News Report — Old Base
The screen flickered, revealing the burned-out remnants of the old facility. A newscaster's voice carried across living rooms and crowded cafés alike.
Newscaster:
"Earlier today, reports surfaced regarding a catastrophic incident at the Shiburu Research Facility. Officials say the cause is under investigation. Authorities confirm there were casualties, though the exact number remains unknown. The government has assured the public that containment procedures were followed, and no further danger exists."
The images of twisted metal and scorched walls lingered on the screen. No one outside the facility could know what truly happened. Those who did were already gone.
Armored vehicles rumbled over the uneven terrain. Soldiers accompany the survivors—scientists who had seen too much, carried too many secrets.
Soldier:
"General Batista!"
Batista turned, calm and collected, eyes scanning the convoy.
General Batista:
"At ease."
The soldiers straightened, saluting. Batista nodded once. Behind him, the scientists stared with a mixture of awe and fear. Their unspoken anger simmered beneath the surface—they were alive, but why?
Batista led the scientists through the facility corridors, their footsteps echoing in the stark silence. He gestured toward a reinforced office.
General Batista:
"Sit. I'll explain everything."
The scientists: exchanged uneasy glances.
Batista's tone was calm, but the weight of his words carried certainty.
General Batista:
"What you encountered… was not human. They are an alien species, fully capable of infiltrating and taking over human hosts. We call them Veyrix."
Scientist:
"Aliens? Fully… taken over humans?"
General Batista:
"Yes. One cannot see the difference until it is too late. Their hosts feel invincible—they run faster, hit harder, think faster—but the human no longer exists inside. The Veyrix controls everything.
Scientist:
"So… the one we shot…"
Batista's gaze sharpened.
General Batista:
"You shot one? Did you confirm it was dead?"
Scientist:
"…No. We drove on. Assumed it was neutralized."
General Batista's calm fractured for the first time. Panic flickered in his eyes.
Alarm — Attack Imminent
The facility's alarms blared, red lights cutting through the dim hallways. The ground shook with distant impact. Batista moved without hesitation.
General Batista:
"Follow my lead."
The scientists, defenseless, were guided through secondary corridors while Batista calculated their path with ruthless precision. Outside, chaos erupted—soldiers' weapons fired continuously, but the Veyrix monster smashed through defenses like they were paper.
(The Monster Approaches)
The creature's massive form barreled across the open compound. Bullets struck its armored flesh—bounced harmlessly. Its roar echoed, a warning that death had come. Batista's eyes scanned the environment, noting chemical vats, lab equipment, and flammable substances.
General Batista:
"Go find a way out!"
He rolled beneath a crushing blow, firing as he moved. Sparks flew, chemicals shattered, flames licking the walls. The Veyrix howled in pain.
Batista guided the scientists to temporary safety, moving alone with fluid precision. His mind raced—calculating every step, every obstacle, every possible reaction.
He hurled multiple chemical containers, creating a chain reaction. One caught fire, the blaze consuming part of the Veyrix. The creature shrieked, its momentum faltering just long enough for Batista to exploit.
Batista rolled, grabbed grenades, and positioned them with a rope line like a trap.
The monster lunged, capturing him, crushing with unimaginable strength. But Batista shoved all the grenades into the Veyrix's mouth. A deafening explosion shook the lab. Debris rained down, singeing Batista's face and body.
Hours later, the scientists moved Batista into the laboratory. His face was scorched, bruised, and partially disfigured.
Scientist:
"General… we… we thought it was over."
Bloodied but alive, Batista gazed at the ceiling.
General Batista:
"Over? It's not over. Not yet. They adapt. They watch. And they will return. You must remember that."
Far from the laboratory, in a quiet place untouched by chaos, a boy slept. He did not stir, did not sense the carnage, yet something subtle, almost imperceptible, shifted in the world.
The Veyrix had been slowed, but it had not been defeated. And the echoes of this battle would ripple into the future.
End of Chapter Three