Chapter 29

The cool morning air was crisp as we made our way toward Galene, the sun inching toward its zenith. We’d been traveling for another hour, and as the clock approached 11 AM, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was our moment—our chance to reclaim what had been taken from us.

“Stay low and move quietly,” I whispered to Felix, who nodded, his eyes scanning our surroundings. Byte padded silently beside us, his form shifting into stealth mode, blending seamlessly with the shadows of the trees.

We slipped into the treeline bordering the camp, the sounds of the forest surrounding us. The faint murmur of voices drifted from the direction of the central tent, and I could see the flickering light of a fire illuminating the faces of those gathered around it. Matt and his crew seemed preoccupied, their attention focused elsewhere.

“Let’s move,” Felix urged, gesturing toward the eastern edge of the camp. John had mentioned a weak point in their patrols over there, and my heart raced with excitement and trepidation.

With Byte leading the way, we maneuvered through the camp with surprising ease. We followed Byte on my arm display since he was invisible to the naked eye. The guards appeared lax, their chatter and laughter drowning out the sounds of our approach. As we crept closer, I felt a surge of hope. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

“Okay, we need to find Jared’s tent first,” I whispered, glancing at Felix. “Once we subdue him, we can use him as leverage against Matt.”

“Right,” Felix whispered, scanning the area. His eyes flicked from one shadow to another, ever vigilant. “Let’s stick to the shadows.”

We crept toward the edge of the camp, moving quickly but quietly, my heart pounding in my chest. Byte guided us expertly, his enhanced senses alert to any disturbances in the environment. I watched on my display to every pause he made alerting us to stay still before moving to join him. As we reached the area where Jared’s tent should be, a rush of exhilaration surged through me. We were in position.

“Over there,” Adjacent to a tent with a red flag at the top was a dimly lit tent beside it was stacked a pile of logs. The canvas was slightly flapping in the breeze, revealing a sliver of movement inside. “That must be it.”

Felix nodded, determination etched on his face. “Let’s do this quietly. If we can catch him off guard, we might not have to fight.”

I felt a tingle of anticipation mixed with fear as we moved closer. We took a deep breath, knowing that this could be our only chance to turn the tide in our favor. As we approached the entrance, the quiet murmur of voices outside faded into the background, replaced by the sound of our own breathing.

Felix gestured for me to take the lead, and I stepped up to the entrance of the tent. I pulled aside the flap just enough to peek inside. The tent was sparsely furnished—a small table cluttered with supplies, a makeshift bed in the corner. Jared’s silhouette was visible, hat atop his head and his back turned as he rummaged through a box, completely unaware of our presence.

Human level 11

This was our moment. I exchanged a quick glance with Felix, who nodded, signaling that he was ready.

“On three,” I whispered, holding up my fingers. “One… two… three!”

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We slipped inside, Byte standing invisibly outside to keep guard. I lunged at Jared, my hand flying to cover his mouth as I pushed him down onto the ground. Felix moved quickly, grabbing his wrists and securing them with the web from the mechweaver spiders. Jared’s startled eyes widened, and for a brief moment, he struggled against us.

“Stop moving!” I hissed, my voice firm but low, determined to keep him quiet. “We’re not here to hurt you, but we need your cooperation.”

Felix tightened the bindings, keeping a firm grip on Jared’s arms. “You’ll be fine if you just listen,” he said, his tone steady. “We’re not going to kill you. We just want peace.”

Jared’s breathing slowed, and he finally stilled beneath us. “What do ya’ll want?” he asked, his voice muffled against my hand.

“Information,” I said, pulling my hand back just enough to let him speak. “Where’s Matt? What’s his plan?”

He hesitated, weighing his options. I could see the gears turning in his mind, the realization that he was in a precarious situation. “If you think you can just walk in here and take control, you’re mistaken,” he replied, defiance creeping back into his tone. “Matt’s not someone you can easily overpower. Plus, we’ve got some pretty powerful friends. You might think you’re on the right side of this, but you don’t know what you’re up against.”

I pressed my knee harder against his back, trying to keep him subdued. “We’re not here to play games, Jared. We know Matt’s become dangerous. Help us, and you can walk away from this.”

“Dangerous? Please,” he scoffed, a hint of contempt in his voice. “You don’t know the first thing about what it takes to lead. Matt’s got vision—he’s willing to do what needs to be done to protect what’s ours. People like you, trying to undermine his authority? You’re just making it easier for the weak to run wild. We need strength, not your kind of weakness.”

Felix moved to the entrance, keeping watch while I continued to question Jared. My heart raced with every second that passed, knowing we had limited time to get what we needed before the tide turned against us.

“You think this is about weakness?” I shot back, frustration bubbling over. “What are you even talking about? We got teleported to a tutorial? We’re all weak here. We need to work together and make it through this. Not climb atop our fellow humans to make it to the top. You guys came in here in the middle of the night and killed people. And then Matt took over and is holding people hostage. He’s using you to climb the ladder. You don’t mean anything to him other than fodder to throw in front of himself in the event of a stray bullet.”

Jared’s face hardened, a spark of anger igniting in his eyes. “You think you can just use me as a pawn? He’ll crush you if he finds out. You have no idea how far his reach extends. We’re not just some ragtag group; we have a movement, a community that believes in taking back what’s rightfully ours. Plus the vast majority of people here want us to lead them.”

I felt a mix of anger and desperation as I pressed my knee into his back harder, hoping to assert some control. “Matt’s delusions of grandeur will only lead to destruction. We’re not the enemy here. If you want to save yourself, help us stop him.”

“Stop him?” Jared laughed bitterly, a sound devoid of any real mirth. “You really think you can just waltz in here and take over? The people here respect Matt. They believe in his vision. You’re playing with fire, and when it all goes up in flames, you’ll find out just how wrong you are.”

Felix glanced over his shoulder, urgency flashing in his eyes. “We don’t have time for this, Maura. We need to leave.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Jared’s words settling over me like a heavy fog. “This isn’t just about you or Matt,” I said, my voice firm despite the uncertainty gnawing at me. “This is about the future of the human race. We’re trying to make sure everyone survives this and gets back to Earth!”

Jared smirked, his expression one of twisted amusement. “You think you’re some sort of savior? You’ll find that out there, it’s every man for himself. And when you face Matt, you’ll see that he’s not the only one willing to do whatever it takes. You’re outnumbered, outmatched, and you have no idea what you’re getting into.”

Just then, the sounds outside shifted. The laughter and chatter around the fire faded into murmurs of confusion. I felt a chill run down my spine as I exchanged worried glances with Felix.

“Stay quiet!” I hissed at Jared, but I could see his smirk deepening.

“Too late for that,” he said, the defiance rekindling in his eyes.

Before I could respond, the flap of the tent flew open, and a man in a motorcycle jacket stepped inside. “Well, well, what do we have here?” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “A little birdie told me you’d be coming.”

In an instant, the exhilaration of our success began to drain away, replaced by a chilling realization: we were standing on the edge of a disaster, and the moment we had fought so hard for was slipping away before our eyes.