Chapter 38

This is a side street adjacent to the main road. Looking around, residential buildings line both sides, with shops of varying sizes on the ground floors. The street, shrouded in darkness, has no trace of human presence. The night wind rustles the street trees, adding an eerie atmosphere.

Su Hao continued to eat his fried rice at a leisurely pace. He was well-versed in history and knew that the mutated creatures of this period were at most level "1." They were no match for him. When he entered this street, he set up some warning devices about a hundred meters away on the road—this was a common practice among hunters in the future world. He piled a few small stones on the hard, open ground and placed an empty tin can or a glass bottle on top. This unstable triangular arrangement would topple over with the slightest touch, making a sharp, piercing sound when the empty bottle hit the ground.

These simple warning devices were mostly set up for less intelligent monsters. In the dead silence of the night, the "clinking" sound of the tin cans would carry far, giving alert people enough time to react.

If a large group of zombies appeared, Su Hao could quickly leave. So far, everything around him was calm, and nothing had interrupted his dinner.

But he still noticed something unusual.

There was movement in the residential building across the street. On the fourth floor, slightly to the left from his position, it seemed there was a survivor. The curtains were thick, and Su Hao couldn't see whether the eyes peering through them belonged to a man or a woman. He could only detect a vague image through his expanded mental awareness, which was weak due to the distance, exceeding the normal search range. From the general shape and height, he judged it to be a child, about eight or nine years old.

This conclusion left Su Hao somewhat stunned. He put away the half-eaten lunch box, found the entrance to the residential building, and climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, stopping at the door of the corresponding room.

The mental search image became clearer, revealing a fifty-square-meter apartment with a standard two-bedroom, one-living room layout. There was only one child inside, who had already noticed Su Hao's movements and was standing on the other side of the door, nervously peering through the peephole.

Through the security door, Su Hao clearly felt the tension and fear emanating from the other side. His enhanced neural awareness detected that the child's body temperature was rising, indicating an increased blood flow. The increasingly rapid and heavy breathing from behind the door confirmed this.

In a chaotic and lawless world, strangers are equivalent to enemies.

Su Hao understood—children in the future world were often food or currency among the nomads. They would be eaten when hungry, and young girls with good looks could be exchanged for bullets or other necessities.

Su Hao frowned, said nothing, and did not knock on the door.

His expanded mental awareness detected another presence in the room.

To be precise, it was a zombie. It seemed to be tied up with ropes and confined to a room adjacent to the living room. The zombie's mouth was likely stuffed with a towel, preventing it from making any noise. It struggled but remained immobilized.

A child and a zombie... This situation seemed strange from any angle.

Su Hao considered breaking down the door with force but abandoned the idea after a few seconds of thought.

The hallway was dimly lit, and the eyes behind the peephole never left him. At such close range, his expanded mental awareness had already simulated the child's general shape and appearance—tense muscles, a long-handled screwdriver in the left hand, and a kitchen knife in the right.

Su Hao stood in the darkness, silent for about five minutes.

He unzipped his backpack, took out a half-kilogram pack of compressed rations, a few chocolate bars, two bottles of clean water, and the half-eaten fried rice, and gently placed them at the closed door. After doing this, he turned and left.

...

Many historical records from the future world tell such stories—during the early stages of the virus outbreak, humans exhibited a nearly foolish kindness. They knew that zombies brought death but could not abandon their infected loved ones. Faced with mutated husbands, wives, children, and parents, they could only bind and confine them, locking them in unknown rooms and trying various methods to restore them to their original state. These methods were laughable and absurd. Some injected formaldehyde into the zombies, hoping to slow muscle decay. Others gave them antibiotics, and some placed televisions in front of the zombies, playing old family videos and singing to them, hoping to唤回记忆。

这些做法没有一例获得成功——病毒已经深入感染者的脑部，僵尸的脑干逐渐取代了大脑皮层，成为新的记忆载体。声波刺激耳蜗神经节周围的突触，取代了肉眼成为主要的探测器官，视觉效果甚至不如刚出生的婴儿。它们已经进化成另一种生物。脑中残留着一些支离破碎的记忆片段，这些微弱的意识无法占据主导，使得它们在啃食亲人时多少有些疑惑，但永远不会因此恍然大悟，更不可能停止咀嚼。

2031年，军方研究人员在乌鲁木齐旧城区发现了一名男子。他和变异成僵尸的妻子在废墟中生活了整整十一年。该男子在住宅楼下面挖了一个地下室，通过降低环境温度来延缓腐烂。他一直在捕捉老鼠，甚至杀死遇到的陌生人，以此喂养变异的妻子。在那个地下室，研究人员发现了大量过期的抗生素干粉空瓶，包括头孢曲松钠、唑啉钠和他美脂。男子承认这些药品来自市内各大医院。他拒绝接受帮助，以自杀威胁研究人员不准靠近。出于对这头在地下室喂养了十一年，一直未能进化为更高等级，仍保持初期“—1”状态的僵尸的好奇，以及想要收集更多相关研究数据的考虑，军方派出一个战斗小队在男子住宅附近监视。他们不断派人与男子接触，送给他很多食品和药品。然而，这种善意在男子看来却是想要夺走妻子的企图。恐惧和狂怒之下，他用斧头劈碎了妻子的头，然后抱着那具腐烂不堪的身体，从六层高的楼顶跳了下去。

苏浩完全可以破门而入，杀掉那头僵尸，带走孩子。

但他找不到这样做的理由。

那扇门里的一切，都属于那个孩子。旁人的善意在他看来就是敌意，为了守护心底最珍贵的存在，很多人无惧死亡。

很悲壮。

很痛苦。

很渺小。

却让人忍不住想哭。

每个人都有自己的坚持，无关卑微还是崇高。就像孩子因为父母扔掉了好不容易抓回来的蝌蚪而哭闹，大人却无法理解孩子的内心感受。

未来世界有一位诗人，留下了这样一句话：

“当丑陋的僵尸扑过来时，我在它灰暗发黄的眼睛里，看到了妈妈的影子。”

...

苏浩在路边砸碎一辆“丰田”轿车的窗户，开着它穿过城市。天亮时分，已经来到郊外，沿着一条勉强够两辆车并行的水泥支道，驶入被高墙环绕的院子。

这是一个颇为另类的军事管制区。大门和院内四周矗立着警戒塔，围墙顶端设有电网，入口处的地面有横截面超过两米的钢板。按照未来时代军方设置基地的惯例，苏浩猜测这应该是一台横向自动升降器，上面负载有高度超过半米的水泥墩。一旦接通电源从地下升起，立刻就能形成一道反装甲隔离带。

没有人，也没有僵尸。四周静得出奇。

只有一幢依内墙而建的两层小楼，几乎所有房间的门都敞开着，到处都是零乱的脚印和拖痕。没有战斗或者厮杀的痕迹，场院北面停着两辆军用重型卡车，不知道是否还能用。东面草坪中央有一个带“H”标志的水泥平台，是空的，没有直升机。

早晨清冷的空气很快被阳光扫净，炎热与沉闷意味着时间正接近正午。和昨天夜里的做法一样，苏浩用空饮料瓶在院子入口前设置了警戒，又走近卡车仔细检查———他运气不错：有一辆车方向盘下面插着钥匙，汽油还剩下半箱。

搜索未知区域时，首先保证有足够安全、迅速的退路。这是未来世界的生存法则之一。

苏浩在军方电脑里看过研究所的结构图，明白地表建筑的作用只是防御和伪装。真正的核心，位于地下。

没有战斗痕迹，意味着这里的所有人都及时撤离。他们可能只带走了最重要的文件和数据，但留下了一些过于沉重的武器———四个警戒塔上的12.7毫米口径重机枪都在，旁边的弹药箱也没有打开。苏浩需要做的，就是把它们拆下来，装上卡车。

小楼顶层装有太阳能电力系统，在高原地区，这种清洁能源的普及率很广。苏浩沿着地面四处搜索，发现了六个独立车库。其中五个已经空了，剩下的一个，里面停有一辆轮式轻型步兵战车。它可能出现了某种故障，炮塔与车身分离，被绞盘高悬在库房顶端。车轮也被卸下，旁边摆着一大堆各种零件，散发出浓烈的机油味。

尽管有些遗憾，苏浩还是不得不打消修好这辆装甲车的念头———他不是万能的神，对机械修理并不在行。何况，这不是普通概念的民用车辆，而是军方的战斗机械。

走进小楼内侧，可以看到一条长约百米的走廊。由外及内呈梯形，像一个倒置的喇叭，两边设置有四个混凝土环形工事。不过里面没有人，也没有留下任何武器。

走廊尽头，是一具大型升降平台。控制器亮着灯，表明太阳能电力系统仍在运转。苏浩推开涂有黄黑色斜纹的围栏，走进平台，扫了一眼代表不同底层的三个数字，用力按下排在最前面的“—1”键。

地下一层有两个车库和一个修理车间。车库仍然是空的，旁边修理车间地面上散落着履带等零件。从地面的辙印与压痕判断，车库原先存放的车辆可能是重型坦克，或者履带式步兵战车。

车间旁边有两个小型储油罐，应该是与地面设备连通。油压器显示液面还剩下大约三分之二，只要接通电源，随时可以抽取。

地下二层是仓库。武器库房基本上已经搬空。苏浩只找到四支“95”式自动步枪、十几枚防步兵手雷、两箱5.8毫米子弹，以及两具PF98式火箭筒，十六发火箭弹。除此之外，还有数百公斤烈性炸药，仓库角落还留有一台四联装高射机枪。也许是因为没有车载部件，自重过大的缘故，部队撤离的时候没有带上它。

相比之下，常用品库房剩下的东西却很多，存放的物资大多是军用口粮和蓄电池。苏浩撬开几只巨大的木制板条箱，发现里面装满了绷带和医用棉，底层则是各种战场急救药品和抗生素。

站在升降台上，伸手按下最后一格“—3”键的时候，苏浩脸上的表情有些凝重———电梯隔绝了视线，但他依然能够闻到从楼下传来的血腥味，发散开的思维意识也探测到几个躺在那里的人体。他们一动不动，显然早已死亡。

升降机底部传来液压机械独特的声音，苏浩的目光有些严峻。他握紧了手里的枪，当升降机挺稳，封闭闸门朝两边徐徐开启的时候，大步走出。

这是一条没有弯折的走廊，连通尽头的另外一个房间。

有四具尸体，手里都握着枪，临死前仍然保持着战斗姿势。服装和武器配备表明他们都是军人。腐烂的尸体已经无法看清死者本来面目，身体表面密集的弹孔是致命死因。

苏浩从背包里取出口罩和橡胶手套戴上，最到距离最近的尸体旁，蹲下。封闭的环境会滋生大量细菌，尤其是与腐尸近距离接触的时候，尽量采取保护措施，总是有备无患。

死者穿着这个时代最新式的战斗服，身体重要部位均由凯夫拉材料制成，胸口和侧腹位置装有陶瓷防弹护甲片。就连掉落在尸体旁边的武器，也不是常见的“95”式自动步枪，而是口径更大的7.92毫米特制突击步枪。

显然，这些死者不是普通的军人。

苏浩小心翼翼地检查着，他惊讶地发现：枪伤并不是致死的唯一原因。这些人或多或少都遭到重击，有的左肩完全脱落，还有的腹部有大面积裂伤。尤其是靠在墙角，肩膀上佩有上尉军衔的那具尸体，胸廓已经凹陷，露出从中央部位断裂的肋骨。感觉...就像是被穿甲炮弹直接命中，将整个人打穿。

翻动腐尸，苏浩在死者左臂上找到一块盾形佩章。图案是一颗黑色的龙头，大张着满是獠牙的巨口，狰狞凶残且不失威武。

苏浩见过这样的臂章———在未来世界，军方有一支特殊精锐部队，成员至少拥有三阶强化人以上的能力。它的名字，叫做“龙牙”。

未来世界的标准不可能通用于现在，这些死者当然也不可能与苏浩所在世界的“龙牙”相提并论。当然，他们肯定比普通士兵更强，甚至可能达到一阶强化标准。但不管怎么样，以目前的病毒变异和军方研究速度，他们不可能达到三阶强度。

这个研究所非常隐秘，苏浩也只是在密级很高的档案里，才找到与之相关的资料。由地面至地下，沿途的各种防御工事异常坚固。从营房里留下的床位来看，守备部队应该不少于一个加强连，甚至配备有装甲车和坦克，外面的直升机平台显然是紧急情况下的特殊撤离方式...可是为什么，这些军人会战死在这里？

苏浩没有在周围发现僵尸的痕迹，也没有变异生物特有的粘液。所有证据都表明他们死于人类才会使用的战斗模式———弹孔来源于枪击，至于那些巨大力量留下的撞痕...据苏浩所知，只有强化人才会这样做。

走廊里光线昏暗，地面上到处都是弹壳，两边墙壁上满是干涸的黑血。靠近房间入口的天花板朝内翻起，露出两具电子防卫器。转轮式枪口低斜，黑黝黝的枪管指向地面。混乱发生的时候，它们似乎没有发挥应有的效果。可能是被电子信号干扰，也可能是被人切断了控制连线。

苏浩推开走廊尽头的虚掩的门，发现这是一个面积广大的房间。里面摆满了各种叫不出名字的电子仪器，墙壁上凸起的粗大管道显然与电力系统连接。所有屏幕都一片灰暗，只有两盏冷光灯维持照明。

电子显微镜前的工作台后面有一具尸体。从外表判断，死者为男性。他穿着军队特有的制式夏装衬衫，外面罩着一件白大褂。尽管皮肉早已腐烂，却维持着临死前的坐姿。尸体右臂下垂，座椅旁边的地上扔着一支手枪。侧颅有一个巨大的弹孔，不出判断，死因应该是自杀。

（关于本书角色扮演，请有扮演意向的书友到“创世中文网”，本书书评区置顶条目里跟帖留言。抱歉。黑天实在没办法每天到各个无线网站查看评论。只好用懒人的办法，请诸位主动来这里留言。请多多包涵。角色要求请参看置顶评论内容。谢谢！）

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