The Veltrix spaceship loomed above the city, its deep hum rattling Louis's chest.
For a split second, nothing happens.
Then the first beam of light struck.
A blinding flash lit the sky, followed by a deafening boom that shook the earth. A distant building disintegrated in an instant into smoldering rubble.
The ground trembled beneath Louis's feet as terrified screams filled the air.
Flames erupted across the city, smoke rising like a dark shroud.
Louis stood frozen at the window, his heart pounding hard, as he saw people scattering in panic as the Veltrix ships rained destruction.
Another blast struck closer this time. The shockwave shattered the window and knocked Louis backward. He hit the floor hard. He then scrambled to his feet but began to cough, gasping as smoke filled the apartment.
The building was on fire.
"No," Louis whispered, his voice trembling. "No, no, no."
He turned toward where his grandmother lay.
"GRANDMA!!" he shouted and rushed to her, lying unconscious on the floor.
Louis dropped to his knees, shaking her. "Wake up! Grandma!!"
Her pulse was faint, but she didn't stir. Flames crept closer, the smoke thickening. Louis had to get her out.
The door burst open, slamming against the wall. For a moment, Louis hoped it might be help coming, but the figure stepping through wasn't human.
The alien was massive, nearly eight feet tall, its metallic body glinting in the firelight. Its glowing green eyes locked onto him.
Louis froze, terror rooting him in place.
Then it shot out its hands and grabbed Louis. Its grip was like iron.
Louis struggled, kicking and twisting, but it was no use. The alien's strength was overwhelming.
"Let me go!" he screamed, but the alien dragged him relentlessly towards one of the massive ships.
The ramp extended from the ship, and the alien pulled him up into the cold and sterile interior. The walls pulsed with faint green light.
Louis caught sight of more aliens there; they moved silently through the corridors, their glowing eyes fixed on him. Louis struggled harder.
"Let me go! Please!"But the alien ignored him, only pulling him deeper into the ship until he reached the center of the chamber, where a faintly glowing platform waited.
Louis's heart sank as he realized he wasn't escaping.
"Stop!" he begged. "Please…"
But the alien placed him on the platform. Other aliens appeared to assist until Louis was pinned to the platform with glowing restraints bound to his wrists and ankles, holding him in place.
He struggled, thrashing against the bonds.
"Help! Somebody help me!"
Just then, an alien with an insect-like frame came into view. Its glowing eyes studied him coldly.
"Subject 27-34," it said, its voice a guttural, "Human anomaly. No powers detected."
Louis's stomach dropped.
They knew he was powerless, a weak human, an easy target.
He gritted his teeth as the alien continued its assessment.
"Subject is physically inferior. Potential compatibility with the core: uncertain."
Louis was shocked.
"What are you talking about?" He demanded, "What the hell do you want from me?!"
The alien didn't answer. Instead, it tapped a control panel on the table.
A sharp whir filled the air, and the restraints tightened around Louis's limbs.
"Stop! STOP!" he screamed, thrashing wildly.
The table tilted upward, forcing him into a standing position. His heart raced as a massive machine lowered from the ceiling, its center glowing with blinding green light.
The alien announced. "Energy core integration: commencing."
The machine's beam shot directly into Louis's chest, and he screamed as the light tore through him like fire.
His veins burned, his muscles tightened, and his vision blurred with spots of white. It was like every cell in his body was being ripped apart and stitched back together, over and over again.
In pain, he heard the alien speaking again, its voice distant and distorted: "Core integration successful. Subject mutation... beginning."
Then darkness consumed him.
***
Louis woke up, his chest ablaze with pain.
"Argh!" he groaned, struggling to sit up.
The restraints were gone, it was just him alone in the alien chamber.
His fingers trembled as he touched his chest.
Something rough and grotesque met his skin.
A jagged mark carved into him.
"What the hell did they do to me?"
Suddenly, the mark glowed, and a translucent screen appeared before his eyes:
[Initializing...]
[System Status: Active]
[Core Synchronization: 62%]
[Subject Designation: Louis — Status: Critical]
[Diagnostic Report:
Chest Integrity: Compromised
Vitals: Stabilizing
Foreign Energy Detected: Active]
Louis's heart pounded.
"What is this?"
He staggered to his feet, panic gripping him. He had to escape.
Rushing toward the door, he stumbled into a twisted hallway.
The metallic walls pulsed faintly with green light, but his focus shifted as two alien guards appeared ahead.
Their glowing eyes locked onto him.
"Subject 27-34," one rasped. "Return to the chamber."
"Not a chance," Louis spat, backing away.
The guards advanced, one extending a blade-like appendage from its wrist.
Louis's chest tightened. He was unarmed, powerless.
The first guard lunged, but instinct kicked in, and he dodged just in time.
The second swiped at him, claws ripping his shirt and grazing his shoulder. Louis stumbled back, clutching the wound.
"I'm going to die," he thought.
Then, the screen appeared again.
[Threat Detected.]
[Probability of Survival: 8%.]
[Core Directive Engaged.]
[Query: Do you wish to survive?]
Louis froze, startled. "What? What is this?"
[Do you wish to survive?]
The voice from the screen repeated, louder this time.
"Yes!" he shouted desperately. "Yes, just save me!"
The mark on his chest flared, pain surging through his body as jagged lines spread across his skin.
His vision sharpened unnaturally, every detail and motion magnified.
[Unleash the core.]
Louis screamed as chains burst from his palms, grotesque and metallic, each link pulsing with an eerie green light.
Louis stared in disbelief as they whipped outward, slamming into the walls, the floor, and the ceiling.
Sparks exploded where they struck.The guards froze.
"Core activation!" One of them shouted, "Keep him guarded!"
They lunged toward him with their blades raised.
Louis panicked, throwing his arm out instinctively.
The chain followed and lashed out, striking with blinding speed, wrapping around the two aliens, and yanking them back.
The aliens shrieked as the chains tightened and crushed them.
Louis stared at the horror of what just happened.
Slowly, the chains retracted, sinking back into his palms as the mark on his chest dimmed.
"What… what the hell just happened?" He whispered, his voice trembling.
The screen appeared before his eyes once more:
[Core Synchronization: 78%.]
[System Status: Active.]
[Directive: Survival Mode Engaged.]