Zombies Doomsday

Chapter 5: The Storm Breaks

The six-wheeled armored truck was moving down the broken road of the ruined city. Its engine was loud. Sounded like an animal in pain. Captain Vance was sitting in the seat looking at a screen that showed heat signals. The inside of the truck smelled bad like sweat and oil. He wiped the dirt from his forehead, his jaw tight as the truck jumped over a car.

Vance was a soldier from the Central Sanctuary. He had survived the attack by being smart and having strong weapons. His boss, Commander Briggs had sent him to Sector One to find the people who had killed others at the subway. He had to get back the stolen equipment and punish anyone who got in his way. Vance had three trucks, thirty soldiers with strong guns and a big gun on top that could break through concrete. This was supposed to be a mission to show the people in the city who was in charge.

As the trucks moved past the old buildings and got close to the old Vanguard Outpost things started to go wrong. The radar technician said, "Captain I am losing the signal from the satellite. There is much interference. It does not look like it is coming from the weather." Vance looked at the screen. Saw that it was full of static and bright lights. He asked, "What are you talking about? The Vanguard Outpost is old and empty. There is no power left."

The technician said, "I know what the map says, sir.. My tools are reading a strong energy signal coming from the outpost. It is like something from a machine, not an old building." Vance told him to switch to visual and to get the big gun ready. The trucks turned the corner and Vance looked out the window expecting to see the outpost.. Instead, he saw a big strong fortress. The walls were made of metal and there were big guns on the sides that looked like they could shoot through anything.

Vance was scared. Told the trucks to stop. The soldiers got ready to fight. Nobody moved. They were all looking at the fortress wondering what to do. On the side, Idris Cole and Rhea Knox were standing on a balcony watching the trucks. Rhea had binoculars. Was looking at the enemy. She said, "There are three trucks, spaced apart with guns on top. There are thirty soldiers inside. They are well-armed. Their trucks are not strong enough to stop our guns."

Idris said, "They stopped outside our defense zone. If they move closer our guns will fire automatically. They are hesitating." Rhea asked if they should wait for the enemy to move or attack first. Idris said, "We wait for them to fire the shot. If they do our system will see it as self-defense. We will get more rewards for defeating them."

Idris then gave Rhea a vest and told her to put it on. As soon as she touched it the world, around them froze and a voice said, "Ding! System Notification: Bound Ally, Rhea Knox has accepted the Host's equipment distribution!" The old vest then turned into a new suit of armor that fit Rhea perfectly. It was black. Had silver lines that showed her vital signs. The armor looked strong and deadly.

Item: SSS-Tier Neural-Link Void Armor (Commander Variant). This is a piece of defensive engineering. The armor is connected to the wearer's DNA. It makes the wearer completely safe from guns, fire, strong radiation and bad germs. It also makes the wearer three times stronger and faster. The armor has a shield that can stop a tank shell without hurting the wearer.

System Notification: The host got 200 Experience Points from the infrastructure rebate action. Now the host has 354 Experience Points out of 200.

The system upgrade was successful.

The 100x Critical Rebate System is now at Level 3.

New features are unlocked:

1. Spatial Inventory Module: The host has a storage space that can hold 1,000 cubic meters of non-living things and weapons without making them heavy.

2. Ally Synchronization Link: The host can talk to friends in their mind and share what they see within a five-mile radius.

3. Expanded Rebate Categories: If the host gives friends medicine or special serums they will get rewards.

The current multiplier range is from 1,000x to 50,000x depending on the friend's power and the item's value.

Idris took a breath feeling a big surge of power when the system leveled up. His mind got sharper. He could see the battlefield really clearly. He could feel the storage space in his mind waiting to be filled. He could also feel the connection to Rhea like an energy binding them together.

The world around them started moving

Rhea took a step forward looking at her hands in the armor. The black gloves moved smoothly like they were part of her skin. She could feel her power growing. The armor was making her even stronger.

She looked up at Idris and the silver lines on her suit were glowing in sync with his. I can feel everything she said, her voice full of wonder. The air pressure, the vibrations in the ground, and the wind. This suit is amazing. It makes the Central Sanctuary's heavy gear look old.

You won't need to use it Idris said, pointing down at the street. Because they are about to make a mistake.

Down on the street Captain Vance was getting really worried. His men were scared. They were looking at the alien fortress. He knew that if he retreated without fighting Commander Briggs would punish him. He needed to test the defenses. He needed to show that it was a trick to scare them away.

Gunner Vance said into the radio. Shoot the doors of the structure. Use an armor-piercing bullet. I want to break in. Show them our power.

Yes Captain, the gunner replied, his hands shaking. He turned the gun and locked it on the doors.

He shot the gun.

The big bullet flew across the street. Hit the doors.. It just bounced off like it hit a steel bell. The bullet broke into dust. It didn't even scratch the doors.

Vance stared at the monitor his eyes wide with surprise. What he said. This is impossible. Shoot again.

He didn't get the chance.

The defense system saw the shot as an attack. It got ready to fight back. The big guns on the fortress started to glow. A loud voice said, Target acquired. Hostile intent confirmed. Initiating counter-measures.

The guns turned to Captain Vance's vehicle. Shot a beam of hot purple energy. The beam hit the vehicle. It instantly melted. The people inside were. The vehicle exploded.

The other vehicles tried to run but the guns shot them too. The soldiers were scared. They didn't know what to do.

On the balcony, Rhea watched the burning vehicles her eyes reflecting the glow. The defense system was really powerful. There was no fight. It was execution.

They are gone she said. Briggs just lost his team. When he finds out he will send the army.

Let him Idris said.. We have a bigger problem. Look at the radar on your helmet.

Rhea turned on the radar. It showed a big group of red dots moving towards them. It was a swarm of infected. They were moving really fast. There were over five thousand of them. They were all moving together.

At the center of the swarm was a green dot. It was a Category 5 Behemoth, a powerful monster.

Category 5 Rhea said, her heart beating fast. The gunshots and explosions drew the swarm to our doorstep. Idris, the plasma cannons are powerful. They can't handle a crowd this big. We need a plan to control the crowd.

Idris took out his sword and it absorbed the light of the burning vehicles. The red line, on the sword was pulsing with energy.

I am the crowd control Idris said, smiling.

Before Rhea could say anything Idris jumped down to the courtyard. Walked to the big doors. He put his hand on the control panel. Said, System open the gates. Set the cannons to shoot at the edges and leave the center lane open for me.

The big blast doors. Groaned as they slowly opened. They made a rumbling noise that sounded like a big machine. The doors finally opened to show the scene outside.

The infected had arrived.

The street was packed with them. They were like a moving ocean of dead flesh torn clothes and snapping jaws. The light from the burning cars lit up their dead faces. It made scary shadows on the ground. The noise was so loud that it was hard to hear anything. It was like an angry roar from thousands of very hungry people.

The Behemoth was standing above the rest of the infected. It was a bad nightmare come to life. This thing was fifteen feet tall. Its body was made up of infected people stuck together in a weird way. Its skin was thick and gray. Had hard bony plates all over it. Its arms were huge. Ended in big club-like fists that dragged on the ground. They crushed the infected people underneath them. There were big pulsing bags on its back that were full of acidic stuff. Its head was small. Did not have any eyes. It just had an open mouth with lots of sharp teeth.

The Behemoth let out a roar that broke the windows of the nearby buildings. The sound was so loud that it made the ground shake.

Idris walked out of the gate alone. He was one man facing an army of dead people.

He did not feel scared. He felt strong. He looked at the infected. Did not see monsters. He saw a way to get stronger.

The big guns on the walls came to life. Started shooting. They were controlled by a computer that Idris told what to do. They shot at the infected on the right sides of the street. The guns made sweeping motions and killed hundreds of infected people at a time. They made a path down the middle of the street.

The Behemoth got angry when it saw its friends dying. It looked at Idris. Charged at him.

Every step the Behemoth took made the ground crack. It swung its arm at Idris like a big ball. Idris did not try to block it or run away. He attacked the Behemoth instead.

Idris was very fast and agile. He dodged the Behemoth's blow and swung his sword at it. The sword was very sharp and hot. It cut through the Behemoth's skin like it was butter.

Idris cut a gash in the Behemoth's side. The wound was deep and bleeding badly.. The sword was so hot that it stopped the bleeding right away.

The Behemoth was in a lot of pain. It stumbled backward. Swung its other arm at Idris. Idris dodged the blow. Slid under the Behemoth's legs. He stabbed his sword into the Behemoth's knee. Made it fall.

The Behemoth was too heavy to get up. Idris jumped on its back. Raised his sword high. He brought it down. Cut the Behemoth's neck. The monster stopped moving.

The computer said that Idris had killed a bad monster. He got a lot of experience points. Leveled up three times. He felt very powerful.

The rest of the people ran away when they saw their leader die. The street was quiet again.

Suddenly a voice came from a radio. It was Commander Briggs. He was asking Captain Vance to report what was happening. Idris walked over to the radio. Picked it up.

He said that Captain Vance was not available. He told Commander Briggs that he was in charge now.

Commander Briggs was very angry. He said that Idris was going to die for what he did. Idris just. Said that Commander Briggs was trapped in the city with him. He told him to come and try to take the city if he wanted it.

Idris broke the radio. Threw it away. He walked back to his place, ready, for the next fight. The war was just starting.