were confined to their rooms.

Li Zhenbang and the others were no exception.

A soldier's duty is to obey orders. Despite their confusion, everyone obediently remained in their rooms.

Half an hour later, Li Zhenbang, as a Central Continent major, learned part of the reason from his superiors: Fred from the advance team had contracted some kind of infection. As personnel who had also returned from the alien planet, they had to undergo strict quarantine and observation.

The superiors didn't specify the nature of the infection, which was precisely why Li Zhenbang realized the severity of the situation.

Had he been infected as well?

Li Zhenbang couldn't help but recall his experiences on that planet. Unlike Fred, he hadn't been injured, and his body hadn't been exposed to the alien world.

Thinking of this, Li Zhenbang felt slightly more at ease. His wife and daughter were waiting for him to return home. He couldn't afford to be entangled by these damned things...

Meanwhile, within the joint scientific expedition group at the center of the Pacific Ocean, inside an urgently constructed BSL-4 laboratory, Professor Vanossi and several biology experts had been summoned. Fred's biological samples had already been delivered. They were now responsible for analyzing this unknown virus.

Inside their protective suits, everyone's expressions were extremely grave.

"The infected individual's samples have been ground and prepared."

"Good. Add the separation fluid. Let's see what kind of virus can turn an infected person into such a monstrous, inhuman state."

A moment later, under the high-power electron microscope, Vanossi finally saw the true form of the virus.

Between the crystallized human cells, densely packed microscopic organisms resembling thorns were visible. Due to the separation fluid, they had lost their activity, frozen like silver spiderwebs solidified within the cellular debris.

Subsequently, Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed an even more astonishing fact. The spectrogram showed that these thorn-like viruses were microscopic pathogens based on silicon-oxygen polymers for both their genetic and structural foundation...

"How is this possible? This alien virus is a silicon-based life form?"

Vanossi and the other biology experts couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing the results. The form of this virus overturned decades of their understanding.

This virus could transform host cells into a silicon-based environment suitable for its existence, ultimately leading to the host's systemic crystallization—what people observed as petrification.

This was utterly terrifying!

One professor said with a bitter laugh, "Folks, we'd better pray this virus hasn't spread. Otherwise, humanity is truly facing a catastrophe."

Vanossi nodded gravely. "The top priority is to understand its origin and mode of transmission."

He hoped the outcome wouldn't be the worst-case scenario. This pathogen, capable of transforming carbon-based life into a silicon-based form, posed a threat far exceeding any known biological weapon.

Verifying these two aspects wasn't overly complex. As the lead researcher, Professor Vanossi immediately arranged two sets of experiments. One involved co-culturing Fred's petrified blood samples with healthy cells. The other involved placing the extracted silicon-based filamentous viral bodies in different media to test their stability.

The experimental results were suffocating. Even when the samples were diluted a hundredfold, significant crystallization of normal cells could be observed within 24 hours. Even more terrifying was the transmission test. This filamentous virus could survive for extended periods in the air.

"Airborne transmission..."

Such a terrifying viral infection could actually spread through the air. Upon learning this result, Vanossi seemed on the verge of madness. He urgently ordered someone to collect air samples from the quarantine zone. What he and the entire research team dreaded had come to pass.

On that living ship, even on the top deck where Fred had never been, this thorn-like virus was still detected. This meant the quarantine zone had been compromised. Everyone inside was a carrier of this virus.

Furthermore, completely preventing gas outflow was a weakness the quarantine zone hadn't adequately addressed. With gas circulation, the entire scientific expedition team had already been exposed to the clutches of this virus.

Even more horrifying was the strong possibility that this virus could spread via the Pacific Ocean's sea breezes, moving towards various landmasses and subsequently infecting the entire world.

"It's over. It's all over. We are humanity's sinners. We should never have entered that alien world..."

Professor Vanossi knelt on the deck, closing his eyes in agony as he gazed at the dark Rosen Bridge. Perhaps from the moment Fred was brought back, this world was no longer safe.

Dear God, who opened this gate to hell...

——

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

With ample experimental subjects, the research on this virus at the Black Watch Base was far more in-depth than that of the five-nation scientific expedition team.

Now, within a completely sealed isolation chamber, over a dozen new stone statues had appeared. They were all patients infected with the virus codenamed "Medusa". These individuals were originally serious criminals from Molo Country who had voluntarily signed agreements with the company. Even in death, Third-Party Technology bore no responsibility.

And now, the research on the Medusa Virus wasn't solely Yodelion's responsibility. Researchers within the base skilled in this field would all participate in this mission.

Many people in protective suits were busy inside.

Upon receiving news of Lin Fang's arrival, Yodelion temporarily emerged from the isolation chamber.

Of course, before exiting, Yodelion underwent thorough chemical decontamination of every pore on his body and passed through two airtight doors for strict inspection before finally standing before Lin Fang.

"BOSS, you've arrived."

Lin Fang's expression was grave. "The situation is critical. I naturally cannot remain aloof. Professor Leon, how is your research on the virus progressing?"

"Over these past two days, through dissection and analysis of the experimental subjects, we have indeed made significant discoveries regarding the Medusa Virus."

Yodelion produced an analysis report, saying, "Most of the details are recorded within."

Lin Fang took the report and began to peruse it.

The first page of the report was a microscopic photograph of the virus. The caption explained this was the state of the Medusa Virus after a human body had fully petrified. After completing the host's transformation, this thorn-like virus didn't die but became even more active, spreading like vines throughout the entire human body.

"BOSS, there's an important discovery I must tell you first..."

Yodelion said from the side, "We found that these fully petrified individuals are not dead. We attempted stimulation with microcurrents and discovered they can not only receive external signals but can even react, albeit very subtly."

"The Medusa Virus has merely transformed them into another form of life."

——

Big God Verification?!

Thank you for the gift, Boss Dongyang! I just saw it. As someone who works sporadically, my hands and feet turned cold, and I suddenly didn't know what to do. Maybe I should have just kept the book on the shelf...

I'm writing, I'm writing! Tomorrow and the day after will both have three updates...