The dawn broke with a cold silence. Gray clouds loomed low over the ruined city, casting long shadows over fractured concrete and twisted metal. Wind howled like a mourning ghost through the skeletal remains of skyscrapers.
Inside Fortress Omega, the atmosphere buzzed with tense energy.
[Mission Interface Online]
Operation: Ashes and EchoesObjective: Investigate distress signal – Sector EpsilonMission Type: RescueRisk Rating: Moderate
Estimated Survivors: 1–5Known Threats: Mutant Canids, Urban Collapse, Energy Signature Interference
Rewards:• Base +2 System Credits per survivor• +1 Reputation Point• Bonus Item (based on survivor profession)
Ethan checked his gear: a reinforced utility jacket, a salvaged shock baton, two field repair kits, and a newly printed compact medipack. At his hip hung a low-grade pulse pistol—basic, but enough to ward off the infected or mutants if things got hairy.
"Drones confirm a semi-collapsed school building in the Epsilon district," Lira reported as she loaded the expedition kit. "Signal's weak. No signs of direct hostiles on satellite, but the building integrity is shot."
"And we've got three hours before a storm front rolls in," Ethan added, securing his rebreather mask. "Let's move."
The city beyond the Shelter was still. Debris littered the cracked roads. Cars were fused to asphalt like molten wax. An old billboard bearing faded emergency instructions fluttered uselessly.
Lira walked behind Ethan, carrying a backpack rig filled with supplies and drone beacons. Her boots crunched over broken glass as they moved.
"This place…" she whispered. "It's like the end froze in time."
Ethan didn't answer. He was focused. Calculating. Every ruined corridor they passed screamed of lost lives.
[Location Discovered: Epsilon Elementary Sub-Shelter]
Status: Structurally UnstableSignal Source: ConfirmedVital Signs: Weak – Detecting 3 Profiles
They found the shelter beneath a collapsed stairwell. A reinforced metal door, half-buried under rubble, blinked faintly with a red light. Lira scanned the keypad, overriding its failing biometric lock.
The door creaked open with a hydraulic hiss.
Inside, it was dark, damp, and filled with the acrid stench of unwashed fear.
Cowering in the corner were two children and an older man—emaciated, barely conscious. Blood smeared the man's sleeve, and the children flinched at the light.
Ethan knelt instantly, voice calm. "We're here to help. You're safe now."
[Survivors Detected – Assessing...]
• Name: Nolan Weiss – Age 41 – Profession: Medical Doctor (Trauma Specialist) – [Wounded: Minor]• Name: Mira – Age 10 – Civilian• Name: Aven – Age 8 – Civilian
Bonus Conditions Met:• Medical Professional Rescued• Child Survivors Rescued
Calculating Rewards…
Lira injected the doctor with a pain suppressor and handed food packs to the children. Tears welled in Mira's eyes as she clung to Ethan's arm.
[Rescue Summary – Operation Ashes and Echoes Complete]
Survivors Rescued: 3
Rewards:• +6 System Credits• +3 Reputation• +3% Fortress Growth Rate
Bonus Reward – Profession: Medical (Rare)→ Item Unlocked: Emergency Surgical Pod (Blueprint Fragment 1/2)
Trait Gained: "Protector of the Weak" – Increases morale recovery speed by 15% after rescues.
Rescue Rank: B+
The building trembled suddenly. Distant growls echoed through the halls.
"Something's coming," Lira said, tensing.
"Time to move."
They used the back exit, evading a trio of twisted canine mutants by ducking through a half-submerged alley. With Mira in Ethan's arms and Aven clinging to Lira, they moved quickly.
By the time they reached the shelter's perimeter, lightning forked across the sky.
Fortress Omega opened its gates just as the rain came down in heavy sheets.
Inside, warmth. Safety. Light.
The doctor slumped into a med-chair in awe of the environment. The children were taken to a resting wing. Even Lira paused to take a deep breath, eyes distant.
Ethan watched the storm from the observation deck.
[Shelter System Update]
New Survivor Roles Available:• Nolan Weiss – Assignable to Medical Bay (Healing Rate +35%, Injury Stabilization +50%)
New Blueprint Progress:• Emergency Surgical Pod [1/2 Fragments Acquired]
Ethan opened the system interface and looked at the mission log.
[Infinite Rescue Mission – In Progress]Survivors Saved: 4Next Target Location: Scanning…
Potential Area: Alpha Metroline Ruins (Engineer Signal Ping – Faint)
A new signal.
Another cry for help in the darkness.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"We're just getting started," he murmured.