Chapter 13 Bunker Breach

The wolf hybrid abominator was a fraction of the size of its super-soldier kin, but that didn’t make it any less deadly. It lunged toward them, its serrated claws scraping across the floor with an ear-splitting screech. Dune stood her ground, unloading her SMG into the creature. Sparks and chunks of flesh sprayed from its body, but it kept coming.

“Stay down, you freak!” Dune shouted, shooting her Desert Eagle. With one last powerful shot, the massive bullet punched through the abominator's steel-plated skull, shattering it with a resounding metallic crack. The beast collapsed in a heap, twitching before finally going still.

Meanwhile, Reed was carrying both Mia and Sable, one under each arm, sprinting down the hallway like a human freight train. Sable flailed, barely able to point his trembling finger in the right direction as Reed barreled forward.

“That way! Turn—turn left! No, right! There!” Sable stammered.

Dune followed close behind, covering their rear. She kicked over metal crates, tipped over shelves, and hurled debris into the path of their pursuers to slow them down. Her heart raced as she heard the relentless stomping and mechanical growls closing in.

The group finally skidded to a halt at the massive bunker doors they had entered through. Sable immediately connected his hacking device to the control panel. His hands flew over the holographic interface, but after a few moments, his frantic movements stopped.

“Dammit! Noooo! No no no!” Sable shouted, his voice cracking. 

“I can’t bypass the lockdown protocol from this panel! The system’s locked down tighter than anything I’ve ever seen! We can’t open these damn doors as long as the lockdown is active—and we don’t have time to search for a master key or bypass code sequence! We’re trapped!”

Dune slammed her fist into the wall, leaving a visible dent.

 “Shit! What now, old man?”

Reed, oddly calm and even a little excited, leaned against the wall and mumbled, “Pff, we just blow them open. Big boom, and we’re outta here.”

Mia smacked him hard on the shoulder. 

“Shut up with your stupid jokes! This is serious! We’re in deep shit!”

But Dune’s eyes lit up, and she spun toward Reed.

 “No! He’s onto something!” She pointed at him.

 “Get me some power cables. I’ll be right back!”

Reed blinked, then grinned.

 “Power cables, huh? Sure thing, boss.” 

He turned to Sable and clapped him on the back with enough force to make the scientist stagger. 

“Well, Doc?! Where can we get some cables around this joint, hmm?”

Sable froze, his panic peaking.

 “Oh, you damn fools! We’re all going to die here, and all you do is talk nonsense!”

Mia grabbed Sable by the shoulders and shook him. 

“Cables, motherfucker! Now! Where can we get power from? Dune’s got an idea, and I don’t like her ideas, but it’s all we’ve got right now! Get on it!”

Sable swallowed hard, his wide eyes darting around the room before his trembling hand pointed to the wall covered in corroded panels. 

“There! That’s the main cable shaft! It powers the bunker doors! Those cables carry the highest voltage in the entire facility! If you need power, you’ll get it from there!”

Without hesitation, Reed ripped the rusted panels off the wall, revealing thick bundles of industrial cables. He glanced at Sable, who reluctantly began guiding him on how to disconnect the cables safely—or at least without immediately electrocuting themselves.

Just then, Dune appeared at the far end of the hallway. She was hunched over, struggling to carry something massive. The thing was almost comically large, a Lazer cannon, salvaged from the experimental lab they’d passed earlier. Even with her power suit amplifying her strength, the weapon’s sheer size and weight made her movements labored.

“Oh yes, baby! That's what I'm talking about! Hell yeah!” Reed called out, pumping his fist in the air.

“Your big boom,” Dune grunted, adjusting her grip as she dragged the weapon closer. She dropped it heavily onto the floor, the sound echoing like a thunderclap.

“We’re turning this puppy into a battering ram. Sable, I need you to hook up those high-voltage cables to power this thing up—now!”

Sable’s eyes widened as he stared at the cannon.

 “Are you insane?! This is a barely-functioning prototype! It could explode in our faces—or worse!”

“Better to die trying than standing here whining!” 

Reed yanked another panel free, sparks flying as he disconnected a bundle of thick, insulated wires.

 “C’mon, Doc, don’t think—just plug these bad boys in and let’s see what happens. Worst case, we get fireworks!”

“Worst case, we die,” Sable muttered under his breath but took the cables, nonetheless. With trembling hands, he connected cables to the base of the cannon. The moment the connection was made, a deafening bzzt erupted, and the weapon’s core pulsed with a red light, casting the entire hallway in an eerie glow.

Behind them, Mia leaned against the door, her sniper rifle aimed into the darkness. The glow of red eyes flickered in the far distance, accompanied by guttural roars and the relentless clanking of approaching abominators.

 “Whatever you’re doing, do it faster!” 

The Lazer Cannon trembled violently as its ancient systems come to life. A metallic voice crackled from the weapon, distorted and broken.

“Initialization... overload warning... system critical...”

Sable winced. 

“It’s going to blow if you fire this thing at full power! The capacitors can’t handle the voltage!”

“Good thing we only need one shot,” Dune said with a grin.

Reed slapped the cannon’s side, laughing. 

“Now that’s what I call overclocking!”

“Here they come!” Mia shouted, firing off a shot. The sniper round sparked harmlessly off the beast’s armored hide.

“Everyone back!” Dune shouted, gripping the oversized weapon, her suit straining to keep it steady as she aimed at the massive steel doors blocking their escape. The Lazer Cannon emitted a hum, its core spinning faster and faster, glowing brighter until it was almost blinding.

“Alright, everyone,” Dune called out, “This is gonna get real hot. Stay back unless you want to get cooked alive.”

The display read 2000°C, then climbed steadily past 3500°C. The weapon hissed and steamed, glowing brighter as vents along its sides released superheated plasma in small bursts. The thrum deepened further, vibrating the floor beneath her feet.

The numbers continued to rise: 4500°C... 5000°C... 5500°C.

Dune squinted down the sight, aiming directly at the center of the reinforced steel bunker doors. The cannon’s targeting system locked on, a crosshair blinking red.

“Alright, big guy,” she muttered to the weapon, “let’s see what you can do.”

She squeezed the trigger.