Johan switched into instinctive mode, hacking at the Bioid with all the might he could muster. Red blood mingled with blue hydraulic fluid and clear coolant as the enemy agent was terminated. His victory, however, was short-lived.

He heard a noise behind him. Whirling around, he noticed five Bioids—four holding corpses, one commanding them. The corpses were two civilians, a New-Nazi, and an Earth Defense Force agent. There was something off about them, though—it looked as if they had too much damage, and Johan thought he could see marks of perimortem operations.

“You are to place them behind the bulkhead for now,” the machine voice growled. “Then, you must create more battle damage after we terminate all resistance. Into this environment will then be placed our four special agents.”

Johan’s mind was reeling. More damage? Special agents? Were the corpses somehow not really corpses—were they sophisticated, untraceable Bioids?

“There!” one of the Bioids shouted. “At the door!”

The inferno was scorching.