Chapter14: Activation

Alex was caught off guard. A mechanical spider had silently crept up behind them, its razor-sharp limbs poised to strike at Dr. Kayan.

In a split second, Alex pulled out his gun, trying to strike first. But he was no match for the machine’s speed. Helplessly, he watched as the spider drove its leg straight into the doctor’s abdomen.

“Arghh!”

Dr. Kayan let out a pained scream as the metallic limb impaled him. Alex fired his gun repeatedly at the spider, desperate to stop it.

Despite his injury, the doctor gritted his teeth and swiftly pulled out a pulse magnet—a device of his own invention. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it at the spider. Instantly, the machine seized up, as if its power had been cut off, giving Alex just enough time to blast it apart.

Wasting no time, Alex grabbed the doctor and took off running.

Because at the end of the road, dozens more mechanical spiders were closing in.

“Move! Now!”

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Dashing through the forest, Alex supported the weakened doctor as they evaded their pursuers. The spiders, using infrared scanning, were relentlessly tracking them.

Finally, Dr. Kayan could go no further. His face was pale as he collapsed against a tree.

“Doctor! Hang in there! We have to keep moving!”

Alex tried to lift him up, but the doctor shook his head weakly.

“Looks like… I won’t make it to Rockhill Valley, kid.”

Though they hadn’t known each other for long, Alex wasn’t the kind of person to leave someone behind.

“No! You’re important! Don’t give up so easily! Come on, I’ll carry you if I have to!”

But the doctor refused. His eyes were resolute as he gestured for Alex to extend his hand.

“Kid… hold out your hand.”

Confused but obedient, Alex stretched out his left hand. The doctor pulled out a sleek black smartwatch and fastened it onto Alex’s wrist.

“Doctor...? What is this?”

Dr. Kayan’s expression turned serious as he spoke:

“Listen to me. No matter what happens, don’t lose this watch. ‘She’ will bring you an unimaginable transformation. And… remember, don’t tell anyone what ‘she’ teaches you until you’ve fully mastered it. Now go! I’ll hold these machines off!”

Alex, bewildered, demanded answers.

“Who is ‘she’? Learn what? Doctor, I don’t understand—”

But the doctor didn’t explain. Instead, he shoved Alex away, activated a hidden function on his flashlight, and released a disruptive energy field. A thick cloud of smoke instantly enveloped the area.

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“Go, now!”

His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Alex clenched his fists, reluctant to leave but knowing he had no choice.

“Thank you, Doctor… and good luck.”

With a final glance back, he turned and disappeared into the night.

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Alex sprinted like a headless fly, completely lost. This was his first time on the surface, and he had no idea where to go.

“Damn it!... Where should I go now?!”

Sweating profusely, Alex anxiously scanned his surroundings. Right now, he wasn’t thinking about finding Anna—his only priority was reuniting with Chad and the others.

He checked to make sure no mechanical spiders were nearby, then quickly pulled out his communicator. He had to contact Squad 6 while he still had the chance.

“Come on… pick up already!”

Alex grew impatient.

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Meanwhile, Squad 6 had been searching for Alex in the southern region of Olympia since last night. But after hours of looking, there was still no sign of him. Frustration was building.

“We’ve searched everywhere… Alex, where the hell are you?”

Max muttered anxiously.

Just then, Chad’s communicator beeped. He quickly answered, and Alex’s voice came through from the other end.

“Thank God! Where are you guys?!”

The whole squad immediately gathered around, especially Max and Nick, who had been worried sick.

“Looks like I’m on… Morrison Avenue!”

Alex glanced at a fallen street sign nearby, confirming his location. But it was still quite a distance from Chad’s team.

Chad responded quickly, “Alex, stay put! We’re coming to get you!”

Relieved that he would soon reunite with his team, Alex let his guard down for a moment.

But danger struck immediately—several mechanical spiders had detected his signal and were now charging straight toward him. He had no choice but to start running again.

Ducking into an abandoned house by the road, Alex found a corner to hide in. Moments later, he heard heavy thuds on the rooftop.

The killing machines had arrived.

The mechanical spiders had tracked his signal and surrounded the house. Some even smashed through the second-floor windows.

It was clear—they knew a human was inside.

As more mechanical spiders stormed in, Alex had nowhere left to run. Curling up inside a cabinet, he couldn’t help but think:

“How ironic… Alex Black, dead at such a young age… Damn… And I never got to see Anna again… Ha…”

As despair crept in, the first person who came to his mind wasn’t Anna Lane.

It was Maggie.

Maggie’s voice, her words, her angry glares—everything about her flashed through his mind. He looked down at the wristband on his right hand, recalling their conversations.

Then, in a self-mocking tone, he muttered, “Not that it matters now…”

Resting his head against the cabinet, he braced himself for the inevitable.

Suddenly—

The electronic watch on his left wrist began flashing with a rhythmic blue light.

Alex was stunned.

“What… is this?”

He raised his hand, watching the eerie glow pulse. Then, the tiny screen on the watch lit up, displaying a message:

"User confirmed. You are in a life-threatening situation. Do you want to activate the watch? Press the button below."

A large button at the bottom of the screen began emitting a faint red light. Alex had to decide—should he press it?

He remembered Dr. Kayan’s words:

“She will bring you unimaginable change….”

“What kind of change…?” Alex wondered.

“Screw it! Anything is better than nothing!”

He still didn’t understand why the doctor had referred to the watch as “she,” but with the mechanical spiders closing in fast, he had no time to hesitate.

Without thinking twice, he pressed the button.

The flashing lights on the watch steadied, growing brighter.

As Alex waited for something—anything—to happen, a calm female voice suddenly spoke from the device:

“Hello, User. Do you authorize me to take action?”