Intergalactic conquest with an AI

As he reached to unseal the window, Soldier 593 and the first lookout lunged forward and stopped him, grabbing his arms.

"Let me go! You idiots! This is our only chance!" he shouted furiously, trying to shake them off.

But his voice was being so loud and filled with panic that it echoed through the room... and that was a costly mistake.

The pounding on the metal door resumed with brutal force, louder and heavier than before. Something or several things, was now slamming against it with renewed hunger.

The soldiers froze in place while every hair on their bodies stood up.

They had been quiet for so long… and now the things outside knew where they were again.

"Dammit! Look what you just did, you reckless idiot!" one of the soldiers shouted in fury as he punched the panicked man across the face.

The hit landed hard, knocking the soldier off his feet and sending him crashing to the floor. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he gasped, dazed and stunned.

"SHIT!" Soldier 593 yelled, his voice filled with desperation. "Everyone, helmets on now! Inject the stim fast! We're not staying here to die! We're jumping out that damn window and running like hell! There's no other choice left!"

Without wasting a second, he grabbed his assault rifle and rushed over to help unseal the heavy metal window. Meanwhile, the other two soldiers were holding back the door with all their strength as it buckled and bent under the constant pounding from the infected trying to break in.

"It's open! Let's move, move, move!" another soldier shouted while the adrenaline surged through his body thanks to the stim.

He leaped out of the window without hesitation. His military training kicked in mid-air, and though the fall was from the third floor, he hit the ground with a roll and only suffered a few scrapes and bruises.

Next was Soldier 593. He wasn't as graceful. His body twisted awkwardly during the fall, and when he landed, a sharp cry of pain echoed through the comms. He clutched his arm, clearly injured, but gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. The camera on his helmet caught it all.

The last two soldiers followed quickly. Fortunately, the first one who jumped had already taken care of the few infected wandering outside, cutting them down with his combat machete in swift, brutal strokes.

"Run! We have to get out of here now!" the soldier with the grenade shouted as he sprinted into the darkness. "If we stick to the forest and stay in the shadows, they might not catch us! The infected can't see well in the dark!"

The others didn't need to be told twice. They followed him, their boots pounding against the dirt path as they disappeared into the dense, shadowy trees.

Soldier 593, the newest member of the team, was already falling behind. Unlike the seasoned veterans, his stamina was limited.

He gasped for air as he struggled to keep up, each breath sounding louder in the recording, mingling with the rustling of leaves and crunching of soil beneath his feet.

But then… a strange, eerie noise pierced through the night. It sounded like a baby crying... it was soft and chilling.

That unnatural sound was followed by something worse... the unmistakable screams of the infected, echoing through the forest like a wave of terror rolling toward them.

"Hurry up, Rookie! Don't stop!" the lead soldier shouted over the comms; his voice was sharp with urgency. "You're too slow! That damn creature is coming after us! I can feel it! Don't fall behind!"

He didn't look back. None of them did. They just ran. Because on that cursed night, hesitation meant death.

[Field Footage – Soldier 593 / 6:24 a.m.]

After more than thirty minutes of nonstop running like desperate souls fleeing the jaws of death, the effects of the stim injections began to wear off.

The temporary surge of energy that kept them going was gone, and now the full weight of exhaustion settled deep into their muscles.

Their lungs burned, their legs trembled, and every step forward felt like dragging a boulder. No matter how tough or trained they were, they were still human... and humans could only take so much.

"Hah... ugh... I can't... I can't run anymore..." Soldier 593 gasped out between ragged breaths. His legs wobbled like those of a newborn deer, unstable and weak, before finally giving out beneath him.

He collapsed hard onto the dirt, his body rolling a short distance down the slope of the uneven forest path they had been following.

For a while, nothing could be heard through his helmet except the harsh sound of his labored breathing. His chest rose and fell quickly as he lay on his back, staring up at the slowly brightening sky.

The stars were starting to fade, and a faint bluish hue signaled the approach of dawn. That faint light was the only thing Rex and Cleo could see through the rookie's helmet feed until a shadow moved across the lens.

It was one of the other soldiers. His boots crunched softly against the dirt as he stopped beside the fallen rookie and extended his hand. He looked exhausted too, but his eyes were still burning with determination.

"Come on, Rookie! Don't give up on me now! We're almost there; we only have three, maybe four kilometers left to reach the Kaelzar outpost!" he said, his voice heavy with urgency. "We're so damn close!"

"I... I can't... run anymore, sir..." Soldier 593 replied weakly. His voice trembled, barely able to speak between gasps. "Just... leave me behind... it's survival of the fittest, remember?"

The veteran soldier didn't answer at first. Instead, he pulled out a second stim injector from his belt pouch and jammed it into the rookie's shoulder without warning. A sharp hiss followed as the chemicals rushed into Soldier 593's bloodstream.

"Wait for it to kick in," the vet said. "Do you still have any ammo left for your rifle?"

The rookie blinked a few times as the stimulant surged through him. His heart rate spiked, and his strength started to return, if only temporarily. He slowly pushed himself back onto his feet.

"Yeah... I have two magazines left... but that's it."

"Good," the vet nodded. "Give me one of those mags. Then you run straight to the Kaelzar outpost."

Soldier 593 hesitated, confused and worried. "Hold on... what do you mean? Are you planning to stay behind!?"

The veteran let out a tired chuckle. "Hah. Relax, Rookie. Whether I stay or go... it's not going to change anything now."

Then he reached up and removed his helmet, tossing it carelessly to the ground. The moment his neck was exposed, the rookie froze in place. His eyes widened in shock.

Dark, tech-like marks crept slowly up the veteran's neck, jagged black veins pulsing just beneath the skin, glowing faintly in places. The infection was spreading.

"Y-you're infected...? But how? When did it happen!?" Soldier 593 said while immediately pulling out his handgun and aiming it out of reflex.

The veteran didn't flinch. He just gave another bitter chuckle.

"Probably when those bastards broke through the door at the outpost. I didn't even feel it at first... too much adrenaline. But once that wore off, I could feel it… the burning under the skin, like something crawling inside me."

He stepped forward slowly, not afraid of the gun pointed at him.

"So now, listen up. Give me that magazine... and take this," he said while removing his dog tag and placing it into the rookie's hand. "It's got the mark of the Lady in White... our faith. My name and a contact number are on the back."

Soldier 593 looked down at the silver tag while his fingers trembled.

"When you reach the Kaelzar post, call that number. Tell my mother I died like a fucking hero!" the veteran said with a crooked grin and slapped the rookie's shoulder. Then, as the distant shrieks of the infected echoed through the trees, he gave Soldier 593 a hard shove forward.

"Now go! Don't look back!"

The rookie hesitated for only a second before stuffing the dog tag into his pouch and turning to run. His feet pounded against the forest floor as he sprinted away with renewed strength and purpose.

A few minutes later, gunfire rang out behind him in sharp, controlled bursts from the veteran's rifle, echoing through the trees.

Soldier 593 didn't stop running.

He didn't look back.

[Field Footage – Soldier 593 / 6:48 a.m.]

After a few more minutes of running through the thick forest, Soldier 593's legs were starting to burn again, and his breathing was becoming heavier.

His heart pounded in his chest, not just from exhaustion, but from fear. The gunfire he had heard earlier... the brave, final stand of the infected soldier had gone silent.

Now, all he could hear through his helmet's microphone were the unsettling sounds of the infected. Low growls, raspy breathing, and strange gurgling noises echoed all around him.

The forest no longer felt like a place of safety or shelter. It felt like a living nightmare, pressing in on him from every direction. His eyes darted through the darkness, searching for any sign of danger... or of help.

Then, just ahead through the trees, he saw a familiar silhouette. One of the other soldiers, the one who had been standing near the window back at the outpost. His figure stood motionless in the middle of the forest path, like a statue frozen in time.

Relief flooded over Soldier 593.

"Thank god... I'm so glad to see you!" he shouted, still a few meters away. "But we can't stop now! We've got to keep moving!"

But the other soldier didn't respond.

He didn't even turn his head.

Confused, the rookie slowed down as he approached. His footsteps grew cautious, his instincts already screaming that something was wrong.

"Hey...? Sir? Are you okay?" he asked again, now close enough to reach out.