The Hot Ground Discovery

Captain Marcus stepped carefully across the glowing rocks of Zombie Lava Land. His bright blue uniform sparkled against the orange glow from the bubbling rivers nearby. Heat waves danced in the air around him.

"This place is hotter than I expected," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. His cartoon-style army gun bounced on his hip as he walked.

Suddenly, something moved behind a tall black rock. Marcus froze. A small figure peeked out - a girl with gray skin and messy purple hair. She had bright green eyes that seemed curious, not scary.

"Hello there," Marcus called softly. The zombie girl tilted her head like a puzzled puppy, then stepped closer.

The Box Test

The zombie girl stepped closer to Marcus. She made soft clicking sounds with her tongue, like a friendly cricket.

"I'm Marcus," he said, pointing to himself. The girl tilted her head and clicked again.

Marcus pulled a small metal box from his backpack. Inside were test tubes filled with colorful liquids. "Maybe this will help us talk," he said.

He mixed blue and red liquids in a glass tube. The mixture bubbled and turned bright green. Marcus held it out to the zombie girl.

She sniffed it carefully, then took a tiny sip. Nothing happened for a moment. Then her eyes went wide and she started hiccupping loudly.

"That didn't work," Marcus said with a laugh.