Chapitre 26: Chapter 26
Alex entered the tractor's cabin and let out a long sigh. The encounter with the cat had been too close, and though Vela and the others had arrived in time to scare it off, he knew he couldn't lower his guard. He carefully removed his metal gloves, still feeling the residual tingling from the mycelium wrapping around his skin moments before. The warmth inside the tractor was a welcome relief after spending so much time in the relentless cold outside.
"Ariel..." Alex murmured, reclining slightly in his seat as he looked out the window at the frozen landscape. "That was a cat, right?"
"Yes, Alex," Ariel responded precisely. "A mutated cat, to be exact. It's likely developed unique abilities due to prolonged exposure to the Omega particles."
Alex frowned and turned to look where the cat had disappeared among the shadows and debris of the city. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
"How did it get so close?" he asked, irritated. "Weren't you watching?"
Ariel responded without delay, but the tone was neutral, leaving no room for blame. "The cat appears to have mutated into an extremely efficient hunter. Not only can its fur blend seamlessly with its surroundings, but its body has developed the ability to erase any trace of heat. Somehow, it avoids being detected by thermal sensors. Its precision in hunting prey suggests it has evolved specifically to survive in this new environment."
Alex exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of that reality settle on him. "I should have known. If there's a cat like that, then there are probably thousands more... Cities are full of cats. It's not safe to be here, not even for a minute."
"Correct," Ariel affirmed. "You should take extra precautions from now on. These kinds of creatures won't be the only predators lurking in these places."
Alex nodded, though with some fatigue. He knew the mission wouldn't be easy, but every new challenge seemed harder than the last. With a slight gesture of gratitude, he glanced at Vela and the other two dinosaurs, Roka and Suri, who were still keeping watch a few meters from the tractor's cabin. He knew that if he hadn't brought them with him, he could've been the cat's prey. Though he trusted his abilities, the reality was that being alone in an abandoned city, without Ariel and his animals backing him up, would be suicidal.
"Good thing I brought Vela and the others..." he muttered to himself. "Otherwise, I'd be in trouble."
Suddenly, Ariel's tone shifted slightly, becoming more alert.
"Alex, I'm detecting nearby activity," Ariel informed, his voice sounding more serious than before.
Alex immediately straightened up, his body tensing. "Another cat? Some other animal?"
"Negative," Ariel replied. "According to the silhouettes the sensors are picking up, they appear to be humans. Three individuals, approaching your position."
Alex's eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and hope. After so much time without seeing other humans, the idea of encountering people in the middle of the desolate city filled him with expectation.
"Humans?" he asked excitedly. "Where are they? Can you show me?"
Ariel projected an image on the control panel in front of him. On the screen, Alex clearly saw three figures moving through the snow, cautiously approaching his position. However, something about their movements caught his attention. The men were armed, carrying rifles, and seemed to be moving with careful strategy, as if expecting to encounter something... or someone.
"They don't seem very friendly," Ariel commented, interrupting Alex's thoughts. "They're armed and advancing cautiously. They show no signs of seeking help."
Alex frowned, his hopes quickly fading. He carefully observed the image of the three men. Their clothes were tattered and worn, likely improvised to withstand the extreme cold, but the most noticeable thing was the weapons they carried. The rifles they held weren't typical hunting rifles; they were designed for combat, for killing if necessary.
"I wasn't expecting a warm welcome, but this doesn't look good," Alex said quietly.
The three men continued advancing, their figures covered by heavy coats. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves, though Alex couldn't hear anything from a distance. What troubled him the most, however, was the way they moved. They were organized, almost like a hunting team. Hunters of something... or someone.
"What do you want to do, Alex?" Ariel asked calmly. "They haven't seen you yet, but it's only a matter of time before they reach your position."
Alex remained silent for a few seconds, thinking. He knew that confronting those men directly could be a mistake, especially if they were armed and didn't have peaceful intentions. On the other hand, he couldn't afford to avoid them indefinitely. He had a mission to complete, and if these men turned out to be hostile, he'd need to act quickly.
"I'm going to stay calm for now," he finally responded. "I won't do anything rash. I want to learn more about them before making a decision."
Ariel silently acknowledged Alex's decision. Meanwhile, the reconnaissance drones continued monitoring the surroundings, ready to alert him of any changes in the situation.
Alex watched the screen, his mind racing. The men were getting closer. There was no way to know what their intentions were, but the fact that they were armed filled him with a concern he couldn't ignore.
"They're too well-equipped to be simple survivors," he thought aloud. "I don't like this."
The wind continued to blow hard, stirring the snow around and covering the tracks the cat had left moments before. In any other circumstance, Alex would've considered meeting humans in an abandoned city a blessing, but here, in a world full of mutations and chaos, things weren't so simple anymore. Humans could be more dangerous than any animal.
The three men moved through the snow, bundled up in heavy, patched clothing, but the cold breeze still managed to seep through the gaps in their garments, causing them to shiver. Their faces were gaunt from fatigue and a lack of sufficient food. Their bodies, though alert and on guard, showed signs of exhaustion. One of them, the one walking on the right, grumbled as he adjusted his rifle on his shoulder.
"Do we really have to go out in this damn weather?" he muttered, shaking the snow from his boots. His expression reflected fatigue and frustration. The icy wind crept into his scarf, and his breath formed clouds of vapor in front of his face.
The man in the center, stockier and with a severe look, shot him a glare before responding. Complaints like this weren't new, but they irritated him more and more each time.
"Shut up, Markus," the other man, walking on his left, interrupted, tapping his gun lightly as if it could stop it from creaking. He wore a worn-out cap that seemed to have seen better days. "Don't forget the noise we heard earlier. Something's going on, and the boss wants to know what the hell it is. Would you rather be back at base when they come back with bad news? You know how he gets when we don't give him answers."
Markus frowned but said nothing more. Instead, he kicked a chunk of ice, sending it rolling downhill. The cold was unbearable, but he knew it wasn't worth pissing off the boss.
"That noise reminded me of construction work," the man on the left suddenly commented, letting out a rough, raspy laugh. "Who would be building anything in this damn weather? It's absurd."
Markus chuckled, despite the cold freezing his face.
"Yeah, I'm sure someone's building a mall in the middle of this white hell," he added sarcastically.
But before the conversation could continue, the man in the center stopped dead in his tracks and raised his hand, signaling for silence. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings. He was the most experienced of the group, and he knew they couldn't afford distractions.
"Enough joking around, idiots," he hissed quietly. "We're at war, or what? If the other two factions find us, they'll kill us. And if we're lucky, they'll kill us quickly. Otherwise, we could end up tortured or, worse, used for entertainment by those bastards. Stay focused; we just need to figure out what's going on and get back to base."
The other two men immediately fell silent. They knew the leader was right. The situation in the city was volatile. Factional clashes over control of scarce resources were constant. No one was safe, not even in the shelters.
As they proceeded more cautiously, a peculiar sound interrupted the heavy silence of the snow. It was a metallic noise, distorted, as if coming from an old machine. The three men froze again, tense and alert, scanning the area with their eyes.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed through the air.
"Hello!" the voice said, with a completely neutral tone.
The three men looked at each other, clearly confused.
"What the hell...?" Markus whispered, a mixture of surprise and fear in his voice. "Is... is that a monster? Imitating a human voice?"
The leader shot him a severe glare once again.
"Shut up, idiot," he muttered, raising his rifle and aiming it toward where he thought the voice was coming from. "Who's there? Who's talking?"
The mechanical voice spoke again, clearer this time.
"Up here."
The men looked up, their eyes scanning the surroundings until they saw it. A drone hovered a few meters above them, its rotors spinning softly while emitting a faint hum in the cold air. The three men froze for a moment, shocked by what they were seeing.
"What the hell...?" one of them exclaimed, clearly confused.
The drone, equipped with a small camera, tilted slightly in the air, focusing on them. Before the men could react, the drone's voice echoed again, this time more formally.
"Identify yourselves," said Alex's voice through the drone, though slightly distorted. "What are you doing here?"
The men glanced at each other, confused and nervous. They weren't used to encountering functional technology in the middle of the city. For them, everything had collapsed long ago, and running into a reconnaissance drone was completely unexpected.
The leader gritted his teeth and raised his weapon, pointing it at the drone.
"What faction do you belong to?" he asked in a threatening voice. "Identify yourself first!"
"We're not here to fight," Alex's voice responded from the drone. "We just want information. What's happening in this city?"
"That's none of your damn business," Markus snapped, stepping forward, his face tense and defiant. "Who the hell are you to ask us anything?"
The man in the center lowered his weapon slightly, but his expression showed no hint of trust. They had no intention of being friendly, but the presence of the drone clearly put them at a disadvantage.
"I said, identify yourselves," Alex's voice repeated, staying calm.
The group's leader scoffed disdainfully, keeping his eyes on the drone. "We don't have to tell you anything. If you belong to a faction, say it now, or we'll blow that flying scrap out of the sky."
The tension in the air grew with each passing second. Alex, watching the situation unfold through the drone's cameras, tried to defuse things.
"I'm not part of any faction," he replied. "I'm just here to collect resources. I have no intention of interfering with whatever you're doing."
The man who had spoken first let out a bitter laugh. Clearly, he didn't believe in anyone's good intentions.
"Collect resources?" he repeated sarcastically. "Sure, like we're supposed to believe you're just strolling around the city with your damn drone. You're probably here to loot whatever you find. Well, tough luck, pal, because this city already has an owner."
Alex remained silent, watching through the drone's eyes as the men grew more tense. He knew the situation could spiral out of control at any moment if he didn't keep calm.
"I'm not looking for trouble," he insisted. "If you let me continue with my work, I won't bother you."
But the men didn't seem interested in the offer. They were too used to violence and distrust to consider any sort of truce. The leader stepped forward, his rifle still aimed at the drone.
"The only thing we'll let you do is get out of here," he spat. "This city isn't a place for tourists."
The man in the center didn't hesitate for a second. He raised his rifle and fired directly at the drone hovering in front of them. The bullet whistled through the air with deadly precision, but the drone reacted swiftly, dodging the projectile at the last second. The other two men, seeing that their leader had initiated the attack, also opened fire, but none of their shots hit. The drone zigzagged agilely between the bullets, and after a few moments, it disappeared between the buildings, leaving only a faint hum in its wake.
"Damn it!" one of the men shouted, reloading his weapon, clearly frustrated by the drone's unexpected agility. "How the hell did we miss every shot?"
"That doesn't matter now," the leader snapped, gritting his teeth in anger. "We have to keep moving. The boss is going to cut our throats if we return without answers!"
The other men nodded, though with clear traces of doubt on their faces. They knew things weren't going well, but in this hostile world, turning back wasn't an option.
"Let's go," the leader ordered, adjusting his coat and quickly glancing around. "We can't stay here. Keep moving, but be careful."
The men exchanged tense looks but obeyed without question. With weapons raised, they began advancing again, this time with heightened alertness, expecting any kind of surprise in the silent and desolate surroundings.
They had barely taken a few steps when the drone's voice echoed from somewhere above them once more.
"I advise you not to proceed," the voice said, firmer now, with a clear warning. "I've already told you what I'm doing. Please leave. I don't want any trouble."
The man in the center, clearly irritated, looked up, searching for the source of the voice. A hint of arrogance and disdain crossed his face as he smiled maliciously.
"So, you're the one making all that noise, huh?" he said, almost mockingly. "Fine. Then stop whatever you're doing and surrender. If you don't want trouble, make it easy for us. And as for whatever you have there... it's all ours."
His companions chuckled under their breath, sharing in their leader's arrogance. But from the drone, there was no immediate response.
Alex, watching everything unfold from the other side, felt his frustration growing inside him. He couldn't understand why these men wouldn't listen to reason. He took a deep breath and turned to Ariel.
"What's wrong with that guy?" he muttered, clearly annoyed. "Is he crazy or what? Doesn't he realize the situation?"
Ariel responded in his usual neutral tone, processing the information quickly.
"It seems the individual is under a high level of stress. Physical signs show insomnia and extreme fatigue, likely affecting his judgment. He may not be thinking clearly."
Alex sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to find a solution. He knew that confrontation wasn't the best option.
"What do you think we should do, Ariel?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"The most logical option would be to neutralize them," Ariel replied without hesitation. "The situation has the potential to turn violent."
Alex was silent for a moment, thinking. He knew Ariel was right, but he didn't want to resort to violence if he could avoid it.
"What if we try to capture them?" he finally asked. "I don't want to kill them if we can avoid it. Maybe we can interrogate them and get some information."
Ariel calculated the odds for a few seconds.
"It's risky, but it's a viable option. However, you'll need to act quickly and precisely. If we don't do it right, they may attempt to fight back."
Alex nodded, knowing it was a dangerous gamble, but the only one he was willing to take at the moment.
"Let's try it," he said, making a firm decision. "Better to capture them than face them outright."
Back at the scene with the three men, they continued advancing, though more cautiously. However, their confidence quickly vanished when the drone's voice echoed again, this time with a more severe tone.
"Negotiations are over," Alex's voice said from the drone. "Drop your weapons and raise your hands."
The men looked at each other, confused and angry at the same time. But before they could say anything, they saw five more drones appear from various angles. Unlike the first one, these drones were clearly armed. Beneath each one hung a small rifle, aimed directly at them.
One of the drones fired at the ground, a few meters in front of their feet, as a warning. The crack of the shot echoed through the cold air.
"Drop your weapons!" the voice repeated. "This is your last warning."
The three men froze, clearly shocked by the turn of events. The leader, who had maintained a defiant attitude until now, clenched his fists in frustration. He knew they were at a disadvantage, but he wasn't eager to surrender easily.
"What do we do?" one of the men whispered, nervous.
The leader growled, furious about the situation, but finally nodded with resignation.
"Fine," he said, slowly raising his hands. "Alright, we'll do it."
With a gesture, he indicated to his companions to throw their weapons to the ground. Reluctantly, the men obeyed, tossing their rifles into the snow.
"Hands up!" the drone ordered, as another warning shot buzzed close to their heads.
The three men raised their hands, surrendering to the superior force now surrounding them.
"What now?" Markus murmured, glancing sideways at his leader.
The man in the center, with clenched teeth, didn't respond. He could only wait for whatever came next.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone