“What is that?”
The vice president stares at the unfolding events on the television, his eyes wide with disbelief. He’s as stunned as everyone else in the room, unable to process what he’s seeing.
“Sir, our aircraft have reached New York City’s airspace.”
The assistant’s voice is calm, but there’s a hint of tension. The squadron of F-35s has arrived, ready to engage. But as the massive blue sphere continues to expand on the screen, a deep sense of unease settles over him.
“No, no, tell them to pull back.”
The assistant’s brow furrows, confused. “What, sir?”
“Pull back! I said pull back!” the vice president repeats, his voice rising in urgency.
In the cockpit of one of the F-35s, the pilot is still heading toward the city, despite the ominous blue sphere filling the horizon. A warning light flashes across his dashboard as the order to abort the mission crackles in his earpiece.
“Mission canceled? What the hell?” he mutters under his breath, his hands hovering over the controls. But just as he begins to veer off course, the blue sphere strikes his aircraft. It slices through the F-35 with terrifying precision, tearing it in half. The pilot is trapped, his seatbelt and harness holding him firmly in place as the plane plummets to the ground below.
“What the?!” The pilot’s voice is full of panic, but there’s nothing he can do.
“Pull up! PULL UP!!”
The remaining F-35 pilots react in sheer panic, signaling to each other, desperately trying to climb and avoid the massive blue sphere. But it’s too late. One pilot, caught off guard by the speed of the event, is too slow. His aircraft collides head-on with the sphere, exploding in a fiery crash.
“This is bad,” one of the surviving pilots mutters, his voice cracking with fear.
The blue sphere has now engulfed the entire city, stretching across the skyline, trapping everyone inside. No one can leave. No one can enter.
“What the hell?”
“Is that what I think it is?”
Back at the building where Neil and his group are holed up, Chad hears an explosion in the distance. He jumps to his feet, moving toward the window, his eyes widening in shock as he watches the sky slowly being swallowed by the massive blue sphere. It seems to be dimming the very light of the sun, casting a shadow over everything below.
“It looks like... Don’t tell me...” Chad’s voice trails off, his words faltering as he watches the phenomenon unfold. He recognizes it. He’s seen something like it a hundred times in science fiction movies. But this is real—this is actually happening.
As the phenomenon passes over their building, Neil’s armband begins to glow faintly.
“Guys?”
Neil stands up and calls to the group, but only a few of them respond. Most are lost in their own thoughts, consumed by their own worries. Brent and his friends are deep in conversation, and Selena is sitting with Jenny, who seems to be in a foul mood. But Chad, Roy, Nick, and Mike look up at Neil, their attention captured.
Chad moves closer to Neil, his curiosity piqued by the blue light flickering from the armband. He reaches out, taking it from Neil’s arm and examining it closely. As he inspects the device, a thought crosses his mind—before he presses a random button on the metal surface.
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The moment his fingers press the button, the entire group’s attention shifts. A shimmering blue spherical field bursts to life behind Chad, expanding outward from a hole in the armband. The field pulses with energy, expanding and contracting like something out of a science fiction story. But Chad is the only one who seems truly excited.
“Oh my God! This is a force field!! How—how did you get this?”
Neil’s voice cracks as he answers, still stunned. “I... I don’t know. I got it from one of the terrorists at the museum and—”
Overcome with exhilaration, Chad can hardly contain himself. He holds the armband tighter, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. “This is impossible! These things only exist in science fiction! They don’t exist in real life!”
As Chad reaches out to touch the field, the space behind him solidifies, transforming into a warm, solid wall. His heart races as he runs his hand along the surface, amazed by its sheer reality.
“Oh my God! This is real! THIS IS REAL!!!”
“Shut up!”
Jenny’s voice cuts through the moment, loud and irritated. She’s startled by Chad’s outburst.
“Sorry! Wait, how about—”
Neil, sensing that things could get out of hand, presses the button again, turning the armband off. But Chad is too intrigued by what he’s just discovered to let it go. He turns his attention to the AK rifle resting nearby. His hands shake slightly as he detaches the weapon, a sense of awe overtaking him. When he pulls it apart, his jaw drops in disbelief.
“Oh my God! This is a mini railgun!”
The rifle, which looks like an AK-47 but with a distinctly different design, has two parallel metal rods inside, connected to a power source near the buttstock. The entire mechanism seems far more advanced than anything he’s ever seen. There’s a system built into the rifle that allows it to auto-reload without the need for a gas tube or spring, making it incredibly efficient. Despite its complexity, the rifle still has the familiar shape of the weapon everyone knows.
“Uhhh... so what does all of this mean?!” Roy asks, voicing what everyone else is probably thinking.
“Well, a railgun is a weapon that fires projectiles at incredibly high speeds using electromagnetic force. It works by creating a powerful magnetic field between two parallel metal rods that accelerates the projectile...” Chad begins to explain, his voice full of enthusiasm.
“No one cares! Just get to the point!” Brent snaps, clearly impatient.
Realizing he’s lost his audience, Chad pauses, takes a deep breath, and refocuses.
“Okay, so it means... whoever made these devices, whoever created these weapons, they’re either a once-in-a-lifetime genius, or this is some secret, top-level project—like something straight out of Area 51. Or... or maybe—just maybe—they’re from another planet.”
A heavy silence blankets the room after Chad’s shocking revelation. The weight of his words settles on everyone, and the room feels like it’s holding its breath. It’s clear now—whatever is behind all of this, whatever forces are at play, it’s bigger than any of them could have imagined. Their world is about to change forever.
For several long moments, no one speaks, the gravity of the situation sinking in. The silence is broken only when...
BEEP!!
The walkie-talkie that Neil carries suddenly crackles to life, the sharp beep followed by a continuous buzzing sound. Then, a voice breaks through the static.
"Report! Report! We’ve got fugitives. Word is they’re mostly kids, with a few adults."
“What the?”
“Shhh!!”
Nick motions for Mike to be quiet, a worried look crossing his face. The others, realizing what’s happening, stay perfectly still, holding their breath. They’re all afraid that the person on the other end of the walkie-talkie might somehow hear them.
"They attacked our men, stole our truck, and took our weapons." The tension in the room thickens as they listen closely.
"And they might even be listening to us through the walkie-talkie they stole."
“Shit!”
“Shhh!!!!”
Mike can’t help himself—his reaction is understandable, but his outburst only serves to heighten the tension. They all feel like the man on the other end of the walkie-talkie could be standing right there in the room with them, staring them down.
“To the ones running from us, you will not be safe. We will hunt you down to the last one and kill every single one of your friends and comrades! And for those who wish to join us, you will be treated with care and mercy. But for those who defy us... your death is imminent—”
In a flash, Neil switches off the walkie-talkie, cutting the transmission. The group sits in stunned silence, the weight of the threat hanging heavy in the air. They came here seeking protection, hoping to escape the dangers outside, but now they realize that they are in even more danger than before.
Brent, however, seems to have a different reaction. His eyes light up with a strange intensity, his face twisted into a thoughtful expression as a new plan begins to form in his mind. It’s as if he’s found a way out—his way out—and this time, it’s on his own terms.