Ralphie’s heart pounded as they watched the wolf creature’s body convulse. The fur receded, revealing human skin underneath. Within moments, a hairy man with a metal arm lay before them.
“What the hell?” Nigel muttered, inching closer.
Ralphie hung back, his mind reeling. Just as he was about to speak, the metal arm detached from the man’s body, falling to the ground with a dull thud.
“Ah!” Ralphie yelped, stumbling backward. His foot caught on a root and fell.
Nigel, ever the curious one, kneeled beside the corpse. He examined the arm, then the bloody stump left behind.
“Is he a werewolf?” Ralphie asked, his voice quivering.
“I don’t think so,” Nigel replied, pointing to something at the stump’s base. “Look at this.”
Ralphie reluctantly edged closer, still wary of the dead man. Nigel pulled a rag from his backpack and wiped away the blood, revealing a metallic interface.
“This is a JTAG standard,” Nigel explained, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
“What’s that?” Ralphie asked, confused.
“It helps manufacturers settle on a circuit board design,” Nigel said. “This is good news. If I can find a facility, I can rig an interface to examine the metal arm.”
As Nigel placed the detached arm in his pack, a chorus of guttural howls erupted from the surrounding forest. Bushes rustled, the sounds drawing closer.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ralphie said, his voice tight with fear.
The brothers hurried across the road leading into the dying city. As they approached, the aftermath of a fierce battle became apparent. Bodies in various states of decay littered the streets, a grim testament to the violence that had occurred.
Ralphie’s stomach churned as he noticed something odd about the corpses. “Nigel, look,” he said, pointing to a body nearby. “That one has... parts missing.”
Nigel kneeled to examine the corpse. “You’re right. Not only missing but also clear signs of augmentation.
“Someone’s been experimenting on these people,” Nigel said. “We need to find a maker station.”
“A workshop?” Ralphie questioned, confused by the unfamiliar term.
Nigel explained he needed a lab with the equipment to reverse engineer the arm. “I suspect we might learn something useful.”
As they made their way deeper into the city, Ralphie couldn’t shake a watchful feeling. His eyes darted from building to building, searching for any sign of movement. He spotted something in an upstairs window of a brick building.
“Nigel,” he whispered, “I think I saw—“
The crack of gunfire cut him off. Bullets whizzed past their heads, pinging off nearby debris.
“Run!” Nigel shouted, grabbing Ralphie’s arm.
The brothers sprinted down the street, zigzagging to avoid the hail of bullets. Ralphie’s lungs burned as he pushed himself to keep up with Nigel. They ducked into an alley, pressing themselves against the wall as they caught their breath.
“Who... who was that?” Ralphie gasped.
Nigel shook his head. “No idea, but we can’t stay here. We need to find cover and figure out our next move.”
They crept along the alley, staying low and listening for any signs of pursuit. As they neared the end, Nigel held up a hand, signaling Ralphie to stop. He peered around the corner, then pulled back.
“People down there,” he whispered. “They look... different. Some of them have visible augmentations.”
Ralphie’s mind flashed back to the wolf-man and the corpses they’d seen. “Are they like that thing we killed?”
“I don’t think so,” Nigel replied. “These look more... human. But we can’t be sure they’re friendly.”
Someone’s voice called out from the street. “We know you’re there! Come out before we open fire!”
“What do we do?” Ralphie whispered.
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Nigel said. “We’ll have to take our chances.”
The brothers emerged from the alley, hands raised. Five people stood before them, all bearing various augmentations. A woman with a cybernetic eye stepped forward, her gaze piercing.
She demanded, “Identify yourselves and explain your purpose.”
Nigel spoke up, his voice steady. “I’m Nigel, and this is my brother Ralphie. We’re just trying to survive, like everyone else.”
Stolen story; please report.
The woman’s cybernetic eye whirred as it focused on them. “You’re not from around here. Where did you come from?”
Before Nigel could answer, Ralphie blurted out, “We killed one of those... those things. The wolf-man.”
The group exchanged surprised looks. The woman’s expression softened. “You took down a hybrid? Impressive. I’m Zara. Come with us - we need to talk.”
As they followed Zara and her group through the ruined streets, Ralphie’s mind raced. What were these hybrids? Who were these augmented people? And most importantly, were they walking into another trap?
They arrived at a fortified building, its windows barricaded and entrance guarded. They had converted the space into a makeshift command center, scattering maps, computers, and various technologies.
Zara turned to face them. “Alright, let’s start from the beginning. What is your place of origin, and how did you arrive here?”
Nigel recounted their journey, explaining their search for Blanka and their encounter with the Hybrid. As he spoke, Ralphie noticed the others listening, their augmented parts whirring or blinking.
When Nigel finished, Zara nodded. “You’ve stumbled into a war zone, boys. Those Hybrids you encountered? They’re the result of twisted experiments by a group called the Evolutionists. They believe in ‘improving’ humanity through forced augmentation and genetic manipulation.”
Ralphie shuddered, remembering the horrific transformation they’d witnessed. “But why? How could anyone think that’s okay?”
A man with a mechanical arm spoke. “They’re fanatics. They think they’re saving humanity by ‘evolving’ us. But their methods are cruel. We are the resistance - those who have chosen augmentation of our own free will or those who have been liberated from the Evolutionists’ labs.
Nigel pulled out the metal arm from his pack. “We found this. I was hoping to examine it, maybe learn something useful.”
Zara’s cybernetic eye widened. “You salvaged that? Our tech expert would love to look. Maybe we can find a weakness in their designs.”
As they discussed the arm and the potential information it could provide, Ralphie’s mind wandered. He thought of Sally and Blanka, wondering if they were safe. The memory of the young boy in Milford, slaughtered by the machine, flashed through his mind. How many more innocent lives had been lost to this senseless violence?
A commotion outside snapped Ralphie back to the present. The guard burst in, his face pale. “Zara! We’ve got incoming - a large group of Hybrids headed this way!”
The room erupted into action. Zara barked orders, her cybernetic eye glowing. “Get everyone to battle stations! Evacuate the non-combatants through the tunnels!”
She turned to Nigel and Ralphie. “You two have a choice. Leave through the tunnels and hope you find safety or stay and fight with us.”
“We can’t stay. I need to find medical supplies for my beloved,” Nigel said.
“There’s a hospital in the middle of the city. If you help us push forward, we’ll guide you to the hospital.”
Ralphie looked at Nigel, fear and determination warring in his chest. His brother’s face was set, resolute. Nigel nodded, and Ralphie knew what they had to do.
“We’ll stay,” Ralphie said, surprised by the steadiness in his voice. “We’ve seen what these monsters can do, and we can help each other.”
Zara smiled. “Brave lads. Alright, gear up. We’ve got some spare weapons and armor. The fight of your lives is coming.”
Ralphie’s heart raced. He thought of all they’d been through, all they’d lost. For the first time since this nightmare began, Ralphie felt a sense of purpose. They might not find medical supplies for Blanka today, but they were close. As the first sounds of battle reached their ears, They could help turn the tide in this war for humanity’s future.
“Once you’ve made your decision, report to Raven. She’s our head of battle and will get you to that hospital.”
His brother nodded and then turned to him. “Ready, buddy?”
Ralphie nodded as he gripped his weapon. Whatever came next, they would face it together.