John kept his M416 aimed at the bot's chest, his finger trembling on the trigger. In the silent field of Erangel, the only sound was the distant crackle of the shrinking blue zone.
"Who... what are you?" John's voice echoed through the world chat, filled with a mix of terror and hope. "You move like him. You shoot like him. But you're wearing a bot's skin."
The bot—Michael—stood perfectly still. He wanted to scream, to tell John about the plane crash and how he woke up in this digital hell. He tried to force his vocal cords to work, but the system's firewall pushed back with a searing, electronic pain.
[Warning: Unauthorized Vocal Input Detected]
[System Action: Restricting Communication]
Michael ignored the warnings. He looked down at the dirt and began to move his feet. Using the tip of his combat boot, he struggled against the game's rigid physics to carve letters into the virtual soil. It was slow and agonizing, but he managed to trace seven letters:
M - I - C - H - A - E - L
John's breath hitched. He lowered his gun, his knees hitting the grass. "Michael...? No, it's impossible. The news said the crash... there were no survivors."
Michael stepped closer and dropped his Level 3 helmet on the ground between them. It was a gesture of total trust—the same way they used to share loot during their pro championship runs. He then pointed his finger toward the glowing green flare in the distance, then back to John.
"You're trapped in here, aren't you?" John whispered, his shock turning into a cold, protective rage. "The system... it turned you into a ghost in the machine."
Michael nodded slowly. The rhythmic, robotic nod of a bot, but the intent was purely human.
Suddenly, the hiss of a flare gun signaled from the nearby apartments. Another squad was calling for reinforcements. John stood up, his eyes burning with a new purpose. He grabbed the helmet Michael offered and slammed a fresh magazine into his rifle.
"I don't care if the whole server comes after us," John growled, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his fallen friend. "We're finishing this match. And then, we're going to find a way to get you out."