Jessika "Jess" Zhu

Jess Zhu was a renowned researcher in biology and biochemistry. She now studies the Redivivus in her own secret lab hidden in a forest in an attempt to aid the parasite's continued existence.

Appearance
Jess is a young Chinese woman with a sickly complexion due to her illness. She frequently wears a white coat, black pants, and black sandals.

She keeps a lot of things in her coat.

Personality
She just wants to help.

She firmly believes that the Redivivus parasite is the future of life on Earth, and condemns those that treat them as monsters.

She is much of a perfectionist. When things go wrong, she becomes quite anxious.

Due to her illness, she devotes herself to her personal causes like there's no tomorrow.

Capabilities
Jess is extremely dedicated to her research, finishing her medical doctorate at 16 years of age.

The desperation driven by the time limits of her own body is also a powerful motivator.

History
From a very young age, Jess had a poor immune system. When she was 5, she was diagnosed with a terminal inborn illness, giving her a life expectancy of only 5-10 more years. She didn't understand why she couldn't be fixed - so she began reading.

She pushed for early graduations, accelerated learning programs, anything so that she could do what she wanted do as soon as she could. As soon as she could, she started developing serums to counteract her illness, buying her more time.

At some point, Jess and Tobias Finch attended the same educational institution, studying very similar topics. They fell out of contact, but were both aware of each other's rise in the field.

Jess finished her degree at Revali Institute in 2040, when she was 16. Very early on, she started gathering favors. Miracle serums for specific people, their families. She didn't have time to go through the normal methods of research - if she wanted to accomplish her goals before the end, she would have to cut a few corners.

By the time Redivivus broke out in humanity in 2045, she had prepared a secret lab in a hidden location to disappear to.

Trivia

 * Might have a thing for blood.
 * She's tired all the time, bruises easily, sometimes she starts bleeding randomly in her lungs, and can easily become faint due to her illness
 * Plays the piano