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Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zero: A Biopunk Outbreak Horror Thriller
Thirty-four children walked into school on a Saturday morning. None of them will walk out the same.
A bioengineered virus has shut down a Mumbai school, and it doesn't just infect. It networks and learns. One signal, one frequency, one hive mind wearing the face of innocence, striking with machine precision.
An off-the-books tactical unit is sent in with an impossible order: kill the signal before it reaches a city of 20 million. But there's a catch that will break them: they are forbidden to use lethal force. The monsters are still someone's kids.
As the night closes in and a global conspiracy tightens around them, the operators must do the unthinkable to end the outbreak- and pay a price that leaves both the survivors and their city permanently scarred.
Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zer0 is a biopunk horror-thriller for fans of Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero, Train to Busan, and Black Mirror, in which the real monster isn't the infection but the people who built it.
The outbreak has a message for you:
INNOCENCE CAN BE CONTAGIOUS
A bioengineered virus has shut down a Mumbai school, and it doesn't just infect. It networks and learns. One signal, one frequency, one hive mind wearing the face of innocence, striking with machine precision.
An off-the-books tactical unit is sent in with an impossible order: kill the signal before it reaches a city of 20 million. But there's a catch that will break them: they are forbidden to use lethal force. The monsters are still someone's kids.
As the night closes in and a global conspiracy tightens around them, the operators must do the unthinkable to end the outbreak- and pay a price that leaves both the survivors and their city permanently scarred.
Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zer0 is a biopunk horror-thriller for fans of Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero, Train to Busan, and Black Mirror, in which the real monster isn't the infection but the people who built it.
The outbreak has a message for you:
INNOCENCE CAN BE CONTAGIOUS
179 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2026
About the author
Sidhant Khanna
1 bookSidhant Khanna is an author and worldbuilder based in Mumbai. Obsessed with character psychology under extreme duress, he writes gritty biopunk horror: stories where the science is plausible, the monsters are man-made, and the scariest thing in the room is usually an adult.
His debut novel, Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zer0, is set in a Mumbai school where a bioengineered virus turns a classroom into something that thinks as one. It began with a simple question: what happens to a child everyone decides not to listen to?
When not drowning in his laptop somewhere between a plot twist and a plot hole, he can be found gaming, gardening, and gossiping. He is currently writing the second book of the Code 103 trilogy, alongside stories set in a very different India.
His debut novel, Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zer0, is set in a Mumbai school where a bioengineered virus turns a classroom into something that thinks as one. It began with a simple question: what happens to a child everyone decides not to listen to?
When not drowning in his laptop somewhere between a plot twist and a plot hole, he can be found gaming, gardening, and gossiping. He is currently writing the second book of the Code 103 trilogy, alongside stories set in a very different India.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 25, 2026
Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zer0 has an intriguing premise — a zombie-apocalypse-like outbreak takes over a school in Mumbai when a bioengineered pathogen infects its children. But this isn’t a regular infection. The children are connected through a single hive mind, moving with an eerie, almost machine-like precision, while a tactical unit races to contain the outbreak.
What worked for me most was the premise and how the story blends an outbreak thriller with issues that feel very current — social media trials, trolling, bullying and the diversity of its characters. Setting the story in the present day makes these elements feel especially relevant.
There’s a lot happening in a relatively short book. I felt stronger editing could have helped some of the threads breathe and come together better. But the premise is genuinely different, especially for a debut, and the story kept me engaged.
If you enjoy zombie or biopunk thrillers and want something outside the usual, give this one a try. I’m definitely curious to see what the next installment brings.
What worked for me most was the premise and how the story blends an outbreak thriller with issues that feel very current — social media trials, trolling, bullying and the diversity of its characters. Setting the story in the present day makes these elements feel especially relevant.
There’s a lot happening in a relatively short book. I felt stronger editing could have helped some of the threads breathe and come together better. But the premise is genuinely different, especially for a debut, and the story kept me engaged.
If you enjoy zombie or biopunk thrillers and want something outside the usual, give this one a try. I’m definitely curious to see what the next installment brings.
August 27, 2026
Code 103 Redacted has a premise that immediately grabs your attention: a zombie-apocalypse-like outbreak takes over a school in Mumbai after a bioengineered pathogen infects its children. But this isn't a conventional outbreak. The children are connected through a single hive mind, moving with an eerie, almost mechanical precision, while a tactical unit races against time to contain the situation.
I loved the balance the author maintained while handling a story that could easily have become purely sensational. Despite the chaos and trauma at its centre, there is an effort to maintain sensitivity and authenticity in the way the narrative unfolds.As kids were affected ,so that was constantly in my mind .
There is a lot happening in this relatively short book, and at times, some parts of the story could have been better developed and edited more tightly.
That said, the premise is genuinely different especially for a debut and the story manages to keep you turning the pages.
And yes, I’m definitely curious to see where the next instalment takes the story.
I loved the balance the author maintained while handling a story that could easily have become purely sensational. Despite the chaos and trauma at its centre, there is an effort to maintain sensitivity and authenticity in the way the narrative unfolds.As kids were affected ,so that was constantly in my mind .
There is a lot happening in this relatively short book, and at times, some parts of the story could have been better developed and edited more tightly.
That said, the premise is genuinely different especially for a debut and the story manages to keep you turning the pages.
And yes, I’m definitely curious to see where the next instalment takes the story.
August 22, 2026
Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zero, is a biopunk zombie outbreak thriller book that will keep you invested till the end.
The story begins with Vivaan, a 9 year old boy who seems to be having a rough time in school. He becomes prey to a high bandwidth pathogen which ends up causing a campus-wide outbreak. But this doesn’t seem to be a case of infection that can be restrained, there is a sinister conspiracy behind the cause of all these events and a special off-the-books tactical unit has been deployed to tackle the problem before it crushes the entire city.
The book is short, but it packs a punch. It explores various themes like action, zombies, school life, childhood innocence and past trauma among other things.
Kudos to the author for taking on such an ambitious project, especially as a debut. Blending biopunk themes with the suspense of a thriller makes for a bold and intriguing debut👏🏻
The story begins with Vivaan, a 9 year old boy who seems to be having a rough time in school. He becomes prey to a high bandwidth pathogen which ends up causing a campus-wide outbreak. But this doesn’t seem to be a case of infection that can be restrained, there is a sinister conspiracy behind the cause of all these events and a special off-the-books tactical unit has been deployed to tackle the problem before it crushes the entire city.
The book is short, but it packs a punch. It explores various themes like action, zombies, school life, childhood innocence and past trauma among other things.
Kudos to the author for taking on such an ambitious project, especially as a debut. Blending biopunk themes with the suspense of a thriller makes for a bold and intriguing debut👏🏻
August 25, 2026
The book follows a strange outbreak at a school in Mumbai infecting the students. A special team is sent to investigate the matter.
I liked the whole mumbai setting which made the story feel different. It is a quick read. However, I felt the story could have been developed a little more especially with the characters background. Overall, it was an interesting and engaging read with a different concept. There have been many zombies and sci-fi thrillers but this one has a lot of things going on in it so it feels unique.
I liked the whole mumbai setting which made the story feel different. It is a quick read. However, I felt the story could have been developed a little more especially with the characters background. Overall, it was an interesting and engaging read with a different concept. There have been many zombies and sci-fi thrillers but this one has a lot of things going on in it so it feels unique.
August 26, 2026
Code 103 Redacted: Patient Zero is a biopunk horror thriller that hooks you from page one. The story starts with a virus outbreak in a school, kids are infected and slowly turning into zombies . A special team is called to investigate. Investigation reveals how the virus is bioengineered and maybe the outbreak was not an accident.
A story filled with twists and turns that keeps the reader engaged. Loved the way the characters were written especially the special team.
If you enjoy zombie horror thrillers and are looking for something different to read, this book is for you.
A story filled with twists and turns that keeps the reader engaged. Loved the way the characters were written especially the special team.
If you enjoy zombie horror thrillers and are looking for something different to read, this book is for you.
September 6, 2026
Expect the unexpected from these zombies
If you think you’ve read every possible variation of a zombie outbreak, give this a read and you'll discover something else.
The hook here is absolute genius. Forget slow-moving, flesh-eating ghouls in a barren wasteland. Instead, imagine an unclassified, high-frequency pathogen that hits a school in Mumbai, turning innocent children into something networked, that's what got me hooked!
If you want a fast paced and morally complex sci-fi thriller that genuinely flips the script, put this at the very top of your reading list.
If you think you’ve read every possible variation of a zombie outbreak, give this a read and you'll discover something else.
The hook here is absolute genius. Forget slow-moving, flesh-eating ghouls in a barren wasteland. Instead, imagine an unclassified, high-frequency pathogen that hits a school in Mumbai, turning innocent children into something networked, that's what got me hooked!
If you want a fast paced and morally complex sci-fi thriller that genuinely flips the script, put this at the very top of your reading list.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews