Regressed with Omnipotent AI on Zombie Apocalypse

The corridor was pristine—far too clean for anyone to have walked through recently. Zack stepped in, his boots echoing faintly on the polished floor. As he advanced, a faint fragrance reached his senses through the feedback systems in the Apex Mk-2. "Could it be that Victor was trying to protect some hidden beauty before he died?" Zack mused aloud, his tone laced with mockery. A wry smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he strode forward confidently.

A few steps later, another alloy door blocked his path. This one was far more imposing, thick enough to withstand both blasts and cutting tools. "Well, aren't you a secret worth protecting?" Zack muttered, his curiosity piqued.

Before long, Ego announced, "Encryption cracked." With a soft hum, the alloy door slid open, revealing a dark, silent room beyond. The lights flickered to life as Zack stepped inside, illuminating the space. The room was barren, save for a single device in the center—a large, futuristic sleeping pod connected to a network of pipes and machinery.

Zack's brow furrowed. "Another biological experiment?" he muttered, feeling his patience wear thin. But as he approached the pod, he realized he might have been wrong. Through the frosted glass of the observation window, Zack could make out the faint silhouette of a human figure.

Intrigued, he wiped away the frost with a gloved hand. Beneath the glass lay a stunningly beautiful blonde woman, her serene face giving the illusion of peaceful sleep. Her body was submerged in a dark, viscous liquid, leaving only her head exposed. Her faint, rhythmic breathing confirmed she was alive.

If any survivor from Eden Base had been present, they would have immediately recognized her: Kara, their enigmatic leader. To Victor, she was known as the "Immortal Fox." "Sir, this appears to be a consciousness transfer device," Ego chimed in.

Zack's eyebrows rose slightly. "A consciousness transfer? Are you saying this woman is someone's clone?" He leaned closer, studying her features. Her skin was flawless—porcelain-like, as if untouched by time or the elements. It was unnaturally perfect, devoid of any blemishes or signs of wear.

"Definitely a clone," Zack muttered, his sharp eyes catching every unnatural detail. He smirked, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. "So, this is the 'Immortal Fox' Victor kept mentioning. Or at least, her clone."

Zack straightened, the smirk still on his face. "Human cloning and consciousness transfer... This is their so-called immortality?"

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'Cloning,' he mused, had been technically possible since the 1990s, as evidenced by Dolly the sheep. But while humanity had refrained from crossing that line for ethical reasons, those lines blurred when society collapsed or maybe it's only done to deter to public. Still, Zack wasn't impressed.

"It's clever, I'll give them that. But copying and pasting a consciousness into a new body doesn't make you immortal—it just makes the clone believe they're you." He shook his head. "And even if the transfer works, there's no guarantee the consciousness remains intact. The brain can't always recognize when it's been compromised." For Zack, the whole concept was a futile endeavor. Death was death. No matter how perfect the clone, it was still just a shadow of the original.

His thoughts were interrupted by the pod's silent hum, its machinery maintaining the perfect conditions for the woman inside. "But one thing's for sure..." Zack murmured, his gaze lingering on the sleeping figure. "This trip wasn't a waste. Ego, see if you can wake her up."

"Understood, sir," Ego replied. Almost immediately, it began interfacing with the pod's control systems.

The dark liquid encasing the blonde woman slowly drained away, siphoned through the connected pipes. With a soft hiss, the seal of the chamber released, and the pod gradually opened. The blonde woman was now fully visible. "Ahem... have a mechanical dog bring some clothes over," Zack muttered, coughing lightly but keeping his eyes locked on her.

There was no denying it—she was breathtaking. Her features were flawless, and her porcelain skin seemed untouched by the world. Suddenly, a soft gasp broke the silence. The woman stirred, her eyes fluttering open as if waking from a long dream. Her sapphire-blue eyes were vivid, almost unnaturally clear, yet devoid of any emotion or awareness. "Ah, just a container after all," Zack sighed, his tone laced with disappointment. He had hoped he'd captured someone important—a high-ranking member of the Vanguard Organization. Instead, all he had was an empty shell, a clone without a mind of its own.

"Sir, the cerebral cortex is activating. Self-awareness is beginning to emerge," Ego reported.

Zack's eyebrows shot up. "What does that mean?"

"The target's brain appears to have been dormant. Now that it's been awakened, it's developing rudimentary cognitive functions, similar to a newborn," Ego explained.

As if on cue, the woman blinked, staring blankly at Zack. Then, without warning, she reached out with both arms. "Baa...ah...ah..." Her babbling was no different from a baby's first sounds.

Zack froze, his expression caught between disbelief and exasperation. "Sir, congratulations on your new 23-year-old daughter," Ego quipped.

"Get out," Zack snapped. "She's a year older than me! Daughter, my ass..." But despite his protests, Zack couldn't deny the situation was bizarre. This woman—this clone—was a replica of someone important, likely a leader within the Vanguard Organization. That alone made her valuable. "Forget it," he muttered, shaking his head. "We'll take her back and figure it out later."

Just then, a mechanical dog trotted over, carrying a neatly folded set of clothes. "Here," Zack said, holding out the garments to the woman.

She stared at him, her face blank and uncomprehending. "Of course," Zack muttered under his breath. "Why would this be easy?" With a resigned sigh, he grabbed the clothes and approached her.

After what felt like an eternity—and a lot of awkward maneuvering—Zack emerged from the building, the blonde woman cradled in his arms like an oversized infant. Aegis had landed in the center of the base, its massive frame dominating the open space. A dozen or so crumbling buildings had been bulldozed by the fearless warriors to make room for the colossal aircraft.

Nearby, over 20,000 survivors had been corralled into a large square, kept in check by the mechanical dogs. "Sir... she's...?" Ava's voice broke through the hum of activity as Zack boarded Zephyr 1. Her gaze darted to the woman in Zack's arms, then back to him, her confusion evident.

"Perfect timing," Zack said, unceremoniously placing the woman in front of Ava. "Figure out how to feed her or something. I'm not cut out for raising a baby."

"Feed her? A... baby?" Ava blinked, her confusion growing by the second. She glanced between Zack and the blonde woman, who stared at her with wide, curious eyes.

"Da...bah...stay...wow," the woman babbled, her nonsensical sounds only deepening Ava's bewilderment.

"Sir, who is this?" Ava began, only to realize Zack was already gone. "Sir?" she called again, looking around. Zack had vanished, leaving Ava alone with the babbling blonde woman.

"I... I'm just a pilot!" Ava groaned, her voice tinged with despair. The blonde woman giggled, reaching out toward Ava with clumsy movements. The two stared at each other, one clueless and the other overwhelmed. "What do I do with her?" Ava muttered, burying her face in her hands as the absurdity of the situation sank in. "I can barely fly this thing, and now I'm a babysitter?"