Alexandre saw that Edward, the security officer, looked practically drunk with adrenaline and the thrill of victory. This would be the perfect moment to get some information. "So how often exactly does this kind of thing happen?" Alexandre asked.
Edward seemed happy to give his new ally the answer he sought. "The failed transformation? Not that often. It sometimes happens to candidates who are physically too weak, you know? But it's fucking rare for them to resist the gas for a whole minute. Usually kills them right away." Edward's expression changed to a grimace. "Shit, this is gonna go on my record. I can say goodbye to getting a raise anytime soon… Never should've let that fucking idiot scientist have his way."
Alexandre was shocked. It'd been rumored that some candidates could die during the transformation process from any number of metabolic and immune system problems, but he hadn't expected the truth: Even if you were supposedly immune to Virus Z, the S.G.C. shot could still somehow turn you into a Zombie if you were weak enough!
Alexandre immediately realized just how big a scandal this would be if it became public knowledge. The current belief was that Virus Z was highly controlled in the hands of scientists, that research into it posed little risk, so long as the subjects of research were genetically immune.
But it became known that anyone risked becoming a full Zombie during Virus Z research… Alexandre asked, "Wow, that's weird. How many candidates does this happen to?"
Edward's mood had really soured after his realization that he'd be held responsible for this incident. "What!? I don't know! Maybe ten per year! It only happens while administering the first dose!"
So there wasn't a continuing risk for Hunters after they successfully received the first shot. This explained the extraordinary physical and psychological difficulty of the entrance exam. If many candidates were admitted but were too weak to survive the transformation, the high number of deaths would attract unwanted attention from the outside world.
But if standards were high enough that only a tiny percentage of candidates died right away… perhaps the Academy itself had even leaked the fact that a few students died to an "allergic reaction." A tiny dark secret would throw investigators off the scent of the much larger and much darker truth.
Alexandre's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of thumping footsteps in the hall. A familiar voice rang out, "Finished at last and time to relax. XVideos, here I come!"
The footsteps and voice suddenly stopped. Then, the feet stomped angrily closer until Professor José came into view through the gore-smeared window. His tablet dangled from one hand as he stared at the zombie corpse on the floor, surrounded by blood, bodily fluids, and glass shards.
"Shit," he said. He glared at Edward. "Shit! Shit!" Finally he spun around, glaring at Alexandre through the window. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Why's this happening to me!? Why on my shift!? Oh, Elizabeth's going to rip me a new asshole for sure!"
Alexandre said confidently, "Doctor, I can explain everything."
Professor José ignored him but seemed to be talking to himself. "Oh, and there's a student who's seen it all! Oh well, that's it! My bonuses! My fringe benefits! My vacation in the Bahamas! Fuck! All of this is completely fucked."
Edward slowly stood up, putting a hand to the wall to steady himself. He seemed to be trying to sound professional again. "Doctor, this is what happened…"
José snapped, "And what the fuck does it matter what happened!? I'm going to lose my own job for this, you buffoon! How the hell did you idiots manage to get a job at the academy in the first place!? You should be shoveling shit in the armpit of Alaska, asshole!"
Alexandre said, "Calm down, doctor!"
José glared at him and shouted, "And you, asshole, care to explain why there's a ten-centimeter hole in a sheet of reinforced glass!? Or why there's so much blood on your own side of the window, too!" He squinted, looking through the red-covered glass and staring at Alexandre's arm. "Oh no, don't tell me that you'd already undergone transformation before receiving your injection, and you didn't bother telling me!?"
The professor slumped against the wall beside the glass, wailing, "Ahhh, I can't take this anymore! I'm cooked! I'm completely burnt out!"
"Professor!" Alexandre snapped. He was getting tired of this. "Professor, listen to me! I've got an idea to keep your job safe."