In the year 3357, the scientific expedition team of Beifeng District discovered a batch of cryogenic chambers at a ruin site in the abandoned zone, and thawed more than a dozen virus carriers from them.
After undergoing revival treatment at the First Research Institute of Beifeng District, among this batch of more than a dozen cryogenic chambers, three virus carriers successfully awakened.
Two of them were numbered A3223-02-068 and A3233-13-023. The letters represented the district code, and the numbers that followed represented the freezing time, freezing batch, and freezing serial number.
There was also one more; the number of his cryogenic chamber was 002.
There was no district code, no batch, no freezing time—only an early serial number.
The technology for freezing virus carriers began more than three hundred years ago and gradually matured, and the cryogenic chambers were also updated and iterated.
More than a hundred years ago, that is, after the great catastrophe of the mutated animal frenzy in 3207, the seven major habitable districts were divided and rebuilt. From that time on, all cryogenic chambers had more detailed batch numbers.
Just like A3223-02-068 and A3233-13-023.
The cryogenic chamber numbers before that were more complicated and chaotic, but a simple number like 002 was also unprecedented.
Even more astonishing was the virus activity level of the one inside the cryogenic chamber, astonishingly high, suspected to be a primordial virus carrier.
The First Research Institute of Beifeng District flipped through historical records, compared all recorded data, and combined it with No. 002’s recollections after awakening, and finally confirmed that cryogenic chamber No. 002 contained one of the first batch of virus carriers frozen at Beizheng Base in the early days of the apocalypse.
No. 002, named Wen Jiuzhe, was posthumously awarded the rank of field officer by Beizheng Base in 3060.
In 3085, all of his secret experimental materials and data entered top-secret archives and were sealed.
At that time, the director of the research institute, with the highest authority, sealed the cryogenic chamber and no longer allowed future generations to thaw it for research.
Afterward, Beizheng Base disintegrated, mutated animal disasters broke out everywhere, and No. 002, including a large batch of cryogenic chambers of different batches that had been preserved at Beizheng Base at the time, were all lost in the chaos.
Then in 3357, people unearthed No. 002, and miraculously revived this “antique” who had been asleep for more than three hundred years.
Although today, virus carriers awakened from cryogenic chambers are no longer rare, and there have also been existences who slept for a hundred years, the awakening of this No. 002 still seemed like an incredible miracle.
In order to protect him, the information of No. 002 was once again classified as confidential.
Another ten years passed, and time came to 3367.
In Jinghai District, ranked last among the seven major habitable districts, the district’s scientific research team discovered the ruins of a secret laboratory in the wasteland.
“There are still several cryogenic chambers running here!”
“Look at the number, G3289-24-099. This row all has standard numbers, and the anti-counterfeiting codes at the back also match. They’re the ones that were previously lost.”
“Measure the virus activity… zero. No hope. Even if these are thawed, they can’t be awakened again.”
“Captain, there’s another cryogenic chamber at the very innermost part of this room, but it doesn’t have a number.”
Cryogenic chambers without numbers were generally not officially frozen, but privately frozen by civilians. Such things had been repeatedly prohibited without success.
Through the semi-transparent window of the cryogenic chamber, the members of the scientific research team saw the virus carrier inside. The body was thinner and more emaciated than any they had seen before, already completely disfigured.
“How long has it been frozen to turn into this… There’s probably no need to thaw it either. The virus activity must be zero. It can’t be revived.” One team member said.
But the captain said, “Test it. The procedure still has to be followed.”
A team member took out a machine, opened the cryogenic chamber, and placed the instrument on the head.
“My god! Captain, look quickly—her virus activity is so high!”
“It has reached the revival standard. Take her back.”
……
After a long sleep so long it was impossible to describe, she opened her eyes.
Blurry shadows swayed before her.
“She has successfully awakened… first check… functions…”
“Speak… name…”
She listened to these voices, her brain unable to process the information for the moment. Someone at her side asked repeated questions tirelessly.
“Your name, your name, do you still remember?”
Name? She tried to grasp something from her empty head, and finally moved her lips, uttering two barely audible words: “Xiaoxiao.”
“Is that so, your name is Xiaoxiao? Do you still remember your age, what year you were born? What year you were frozen?”
She took a long time to understand again, but at this moment she was like a pauper with empty pockets—no matter how she searched her whole body, she could not take out anything.
Someone beside her comforted her: “It’s all right, this is temporary. You may have been frozen too long. Many of the frozen ones are like this when they first awaken. At most after two more rounds of treatment, you will remember.”
Listening to the gentle female voice by her ear, she slowly lowered her head to look at her hands and blankly let out an “ah.”
“Don’t worry, the virus activity in your body is very high. Your revival effect will also be very good. You can recover to an appearance almost the same as a normal person.”
“There’s no need to be anxious. Your brain has just ‘booted up.’ Let’s give it a little time to clear…”
She felt a strong drowsiness again, slowly nodded, turned her head to the side, and fell asleep once more.
Doctor Jian, who was in charge of her, left the special ward and returned to her office.
Someone asked her, “Doctor Jian, how is that thawed patient of yours today?”
“She woke up, but she’s still in a confused stage for now. She can’t remember anything and can’t communicate normally. I’m afraid she’ll need two more rounds of treatment.”
Doctor Jian said, “The medical conditions in our Jinghai District can’t compare to the other districts. This kind of revival technology is still done best by the First Research Institute over in District A.”
A colleague laughed. “Everyone knows their technology is the best, but not every frozen one is qualified to be sent there. I heard yours doesn’t even have a cryogenic chamber number. The research institute in our district didn’t even take her and sent her straight to our hospital.”
“Doctor Jian has a kind heart to accept this kind, but let me say something unpleasant—if the revival fails and no one pays for her treatment, Doctor Jian will suffer a big loss.”
Doctor Jian said, “I think she’s still very young, about the same age as my own child. If I can help, I’ll help as much as I can.”
“How do you calculate the age of a virus carrier in a cryogenic chamber, Doctor Jian? She might be decades older than you.”
Many people in the office laughed.
Back when they had not yet overcome the zombie virus, several districts had frozen large numbers of infected people. It was only decades ago that the peak of thawing occurred.
Now everyone was used to it.
In recent years there were fewer and fewer cases, only a few appearing in a year, all stragglers dug out from some ruins.
Those infected who thawed and awakened were now called by many people the Undying.
After thawing, instruments were used to activate the virus inside their bodies. Combined with medication, their bodies could be reshaped. That process was both like metamorphosis and like a corpse coming back to life, so this treatment was called “revival.”
Those who were revived would usually return to the age at which their bodies had been frozen, no longer aging. They possessed bodies like steel and strength beyond ordinary people, relying on regular injections of special virus-active cells to maintain their lives.
It sounds very impressive, but not all revived ones will live well. If “revival” is not successful and their bodies cannot reach an ideal state, then more precious medicines are needed to carry out a second repair.
Like the one Doctor Jian accepted—no identity could be found. The research institute on Jinghai District’s side would not thaw her for free, and their revival technology here was not good. In the future, she might end up owing a huge sum of treatment fees.
Doctor Jian had also been worrying about this the past two days, but today, when she got this thawed person’s virus data, a new thought appeared in her mind.
Doctor Jian had also done revival treatment before and had come into contact with quite a bit of body data of virus carriers, but she had never seen something this strange.
Perhaps, she could send this data to the First Research Institute of Beifeng District. District A’s side had the most thorough research on viruses. Maybe because of this abnormal data, they would be willing to do revival treatment for this patient free of charge.
Being able to go to District A, of course, was better than doing it here.
“Xiaoxiao, are you okay today? I’ll tell you a piece of good news. The research institute in Beifeng District has decided to accept you. They will come to pick you up right away.”
The frozen one called Xiaoxiao was still muddleheaded, and she did not know whether she understood. She placed her dry, shriveled hand on Doctor Jian’s hand.
Doctor Jian said, “Don’t worry, you are a lucky child. They will make you completely better.”
“I don’t know what year you were frozen, or how long you were frozen for, but you successfully held on until now. Next, everything will definitely go smoothly.”
Beifeng District was the number one district among the seven major districts, with the largest area, the most advanced technology, and the most top-tier everything.
After receiving the test report Doctor Jian tentatively sent over, the First Research Institute sent an airship over to pick her up that very day.
No one knew how excited they were. Since the data report of No. 002 ten years ago, they were seeing that special mutated virus again—one that had only appeared on No. 002!
Could this be another virus carrier preserved from the early days of the apocalypse?
During this period of time, “Xiaoxiao”’s memories were not clear. She only knew that she seemed to have changed to another place again.
The new place was very large, and there were more people around her.
She underwent a round of revival treatment here, and her mind finally slowly became a bit clearer. She could carry out complete thinking, and many memories also appeared in her empty mind.
She remembered her childhood, seeing her mother rarely, and the life at her uncle’s home.
She remembered her time in school.
She remembered meeting Wen Jiuzhe.
She remembered the apocalypse arriving, and she became a zombie.
Reuniting with Wen Jiuzhe, meeting her mother again, spending the winter in some village, Beizheng Base…
“Xiaoxiao, how do you feel now? This revival treatment will restore a lot of bodily functions for you. Do you want to try walking now?” someone beside her asked.
“……” Xue Ling sat up from the treatment bed, her feet slowly stepping onto the ground.
The two white coats around her showed her encouraging expressions and praised, “Xiaoxiao is very impressive, you’ve recovered very well.”
Hearing those repeated “Xiaoxiao,” Xue Ling fell silent for a moment.
That was how it was—she remembered, she seemed not to be called Xiaoxiao.
“I, revival, cryogenic chamber.” Xue Ling tried to organize her language.
“Now, like me, other cryogenic chambers, how are they?”
They understood her question: “You mean, the cryogenic chambers discovered in the same batch as you—how are they now?”
“Your cryogenic chamber was discovered in Jinghai District. We contacted the scientific research team there. They said that among the cryogenic chambers discovered in the same batch as yours, the frozen ones inside no longer have any possibility of awakening.”
Xue Ling sat there, looking at everything unfamiliar around her. She raised her dry arm and involuntarily wrapped it around herself.
“Wen Jiuzhe.” She unconsciously called out this name.
She felt a hollow emptiness, a belated surge of sorrow pouring inward.
Suddenly someone beside her asked in confusion, “Did Xiaoxiao just say ‘Wen Jiuzhe’?”
“Wen Jiuzhe? That Wen Jiuzhe?”
“No way, do they know each other? Are they really from the same period?!”
“I told you! I compared thousands of data sets—only the two of them have the most similar data, completely different from everyone else! There must be some connection!”
Xue Ling’s sorrow was interrupted by these excited voices.
Why did they all seem to know Wen Jiuzhe?
“Xiaoxiao, have you remembered—what is your full name?” a middle-aged man asked with a trembling voice, his eyes full of anticipation.
Xue Ling leaned back slightly. “Xue Ling, Ling as in bell…”
Before she could finish speaking, the people around her began cheering, crying with joy, hugging each other happily.
Someone covered their mouth and said, “Oh my god, you’re Xue Ling!”
“She’s that Xue Ling!”
“We found you!”
“That’s great, that’s great, our hard days are finally over!”
“We won’t be dragged to the abandoned zones to dig up ruins every vacation anymore!”
“Ten years, ten years! Every year I’ve been forced to collect so much cryogenic chamber data—that’s not even my job!”
“Traveling across the seven districts to search cryogenic chambers isn’t my job either!”
Xue Ling shifted uneasily. “Ah?”
“You all, know, Wen Jiuzhe?”
The room fell silent for a moment, then a middle-aged man touched his balding head and said fiercely, “Know him? Of course we know him! Who among us doesn’t know him!”
Another middle-aged man wiped his reddened, excited eyes. “He tormented me for years. I could forget my girlfriend before I’d ever forget him!”
