NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Soldiers
General Marcus Vance stood at the edge of the clearing, his eyes locked on the strange machine that sat ominously in the center. The surrounding forest was eerily silent, the usual groans and shuffles of the undead conspicuously absent. That alone was enough to put him on edge. He adjusted his grip on his rifle, scanning the area for anything out of place.
Behind him, his squad of six survivors moved cautiously through the underbrush, their weapons trained on the machine. They'd learned the hard way that caution was the only thing keeping them alive in this new world.
"General," Sergeant Kim called, her voice low. She was crouched behind a fallen log, her sharp eyes flicking between the machine and the surrounding area. "This doesn't feel right. No hostiles, no movement… it's too quiet."
Marcus nodded, his jaw tightening. "Agreed. Keep your distance, and stay sharp. We don't know what this thing's capable of."
The machine was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It looked similar to what intelligence reports had described—a haphazard amalgamation of wires, tubes, and metal panels, glowing faintly with an unnatural light. Strange symbols adorned its surface, shifting and flickering as though alive. Marcus didn't believe in the supernatural, but even he couldn't deny that this thing felt… wrong.
"Anderson," Marcus said, turning to the young corporal standing a few paces behind him. "You're up."
Corporal Ethan Anderson nodded, stepping forward with a hesitant glance at the machine. He was the youngest member of the squad but arguably the most valuable. His ability—a strange knack for understanding and manipulating machinery—had saved their lives more than Marcus could count. If anyone could figure out what this thing was, it was Anderson.
"Be careful," Marcus added, his voice carrying the weight of command. "If you feel anything off, you pull back immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Anderson replied, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
The squad watched in silence as Anderson approached the machine. He moved slowly, his steps deliberate. The glow of the machine reflected in his wide eyes as he crouched beside it, his hands hovering just above its surface.
"Talk to me, Corporal," Marcus said, his voice a low rumble.
"It's… similar to other machines I've worked with," Anderson said, his brow furrowing. "But it's not… right. The energy it's giving off doesn't make sense. It's almost like it's alive."
"Alive?" Sergeant Kim echoed, her tone skeptical.
Anderson nodded. "Yeah. It's not just emitting energy. It's… reacting to it."
"Reacting how?" Marcus asked, his grip tightening on his rifle.
Before Anderson could answer, the machine let out a low hum. The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough to make the hairs on the back of Marcus's neck stand on end. The machine's glow intensified, and the symbols on its surface shifted more rapidly.
"Sir, it's doing something," Anderson said, his voice tinged with alarm. "I think—"
The machine emitted a sudden energy pulse, a shockwave that radiated in all directions. Anderson was thrown backward, landing hard on the ground. The rest of the squad staggered, but those within ten feet of the machine—including Anderson—collapsed immediately, their bodies jerking violently as the energy washed over them.
"Get back!" Marcus roared, pulling Sergeant Kim behind cover as the shockwave dissipated. "Everyone, fall back!"
The remaining soldiers scrambled for cover, their eyes wide with terror as the machine began to hum again. Its glow had grown brighter, the symbols on its surface now pulsing in time with the sound.
"Open fire!" Marcus ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The squad opened up with everything they had. Bullets tore through the air, striking the machine with a deafening clang. Sparks flew as the rounds ricocheted off its surface, but the machine didn't so much as flinch. It continued to hum, its glow growing ever brighter.
"It's not working!" Kim shouted, her voice barely audible over the gunfire. "What the hell is this thing?"
"Keep firing!" Marcus barked. "We have to stop it!"
But deep down, he knew it was futile. The machine was impervious to their weapons, their bullets little more than an annoyance. His soldiers began to falter, their fear becoming desperation as the machine continued its unrelenting advance.
Anderson, who had been motionless since the shockwave hit, suddenly stirred. Marcus froze, his rifle trained on the young corporal. For a brief moment, hope flared in his chest. But that hope was dashed as Anderson sat up, his movements jerky and unnatural.
His head turned slowly, his eyes locking onto Marcus. They were no longer the warm, intelligent eyes of the soldier he'd come to rely on. Instead, they were milky white, devoid of humanity.
"No," Marcus whispered, his stomach sinking.
Anderson rose to his feet, his movements stiff and mechanical. The glow of the machine reflected off his pale skin as he turned toward the squad, a low, guttural growl emanating from his throat.
"Fall back!" Marcus shouted, his voice hoarse. "Fall back now!"
But it was too late. The machine released another energy pulse, and the world erupted into chaos.
----------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, back at Perkatory, the air inside the café was tense as Zoe, Darren, Erica, and Matthew continued to study the machine that had inexplicably appeared in the center of the room. The glow of its symbols was growing more erratic, and the hum had turned into a steady, unsettling vibration.
"We need to figure this out," Zoe said, her voice tight. "If this thing does what I think it's capable of—"
Matthew suddenly let out a strangled cry, his hand clutching his head as he staggered backward. His entire body was trembling, his eyes wide with terror.
"Get out!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Everyone, get out of the building! Now!"
Zoe's heart jumped. "Matthew, what's wrong?"
"It's… it's going to do something," Matthew stammered, his voice shaking. "I've never felt anything like this before. We have to leave!"
"He's right," Ethan said, his face pale as a ghost. He was gripping the edge of a table, his knuckles white. "I can see it. A few seconds ahead… this thing… it's not just dangerous. It's catastrophic. We've got to go."
Zoe didn't hesitate. "Everyone, move! Out the back!"
The group scrambled for the exit, their footsteps echoing through the café. The machine's glow intensified, casting long, flickering shadows across the walls. As they burst through the back door and into the night, Zoe glanced over her shoulder. The hum had become deafening, and the symbols on the machine's surface were now pulsing so rapidly that they seemed to blur together.
The last thing Zoe saw before the door slammed shut was a blinding flash of light.