Survival in infinity

Chapter 12: The New Nightmare

The world flickered before dissolving into darkness. For a moment, Jack floated in that familiar limbo, a state between wakefulness and dream. He knew where they were, even before his eyes adjusted to the dim light.

The metallic hum, the sterile scent, the cold steel underfoot—it was unmistakable. This was the Alien scenario.

Jack's eyes swept the room. Fifteen people sprawled unconscious across the floor. He recognized some of them right away. His heart raced—not from fear, but excitement. He thought here comes that 220 IQ man.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Jie murmuring to Zheng, their expressions serious. Zheng stood tall, scanning the group, his gaze calculating. Jack knew that look. Zheng was taking in the situation just as fast as he was.

"This is bad," Jie muttered to Zheng, his voice just loud enough for Jack to catch. "Fifteen people… God must have changed the difficulty."

Zheng looked at him confused. "I've never encountered this situation before. I heard from the veterans that God can change the plot and difficulty of a movie. This happens randomly and usually ends with the party getting wiped. Of course you also get a generous amount of rewards for finishing it. Look at your watch."

Jack and Zheng and Len looked at their watches. It showed different data than during Resident Evil. There was no countdown. The only line it had was: 'Kill Aliens, every member is awarded 1000 points and a rank D reward.'

Jie took out a cigarette. "Any of you still remember the plot?"

Zheng shook his head. "This movie is too old, even though it's a classic and I had seen it before. I forgot all the details already."

Lan laughed. "You guys are unprofessional. Since our lives are on the line, then you should review even the oldest horror movies. Especially if this dimension existed since the ancient times. I even looked through some horror stories. The plot of Alien..."

"Alien happened sometime in the future. Human technology was advanced enough to support planetary travel. They created colonies in a few galaxies, but unfortunately humanity never found any extraterrestrial life until the start of Alien."

A voice interrupted Lan. A young man stood up from the ground. He had a common face and wore glasses, but his eyes looked unusually calm. He gave off a sense of wisdom.

Zheng was the first to react. "Zheng Zha, welcome." He held out his hand.

The man hesitated then shook his hand. "Chu Xuan. If you don't mind, can you tell me what is this place?"

Jack's pulse quickened. He stepped forward, not bothering to hide his presence. "It's Alien," he said flatly, his voice cutting through the tension. "We're in the movie."

Zheng glanced at him, giving a short nod. There was an unspoken understanding between them. Jack had proven himself in previous scenarios, earning Zheng's respect. Co-captain or not, Jack was as much in control here as Zheng was.

Jack turned to face the others, most of whom were still groggy. His eyes flicked over the key figures. Chu Xuan, the quiet strategist, was already awake, his eyes sharp behind his glasses. Kampa, the Russian mercenary, was stirring, and Zero, the silent sniper, was sitting up, his expression unreadable.

But it was the newbies who concerned Jack the most. Wide-eyed, confused, and clearly unprepared for what was coming.

Jack straightened, his voice steady and commanding. "Listen up, everyone. This isn't a dream. We're in the world of Alien, the 1979 horror movie. Acid-blooded monsters are about to hunt us down, and if you don't believe me, you will soon."

One of the newbies, a young guy with a piercing and dyed hair, stood up shakily. His face was pale with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? How did we even get here? I was playing video games in my room."

Another newbie, a middle-aged man in a business suit, chimed in, his voice trembling. "This is impossible! I was in my office just moments ago... how are we suddenly here?"

The confusion spread quickly through the group. Some of them looked around, others began panicking, muttering in disbelief. The atmosphere grew tense, like the room itself was closing in.

Jack took a step forward, his expression calm but stern. "You're all here because you clicked 'yes' when you were asked a question. Do you remember it? The question was, 'Do you want to know the real meaning of life?'"

The room went silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Some of the newbies blinked, their eyes wide with realization. Others looked skeptical.

The pierced guy narrowed his eyes at Jack. "I don't remember any of that."

Jack's gaze didn't waver. "Think back. It was on your phone, computer—whatever device you were using at the time. You saw the message and you clicked 'yes.' That's why you're here."

He gave them a moment to let it sink in. The reactions varied—some still looked confused, others angry, but Jack could see the truth dawning on a few of them. The reality of their situation was starting to set in.

Zheng, standing beside Jack, remained silent, letting him handle the explanation.

One of the older men spoke up, his voice shaky but curious. "But… why? Why did that question bring us here?"

Jack nodded, anticipating the question. "You wanted to know the answer, right? You'll get it. In this world, you're going to face horrors that will challenge everything you know. But you'll also discover the truth—about life, about reality. This isn't a game. It's survival, and the only way forward is to fight."

He let the silence stretch, watching as each of the newbies processed the gravity of what he'd said. Then, he spoke again, his voice softer but more intense. "Think in your head. You're all going to get the answer—you just need to survive long enough to find it."

A flicker of something crossed their faces—fear, maybe hope, but also a small spark of understanding.

Just then, a soft ding echoed in Jack's mind, and he felt a strange warmth pass through him. His watch vibrated softly, and he glanced down at the screen. A line of text appeared: "100 points awarded for explaining the situation to the newbies."

Jack allowed himself a small smile. He'd gotten through to them.

But the moment didn't last long. The pierced teen—still pale and defiant—stepped forward again. "So what? We just play along with whatever crap you're spewing and hope we don't die? I didn't ask for this."

Jack met his gaze evenly. "None of us did. But you're here now, and that means you have two choices. Fight and survive—or don't, and you die. It's that simple."

He glanced at Zheng, who gave him a small nod of approval. Jack's heart raced with adrenaline, but his voice remained steady. "Follow the rules, work together, and we win. Break away or waste time arguing, and you're the first to fall."

Zheng stepped forward, reclaiming control. "Jack's right. We don't have time for bickering. The more time we waste, the closer we get to death. God's increased the difficulty this time. We stick together, follow orders, and we might make it out."

The tension in the room was palpable, but Jack could feel the shift. The newbies were still scared, but they were starting to understand. The seriousness of the situation was hitting them, and that was exactly what Jack needed.

Chu Xuan, who had been watching quietly, finally stepped forward. "Alien is a simple enough plot," he began, his tone clinical. "The crew of a commercial spacecraft lands on a remote planet after intercepting a distress signal. What they don't realize is that the signal is a warning. They bring something back on board—something deadly."

Jack crossed his arms, letting Chu Xuan continue. He respected the man's cold intellect. Chu was someone who would be crucial in strategizing their way out of this.

"They discover eggs in an ancient alien ruin," Chu Xuan continued, pushing up his glasses. "One of the crew members gets attacked by a facehugger—a parasitic organism that implants a larva into the host's body. The larva grows inside the host and eventually bursts out, becoming a full-grown Alien. By then, it's nearly indestructible."

The room fell silent again, the fear creeping back into the faces of the newbies. Jack could almost see their minds racing, trying to process the sheer terror of what they were about to face.

Before anyone could speak, the pierced teen stood up again, clearly defiant. "What is this, some kind of joke? You expect us to believe we're in a movie?"

Without hesitation, Jie stepped forward, his Desert Eagle already in hand. The shot rang out, and the teen's arm exploded in a spray of blood. He crumpled to the floor, screaming in pain.

Screams erupted from the others, but Jack didn't flinch. This was necessary. They needed to understand that this was life or death.

Jie holstered his gun, his voice calm and cold. "Anyone else want to question what's real?"

The room went dead silent. The tension was thick, but Jack felt the group finally falling in line.

Jack stepped forward, his voice commanding. "Now you understand. This isn't a game. We follow the rules, or we die. Zheng is the captain, I'm his second in command. We work together, and we survive. That's the only way out of here."

He glanced at Zheng, who nodded in agreement, his gaze hardening. Jack knew they'd need every ounce of teamwork to survive this. The scenario had been altered, and the odds were stacked against them. But for now, they had the group's attention. And that was enough.

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