Sheldon Cooper and Edwin were discussing the cause of the Wildfire virus in the world. Erwin, being a brilliant scientist, was convinced that it was a mutation of a preexisting virus, while Sheldon, a conspiracy theorist, believed it was caused by the government experimenting with chemical weapons.
Sheldon shook his head, not convinced by the man in front of him: "Erwin, your conspiracy theories have no basis. The Wildfire virus is clearly a mutation of a preexisting virus."
Edwin smiled and said, "Oh come on, Sheldon! I was involved in the early meetings, and you can't tell me the government isn't capable of creating a virus of such magnitude! It got out of their hands, and by the time they dumped this job on us, it was too late."
"I'm sure if someone had stolen a piece of pizza they would have closed the borders, but no one bothered to do it and now we have dead people who look at us like a piece of pizza on the streets all over the world." Sheldon didn't look up from what he was doing.
"Hahaha, you're right about that, if only they had closed the borders... We ran out of time, with that time we would have known more about the virus and maybe the government wouldn't have collapsed. The government was capable of anything, especially when it comes to turning viruses into weapons." Edwin knew a lot of things, so no one could refute his words.
Sheldon rolled his eyes and pointed out, "A chemical weapon? It's not improbable, but not possible either. No weapon could create a virus so deadly as to wipe out all human life on the planet. The most likely scenario is that the Wildfire virus is a mutation of a preexisting virus or just a virus that came into our hands with very little preparation."
"But it's curious, with all the technology we had, no one was able to stop the infected... Hell, even though I have killed several walkers when I was out, it's not surprising. Now, what the hell did the military do when there were walkers in the streets? It's regrettable..."
When Sheldon said these words, he was not entirely wrong. Even if there was a more powerful army, the result would be the same as history dictates. That's something even Airon couldn't change, so he immediately focused on how to progress after the world was filled with walkers.
After a few seconds of silence, Sheldon added, "Erwin, although anything is possible now considering the world has gone to hell. The government is not capable of creating a virus that turns people into walkers."
Edwin nodded, he knew much more about the virus than anyone else, and now it's not really important to know where the virus came from, although he already has a vague idea in his head.
"Don't worry, I'll find a cure when I dedicate myself 100% to it, since you guys haven't been able to do it, with my brilliant mind, we'll find a cure." Sheldon looked at Edwin with a calm gaze.
"Hahaha, I hope so..." Edwin was indifferent to Sheldon's somewhat special behavior, he didn't really care.
...
Sheldon was a brilliant scientist who had made many breakthroughs in his career. He had worked in fields such as theoretical physics and engineering, but had never ventured into the world of virology. So when he received news of a rabies virus outbreak, he saw it as an opportunity to prove his true intelligence.
During their survival journey together with friends and colleagues, Sheldon studied extensively in certain fields of virology to find a cure himself. He did not trust scientists who called themselves saviors of humanity, as their work and effectiveness had not shown any progress.
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Sheldon had been working day and night, but had not made any significant progress. He had tried every experiment he could think of, but nothing seemed to work. Sheldon was frustrated and exhausted, but he refused to give up.
One day, while sitting in his laboratory feeling defeated, his stomach growled. He realized he had been so focused on finding a cure that he had forgotten to eat. He walked to the small kitchen in his laboratory and opened the fridge. It was almost empty, and all he could find were bottles of water and energy bars.
After arriving at the central base, his doctorates were enough for Airon to assign him a personal laboratory. Although his work was more focused on redesigning weapons, he liked to spend some of his time personally searching for a cure.
As he opened the energy bar, Sheldon began to think about the virus. He wondered how the virus could turn people into practically undead. He remembered reading about how viruses can mutate and change their behavior. Perhaps, he thought, the virus had mutated and become more dangerous as it evolved due to human factors.
He quickly finished eating and returned to his laboratory. He began studying the virus at a molecular level. He analyzed the genetic composition of the virus and compared it to other viruses. He discovered that the virus had indeed mutated and become more aggressive in the new samples of normal walkers compared to the first ones that had emerged.
He didn't know if this could influence finding a cure, but it was definitely something he hadn't found before and maybe it could mean a future cure.
...
In a short time, a week had passed...
He was sitting in his laboratory, staring at the wall when his stomach growled again. He realized he hadn't eaten anything. He stood up and walked to the kitchen again. This time he found a jar of peanut butter and some slices of bread.
As he prepared his sandwich, Sheldon thought again about the virus. He remembered reading about how some viruses could be treated with antiviral drugs. Perhaps, he thought, he could use an antiviral drug to cure the Wildfire virus.
He quickly finished his sandwich and returned to his laboratory. He began testing different antiviral drugs against the virus, but once again, he reached a dead end.
Sheldon was getting frustrated. He had been working to find a cure for weeks and had made no significant progress. He had tried everything he could think of, but nothing seemed to work.
He was sitting in his laboratory, feeling defeated, when he heard a knock at the door. It was an old man named Dale, who often came to see his work on weapons.
"Sheldon, I made you these enchiladas. You haven't been eating well, and I thought you could use some home-cooked food," Dale said with a smile.
Sheldon thanked him and took the plate of enchiladas. As he ate, he began to think again about the virus. He remembered reading about how some viruses could be cured with vaccines. Maybe, he thought, he could create a vaccine to cure the virus.
He quickly finished his enchiladas and returned to his laboratory. He began working on creating a vaccine. He tried different combinations of antigens and adjuvants, but once again, he hit a dead end.
"Well, I guess I should move on to the topic of weapons now..."
"Mark 1 Lancer assault rifle, this weapon is designed for combat with class 1 and 2 walkers, it wouldn't work against larger walkers, but this weapon will be essential for the army."
This weapon was an assault rifle that had an integrated bayonet knife, although this weapon could be better than any conventional one, Sheldon was not satisfied with the result, so he started with the next design.
"A Mark 2 Lancer that instead of a bayonet has an integrated chainsaw, more magazine capacity, and reduced recoil... Hahaha, this is wonderful, when the technicians arrive, these results will be well received."
Sheldon became more convinced with the Mark 2 Lancer weapon, but the cost of making it and creating a powerful enough engine and battery to make it work was complicated.
The Lancer offers an almost perfect mix of power, accuracy, and range; in addition to a melee attack chainsaw, making it the best option in multiple situations. Although there was a possibility if conventional fuel was used, that would leave his titles as a technician in the trash, so Sheldon refreshed his mind with this work.