Chapter 555 - 564: Chaos
Chapter 555: Chapter 564: Chaos
She had thought that after returning to Caeluna Base, she would finally be able to relax and rest for a while.
But she never expected that the most relaxing time would turn out to be the journey itself.
Upon her return to Meridia Base, it had been one thing after another.
First, it was Gordon Ford’s father, and then the situation with Gordon Ford himself.
Regardless of the circumstances, she couldn’t just sit idly by.
But Stella Sterling understood that no matter what was happening, there was no need to rush at this very moment.
Her mind was a jumbled mess right now.
’Instead of getting lost in my thoughts with no clear direction, I should just get some sleep. Once I’m well-rested and my mind is clear, I’ll be able to think things through much faster.’
When Stella Sterling awoke, the sky outside was pitch-black, and she was drenched in sweat from the heat.
Conditions at Meridia Base were much better than in other places, but it was still a far cry from her own personal space, which had both an air conditioner and a fan.
"Just have to bear with it,"
she muttered, then casually rummaged through her personal space, pulling out a few things for dinner.
She was about to enter her space to organize her belongings, but before she could act, a loud commotion erupted from the room next door.
Stella Sterling’s expression shifted.
She opened her door, intending to check on Chief Ford, only to find the Meridia Base armed forces guards posted at his door in complete disarray. One of them had a crazed look on his face and was trying to bite the person next to him.
The others, not understanding the situation, were confused to see their comrade suddenly go berserk. They backed away, shouting curses at him, but they didn’t attack.
Stella Sterling’s pupils contracted at the sight. ’There are others in Meridia Base who’ve already turned!’
’It seems I was a step too late. With so many people in this base...’
She closed her eyes for a moment, quickly composed herself, and fired directly at the crazed man. The bullet struck the back of his head, and he collapsed, his attack ceasing.
But the others turned to look at Stella Sterling. "Miss Sterling, why did you attack one of our men?"
Even if their comrade’s behavior had been strange, they should have subdued him first and interrogated him about why he attacked his own!
How could Miss Sterling just kill him on the spot?
Stella Sterling’s expression was cold. "If I hadn’t killed him, he would have gone on to kill many more people!"
The men had yet to grasp the meaning of her words when several terrified screams echoed from within the base.
Their faces paled.
In the darkness, people were scattering in panic throughout the base, pursued by several others who were chasing them with a crazed, frenzied look.
They looked exactly the same as the man who had just been killed.
And this wasn’t an isolated incident.
The infected had bloodshot eyes and savage expressions. Occasionally, they would stop, their faces contorting in pain, but it wouldn’t be long before they returned to their frenzied state.
The pupils of the armed guards contracted. ’What is going on?’
Only then did they realize something was seriously wrong. If it were just one person, it might be an isolated incident. But for so many similar cases to erupt across the base at the same time... this was anything but simple.
They looked over at Stella Sterling. "Miss Sterling—"
’This Miss Sterling was so calm just now. Could it be she knows what’s happening?’
Stella Sterling had no time to explain everything. She spoke quickly and sharply, "Kill them. And remember, don’t hold back. Their minds are no longer their own. Most importantly, do not let them scratch or bite you! If you do, you’ll end up just like them, and by then, it’ll be too late to save you!"
"Remember, this is not the time for hesitation. Act when you must, or more people will be dragged into this. After you’ve dealt with them, immediately sweep the base to check for any other cases!"
’It seems the situation at Meridia Base is far more severe than I imagined,’ she thought. ’It’s not just Chief Ford; others have already been turned.’
They just hadn’t been discovered before. No one had noticed them, and now, they had already injured quite a few people.
’As for these turned individuals... did they eat human flesh before, or were they bitten somewhere outside the base?’
’The main problem is, there’s no telling how many more there are!’
Stella Sterling stared at the guard with a grim expression. "Remember my words. Do exactly as I said!"
Although the man still didn’t fully understand what was happening, seeing her severe expression and recalling the respect Captain Young had shown her, he immediately nodded. "Right."
After giving her instructions, Stella Sterling immediately ran back into the room, shutting the door to prevent any of the turned from getting inside.
But the situation inside was far from ideal.
Mr. Magnus, gun in hand, was scrambling to dodge Chief Ford.
He held a gun, but he hesitated to fire, forced to constantly dodge to avoid being injured by the Chief.
He now understood the severity of Station Chief Ford’s condition and knew he absolutely could not let himself get hurt.
But while he was a brilliant medical mind, his physical skills were poor. Coupled with his advanced age and low stamina, he could only use the obstacles in the room to evade.
Under normal circumstances, the armed personnel outside would have heard the commotion and rushed in long ago to help Mr. Magnus resolve the situation.
But with the chaos that had erupted outside, Mr. Magnus was now left in a desperate predicament.
In truth, he could solve the problem by simply pulling the trigger, but doing so would mean Chief Ford was truly beyond saving. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
This was the scene that greeted Stella Sterling when she entered.
Over by the iron bed, the chains had been snapped link by link.
After waking up, he had lunged straight for Mr. Magnus.
Stella Sterling’s gaze flickered. ’In her past life, she knew people would turn like this, but she never imagined they would become this strong.’
Without a second thought, she charged toward Station Chief Ford. The immediate priority was to neutralize him; otherwise, Mr. Magnus was truly done for.
Seeing Stella Sterling enter, a flicker of surprised relief appeared in Mr. Magnus’s eyes. But when he saw the coldness in her gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly shouted, "Sterling, have mercy! You can’t kill the Chief!"
Stella Sterling didn’t stop; in fact, she sped up. Seeing this, Mr. Magnus grew anxious but remained helpless.
But in the next moment, he let out a huge sigh of relief, for he saw that Sterling hadn’t killed Chief Ford directly.
Instead, she had quickly snatched up a syringe of medicine that Mr. Magnus had set aside, rushed to the man’s side with incredible speed, and injected its contents into Chief Ford.