Chapter 39 (Sequel)

After the end of the alien invasion and the collapse of the portal built by Michael, the earth returned to the longed-for peace. There were no more Mutiiner groups fighting over territory or resources.

Cities were slowly rebuilt, although many no longer had the same structure as before. People began to organize their lives around social systems that, while still fragmented, attempted to replicate life before the disaster. But, behind the apparent peace, the shadow of a new threat is lurking.

No more threats from Michael or the Mutiiner groups that acted like bandits and controlled the human hierarchy. Although human civilization is not the same as before, everything is slowly being built up because of the technology that humans have always developed during the alien invasion.

But lately there has been something strange felt by mankind.

Jhonny, now a world security leader, watched these changes with a troubled heart. For him, the post-invasion peace was a great victory, but he couldn't ignore the reports coming in. Many people started showing strange symptoms. They complained of extreme heat in their bodies, even in relatively cold temperatures. Some were severely dehydrated for no apparent reason, while others could barely move as their bodies were deprived of fluids. More and more people were being infected, and new cases were appearing faster and faster.

Jhonny stood in his room, staring out the window. The sun beating down on the earth was hot. Too hot. He gritted his jaw, thinking hard about the situation. As the leader, he felt responsible for solving this increasingly threatening problem. His instincts told him that the gene mutation triggered by the alien attack might be the cause, but he needed proof.

He raised the communicator in his hand, calling out the name he had always trusted since the invasion.

"Miranda, how is your research going so far?" he asked in an urgent tone.

Miranda's soft but firm voice sounded on the other end.

"I've found some patterns, Jhonny. Everyone exposed to the energy from the alien portal seems to have undergone genetic changes. The energy released when the portal was destroyed not only pushed the aliens out, but also affected the cells of the human body. My hypothesis is that these genetic mutations caused an imbalance in their body temperature and fluid regulation systems."

Jhonny let out a long breath, feeling the fear that he didn't show to others getting the better of him.

"How long do we have before this becomes a global problem?" he asked again, his voice lower, but no less tense.

"I can't be sure yet, but if the number of cases continues to grow at this rate, we may only have a few months before everyone in the world starts experiencing the effects."

Miranda's words made Jhonny feel an invisible heavy pressure. For a moment, he was silent, taking in the situation they faced. In the past, their enemy was aliens from another dimension. Now, their enemy was a genetic mutation originating from within their own bodies. How to fight something he couldn't see, touch, or destroy with weapons?

"What can we do?" Jhonny finally asked. It was a question he knew would be difficult to answer, even by the genius Miranda.

Miranda was silent for a few seconds before answering. "Right now, we're still in the data collection stage, but I have some ideas. There is one ingredient that might help neutralize the effects of this mutation. We call it Frigia Sanguinis. It's a rare compound that can only be found in the polar regions after an invasion. Apparently, it has the ability to cool and stabilize body temperature in living beings exposed to the energy from the portal."

Jhonny gripped the communicator tighter. "How can we get Frigia Sanguinis? Are there enough of them to save everyone?"

"That's the problem," Miranda replied in a more serious tone. "This compound is extremely difficult to find. Even our research team only managed to collect a small sample from the wreckage of the alien ship that crashed in the north pole. But I'm sure if we can research deeper, we can produce more."

Jhonny's mind was racing. If this compound was truly the key to a cure, then there was no time to waste. He knew they had to act quickly before the effects of this genetic mutation became too severe to control. However, there was one question that still bothered him.

"Is this compound harmful to humans? How do we know if Frigia Sanguinis won't cause worse side effects?" Jhonny asked in a worried tone.

Miranda paused again before answering, "We don't know for sure yet, Jhonny. But in the first trials on animals exposed to the mutation, this compound managed to neutralize the effects of the heat without causing any visible damage. However, there have been no tests on humans."

Jhonny frowned. It was a big risk, but perhaps their only option.

"We must continue the research. Prepare a team, and send them to the north pole immediately. If this is the only way, we'll find a way to get more Frigia Sanguinis," Jhonny said, his mind made up.

"Yes, Jhonny. I will begin preparations immediately," Miranda replied.

After hanging up the call, Jhonny leaned back in his chair. He knew that this decision could change the course of humanity's future. If it worked, they would survive. If it failed, this genetic mutation could wipe out the entire population. Either way, they had to try.

As night fell, Jhonny sat alone in his room. His mind was still whirling with thoughts of the worst possibilities.

"God, this is really making me feel dizzy as hell. Too many problems at one time when human civilization has not been fully built and still needs a lot of improvement. But human civilization is finding new problems that shouldn't exist and this is really ridiculous." Jhonny felt uneasy and grumbled to himself.

Jhonny just kept quiet and rubbed his face a few times roughly, he kept thinking about what would happen to the human race in the future if the medicine they needed was not found as soon as possible.

This made Jhonny feel very uneasy, but thinking and grumbling will not solve the problem, but Jhonny himself has not found a way or solution to solve this problem as soon as possible.