Chapter 5: Human Asset Optimization
The air on the rooftop was cold and sharp. Boyd stared at the spot where the creature had vanished, a profound dread settling in his stomach. "You've made this personal," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper.
Jin was already packing his observation gear, his movements precise and unhurried. "Incorrect," he stated, not looking at Boyd. "It was always personal for them; it was only a random nightly terror for you. Now, it is a strategic engagement for us both. The subject displayed adaptive learning and psychological intimidation. This confirms a Level 4 intelligence. Fascinating."
Boyd stared at him, aghast. "Fascinating? They're smarter than we thought and you're calling it 'fascinating'?"
"Of course," Jin replied, closing a case with a firm click. "It means they can be predicted. It means they have weaknesses that are not just physical. A mindless monster is a rock. A thinking monster is a chess piece. I prefer chess." He looked at Boyd, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "But first, I need better pieces. Your current roster is... inadequate."
The next morning, a new decree was posted. MANDATORY ASSEMBLY. TOWN SQUARE. 09:00.
The residents gathered, grumbling and confused. In the center of the square, Jin stood with a clipboard and a stopwatch.
"Your nightly cowering is an inefficient survival strategy," Jin announced to the crowd. "To effectively implement my new protocols, I must first assess the physical and psychological capabilities of every human asset in this town. We will begin with a basic fitness evaluation."
A collective groan went through the crowd. A wiry, agitated man with wild hair stepped forward. "You have got to be kidding me. I'm Jade. I'm a software engineer. My brain is a quantum computer. I am not doing push-ups."
Jin looked at Jade, his expression unchanging. "Your 'quantum computer' is housed in a fragile biological vessel. An increase in your cardiovascular efficiency has a direct, positive correlation with improved cognitive function under duress." He clicked his pen. "Now, give me twenty, or I will re-categorize you from 'non-essential personnel' to 'expendable bait'."
Jade's jaw dropped. Kenny Liu, Boyd's loyal deputy, rushed forward. "Hey, man, let's just calm down, we don't need to threaten..."
Jin completely ignored him, his eyes still locked on Jade. "The choice is logical." Defeated and fuming, Jade dropped to the ground. The absurdity of a tech genius being forced into push-ups by a teenager with a death stare was not lost on the onlookers.
The "assessment" was a chaotic spectacle. Jin moved through the crowd like a drill sergeant, his deadpan corrections a source of infuriating comedy.
"Matthews!" he barked as Julie finished a timed run, panting. "Your stride is inefficient by 12 degrees. You are wasting energy on vertical oscillation. Run, don't bounce!" Julie shot him a look that could kill, which he noted on his clipboard: "Subject displays high levels of hostility. Potential motivation: spite. Useful."
Ellis Stevens, Boyd's son, was helping his girlfriend Fatima. Jin made a note: "Subjects display strong pair-bonding. Asset: high morale. Liability: potential for emotional compromise during tactical situations."
Kristi was overseeing a first-aid station he'd ordered her to set up. He approached her, his face serious. "I have calculated a 4% chance of cardiac distress among the older population during this assessment. Are you prepared to administer CPR?"
"I'm a paramedic, Jin. Yes," she replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Good," he said, handing her a small, sealed pack. "This is a portable defibrillator I re-engineered from my vehicle's battery. I made two. This is the spare for the primary unit, which is over there." He gestured to an identical pack sitting fifty feet away.
Kristi just stared. A spare. For the spare. The sheer, ridiculous, over-the-top caution was so in character she couldn't even be annoyed.
From a distance, hidden behind a window, the strange, childlike man Victor watched the proceedings, sketching Jin's severe form into his worn notebook. And in the infirmary, Sara, the waitress, was sweeping when she heard the whispers in her head again. The new boy... he is breaking the rules... he angers them... he makes the house groan...
Later that day, Jin gathered his newly assessed "command team"—Boyd, Kenny, Jim, and a still-grumbling Jade. He had a map of the town laid out in the diner.
"Phase Two," Jin announced. "Proactive defense." He unveiled a weapon. It was a spear, fashioned from a sharpened pipe. "This is a standard 'Impalement Device'. It's inadequate." He then unveiled an identical-looking spear. "This is the Mark II Strategic Impalement Device. The tip has been coated in a silver nitrate solution to inhibit regenerative tissue. The shaft is wrapped in wisteria-infused twine, which my research suggests is a mild irritant to them. At the pommel is a compressed-air mechanism that fires a magnesium flare for disorientation upon impact."
He looked at their stunned faces.
"I have made three of these," he said. "And then I made three more. As spares."
The room was silent. Even Jade looked impressed. "That's... completely insane and brilliant."
Jin nodded, accepting it as a simple statement of fact. He pointed to a location on the map, a spot deep in the woods, just off the creatures' known patrol route.
"Tonight, we are not hiding in our houses," he declared. "The creatures believe they are the observers, and we are the prey. We are going to flip that paradigm."
He looked at the terrified faces of his team.
"I have constructed a reinforced, camouflaged observation blind thirty meters inside the tree line. Tonight, we watch them in their environment."
The silence that followed was absolute, filled with the chilling realization of what he was asking. He wasn't just building traps anymore. He was ordering them on a mission, outside the walls, into the darkness. He was taking the war to the enemy's front door.
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Chapter complete! I read every single comment, so let me know what's on your mind! If you want to support the fic even more, a review or some power stones would be amazing. Cheers!