Survival in infinity

Chapter 14: The First Encounter

The group moved silently through the dim corridors of the spaceship, their footsteps muffled against the cold, metallic floor. The faint trail of blood they followed shimmered under the flickering lights. Tension hung thick in the air, and Jack could feel the weight of their fear pressing down on them.

Beside him, Chu Xuan broke the silence. "Zheng," he said, adjusting his glasses, "I've been curious about something. For my understanding, you're only one movie senior, right? So, how did you end up as the group's leader, and why is Jack your vice-captain?"

Zheng glanced back, his face unreadable. "It's true I've only survived one more movie than the rest of you. But in that movie—'Resident Evil'—I completed an extra mission. Because of that, I earned extra points, which made me stronger than anyone else here."

Chu Xuan processed the information quickly. "So, it's the points that make the difference. The more points you earn, the more powerful you become."

"Exactly," Zheng replied. "God's system rewards us based on our survival and achievements in the missions. It's brutal, but it's the only way to stay alive."

Before Chu Xuan could ask another question, he looked around and said, "I'll need a weapon if we're facing an alien soon. I assume the guns aren't just for show."

Jack nodded. "Jack-B, get the weapons."

At his command, Jack's clone, Jack-B, stepped forward from the shadows. Without a word, he reached into his bag and pulled out three Desert Eagles, handing them over along with three magazines for each weapon.

Jack held one of the heavy pistols and handed the others to Chu Xuan, Zero, and Kampa, the Russian mercenary. "After we survived Resident Evil, I made sure we had extra weapons ready in case we needed them."

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow, inspecting the pistol. "How did you manage to make this?"

Jack smiled. "We have an advanced 3D printer model. It can replicate most weapons and equipment as long as we have the blueprints and materials."

Before Chu Xuan could respond, a sharp scream pierced the air, echoing down the long corridor.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Move!" he ordered, leading the group as they sprinted toward the source of the sound.

They rounded a corner, the harsh fluorescent lights flickering overhead. What they saw stopped them in their tracks. Bodies. The lifeless forms of the fleeing newbies lay scattered on the ground, their faces twisted in expressions of terror. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the walls were streaked with crimson.

Len turned away, her hand over her mouth, but managed to hold herself together. The others fared little better, but the group had been hardened by their time in the Resident Evil world. Their nausea was limited, the horror familiar.

"This isn't good," Chu Xuan muttered, his voice low.

Before Jack could respond, Zero, the quiet sniper, suddenly raised his rifle, his voice barely above a whisper. "Something's coming. From behind."

Kampa, the Russian mercenary, hefted his assault rifle. "Prepare yourselves."

They all turned, weapons ready, eyes scanning the darkness behind them. Jack's heart raced as he felt the tension mount. And then, it appeared.

The alien moved faster than any of them had anticipated. Its long, sleek body glistened in the dim light, its armor impenetrable to standard bullets. The creature's eyes—cold, predatory—focused on them, and in that moment, Jack knew they were in for the fight of their lives.

"Now!" Jack shouted, raising his MP5 assault rifle and squeezing the trigger.

The gunfire tore through the silence, the rapid bursts of bullets echoing through the corridor. The others followed suit, their weapons blazing, but the alien's armor held strong. Bullets ricocheted off its body, barely leaving a scratch.

"It's not working!" Len shouted over the deafening noise.

Jack gritted his teeth and quickly switched to his shotgun. The blast echoed as he fired at the alien, the impact staggering it for a moment, but still, it advanced. Beside him, the others were doing the same, alternating between their various weapons, but nothing seemed to penetrate the creature's defenses.

Chu Xuan, however, was calm and collected. His shots with the Desert Eagle were precise, each one hitting the exact same spot on the alien's armor, chipping away at it little by little. "Aim for the weak points!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

"Keep it pinned down!" Jack ordered, his voice strained as he fired another round from his shotgun. With the combined firepower of the group, they finally began to see results. After a tense thirty seconds of non-stop shooting, cracks began to form in the alien's armor.

The creature let out a shriek of rage as it stumbled, weakened but still dangerous. Jack, taking advantage of the moment, fired one last devastating blast from his shotgun. The shot struck the alien's vulnerable spot, and with a final, ear-piercing wail, the creature collapsed to the ground.

They all stood there, panting, as the alien lay motionless before them. But Zero, his eyes still trained on the shadows, wasn't convinced.

"It's not over," he said, his voice cold and steady.

At that moment, another alien came barreling toward them from the rear, moving even faster than the first. The group was caught off guard, and before they could react, it was almost upon them.

"Zheng, move!" Jack shouted, but Zheng was the last in line, and the alien was closing in fast.

Thinking quickly, Jack pulled a grenade from his belt and hurled it at the advancing creature. "Get down!" he yelled.

The grenade detonated with a thunderous explosion, the shockwave reverberating through the narrow corridor. The alien let out a high-pitched screech as the blast hit it, smoke and debris filling the air.

For a moment, the alien stumbled, its advance halted. It staggered on its feet, clearly disoriented but not dead. The explosion had merely bought them time.

"It's still standing!" Len shouted, her voice tight with fear.

Jack's heart pounded in his chest. "Move! Everyone, fall back now!"

Without hesitation, the team bolted, sprinting away from the injured alien. Behind them, the creature let out another enraged scream, regaining its footing. They could hear the sound of its claws scraping against the metal floor as it began to give chase again, but the grenade had done its job—slowing the alien down just enough to let them escape.

Zero glanced over his shoulder, his face grim. "It's not dead. We've only bought ourselves a few seconds."

"We need to find a better defensive position!" Chu Xuan added, his voice steady despite the chaos.

The group raced through the corridors, weaving between steel beams and broken machinery, the sound of the alien's pursuit never far behind them. Jack could feel the adrenaline surging through him, every instinct telling him to keep moving. They weren't safe yet.

As they rounded another corner, Jack's mind raced, searching for a plan. The alien was injured, but still dangerous. They needed to find a way to either kill it or trap it long enough to escape. But as the sound of the creature's approach grew louder, Jack knew they were running out of time.

Zheng, running beside Jack, spoke in a low voice. "We need to split up. Divide its attention."

Jack nodded, understanding the risk but seeing the necessity. "Agreed. You take Len and Kampa. I'll go with Chu Xuan and Zero. We'll try to flank it."

The hunt was on, and their survival hung in the balance.