The Industrialist

Lance and Damian headed back to Axe Central in the afternoon the day after. The Energy Accelerator and kilos of impure gold were at the back of their jeep.

"What is your plan, really?" Damian asked.

"I will build the Ultragenerator for the prison," Lance responded.

"Then, what's next?"

"My grand plan is to revive Bay City. If there is something we can use to take down Menks and the Corporation."

"But how are you going to do that? We can't just take out the hive on our own. We don't have enough firepower for that. Not even the full might of Axe Central City."

"If we can't do it. At least take me to my home and we will retrieve something that I can use."

"That's suicide, kid. Abominants are everywhere. We can't just sneak into the hive and get something and go home unscathed."

Their argument lasted for minutes to hours. They took the same route back the same way they came to Axiom Trench. After the Dead Forest, and the Trench Hill, they entered the outskirts of the Boneyard. Lance found something of familiarity.

"The dust again!" Lance said watching above the dead structures of the Boneyard.

"Yeah. That's strange. It's heading to Axe Central," Damian said.

"What is heading there?"

"I am not actually sure. But I found it like this when we battled against the monsters. This is how the horde moves."

"Abominants? That's not good, Damian."

"Could be the Abominated Human had led them. He knew the passage tunnels. He probably followed us to the outside."

"This is bad, Damian. We have to alert the people." Experience tales at empire

"I don't think we can outrun them. Even though it's still daylight, they are still moving?"

"The boneyard provides shadows from the tall structures. Then they will wait for the night to attack the city. The Abominant human is probably leading them."

Damian floored the accelerator pedal pushing the engine roared ferociously. Lance thought about the only weapon that could handle a horde. His poison bombs. Luckily, he did not sell everything in Axiom Trench.

Lance was worried about the Commoners—the collateral damage of this never-ending war. The dust smoke was nearing the direction where the City would be. And as they reached the end of the tall structures, the horde stopped and the dust settled.

Their jeep continued to rage against rocky terrain.

"Who are we going to alert?"

"Everyone. Help me move the Southern wall people to evacuate. The horde will enter the Southern tunnels." Lance suggested.

"Let me handle the people, you alert the police. We need every firepower to stop them. How many poison bombs do you have?"

Lance squinted back to their box where his poison bombs were stored and estimated the number.

"About 30 bombs. I have at home in Hypervista around 20 bombs."

"I think that will suffice. You need to travel fast to your condominium and bring everything to the Southern wall."

Lance thought about the rebels. They would be of great help in this crisis. Unfortunately, they were out of the picture. Damian was the only rebel present.

"The wall's defenses would do the trick, I hope," Lance said.

"Don't bank on that. The defenses are useful if there is no passage through the tunnels. The lasers won't suffice."

They hurriedly entered the tunnels and exited with non-stop sprinting. They don't have time to talk to each other, only their unceasing breathings. The time of the Abominants' attack would be 1800 H, as daylight retreats from the horizon.

Lance squinted to his time – 1715H

There was no time.

Damian hurriedly went to the market near Steelpoint where most people heaved. Lance went directly to the bullet train terminal and bound for Hypervista.

He watched his time once again – 1735 H.

The daylight had receded. The horde probably now started to exit the boneyard and headed to the city.

As he reached the Hypervista Sector, he hastily proceeded to the nearest police station.

He ran from the station for five minutes from the Hypervista terminal. He pushed the glass doors open of the precinct 20 without a regard of courtesy. He approached the nearest officer on his desk, slouched with feet on his table.

"Officer. I am Lance Berkley. You need to dispatch police officers to the Southern Wall Steelpoint. An Abominat horde is coming!" He gasped with air, his words almost inaudible.

"What? What are you talking about, kid?" The office retorted, his fat cheeks moving as he gobbled a chunk of burger.

"You need to respond to an incoming attack!"

"We can't be attacked, boy. The walls are impenetrable!"

"No! They can attack us inside the tunnels," Lance seemingly screaming every word he uttered.

"What tunnels? Is this a prank kid?"

Lance watched the station's digital clock right above the officer's desk. It said 1550 H.

"There is no time!"

Lance exited the police station despite the officer calling him to stop. To his condominium would be a five-minute run. He thought about Damian and the Commoners, hoping that they probably evacuate. However, he was positive. Damian was known by Roger in the market, and Roger was known by the marketgoers. Probably, they had evacuated.

There was nothing he could do but think about it positively. He reached his condominium and immediately grabbed another twenty poison bombs inside a bag. He exited his home as fast as he could. The moment he stepped out of the building, the Emergency Alarm went off, blaring annoying sounds throughout the city.

Lance was halted by his steps, "It's starting." Then he continued his pace and sprinted towards the nearest terminal.

Police announced repeatedly in all city speakers nearby! "Attention all Citizens! Please seek shelter as soon as possible. This is not a drill."

The people at first did not budge as the announcements went on. People only glanced at the billboards waiting for the kind of emergency.

But as soon as the digital billboards showed a distorted video of a swarming Abominants entering the Southern wall. The people panicked like it was the end of the world. The citizens were clearly traumatized by the previous wars and banking on the guarantee that the walls could stop Abominant attacks.

Even on the train, the people inside were agitated. The internal announcements still went on and on. Small explosions could be heard even from inside the bullet train. Passengers heaved the left side of the train to where the smoke loomed. Gunshots emerged and the police on hovercrafts passed by above the train. Another explosion shook the ground.

"How come? They can't enter with the walls present!" one older citizen said.

"Is it the end of us?" A younger citizen asked his parents.

Lance was not prepared for what would happen. He could not estimate the number of creatures attacking the city. He glanced through the transparent window and the lasers from the watch towers flickered as it fired. Electric stun bombs were detonated as a web of electricity seemed to reach the dark overcast.

There were screams everywhere, not only inside the bullet train but also in far corners of the affected sector. Hovercrafts above the commotion shone light below them.

As they entered the Steelpoint terminal, police officers and robotic police were stopping the people from disembarking and controlling the disorderly fashion of commoners who wanted to escape the Steelpoint district via bullet train. The chaos was uncontrollable. The police could not handle such a volume of Commoners who wanted to barrage to safety out of Steelpoint. There was chaos everywhere.

People were shouting and screaming. Most of the girls cried.

Lance could not get out inside the bullet train. The heaving people pushed him way further back to the end of the train, farther than the entrance. He was trapped inside the bullet train. People were bundled shoulder to shoulder and back-to-back. Lance could not force himself out, even though with his height, he could not just elbow people in the face just to pass through.

"Excuse me! I want to get out!" Lance screamed but nobody listened.

There was only one solution for him to escape the overwhelming number of people – by the use of shock and awe.

Lance took out one of his poison bombs from his bag and threw it above their heads inside the cabin. The poison bomb exploded, and the people ducked their heads to their knees. The blue mist had filled the train. That's when Lance hopped on the emaciated people, leveraging the benches' arms for his feet to escape.