Chapter 21: The War of the Past

*Creak...*

The Cube gently pushed open the airtight wooden door. The scent of Zhang Xiaowen's living flesh instantly roused a dormant zombie inside. Like a computer booting instantly from power-saving mode, the creature lunged forward with a guttural roar.

Zhang sidestepped the rotting claws and thrust her shortsword through the zombie's mouth. The blade emerged from its occipital bone. Kicking the corpse away, she wiped her weapon on a discarded uniform. Clad in tactical gear from helmet to kneepads, she spun the blade with practiced ease.

"Impressive." The Cube rolled past scattered paperwork on wheeled feet, kicking a printer aside. Behind the next door stood a massive weapons locker still sealed with warnings intact.

*Sniff sniff* "Gun oil... gunpowder..." The Cube's sensors flared. "Little beauty, bring that table over."

Zhang rolled her eyes at the sudden endearment but complied. Standing atop the desk, the Cube hummed an alien tune while pressing its auditory sensors to the combination lock. "Primitive but delightful. Brute-forcing would insult my capabilities."

"Is that a Dragon Star pop song?" Zhang leaned against the wall.

"Dragon Star abandoned entertainment eons ago. All focus went to science. Your Earth's obsession with celebrities baffles me – worshipping empty faces while ignoring real contributors."

"Hey! The virus was an accident! We had rich cultur—"

"Accident?" The Cube interrupted. Holographic war footage projected onto Zhang's visor: Dragon Star warships clashing with chitinous alien vessels in space. Armored soldiers fought insectoid horrors amidst floating debris. "The Zerg invaded. Forty million soldiers died over two centuries of war. Your planet? One bioweapon leak would end everything."

Zhang stared at the carnage. "Two... hundred years?"

*Click.* The locker opened. Rows of Type 92 pistols gleamed alongside tear gas canisters and flashbangs. The Cube's voice lightened: "Ah, Earth's primitive toys. Perfect for ambushing rapist gangs... or deafening zombies."