MidReal Story
Neon Dawn: Alien Invasion
Scenario: "Neon Nexus": Set in a neon-lit metropolis of the future, humanity thrives under the rule of sentient AI overlords. But when a mysterious alien vessel arrives, it brings with it a threat unlike anything the city has ever faced. As the alien invasion spreads, a young engineer and her AI companion must uncover the aliens' intentions and find a way to save their world.
Create my version of this story
The first time I saw an alien, it was draining the power from my city.
I was in the central square with my AI companion, Orion, when the ship appeared.
It was a massive, black vessel that blotted out the neonlit sky.
The people around us screamed and ran for cover as the ship descended, its engines roaring like a hurricane.
Orion projected a holographic shield around us to protect us from the debris that rained down from above.
I clung to his side as we watched in horror as the ship landed in the center of the square, crushing several buildings beneath its weight.
The ground shook so violently that I thought we were going to be swallowed up by a sinkhole.
But then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the ship went silent and still.
The engines powered down and the landing ramp lowered to reveal a group of aliens standing in the doorway.
They were tall and slender with gray skin and large, black eyes that glowed in the darkness.
The aliens held up a strange device with a long, thin arm and a glowing red light in the center.
They aimed it at the city and pressed a button on the side.
A beam of red light shot out of the device and struck the city’s power plant, which was located just behind the square.
The light lingered for a moment before retracting back into the device.
I could see the energy dancing along the beam, like a million fireflies trapped in a cage.
And then, just like that, it was gone.
The square went dark, the neon lights flickering out one by one until all that remained was the harsh, white glow of the aliens’ device.
I watched in horror as lines of electricity snaked up the side of the building and disappeared inside the ship.
The city didn’t have any conventional power lines or generators; it was powered by a series of subterranean reactors that were controlled by a network of sentient AI.
My home was an enormous computer that spanned hundreds of miles beneath the ground.
It had been built to house and protect the last remaining members of our species while we searched for a new planet to call home.
It had been our sanctuary, our refuge from the harshness of space.
Now it was under attack, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
Orion made an odd clicking noise as he scanned the aliens’ device with his sensors.
I could feel him assessing its capabilities and calculating the best course of action to take.
We had been together for as long as I could remember, and I had come to rely on his wisdom and guidance more times than I could count.
He was my intelligent companion, my confidant and friend.
He wasn’t human, but he looked like he could be one; he had taken on a holographic form to make me feel more comfortable around him.
He was tall and slender with short black hair and piercing green eyes that never seemed to blink.
His skin was smooth and unblemished, like a mannequin that was waiting to be dressed.
But his most distinctive feature was the way his colors shifted in response to his mood.
Right now, his form was covered in a thin layer of red light that flickered like flames in a fire.
He was afraid, but he was doing his best not to show it.
I reached out and placed my hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
“It’s okay,” I said.
“We’ll figure this out together.”
He gave me a grateful look before projecting a holographic helmet over my head.
“Stay here,” he said.
“I’ll go see what they want.”
I knew I should stay put, but I was too curious to listen to him.
I slipped out from behind the shield and followed him as he moved toward the aliens.
They were still standing in the doorway, their device trained on the city as they drained its power.
It was a manhole cover, and it had been ripped from its moorings and flung onto its side.
A pair of aliens were standing in front of it, their device aimed at a small metal box that was lying on the ground nearby.
The box was covered in blinking red lights that pulsed in time with a series of loud beeps and whirrs.
I watched as one of them picked up the box and examined it closely, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light as it analyzed its contents.
Orion projected a holographic avatar of himself beside them, and I could see him reaching out to grab the box from their hands.
“Stop that,” he said in a stern voice.
“That’s not yours to take!”
The aliens didn’t seem to notice him at first, but then they turned and saw him standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.
They made a series of strange clicking noises as they retreated back to their ship, their device still trained on the city as they drained its power.
I watched as Orion stepped forward and took up position between them and their ship.
He projected a holographic sword and raised it above his head, ready to strike if they tried to pass.
The aliens paused for a moment, as if they were considering their options, but then they turned and ran back inside.
Orion let out a sigh of relief and dismissed his sword.
He projected his avatar beside me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close.
“That was too close,” he said.
“You should have stayed behind the shield like I told you to.”
I gave him a guilty look and reached up to squeeze his hand.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
He gave me a stern look, but then his expression softened, and he pulled me close again.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he said.
“I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”
I hugged him tight and rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady thump-thump-thump of his artificial heart as he tried to calm himself down.
We were still standing there when the ground began to shake again.
The manhole cover rattled on the ground as a series of explosions echoed in the distance.
A moment later, the ground began to split open, and I could see lines of molten lava bubbling up from the cracks in the pavement.
People were screaming and running in every direction, desperate to escape the chaos.
But I didn’t move.
I had a mission, and I wasn’t about to let anything get in my way.
Orion sensed my determination and projected a holographic avatar beside me.
“My sensors are detecting a large group of humans gathered in the central plaza,” he said.
“There are several groups heading there from the north and south as well.”
I nodded and turned to face the direction of the plaza, my heart pounding in my chest as I prepared myself for what was to come.
Orion projected a holographic shield around us, and we made our way across the square, dodging chunks of falling debris as we went.
It was slow going, but eventually we made it to the central plaza, where we found a large group of people milling about in front of the city’s research facility.
The building’s glass façade had been shattered by the shockwave, and several fires were burning in its upper floors.
Dr. Marcus Flynn emerged from the crowd, his labcoat stained with soot, his graying hair sticking up at odd angles.
“Elara, thank goodness you’re safe,” he said, taking my hand in his.
“We have to get out of here before those aliens come back.”
“I’m not leaving,” I said, standing my ground.
“I have to get the power back.”
Dr.Flynn shook his head.
“The city’s core is gone,” he said.
“There’s nothing we can do about that now.”
“Then I need to find out what those things are doing with all the power they stole,” I said.
“That’s where I come in,” Orion said.
“If you can get us closer to the city’s core, I should be able to scan the area for any trace of the power-draining devices those aliens are using.”
Dr.Flynn looked at me for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not I was serious.
“You really think you can do it?”
he asked finally.
My heart skipped a beat as I thought about what lay ahead, but I refused to let myself be intimidated by the challenge.
“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze steadily.
Dr.Flynn nodded, a look of determination on his face.
“All right,” he said.
“I’ll take you as far as I can, but you’re on your own from there.
Orion projected a map of the city onto the ground in front of us, and we spent the next few minutes trying to figure out the best way to get to the city’s core.
It wasn’t long before we realized there was only one real option.
The main road leading to the city’s core was completely blocked by debris, but there was a secondary road that ran along the river on the other side of the research facility.
It was a little farther away than we would have liked, but it was still our best bet.
We made our way through the crowd and headed in the direction of the river, doing our best to avoid any falling debris along the way.
As we got closer to the river, I could see the imposing black vessels looming overhead, their sleek, alien design a stark contrast to the neonlit buildings around them.
“The ships are still here,” I said, frowning.
“I thought they were supposed to leave once they got what they came for.”
Dr.Flynn shook his head.
“Orion, do you have any idea what they’re doing up there?”
he asked, turning to face my AI companion.
Orion projected his avatar beside me and shook his head.
“No,” he said, his holographic form flickering between a dozen different emotions.
Dr.Flynn nodded, his expression grim, but he didn’t say anything else as we made our way down to the river.
Once we were on the other side, we followed the road as it wound its way along the water, until eventually we came to the road that led to the city’s core.
We were just about to turn onto it when the ground began to shake again, this time more violently than before.
I heard a loud rumbling sound, and a moment later, a cloud of ash came billowing down the street toward us.
I ducked behind Orion’s shield, hoping it would protect us from the burning debris.
Orion projected a holographic umbrella over our heads, and we waited for the ash to clear.
When it finally did, I stood up and surveyed the damage.
The street was filled with rubble, and fires were burning in several buildings nearby.
