The Horizon Talon entered Newport’s harbor under the fading glow of sunset. Once a beacon of Sovereign Maritime Corps strength, the naval facility was now a skeletal ruin. Docks jutted out unevenly into the water, some sections missing entirely, while scorched debris bobbed lazily in the waves. The silence of the harbor was heavy, punctuated only by the distant, guttural sounds of creatures beyond the crumbled walls.

  Kade stood on the aftcastle, surveying the scene with an analytical eye. Her focus landed on a fortified position nestled within the rubble. They were little more than scrap metal barricades, hastily stacked sandbags, and a few lookout points fashioned from salvaged wood. The survivors moved like people with no hope within their stronghold, their uniforms a patchwork of SMC Navy, SMC Marine, and US Army gear. Although their weapons were pointed at the Horizon Talon, their weary movements betrayed a lack of hostility.

  The Talon slowed as the crew adjusted the sails. Kade scanned the fortification systematically, noting how the barricades would fare under fire. A single cannon shot could breach the main entry point. The makeshift towers, while cleverly positioned, were too flimsy to hold under sustained pressure. If this came to a fight, it wouldn’t be a long one, but the cost would be high for everyone involved.

  "This is what’s left of Newport," Bishop said, "Doesn’t exactly scream ‘welcome.’"

  "They’re on edge," Kade replied, her tone pragmatic. "That means they’re thinking, not panicking. It’s a start."

  Captain Voss added, "Let’s not give them a reason to change their minds."

  The sailboat escorting them veered off toward the dock, signaling its crew to stand by. Kade turned her attention to a group of figures emerging from the fortification, their movements more professional than what she had observed from others moving around the base despite their tattered uniforms. They carried swords and crossbows, their stances disciplined but cautious. The lead figure, an Army sergeant judging by the style of his uniform and rank insignia, gestured for the others to hold as he began walking toward the dock’s edge.

  The Talon eased into position, the crew throwing lines to secure the ship. Kade noted the survivors were watching every movement, and their tension was obvious even at this distance. She caught sight of the weapons bristling behind the barricades and made a mental note of their readiness.

  "Bishop, you’ve got the ship," Voss said suddenly, his voice calm but firm.

  She blinked, turning to face him. "Sir, that’s against protocol. The captain doesn’t disembark in an unsecured situation."

  "You’re coming with me," Voss replied, his tone unyielding. "Bishop has the deck. If this goes south, I trust him to provide cover."

  Bishop said, "With respect, sir, if it’s risky enough for that, you shouldn’t leave the ship at all."

  "That’s noted, Lieutenants. But right now, showing them our leadership is the only way this works. If we’re going to build trust, it starts face to face," Voss said.

  Kade’s mouth opened, then closed as she recalibrated her response. The captain’s tone left no room for argument.

  "Understood," she said crisply, falling into step beside him.

  The two moved toward the gangplank, the dock groaning slightly under the weight of their boots as they descended. The Army sergeant advanced from the other side, his crossbow slung across his back, but his movements deliberate. Behind him, the others held their positions, weapons at the ready. The tension between the two groups felt like a wire pulled taut, ready to snap at the slightest provocation.

  Kade’s gaze moved between the fortifications and the survivors, assessing. Their wariness was expected, but there was a glimmer of something else in their eyes. It was hope masked by exhaustion. As she and Voss stepped onto the dock, the sergeant slowed, his expression guarded but not hostile.

  She kept her stance loose but ready as the Sergeant approached. Even from a distance, she could see the toll the days since the cataclysm started had taken on him. His Army fatigues had several holes roughly sewn back together, his movements had a slight limp to them. When he stopped a few feet from Voss, he straightened as though sheer will alone could hold his posture together. His weapons remained in place, his hands empty at what Kade noted as an intentional signal of peace.

  "Lieutenant Commander Voss," Myers began, his voice hoarse, "Sergeant Richard Myers, U.S. Army."

  He nodded quickly toward the other officers. "Apologies for the… confusion earlier. We’ve been on ragged edge since the attack by that other ship and the end of the world, of course."

  "Understood, Sergeant," Voss replied, his tone steady. "You’ve done well to hold this position. Few could, given the circumstances."

  Myers’s shoulders sagged slightly, the praise cutting through whatever armor of stoicism he’d tried to maintain.

  "We lost most of our senior officers in the first strike. The ship... it hit us fast. I issued the order to turn everyone away, just to buy us time to regroup. I didn’t want to take any more chances. We were unprepared the first time because we thought it was help arriving to push back the monsters or provide evac. That was a mistake."

  Kade studied the man as he spoke. He was apologetic and deferential to Voss’s rank, but the weight of command hung heavily on him. His eyes darted to the side more often than not, as if expecting someone to swoop in and correct him. He wasn’t weak, but it was clear he’d been running on fumes, hoping for anyone to step in and take the burden.

  "How many?" Voss asked gently. "How many did you lose?"

  Myers hesitated. "One hundred and thirty-seven in the first moments. Another dozen or every day after that. We’re down to thirty-two now, including myself. SMC, Army, Marines, we’re all that’s left. We’ve managed to hold the dock, but…" He faltered, glancing toward the fortification. "We’re running on empty. Our food is almost gone, and we've exhausted most of our expendables. We were close to just trying to make a break for it."

  "You won't need to do that now, Sergeant," Kade interjected.

  The words hung in the air, and Myers gave her a faint nod of thanks. Kade kept her expression neutral, but her thoughts churned. This outpost wasn’t sustainable. The fortifications wouldn’t hold indefinitely, not with their numbers dwindling and supplies gone. It was impossible for the survivors to remain. The only actual solution was to take them with the Horizon Talon. She didn’t know how the captain would feel about that, but in her mind, it was the only logical move.

  "We can help with the immediate need," Voss said. "The Horizon Talon has food and supplies to spare, enough to get your people stabilized."

  Myers blinked, relief flashing across his face before he tamped it down. "That’s… appreciated, sir. More than I can say."

  "It’s what we’re here for," Voss replied.

  "But to understand how best to help, I’ll need a report. Everything you can tell us about the state of this outpost, the surrounding area, and the Widow’s Grin. Whatever intelligence you have, Sergeant."

  "Yes, sir," Myers said quickly. His back straightened slightly, as if the clear direction had given him a second wind. "Begging your pardon, sir, but we should probably debrief on your ship. If we get hit with a monster attack, the fortifications can get dicey."

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  "Agreed," Voss said with a nod. "In the meantime, we’ll send over some supplies to get your people settled."

  "Captain, might I recommend deploying Lt. Lawson and his Marines to help fortify the defenses?" Kade said.

  "Yes, that is a good call. We need these fortifications to hold until we find what we're looking for and situate Sargeant Myer's men," the Captain replied.

  Kade glanced at Myers again, taking in the faint tremor in his hands and the hollowness in his cheeks. He was hanging on, barely, but she could see in his eyes the faint spark of hope that Voss’s calm leadership had kindled. She allowed herself a moment of relief. These people weren’t beyond saving, but it would take more than a few crates of food to keep them alive.

  It took the group only a few moments to move the conversation to the Captain's ready room. With the four of them inside, the ready room felt smaller than usual. The narrow table at its center, cluttered with charts and logs, barely left room for chairs. Kade leaned against the wall near the door, keeping herself out of the tight circle while still close enough to observe everything.

  Sergeant Myers sat stiffly, his posture caught somewhere between military discipline and exhaustion. The hollows under his eyes and his unkempt uniform betrayed the toll of survival. There was a flicker of life in his expression now. A spark of hope that hadn’t been there on the docks.

  Lawson stood to one side, his posture casual but his gaze sharp. He’d already sent Gunnery Sergeant Briggs to organize Myers’s soldiers into the defensive lines. Kade noted the faint twitch in Lawson’s jaw. He obviously didn’t like this situation, but he hadn’t said a word of complaint.

  "Sergeant Myers, let’s hear it. What are we working with here?" Captain Voss asked.

  "Sir, first, I… I need to thank you. For your help. My people…" He paused, swallowing hard. "We’ve been holding on by a thread. I didn’t think anyone else was still fighting. Knowing there’s a ship like yours out there… it’s a lifeline, sir. One we won’t waste."

  "We’re not in the business of wasting people, Sergeant," Voss replied evenly. "But to bring your team into the fold, we need to know exactly what we’re dealing with."

  "Of course, sir. Our defenses are…" He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Barebones, at best. We’ve fortified what we could, but with our numbers and supplies, it’s more of a deterrent than anything. If something like the Widow’s Grin came back or one of the bigger monsters in the area like that giant, we wouldn’t hold."

  "And the intel in the admin building?" Voss pressed.

  "My CO, Colonel Davis, told me there was critical intel locked in the admin building before he… before the end of the world hit us. I don’t know the details, but he mentioned something about Station Block Island."

  "That name keeps coming up," Voss said. "What did Davis tell you about Block Island?"

  "Not much," Myers admitted, "Just that it was a fallback contingency. A plan to address a cataclysmic event. I don’t know if the higher-ups knew what was coming, but it sure seemed like they did. There was a lot of movement on the day before the reboot. Supplies, personnel, and entire units relocating. But it was chaos, sir. The way it looked to me, the reset obviously happened faster than anyone higher up expected. Assuming that they expected it."

  The captain’s hands rested on the edge of the table, his focus sharp. "And what is Block Island?"

  "Fortified position, supposedly, sir. At least, that was the plan. I can't say for sure since we never made it there. The reset wiped out our transport options, and the Colonel didn’t make it past the first wave."

  The room was silent for a moment as Myers’s words settled over them. For the first time, they received a clear picture of what happened during the reset.

  Finally, he added, "If the admin building’s files are still intact, they might tell us what the government knew about the reboot or how they planned to survive it."

  "Let me guess," Lawson said dryly, "That building’s crawling with monsters."

  "Big ones," Myers confirmed grimly. "We’ve stayed away."

  "We also found something else when we were searching for food. We walked through a doorway and got a simulation message that we had entered a 'dungeon.' It was like something straight out of a video game. Dungeons always meant bigger risks and bigger rewards from my days of playing online games. So we decided not to risk it. We couldn't take unnecessary chances."

  Kade’s thoughts lingered at the mention of a dungeon. More monsters meant danger, yes, but also potential opportunity. Dungeons in most games were risky, but they often held supplies, weapons, or even something more valuable: answers. It could, in fact, be worth the risk.

  "We don’t have the luxury of staying away from the admin building. If that intel’s in there, we need it." Voss stated.

  "And the defenders?" Kade asked. "They’re not staying here long-term. We’ve got to bring them aboard."

  Voss nodded. "Agreed. Cole’s already prepping gear for Myers’s men, but we’ll need them ready to contribute immediately. Once we secure the admin building, we’ll make for Block Island. Fast."

  Myers blinked, visibly stunned. "You’re taking us with you? All of us?"

  "That was always the plan, Sergeant," Voss said. "But survival comes with expectations. You and your people are part of this crew now. That means orders, discipline, and pulling your weight. No matter the branch, you're part of the SMC now."

  "You’ll have it, sir," Myers said quickly. "Whatever you need. Just say the word."

  "Then let’s start with that building." Voss stood, signaling the meeting’s end. "Lawson, prepare your team. Kade, I want you leading the insertion."

  "Yes, sir," she said. "Myers, we're going to need some of your team with us when we assault the admin building. Lawson, stick around and we can plan our next steps."

  Kade remained by the door, her eyes darting between Myers and Lawson as the conversation took shape. A map of the administrative building, scribbled hastily on a scrap of paper by Myers during the conversation, lay in the center of the table. The crude lines and markings didn’t inspire confidence, but it was better than nothing.

  Myers leaned forward, his expression alight with purpose. For the first time since they’d met, Kade noticed a spark of energy in him. The Sergeant was eager, to the point of sounding desperate, to be part of something other than survival by attrition.

  "The building’s got five floors," Myers began. "The room we’re looking for is on the top floor. It’s reinforced, probably an old secure records office. Two security officers we added to our motley band used to work there. They can guide us through most of it, but we've never reached the top two floors." He hesitated, glancing at Kade and Lawson. "It's pretty bad."

  "Define bad." Lawson asked.

  "The monsters," Myers said grimly. "We’ve seen two kinds around the building. The first are the rat people. Rodentia, I think they’re called? They’re nasty. They’re fast, they swarm, and they’re territorial. Last time we tried to get inside, they drove us out before we made it past the second floor."

  "We've seen the rodentia before. Nasty little buggers. And the other group?" Kade prompted,

  "Fish people," Myers said, shaking his head. "We couldn't get a name on them. We’ve only seen them a few times, usually near the waterline. They’re slower when they're out of the water, but they're strong and seem to have better weapons. They seem to want the building for some reason, too."

  "Do you think they flip-flop control of the building?" Lawson asked, leaning forward.

  Myers shrugged. "If I had to guess, the rats have a solid hold on it. They’ve been inside every time we’ve scouted the place. But we haven’t been able to stay long enough to be sure. The last thing we want is to get caught between two groups fighting for territory."

  "Rodentia upstairs, sushi downstairs. Hell of a floor plan." Lawson said.

  Kade nodded slowly, her mind already running through the implications. Two factions of monsters, each dangerous in their own way. A contested building might explain the erratic behavior Myers’s team observed. It also meant any incursion had to be surgical. Quick in and out, with as little noise as possible. She frowned. Noise had a way of finding you.

  Lawson tapped the edge of the map. "Kade’s in overall command. I’ll take the Marines in. Myers, if you’re coming, you’ll slot in under Briggs. He’s my second. My team’s been working together since this started, and we need to keep the chain of command tight."

  "No argument there," Myers said quickly. "You’ve got the experience, and your team knows what they’re doing. I’m just glad finally to be part of something other than waiting to die.

  "Then let’s make sure it counts," Lawson responded.

  "The rodentia don't sound like they're going to let us just walk around in their house." Kade said. "If they’re still in control of the building, we’ll need to keep the engagement close and fast. Marines will take the lead, and we’ll set fallback positions on each floor in case things go sideways. Speed’s our best defense here."

  "And the lack of armor?" Lawson asked. "We’ve got weapons, but most of us are going in with just cloth and leather. The rats have claws, and I’m not exactly thrilled about seeing what those fish people can do up close."

  "We mitigate that with tight formations and choke points. Use the terrain. Pike poles to hold the line, smaller weapons for anyone who gets too close. This isn’t about wiping out the enemy. It’s about getting to the top floor and back." Kade said. "When we get a moment to breathe, you're right. We've got to figure out what to do about armor."

  "Olsen and Tanner can guide us through the lower floors. They know the layout and the best routes. The problem is going to be the top. If the rats have fortified it…" Myers said.

  "They won’t see us coming," Lawson interrupted. "We’ll move fast enough. They won’t have time to."

  "Fast is good," Kade agreed. "This will not be pretty, but it’ll work. Myers, get your security officers briefed and ready to go. Lawson, prep the Marines and coordinate with Briggs."

  "Yes, ma’am," Lawson said, standing. Myers followed suit, nodding quickly as he left to gather his team.

  As the room emptied, Kade allowed herself a moment to exhale as she ran over the risks. The contested building, the monsters, the lack of proper gear. But she reached out to pick up the crude outline of the building’s top floor. Somewhere in there was the key to understanding what was going on and maybe even a way to get ahead in this fractured world.

  check out The Grand Crusade. It is set in the same universe with different characters and plots, but it shares the same strange new world after the Simulation reboot.

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