Chapter17: The Only Intelligent Zombie-Leo

"This is the only intelligent zombie I've discovered so far." Aton said as he suddenly opened the cage door.

Tom and May froze in shock, their hearts pounding. In an instant, they instinctively raised their guns, aiming them at the zombie. The atmosphere was tense, as if time itself had stopped, their breath quickening and loud in their ears.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!" Aton hurriedly shouted, his voice both reassuring and urgent. "Its intelligence is about the same as a 10-year-old child. I've tested it; it doesn't have aggressive tendencies. You have nothing to worry about. I've even slept with it around, and it didn't pose any danger."

Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "What would happen if it was attacked by other zombies?"

Aton replied confidently, "Zombies won't attack it. To them, it's one of their own."

Jack's eyes widened in amazement. "This is like something out of a science fiction novel. This guy can exist between two worlds."

The zombie suddenly spoke in a raspy, deep voice: "Hello, I'm Leo."

Jack jumped back, stunned, before exclaiming, "Wow!"

"It seems to really like you," Aton observed with a smile. "You're only the second person it's met. I was the first."

Jack, still processing the fact that the zombie could understand and speak, muttered to himself, "Unbelievable. It can communicate and even introduce itself."

Bob, not missing a beat, asked Aton, "Have you ever heard of extraterrestrial life?"

Aton frowned, immediately dismissing the notion. "There's no evidence to support the existence of such beings."

Bob pulled out the video recorder from Jack's bag, switched it on, and handed it to Aton. "The night we passed through Peach Orchard Town, something clearly fell onto our vehicle, and when we stopped, something suddenly moved away. Combined with the footage, we can pretty much conclude that extraterrestrial life has already begun to invade Earth. And if these beings are hostile, well, they'll be a formidable force."

Aton watched the footage intently, his expression serious. "So, this stone egg... does it create life? Or will it continue to create life indefinitely?"

The group exchanged puzzled looks, thinking back to Aton's earlier theory about the organic matter. Could it be connected to these creatures?

Before anyone could respond, a deafening bang shattered the silence. The metal door was blown open, and Aton was impaled by a sharp metal shard through his heart. He crumpled to the floor, lifeless, blood pooling around him.

"Run! Run!" Jack shouted, grabbing Leo by the arm and pulling him in the opposite direction. Bob, still stunned, was knocked out cold by a falling piece of debris, unconscious and left behind with no time for rescue.

The battle erupted instantly! The surrounding zombies stirred awake, roaring in unison. They shattered glass panels and charged into the room, while armed soldiers poured in from all sides. The soldiers, trained and equipped, quickly administered sedatives, knocking the zombies back into unconsciousness.

"What about Bob?" Tom asked, voice tight with anxiety.

Jack glanced at the massive figure of Bob, now knocked out on the floor, and sighed. "He's too big for us to carry while he's unconscious. We've got two girls to look after, and honestly, we're no match for these soldiers."

May, confused, looked around. "Wasn't it just two people earlier? How did we get a whole squad?"

Jack made a snap decision. "We'll split up. May, Tom, and Leo, you three go together. Lily and I will find a way to rescue Bob."

Tom hesitated, clearly uneasy. "Are you sure? We don't know anything about these soldiers' background."

Jack gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "We'll be careful. If things go wrong, we'll just say we're regular students. Act clueless and keep quiet. The most dangerous places can often be the safest."

The group quickly scattered. Jack followed the trail of tire tracks left by the soldiers' vehicles, eventually coming upon a castle-like building. Bob was being dragged inside, his arms held tightly behind his back.

What should we do now? Lily asked, a bit worried. Jack also felt uneasy, as they were outnumbered and under-equipped. The two of them didn't have any good solutions for now and could only observe the situation for the time being, hoping for an opportunity to rescue Bob.

Jack and Lily hid in the small storage room next door. There was some food and ammunition left in their backpacks, enough to help them get by for a while. They took a moment to recover, quietly waiting for any movement from inside the castle.