Walkthrough of the quest “Epidemic” in Jagged Alliance 3 – how to find a cure for red rabies

Side quest "Epidemic" is a fairly lengthy but extremely important mission in Jagged Alliance 3 that can even influence the main course of the game events. There are numerous ways to complete the task, and the main highlights will be described in this article.

Preparation for the Quest

The "Epidemic" quest is one of the secondary tasks. In general, you have the option to decline it, but if you want to obtain all the achievements, you'll need to complete it.

Here's what you need to do before starting the quest:

• Assemble a full squad of well-trained mercenaries with high-quality weapons and armor. It is recommended to take sniper rifles and/or shotguns, as well as explosives. There will be a large number of enemies along the way, and civilians might be present among them. This means you'll have to choose high-precision weapons for careful combat.
• Create multiple squads of mercenaries. This can significantly facilitate the completion of the mission, especially if your choice leads to time constraints and you have to scour multiple areas of the map.
• Recruit a fighter with a "Medicine" skill of at least 80. You will frequently have to pass medical attribute checks during the quest, so a medic mercenary is essential for successful completion.
• Recruit a mercenary with a "Mechanic" skill of at least 80. Such a fighter is not mandatory but will be very useful in this mission.
• Hire a mercenary with the "Lone Wolf" perk. This will allow you to bypass one of the bloodiest and most challenging parts of the quest.

How to Obtain the "Epidemic" Quest? Completing the Hospital

To activate the "Epidemic" quest, you need to capture several enemy sectors and reach the central island. In the "Hospital" location (H12), you will find a malfunctioning hospital. When exploring this area, the "Epidemic" quest will be automatically assigned to you.

Inside, various events may occur depending on the path you choose. If you go through the main entrance, a cutscene will automatically trigger, showing patients becoming aggressive and attacking people. The overseers will respond to this threat, eliminating the zombies, and warn you about the prohibition to enter the hospital without Dr. Kronenberg's pass. You have 30 seconds to leave the area to avoid being shot at by the guards.

In Jagged Alliance 3, zombies cannot use weapons, but they are fast and resilient. To deal with them, it is recommended to use single-shot weapons with high damage, such as sniper rifles or shotguns. Shooting at their legs will slow down their movement, and maintaining distance will help avoid significant losses in close combat. Their movement trajectory is predictable, and they tend to gather in groups, making explosives an effective tool against them.

To proceed with the quest and gain access to the hospital territory, you can choose one of the following options:

1. Engage in combat with the overseers and defeat them, allowing you to move freely around the hospital, but this will lower the loyalty level of the surrounding characters.
2. Sneak into the territory from the back, where the truck is located.

Once inside, you will need to collect the following clues:

1. Observe the events at the entrance gates.
2. Hack the radio near the tents.
3. Inspect the truck filled with bodies in the rear part of the complex.
4. Examine the bodies near the furnace.

To inspect the last clues, you will need a mercenary with a very high "Medicine" skill. When everything is ready, proceed to the basement either through the stairs behind the administrator's desk or, if acting stealthily, use the door in the back of the building near the truck with bodies.

Talking to the Doctor

Upon returning to the basement of the sanatorium, you will encounter infected zombie patients who will immediately attack. You will have no choice but to engage in a battle with them. After defeating all the opponents, head to Dr. Kronenberg's office and initiate a conversation with her.

During the conversation, she will disclose her horrific experiments conducted on people in her attempt to find a vaccine against red rabies – a disease that turns people into zombies. She also admits to being infected herself and needing fresh blood from the infected to preserve her life.

During the conversation with the doctor, you can discuss the moral aspects of her actions. The main focus of this dialogue is making a crucial decision that will impact the entire task:

1. Kill the doctor. Morally, this may seem like the right decision, but it will lead to disastrous consequences. Without the doctor, obtaining the cure will be impossible, and your quest will end, but the consequences of this decision will be felt later on.
2. Order her to stop the experiments. This will halt her horrific experiments and save the lives of innocent people, but it will limit your time for completing the task, as the doctor won't be able to prolong her life anymore.
3. Allow her to continue the experiments. This will let the doctor continue infecting and killing people for research purposes, but you will have unlimited time to complete the entire mission.

To obtain the cure for red rabies, you need to explore several sectors of the game world. Dr. Kronenberg will be able to create the cure after obtaining unique blood samples that you collect during your search.

If you choose the option to stop the experiments, you will have less than 10 days to gather all the blood samples; otherwise, the quest will fail.

The blood samples can be found in the following six sectors:

1. Chalet de la Pe (F13)
2. Cemeteries (J11)
3. Factory Ruins (K14)
4. Twin Mansions (L18)
5. Hamlet Grimmer (I19)
6. Swamp Lands (H16)

To create the vaccine, you need to collect a minimum of 4 out of 6 samples. In some locations, you will encounter challenging tasks that need to be completed before obtaining the blood sample, so prepare your squad of mercenaries before each expedition.

Below are the sectors where you can quickly and easily acquire the required samples for the doctor.

Sample in J11

Approach the altar in the center and, with a high Medicine skill, examine the buckets to obtain the blood sample.

Sample in H16

The second sample is located in sector H16. The area is infested with hyenas and crocodiles. The hyenas are very fast, and the crocodiles have high armor, making the encounter prolonged. In this situation, explosives may be the most effective way to eliminate the enemies. After victory, find a suitcase at the wreckage of an airplane. To open it, you'll need a Mechanics skill of at least 80. Inside the suitcase will be a blood sample.

Sample in K14

The third sample is located in sector K14. Upon arriving in this area, you'll find marauders fighting zombies. You can wait for them to kill each other, and then eliminate the remaining enemies. Then carefully search the area, being cautious of possible traps. The blood sample is located on the top floor of a small building with a collapsed walkway. When examining the sample, use a mercenary with a high Medicine skill.

Sample in I19

This sample is located in sector I19. When you enter this area, expect a massive zombie attack. Be cautious as there are peaceful villagers nearby. After defeating the first wave of zombies, clear the rest of the settlement. For this task, you'll need a mercenary with a high Lockpicking skill.

Finaly

After collecting at least 4 blood samples, return to the Hospital and talk to Dr. Kronenberg in her office. Before handing over the samples, position your mercenaries strategically for the battle and block access to vulnerable fighters.

Talk to Dr. Kronenberg and deliver the obtained samples to allow her to successfully create the cure for rabies. Unfortunately, it will be too late for her, and she will turn into a zombie, forcing you to kill her. At this moment, other infected, hyenas, and crocodiles will attack you. After the battle, the quest will be completed. Thanks to your efforts, the dangerous disease was cured, and the cure for red rabies was found. You will also achieve the "Baranovirus" achievement.

Your actions and choices will influence the ending of Jagged Alliance 3:

1. If you managed to collect the samples in time and cure the epidemic, Dr. Kronenberg will be posthumously honored for creating the cure and saving lives. The vaccine will be developed, and her colleagues promise to continue her work in her honor.
2. If the samples were not delivered in time or Dr. Kronenberg dies before creating the cure, the quest will fail, and the epidemic will continue to spread.