Mark and Jhohan walked back to the Research and Development building, where they saw medical personnel transferring wounded soldiers to ambulances bound for Obsidian Medical Center.
General Maverick was standing nearby, surveying the scene. When he noticed Mark and Jhohan, he approached them and said, "Captain Bron has already been transferred to the medical center."
"How's his condition?" Mark asked.
"He's had some bad luck," replied General Maverick, shaking his head. "The doctors will probably have to amputate his left foot."
Mark's expression turned into a frown. "That's terrible," he said, voicing his concern.
General Maverick nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is. Losing both legs is a severe blow to Captain Bron. But that's how unpredictable a soldier's life can be. Luck can play a significant role - sometimes good, sometimes bad. However, what's crucial is that we keep fighting and never give up. We owe it to our fallen comrades and those who still have a chance to make it through."
A female soldier approached General Maverick and saluted. "Sir, there's a new update from the lab," she said.
General Maverick replied, "Okay, I'm on my way. Just call the others to come to the command room."
He then turned to Mark and Jhohan. "You two, I need you to come with me."
A minute later, they arrived at the underground lab. They descended into a room where a group of scientists were studying the creatures. They looked through a large transparent wall into an experiment room where a dead creature was being held by robotic machines.
General Maverick asked, "What's new, Dr. Feriz?"
—-------
Dr. Feriz stood before the general, appearing to be in his early to mid-30s. He was 5'8" tall, with an intellectual look in his eyes that was accentuated by the eyeglasses perched on his nose. His neatly combed hair and well-groomed beard gave him a polished appearance, and he held himself with an air of professionalism and confidence. In his hands, he held the results of a test, which he scrutinized with a furrowed brow, indicating his dedication and attention to detail.
—---—
"Sir, through extensive testing, we have found that there is a group of parasites that form on the heart of the creature when it dies. These parasites have the ability to create a new body from the remains of the old one," Dr. Feriz replied.
"Are you saying that these parasites have the ability to regenerate themselves when they are already dead?" General Maverick asked in disbelief.
"That's essentially what I'm saying, sir. It appears that the parasites on the heart of the creature acts as a sort of seed, creating a new body from the remains of the old one," Dr. Feriz confirmed.
"But how do we stop this growing process?" Maverick asked, his tone concerned.
Dr. Feriz paused for a moment, considering the question. "We're still working on that, sir, but one possibility is to target the Parasites on the heart directly. If we can disrupt their formation or destroy them outright, we may be able to prevent the growth process from occurring."
Jhohan listened intently as they talked and then interrupted.
"We can kill those monsters directly if we expose them to sunlight or burn their dead bodies," Jhohan explained. "You already know that, right?"
Both General Maverick and Dr. Feriz nodded in agreement.
"But did you know that these Parasites can be transmitted if a person is bitten?" Jhohan continued. "It's like an infectious virus that can spread from one host to another."
He turned to the woman standing beside Jhohan and said, "Call the medical center and inform them about what you heard. Also, tell them to burn the dead bodies of both monsters and soldiers and examine the wounded as soon as possible."
Dr. Feriz then spoke up. "But sir, we're not sure if the parasites are transmitted by the bite of that monster."
"I trust Jhohan," General Maverick replied. "She's the daughter of Jhannyn Cruze, and she'll give us more information about those damn monsters."
"However, we need to conduct tests to support this new information as soon as possible," General Maverick added.
"Sir, we also need a dead body for observation," Dr. Feriz said.
General Maverick nods his head in agreement and turned to Jhohan.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" General Maverick asked Jhohan.
"I thought you already knew about it," Jhohan replied.
Mark suggested, "Spectre, why didn't we use the antidote to save those wounded soldiers?"
"You're right, Mark. Is that the antidote that saved Captain Bron's life?" General Maverick asked.
"Yes, sir," Mark confirmed.
"You've already created an antidote?" Dr. Feriz asked.
"Yes, but it's not yet powerful enough to defeat those monsters," Jhohan answered.
Jhohan then threw a syringe and said, "Take this. It contains the OrganismX liquid. I believe you can reproduce it somehow."
While Mark, Jhohan, and General Maverick observed the team of Dr. Feriz studying Jhohan's antidote, they heard the laboratory door open. They turned to see a female soldier in uniform standing at the entrance. She looked worried and slightly out of breath, as if she had just come from outside.
"General, we have a problem," the soldier said.
"What is it, Lieutenant?" General Maverick asked, concerned.
"The families of some of the deceased soldiers refuse to burn their loved ones' bodies," she said. "They want to give them a proper burial instead."
General Maverick was taken aback. "But that would only make things worse," he said. "We cannot let those bodies become hosts to the parasites any further. We need to burn them as soon as possible."
"I know, sir," the soldier said. "But they are very emotional right now. They don't understand the severity of the situation."
Jhohan stepped forward. "I can speak to them," she said. "I can explain to them the dangers of keeping the bodies intact."
Mark, Jhohan, and General Maverick quickly got into the armored vehicle and headed towards the Medical Center. As they approached, they could see a large group of people outside, including some soldiers who were trying to stop them.
The vehicle screeched to a stop in front of the hospital, and the three of them immediately got out and made their way towards the entrance. As they approached, the crowd started shouting at them.
"Excuse me!" Jhohan shouted, addressing the group. "I understand that this is a difficult time for all of you, but we cannot risk the chance of these parasites continuing to live on the new host. We need to burn the bodies as soon as possible to maintain your safety."
A man in front shouted, "That's against our tradition!" and the crowd joined in with their protest.
General Maverick fired his gun into the air to get their attention. "F"ck about your traditions! We are fighting against those monsters now. If you want to follow your beliefs and traditions, then please leave our base!. We don't need idiotic people here who only want to be heard from the inside of their stupid perspectives!"
Then General Maverick commanded his soldiers to do what was necessary and sent the group back to their shelter.
The people fell silent as they left the hospital, but some of them cried.
"Why did you need to insult their traditions, General?" Mark asked.
"We need to prioritize everyone's safety. Sometimes insulting words can open closed minds," General Maverick said.
After the situation outside the hospital was resolved, General Maverick instructed a soldier to guide them to the wounded soldiers. Meanwhile, Jhohan and Mark inquired about the location of Captain Bron's room.
As they followed the soldier to Captain Bron's location, Mark turned to Jhohan and spoke. "Now I understand that being a leader is hard. You need to prioritize everyone's safety, even if many people disagree with your perspectives. General Maverick was right; you need the key to open closed minds."
Jhohan nodded in agreement and added, "Well, Mark, sometimes people are so set in their ways and beliefs that they refuse to listen to anyone who disagrees with them. It's like they have built a wall around their minds, and nothing can penetrate it. That's why insulting words are like a battering ram. They break down the wall that someone has built around their mind, allowing new ideas and perspectives to come in. It's not pretty, and it's not pleasant, but sometimes it's necessary to get through to people who refuse to listen."
Mark said "I can see that. But doesn't that just make people defensive and less likely to listen to you in the future?"
"It can, but it depends on how you use it," Jhohan explained. "Insults can be effective when used sparingly and in the right context. You can't just go around insulting people all the time. It has to be strategic and calculated. You have to know your audience and what will work best to get through to them."
Mark considered this for a moment. "I see your point. It's like using a shock to break through someone's mental barrier. But I still think there has to be a better way to get through to people."
Jhohan smiled. "There is. It's called empathy. When you put yourself in someone else's shoes and truly try to understand where they're coming from, it can create a connection that goes beyond words.But in a high-stress situation like this, sometimes there's no time for that. We have to act quickly and decisively to prioritize the safety of everyone involved."
Mark changed the topic. "I think you forgot to explain to me about those new microorganisms you found inside of me."
"I don't have time to explain it all to you," Jhohan replied, "but the important thing is that they're helping your body."
Mark persisted. "But what about Detective Jameson's betrayal?"
Jhohan let out a sigh. "Actually, Jameson and I knew each other from the start. He helped me gain access to the hidden facility connected to the Midlight tower, but we had to keep our connection hidden because we knew the Organization was monitoring our conversations. Jameson needed to maintain his connection to the Councils of Shadows as part of his plan, so we had to pretend we didn't know each other."
Mark was taken aback by Jhohan's revelation. "So, you and Detective Jameson were working together all along? And he was helping you sneak into the Councils of Shadows' facility? Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
Jhohan sighed. "We had to keep it a secret from you, Mark. We couldn't risk the Organization finding out and compromising our mission. Detective Jameson was our only way in, and we had to make sure that his cover was not blown."
"Why do you trust him? He said he was one of the people who killed your mother," Mark asked.
"Yes, he was one of them, but at that time, he pretended that his wife was in the hospital, and he didn't actually shoot them. He only pretended to shoot," Jhohan explained.
"But how can you be sure that everything is part of the plan? How do you know that Detective Jameson is telling the truth?" Mark asked.
The soldier then spoke up, "Here's the room of Captain Bron. Do you need anything?"
Jhohan replied before the soldier left them "No, thanks."
Jhohan replied to Mark, "He already explained everything to me."
Then she added "Do you want to enter now?" and opened the door.