Derek pushed the NOVA to full speed through the dark alien corridor, the air whistling along the edges of his plasma blades.

  A cluster of indistinct figures loomed a hundred meters ahead, their yellow eyes glowing in the shadows. Their silhouettes were vaguely humanoid, but grotesquely wrong, crawling on four limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

  Derek zoomed in on one of them on the display. Its movements were sharp and erratic, like an insect’s, with jagged black metallic parts jutting out from its misshapen body. Its face was a blank, expressionless mask, and the amber glows of the eyes were irisless, devoid of any emotion. Shreds of fabric clung to its frame, swaying with each twitch of its joints. On one fragment, he spotted the emblem of the local guards.

  A chill rippled down his spine. He’d seen his share of bizarre and deadly creatures across the galaxy, but these abominations carried a disturbing familiarity. They weren’t just monsters cobbled together in a lab by some mad scientist. They had been people.

  “Hey, Vanda,” he said, voice tight. “Those alien zombie things wearing guard uniforms. Got any guesses on what the hell happened to them?”

  “I don’t know, Derek. My best guess is they really were guards, before something inside this pyramid transformed them. But I can’t determine what did it, or how.”

  Something inside this gigantic pyramid had managed to capture those poor fools and turn them into puppets made of flesh and Wardilai tech. That explained why the security guards never got too close to the structure. They were afraid, and they had every reason to be.

  He probably should’ve turned back too. There was no guarantee the NOVA would be enough to protect him from creatures transformed by Wardilai technology.

  His heart hammered, the sound echoing through the armor. “You think the guards are somehow still alive in there?”

  “They’re clinically alive,” Vanda said. “Primary biological functions appear to be operational, at least from what I can tell through the interference. If you’re asking whether they’re aware of their condition... no one can say for sure. If they are, you’d be doing them a huge favor by putting them down.”

  Derek swallowed hard. “Got it.” The thought of killing people, even in such a wretched state, didn’t sit well with him. Whoever had done this was the one who deserved to pay. But Vanda was probably right. Ending their suffering was the kindest choice.

  The problem was, against Wardilai technology, it wouldn’t be an easy task. It was time to put the recent upgrades of the NOVA Armor MKVII to the test.

  Derek launched himself at the nearest cluster of creatures. One dropped from the ceiling, a blur of jagged limbs and metallic sheen, missing him by inches as it slammed into the ground behind. Two more darted in from his flanks, their twin black blades jutting from forearms like the pincers of some grotesque crab.

  Derek swung his plasma blade in a wide arc to his side, slicing into something soft. Thick, black liquid oozed out, splattering across the floor with a sickening hiss.

  One creature lunged at him with terrifying speed, its blade aimed straight for his chest.

  The Tactical Intel Relay flared to life, projecting the attack’s likely trajectory onto his display. Derek moved instinctively, deflecting the blow with his plasma blade. Sparks showered the space, momentarily blinding him, but he kept his focus locked on his target.

  A red rectangle blinked onto his display, framing the creature’s back. The words ‘organic tissue’ pulsed in bold text.

  “Nice call, Vanda,” Derek muttered, aiming a swift slash at the center of the rectangle.

  Before the blade could land, the monstrosity turned and caught it between its jagged claws, locking it in place with surprising strength.

  He was ready.

  With practiced precision, he toggled the blade off and wrenched his arm free in one fluid motion. His other hand swung upward in a deadly arc, striking the creature’s abdomen. The blow couldn’t pierce the carapace, but it was enough to stagger it for a moment.

  Derek struck again, reigniting the first plasma blade mid-swing, and carved into the creature’s body. This time, the strike met no resistance, slicing through the exposed organic tissue like a hot knife through butter.

  Black smoke and acrid vapor hissed from the gaping wound as boiling black liquid spilled onto the floor, sizzling on impact. The creature didn’t flinch, didn’t scream. There were no signs of pain, only eerie silence.

  The stench of burning flesh and molten plastic was so strong it managed to slip through Derek’s suit filters, stinging his throat and churning his stomach. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his wrist and dragged the plasma blade sideways. The glowing edge sliced cleanly through the creature’s body, the cut gleaming like smoldering coals.

  With a wet, metallic clatter, the monstrosity collapsed into two lifeless halves, a tangle of flesh and metal joints lying motionless on the ground.

  The Tactical Relay flared a warning. Another creature was closing in from behind. Derek sidestepped just in time as twin black blades sliced through the air, missing him by inches. The blades struck the wall instead, embedding themselves halfway into the supposedly indestructible surface. Cracks splintered outward from the impact, the sound sharp and jarring in the confined space.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Derek froze, his gaze locked on the gaping scars in the wall. If those claws could pierce that, what chance did his armor stand? A bead of sweat formed, instantly absorbed by the suit. The weight of that realization clung to him like a vice.

  He took two steps back and reduced the armor’s mass to maximize agility. If it couldn’t withstand those blades, then speed was his best bet.

  The creature in front of him shifted its blades, shielding the organic tissue at its midsection, and kept its distance. Its yellow eyes glinted with a sharp, unnerving intelligence. It wasn’t attacking. It was stalling now. Waiting.

  But for what?

  Of course. The damn pyramid was crawling with those things. It was probably just waiting for its friends to catch up. The mini-map confirmed his suspicion: reinforcements were closing in.

  If he remained here, it would be the end.

  Derek feinted toward its head, forcing it to retreat against the wall. Without missing a beat, he toggled off his blades and bolted down the dark corridor.

  More twisted figures emerged from the shadows, their grotesque forms skittering along walls, floors, and ceilings, their yellow eyes glittering in the dark. It was as if the pyramid itself were vomiting them out.

  How many were there? This place had been sitting here, dormant, for millions of years. How many people had it consumed, twisting them into these abominations? Passersby, curious locals, maybe even animals or children.

  Hundreds, maybe thousands.

  All erased, swallowed by this unholy structure while the planetary government quietly buried the truth. Not to protect its people, but to shield their fragile, pointless religion and hollow beliefs. Because not offending the Wardilai was more important than saving the lives of their own people.

  Derek clenched his fists, the suit’s joints groaning under the strain. If he could, he’d gladly blow this entire building to hell. But even detonating the NOVA fusion reactor wouldn’t be enough to take down this monstrosity. It probably wouldn’t even leave a scratch.

  “Derek,” Vanda’s voice cut through the chaos. “I detected a passage on the left, just a few meters ahead. I’ve marked it on the mini-map. Move before those creatures cut you off from there too. Go, quick!”

  He didn’t hesitate. He launched forward at full speed toward the shadowy passage, one he never would’ve noticed if it hadn’t been marked on the mini-map and highlighted in neon on his display.

  Praise Vanda, holy mother of all navigation systems.

  He slid to a halt right in front of a group of creatures about to intercept him, sparks skittering from the armor’s reinforced boots as they scraped across the hard floor, and dove into the corridor just before they could reach him.

  Two more creatures dropped from the ceiling behind him, their metallic limbs slamming into the ground with a deafening clatter.

  He pushed the leg actuators to full speed down the corridor. The echo of his armored boots thundered off the walls, probably alerting all of Galcyon V to his presence, but right now, he needed every bit of speed he could get.

  No movement was visible ahead, and the mini-map confirmed the path was still clear in that direction. The echo of their pursuit trailed behind him, but speed wasn’t their strong suit, and he was quickly leaving them behind.

  “Turn right at the next junction. About a hundred meters ahead, you’ll reach a large chamber,” Vanda said.

  Derek obeyed without hesitation. Big room, big trouble, but this wasn’t the time to be picky. If he stopped or took a wrong turn, he could end up surrounded by those things again any second now.

  “Vanda, lower the reactor output back to 100%. I’d rather not explode now that I’m this close to the target.”

  “Done.”

  The overheating indicator dipped below the red zone, and his leg actuators slowed as the power scaled back. Not ideal, but better than detonating mid-run. He pushed forward, adjusting his stride to compensate for the reduced speed.

  “This place is a damn maze,” Derek said. “Tell me we’re close to the target.”

  “Yeah, the artifact should be in that big chamber. But just so we’re clear, even if you reach it, you’ll still need to figure out how to get it out of the pyramid without… you know.”

  Without being torn to pieces or turned into an alien zombie.

  Or, who knows… maybe both.

  “Oh, really?” Derek said. “Good thing you’re here to remind me of these little details. Otherwise, how would I ever survive on my own.”

  He sighed. “Still have no idea how I’m getting out of here. Maybe once I remove the Kolaar Node, all these creatures will just... shut down on their own.”

  “Of course, Derek,” Vanda replied. “And maybe before they shut down, they’ll serve you tea and cookies too, just to be polite.”

  Derek grunted. “Do me a favor, leave the sarcasm to me and stick to giving directions.”

  “I’m not a miracle worker, but I’ll do my best. After the next right turn, you’ll enter the artifact chamber. But I should warn you, I’m now detecting several lifeforms inside, besides the Kolaar Node.”

  Derek groaned. “More crab zombies?”

  “No. It’s... something else. Something a lot bigger.”

  “I really need to stop asking you questions. You only ever give me bad news. Can you at least give me specs?”

  “Same composition as the crabs, as you call them. But I can’t determine their form or armaments. The pyramid’s interference is wreaking havoc on the NOVA’s sensors.”

  Derek scowled. Whatever waited for him in the main chamber was undoubtedly there to guard the artifact. Sneaking in unnoticed? Out of the question. Fighting all those creatures alone? Even worse, especially with reinforcements closing in behind him.

  It seemed impossible.

  Unless…

  Vanda let out a theatrical throat-clearing sound. “I can practically hear the gears in your head turning. Please tell me you’re not about to try one of your terrible ideas.”

  Derek frowned. “I don’t have terrible ideas, what are you talking about? It’ll work. You’ll see.”

  “Tell me what it is.”

  “I’ll need the cloaking device,” he said.

  “I thought we already agreed that piece of junk doesn’t work. It couldn’t even hide you from tourist guards! You’ll get detected in a second.”

  Derek smirked. “Exactly.”

  “I’m not following.”

  The corridor’s end loomed ahead. Derek slowed abruptly, transitioning from a sprint to a brisk walk before coming to a full stop. “Just disconnect the cloaking device and admire my genius, alright?”

  He scanned his surroundings. The corridor was eerily silent, shadows clinging to the walls like frayed drapes. He didn’t have much time. Even if he’d managed to shake them off for now, it wouldn’t take long before they found him again. “This should do. Is the device disconnected?”

  “Yes. You can retrieve it, though I still have no idea what you’re planning.”

  Maybe not even he did. His heartbeat thundered. If his plan didn’t work, he wouldn’t even have time to regret it.

  Derek commanded the suit’s chest plate to retract, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside, an array of devices pulsed with rhythmic silver lights, glowing softly like the heartbeat of a mechanical beast. With deliberate precision, he pinched two armored fingers together and extracted the cloaking device, a stubby metallic cylinder, before sliding the panel shut.

  He turned it over in his palm, studying its scuffed surface. The marks of wear told a story of dubious reliability, and the faint outline of a logo, long since filed off by the shady vendor who’d sold it, did little to inspire confidence. “How long will it run on its internal battery?”

  “About thirty minutes before its negligible effectiveness starts to degrade even more.”

  Derek nodded. “That’ll be plenty. It only needs to last long enough to cause trouble.”

  “That thing’s already caused trouble! I’m still waiting to hear this brilliant plan of yours.”

  Derek sighed. “You’ll find out soon enough.” Better not tell her just yet. She wouldn’t have to wait long. It really was a good idea, but it was also a gamble. One that could go wrong in a thousand different ways, and Derek had plenty of experience with that kind of thing.

  He kept moving, slowing to a relaxed pace as he headed toward the big chamber ahead. The creatures weren’t closing in yet.

  Good.

  It was time to say what had been weighing on the back of his mind ever since he realized the things trying to kill him had once been human and that the same could happen to him.

  Derek cleared his throat. “Vanda, before I go, I need to ask you a favor.”

  “What?”

  He swallowed hard. “If this doesn’t work, and they get me... I need you to detonate the NOVA’s main reactor before I’m turned into one of those things.”

  There was a pause.

  “Derek, I liked you better when you were your usual cocky, big-headed self.”

  He clenched his jaw. This wasn’t the time for jokes. “Vanda, I—”

  “I will. I promise.”

  He nodded slowly. At least that was settled. Either he’d walk away with the Kolaar Node in his hands, or he’d blow up hundreds of those poor bastards, ending their suffering.

  Can’t lose either way, huh?