The ground quaked beneath Helios as Alex guided the Sentinel through the remnants of the forgotten city. Each step of the towering machine sent shockwaves through the earth, rattling the already unstable ruins. Dust kicked up in thick clouds, but Alex hardly noticed. His mind was focused ahead, on the growing sense of unease that churned in his gut.
Outpost 17 was just beyond the ridge, its once sturdy defenses likely overwhelmed by now. He gripped the controls tightly, his body moving instinctively with the machine, every muscle memory from his days as a pilot rushing back. It was like riding a bike—once you knew how, you never really forgot. But that didn't make it any easier to return.
The radio on his console flickered with static, and Alex twisted a knob, trying to tune in, hoping against hope for another transmission. The silence had been haunting him since the last desperate call for help. A faint crackle, but no voices. Nothing but the occasional pulse of static, like the remnants of a long-gone conversation. He exhaled through clenched teeth, a grim reminder of the ghosts he carried.
Helios moved steadily, each stride covering ground quickly, but it felt like time was slipping through his fingers. Every second lost meant more lives at risk—if anyone was still alive. He hadn't been to Outpost 17 in years. The last time he'd seen it, it had been a stronghold of resilience, populated by tough survivors. But that was before the creatures began evolving, growing more vicious with each passing month.
The symbiote goop from the meteors had done more than mutate animals—it had warped them into something far worse. In the early days, they were monstrous but manageable, their movements wild and chaotic. Now they were coordinated, strategic, hunting in packs like wolves. Alex had faced his share of threats in the past, but even he couldn't deny the sense of purpose behind their attacks.
The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the ruined landscape. Alex knew the creatures were more active at night, emboldened by the darkness. The thought of what he might find at the outpost clawed at the back of his mind, a gnawing fear that whispered of failure before he even arrived.
Helios crested the ridge, and the view below confirmed his worst fears. Outpost 17 was in ruins. The outer walls, once fortified with steel and reinforced with energy barriers, lay in pieces, crumbled under the assault of the mutated beasts. Black smoke rose from smoldering wreckage, and Alex could make out the remains of several smaller defense mechs, their twisted frames scattered like discarded toys.
But it was the eerie silence that unsettled him the most.
No survivors. No movement.
Alex's fingers hovered over the controls, his breath caught in his throat. He scanned the area, hoping for any sign of life, any trace of the people who had called out to him. But the only thing that greeted him was death and devastation.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. The guilt that had been lingering since the radio transmission began to crush down on him.
He moved Helios closer to the outpost, the Sentinel's sensors scanning for any life signs. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him, lurking just out of sight. His grip tightened on the controls, fingers itching for action. The creatures wouldn't have left the area—not this quickly. They had to be nearby.
And then he saw them.
At first, they blended into the charred remains of the outpost, their hulking forms moving silently among the wreckage. But as Helios's sensors focused, their grotesque shapes came into view. The mutated creatures were larger than he remembered, their bodies covered in thick, blackened armor that pulsed with the same symbiotic goop from the meteors. Their eyes—glowing red and filled with a predatory intelligence—locked onto Helios the moment they noticed his presence.
Alex counted at least ten of them, slinking through the shadows, creeping closer.
His hands moved on instinct, flipping switches, preparing Helios for combat. The Sentinel's reactor hummed to life, power surging through its massive frame as its weapons systems came online. The energy shield flared into place around him, and the twin plasma cannons mounted on Helios's arms charged with a low whine.
"Here we go," Alex muttered, steeling himself. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline flooding his veins. It had been years since he'd fought, and now, it felt like he was diving headfirst into the deep end.
The creatures moved with frightening speed, rushing toward Helios with inhuman agility. Alex opened fire, plasma bolts lighting up the twilight sky as they tore through the air. Two of the creatures were hit, their bodies exploding into bursts of black ooze, but the others pressed on, undeterred.
One of the beasts leaped at Helios, its clawed limbs stretched wide, aiming for the cockpit. Alex reacted just in time, swinging Helios's massive arm in a wide arc, knocking the creature out of the air and sending it crashing into a nearby building.
But they kept coming.
Another creature lunged from behind, its claws scraping against Helios's energy shield, sending sparks flying. Alex pivoted, launching a barrage of missiles from Helios's shoulder-mounted launchers. The explosions rocked the ground, sending debris and dust into the air, but the creatures were relentless, their bodies seemingly regenerating from the damage.
Alex's brow furrowed in concentration, his body and mind working in sync with Helios as they fought back the swarm. It wasn't just brute strength that made these creatures dangerous—it was their coordination. They were learning, adapting to his every move.
As he fought, a chilling thought crept into his mind. The meteors hadn't just carried symbiotes to mutate animals—they'd brought something else, something that was watching, guiding these creatures.
And for the first time in years, Alex felt a familiar sensation crawl down his spine: fear.
Because whatever was out there, it wasn't finished with them yet.