He retrieved a satellite phone from his pack, intending to fish out to any remaining semblance of order within the military or government. Static or chaos greeted him on every frequency. The infrastructure had likely been compromised during the initial upheaval, rendering communication channels unreliable or entirely moot.
As the hours dragged on, Ender observed patterns in the creatures' movements. They seemed drawn to the densest pockets of human activity, converging on areas where celebrations had been most lively, had become a hotspot for these attacks. The once jubilant atmosphere was now replaced by chaos and terror.
Around 3 a.m., the intensity of the attacks began to wane. The creatures, having sown widespread devastation, started retreating into the shadows. Whether they were satiated or merely regrouping was unclear.
Emergency services, though overwhelmed, worked tirelessly to assist survivors and combat the remaining threats.
As dawn approached, the first light of day revealed the full extent of the destruction. Buildings lay in ruins, streets were littered with debris, and the once-thriving cityscape was marred by scars of the night's horrors. Ender closed his journal, after noting a few rooftops where people had gathered for safe refuge.
His thoughts turned to his own safety. Remaining on Table Mountain provided a strategic vantage point, but it was only a matter of time before the creatures expanded their hunting grounds. He needed to relocate to a more secure position, one where he could regroup and reassess.
He packed his equipment swiftly, putting on some tactical gloves and ensuring nothing was left behind. Now that the chaos had subsided, however slightly, he could move on to recruitment efforts, he had to recruit any engineers, doctors, biologists, chemists, any STEM professions in general would prove useful in one way or another.
He could already see there were a lot of new fauna, equally just as much flora, and traces of new natural resources. Which begged the question: 'What could these new plants and natural resources in the earth be used for'?
The last of the electricity had gone out by this point, or was waning, but since it was daytime, it didn't particularly matter. Since the outdoors were lit up by the sun, the streets visibly stained with dismembered body parts, and the accompanying blood, the creatures that had slaughtered humans were dying off, most were already dead save for a few, as for why they were dying off, that was a mystery to Ender as well.
Satellites were falling out of the sky all over, and the sky looked to have a higher ceiling than before, likely due to the expansion of the planet.
Ender gagged seeing such a gory scene for the first time, it was a lot for anyone to stomach, a chittering in the background broke up his puke-fest, as he drew his pistol in record time and scanned the surroundings for the source.
The sound drew further letting him catch his breath for some time, but he still waited some time before he holstered his pistol. He continued his journey, coming across a hospital that even from the outside could tell was bad news.
Walking inside, the stench of blood ravaged his nose, as he held back his urge to throw up once again. "Ughhh... it's a damn slaughterhouse." Bodies were everywhere, staff and patients alike. "Are there even any doctors left anywhere in the city at this rate?"
His idea of recruiting essential staff to building a functional safe haven, was quickly losing the doctors aspect of that plan. "Fuck..." Moving past the bodies, he stored the machines, at least the ones that were still functional, slowly making his way to the reception, storing desktops, monitors and the likes.
He cleared out any and all vials, medicine, inhalers, antibiotics- you name it. Storing entire freezers in some instances, he emptied every room and storage dry of anything essential, the looting would start soon enough, but one thing he could never have enough of, were medical supplies.
Repeating this for the remaining seven floors, he combed the hospital dry of any and everything that was remotely essential, fortunately his pearls were organized so every pearl for a specific function had a dedicated color, making it easier to sort and store items.
Descending the dimly lit stairwell of the hospital's third floor, he moved with caution. The eerie and disturbingly oppressive silence was broken only by the soft scuff of his boots against the linoleum and the distant, unsettling creaks of the building settling into its newfound desolation.
The air still reeked, thick with the metallic scent of blood, mingling with the sterile undertone of antiseptics, a haunting reminder of the lives that had been abruptly extinguished.
As he reached the landing between the second and third floors, a sudden, sharp noise pierced the stillness. It was a chittering sound, high-pitched and rapid, echoing off the walls and sending a jolt of adrenaline through Ender's veins.
He froze, every muscle tensing as he strained his ears, his hearing along with all his other senses, long since been heightened, to locate the source. The sound came again, closer this time, accompanied by the faint scrape of claws against tile.
Ender's hand instinctively dropped to the grip of his Glock 17, drawing it smoothly from its holster. He thumbed the safety off, the familiar weight of the firearm offering some reassurance, having practiced with the firearm a few thousand times. His eyes scanned the corridor ahead, the dim emergency lighting casting long, deceptive shadows that danced with each flicker.
The chittering ceased abruptly, sending the hallway back into an eerie silence. Ender took a cautious step forward, his finger resting lightly on the trigger. As he rounded a corner, a figure darted into his peripheral vision, a blur of sinew and fur moving with unsettling speed.
Before he could react, the creature lunged. It was roughly the size of a large dog, but its appearance was anything but familiar. Its elongated limbs ended in sharp, curved claws that clicked against the floor as it moved. A row of spines ran down its back, leading to a muscular tail that whipped behind it with alarming agility. Its eyes glowed with a predatory gleam, and its maw parted to reveal rows of needle-like teeth.
Ender barely managed to sidestep the initial attack, the creature's claws slicing through the air where he had stood moments before. He brought up his pistol, aiming for the center mass, and squeezed the trigger.
The shot rang out, the muzzle flash briefly illuminating the corridor.
The bullet struck the creature's shoulder, eliciting a shriek of pain, but it did little to slow its advance.
The creature retaliated with a swift swipe of its tail, the motion so fast that Ender barely had time to register it. He raised his left arm instinctively, the impact sending a jarring pain through his forearm as the spines grazed his tactical jacket, tearing through the fabric but failing to penetrate the reinforced material beneath.
Realizing the pistol was insufficient at this range, he holstered it in one fluid motion and reached over his shoulder to retrieve his axe. He went straight into a defensive stance, eyes locked on the creature as it circled him.
The creature feinted to the left before darting to the right, attempting to flank him. Ender anticipated the move, swinging the axe in a wide arc to deter its approach. The blade met empty air as the creature leapt back, hissing in frustration.
Without warning, the creature's tail arched over its back, the spines along its length bristling. Ender's eyes widened as he saw a glistening barb at the tip, realizing too late its purpose.
With a whip-like motion, the tail launched the barb directly at him.
Time seemed to slow as Ender's mind raced. He knew he couldn't dodge in time; the barb was aimed directly at his chest. A surge of desperation flooded his senses, and instinct took over. Without fully understanding how, he thrust his left hand forward, palm facing outward, as if to ward off the impending strike.
In that instant, a translucent barrier materialized before him, layers of shimmering energy stacking upon one another to form a protective shield. The barb struck the barrier with a resounding crack, deflecting harmlessly to the side and embedding itself into the wall.
Both Ender and the creature seemed momentarily stunned by the unexpected development. Ender could feel the barrier's energy coursing through him, a sensation both foreign and exhilarating. The creature, however, recovered quickly, snarling in frustration as it prepared for another assault.
Seizing the brief window of opportunity, Ender tightened his grip on the axe and surged forward, channeling his adrenaline into a powerful swing aimed at the creature's neck. The blade connected with a sickening thud, cleaving through flesh and bone. The creature's eyes widened in shock before the light in them faded, its body collapsing to the floor.
Ender stood over the lifeless creature, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The barrier had dissipated, leaving him to wonder about the latent abilities that had just manifested.
He glanced down at his left hand, flexing his fingers as if expecting some visible change, but it appeared as it always had.