Medic Kaul put the sample he received from Jada Nelson inside the machine and turned it on. The machine hummed as it spun rapidly for several minutes before completely separating the blood into nearly 200 test vials. He placed all of the tiny vials in suspended animation to preserve them as long as he needed. He didn't want them to go bad. He doubted that Jada would allow him to take more of her blood if he asked her for it.

Pulling out the first tiny vial, he started his first test, using it to try to make a vaccine to either cure the current zombies or prevent others from getting infected. It took him a while to catalog the vials and set the parameters for the test that he would administer first.

When he was finished with the first test solution, all he needed now was a full zombie to test it on. The problem with that was that it was difficult to get one without someone getting hurt.

He decided to do what Aleigha suggested. He put the test solution inside a tranquilizer dart so that all they needed to do was fire it, hitting one of the zombies, so that they could see what would happen. He found a dart and added the solution, and then looked around the clinic for anything else he might need. He knew he would have to go outside the dome to test his first vaccine.

Once he had everything he needed and was ready to run his test, he pulled the tranquilizer gun and vaccine-filled dart and went to find someone to take him outside the dome. He needed backup if he was going to go out there to test his vaccine. It was far too dangerous to go alone.

Rushing to the shuttle pad, he spotted Pilot Merrick. He was with his mate, Aleigha. Rask was also there with his mate, Niki. The group always seemed to be together.

Since it was Merrick's shuttle, he headed straight toward him.

Merrick, spotting him coming. He waited for him to reach them before he spoke. "What can I do for you, Medic Kaul?" he stated formally. They were friends, but during their work and duty hours, they treated that time appropriately, keeping their friendship and work separate.

"Pilot Merrick," Medic Kaul responded. "I need to go outside the dome to test a vaccine on a full zombie. I need to know the effects it would have on one of them," he informed his friend.

Council Leader Vorik, who overheard Kaul's request, stuck his head outside the shuttle. "I'm going with you, too. I want to see it for myself," Vorik stated, then looked directly at Medic Kaul and asked. "Is that a sample from the prisoner?" He was referring to the immune prisoner who had attempted to murder Sasha and Dan while they were both injured in the clinic.

"No, sir. It's from a sample from Jada Nelson, sir," Kaul stated formally.

Council Leader Vorik's eyes grew wide. "How did you get Orik to allow it?" This was a bit of a surprise. He figured Orik would never allow such a thing. He was far too protective of the young girl.

Medic Kaul smiled. "Remember when he claimed her? He said that I could not do anything without her permission. Well, she permitted me to take a blood sample when I checked her bandages. It was she who allowed it. Not Orik."

Council Leader Vorik smiled, ushering him inside the shuttle. Aleigha and Niki followed. Rask acted as copilot while Merrick flew. Vorik sat in the back, not taking his normal copilot seat. When they reached the area that they were told was crawling with zombies, they landed and started their search.

The location was a wooded area with a river running through it. The trees and shrubbery concealed all kinds of dangers. Aleigha and Niki stood ready. Each of the girls had a blaster on their hip, the strap open to the ready. In their hand, they held a fully extended, bladed short staff. They walked through the vegetation as a group. The girls flanked Council Leader Vorik, ready to protect him. He was their leader, and he needed to stay unharmed. Besides, who knows who would take his place if something happened to him? They could be even worse than Tosh was.

Medic Kaul prepared the tranquilizer dart filled with the solution, ready to shoot it at one of the zombies. This was their first test. He was hoping it would work.

A rustle of leaves came from a clump of bushes. Three zombies came out of the cluster of bushes, grinning widely. The dark green, nearly black saliva coated their black lips as they came forward, seeing fresh meat.

Both girls stood ready to fight; they only needed one zombie to run the test on. The other two would need to be contained and taken back with them so they can use them to test the vaccine on.

As Medic Kaul tried to get a good shot at one of the zombies, everyone else fought the others. Knocking one zombie against a tree. It became unconscious. Merrick quickly bound it, covering his dark, green-tinged teeth with a leather barrier so that it couldn't bite and infect anyone.

The second one looked between them, his grin still in place as they fought him, avoiding his toxin-filled teeth. It was three against one. Merrick and the sisters were trying to contain it rather than kill it. They needed to lock it up so that Kaul could run tests.

The third zombie fought against Council Leader Vorik and Rask. Medic Kaul tried to get in a shot, but it kept moving to the side before he could aim.

With the second zombie bound and contained, like the first one, they all worked on the remaining one. They needed to bind it before more zombies showed up. Finally getting a shot in, Kaul aimed and fired. The dart went into the zombie's neck. The zombie froze. Black veining spread around the dart where it had hit.

Light green foam came from its mouth, frothing like a rabid dog, then suddenly, its head exploded. Brain matter was flung everywhere. Covered in the zombie's remains, they quickly pulled the other two zombies into the shuttle. Merrick changed into a clean jumpsuit and handed each of the others a spare, clean one, just like his.

Relieved, they cleaned up and incinerated their previous clothes, not wanting the zombie toxin to contaminate anyone or anything. It was too dangerous.

With two zombies bound, they headed back to the dome.

On the way back, Medic Kaul looked at Council Leader Vorik. "Sir, may I request permission to test the solutions on the prisoners if you plan to execute them?" he asked. "They would be a good substitute. If they are to die anyway, I can utilize them to test the solution. I don't want to run the test on anyone if it will harm those being tested. With the prisoners, it won't matter since they would be scheduled to die, anyway." He knew he was asking a lot. Normally, he wouldn't dream of treating even prisoners that way, but it was needed. At least he told himself that, trying to justify his actions. He was obsessed with finding a vaccine.

Council Leader Vorik studied Medic Kaul, surprised at his request. Kaul looked haggard, like he hadn't slept in days. Vorik didn't like the request either. He decided to compromise.

"I will allow it, but only if they are scheduled to be executed. The need for the tests is too great. Normally, I wouldn't condone such tests, but under these dire circumstances. I believe it is necessary." Council Leader Vorik told him, nodding reluctantly.

The shuttle was silent after that. The guilt of such a need washed through Medic Kaul. He wasn't the only one. So was Vorik. Both inwardly rationalized that it had to be done if they were ever going to figure out if the vaccine was successful. They also knew that for many of those tests, they were going to need to infect one or more of the prisoners on purpose to see if the vaccine prevented the change. Merrick, Rask, and their mates remained quiet, not at all liking the request. It was barbaric.

The shuttle landed, and Medic Kaul went back to his clinic. He needed to record the outcome and begin creating the next variation of the vaccine and preparing it for testing.

Looking behind him, he noted that Merrick and Rask were moving the two remaining zombies into a holding facility. Each of the zombies was kept separate and remained bound.

Medic Kaul decided that he needed to test the first solution on a human and then let one of the zombies bite them. Perhaps it worked on the human, but not on the already-turned zombie. He would prepare his vaccine again and order the first prisoner to be brought to him.

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