The silence stretched on for several more uncomfortable seconds as Christopher and Cindy waited for an explanation that clearly wasn't coming. I could feel the heat radiating from Rachel and Elena's faces, and Sydney's grip on my hand had tightened in a way that suggested she was putting together pieces I really didn't want her to assemble yet.

"Look," I said finally, desperate to redirect the conversation away from territory that would only make things more complicated, "the how doesn't really matter right now. What matters is that we're all on the same page, and we need to figure out what we're going to do about that device sitting in our garage."

"Nice deflection," Christopher muttered, but he seemed to recognize that pushing the issue wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Fine. Let's talk about the alien doomsday machine. What exactly did you see when you touched it?"

I was grateful for the change of subject, even as I felt Sydney's calculating gaze still fixed on me. "Visions," I said, trying to organize the chaotic flood of images that had crashed through my mind. "Other worlds, other civilizations. Wars fought with weapons that could bend reality itself. And a network—devices like the one we found, scattered across different planets, all connected somehow."

"Connected how?" Elena asked, her embarrassment finally beginning to fade as professional curiosity took over.

"I'm not sure. But they seemed to be part of some larger system. Like... like nodes in a vast communication network, or maybe weapons platforms." I paused, remembering the sensation of that alien intelligence evaluating me. "And there was something else. An intelligence. Something vast and ancient that was watching, studying me."

Daisy shifted nervously in her corner. "Watching you? Do you think it knows where we are now?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But we should probably assume the worst and be ready to move if we have to."

"Great," Sydney said dryly. "So we're potentially sitting on a homing beacon for hostile aliens. Anything else we should know about while we're cataloging all the ways this situation could get worse?"

I felt the weight of the red stone in my pocket, warm against my leg. "Actually, yes. There's something else I haven't told you about. Something I found after Rachel and I encountered a... creature in Jackson Township."

Everyone's attention sharpened at the mention of Jackson Township, but I could see confusion in most of their faces. Christopher leaned forward with interest. "What kind of creature?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the red stone, holding it up so everyone could see. Even in the relatively dim light of the living room, it seemed to pulse with an internal glow, the surface shifting with patterns that hurt to look at directly.

"This was inside something we fought there," I said. "Rachel and I encountered it during one of our visits to help with their defenses."

Rachel nodded, her face growing pale at the memory. "It was... it wasn't like the regular infected at all."

"What do you mean?" Cindy asked, leaning forward with concern.

I took a deep breath, remembering that terrifying encounter. "We called it a Fire Spitter. It was roughly the size and shape of a large pumpkin, but its surface was this deep, arterial red that seemed to pulse with its own internal light. The thing would swell up, doubling in size, gathering fire in what I guess was its mouth, then contract violently to shoot balls of fire."

Christopher's eyes widened. "Balls of fire? Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious," Rachel said quietly. "Those projectiles could melt through concrete like it was paper. The creature was coordinating infected attacks on Jackson Township, directing them with intelligence and strategy."

"It wasn't just some mutated infected," I continued. "This thing was placed there deliberately. It was hunting for something—or someone."

Elena's face had gone pale. "You think the aliens created it?"

"I think it was what happens when the virus evolves under alien influence," I said. "The Fire Spitter wasn't human anymore, but it wasn't quite alien either. It was something in between. And it was smart—terrifyingly smart."

Sydney squeezed my hand. "And you killed it."

"We barely managed to destroy it," Rachel corrected, her voice tight with the memory. "It nearly killed both of us. When Ryan finally took it down, this stone was all that remained of it that wasn't just organic matter."

Liu Mei, who I thought had gone to her room, suddenly appeared in the doorway. Her black eyes fixed on the stone with laser focus, and I saw something that might have been excitement flicker across her usually impassive features.

"Fascinating," she said trying to take the stone from my hand.

But the moment her fingers made contact with it, she jerked her hand back as if she'd been burned.

"Interesting," she murmured, examining her fingertips. "It's definitely active. Some kind of energy signature that's not quite electromagnetic, not quite thermal. Almost like it exists partially outside our normal understanding of physics."

"It gets warm when I'm near other... unusual things," I said carefully. "Like the device in the garage. And it was practically burning when I was fighting the Fire Spitter."

"Wait," Christopher said, holding up a hand. "Let me get this straight. You two encountered some kind of alien-created monster that could shoot fireballs, and you're just telling us about this now?"

Rachel and I exchanged glances. "We didn't want to panic everyone," she said softly. "Jackson Township was dealing with the aftermath, and we weren't sure if it was an isolated incident or..."

"Or if there were more of them out there," I finished. "But now, with the device responding to me, and this stone reacting to alien technology..."

"You think they're connected," Elena said, understanding dawning in her eyes.

"I think," Liu Mei said slowly, beginning to pace around the room, "that we have a very interesting collection of artifacts. An alien device that responds to your touch. A power source taken from an evolved infected creature that also responds to you. And you, carrying a virus that makes you both stronger and a target for alien hunters."

She paused near the window, silhouetted against the dying light outside. "It seems to me that these things are all connected. That they're meant to work together somehow."

"Work together how?" Rachel asked, though I could see from her expression that she was already afraid of the answer.

"I think," Liu Mei said slowly, "that Abraham Lincoln may be the key to more than just surviving the infected. I think he might be the key to fighting back against the aliens themselves."

"That's a pretty big assumption based on some visions and a glowing rock," I trailed off…not wishing to be some kind of fantasy novel protagonist.

"Is it?" Elena asked quietly. "Think about the timing, Ryan. The Fire Spitter appears in Jackson Township. The alien device responds to your touch immediately. The red stone came from a creature that was actively coordinating attacks—maybe it was specifically hunting for someone like you."

"That's what I said, someone in the Municipal Office may have a Virus like me," I said.

"And it was tracking that someone…" Rachel said.

"But we killed it," I pointed out.

"Yes," Liu Mei said with satisfaction. "And in doing so, you proved that they can be destroyed. More importantly, you acquired one of their power sources."

She seemed too much excited about this…

She gestured toward the red stone. "That device in our garage might be a weapon, or a communication system, or something else entirely. But without a power source, it's just an interesting sculpture. With that stone, however..."

"We might be able to activate it," I finished, understanding dawning.

"Exactly. The question is whether we're brave enough—or foolish enough—to try."

The room fell silent as everyone contemplated the implications. We could potentially activate an alien weapon system, but doing so might also send out a signal that would bring every hostile force in the region down on our heads.

"What if it's not a weapon?" Daisy asked in a small voice. "What if it's something worse?"

"Like what?" Sydney asked.

"Like a bomb," Christopher said grimly. "Or a beacon to call for reinforcements. Or some kind of terraforming device designed to make Earth more suitable for alien habitation."

"Or," Cindy added, "it could be exactly what we need to level the playing field. Maybe it's a shield generator, or a communication device that would let us contact other survivors, or even some kind of medical technology."

Elena stood up and began pacing. "We need more information before we make any decisions. Ryan, when you had those visions, did you get any sense of what the device actually does?"

I thought back to the chaotic flood of images and sensations. "Not specifically. But I got the impression that the network of devices was created by a civilization that was fighting for survival, just like we are. They were being hunted by something, and these devices were their way of fighting back."

"And did they win?" Rachel asked quietly.

I remembered the images of empty cities and silent monuments. "I don't think so."

Another heavy silence fell over the group. The implication was clear—if an advanced civilization with access to this technology couldn't survive whatever they were fighting, what hope did we have?

"Maybe they didn't fail," Alisha said suddenly, speaking up for the first time since the confrontation with Rebecca. "Maybe they succeeded in a different way."

Everyone turned to look at her, and she continued, "What if the devices weren't weapons at all? What if they were designed to preserve something—knowledge, genetic material, the essence of their civilization? What if they're not weapons of destruction, but tools of preservation?"

Wow, as expected of student from Lexington Charter, she was thinking differently…

"There's only one way to find out," I said, though the words felt like lead in my mouth.

"You want to try to activate it," Elena said. It wasn't a question.

"I think we have to. The aliens are already hunting people like me. The infected are evolving into things like the Fire Spitter. We're already in a war—we just haven't been fighting back yet."

Sydney's grip on my hand tightened. "And if activating that thing gets us all killed?"

"No, I will do it myself, you guys stay away," I told them.

"W…what? We can't leave you alone," Rachel panicked.

"No, you can, I am stronger and I have the higher chances of survival among us it this thing is dangerous, so you guys stay away when I use the red stone on it."

"Ryan, that's absolutely not happening," Sydney said, her grip on my hand becoming almost painful. "We're not letting you face some potentially explosive alien device alone."

"She's right," Christopher added, standing up with his arms crossed. "Whatever this thing is, we face it together. That's how we've survived this long."

I was grateful for their words but this was different. The visions I'd experienced when touching the device had shown me glimpses of power beyond anything we'd encountered—power that could easily kill anyone without the specific viral enhancements I possessed.

"Listen to me," I said, standing up and pulling away from Sydney's grasp. "I'm not being noble or self-sacrificing here. I'm being practical. That device responded to me specifically—to the Dullahan virus in my system. If something goes wrong, if it overloads or explodes, I have the best chance of surviving it."

"And what if you don't?" Rachel asked quietly, her voice tight with worry. "What if this kills you? And…what about us?"

She was clearly hinting to the stabilisation they needed.

She was right—if I died, the women who carried traces of the Dullahan virus would eventually succumb to madness. But the alternative was potentially losing everyone at once.

"That's exactly why you can't be there," I said firmly. "If I die, at least you'll have time to find another solution. But if we all die because this thing takes out the whole house..."

Liu Mei, who had been silently observing our argument, suddenly spoke up. "Abraham Lincoln raises a valid point. From a tactical perspective, risking the entire group for one experiment is illogical."

"Since when do you care about our tactical decisions?" Christopher shot back.

She shrugged with her characteristic indifference. "I don't particularly. But I am curious about what that device can do, and dead test subjects provide no useful data."

"Gee, thanks for the touching concern," Sydney said dryly.

I held up my hands to stop the bickering. "Look, I know this isn't what any of you want to hear, but this is my decision. The device responds to me, the stone came from a creature that was hunting people like me, and the visions I had were specifically about this technology. This is something I have to do."

"At least let one of us come with you," Elena pleaded. "As backup, or—"

"Elena." Alisha called her cutting off sternly and Elena closed her mouth.

I looked around the room at each of their faces. "Give me thirty minutes. If I'm not back by then, or if you hear an explosion, get everyone out of the house and head to Jackson Township. They'll take you in."

"Thirty minutes," Christopher said reluctantly. "And then we're coming after you, whether you like it or not."

I nodded, knowing it was the best compromise I was going to get. "Fair enough."

Sydney grabbed my hand one more time before I could leave. "You better come back to us, Ryan Gray. I'm not done with you yet."

I couldn't help but smile. "Wouldn't dream of leaving you with that many unfinished conversations."

Ten minutes later, I stood alone in the garage, facing the alien device that had already changed everything simply by existing. The red stone in my palm was warm—not uncomfortably so, but with a steady heat that seemed to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat.

The device itself was even more imposing up close in the dim light. It stood about four feet tall, roughly cylindrical but with organic curves that seemed to flow like frozen liquid. The surface was covered in intricate patterns that hurt to look at directly, geometric designs that seemed to shift and writhe when viewed peripherally.

I took a deep breath and approached slowly. The stone in my hand grew warmer with each step, and I could swear I heard a faint humming—not audible, exactly, but felt in my bones, in my teeth.

When I was close enough to touch the device, I hesitated for just a moment. The visions from before had been overwhelming, chaotic. What if this time they were worse? What if the activation process did more than just show me images?

But I'd come too far to back down now. I pressed the red stone against what looked like a receptacle near the base of the device—a depression that seemed almost perfectly sized to accommodate it.

The effect was immediate and dramatic.

The stone sank into the device as if the metal had become liquid, accepting it completely. Instantly, the entire structure began to glow with the same deep red light, patterns racing along its surface like flowing lava. The humming I'd felt became audible, a low throb that made the tools hanging on the garage walls vibrate.

Then the visions hit.

This time, instead of the chaotic flood of images from before, I saw something more focused. The device—this device, the one I was touching—powering up for the first time in millennia. I could see its creators, tall beings with elongated limbs and faces that were almost human but somehow wrong, as if seen through a funhouse mirror.

They were desperate, these creators. Their world was dying, consumed by something that turned their own kind into mindless hunters. They had built these devices as weapons, yes, but also as beacons—ways to coordinate resistance across their planet.

But this device was incomplete. I could see it now, clear as daylight. Three receptacles, three stones needed for full activation. The red stone I'd used was only the first key, the one that powered basic functions. Without the other two stones, the device was little more than an expensive flashlight.

As the vision continued, I saw where the other stones were located. Not random placement—the aliens had been strategic. They'd hidden their power sources in evolved infected creatures, beings that were dangerous enough to deter casual discovery but not so powerful as to be impossible to defeat.

One stone was inside something they called a Frost Walker—a creature that could freeze anything it touched, located in what had once been Jackson Township's ice rink. The other was in a creature they called a Screamer, something that could emit sounds capable of shattering glass and rupturing organs, hidden in the abandoned radio station on the outskirts of town.

The vision showed me more: how the devices formed a network when fully activated, how they could be used not just as weapons but as communication arrays, coordination tools, even as generators of protective barriers. They were the ultimate survival technology, designed by a civilization that had faced the same threats we now confronted.

But then, like pieces of a horrifying puzzle clicking into place, I understood the truth.

The alien race that had created this technology—they weren't the victims. They were the invaders. The same beings who had unleashed the infected virus on Earth, who were now hunting people like me across the planet. And the reason they wanted us dead, the reason they feared carriers of the Dullahan virus, wasn't because we were some random mutation.

The Dullahan virus was alien too. A symbiotic organism from another race entirely—a race that had nearly driven these technology-creators to extinction in the distant past. I could see it now in the visions: massive wars fought across star systems, entire worlds consumed as the symbiotic entities spread from host to host, growing stronger, more intelligent, more unified with each generation.

The technology creators had barely survived that first encounter. They'd managed to develop weapons specifically designed to hunt and destroy symbiotic organisms, to track them across vast distances, to eliminate them before they could establish permanent footholds. The devices weren't just survival tools—they were genocide machines, perfected through millennia of warfare against beings exactly like what I was becoming.

And now they'd found Earth, a world where their ancient enemies had somehow taken root again. The infected virus wasn't meant to conquer—it was meant to flush out carriers of symbiotic organisms, to force them to reveal themselves through their immunity, their enhanced abilities, their connections to others like them.

We weren't the resistance. We were the targets. And every piece of technology that responded to my touch, every device that seemed designed to help us—it was all bait. Weapons that recognized their intended prey, systems that would identify and catalog every symbiotic carrier on the planet before activating their true function.

Extermination.

Wait, I understand now.

That alien race who created this technology is the one invading Earth and they wanted the death of people like me hosting viruses like the Dullahan Virus because Dullahan and the others were also an alien race—a symbiotic species that had nearly wiped out their race. But they managed to survive and created even more powerful weapons, and now they're using it to do the same thing, and worse. The reason why this technology was attracted to people like me carrying symbiotic viruses was because these devices were created to kill these symbiotic beings to begin with...

When the vision ended, I found myself on my knees in the garage, gasping for breath. The device had gone dark again, the red stone invisible within its surface, absorbed completely. But I could feel the change—the device was alive now, waiting, ready to accept the other two stones when I brought them.

I struggled to my feet, my head spinning from the intensity of what I'd experienced. Thirty minutes hadn't passed—probably closer to ten—but I felt like I'd lived through years of someone else's memories.

The knowledge burned in my mind: two more creatures, two more stones, two more life-or-death battles against things that were specifically designed to kill anyone who came near them. And they were both in Jackson Township, which meant potentially putting that entire community at risk.

By completing this device, by gathering all three stones, I wouldn't be creating a weapon to defend humanity. I'd be building the very instrument of our destruction—a beacon that would call down the full might of an alien armada, a targeting system that would identify every symbiotic carrier on Earth for systematic elimination and could do more potentially...

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