Chapter 7 - Touchdown

Once the three noises had concluded Emilee's mind went blank, and panic surged through her veins. If Fredricka or rather Elena, wanted to escape, she was welcome too. Emilee frantically dashed outside leaving the others behind. An unusual darkness enveloped the surroundings, and as Emilee gazed upwards, the reason for the shadowy shroud became apparent. A colossal unidentified object hurtled towards the earth, blocking out the sun. Its landing position looked to be just up the road,as Emilee surveyed the area, it looked to cast a shadow of almost six city blocks. The object's descending tip resembled a massive spike, sharp and fine at its end with a slowly increasing diameter. As it touched down, the earth shook, but its momentum ensured that it pierced deeper and deeper into the ground. Gradually, the spike transformed into a broader structure, halting its descent once it firmly anchored itself to the ground. Silence ensued after the unsettling event.

Emilee ventured onto the road, her eyes fixated on the enigmatic object. Its inverted pyramid-like shape was slightly rounded, but due to its colossal size and Emilee's proximity to the landing zone, it was difficult to fully grasp its form. The object looked to be made of a dull beige metal, which was finely patterned in a very distinct and deliberate swirl. A few moments later Elena and Trevor joined her in the middle of the road. As the trio stood there, their eyes transfixed on the object, a door the size of a drawbridge began to open at the base of the object. Beyond the door lay a darkness that was almost blacker than black. Suddenly from the silence, a cacophony of roars shattered the stillness. An assortment of menacing creatures poured forth from the opening, some rushing toward a group of onlookers who had gathered nearby. Chaos ensued as the creatures savagely attacked the unsuspecting crowd. Blood curdling screams filled the air as the people stood no chance against the horde.

"Back inside. Now!" exclaimed Elena, her voice betraying a hint of panic, leading the way back to the warehouse.

Emilee, fearing the gruesome fate that awaited her in the clutches of those creatures, followed Elena's lead without hesitation, with Trevor trailing closely behind. Once inside, Trevor swiftly locked the door from within.

"That's the apocalypse. Not how I expected it to happen, but an apocalypse nonetheless," sighed Trevor, seeming somewhat calm.

It certainly seems so," Elena replied, her demeanour calm as she searched the warehouse for a weapon.

Emilee, on the other hand, succumbed to panic, as she sat on the floor, holding her knees. Were these events somehow linked to the first and second evolution? What were those deafening ominous noises? And most importantly, what were those abominable creatures? Did this chaos unfold worldwide? Countless questions swirled in Emilee's mind.

Elena procured a long metal pole and tapped it against the ground, producing a resonant ping that reverberated through the air. She slung it over her shoulder, a wry smile playing upon her lips.

"Well, I have places to be, and I won't let an apocalypse stand in the way of my payday," Elena declared confidently.

"You're leaving?" Trevor questioned, disbelief lacing his words.

"Do you have any food or water on you?" Elena retorted.

"No, but..." Trevor's response trailed off.

"Then what choice do we have?" Elena's words left Trevor with no argument. Resigned, he rose to his feet and commenced his search for a weapon.

"Fine, wait for me," he muttered under his breath.

Emilee, still engulfed in panic, hesitated. She didn't want to face this nightmare alone, but venturing outside held its own terrors. Once Trevor found a weapon, both he and Elena approached the door, their gaze fixed upon her. Elena shrugged nonchalantly, while Trevor's expression betrayed a glimmer of sympathy.

"Come on, you're better off with us," Trevor urged, his voice laced with compassion.

Emilee couldn't find her voice, questioning her own choices. She was usually adept at handling pressure, but the childhood nightmares of monstrous creatures had always petrified her. Trevor approached her as Elena quietly opened the door to survey the outside. She stuck her head out the door and looked around. Like a flash, Elena jerked her head back inside, attempting to close and lock the door, but it was too late. A two legged creature, reminiscent of a scaled-down velociraptor, lunged at the door, squeezing through the gap, wrenching it open once again. With a slide along the floor, it narrowly missed Trevor, ending up directly in front of Emilee. Was this the end? Was she about to meet her demise?

~~~~

Trev's gaze lingered on the open door, revealing a daunting sight—a horde of creatures similar to the one that had just infiltrated were heading straight for the door. With a quick and nimble reaction, Elena managed to slam the door shut just in time, causing the creatures to crash into the door, creating large dents in its metal structure. The creature that stood in front of the inspector, boasted disproportionately short arms and an absurdly large carnivorous mouth. Trev dubbed it a 'Mini-Raptor' in his head. Assuming it was hostile, Trev did not wait for an invitation. He swung his weapon of choice, a heavy metal chain, around and down onto the creature, hitting it squarely on the back. The creature cried out, diverting its attention from the inspector to him.

Realising the impracticality of his chosen weapon against such an agile adversary, Trev pulled the chain back and defended himself just in time. The creature, though smaller and presumably lighter than him, swiftly lunged forward, jaws wide open. Trev blocked the attack with the chain, managing to lodge it between its jaws, with its front teeth only hairs away from his face. Suddenly, Elena intervened, striking the creature's side with an incredible force. The creature flew sideways, biting down on the chain. Trev's chain was stuck in its mouth, but this was not a negative. Seizing the opportunity, Trev repositioned himself behind the creature, putting his legs on each side of it and sitting down slightly, pulling on the chain like the reins of a horse. He had it trapped.

Without prompt or hesitation, Elena swiftly delivered a crushing blow to the creature's skull with her pole, instantly ending its life. The violent impact reverberated through her body, causing her body to tremble, especially her breasts. As the life drained from the creature, it disintegrated into a pile of ash upon the floor.

"Guess we are safer here then," Elena said breathlessly, her voice tinged with a hint of relief.

"Seems so," replied Trev, his hands resting on his knees as he caught his breath.

Trev looked up at Elena and noticed something interesting. She had gained experience from killing the creature. He looked up at his own Experience, and it was the same, about a quarter of a level. Could it be that some alien race had transformed Earth into an elaborate game? If that were the case, then the ashen remains of the creature might hold some sort of loot. As he kicked at the pile of ash, Trev drew curious glances from Elena. Much to his astonishment, his intuition proved correct. Within the remnants lay what appeared to be a form of currency: several copper coins and three shimmering blue crystals.

"It's a game," Elena remarked, her voice laced with a mix of astonishment and uncertainty.

"Yep. it seems we have just entered a real life MMO," affirmed Trev confidently. "This ought to be a ride."

The prospect of his newfound reality both intrigued and daunted Trev. Little did he know that he was now a player in a game beyond his wildest imagination.