[Emergency SOS audio transmission detected...
Establishing connection...
Connection established...]
[Hey, it connected! Someone's within range. Hello! Hello, do you read me?]
A man's voice suddenly came through both their GEC devices.
Jason immediately stopped, his eyes fixed on the device strapped to his wrist.
Ethan fell silent as well, his gaze shifting to his own device while the Cane Corso's ears perked up.
[Anybody there? Can anyone hear me?]
Receiving no response, the man called out again, his voice tense.
Jason finally responded.
"We read you loud and clear. Identify yourself."
[Sergeant Patrick Jock. Gato Expeditionary Command Transport Division. We were en route with supplies and reinforcements for Vanguard Sector Nine when we encountered a mishap]
'So they're the ones whose fleet went down in the city.' Jason nodded to himself before replying.
"Copy that, Sergeant Jock. We're from Vanguard Sector Nine and currently en route to extraction. What's your status? Over."
Ethan immediately glanced at Jason.
'His demeanor, the way he responds, even his military terminology... You only see that sort of thing in movies. He's either a good actor or...'
[There were five of us. Now we're down to two, and my colleague is injured. Our location could be compromised at any moment]
"How bad is the injury?" Jason asked.
This time, Sergeant Jock didn't answer.
"I don't think he heard you," Ethan said.
"You'll have to be truthful with us if we are going to come to your rescue." Jason replied, confusing Ethan.
After a brief pause, Sergeant Jock finally answered.
[He's suffering from Stage Two Night Bloom symptoms]
Ethan gasped.
"He won't make it! You need to stay away from him immediately!" Ethan blurted into the device, drawing Jason's attention.
"What is Stage Two Night Bloom symptoms?" Jason asked, noticing his reaction.
"You probably already know about Night Bloom if you've played at night, right?" Ethan asked. Jason nodded.
"There are three stages to the mutation caused by Night Bloom. Stage One begins to manifest after thirty minutes of direct exposure to the pathogen, causing weakness and fatigue."
Ethan began explaining, counting off the Stages on his fingers.
"Stage Two begins three hours after Stage One if the person doesn't leave Night Bloom's area of effect or take the necessary precautions. The person gradually begins to lose sensation and control over their body. How quickly it progresses depends on their immune system." Ethan paused and looked at Jason.
"What about Stage Three?" Jason asked.
"Neural collapse. In other words, mutation," Ethan replied.
Hearing this, Jason brought his GEC device closer to his mouth and spoke into it.
"How far into Stage Two has he progressed?"
[I-I can't f-feel any part of my b-body anymore.]
A weak and exhausted voice suddenly came through the device.
[Fred! Conserve your energy. Don't speak too much]
Sergeant Jock's panicked voice came through the device.
Jason, however, ignored remained silent, deep in thought, while Ethan watched him.
After a few seconds, Jason finally spoke again.
"Is there a drug that can treat Stage Two Night Bloom?"
[Yes. If we can get him back before he hits Stage Three, he can still be treated]
Jason turned to Ethan, who nodded in confirmation.
"Send me your coordinates."
[Roger]
Sergeant Jock replied before ending the transmission.
A few moments later, the coordinates appeared on Jason's device. He entered them into the map and quickly located the survivors.
'The location is a significant detour from the extraction route, but we still have enough time.'
He quickly mapped out the fastest route and glanced at the extraction timer.
56:42:21
"We're making a detour. We've got less than fifty-seven hours to rescue them and reach extraction," Jason said, moving toward the survivors. The Cane Corso followed alongside him, with Ethan hurrying to keep up on his other side.
"Wait... we're really doing this?" he asked.
"They won't make it otherwise."
"What if we don't make it?"
"We will, if we move fast enough."
***
A group of ten mutants was making their way along a street.
THEWP! THEWP! THEWP!
Three of them suddenly dropped to the ground, each with a bullet hole in its head.
The remaining mutants turned around, only to see a giant Cane Corso charging towards them.
It seized one mutant by the head and slammed it into another. At the same time, its front paws came down on a third mutant's skull, crushing it.
GROWL!
THEWP! THEWP!
From behind the Cane Corso, Jason fired twice at a lunging mutant. The first bullet struck its chest, while the second hit its head, finishing it off.
The dog bit down on another mutant while Jason fired three more shots, taking out the last two.
BAM!
A crash echoed from behind. Jason turned and saw Ethan, who had been lagging behind, struggling with one of the mutants.
The first mutant the Cane Corso had slammed into another had moved past them unnoticed and attacked Ethan.
"Damn! Why the hell did you come after me? I wasn't even in the fight!" Ethan shouted, lying beneath the mutant and shoving a steel pipe into its mouth. He was on the verge of tears, barely holding back a scream.
THEWP!
Just as the mutant was about to overpower him, a bullet tore through the side of its skull, splattering blood across Ethan. The creature immediately went limp.
Ethan shoved the body aside and hurried scrambled upright, breathing heavily.
"Thank you," Ethan said. Jason nodded at him before turning his attention back to the area.
'We're almost at the coordinates, but the closer we get, the more dangerous it becomes. We've already encountered several groups of mutants we couldn't bypass.'
As he surveyed the surroundings, he noticed golden bullet casings and bloodstains, both red and green.
'There was a battle here. Most likely, those guys tried to make a stand. Hmm...' He was still pondering the scene when something a few steps ahead caught his eye.
He moved closer, crouched down and picked it up.
By then, Ethan had calmed down somewhat and came closer.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, leaning closer.
Lying in Jason's hand was a matte-black rifle covered in blood.
"It's a rifle!" Ethan exclaimed, while Jason simply nodded.
"Hmm. It's an M16 assault rifle. It looks damaged, though. I'm not sure it can still be used," Jason said, his gaze moving over the deep gash along the barrel and some bent sections of the rifle.
"You're not sure? You haven't scanned it?" Ethan asked, and Jason turned to him with a confused look.
"Scan?"
'Don't tell me he doesn't even know about the scanning feature. How the heck did he find all his items, then?' Ethan screamed internally, yet forcing a polite smile.
"Yes, like this." Ethan moved closer and held out his right hand. A scanning beam shot from his GEC device and swept over the rifle twice.
A holographic panel appeared above the device, and Ethan showed it to Jason.
[ITEM IDENTIFIED
Item Type: Weapon
Item Name: M16 Assault Rifle
Modifications: None
Attachments: .30-caliber suppressor
Item Condition: Severely Damaged
Operational Status: Non-functional]
"The GEC device can scan and identify items registered in the GEC database. It's a very useful feature for us players because there are very few things it can't identify," Ethan explained.
"How do I use this feature?" Jason asked.
"Just bring the item within range of the device's sensor, then think or say 'Scan.'"
"Got it. Thanks," Jason said, returning his attention to the rifle.
He removed the magazine and pulled back the bolt, ejecting the chambered round. He picked up the cartridge, pressed it back into the magazine, and slipped the magazine into his vest pocket.
He then removed the .30-caliber suppressor, stowed it in his backpack, and discarded the rifle.
"The coordinates should be on the next street. Let's move," Jason said, already heading out.
They spent the next thirty minutes navigating the route, avoiding large groups of mutants while swiftly eliminating smaller ones. Soon, they reached a turn.
Peering around the corner, Jason spotted groups of mutants shuffling through the area.
In the distance, at the location marked on his device, stood a small, one-story security office surrounded by taller buildings. A large concentration of mutants had gathered around the front entrance.
Jason pulled back from the corner and turned toward Ethan.
"The front entrance is compromised. We're going in through the back. I need you to stay quiet and keep up," Jason said. Ethan simply nodded, his solemn expression showing that he understood the severity of the situation.
The three of them quietly withdrew and took another route. After another ten minutes, they reached the rear of the building.
As they approached the final building before their destination, Jason peered around its corner and spotted five mutants moving near the rear entrance.
"Stay," he whispered to the Cane Corso. The dog simply stared back at him.
Moving toward nearby cover, Jason raised his pistol and took aim.
THEWP! THEWP!
Two of them immediately dropped dead. The other three hesitated for a second before lunging forward and beginning to feast on the fallen bodies.
THEWP! THEWP! THEWP!
Jason wasted no time in dropping them as well.
He raised his GEC device and reconnected with Sergeant Jock.
"Sergeant Jock, do you copy?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I copy." Sergeant Jock's whisper came through almost immediately.
"Requesting confirmation. The coordinates point to a one-story tall security office?" Jason asked.
"Yes, yes, that's right," Sergeant Jock replied, relief evident in his voice.
"Roger. Friendlies entering through the rear entrance. Don't shoot."
"Roger."
Jason nodded and turned towards Ethan and the Cane Corso.
"Let's go."
The three of them quietly slipped into the building and climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Their eyes immediately locked onto the two soldiers at the far end of the room.
"Sergeant Jock?"
*****
A/N: Sorry again for the long hiatus everyone, stuffs been going on at work. I returned now and I brought four new chapters today. I've also managed to put together my own discord server, it's a bit crude since it's my first time, but it gets better. Anyways, hope you enjoy these four chapters and here's the server link below.