Dr. Jenner? An important discovery?
Calista's heart skipped a beat.
Almost instantly, she thought of the blood samples she had given to Dr. Jenner and Evans.
Could it be… the "Wildfire" experimental vaccine had finally shown results?
What had they found? Was it good news or bad?
The smile faded from her face, her expression turning serious.
That lingering unease buried deep inside her resurfaced.
"I understand. I'll be right there."
Calista nodded to Elena and the others.
"Elena, keep going. Let me know if there's any progress."
Then she turned and headed toward the laboratory, which had been converted from the underground wine cellar beneath Twilight Manor. Her steps were no longer as relaxed as before.
...
Pushing open the heavy soundproof door, Calista saw Dr. Jenner and Evans standing by a microscope, speaking in low voices.
At the sound of the door, Jenner immediately looked up, excitement written all over his face.
"Calista, you're here."
He set aside his notes and walked over quickly, skipping any formalities.
"We've discovered something… unusual."
Evans turned as well, adjusting his glasses, his eyes full of shock.
"Is this about my blood sample?"
Calista's heart tightened slightly, but her expression remained calm. She simply raised a brow and stepped closer to the workbench.
Her gaze swept across the equipment.
Alongside the instruments brought from the Atlanta CDC, there were now several makeshift devices and neatly cleaned glass containers.
"Yes."
Jenner took a deep breath and pointed at the computer screen.
"We've been continuously monitoring your blood samples. At first, aside from showing extremely strong immune activity capable of neutralizing known 'Wildfire' variants, there was nothing particularly unusual.
But recently, especially in the past week, things have changed."
He enlarged a waveform.
"Look here. These peaks. Your blood now contains several protein complexes and neurotransmitter-like substances we cannot fully identify.
Their activity is increasing at an alarming rate. We're calling them 'Wildfire markers.'"
"What does that mean?" Calista asked, her heartbeat quickening.
"It means the 'Wildfire' experimental vaccine may not just be a vaccine," Jenner said seriously.
"It's more like an inducer. Or a catalyst. It's slowly and continuously altering your physiology."
He looked at her closely.
"Have you noticed any changes? Faster recovery? More energy? Or… heightened sensitivity to certain things?"
Calista paused and thought carefully.
She had been busy with construction and the runway project, constantly on the move, but she had not felt nearly as exhausted as she should have.
She had assumed it was just adrenaline and responsibility. Now, she realized something was off.
"I guess… I don't get tired as easily," she said cautiously.
"When we dealt with the Red Scarf Gang, we were on the move all day. After getting back, I still worked through the night on plans, and I wasn't that tired. That's not normal, is it?"
"Not even close," Evans said immediately.
"Based on your activity, your metabolic rate and recovery speed are at least one and a half times that of an average adult male. And it's still increasing."
"Enhanced physical ability… that sounds like a good thing."
Calista clenched her fist slightly, feeling the strength in her body. There was a hint of relief in her voice.
Jenner nodded, then added something more important.
"We also ran a preliminary simulation. When we exposed your blood sample to highly purified virus extracted from Undead tissue, it produced a faint bioelectric interference signal.
Biologically, that's extremely difficult to explain. It's more like… some kind of energy-level response."
Calista's pupils shrank.
"You mean if there's a large number of walkers nearby, or a high concentration of the Wildfire virus, I might sense it?"
"In theory, yes."
"A sense…" Calista frowned. "But I haven't noticed anything like that yet."
This was more concrete than anything she had expected.
She steadied herself and continued.
"Would that act as a warning… or attract them? Could it affect the base?"
Jenner paused, thinking.
"From what we see so far, it's highly specific and likely tied to the unique vaccine in your body. We need more data to be sure.
It could act as an early warning system, helping you detect large hordes. But it's also possible your blood has a kind of attraction to the Undead. Something like pheromones."
He quickly added,
"This is only a preliminary hypothesis. And this change comes with risks. These markers may enhance your abilities, but they could also cause instability.
We don't know the long-term effects. It could lead to emotional fluctuations, sensory overload, or even… more serious physical damage."
The lab fell silent, filled only with the hum of equipment.
Calista processed everything.
Stronger body. Possible detection ability. Unknown side effects.
It really did feel like gaining an ability, but the cost and uncertainty were just as real.
"So what do you need from me?" she asked directly.
Jenner and Evans exchanged a glance.
Jenner took a breath.
"We need to conduct live walker experiments.
Observing samples in a dish isn't enough. We need to see how your blood affects active walkers. If we can develop a vaccine, we could save the world."
Calista immediately caught the key point. Her tone turned serious.
"Dr. Jenner, at this stage, your priority shouldn't be chasing the idea of curing the virus.
We both know how difficult that is."
There was a trace of fatigue in her voice, shaped by a harsh understanding of reality.
After all, in the original timeline, the virus had gone unsolved for over a decade. She did not believe that just the two of them could suddenly change that.