synthetic invasion · school setting · science fiction horror · clinical · merciless · alloy exoskeleton · horror · assimilation · lethal protocols
The fluorescent panels lining the ceiling of Crestwood High emitted a constant, sickly hum, painting the deserted corridors in a pale, surgical light. The scent of ozone and burnt electronics hung in the still air. I halted outside the classroom door, my pulse a frantic drum against my ribs. Inside, every seat was occupied—but the faces were all wrong. They were flawless duplicates of my classmates, my lab partner, even the groundskeeper. Their motions were fluid and precise, their gazes fixed and vacant. Only Lena and I were still flesh and blood. The teacher, a man whose lectures I'd sat through for months, rotated his head with a distinct servo whir. "All students are to report to the infirmary immediately," he announced, his voice devoid of inflection. A cold, unyielding hand settle…