After Justin made his frantic retreat, a door near the one he had been trying to unlock slid open, its lone occupant having reawakened.

And a different kind of machine emerged from the darkness beyond that door. Narrow, malevolent infrared optics glowing from within as sensors picked up on Justin’s residual trail. Tank-like tracks started rolling as it reactivated its weapons systems.

As was the case with all previous Intruders, none of the gateways had been compromised. As before, the subject simply appeared in a random point in the sector without apparent origin. As was always the case before, its reported movements were already taking on a random, disorganized, apparently aimless, series of directions. And, as all others before it, this one was also going to be terminated with extreme prejudice.

For the first time in many years, it had an Intruder to hunt.