The snow began to fall in thick, silent flakes, muffling the sounds of a city that once teemed with life. Now, the streets of Philadelphia lay deserted, an eerie blanket of white covering the remnants of hurried evacuations and hastily abandoned belongings. Kiara held Chen's elbow as they stumbled out of the alleyway, the world around them twisting and distorting before snapping back into focus. They found themselves in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, a city transformed by the chilling grip of winter and war.

Chen was still shaking off the effects of whatever tranquilizing influence the aliens had used on him. His movements were sluggish, his eyes glazed with confusion. Mendez, though less affected, felt a gnawing coldness in her bones that had nothing to do with the weather. They were in enemy territory, and they needed to find shelter fast.

"Chen, we have to move," Mendez urged, glancing around at the desolate streets. "We can't stay out here."

"Drix stole my scanner," Chen mumbled.

"He took it and gave you a new one, I think," she said, patting his jacket pocket.

Chen nodded. He fumbled the tool out of his pocket, his mind clearly preoccupied. Mendez, more alert, scanned their surroundings. Across the street loomed the tallest building in Philadelphia, the iconic skyscraper of a cable company. They were in the heart of the city, surrounded by the silent sentinels of glass and steel.

She watched as Chen held the tool up to the streetlight. "Why giraffes?" he said.

"No idea," Mendez told him, hurrying him under an awning and out of the snowfall.

Nearby, the shattered remains of Skirmisher units lay scattered across the snow-covered pavement. Mendez hoped those twisted metal corpses were the result of Army bullets, a small comfort in the overwhelming sense of vulnerability that washed over her. They needed to get off the streets and out of the cold. The power was still on, which meant heat. They just had to find a way inside.

"There," Mendez pointed, spotting a mailbox company storefront. Its bright sign advertised free boxes for shipping, but more importantly, the sidewalk in front of the store was bare concrete. The heat was on.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing Chen's arm and pulling him along.

They reached the storefront and pushed through the door, which gave way with a soft chime. Inside, the warmth enveloped them, a stark contrast to the frigid air outside. Mendez scanned the empty store. Shelves were bare, and the counters were cleared of any useful items. It looked like the place had been picked clean.

"They didn't lock the door?" Chen muttered, his voice still heavy with lingering fog.

"Looks like they cleared it out," Mendez replied, her eyes sweeping the room. "I'll bet they just stuffed everything in the back, like my brother does when Mom tells him to clean his room."

Chen suddenly shook his head, his eyes clearing slightly. Then, more lucidly, "This must be sector two. We'll have to clear the enemy to see them again."

Mendez frowned, a chill running down her spine. The creature had done something to him, something that made him obedient. The realization hit her that she had been under the effects too, albeit to a lesser degree. She needed to stay focused.

She approached the door to the back room and tried the handle. It was locked. Of course.

"Let me try that," Chen said. She watched as he rummaged through his pack.

Mendez dropped her own pack on the counter and dumped out the contents. Flashlight, med kit, energy bars, a bottle of water, her useless cellphone—why was that still in there? Ah, the multitool. She held it up for Chen to see.

"What about this?" she asked.

Chen's eyes lit up with a spark of recognition.

"You know how to pick locks?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm an engineer," Chen said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Mendez raised the eyebrow even higher.

"Hey, I was about to graduate with my BS in electrical engineering," he said. "Lockpicking is an engineering puzzle. Lots of guys make locks and try to defeat them."

Mendez's expression softened slightly, replaced by a grudging respect. "Alright, MacGyver," she said with a hint of a smile. "Show me what you've got."

Chen turned his attention to the lock, carefully inserting the flathead screwdriver as a makeshift tension wrench. With the thin metal piece serving as a pick, he began to work on the lock's pins.

As Chen focused on the task at hand, Mendez kept watch, her eyes darting between the front door and the windows. The alien device in Chen's pocket seemed to weigh heavily, a reminder of their bizarre situation, but for now, their hopes rested on more conventional skills.

"Two feels loose," Chen said to himself as he worked.

Kiara pulled down one of the blinds to check the street. Still no signs of life. Human or otherwise. The Skirmisher remains were slowly disappearing under the blanket of snow.

"Got it," Chen said, gesturing towards the now-unlocked door.

"That was quick," she said, slightly impressed.

Chen shrugged. "Schlage. Standard model."

Mendez had no idea what a 'schlage' was. She moved forward, her hand hovering over the doorknob. She met Chen's eyes, silently asking if he was ready. He nodded, gripping the alien device in one hand and the multitool in the other.

With a deep breath, Mendez turned the handle and pushed the door open, both cadets tensing in anticipation of what they might find in the back room.

As the door swung open, the alien tool in Chen's hand suddenly came to life, buzzing with an intensity that made both cadets jump.

"What the—" Chen muttered.

No sooner had Chen spoken than a beam of ultraviolet light shot forth, sweeping across the storeroom. Various objects began to glow under its ethereal illumination, creating an otherworldly scene.

"What in the good God," Mendez breathed, her eyes wide.

"It's scanning, I think," Chen said, his voice tinged with both awe and apprehension.

"Turn it off," Mendez ordered, her tone sharper than intended.

"Okay, how?" Chen responded, fumbling with the device.

The beam continued its methodical sweep, painting the room in a sickly, otherworldly glow that made Mendez's skin crawl. Shadows danced and writhed on the walls like restless spirits. Her pulse thundered in her ears, a primal drumbeat of fear and urgency. They were toying with unknown forces, and every moment spent fumbling with this cosmic Rubik's cube brought them closer to a danger they couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"Just... figure it out," Mendez hissed through clenched teeth, her words sharp enough to cut. With a swift motion, she slammed the door shut, sealing them inside the storeroom. The eerie blue-green glow was now contained, hidden from any prying eyes or sensors that might be lurking in the desolate streets outside.

Chen's fingers danced over the device like a man trying to defuse a bomb he couldn't see. "I'm trying," he shot back, sweat beading on his brow. "I pressed all the buttons."

"It has buttons?" Mendez's voice dripped with disbelief. Her mind raced, grasping at the wisps of memory like a drowning woman clutching at straws. "What did that little gremlin say about it? Something about making a HUD?"

Chen's face contorted as if in pain, his hand flying to his temple. "Scan the enemy," he muttered, the words tumbling out like a fever dream. Then, with the sudden clarity of a man waking from a nightmare, "Drix said it would scan the enemy, extract materials to make the hub."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The air itself seemed to hold its breath. Then, like the voice of some digital god, the device spoke. "Making the Hub. Please stand by."

Chen's eyes bulged, his face a mask of awe and terror. "It's talking," he whispered, as if afraid speaking too loudly might anger their new technological overlord.

The lightshow ceased abruptly, plunging the room into a darkness that felt alive, watchful. But the respite was brief. A new beam, as thin as a razor, lanced out from the device. It began to trace an outline on the concrete floor, creating shapes of pure light that rose above the dusty floor of the shipping storeroom. It was beautiful, mesmerizing, and utterly terrifying.

"You said it," Mendez breathed, the realization hitting her like a sucker punch to the gut. "You said 'make the hub,' and it responded."

"Error, hub construction is already in progress," the voice of the tool said, "Hub limit reached. One of one."

Chen's face lit up with a mixture of excitement and fear, like a child who's accidentally summoned a demon while playing with a Ouija board. "It's voice activated?" he mused, his voice barely above a whisper. "And you said it too. What do I do now?"

Mendez's mind raced, processing the tool's message. "Wait, one of one? We only get one hub?" She felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. The implications were staggering. If they only had one shot at this, they needed to make it count. What if they were doing it wrong? What if they needed the hub somewhere else? The weight of their decisions suddenly felt much heavier.

"I guess we're committed now," Chen muttered, his voice a mix of awe and concern. "No do-overs on this one."

Mendez felt a chill race down her spine, her instincts screaming at her to run, to get as far away from this unknowable thing as possible. But another part of her, the part that had driven her to join ROTC, to push herself beyond her limits, knew they had to see this through.

"Don't do anything new," she said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. "Just let it make the thing. We'll figure out how to use it once it's done."

She watched alongside Steven Chen as the contents of the room began to move, as if possessed by an unseen force. Chen pointed the tool in the direction of the hub's nascent outline, resembling a wizard casting an arcane spell or a conductor demanding the orchestra's attention. Boxes tore apart with violent precision, mail destined never to be sent shredded itself in midair. Presents and packages bound for destinations unknown now served as mere raw materials for the construction of this enigmatic hub. The room itself seemed to come alive, every object bending to the will of the alien technology, reshaping reality before their very eyes.

The ethereal light show gradually slowed, the beams of energy coalescing into a solid form. As the last motes of light settled, Kiara and Chen found themselves staring at the completed hub. The alien device in Chen's hand gave a final, satisfied chirp before going silent.

Before them stood a rectangular structure, its size reminiscent of the top-loading freezer Kiara's parents kept in their basement. The hub's surface was smooth and metallic, with an iridescent sheen that seemed to shift colors as they moved around it. Various buttons of different shapes and colors dotted its surface, their purpose as mysterious as the hub itself.

Kiara circled the structure cautiously, her eyes tracing the faint seams that hinted at hidden compartments or openings. As she rounded to one side, she noticed an aperture near the top, its purpose unclear but somehow menacing in its ambiguity.

The hub rested on what appeared to be feet, but as Kiara looked closer, she felt a chill run down her spine. The "feet" were slightly rounded, suggesting they might be wheels, but there was something unsettlingly organic about their appearance. They seemed to pulse ever so slightly, as if they were breathing.

Chen too was checking out the feet. He was chuckling at something.

"What?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he said.

"No, what's so funny?"

"Nothing," he said, standing up, "really, nothing."

Chen leaned in close, his eyes wide with wonder as he examined every detail of the alien construct. A little too close.

"Careful," Kiara warned, her voice tight with tension. "It might suck you in and chew you up."

Chen glanced back at her, a wry smile on his face. "Like a mimic," he said, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and nerves.

Kiara frowned, not understanding the reference. "A what?"

"A mimic," Chen repeated, still inching closer to the hub. "It's a monster from D&D. Looks like a chest or some other object, but when you get close, it attacks."

Kiara's frown deepened. The concept of a disguised predator didn't ease her concerns. "That's not exactly reassuring, Chen. Maybe we should—"

Her words were cut short as Chen reached out, his hand hovering just above one of the hub's colorful buttons. As his fingers hovered near the button, the hub suddenly came to life, a rush of light surging from the base to the top of the machine.

A voice, similar to the tool's but with a slightly more robotic and youthful tone, spoke.

"Identify user."

Before either of them could react, the light coalesced around Chen, bathing him in a soft, blue glow. It lasted only a moment before dissipating, leaving both cadets blinking in surprise.

Then, seemingly out of thin air, an image appeared floating above the hub. It was translucent and glowing, its edges slightly fuzzy but unmistakably clear in its representation.

"A hologram," Mendez said out loud, her voice a mix of awe and disbelief. "And it's you!"

Indeed, hovering before them was a three-dimensional representation of Steven Chen. The hologram rotated slowly, showing Chen from all angles. It was eerily accurate, down to the wrinkles in his uniform and the bewildered expression on his face.

Chen stared at his own image, mouth agape. "Uh, hello, I'm Steven Chen. Cadet Steven Chen," he said, stumbling over his words in shock.

The hub's voice spoke again. "User identified: Cadet Steven Chen. Biometric profile of Mr. Steven Chen stored. Access granted. Welcome to the defense force, Cadet."

Mendez's eyes widened in realization. "Chen, it thinks your first name is Cadet."

"No way," Chen said, frowning. "It just said welcome to the defense force. Maybe I should've said I was a major or something," he added with a smirk.

"No, seriously," Mendez insisted, pointing at the display. "Look! It's got your first name as Cadet and your last name as Steven Chen."

"Oh man," Chen groaned. "Well, I guess I'm officially in the defense force now. Your turn, Mendez."

"Yeah right," Mendez said, shaking her head vigorously. "No way I'm getting drafted into some intergalactic war or whatever this is."

Chen chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, Mendez. The hologram is cool and you know it. You're jealous of my kick-ass hologram."

"Shut up," Mendez said, rolling her eyes. "Oh, what the hell. We're stuck here, aren't we?"

She reached out to touch the button. The hub responded instantly, springing to life with a similar rush of light. The same robotic voice spoke again.

"Identify user."

A light scanned Mendez, bathing her in the same blue glow that had enveloped Chen. As the light dissipated, a new hologram appeared above the hub—this time, a perfect, three-dimensional representation of Kiara Mendez. It rotated slowly, displaying every detail of her uniform, her hair, even the determined look in her eyes.

"Kiara Mendez," she said, looking at Chen. She winked.

The hub's voice responded. "User identified: Kiara Mendez. Biometric profile of Ms. Mendez stored. Access granted. Welcome to the defense force, Kiara."

Mendez let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Ha!"

"Okay, yeah, I screwed that up," Chen admitted. "But I had to go first."

"You had to touch it without thinking, you mean," Mendez said.

Chen shrugged. "Impulse control has never been my strong suit—"

The voice of the hub interrupted him. "Defense force unit limit reached. Two of two. Congratulations. Identify the name of the defense force."

Mendez pulled Chen away from the machine, her eyes wide. "What do we call ourselves?" she said in a low whisper.

"ROTC?" Chen offered.

She shook her head. "ROTC is over," she said. "You heard Reynolds. They were going to put lieutenant stripes on our sleeves."

Chen paused, considering. Then a spark of inspiration lit his face. "Okay, then, I have just the name," he said, standing up. He turned towards the hub.

"United States Army," he said clearly.

Mendez's face turned pale. "You idiot," she hissed. "What happens when the real army learns about this?"

Chen shrugged again, his grin never faltering. "If we run into the real army, I'll throw myself on the mercy of the commanding officer," he said. "Besides, if that does happen, then that means we survived."

The hub processed for a moment before responding. "Defense force name confirmed: United States Army. Welcome, Cadet Steven Chen and Kiara Mendez."

Mendez felt a strange mix of pride and anxiety. They had just claimed their place in whatever strange defense force this was. She looked at Chen, who was grinning ear to ear.

"Well," she said, "we're officially soldiers now? Soldiers with no gear."

"New rank," the hub announced. "Steven Chen and Mendez are now Initiates."

"I'm never going to live this down," Chen said with a groan.

Mendez stuck out her hand. "Well hello there, Initiate Cadet, I'm Initiate Kiara."

"All right, get it out of your system," Chen said, rolling his eyes.

"Initiate Cadet Stevenchen," she said, emphasizing his full name with a smirk.

"At your service," Chen replied with a mock salute.

"Please retrieve the Initiate emblems," the hub instructed. A tray extended from the side of the machine.

"What's an emblem?" Mendez asked, peering at the tray.

"I think they are pins," Chen said, reaching for one. "Rank insignias, maybe."

Mendez examined the hub's display closely. "No, they're trackers," she said, pointing at the screen. "Look."

"You're right," Chen said, leaning closer.

"What even is all this stuff?" she wondered.

"Hold on," Chen said, still reading the display. "It's like—" his voice trailed off.

Mendez looked at the screen again, trying to see what Chen was talking about. "What is it?" she asked.

"Look at the parameters it tracks. I think these are quests. Or an achievement system."

"A what now?" she said, completely lost.

"It's like a video game," Chen said.