The cacophony was what registered first, dragging Ethan Miller from a restless sleep. Not the usual suburban symphony of distant lawnmowers or barking dogs, but a discordant orchestra of screams, shattering glass, and a strange, guttural chorus of moans that seemed to vibrate through the very walls of his house. It was too persistent, too widespread to be a simple accident or a localized crime.
He threw off his covers, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach. Outside his bedroom window, the picture of idyllic neighborhood life was grotesquely inverted. People were running, some falling, pursued by stumbling figures – figures that moved with an unnatural, jerky gait, their forms silhouetted against the flickering orange glow of a fire down the street.
"What in God's name is happening?" Ethan breathed, his mind struggling to process the surreal horror unfolding below.
It was then, as a wave of dizziness washed over him, that a new, utterly alien sensation bloomed in his consciousness. Crisp, translucent panels of light, like something ripped from a high-tech video game interface, materialized in his field of vision.
[SYSTEM ONLINE // CALIBRATING... // WELCOME, HOST ETHAN MILLER.]
[WORLD STATUS: CATASTROPHIC BIOHAZARD EVENT DETECTED. CIVILIZATION INTEGRITY: CRITICAL FAILURE.]
[PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE.]
Ethan stumbled back, clutching his head. "Whoa, what is this? Am I dreaming? Hallucinating?"
[NEGATIVE. REALITY INTEGRITY CONFIRMED. YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE ACTIVATION OF THE SUPREME SURVIVAL SYSTEM.]
[BASIC HOST BIOMETRICS ESTABLISHED. CURRENT STATUS: HEALTHY (ADRENALINE SPIKE DETECTED).]
Before he could question the "System" further, a loud crash from downstairs punctuated the external chaos. Heavy, shuffling footsteps followed, accompanied by that same chilling moaning he'd heard from the street.
[IMMINENT THREAT DETECTED! ENTITY CLASSIFICATION: WALKER (CLASS I - COMMON INFECTED). QUANTITY: 1 (ENTERING STRUCTURE).]
[RECOMMENDATION: ARM YOURSELF. NEAREST POTENTIAL WEAPON: BASEBALL BAT (WOOD, BEDROOM CLOSET). EFFECTIVENESS: LOW-MODERATE. AIM FOR THE HEAD TO ENSURE COMPLETE NEUTRALIZATION.]
The sheer absurdity of it – a voice in his head, visual overlays, tactical advice – was momentarily overshadowed by the very real threat now inside his house. There was no time to doubt. Driven by a primal surge of adrenaline and the System's eerily precise guidance, Ethan lunged for his closet, yanking out the old wooden baseball bat he hadn't touched in years. It felt flimsy in his trembling hands.
The shuffling grew louder, coming up the stairs.
The bedroom door, flimsy pressboard, shuddered under a heavy impact. Then another. Splintered wood flew inwards as the lock gave way. A figure filled the doorway – or what was left of one. It was Mr. Henderson from across the street, or rather, a grotesque parody of him. His eyes were milky and vacant, skin a ghastly gray, and a horrifying snarl peeled back his lips from bloodied teeth. He took a lurching step forward.
Ethan's breath hitched. The System's calm remained a stark contrast to his own terror.
[TARGET ACQUIRED. OPTIMAL STRIKE ZONE HIGHLIGHTED. EXERT MAXIMUM FORCE.]
A faint red targeting reticle appeared over the Walker's head in Ethan's vision. He didn't think; he reacted. With a yell born of fear and desperation, he swung the bat with all his might. The wood connected with the side of the Walker's skull with a sickening thud.
The creature staggered, a dark gash appearing where the bat struck, but it didn't fall. It merely turned its horrifying gaze towards him, another guttural moan escaping its throat.
[HIT CONFIRMED. PARTIAL DAMAGE TO CRANIUM. TARGET STILL MOBILE. STRIKE AGAIN. MAINTAIN FOCUS.]
[HOST STAMINA: 90/100]
Panic threatened to overwhelm him, but the System's unwavering instructions were an anchor. Ethan sidestepped a clumsy grab, the stench of decay washing over him, and swung again, putting his whole body into it. This time, there was a distinct, wet crunch. The Walker's head deformed unnaturally, and it dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, finally still.
Ethan stood panting, the bat hanging loosely in his grip, his body shaking. The silence in the room was profound, save for his own ragged breathing and the continued chaos outside.
[WALKER NEUTRALIZED. EXPERIENCE POINTS (EXP) GAINED: +10.]
[SKILL UNLOCKED: BASIC MELEE COMBAT (LEVEL 1) – SLIGHT INCREASE TO MELEE ATTACK POWER AND EFFICIENCY.]
[INITIAL MISSION: SURVIVE IMMEDIATE THREAT – COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: STARTER SURVIVAL PACK (AWAITING HOST DEPLOYMENT).]
"Starter… Survival Pack?" Ethan mumbled, staring at the notifications. "Deploy."
With a soft chime, a small, rugged-looking backpack materialized on his bed with a faint shimmer of light, along with a sheathed hunting knife and a heavy-duty flashlight.
[STARTER SURVIVAL PACK CONTENTS: SMALL BACKPACK (BASIC), HUNTING KNIFE (STEEL, GOOD QUALITY), LED FLASHLIGHT (DURABLE), PURIFIED WATER (2 BOTTLES), HIGH-ENERGY RATIONS (3 BARS), BASIC FIRST-AID KIT.]
[SYSTEM ADVISORY: CURRENT LOCATION COMPROMISED. MULTIPLE WALKERS DETECTED IN VICINITY. EVACUATION RECOMMENDED.]
[OBJECTIVE UPDATED: SECURE ESSENTIALS. FIND TEMPORARY SHELTER. AVOID UNNECESSARY CONTACT.]
He cautiously approached the window again. The situation hadn't improved. If anything, more of those… Walkers… were now visible, drawn by the sounds of struggle. His house was no longer safe. The entire neighborhood was a death trap.
The System pinged again.
[LOCAL NEWS BROADCAST FRAGMENTS INTERCEPTED (PRE-COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT): REPORTS INDICATE RAPID GLOBAL SPREAD OF UNKNOWN PATHOGEN. VICTIMS EXHIBIT EXTREME AGGRESSION. REANIMATION OF THE DECEASED CONFIRMED. OFFICIALS RECOMMEND HEADING TO DESIGNATED EVACUATION CENTERS. ATLANTA CDC MENTIONED AS POTENTIAL COORDINATION HUB, THOUGH INFORMATION IS UNVERIFIED AND LIKELY OUTDATED.]
Atlanta. The name lodged in his mind. A massive city, but potentially a place with answers, or at least more organized resistance. It was a distant, almost mythical goal, but it was something.
First, however, he had to get out of here alive. He slung the new backpack over his shoulder, the knife now strapped to his belt. The bat felt a little more reassuring in his hand now, bolstered by the System's confirmation of his nascent skill.
Ethan took one last look around his room, a place that held so many memories of a life that now felt like it belonged to someone else, a lifetime ago. With a deep breath, he turned towards the door, the grim sounds of the apocalypse beckoning. His journey into this dead world was just beginning.