The road ahead stretched into uncertainty, with crumbling asphalt and overgrown weeds framing their path. The group moved cautiously, every sound magnified in the quiet of the early morning. The occasional growl of a distant zombie or the snap of a twig underfoot kept them on edge. Lara had taken up the rear, her eyes scanning their surroundings as though she half-expected an ambush at any moment.
August led the way, the system’s HUD glowing faintly in his peripheral vision. Jude hobbled beside Cara, his injury slowing them down but not enough to stop them. The system’s mission timer ticked ominously in the corner of August’s vision.
45:12:09
Each passing second was a reminder of their dwindling time.
“Are we sure about this?” Cara asked, her voice low but steady. “We’re walking straight into Marcos’s territory. If Lara’s wrong—”
“I’m not wrong,” Lara interrupted, her tone sharp. “The facility is south of here. It’s the only lead we have.”
“Yeah, but what’s waiting for us when we get there?” Jude muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness.
August didn’t answer. His focus was split between the conversation and the system’s interface, which had been unusually active since they left the diner. New icons and features blinked in the periphery, demanding his attention.
Then, without warning, the system’s cold voice cut through his thoughts.
New Feature Unlocked: Hacking Module.
August stopped abruptly, holding up a hand. The others froze behind him.
“What now?” Cara asked, her rifle half-raised.
“System just unlocked something,” August muttered. His eyes scanned the text that materialized in front of him.
Hacking Module: This feature allows the user to interface with electronic systems, including security locks, surveillance equipment, and communication devices. Warning: Unauthorized use may attract unwanted attention.
“Electronic systems?” August whispered to himself.
“What does that mean?” Lara asked, stepping closer.
August glanced at her, considering how much to reveal. “It means... I can manipulate certain devices now. Cameras, locks, maybe more. I’m not sure how it works yet.”
“That sounds... dangerous,” Cara said warily.
“No kidding,” Jude added. “If this thing can mess with tech, how do we know it’s not going to mess up something critical? Like, I don’t know, a damn missile system or something?”
August didn’t reply. Instead, he focused on the new icon that had appeared in his HUD—a small, glowing sphere labeled Hacking Module. He selected it, and a submenu unfolded, displaying a list of potential applications. Most were grayed out, but one blinked: Nearby Devices: 1.
“What’s it picking up?” August murmured. He turned in a slow circle, scanning the area.
“There’s a barricade up ahead,” Lara said, pointing toward the horizon. “Could be something there.”
----------------------------------------
The barricade loomed into view twenty minutes later. It was a haphazard construction of rusted cars, barbed wire, and wooden planks, likely built by survivors to keep the undead—or intruders—out. Beyond it, a narrow checkpoint shack stood, its windows dark but intact.
“This wasn’t here last time,” Lara muttered, her brow furrowed.
“Think it’s Marcos’s men?” Cara asked, gripping her rifle tightly.
“Probably,” Jude said grimly.
August stepped forward, his eyes scanning the barricade. A padlocked gate blocked the only visible entrance, and a faint hum emanated from the shack. A quick glance at the HUD confirmed the source: Nearby Device Detected: Security Panel.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“I can get us through,” August said, his voice calm but firm.
Lara crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. “How? That gate’s not budging without a key.”
“Just watch,” August replied. He approached the shack cautiously, the others trailing behind him.
Inside, he found a dusty terminal bolted to the wall. The screen flickered faintly, displaying an old menu for controlling the gate’s lock mechanism. Wires snaked out from the terminal, connecting it to an aging power generator that hummed weakly in the corner.
“Stand back,” August said, raising his hand toward the terminal. His HUD glowed brighter, and a small prompt appeared: Initiate Hacking? Y/N.
He selected “Yes.”
The air seemed to buzz faintly as the system’s interface merged with the terminal’s primitive software. Lines of code streamed across his vision, incomprehensible but mesmerizing. Within moments, a new message appeared:
Access Granted. Unlocking Gate.
The gate creaked open, its rusty hinges protesting loudly.
“Holy shit,” Jude muttered. “You really can hack stuff.”
Cara whistled low. “That’s... unsettling.”
August turned to them, but Lara stepped forward, her expression grim. “Do you realize what you’ve just done?”
“I opened a gate,” August said flatly.
“No,” Lara snapped. “You just sent a signal. That system of yours? It’s not invisible. Whoever controls the tech in this area probably knows we’re here now.”
The weight of her words settled over them like a cold shadow.
----------------------------------------
The group moved quickly, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the barricade. The terrain grew rougher, the road giving way to uneven ground and overgrown foliage. Despite the urgency, tension simmered among them.
“So, what’s the plan if they come after us?” Cara asked, her voice cutting through the silence.
“Keep moving,” August replied, his tone clipped. He didn’t like the way Lara’s warning gnawed at him, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Jude let out a humorless laugh. “That’s not a plan; that’s wishful thinking.”
Before August could respond, a sharp whirring sound pierced the air. Everyone froze.
“What is that?” Cara whispered, her grip tightening on her rifle.
The whirring grew louder, and a shadow passed overhead. August looked up and cursed under his breath. A drone hovered above them, its sleek black body glinting in the sunlight. A red light blinked on its underside, pointing directly at the group.
“Damn it,” Lara hissed. “They’ve got drones.”
“Move!” August barked, waving them forward. “Get to cover!”
They sprinted for the treeline, adrenaline surging as the drone’s whirring intensified. Cara fired a shot at it, but the bullet went wide, and the drone veered higher, easily evading her attack.
“Stop wasting ammo!” Lara shouted as they dove into the brush.
August’s HUD lit up with a new message: Warning: Hostile Surveillance Detected. Threat Level: Moderate.
“Moderate?” Jude spat, limping after them. “What the hell’s high, then?”
They crouched among the trees, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The drone circled above them for a few more agonizing seconds before veering off, its red light fading into the distance.
“That’s not good,” Cara muttered, wiping sweat from her brow.
“They know where we are,” Lara said grimly. “Marcos’s men won’t be far behind.”
----------------------------------------
The group pressed on, the forest offering a brief reprieve from the open terrain. But the tension between them was palpable, and Lara’s earlier warning about the hacking module lingered in August’s mind.
“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” Cara asked, glaring at Lara as they walked. “You knew using that feature would alert someone.”
“I suspected,” Lara admitted. “But I didn’t know for sure.”
“That’s convenient,” Jude said bitterly. “You’re just full of half-truths, aren’t you?”
“Enough,” August snapped, his patience wearing thin. He turned to Lara. “If you have information, share it. No more holding back.”
Lara hesitated, her gaze flicking between them. Finally, she spoke. “The system you’re using—it’s not just an upgrade. It’s connected to a larger network. I don’t know who’s controlling it, but every time you use it, you’re interacting with something bigger. And that something bigger is paying attention.”
August clenched his fists. He had suspected as much, but hearing it aloud made the implications all the more real.
“So what do we do?” Cara asked.
Lara shrugged. “We keep moving. Find Sabrina. Maybe she can tell us more.”
“Assuming she’s not the one controlling it,” Jude muttered.
The thought sent a chill down August’s spine. He had trusted the system to guide him, to give him an edge in this broken world. But now, doubt crept in. Was it truly on his side? Or was he just another pawn in someone else’s game?
The mission timer blinked in his HUD: 42:27:15.
Time was running out, and answers felt further away than ever.