Taskforce Spongbob

Hive Mind

“The situation appears to be more serious than I initially believed. Just imagine if a single worm infiltrated the other zones; that one worm could potentially  turn the whole zone upside down.” Hai remarked with a serious expression, envisioning the chaos the worm could unleash in the zones.

“But there must be someone responsible for this, right? I mean, the worm couldn’t have just materialized out of thin air; it must have been genetically engineered,” Yoshi remarked, deep in thought.

“Yeah, you’re right. That means there’s someone behind the scenes controlling everything from a comfortable position. He must be the same person who erased the footage,” Henry said, slowly piecing together the puzzle.

“Do you believe it’s feasible for the creator of the hive mind to exert control over the entire zombie population?” Micheal suddenly posed a question that caused everyone to pause and reflect; was it truly possible for such an event to occur? If it were, the consequences would be catastrophic.

“It is very likely, and I am quite certain that this is precisely what the individual orchestrating everything aims to achieve.” Yoshi gazed at the zombie, his head tilted slightly as he appeared to analyze some aspect of the creature.

“It has no heartbeat at all; that’s why it doesn’t show up on the map,” Yoshi remarked after examining the zombie for a while.

“So at night when they hibernate, their heart stops beating. That’s why we didn’t spot any of them the night we arrived,” Racheal said thoughtfully.

“What occurs if we engage them in this condition?” Hai inquired with curiosity, directing the question toward Yoshi, who hesitated upon hearing it. After a moment of contemplation, he shrugged and took a step back.

“I guess we’re about to find out,” Yoshi replied, aiming the gun at the zombie’s neck. He wrapped his hands around the trigger and was about to pull it when a hand grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

“Wait, look closely,” Michael said, halting him as he pointed his finger at the body of the zombie.

“What should I be looking for?” Yoshi inquired, clearly perplexed.

"Study the zombie's skin closely; can't you see the light?” Micheal replied, gesturing closely at the zombie's skin, prompting the others to focus and attempt to discern what he was discussing.

“I can see it, that purplish light on its skin.” Yoshi’s eyes brightened as he spotted the faint light on the surface of the zombie’s skin. The light was so subtle that it would go unnoticed by anyone who didn’t pay close attention. Yoshi turned to Micheal, shock evident in his expression; he couldn’t comprehend how Micheal had been able to see it when he hadn’t, despite having scanned the entire body of the zombie without noticing anything unusual.

‘Hmm’ Yoshi’s thoughts swirled in his mind as he observed Michael, whose gaze remained fixed on the zombie, lost in his own contemplation.

“I see it as well, but what could that light be?” Hai approached, reaching out to touch it, but Micheal held him back, frowning as he turned to face him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We are facing a creature with high intellect; there is no way it would leave itself vulnerable at this time. It must have a self-defense mechanism to protect itself in this state,” Micheal explained. His words were entirely accurate, and the others instantly grasped the situation.

“However, we cannot simply leave it as it is?” Bai frowned as he turned to the zombie, reluctant to abandon the creature that appeared so vulnerable in that moment.

“I never said we should leave it; I only mentioned that it has a self-defense mechanism,” Michael smiled and said to Bai.

“What do you intend to do?” Yoshi inquired with interest, sensing from Micheal’s words that he had a strategy in mind.

“Nothing, we do nothing for now. Since we know we won’t have any problems, I believe we should move at night and stay put by day. This should enable us to cover more distance while minimizing any damage,” Michael replied, eliciting a chuckle from Hai.

“You’re kidding, right?” Hai grinned, looking at Michael to gauge whether he was joking.

“Are you really serious at this moment? We have just four days left, and we haven't even covered half the distance, yet you expect us to travel only at night." Bai responded sharply upon realizing that Micheal was serious, turning to his brother in astonishment.

“Have you all still not understood how dangerous the situation is? We have no idea how powerful the Motherworm is. Moving at night ensures that our movements won’t be observed, giving us an advantage against whatever we’re facing.” Micheal attempted to convey his perspective, yet the others were not prepared to hear him out.

“I’m not going to be blown to bits here together with you, so if you want to stay put, you can do that. But if you think I’m going to sacrifice my life for a dying cause, think again, Captain,” Hai replied, ensuring that he infused as much sarcasm as possible into the word ‘Captain.’

“Listen carefully, you need to watch your words. We’re here on a mission, and I suggest you stick to your assigned tasks. I would never jeopardize my teammates' safety, so think twice before you speak next time, or you’ll face serious consequences.” Micheal, infuriated by Hai’s words that appeared to hit him deeply, forcefully pushed Hai against the wall, gripping his shoulders as he spoke directly into his face.

“Oh, I apologize, 'Captain'. Did I touch a sensitive spot? Please forgive me if I did.” Hai responded with sarcasm, prompting Micheal to raise his hand as if to throw a punch, but Yoshi swiftly intervened to restrain him.

“Micheal, it’s happening again; you must find a way to calm down.” Yoshi spoke to calm Micheal’s heart, which was ablaze. He did this after noticing the lightning that gently sparkled in Micheal’s hair; this was the second occurrence of such a phenomenon.

“Hmm, you’re not worth it.” Micheal glared at Hai before bringing his hand down, the lightning in his hair fading as he pushed Hai to the side, causing something to tumble out of Hai’s pocket and fall to the ground.

“What is this? A ring?" Yoshi remarked as he picked up the ring from the ground.

“Huh, I never knew you were married,” Bai remarked, a frown crossing his face as he regarded his brother with suspicion.

“It’s not an engagement ring; I found it on the first floor of the Control Tower,” Hai replied with a shrug, having even forgotten about the ring's existence.

“And you haven't said anything until now,” Henry remarked, casting a glance at Hai, who merely shrugged in response.

“Tsk, unbelievable,” Michael remarked with a scowl directed at Hai before exiting the room.

“I’ll go after him. Henry, make sure they don’t do anything stupid,” Yoshi said to Henry, casting a glance toward the brothers before exiting the room.

“Absolutely, you should definitely do that Robocop.” Bai smirked, hurling the words at Yoshi, who dismissed them and walked away.

“What if we consider…” Hai exchanged a smile with his brother, who returned the gesture as they approached the zombies. However, they were swiftly halted by the imposing presence of Henry, who regarded them with a look that clearly communicated, ‘Try me and get crushed.’

“Perhaps we’ll just hang back here,” The brothers said to one another with a grin after noticing Henry. They then shifted to a corner of the room, stealing glances at Henry, who chuckled while looking at Racheal, who also smiled.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Micheal stood outside the house, gazing at the moon, lost in contemplation. His thoughts swirled chaotically in his mind as he questioned whether he was making the right decision. Just as he was absorbed in his reflections, a voice called out from behind, prompting him to turn and see Yoshi approaching.

“You shouldn’t let them get under your skin like that. They enjoy causing trouble, and seeing your reaction means they’ve accomplished what they wanted,” Yoshi said, walking up to Michael’s side.

“I understand that I just…I simply couldn't stand the thought of endangering my teammates," Michael said, exhaling deeply. "It brings back a flood of memories, and none of them are pleasant."

“I’m certain there’s a story behind that; would you like to share?” Yoshi presented with a cheerful expression.

“I don’t even know, I’m just… confused, and whenever I feel this way, it reminds me of my days in the military, when the apocalypse first struck. Believe it or not, I used to be quite the stubborn lad before all this. Having a dad with that kind of influence in the army was a lot of pressure back then. My dad was already a legend, and the fame that came with it was something I abhorred. I hated that his influence loomed over me so much; everyone expected me to become like him, but all I wanted to do was rap. I loved rapping as a kid. I would sit back and listen to rap all day long while my dad worked, and I was intrigued by folks in the 90s talking about their lives in the hood.” Micheal replied before pausing, sighing, and then continuing.

“I used to love rap so much that I started practicing; I even began a career as a rapper. My dad, of course, wasn’t pleased. He was always going on about how I needed to live up to expectations, especially after my mom died in an accident when I was a kid. It scarred me, and I think it was one of the things that pushed me to rap, seeing how many of the rappers at that time shared similar experiences, living with one parent.” Michael continued, and when he reached the part about his mom, he paused again, closing his eyes. When he opened them, the pain in his eyes was evident.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Yoshi replied, attempting to convey sympathy, yet it was clear he still had much to learn about replicating human emotions.

“It’s alright, I apologize for sharing such a dull and melancholy tale,” Michael said with a smile as he turned to Yoshi.

“Oh no, just let it out, studies show that expressing what makes you sad could actually make you feel better,” Yoshi replied, causing Michael to burst into laughter.

“I already feel better just listening to your words. You remind me of one of my pals; we used to call him The Human Dictionary. He was always giving facts and advice, along with a whole lot of nonsense. He was hilarious and always knew how to make me laugh,” Michael remarked with a grin.

“Where is he at this moment?” Yoshi chuckled before inquiring, but upon witnessing Micheal’s response to the question, he immediately wished he hadn’t asked it.

“Well, he got killed due to a wrong call during a mission. I made that wrong call and got him and five others killed. The ironic part is that I survived while they died,” Michael replied with a somber laugh, turning to Yoshi, who wore a sympathetic expression.

“Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say that it wasn’t my fault, blah blah blah. Don’t bother; I’ve heard that more times than I can count,” Michael said before Yoshi could respond.

“I was going to say that anyone who takes on a mission understands the possibility of losing their lives, so I’m confident they don’t hold you responsible. After all, we’re still here, aren’t we?” Yoshi grinned and remarked to Michael, who laughed at his comment.

“Thanks, Yoshi, I guess all I needed was just someone to talk to,” Michael let out a deep breath and then spoke to Yoshi, who smiled and nodded in response.

“Hello Mike, I wanted to um…” The door swung open as Hai emerged, followed by the others. He approached Michael, speaking with a hint of reluctance in his voice.

“You just what?” Rachael inched closer to Hai, fixing him with a menacing glare.

“I want to express my apologies for provoking you unnecessarily; it will not happen again.” Hai coughed slightly before articulating the words and pausing before adding quietly, “..unless it’s necessary.”

“What was that?” Racheal, who was nearer to him, said while glaring at him.

“Nothing,” Hai replied swiftly, stepping away from her, which prompted everyone to erupt in laughter.

“Hahahaha, it’s alright, Hai. I also want to apologize for my outburst; let’s put all grievances behind us,” Michael chuckled before extending his hands out in a gesture of reconciliation.

“Come on man, real men hug,” Hai said as he embraced Michael instead of opting for a handshake.

“Really? My dogtag, you are indeed a lost hope.” Micheal suddenly sensed a hand stealthily attempting to snatch his dogtag, prompting him to swiftly seize the hand and twist it, causing Hai to squeal in pain before he clutched his wrist.

“What kind of strength is that? How are you so strong? I thought speed was your specialty,” Hai remarked, staring at Michael in astonishment, shocked by the power of Michael’s grip.

“Hey, here’s your ring,” Yoshi said, shaking his head as he tossed the ring he had picked up onto the floor. Hai caught it while still holding onto his wrist.

“Wait, let me take a look at the ring,” Micheal suddenly said to Hai, who tossed it over to him, eager to avoid any further trouble. As Micheal caught the ring, he stared at it for a while, and a look of shock crossed his face.

“Wait, could you remind me where you mentioned you obtained this?” Micheal abruptly posed a serious question to Hai.

“I told you already; the first floor of the control room, it was simply lying on the ground when I came across it,” Hai responded, puzzled by Michael’s concern.

“I’m sure about this; I’ve seen this ring before,” Michael said, his expression reflecting the moment of recognition, as if he had stumbled upon a long-lost treasure from the past.