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show. Previously on The Halloween Offensive.
We've known each other long enough. What's this
about? GNR has an assignment for you. I'm not
doing this for you, Joe. We'll all be damned
if it isn't Bulldog himself. Recon team, this
is Stone. What's your status? Stone. We're a
mile ahead and approaching the designated bridge.
This is an excellent position. Let's deploy the...
You've got contacts coming up on your position
at heading 330 north -northwest. Should have
a route displayed on your HUD. Do not deviate.
The Eagles have a kill zone designated outside
of the route. Episode 1 was the call. Episode
2, the warning. And now, it's too late to turn
back. The ghosts are real, the enemies evolved,
and the cost of survival just came due. This
is Episode 3 of the Halloween Offensive, The
Turning Point. The battle at the outpost was
brutal. We held the line, but it cost us. Two
soldiers didn't make it back, and six more were
injured. Two of them were sent to the local trauma
center, while the rest were patched up on site.
The convoy returned under the cover of dusk.
The final miles blessedly quiet, no sign of the
bugs following us. But the silence didn't bring
us peace. Inside the outpost, the work continued.
Weapons cleaned, equipment repaired, and wounds
tended to. Everyone knew this wasn't the end,
just a momentary lull before the next storm.
And while the sun dipped below the horizon, the
real work was just beginning. Grayson's recon
team was deep into decoding the genetic makeup
of these bugs. Searching for answers we desperately
needed. Alright, here's the big picture. We've
run comparative analyses on every sample collected
during the last engagement. These aren't just
minor mutations. They're full -scale genetic
overhauls. What we're looking at here isn't evolution.
It's transformation. Transformation? You're saying
they're not even the same species anymore? Exactly.
Now, the genetic divergence is staggering. It's
as if they're rewriting their own DNA. The hunters,
the lurkers, even the stalkers, they're becoming
something entirely different. Something more
specialized. Specialized how? Take the Stalkers,
for example. Their camouflage isn't just about
blending in anymore. They've developed the ability
to bend light around their bodies. We're talking
near -perfect invisibility. It's a deliberate
adaptation and it's far more advanced than anything
we've seen. Then why could we see them when they
were hit? If they're so advanced, why show up
after a few hits? Because it's not foolproof.
The ability requires focus. When they're injured,
distracted, or disorientated, they lose control.
At least, that's my working hypothesis. Great.
So they're invisible until we hit them. Any good
news in that report? Good news? Maybe? Their
rapid adaptations are so extreme that they might
be compromising their functions. For instance,
their ability to reproduce appears affected,
but I'd have to study a live one. Are you saying
they're evolving themselves out of existence?
Possibly. But they're also becoming exponentially
more dangerous in the short term. They might
not need to if they can't reproduce at the same
rate. They're optimizing to take us out before
it even matters. It is one of the most studied
parts of the bugs. They appear to have some kind
of control over their DNA. And we're just sitting
here waiting for the next move. Fantastic. Hold
on. New results coming in. The genome changes
are more significant than we thought. There's
evidence they're coordinating. Their adaptations
aren't just some random evolution. It's deliberate.
That I'm sure of. You mean they're working together
on this? It's like a hive mind, but on a genetic
level. They're sharing data and improving collectively.
Every engagement we have with them is making
them stronger. Then we stop engaging. Let's starve
them of whatever it is they're feeding off. It's
not that simple. Avoiding them won't undo the
changes. If anything... It'll just give them
more time to prepare. Then we don't give them
that time. We keep them on the back foot. But
first, we need command to understand what we're
dealing with. I'll send the report. Let's see
if they're as eager to sit on their hands as
they are to send us into the meat grinder. Grayson,
you always find the quiet spots. I swear it's
like you've got a sixth sense for avoiding the
noise. Maybe I just know how to read people,
Stone. It wasn't hard to guess you'd follow me
out here. Guilty as charged. Needed a break from
the chaos. And maybe a little decent company.
Decent company? Flattery won't get you far, Lieutenant.
Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, I figured you'd
appreciate someone to vent to. Even you can't
keep all this bottled up forever. Maybe I'm better
at bottling things up than you think. But you're
right. This, all of this, it's a lot. And sometimes
it's easier not to think about what's next. That's
the thing, isn't it? Thinking about what's next.
It's a dangerous game. Especially for people
like us. You mean people who might actually care
about each other? Yeah, it's not just regulations.
It's the stakes. If something happens, if I screw
up because I'm thinking about you, or vice versa,
it's not just us who'd pay the price. I've thought
about it. More than I should. And it's not fair
to either of us. But that doesn't make it any
easier. Doesn't mean I don't think about it,
Grayson. Every damn day. Same here. But we're
soldiers first, Stone. It's who we are. It's
what we signed up for. to save this conversation
for another quiet moment. If we ever get one.
Command isn't giving us much of a choice here.
They want a livestock. I don't need to tell you
how insane that sounds, do I? No kidding. Cutting
one of these things alive? It's not just insane.
It's suicidal with what we've got. Agreed. But
if we're going to do this, we need to think outside
the box. Traditional traps won't work. They're
too smart for that. Smart's one thing, but they've
got weaknesses, right? We know their camouflage
fails when they're injured or distracted. Maybe
that's a starting point. Alright, let's hear
it. What kind of distraction are we talking about?
Something they can't ignore. Maybe heat signatures
or sound pulses. We can rig a decoy to draw one
out. And how do you keep it alive once it's out
in the open? They're fast, strong, and lethal.
We need containment ready to go before it even
gets close. Containment? With what? A net? Hell,
I don't think we've got anything on base that
could hold a stalker for more than a few seconds.
There's a chance the transport crates for the
shield emitters could work. Reinforced. Shot
-resistant. They might hold up long enough if
we can seal them inside. It's a long shot, but
it's something. What about manpower? We need
a team to lure it in, another to seal the crate.
and backup to cover both. We're spread thin as
it is. Best we can do is two teams, one to bait,
one to capture. Backup's not an option unless
the militia arrives early. And even then, it's
dicey. Dicey doesn't even cover it. We'd be sitting
ducks out there. And what if more of them show
up? We're toast! Okay. Let's simplify. We set
a trap in a controlled area. Tight quarters where
it can't move very easily. The decoy lures it
in and we lock it down. Fast. Tight quarters
could work. But where? We can't risk using the
outpost itself, and anywhere else leaves us too
exposed. What about the storage bay? Reinforced
walls, limited access points... It might buy
us the time we need. Not the worst idea. Still
a death trap if things go sideways. Then we make
sure it doesn't. We set explosives at the entry
points as a last resort. If it gets loose, we
bring the whole bay down. Alright. We've got
the start of a plan. It's not a pretty one, but
it's what we've got. Grayson and Stone, work
out the details. I'll try to let Command know
what we're gonna try. Everyone fan out. The generator
is still unstable. We're working blind out here.
Half the diagnostic systems are fried. Then we
fix it the old -fashioned way. Grayson, get someone
on that manual override. First Sergeant, cover
her team. Grayson, you're covered. Move fast.
Wait, wait, wait. So that's when it happened?
That's how... The captain... That's how he died.
Quick and brutal. A stalker came out of nowhere.
And there was no time to react. Still, a knife?
That's something. Not much of a choice. Bullets
weren't landing clean. And the thing was too
damn close. It was instincts. You don't think
in a moment like that. You just act. And that's
when they started calling him Bulldog. Damn right.
You should have seen him. Blood on his face,
standing over that thing like he'd just fought
a damn war single -handed. The name just stuck.
Still, the knife. That's something. It wasn't
about the knife. It was about sending a message
to the team. We had just lost our commander.
I had to show we wouldn't back down. Not then,
not ever. Well, that ends he was very pissed
off. The generator's stabilized. For now. But
that thing's on borrowed time. Then we use every
second it gives us. First, Sergeant, give me
a head count of anyone able to hold a weapon.
Then get three teams of five and start a sweep
of the outpost. On it, Commander. And, Sergeant,
there's never just one. Private, go grab. Lieutenant,
local militias inbound. Good. Get everyone ready
to move. Grayson, we're not leaving without a
stalker. Prep your team. Already on it. Let's
make this count. You want to know why they called
it the Halloween Offensive? It wasn't just because
of the bugs or the timing. It was because that
night, everything changed. For us, for them,
and for the war. First Sergeant, give me a casualty
report. I need to know who's still standing.
And the generator? That's right. We might get
a few sparks here and there, but the power core
is done for. There's no fixing it out here. Sir,
what about the stalkers? You may have still walked
about alive, right? That's not a priority right
now. We've got lives to save. No, she's right.
But we're not leaving empty -handed. Grayson,
get your team together. We'll catch you on during
the retreat. You want to trap one of those things
while we're already fighting to get out of here?
That's suicide! Not if we plan it right. We've
got the bait. Our retreat will draw them in.
We just need a trap big enough to hold them.
We could - Rig one of the damaged transport containers.
Reinforce it with what's left of the outpost's
plating. It won't be pretty, but it might hold.
Grayson, is the trap ready? Ready as it'll ever
be. We've got one chance at this. Stone, make
it count. Let's draw one in before it's too late.
Roger that. Recon team, with me. Set the bait
and fall back into the defensive line. It's in
possession. Wait, movement on the left. Hold
your fire. now You're talking about the nuke,
aren't you? Damn it. Fine. But you know this
isn't just the end of a base. It's the end of
a lot of hope. Failsafe activated. 30 seconds.
Hope's not in the base, Grayson. It's in us.
We live. We fight another day. That's all that
matters. All units, this is Lieutenant Stone.
We're jiggering the failsafe. This is for everyone
we lost. That concludes Episode 3 of the Halloween
Offensive. This episode was written and produced
and directed by me, Grant Peavyhouse. Featuring
voice performances by... Dwarven Don as Soldier
3. Emily Morris Lee as Past Soldier 4 and Recon
Specialist 1. As Past Soldier 2 and Bartender.
And myself, voicing Soldier 1, the narrator,
Past Soldier 1, and 3. Recon Specialist 2 and
3. Next time on the Halloween Offensive. Lieutenant
Stone, Lieutenant Grayson, this is Colonel Harker.
I'm contacting you on behalf of Central Command.
Your quick thinking and leadership saved countless
lives. Other things, huh? And here I thought
saving your life a dozen times would count for
something. to stay alive but the ghosts keep
marching and so turned us into pawns, expendable
in their grand experiment. And now, I'm left
wondering, what the hell do I do with this truth?
Whatever comes next, one thing's clear, there's
no going back now. The question is, how far am
I willing to go? PV Production LLC owns the rights
and or holds licensing for music and sounds.
This audio drama uses some AI voices and music
in the production. If you are wanting to contact
PV Productions LLC, please visit the website
in the description. Thanks for listening.