There must be one messed-up ROB (Random Omnipotent Being) out there who decided to drop me here, give me a new body, and scramble my brain. The weird part is, I'm not even an amnesiac—I remember my childhood, people's faces, places I've been, things I've watched and read. But I just can't remember my own name, my mom's name, or even my dog's name… Yet I know Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. I know that after you microwave a frozen burrito, you should let it cool unless you want lava for lunch. Basic things. So why, after all this, do I still feel like a glitch in the system?
I was chewing on that thought when the memories started crashing in. Earlier, it had been like my brain had its own popup ad: a dark street, neon lights, a cheering crowd. It was fast and disorienting, but it wasn't just random. A part of me knew it was Lou Feng's memory. My own body's memory—whoever "I" was supposed to be didn't matter right now. My fingers tingled with adrenaline, the way they must've tingled when Lou raced down that street. And now I was here, wielding his reflexes against zombies. Somewhere in the multiverse, Lou was probably laughing his butt off.
But I didn't get a lot of time to ponder Lou Feng's mysterious past, because that's when JD and Rain stumbled into the local zombie population, guns blazing. Jie and Zheng jumped into action, mowing down the zombies like they were at some kind of gruesome carnival game. One ordered us to find an exit, and the other mercs did—but in a brilliant tactical move, they forced the elevator door open without even glancing inside. As soon as they did, zombies lunged at the nearest merc, and suddenly our "backup plan" was just a splatter of red paint.
Someone yelled, "Back to the Red Queen's room! Fall back!" With Jie and Zheng covering the rear, the rest of us scrambled down the corridor. I didn't bother pretending to lead—I just stuck close to One's six, practically his shadow. I wasn't even thinking, just moving, making sure to keep enough distance that if he got taken out, I'd have time to duck. Glancing back, I caught Jie and Zheng in the thick of it, tearing through the zombies with some serious finesse. I couldn't help but wonder: was that real skill, or was this just some normal Tuesday for them?
Once we reached the control room, I ducked behind the consoles and aimed my gun at the door, waiting for any undead straggler that might have decided to follow us in. My heart was still pounding, but I barely felt out of breath. Lou's body, apparently, had some killer stamina. Who would've thought I'd have such an appreciation for cardio? Not me, that's for sure.
Jie and the others filed in not long after, and with a loud bang, the door slammed shut, leaving us in heavy silence. Everyone sagged against the walls, gasping for air, as if the weight of the situation had just caught up with them. Even Jie looked winded, though he tried to hide it. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was barely even winded—I was pretty sure that would earn me at least one glare, if not a fist to the face.
"That wasn't too bad," Jie finally said, laughing as he glanced at Zheng. His laugh was hollow, but it had that wild, relieved sound that follows narrowly avoiding death.
Zheng raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"
Jie looked at the mercs scattered around the room, their faces pale, eyes locked on the floor as if trying to unsee what had happened in the corridor. Then, in a low, almost somber tone, he said, "The most dangerous time for a newbie is usually the first encounter. Your mentality is the most important thing. First, you have to understand the reality of your situation. I've seen people who thought this was some illusion or a TV show, and they died early. But you all adjusted quickly, especially you and Lan." He paused, nodding at two other mercs, who still looked a little shaken. "Not only did you adapt quickly, but you overcame your fears."
Zheng shot him a doubtful look. "Yeah? What about that kid?" He jerked his thumb toward me.
Jie didn't even look in my direction, just waved his hand dismissively. "That kid's not right in the head."
I crossed my arms, leaning back against my trusty console. "Hey! I take offense to that. My mother had me tested!" A few of the other mercs snickered, but the high school kid in the corner just gave me this pitying look, like I'd lost something precious and didn't even know it.
As everyone settled into a quieter buzz of chatter, I tuned them out and focused on making myself comfortable behind the console. (That's right; this console and I are tight now. Best buds.) I leaned back, closed my eyes for a second, and that's when Lou's memories hit me again, sneaking up like a cat ready to pounce.
There he was, the phantom of Lou Feng, mechanic by day, drag racer by night. His memories were like an action movie in my head: neon lights, blurring pavement, and a street full of roaring cheers. I could practically hear the adrenaline surging through his veins, feel it crackling along his nerves. It was so real I could almost smell the burnt rubber, feel the coarse leather of the steering wheel. For a split second, I wanted to be him. To be Lou Feng, the guy with the need for speed, the guy who probably didn't spend too much time wondering who he was or what he was supposed to be. Lou's memories were thrilling, electric… and just as quickly as they came, they faded, leaving me feeling hollow.
"Hey, you with us?" Rain's voice jolted me back to reality. She was giving me a half-smile, somewhere between amusement and concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Maybe I did. Just the ghost of my last functioning brain cell."
She chuckled and gave me a pat on the back, muttering, "Never change, trainee." She probably didn't mean it, but I couldn't help but smile back. I mean, with the way this day was going, a little encouragement—even sarcastic—was like a breath of fresh air.
Just then, someone banged on the door, making us all jump. Alice's voice cut through the tension. "Open the door. Hurry!"
Jie quickly opened it just enough to let Alice and Matt slip in. One moved forward, his voice low and tense. "How's it looking out there? Any chance we can get back the way we came?"
Alice shook her head, her expression grim. "They're everywhere."
A heavy silence fell over the group. Kaplan, the tech guy, started muttering under his breath. "We can't escape. There's no other path from the Red Queen's room. We're done."
Spence, one of the mercs, crossed his arms, glaring. "Couldn't we just stay here? Once they realize we're missing, they'll send backup. I don't want to go back out there."
Kaplan's shoulders slumped. "There's probably no backup."
Spence's face twisted with anger, and he grabbed Kaplan's collar. "What do you mean, 'no backup'?"
One sighed, looking almost resigned. "Our orders were to retrieve the Red Queen's main circuit and isolate the Hive. If we're not back within three hours, the gate shuts, isolating us. Corporate protocol."
I couldn't help myself. "I knew I should've gotten that dental plan before taking this job," I muttered, earning a chuckle from Rain and a pat on the back that felt suspiciously like "good luck with that."
Rain added, "If we die down here, no one can leak anything. That's the whole point. The company's secrets stay buried." The weight of her words settled over the room, the grim realization that we might actually be expendable sinking in.
Spence threw up his hands. "Why are you telling me this now? Why didn't anyone say anything before things went to hell?"
Alice stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Enough. We're not wasting time arguing. We need to find a way out of here." She walked over to the Red Queen's circuit, picking it up. "And that starts with turning her back on."
The others followed, but I hung back, staying in my spot. I wasn't sure what the next move would be, and honestly, I wasn't sure if I cared. The others had lives, jobs, and goals; they were real. I was just… borrowed. This wasn't my body, not really. Not my memories, either. Just me, piecing things together one terrifying step at a time.
"Lou, wherever you are, I hope you don't mind," I mumbled, a smirk tugging at my lips. "I'm gonna do my best to keep us both alive."