All Chapters of Frozen Rebirth: I Will Outlive You All: Chapter 51
- Chapter 60
81 chapters
The Feast of Silver Lake
"What are those dots on the radar?" Eric asked and pointed at the screen.Logan Carter leaned over the console and tapped a key."The sensors show movement," Ashton stammered as he backed away. "That is an army.""Did Lockwood have reserves?" Eric asked."Survivors do not march in formation," Logan stated flatly. He reached for the dial and switched the feed to the optical cameras.The monitor flickered and revealed the snow covered street outside City Hall.Over five hundred figures emerged from the blizzard. They walked upright on two legs, but their bodies bulged with unnatural proportions."They are wearing no clothes," Lily whispered. She grabbed her brother by the arm and squeezed his wrist."The wind is eighty degrees below zero," Eric said as he stared at the feed. "Their blood should freeze in seconds.""They are not dying," Logan noted. He zoomed the lens in on the leading group. "Look at their body.""Their chests are huge," Ashton observed. "Their muscles look swollen.""T
The Vanguard's Oath
"Keep moving! Do not let them pin us!" a voice screamed over the radio static."We are losing the rear guard!" a second voice yelled."Forget the rear guard! Run!""The Monsters are right behind them! Move your feet!"Logan slapped the console. He boosted the frequency."What is that noise?" Ashton flinched. He covered his ears with his hands."My perimeter alarms," Logan answered."Is Lockwood attacking us?" Eric asked."Lockwood burned in the snow," Logan stated."Then who is shooting?" Lily asked.Logan tapped the keyboard. He brought up the video feed."Look at the screen," Logan said.Dozens of figures sprinted down the highway. Muzzle flashes illuminated the snow. The refugees fired rifles behind them."They run fast," Ashton noted."Too fast," Eric said. "The snow reaches their waists. Normal men cannot sprint through that depth.""They carry combat gear," Logan noted. "Their shoulders do not slump. They do not pant for air.""Did they mutate?" Lily asked."They evolved too," L
The Law of the King
"Place the ammunition packs into the plastic bins." Eric pointed to the designated staging area near the tungsten gates. The six hour rest period had expired, and the Vanguard militia now stood assembled in the center of the cavernous concrete garage. Water dripped from their combat boots and formed dark puddles on the floorboards. The harsh overhead bulbs illuminated the stark biological divide between the wasteland survivors and their new hosts. The soldiers possessed swollen, mutated muscle tissue that strained against their torn jackets. Thick blue veins pulsed under their scarred, weather beaten skin. The lethal cold had forced their bodies to evolve just to keep their blood pumping through the freezing wasteland. Logan stood on the metal catwalk above them. Ashton and Lily flanked him, clutching the steel railing. Logan wore a clean cotton sweater and pressed slacks. His skin lacked a single blemish or scar, making him look frail next to the towering giants below. The b
The Enemy Within
Eric waved his hand toward the corridor. "Follow me to the bunks," Eric said. The soldiers shuffled their feet. Boots scraped the concrete floor. Sarah stopped walking. She turned around. She looked at the metal stairs. "Wait," Sarah called out. Logan looked down from the railing. "You have your orders." "Your guns will fail," Sarah told him. Eric paused at the corridor entrance. "We have explosives." "Explosives destroy flesh," Sarah countered. "My shells burn at three thousand degrees," Logan stated. "They do not stop a shadow," Sarah said. Logan descended the metal stairs. His boots clanged on the grating. "Explain your statement," Logan commanded. "The monsters do not attack walls," Sarah warned. "They do not charge the gates." Marcus stepped out of the formation. "We fought them in the tunnels." "I have fought them before," Sarah corrected her commander. Logan reached the ground floor. "How do they breach defenses?" "They walk through the front door," Sarah repl
The Overseer
"Activate the industrial heaters."Logan issued the command from the center of the staging garage. He stepped backward and kept his eyes locked on the two identical men standing on the painted stripe.Eric sprinted toward the main electrical panel mounted on the far wall. The steel latches clanked as he ripped the breaker box open."Please listen to me!" the left Thomas screamed. He thrashed against the grip of the soldiers holding his arms. "I am human!""Do not turn the heat on!" the right Thomas wept. Tears streamed down his scarred face. "You will burn us alive!"Eric grabbed the iron lever. He shoved the breaker upward with a loud metallic clack.The heating coils inside the ventilation shafts hummed to life. Blistering hot air blasted into the enclosed space. The temperature in the staging garage spiked from freezing to ninety degrees in mere seconds.Sweat poured down the faces of the militia members. They gasped for oxygen in the sudden sweltering heat. The thick winter coats
The Tribute
"Release the daily rations."Logan leaned over the railing of the catwalk and issued the command. He watched the staging garage below.A mechanical chute hissed open near the concrete wall. Gray blocks of compressed nutrient paste slid down the metal ramp. They piled onto a steel collection tray The fifty militia members stepped forward in a single file line. They grabbed the wrapped blocks and tore the packaging open with their teeth.They ate in absolute silence. The wet sound of chewing echoed through the cold staging area.Marcus swallowed his portion in three large bites. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up at the catwalk."This paste keeps the heart beating," Marcus stated. "But it will not feed the muscle.""It contains two thousand calories per block," Logan countered. "That is a standard survival ration for an active adult.""We are not standard adults anymore," Marcus argued. He flexed his arm and showed the swollen tissue beneath his torn sleeve. "Ou
The Five Thousand Pound Mark
"Warning. Core temperature stabilizing at one hundred and four degrees."The synthetic voice of the Overseer echoed. Logan opened his eyes. He lay flat on his back in the medical bay. The fierce fever had finally broken."Overseer, report my physiological status," Logan gasped.He wiped a thick layer of cold sweat from his forehead. His fingers trembled against his own skin. A wave of nausea rolled through his stomach."Cardiac rhythm is elevated," the artificial intelligence responded. "Muscle tissue exhibits severe micro tears. Foreign proteins are actively binding to your cellular structure.""Are my organs failing?" Logan asked."Organ function remains stable," the Overseer confirmed. "The mutation phase requires immense caloric expenditure."Logan pushed himself off the floor. His boots slipped slightly on the wet tiles.He did not feel weak. He felt a terrifying surge of energy trapped deep inside his limbs. His blood pumped like a pressurized steam engine ready to burst."I nee
The Frozen Canopy
"My blood feels like it is boiling over."Logan stood in the center of the staging garage and flexed his newly evolved hands. He gripped a thick steel pipe he had pulled from the scrap pile.He squeezed his fingers together. The steel groaned under the immense pressure. The metal crumpled inward like cheap tin foil.The predator serum had forced his muscles to harden into dense coils of power. His skin radiated a fierce, unnatural heat. The fever had broken, but an agonizing, restless energy now burned deep inside his veins."You need to rest your heart," Eric advised from the base of the metal stairs. "Your cellular structure just survived a trauma.""My cells are demanding action," Logan replied. He tossed the crushed steel pipe onto the concrete floor. "I need to test my limits in the wasteland.""You do not know how your lungs will react to the freezing air," Eric argued."I know I am stronger," Logan said.Logan looked up at the catwalk. Ashton and Lily stood behind the railing.
The Poachers
"Leave me behind."Marcus stared down at his boot buried deep in the snow. The ground beneath the ice rose and fell with a slow, rhythmic breathing."Do not move your leg," Logan ordered.Logan crouched low next to the giant. He pointed the nozzle of his plasma incinerator at the white powder."It is a Frost Stalker," Marcus whispered. Sweat beaded on his scarred forehead despite the freezing wind. "It sleeps under the powder to ambush prey. It heard our footsteps.""I will burn it through the ice," Logan stated."You cannot kill it fast enough," Marcus argued. His voice shook with panic. "The beast hunts with a four meter long tongue. It will snatch you before your fire penetrates its scales.""I possess upgraded muscle density," Logan reminded him. "I can withstand the attack.""You mutated, so did the beast. Its tongue secretes a paralytic toxin," Marcus explained. "If it touches your bare skin, your heart stops beating in seconds. It drags paralyzed victims underground to feed on
Cold Blooded
"Swing for the shoulder joint."The leader of the poachers stood over the fallen creature. He drew a gleaming steel machete from his belt and raised the weapon high above his head. He brought the blade down with all his remaining strength.Clang! A shower of bright sparks erupted into the freezing air. The steel bounced harmlessly off the thick pale scales covering the creature's back.The recoil jarred the leader's wrist and sent a shockwave up his arm. He dropped the machete into the snow and cursed loudly."The hide is solid armor," the leader yelled over the howling wind. He clutched his injured wrist and pointed toward the softer exposed tissue near the creature's hind legs. "Cut the underbelly before the blood freezes."A poacher stepped forward from the encircling pack. He pulled a motorized bone saw from his canvas pack and yanked the starter cord. The engine revved with a loud, high pitched whine.He pressed the jagged teeth into the frozen meat. The screech of metal chewing