Seeds of Corruption
The sight of the corrupted soldiers sent a jolt of icy fear through Evy. The vacant, burning red eyes peering out from beneath the Earth Force helmets were not those of men, but of something utterly alien and malevolent. The last vestiges of humanity within them had been extinguished, replaced by the Void Weaver's insidious influence.
"No…" Evy whispered, her hand instinctively reaching for her sidearm. She had hoped, perhaps naively, that with the Void Weaver's demise, the nightmare would be over. But its lingering presence, its power to corrupt and distort, had taken root in the very beings sent to contain it.
The corrupted soldiers moved with an unnatural, jerky gait, their limbs contorted at grotesque angles. They didn't speak, but a chorus of whispers, reminiscent of the Void Weaver's chilling voice, emanated from them.
"You cannot escape us," the whispers hissed. "The darkness has taken root. It will spread."
Evy knew that they were right. These corrupted soldiers were just the beginning. The Void Weaver, even in death, had sown the seeds of corruption, and those seeds would continue to sprout, to fester, to poison the moon and perhaps even the Earth.
She had to stop them. She had to contain the infection before it spread any further.
Taking a deep breath, she drew her energy pistol and aimed it at the corrupted soldiers. She hesitated for a moment, her heart clenching with the knowledge that she was about to kill her own people. But she knew that she had no choice. They were no longer human. They were monsters.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I can't let you hurt anyone else."
She fired, the energy beam lancing out and striking one of the corrupted soldiers in the chest. The creature shrieked, a sound that was both human and alien, and staggered backward. But it didn't fall. The Void Weaver's corruption had made it incredibly resilient, able to withstand injuries that would have been fatal to a normal human.
The other corrupted soldier lunged towards Evy, its claws outstretched, its eyes burning with malevolent intent. Evy dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and fired again, hitting the creature in the head.
The corrupted soldier stumbled, but quickly recovered. It charged again, its movements faster, more ferocious.
Evy realized that she was outmatched. These creatures were stronger and more durable than any Lunar Abomination she had faced. And there were only two of them.
She needed a plan. She needed to find a way to even the odds.
She glanced around, searching for anything that could give her an advantage. Her gaze fell upon the transport vehicle, parked a short distance away. It was damaged, but still functional. If she could reach it, she might be able to use its weapons systems to take down the corrupted soldiers.
But reaching the transport vehicle would be difficult. The corrupted soldiers were blocking her path, and they were relentless in their attacks.
Evy knew that she had to take a risk. She had to create an opening, to distract the corrupted soldiers long enough to make a run for the vehicle.
Taking a deep breath, she charged towards the corrupted soldiers, firing her energy pistol as she ran. The creatures lunged to intercept her, their claws outstretched, their whispers growing louder, more menacing.
Evy dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding their attacks, her energy pistol blazing. She managed to take down one of the corrupted soldiers, its body dissolving into dust.
But the other one was still coming, its movements faster, more ferocious. It cornered Evy near a pile of rubble, its claws reaching for her.
Evy knew that she was trapped. There was no escape.
Just as the corrupted soldier was about to strike, a blinding light filled the air. The creature shrieked, its body convulsing, and staggered backward.
Evy shielded her eyes, unable to see what was happening. When the light subsided, she saw that the corrupted soldier was gone. Vanished without a trace.
Standing before her was a figure radiating pure, white light. It was spectral, ethereal, almost translucent.
It was Sarah.
"Sarah?" Evy whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. "How… how is this possible?"
The spectral Sarah smiled, her eyes filled with warmth and love. "I'm not sure, Evy," she said. "But I'm here to help you. I can't let you face this alone."
"But… I thought you were gone," Evy said. "I thought I destroyed the Void Weaver."
"You did destroy the Void Weaver," the spectral Sarah replied. "But its influence lingers. And it has corrupted these soldiers. They need to be stopped."
"But how can we stop them?" Evy asked. "They're too strong. I can't beat them on my own."
"You're not on your own, Evy," the spectral Sarah replied. "I'm here with you. And together, we can do anything."
The spectral Sarah reached out her hand, and Evy felt a surge of power coursing through her veins. She knew what she had to do.
Taking a deep breath, she turned towards the transport vehicle and began to run. The spectral Sarah hovered beside her, her presence a beacon of hope in the darkness.
As Evy ran, she could hear the whispers of the Void Weaver, trying to tempt her, to corrupt her. But she ignored them, focusing on her goal, on the spectral Sarah's unwavering support.
She reached the transport vehicle and scrambled inside, her hands flying across the controls. She activated the weapons systems, targeting the ruins around her.
The transport vehicle roared to life, its energy cannons blazing. Evy unleashed a barrage of fire, destroying the corrupted soldiers and clearing a path through the ruins.
As the dust settled, Evy looked around, her heart filled with a mixture of relief and dread. She had survived, for now. But she knew that the battle was far from over.
The seeds of corruption had been sown, and they would continue to spread, to fester, to poison the moon and perhaps even the Earth. She had to find a way to stop them, to eradicate the Void Weaver's influence once and for all.
"What do we do now?" Evy asked the spectral Sarah, her voice filled with determination.
"We go back to Earth," the spectral Sarah replied. "We warn them of the danger. We prepare them for the coming storm."
Evy nodded in agreement. She knew that the journey back to Earth would be perilous, fraught with danger. But she was ready to face whatever awaited her.
She had a mission to complete, a responsibility to fulfill. She had to save her planet, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
"Alright," she said, her voice firm. "Let's go home."
Evy piloted the damaged transport vehicle towards the landing site, her heart filled with