Etrius glanced over at Zoey as she focused on the APC's logs, her eyes narrowing at something in the footage. "Got something?" he asked, his voice low and steady as the Mantis hummed along the cracked roads, the electric motors almost silent.
"Yeah," Zoey muttered, her voice tense. She rewound the feed and froze it on a single frame. "Look at this for a moment."
Etrius leaned over, squinting at the grainy image. The figure was barely visible, just a silhouette in the darkness, but its reptilian features were clear—lizardlike, walking on two legs like a human, but with a long tail trailing behind it, the curve of a snout barely visible. "Looks like a dragon," he chuckled.
"No wings," Zoey corrected, her voice tight with frustration. "But yeah, close enough. Whatever these alien bastards are, they're tracking us." She hesitated, then reached into her bag, pulling out the power cores she’d taken from the facility. "I might’ve pissed them off by taking these, but I figured if they’re hunting us anyway, I might as well grab 'em."
Etrius raised an eyebrow, glancing between her and the cores. "You didn’t think to mention this earlier?"
Zoey shrugged, giving him a sheepish grin. "Wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."
"Not great, but we're past that now. What’s your plan with them?"
"Pull over for a sec. I’m gonna rig one of these to the power system."
Etrius nodded and guided the Mantis off the road, the APC slowing to a stop. Zoey quickly got out, moving with haste as she opened the rear compartment where the Vulpes Titan was and began connecting the larger power core to the makeshift harness she’d built. Sparks flew as she locked it into place, and the Mantis’ internal systems briefly flickered before stabilizing.
With the new core installed, Zoey climbed back into the passenger seat. "All right, let’s get moving. Should give us a bit more juice."
They had barely been back on the road for a few minutes when a deafening explosion rocked the ground nearby. The APC shuddered violently, alarms blaring as proximity sensors went wild. Zoey cursed under her breath, scrambling to man the turret. "What the fuck was that?"
"Incoming fire!" Etrius shouted, hands tightening on the controls as the Mantis swerved, dodging debris from the blast. "Looks like a small ship or fighter on our tail," he yelled, looking at the reverse camera feed.
Zoey flipped the turret controls into manual mode, but the KPV's gun was in the middle of an automatic reload cycle. "God fucking dammit, it's reloading!" She threw the hatch open and climbed halfway out, her eyes locking onto the sleek, black shape of the dropship hovering low, its side hatches open, revealing figures inside.
"Get that thing online!" Etrius shouted, jerking the wheel as another round from the dropship hit the ground beside them, sending up a plume of dirt and debris.
Zoey gritted her teeth, raising her PTRS-41 anti-material rifle, aiming at the dropship as it swung to the side. She fired off a shot, the recoil jerking her back slightly. The round slammed into the side of the dropship, sparking off its armor but not penetrating. "Damn," she cursed, firing again, this time targeting one of the exposed hatches.
The shot ripped through the open compartment, and one of the shadowy figures inside crumpled, but the dropship kept coming. Zoey heard the telltale click of the turret finishing its reload cycle and dropped back into the cabin. She yanked the controls back, swiveling the twin KPVs toward the enemy and squeezed the trigger, unleashing a barrage of anti-aircraft rounds at the dropship.
The heavy bullets ripped through the air, some bouncing off the armored hull of the dropship, but others found their mark. The ship’s side engines sparked and flared as Zoey's rounds tore into them, forcing the dropship to pull back slightly, its trajectory wavering. Smoke began trailing from one of its engines, but it stayed in the fight, circling around to the Mantis' right side.
"Hang on!" Etrius yelled, yanking the wheel hard. The APC skidded, the electric motors whining as they struggled to compensate for the sudden turn.
Zoey barely held on, still firing at the dropship, but the enemy was persistent. The dropship’s door-mounted autocannon roared to life, and before Zoey could react, a burst of fire slammed into the side of the APC, sending sparks and shrapnel flying.
“Fucking shit!” she growled, ducking down, feeling the heat of the explosion behind her. A piece of shrapnel sliced across her side, the sharp pain radiating through her torso. Zoey gritted her teeth, ignoring the wound, as she focused on finishing the fight. She aimed the turret directly at the dropship's cockpit and unleashed another volley of rounds.
This time, the KPVs found their target. The cockpit shattered under the onslaught, glass and metal spraying out as the dropship began to lose altitude, its engines sputtering. Zoey didn't let up, hammering the dying ship until it was forced to pull back and fly off. She didn't stop firing until the ammo cans were empty.
For a moment, the only sound was the hum of the APC’s motors and the sound of sparks from the damaged solar panels. Zoey slumped back into her seat, panting heavily, blood seeping from the wound on her side.
Etrius glanced over at her. "You okay?"
"Been better," she muttered, wincing as she pressed a hand to her side. "But the Mantis took a hit too. Rear storage compartment’s probably wrecked."
Etrius nodded, checking the system overview. "Nothing critical, but we’ll need to patch it up soon." He glanced at her again, his brow furrowed. "Shit! You’re bleeding!"
Zoey chuckled. "Yeah, well, it happens. Just drive, I’ll deal with it later."
As Etrius pushed the Mantis forward, Zoey leaned back, wincing as she adjusted her position. The battle was over, but the damage had been done - both to her and the APC.
Zoey groaned softly as she pressed a bandage to her side, feeling the sting from the shrapnel wound. Her prosthetic arms had taken the brunt of the attack, but her torso hadn’t been so lucky. After dressing the wound as best she could, she moved to the small cot in the back of the APC’s cabin, her body aching from the battle.
Etrius was at the console, scanning over the maps. He frowned as he considered their next move. "There's an old military base a few hours from here. Might find some parts to patch up the Mantis," he muttered, half to himself.
Zoey grunted in acknowledgment, too tired to do much more than close her eyes. "Sounds good," she replied, her voice thick with exhaustion.
Satisfied with his plan, Etrius activated the autonomous driving system, switching the Mantis into autopilot. The turret scanned the surroundings automatically, its systems set to engage any threats that might appear. For now, though, everything was quiet.
Etrius turned and walked over to Zoey, glancing down at her as she shifted uncomfortably on the cot. "Rest up. We’ll need your strength when we get to that base."
Zoey gave him a tired smirk, her eyes half-lidded. "Yeah, yeah. I’ll be fine. Just need some sleep."
He nodded, then laid down beside her, his large frame making the small cot seem even smaller. As he wrapped his arm around her, Zoey’s breathing slowed, and soon, they both drifted into a restless sleep.
The nightmare came quickly.
Zoey found herself back in the cold, sterile corridors of the Nazi facility where she had been created. The air smelled of antiseptic and blood, the dull hum of machinery echoing around her. She felt small again, helpless, her body restrained to a metal table, cold steel digging into her wrists and ankles. The room was dimly lit, the shadowy forms of her captors moving around her.
But these weren’t the Nazi scientists she remembered. No, these figures were different—taller, their heads elongated and reptilian. The dragonlike creatures circled her, their eyes glowing faintly in the darkness as they poked and prodded at her with instruments she didn’t recognize. Their scales shimmered under the harsh lights, and she could feel their claws brushing against her skin, prying into her body as if she were nothing more than an experiment.
Zoey tried to scream, but no sound came out. The restraints tightened around her limbs, cutting into her flesh as the creatures leaned over her, their forked tongues flicking out to taste the air. One of them pressed a clawed hand against her chest, and she felt a searing pain, like fire spreading through her veins. She thrashed against the restraints, panic rising as the sensation grew unbearable.
The alien creatures began speaking in low, guttural voices, their language incomprehensible. But somehow, she understood what they wanted. They were changing her, molding her into something else, just as the Nazis had.
One of the creatures bent down, its snout inches from her face. Its glowing eyes locked onto hers, and she could feel its breath on her skin, hot and sulfurous. It whispered something in that guttural language, and suddenly, the pain intensified. Zoey’s skin began to burn, her muscles twitching as if they were being torn apart from the inside.
She screamed.
Zoey bolted upright, her scream echoing inside the APC’s cabin. Her heart pounded in her chest, the nightmare still vivid in her mind. Her body was drenched in sweat, and she gasped for air, her hands shaking.
Etrius jolted awake beside her, his eyes wide with alarm, quickly sitting up and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it’s okay! It was just a dream."
But Zoey was still shaking, her breathing ragged as she tried to ground herself. For a moment, she didn’t respond, her mind still trapped in the nightmare. Etrius gently pulled her into a hug, his strong arms wrapping around her in an attempt to calm her.
"It’s okay," he whispered, his voice soothing. "I’m here."
Zoey blinked, slowly coming back to reality. She buried her face against his chest, her breathing slowly evening out. "I... I’m sorry," she muttered, her voice hoarse.
Etrius pulled back slightly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, but his hand froze. His eyes widened as he saw something strange on her skin—small, dark red scales had started to grow around her cheek, spreading from the corner of her mouth. He stared at them for a moment, his mind racing. "Zo, what... what is this?"
Zoey instinctively recoiled, her hand shooting up to cover her face. "Nothing," she snapped, her voice sharper than intended. Her eyes flared with a brief flash of irritation, something uncharacteristic for her, but something Etrius recognized as dangerous.
Etrius narrowed his eyes, concern etched across his features. "That’s not nothing, Zoey. You’re growing scales." Etrius frowned, clearly not satisfied with her answer but knowing better than to push further right now. He gave her a long, steady look. "You’re sure you’re okay?"
Zoey nodded, though she wasn’t entirely certain herself. "I’ll be fine. Give me a minute."
Etrius sighed and stood up, running a hand through his hair. "I’ll be up front if you need me," he muttered, heading back to the driver’s seat.
As Etrius sat down, Zoey let out a shaky breath, running her fingers over the rough scales that had begun to spread along her cheek. She felt an odd sensation, almost a tingling under her skin, but pushed it aside as she stood up to the small kitchen to prepare something to eat.
Minutes later, she returned to the front of the APC, handing Etrius a plate of food as she took a seat beside him. The Mantis continued along the barren road, the base still hours away. Zoey could feel the tension in the air, though neither of them spoke about it.
"So... any news from the City?" Zoey asked, trying to steer the conversation into safer territory as she picked at her food.
Etrius nodded slowly. "Yeah. Seems like there’s a new governor trying to take control of the outer districts. Some kind of military hardliner. Lots of rumors about crackdowns coming."
Zoey snorted. "Great. More fucking power struggles. That’s all we need."
Etrius glanced over at her, sensing that something was still off. Her tone was edgier than usual, her movements more tense. He couldn’t quite place it, but something was changing in her—something beyond just the scales.
"You sure you’re alright?" he asked again, his voice soft but insistent.
Zoey paused, then gave him a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I said I’m fine! Drop it, you know I don't like talking about my nightmares."
Etrius wasn’t convinced, but he let it drop for now.
After they finished eating, Zoey climbed back onto the roof of the Mantis, carefully assessing the damage as the APC rumbled along the road. The armor had taken a beating, with several panels dented or torn, but the vehicle was still operational. She made a mental note of what needed to be replaced once they reached the base.
She sat atop the APC, watching the barren landscape roll by. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her was shifting. The infection was slow, subtle, but she knew it was there. Changing her, piece by piece.
And it was only a matter of time before it fully took hold.
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