After several major wars, humanity gradually restored peace, only to face a new enemy known as "Roaches." Humans infected by a virus would turn into Roaches, and the virus could even infect fetuses. Those transformed into Roaches had pale faces, fine fangs in their mouths, and could only emit growls. To combat these enemies, the military developed the MASS system, implanting it into soldiers' brains. According to official statements, the MASS system would help soldiers fight more efficiently.
New recruit Stripe experienced his first combat mission, with real-time intelligence displayed before his eyes—enemy status, terrain, battlefield layout, and even drone integration—all thanks to the MASS system. In his first battle, Stripe killed one Roach, and another attempting to resist was stabbed to death. It should have been a proud achievement, but while cleaning up the battlefield, a strange green light swept across Stripe's eyes, altering his perspective forever.
Since being exposed to the green light, Stripe frequently suffered from headaches, and the images he saw would stutter or glitch. He visited the military doctor and had his MASS system checked, but no abnormalities were found. Military psychologist Arquette believed it was just post-combat stress and assured Stripe he would soon recover. However, things did not improve as expected.
Soon, a second mission arrived. The military received intel about a Roach hideout in an abandoned industrial facility. Stripe and his teammate Ryman, under the command of Sergeant Medina, were sent to reconnoiter. Drone footage indeed showed signs of Roach activity. While Medina and Ryman carefully studied the images fed by their MASS systems, Stripe found himself unable to receive any signals. At that moment, Medina was shot dead by a sniper from above, and the hot-tempered Ryman charged into the facility with his rifle.
Stripe and Ryman split up to search the facility. In one room, Stripe discovered a woman trembling behind a sofa. She didn’t look like a Roach, but as she ran out of the room, Ryman shot her dead. Stripe then watched as Ryman opened fire on more people, as if they were Roaches. He lunged at Ryman, tackling him to stop the massacre, but was hit by a stray bullet in his left side and collapsed in pain.
Struggling to his feet, Stripe drove away with a mother and her child. On the road, he lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss. When he woke up, he found himself in a cold, damp underground tunnel—the home of the mother and child. The mother seemed to want to reveal some truth to Stripe, but before he could understand, Ryman tracked them down using tire marks and bloodstains. The poor mother and child were killed by Ryman’s gunfire, and Stripe was taken back to the base and confined to a detention cell.
Soon, Arquette appeared. He apologized to Stripe for previously ignoring his concerns. After investigating the abandoned facility, the military discovered that the so-called Roaches had developed a handheld optical scanning device capable of injecting viral code into the MASS system via light and attempting to disable it. Faced with the truth, Arquette revealed everything: many soldiers hesitated to shoot or suffered from PTSD after combat. The MASS system was designed to make soldiers see what the military wanted them to see—transforming enemies into monsters and screams into growls—to increase combat efficiency. The "Roaches" were a lie; they were merely humans with genetic defects. To ensure humanity’s, those with highly pathogenic genes had to be eliminated.
Stripe was given two choices: reset the MASS system and erase his memories of the past few days to return to combat, or remain in confinement. Stripe wanted a third option—to remove the MASS system—but it was no longer his decision to make. The horrifying scenes of killing two "Roaches" resurfaced vividly in his mind. To erase these terrible memories, Stripe had no choice but to comply.
Years later, Stripe was discharged from the military. The MASS system still functioned in his brain. He saw a warm home and a loving partner welcoming him. In reality, however, he was standing before an empty, dilapidated shack.