Taskforce Spongbob

Meeting The First Survivor

“I’m certain 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.

“Are you certain about this?” Yoshi inquired with interest, now focused on the ring.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I remember seeing this ring when everything fell apart; it cost me my friend’s life,” Michael replied, recalling fragments of his memories where he had seen the ring.

“Could you provide any details about the ring?” Bai asked with curiosity, eager to understand the connection they had to the ring.

“I don’t remember much, just a little. I think I found the ring somewhere, and it led to my friend being killed. That’s all I recall; the rest is just a blur of events,” Michael replied, massaging his temples as his mind felt clouded. He realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember any more about that night; it was as if it were locked away or something.

“There goes our only clue. Now we’re back to square one, and we still have two vulnerable zombies inside the house,” Hai said, letting out a sigh of fatigue.

“We’re wasting valuable time. Yoshi, hold onto this for now; perhaps you’ll uncover its mysteries soon. Let’s move quickly so we can cover more distance before daybreak when they awaken.” Michael recognized the urgency and promptly issued instructions to the group, who nodded in agreement as they gathered their gear and prepared to move.

“Oh and Hai, torch the house,” Michael paused and said to Hai, whose expression brightened as he turned to Racheal. She smiled and walked toward the house while the others moved on. Within seconds, the entire house was engulfed in flames, illuminating the street and consuming the motionless zombies beneath it.

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The squad moved through the silent night, weaving their way along the deserted streets lined with lifeless bodies and clustered vehicles. At the front, Micheal led the group, frequently glancing at his watch to ensure they were on the correct path. They had already covered considerable ground since departing their hideout. As they advanced, the still forms of zombies stood frozen in place, and at times, they drew so near that their scent was almost palpable.

After setting fire to the other house along with the zombies inside, the group realized that the zombies were indeed vulnerable in this condition and unable to attack, contrary to Micheal's suggestion. This revelation indicated that the zombies posed no threat in this state. Initially, the group had engaged in eliminating some of the zombies, but upon recognizing that this was a waste of precious time, they chose to halt the killings for the moment and concentrate on their mission.

“The sun is rising; we need to seek shelter.” Henry observed the light emerging in the sky and swiftly alerted the others who had seen the zombie begin to make some slight movements.

“Let’s go to that house over there,” Michael said, spotting a nice building at the side. They quickly rushed toward it, eager to avoid being trapped on a street filled with hundreds of zombies. The spread of the octo-worm was faster than anything they had ever encountered; the rate at which viruses spread couldn’t even be compared to this. Because of this, the number of zombies on each block was significantly large.

The group hurried into the house, splitting into two distinct teams. One team focused on boarding up the house, while the other set out to investigate the zombies and Octo-worms inside, aiming to eliminate them swiftly before they could fully awaken.

“Quick, it’s almost time,” Michael called out to Hai and Henry, who hurriedly boarded up all the exits as the others descended the stairs, giving a thumbs up to indicate that all rooms were clear.

“We're done here as well. Let’s use this opportunity to strategize effectively. We need to approach things with greater caution now that we have a clearer understanding of the situation.” Micheal collapsed onto the couch, reaching into his bag for a bottle of water. He took a sip, wiped his mouth, and let out a sigh; being a leader was undeniably exhausting.

“What are we waiting for? We have the cloaking feature; we can just creep past the zombies. We don’t have time to waste here,” Bai said, taking the initiative this time.

“Alright, everyone, please settle down. It seems we won’t be departing anytime soon,” Yoshi said, gesturing to his map, which now displayed multiple red dots compared to before.

“Wow, that’s an enormous number of zombies,” Racheal exclaimed in disbelief, gazing at the multitude of red dots.

“It appears that the nearer we draw to the source, the greater the concentration of zombies,” Michael remarked, his observation hitting the mark. With each step they took toward the Worm Master, the number of zombies continued to rise.

What was the reason for this?

This occurred because, in some mysterious manner, the Mother Worm was aware of its unwelcome visitors and began to strengthen its defenses. Perhaps it possessed a sufficient level of intelligence to perceive the threat posed by its visitors, or maybe it was under the influence of another entity—who can say for certain?

To ascertain the truth, they needed to approach, yet that very act would present a challenge for them to overcome.

“What do we do now? We can’t just stay here doing nothing,” Hai said, frowning at Michael, who let out a sigh.

“I know, I’m thinking,” Michael replied, contemplating the best approach to the situation.

“Think faster,” Hai said to Michael, who frowned and stood up.

“What? Got something to say? You’re likely going to argue that this isn’t the right moment for a fight,” Hai remarked to Michael as he approached. Hai anticipated that Michael might take action, but instead, Michael walked past him to the center of the room, drew his handgun, and faced the others.

“Can’t you guys hear that?” Micheal asked, squinting his eyes in an effort to focus on something.

“Hear what?” Henry inquired with a furrowed brow, uncertain of what Michael was alluding to.

“Breathing,” Michael replied, swiftly turning to aim at a specific section of the ceiling, where he fired two bullets.

“SCREECH” Two screeches pierced the air as two Octo-worms plummeted from the ceiling, landing on the ground in a lifeless manner.

“How were you able to hear those things breathing?” Hai exclaimed in disbelief, unable to trust what he had just heard.

“I wasn’t referring to them; I was referring to our friend over there,” Michael smiled, shifting the gun to a section of the wall that vibrated slightly before transforming into the shape of a man with his hands raised.

“CLICK CLICKS CLI…” Multiple clicks echoed at once as the other members of the group directed their weapons at the man, who recoiled in response to the overwhelming display of firepower before him.

“Please, don't shoot.” A frantic voice emerged from the man who pleaded, gazing at Michael as if he were a ghost.

'How was he able to hear the man's breathing? What makes him so conscious of his surroundings? Yoshi observed Micheal, who gazed at the man with an air of indifference, his emotions and thoughts expertly hidden. This was a tactic employed in the army to unsettle adversaries during interrogations; the individual needed to suppress all feelings and thoughts, projecting a demeanor that was both cold and detached. Such a facade conveyed a psychological image of strength to opponents.

“We’re going to be asking you some questions, your next set of answers will determine whether we get to put a bullet in you or not, firstly who are you?” Micheal, with the gun still aimed at the man, just as a loud bang echoed from the door, startling the group.

“BANG BANG” The initial bang was succeeded by numerous others that echoed from every corner of the house.

“The zombies must have heard the gunshots and tracked us down to this location.” After checking the windows, Racheal discovered that the house was surrounded by zombies, likely drawn by Micheal’s gunshots.

“I... I’m Tom,” the man replied, his voice trembling with fear.

“Alright Tom, were you living in this Zone?” Micheal inquired calmly, disregarding the noise surrounding him.

“Yes, I’ve lived here for several years. I was also here when everything happened,” Tom replied, sensing the seriousness in Michael’s expression and demeanor.

“Alright, moving on to the next question: are there any other survivors?” Micheal inquired, and as he did, his observant eyes caught the man flinch at the question .

“No,” the man replied.

“It seems like you didn’t hear me the first time, so I will say it again: are there other survivors?” Micheal let out a soft chuckle before drawing the hammer of the gun back, indicating that he would pull the trigger if another incorrect answer was provided.

“Y…yes” The man responded, quaking with fear.

“Well done, moving on to the next question, do you have a hideout in the city?” Micheal responded as the windows shattered under the relentless pounding of the zombies, prompting the others to direct their guns toward the windows and doors.

“No,” the man replied, prompting Micheal to frown before he turned to Yoshi.

“Does he appear to be lying?” Micheal inquired.

“No, he’s telling the truth,” Yoshi replied to Michael, prompting him to turn back to the man.

“Hmm, alright then, where do you stay with the others?” Micheal inquired of the man who scowled at the question.

“Hey Mike, perhaps we should kill him and create a clear route through the zombies; he’s merely wasting our time,” Hai said, shifting his gun back to the man as his fingers tightened around the trigger, poised to fire.

“Please, wait! Don’t kill me. We have an underground shelter in the sewers, beneath the zone. I can lead you there.” The man begged as he witnessed Hai poised to deliver the final blow.

“No, I don’t believe we can trust him. Let’s just eliminate him; he seems suspicious.” Bai also directed his gun towards the man, who grew increasingly terrified.

“Hold on, if you kill me, there’s no chance of getting out of here. You’re already encircled, but I can help you escape, please.” The man pleaded, attempting to persuade them.

“Should we trust him?” Micheal inquired of the others.