Chapter 19
To the other side
Part 1
Day Three
Date: 03/01/01
Location: In the city.
Mission Duration: Three Days
Remaining Time: Two Days
Objective: Reach the City Gate
Subject Names: Thomas & Samira Ali
Previous success rate: 75%
Expected success rate: 65%
Failed Subjects: 240
Successful subjects: 10
Both Thomas and Samira were anxious about the approaching alien. Of course, they didn't know what to expect; the only clue they had was that the alien came in peace, based on earlier gestures. Still, there was no reason for them to let their guard down.
The alien came to a stop about ten feet away. He looked at them with his large, black eyes, which lacked eyelids and visible eyebrows. His face was filled with an unreadable expressions of a powerful mixture of fear and curiosity. He spoke without any visible movement of his lips, yet Thomas and Samira clearly heard what he said.
The Langkatan language was a series of clicks and whistles, but the System translated it for them instantly.
"Who are you, and what are you?"
Thomas didn't know how to speak the language. Although the system granted him the ability, how he would use or speak it was still a mystery to him. Instinctively, without giving it much thought, he trusted that the system would take care of the rest. Sure enough, the system instantly translated what he said, producing a series of clicks and whistles from his own mouth.
"We are human. We were brought here from a planet called Earth against our will."
The Langkatan seemed to be shocked. He took a small step back, his eyes shifting from Thomas to Samira. Then he spoke again.
"Human? From the Old World? Our legends spoke of a race that would come and that will be our salvation one day."
"The Old World? Samira whispered. "They know about Earth?"
"Sure they do. How else did they bring us here? Thomas replied. He looked at the Langkatan. "I don't know about legends. We were taken from our world and brought here. We are literally trying to survive.
The Langkatan seemed to relax a little. He pointed to his face and made a series of clicking sounds.
"My name is Khorcha. We are a small group of survivors living in the deep parts of the city. We hide from the monsters, from the consumed."
"Consumed?" Thomas asked, the word feeling cold and sharp.
"The ones who could not fight the parasite,"
Khorcha explained, "They lost their minds. They became monsters. Like the one you have been fighting."
"We have fought a couple of them so far," Thomas said, his mind drifting back to the Haigan and the Gargon. "They are strong."
"You fought and you won?" Khorcha asked, his voice filled with surprise. "The Consumed... they are stronger than us. The System grants them power and skills. The parasite within them turns them into monsters. They attack us, their own kind. They hunt us for food and for sport."
Just then, a new loud sound cut through the air. It was like a screeching and scream , a terrible, guttural sound that shook the ground. Thomas's heart began to pound in his chest.
{Threat detected. Creature: Qadab-consumed Langkatans. Level: 6. State: Aggressive.}
Khorcha's face went white with fear. He pointed with a shaky hand to a group of buildings.
"They're here. The consumed. We have to run."
He turned to try to run, but it was too late. From the shadows of the ruined buildings, a group of creatures emerged. They resembled the Langkatan that stood before him, but they were different at the same time. Their bodies were larger—more than one and a half times his size—with thicker frames and red lines of light glowing beneath their skin. Their eyes were not black but red, glowing with a terrible, angry light. They were consumed by the Qadab skill.
There were three of them, and they were all carrying jagged, metallic weapons. They were no longer the peaceful, fragile beings that Khorcha was; they had become monsters. They let out a terrible roar and began to charge—not only at the humans but also at Khorcha as well.
"They're attacking even their own kind; that is proof they have lost their sanity," Samira said, her voice filled with bitterness—not fear, but pity and sadness.
"We have to fight," Thomas said, his hand on his weapon. "Samira, get behind the car."
"No," she said, her voice firm. "We are a team now. So, even though I might not seem like much to you but still I can still fight, and we will fight together."
Thomas didn't argue; he knew she was right. He looked at Khorcha, who seemed fragele whose body was shaking with fear. Then he turned his gaze to the three Qadab-consumed Langkatans charging toward them.
Fortunately, the attacking group didn't notice Khorcha's companion, who was still hiding behind some rubble. Then Thomas said, "We have to protect him. He must survive no matter what, so we have to save him. I hope you understand." Samira nodded without saying anything and activated her shield, as she had no other weapons in her hands.
The Qadab-consumed Langkatans were fast. They were a terrifying sight, their bodies thick with strength, their red eyes burning with a terrible hunger. The first one reached them, swinging a rusted piece of metal like a sword.
Thomas used his Martial Arts skill. He dodged the swing and countered with a powerful kick to the creature's leg. The consumed Langkatan didn't flinch. Its body was thick and hard. The Qadab skill made them powerful.
Samira used her skills. She had no weapon, but her mind was a weapon. She used her Technical Mastery skill and found a loose electrical wire on the ground. She sent a mental command and a powerful surge of energy shot through the wire, hitting the first consumed Langkatan. The creature roared in pain, its body convulsing. It was stunned.
"The head!" Samira shouted. "The parasite is in the head!"
Thomas understood. The parasite was a mental one. The head would be their weakness. He dodged another attack from a second consumed Langkatan and ran to the one Samira had stunned. He used all his strength and kicked it in the head. The consumed Langkatan fell to the ground, its body going limp. The red light in its eyes faded.
But there were two more. Khorcha, shaking with fear, had run behind their car. He was terrified. Samira was using her Data Analysis skill, looking for a weakness. She found one. The parasite that consumed the Langkatans had a flaw. It made them strong, but it also made them angry and careless. They were fighting with rage, not with intelligence.
The second consumed Langkatan, seeing its friend fall, roared in anger and charged at Thomas. Thomas dodged and weaved, but the creature was too fast and too strong. It hit him hard, sending him flying to the ground. His head hit the pavement with a terrible thud. He was dazed.
Samira saw her chance. The third consumed Langkatan had gone after Khorcha. It was cornering the frightened survivor, its terrible red eyes full of a hungry rage. Samira, with a new skill from her fight with the Shimmering Stalker, activated Perception. She saw the creature's path, its rage-filled movements. She knew it would not stop. She had to act.
Being able to command mentally any thing that works with code and electrical current, regardless the situation that she was in she was really great full for that skills and she had to buy them to a good uea. She used a mental command and a powerful blast of energy shot from her hand, hitting the consumed Langkatan in the face. The creature screamed, its red eyes burning with a terrible pain. It stumbled back, its mind clouded with confusion.
Thomas, his head still ringing, saw his chance. He got up, his body screaming in protest. He ran to the consumed Langkatan Samira had stunned and, with all his strength, hit it in the head with his piece of scrap metal. The creature fell, its body going still.
Only one was left. The one that had cornered Kael. Thomas and Samira, now together, ran to help the survivor. The last consumed Langkatan, seeing that it was outnumbered, roared in frustration. It was no longer a fight of strength but a fight of numbers.
Samira used her Technical Mastery to find another broken power line. She mentally connected to it, and a powerful surge of energy shot through the wire. The consumed Langkatan, blinded by rage, ran directly into the power surge. It screamed in pain, its body convulsing. It fell to the ground, its life gone.
Silence returned to the street. Thomas, Samira, and Khorcha stood there, panting, their bodies exhausted, but their minds alive with a new kind of power. They had fought their first battle together. They had saved an alien. They had defeated the consumed.
The Langkatan, Khorcha, walked to them. He looked at them with a powerful emotion. It was not fear. It was gratitude. He spoke, and Thomas heard the words.
"Thank you. You saved my life. You are not from the old world. You are from a new world, a better world."
Thomas looked at Samira, and a smile of victory spread across his face. He finally understood. The aliens had brought them here to see if humans could survive. They had. They had fought, and they had won. They were not just survivors; they were a new hope for a dying race. The journey to the city gate was far from over, but now, they had an ally, and they had a purpose.
A/N
Hello everyon,
I planned to write two chapters today, but unfortunately, this chapter took longer than expected, and I don't like the idea of splitting it into two chapters.
I apologize for last week and this week. However, if I am going to upload a chapter, it will be a long one.
I appreciate those of you who contacted me through the email, you can feel free freeto comment on the chapter and discuss anything you like.