Twenty-eight minutes later, Elara rushed into Onyx Medical, clutching the device.
It looked deceptively simple, like a sleek laptop. But this was a Quantum Laptop, the first of its kind, built during the war to crack unbreakable codes. Bryce, now in a lab coat, was waiting in a sterile, humming laboratory, perched in front of a machine that resembled a high-tech washing machine, his leg tapping the floor with impatient energy.
The moment the device was in the lab, he moved. He connected the laptop to the machine with a thick, ribbon-like circuit.
Then he saw it: The General's signature, boldly carved into the laptop's underside.
He chuckled, a low, dangerous sound. "He carves his name because he thinks he's untouchable. He won't get away this time. He will surely pay for his crimes."
Bryce adjusted his glasses, his hands shivered. The weight of the task was immense; he hadn't undertaken a challenge of this magnitude since the war.
He took a deep breath. "It's been a while."
To beat this virus, he needs to be a bit radical. He needed to create a hunter, something as relentless and ruthless as the disease itself. A cure that wasn't a medicine, but a new virus that would seek out the deadly one inside the body and destroy its very blueprint.
He sat before the screen of the Quantum Laptop. The screen split. On the right, a 3D model of the harmful virus spun slowly—a spiky, menacing thing built from countless medical scans. On the left, the screen was blank, waiting for his creation.
"This thing is clever," he muttered, staring at the pathogen. Its core was cloaked, and its shell made it invisible to the body's natural defenses. A direct fight was useless. He had to outsmart it.
"I need to find its weak point."
He pressed the on button, and the quantum computer awoke. Unlike normal computers that think in simple yes/no steps, this one could explore millions of possibilities at once. Bryce fed it all the information about the virus_the virus's structure and a vast library of biological data, tasking it with finding a single weak point.
The screen flickered, simulating how the virus latches onto human cells. Minutes later, a soft ping echoed in the lab. A specific spot on the virus glowed red—a critical part that, if jammed, would render the virus powerless.
"Got you," Bryce grinned, leaning in.
Now, he had to build the key. He visualizes a synthetic virus, harmless to humans, engineered to carry a payload that would sabotage the deadly virus.
He commanded the quantum system to scan billions of potential genetic sequences, searching for the perfect design—one that would match the target with exact precision and cause no collateral damage to the infected.
In ten minutes, it had an answer: a genetic sequence with a 99.7% success rate.
"Now, for the delivery truck," he said, wiping his brow.
He chose a harmless virus shell commonly used in gene therapy—an AAV (Adeno-Associated Virus)—and used the simulator to refine its structure. He needed it to be perfect, able to sneak into cells undetected. He adjusted its molecular key until the simulation showed it binding to cells with perfect efficiency.
But a theory wasn't enough. He couldn't risk a sloppy cure. He ran thousands of virtual trials inside a simulated human body. Each time, his hunter virus invaded the cells, delivered its disruptive payload, and dismantled the pathogen from within. The viral loads plummeted in every scenario.
He leaned back, a tired but triumphant grin spreading across his face. "It works."
The machine that is connected to the laptop, is called a Grem. It is a molecular printer. It could turn digital code into physical reality. Bryce uploaded the final genetic blueprint. The Grem whirred to life, synthesizing the plasmid DNA—the master seed for his cure.
To speed up the production of the actual virus particles, Bryce placed his hands on the machine. His eyes glowed white as he activated his Homo-deus mode, channeling raw energy into the process, forcing billions of tiny viral particles to form in minutes.
The final product was a clear gas in a vial. This cure-virus was stable enough to be aerosolized. It could be released into the air, spread like a common cold, and fall like rain, but unlike the pathogen, it would vanish after completing its life-saving mission, leaving no trace behind.
He emerged from the lab. "It's done. The replicator is mass-producing it now. Use cloud-seeding aircraft. Make it rain this cute over every Zone apart from the Red Zones."
"Please tell me you're going to get some rest now," Fave pleaded.
"The General leads the Dark Web, and I believe he unleashed this virus," Bryce stated, his voice cold and flat.
"Bryce, no. Greed might have influenced him into leading the Dark Web, but he fights for the people. Why would he commit genocide?"
"Remember the reporter, Meera? She was attacked by Marshal Daemion. Daemion serves under The General. And I found The General's seal on the stolen device." Bryce's jaw was set. "I will not rest until he has paid for his crimes."
Without another word, he walked out.