The dim glow of the laboratory's fluorescent lights illuminated the group as they stepped out of the service elevator. For a moment, everyone stood in silence, their eyes adjusting to the sterile white tiles and rows of abandoned workstations.
"Wow," Mallory said, squinting at a bulletin board cluttered with old memos. "This looks like every office I've ever tried to avoid."
Alex chuckled. "Bet they had those mandatory 'team-building' days too."
"Ugh," Mallory groaned, shivering at the thought. "Death might be better."
Clara, ignoring their banter, moved to the nearest terminal and began typing furiously. "This is it," she murmured. "The last operational hub before the outbreak. If the cure exists, it'll be here."
Greg glanced over her shoulder, his brow furrowed. "What exactly are we looking for? A vial? Data? A zombie with a nametag that says, 'Hi, I'm the Cure'?"
