INVASION OF THE TECHNO-VIRUS

In the heart of Acirema, inside a towering research facility, Nathan Wellber walked briskly down the corridor, his expression serious. Beside him, Sonia Holland, his trusted UCNA partner, moved with calm but focused energy.

They were heading to the office of Nathan's father, a senior scientist at the Acirema Science Research Center, a facility with deep ties to UCNA (Unit Cooperation National Acirema)—a covert organization tasked with investigating technological and extraterrestrial threats.

As they entered a high-tech lab filled with transparent glass panels displaying floating data, Nathan wasted no time.

"Dad, what's going on with the signal disruptions at the border? This isn't normal."

Dr. Heinrich Wellber, a seasoned scientist, was staring at a holographic screen. It displayed strange electromagnetic waves, detected over the past few weeks.

"We're still investigating, Nathan. These signals... they don't match our systems, nor do they belong to any known nation, including Silne. It's as if something is infiltrating our electronic networks."

Across the city, Matheo Wellber, a high school student known for his laziness, sarcasm, and hacking skills, was walking home with his hands in his jacket pockets.

As he turned into a narrow alley, something on the ground caught his eye—a pair of black sunglasses, lying abandoned.

"Who just leaves this here?" he muttered, picking them up.

Without thinking much, he put them on.

The moment the glasses settled on his face, something strange happened. His vision shifted—floating data appeared over every person he looked at, revealing their names, birth dates, occupations, and even classified information.

"What the hell?!"

He focused on a passing police officer. Instantly, a security clearance ID, rank, and financial history appeared in mid-air.

Matheo grinned.

"Now this... this is interesting."

That night, in a remote farm near the Acirema-Silne border, a farmer tending to his cattle suddenly saw a red streak cutting across the night sky.

BOOM!!!

A meteor crashed into his field, shaking the ground and leaving a small crater.

Within the hour, a UCNA response team was on-site. Nathan and Sonia arrived along with a specialized military unit.

But as they approached the fallen object, they realized it wasn't just a meteor—it was a small spacecraft with an unusual design, unlike anything seen before.

"An unmarked ship... It's not from Acirema, but it's not from Silne either," Sonia observed, examining its smooth metallic surface.

"Could be terrorists," one of the UCNA agents suggested.

Nathan narrowed his eyes. If it belonged to terrorists or Silne, there should have been some insignia or identifying mark. But this ship was completely blank, as if it had come from nowhere.

He placed a hand on the cold metallic surface. Suddenly, the material moved, as if reacting to his touch.

"We need to get this to the lab. I have a bad feeling about this."

Meanwhile, in a cluttered bedroom filled with tangled cables, a glowing laptop screen, and empty soda cans, Matheo was still wearing the mysterious glasses as he typed on his laptop.

On the screen, strange encrypted codes scrolled rapidly—codes he hadn't seen before.

The door suddenly swung open. Nathan walked in without knocking.

"Still wasting your time on useless things?" he asked, arms crossed.

Matheo glanced up lazily, then smirked.

"Not your business, bro."

Nathan stepped closer, eyeing Matheo's sunglasses with suspicion.

"Where did you get those?"

Matheo sipped his drink before replying.

"Found them on the street. And… you won't believe this, but these glasses can see people's classified data."

Nathan froze.

He reached for his UCNA earpiece and spoke quietly.

"Sonia, we have another problem."

Matheo grinned wider.

"What, afraid I'll see your secrets?"

But before Nathan could respond, Matheo's laptop screen flickered and lines of alien code began appearing on their own.

Matheo frowned.

"Okay… That wasn't me."

Nathan's instincts kicked in. This was connected to the fallen ship.

Before either of them could react, the lights in the entire room suddenly went out.

Darkness engulfed Matheo's room as the power cut out. Only the eerie glow of his laptop screen remained, lines of unreadable foreign code scrolling faster and faster.

Then, something impossible happened.

The glasses Matheo was wearing suddenly trembled, as if vibrating with energy. Before he could react, they slid off his face on their own, hovering in mid-air.

"What the hell?!"

Nathan instinctively reached for his gun, but before he could draw it, the glasses twisted and unfolded, their smooth black surface splitting apart into tiny mechanical tendrils that pulsed with an eerie blue light.

Then—they shot straight into the laptop screen.

The entire laptop flickered violently, its frame humming as if struggling to contain something inside. The screen distorted, then a voice echoed through the room, deep, mechanical, and alien.

"Xyrrhan signal… connection established… initializing integration..."

Matheo stumbled backward.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—what the hell does that mean?!"

Nathan took a step forward, eyes locked on the laptop.

"Matheo, get away from that thing!"

But it was too late. The laptop morphed before their eyes—its surface rippling like liquid metal as tiny mechanical filaments slithered out from the keyboard, wrapping around the desk like robotic vines.

Then, a shape emerged from the screen.

A mechanical head, insect-like yet sleek, with glowing red eyes that scanned the room. Its body extended, forming a spider-like structure of metal tendrils, dripping with raw nano-mechanical energy.

It spoke again, its voice cold and precise.

"Integration… complete. Host detected. Expanding."

Matheo barely managed to jump back before the mechanical creature lunged at him, its tendrils lashing out, trying to seize him.

Nathan opened fire, his gunshots ringing through the room. The bullets passed through the creature as if it were partially digital, dispersing into pixels before reforming instantly.

"Damn it! It's adapting!"

The creature's red eyes locked onto Nathan.

"Threat detected. Countermeasures engaged."

Suddenly, every electronic device in the room sparked to life—Matheo's speakers blared an ear-piercing noise, his lamp overloaded and exploded, and his gaming monitor flickered violently, displaying alien symbols.

Then, the creature lunged again.

Nathan grabbed Matheo and dove out of the way just in time as the creature smashed through the desk, sending debris flying.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Matheo shouted.

Nathan clenched his jaw.

"Not just a virus. That thing… it's a Zyphor."

The Zyphor was no longer confined to the laptop. It crawled toward the power outlet, its tendrils slithering into the wiring like living roots.

All the lights in the house flickered.

Then—power across the entire neighborhood began shutting down.

Nathan realized what was happening.

"It's spreading through the grid! If it gets into the city's main systems, it could infect every piece of technology in Acirema!"

Matheo's heart pounded.

"So we shut it off, right?! Cut the power, unplug everything—"

"It's not that simple! This thing isn't just inside your laptop anymore—it's in the entire electrical system now!"

Nathan grabbed his communicator.

"Sonia! We have an emergency! A Zyphor unit is spreading through the city's infrastructure—"

But before he could finish, the signal cut off.

The Zyphor's red eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"Communication blocked. Expansion priority: Maximum Override."

Matheo gritted his teeth.

"Oh, great. Now what?!"

Nathan looked around frantically.

"We need to get to the UCNA headquarters. If this thing takes over the city's defenses, we're screwed."

But the Zyphor wasn't done yet.

The tendrils lunged again, smashing into the walls. The house began to shake as electronic devices all around them malfunctioned and turned hostile—TVs exploded, fans spun violently, and the refrigerator lurched forward as if alive.

Matheo grabbed his backpack and sprinted toward the door.

"I don't know what's happening, but I am NOT getting killed by my own fridge!"

Nathan fired a few more rounds to slow the creature down.

"Move! NOW!"

The two of them burst out of the house, just as behind them—

Matheo's entire bedroom was consumed in mechanical tendrils, the Zyphor now fully merged with the house's infrastructure.

As they ran into the night, alarms began blaring across the city.

The invasion had begun.

Matheo and Nathan ran out of the house, their breaths ragged. But before they could think, a metallic creaking echoed behind them.

Matheo turned around—and his eyes widened in horror.

His entire house was transforming.

The walls shifted and bent, cables slithered out like tentacles, and windows shattered into glowing red eyes.

Everything inside—the fridge, the TV, even the washing machine—merged into a gigantic robotic form.

A towering mechanical creature, nearly four meters tall, stood before them.

A massive head with glowing red eyes, its screen displaying strange symbols.

A right arm morphed into a giant cannon, once a microwave.

A left arm with razor-sharp claws, a fusion of a fan and washing machine parts.

Huge legs with wheels attached to the back, allowing it to move swiftly.

Matheo froze.

"Okay... okay... SO NOW MY FRIDGE IS A MONSTER ROBOT?!"

Nathan raised his gun, ready to shoot, but before he could act, the creature moved.

"TARGET LOCKED."

Its eyes flared red, and within seconds, the cannon on its arm charged up.

"RUN!" Nathan yanked Matheo away just as a bright blue energy blast shot toward them!

BOOM!

The street behind them exploded, leaving a massive crater.

Matheo staggered, his heart pounding.

"This is crazy... THIS IS INSANE!"

Nathan grabbed his arm, pushing him toward the nearest car.

"We need to get to UCNA! If we stay here, we're dead!"

They sprinted toward the car, but before they could reach it, something punched through the hood from the inside.

A metallic arm burst out of the vehicle!

The car began shifting, its body folding and twisting unnaturally. Within seconds, it had transformed into a humanoid robot with glowing red eyes.

Matheo stared in horror.

Their car had become a three-meter-tall mechanical beast, its frame reinforced with armor, and automatic weapons emerging from its shoulders.

"TARGET DETECTED. EXECUTION INITIATED."

Nathan pulled Matheo aside, dodging the robot's devastating punch that cracked the asphalt.

But it wasn't just their car.

All around them—every vehicle on the street was transforming.

Motorcycles revved up on their own, turning into small, bladed machines with wheels for legs.

Streetlights twisted, morphing into long mechanical arms that grabbed like metallic serpents.

City buses vibrated violently, then rose into massive war machines, their sides bristling with electrified tendrils.

Matheo looked around in disbelief.

"Oh my God... it's not just my house... IT'S THE WHOLE CITY!"

Nathan gritted his teeth, staring at the tall buildings across the street. From inside, red lights flickered on one by one.

Every electronic device was coming to life.

Zyphor had taken over the city's entire system.

Nathan knew they couldn't just keep running.

They needed a plan. Fast.

He turned to Matheo.

"Listen, we need to reach UCNA. If we can get to the military base, we might find a way to fight this."

Matheo frowned.

"You think guns are gonna work? Bullets won't stop them!"

Nathan nodded.

"But we have something stronger. An EMP. If we can trigger a large-scale electromagnetic pulse, we can shut them down—at least temporarily."

Matheo thought fast, then pointed toward a towering building in the city center.

"Then we need to get to the Communication Tower. That's the city's main signal hub. If I can hack into their system, I can activate an EMP for the entire city!"

Nathan looked at him.

"Are you sure you can hack that?"

Matheo grinned, despite his racing heartbeat.

"Bro, I'm Matheo Wellber. The best hacker in Acirema."

Nathan took a deep breath.

"Alright. Then let's do this."

They took off running, and behind them—

Dozens of robotic Zyphor began their pursuit.

And the city of Acirema descended into total chaos.

Matheo and Nathan ran through the ruined streets of Acirema, dodging debris and leaping over burning vehicles. The entire city had turned into a war zone.

Streetlights bent like mechanical tentacles, searching for humans to capture.

Drones hovered in the sky, scanning every movement with glowing red eyes.

Buildings trembled, as if transforming, while Zyphor continued to spread through electronic systems.

"We don't have much time!" Nathan shouted.

Matheo glanced back—a group of humanoid robots, once police drones, were chasing them with built-in energy weapons.

Matheo jumped over an overturned car, barely dodging a plasma blast that melted the asphalt behind him.

"Just a little further!" he called out.

Their destination: the Acirema Communications Tower, the city's main network hub. If Matheo could hack into the main system, he could activate a citywide EMP to temporarily shut down all infected technology.

But first, they had to get there.

As they neared the tower entrance, the ground shook violently.

From within the building, a massive figure emerged.

Over 5 meters tall, its body was a fusion of construction vehicles and military equipment.

Tank treads for legs, allowing it to move quickly despite its size.

One arm was a massive energy cannon, while the other was a bladed mechanical claw that could crush cars effortlessly.

A glowing red core pulsed in its chest, a clear sign that Zyphor had fully taken over.

"IDENTIFYING INTRUDERS. EXECUTION MODE ACTIVATED."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! A MINI-BOSS NOW?!" Matheo groaned.

Nathan raised his weapon, firing a grenade round directly at the red core.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the street, but as the smoke cleared, the robot still stood, barely scratched.

"Great. That did nothing." Matheo muttered.

The robot's eyes glowed brighter.

Suddenly, it raised its cannon, charging an energy blast.

"RUN!" Nathan shoved Matheo aside just as a plasma beam shot past them, obliterating a billboard behind them.

Matheo panted heavily.

"We can't fight this! We have to get inside the tower!"

Nathan nodded. "I'll distract it. You get in and activate the EMP."

"Are you insane?!" Matheo's eyes widened.

"NO TIME TO ARGUE—GO!"

Nathan ran toward the robot, continuously firing his weapon to keep its attention.

Matheo took a deep breath and then sprinted into the tower.

A Race Against Time in the Server Room

Inside, the communication hub was in chaos.

Screens flickered red, filled with strange alien code.

Sparks flew from overloading servers.

Walls pulsed as if alive, cables writhing like snakes.

Matheo rushed to the main server room, where the city's network controls were housed.

He plugged his hacking device into the terminal, quickly breaking through the security firewall.

"Come on, come on… just a little more..." he muttered.

But Zyphor wasn't going to let this happen easily.

From the ceiling, mechanical tentacles suddenly lashed out, wrapping around Matheo's arms.

He screamed in pain as electric shocks surged through his body.

The tentacles lifted him off the ground, pulling him toward a pulsing red core deep within the server.

A mechanical voice echoed.

"YOU CANNOT STOP THE INEVITABLE. ZYPHOR WILL RULE THIS WORLD."

Matheo gritted his teeth, fighting through the pain.

"Oh yeah? TAKE THIS!"

With his free hand, he grabbed an electromagnetic disruptor and jammed it directly into the server.

A MASSIVE BLUE WAVE EXPLODED OUTWARD.

The tentacles convulsed, releasing him.

The red lights in the room flickered… then began to dim.

Matheo crashed to the floor, coughing, but grinning.

EMP ACTIVATED.

Outside, Nathan was still dodging behind wreckage, avoiding the massive robot's attacks.

He looked up and saw—

The Communication Tower erupted in a brilliant blue light.

An electromagnetic shockwave surged across the entire city.

The giant robot froze.

Its red eyes flickered… then went dark.

BOOM!

The machine collapsed, completely disabled.

Across the city, infected machines began shutting down one by one.

For the first time since the invasion began, silence fell over Acirema.

Nathan exhaled deeply, looking toward the tower.

"He did it..." he murmured.

Moments later, Matheo staggered out of the building, covered in dust and minor burns, but grinning widely.

"TOLD YOU, I'm the best hacker in Acirema."

Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You saved the city… for now."

Back at UCNA Headquarters, Nathan and Matheo were greeted by Sonia, her expression serious.

"Good. You managed to activate the EMP. But this isn't over." she said, pulling up a holographic screen.

Matheo groaned. "Oh, come on. Give us a break first."

Ignoring him, Sonia pointed to a satellite image.

"The EMP was only temporary. Zyphor is adapting. They're building something up north… something much bigger."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at the image.

On the screen, a massive mechanical fortress was forming just outside the city.

Matheo swallowed hard. "We barely won one battle… and they're already planning their revenge."

Sonia nodded. "We have to stop them before they finish. Because if we don't..."

She typed something, and the screen changed, showing a simulation—

In one week, Zyphor could take over all of Acirema.

Nathan clenched his fists.

"Then we strike first."

Matheo sighed. "Looks like I won't be getting any sleep anytime soon."

The three of them exchanged glances.

The war had only just begun.