Zack's mind raced, trying to piece together how he got there. 'This cannot be happening.'
He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths. The last thing he remembered was —
He was doing rounds on his patients before going home after a long shift. He was with Olivia, also a resident. They have been together since med school. Zack treats her like her best friend, but Olivia considers him more than that without him knowing.
"So, what are your plans for tonight?" Zack said while walking in the hallway, scanning the patient's charts.
"I'll just probably sleep because I've been here since yesterday. I am exhausted," Olivia said, also scanning her patient's chart.
Before Zack could reply, the ground shuddered violently; he steadied himself against the wall, his heart racing. An earthquake? The lights in the ward went off.
He thought it was just some technical problems and will go back again. But, the power from the entire hospital shut down.
Alarms blared; the patients started to scream; there was a vast blazing rock that fell in the middle of the hallway. Patients began to run across the hall. It was all just pure chaos. They ran as fast as they could and helped patients get outside as fast as possible.
Zack looked at Olivia with a concerned look; knowing Zack, it seemed he was asking her if she was okay. Olivia nodded and tried to catch her breath, her hands trembling slightly. "I'm fine. Let's go."
He glanced at the hallway, where the ceiling had collapsed, blocking one of the main exits.
"We'll split up," he said firmly. "I'll head to the ICU to check for anyone left behind. You take the west wing; there is an exit, and make sure everyone's out."
"No!" Olivia grabbed his arm. "It's too dangerous to be alone."
Zack hesitated, but the patient's distant cries broke his resolve. "We don't have time to argue. Go, Olivia. I'll catch up. I promise."
Reluctantly, Olivia nodded, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she turned and sprinted down the west wing, weaving through panicked staff and patients.
Zack reached the ICU, where falling debris trapped him. There was one patient left in the ICU. It was his patient. He rushed towards her and rolled her bed out in the hallway, shielding her from another impact.
Meanwhile, Olivia led patients out but was struck by a debris. Her legs were pierced with a metal that goes through her skin, making it difficult for her to walk. Staggering, she crossed paths with Zack, both battered and bloodied. Zack had a wound on his forehead, and his arms were bleeding from falling shards of glass.
"You're hurt," Zack said, his voice lace with concern.
"And so are you," Olivia replied through gritted teeth, though her face betrayed the pain coursing through her body.
As they reached the stairwell, another tremor rocked the building. They were thrown off balance, tumbling down several steps.
Olivia's breath came in shallow gasps, her face pale and streaked with dust and blood. She clutched at Zack's arm, her grip weak but desperate. "Zack…" Her voice trembled, barely audible over the chaos around them.
He turned to her, his own face etched with exhaustion and fear. "Olivia, we need to keep moving."
She shook her head, her eyes locking onto his. "No… I need to say this. If this is it… if we don't make it out…"
She swallowed hard, her voice breaking. "I've loved you since the day we met. I couldn't say it before, but I can't… I can't leave without you knowing."
Zack froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He opened his mouth to respond, but another tremor rocked the building, cutting him off. He tightened his grip on her hand, his mind racing. There was no time for words, only action.
"We'll talk about this later," he said firmly, though his voice wavered.
Olivia nodded weakly, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and regret. As they stumbled forward, the world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the sound of their ragged breaths and the distant rumble of destruction.
Zack reached for Olivia's hand, and touched her face. Then, he covered Olivia from the falling debris, but his vision started to blur.
He saw faints of light, and a chilling message echoed in their minds before the darkness claimed him.
—
Faint lights flickered at the edge of his peripheral vision. A glowing timer appeared above in the sky, snapping him back to reality.
[00:30:00…00:29:59…00:29:58…]
"It's a timer," Zack said, his voice steady but laced with unease.
—
Arya, cornered in her home, an online streamer known in the gaming community, lived in the world of pixels and codes. Her world revolved around playing games on her computer 24/7, even though she graduated in Software Engineering at the top of her class.
While sipping coffee on her cluttered desk, she tried playing the game she developed. It was her project, a fantasy RPG she had worked on for two years since graduating. Instead of finding a job that requires her to work 8-5, she decided to be her boss and create something worthwhile without pressure and answering anyone.
However, today, it was mocking her; there was a system bug she thought she had fixed months ago. The game's main character runs in circles, and whatever control she pushes, nothing is happening.
"Seriously?!" she yelled in front of the monitor, then threw her gaming console onto the bed. This was supposed to be her masterpiece, her big break, but it is a mess, and now, she is back to square one.
Arya lay on her bed and picked up her phone. She started scrolling on social media and stumbled upon an article about atmospheric disturbances about an asteroid supposedly about to impact Earth.
She rolled her eyes, "Another doomsday hoax," muttering to herself.
"Seriously? Who the hell fell for this kind of nonsense?" It was always the same: headlines like this, with blurred photos and tons of ads in the article. This spreads misinformation and unnecessary fear. She was more annoyed than worried.
She scrolled past it, hovering through the report button. This is another attempt to go viral and grab attention from the crowded online space.
The door creaked open, and Arya didn't need to look up to know who it was. Daniel's footsteps were heavy, deliberate, like he was preparing for another lecture.
"Arya," he began, his voice tinged with frustration. "You can't keep doing this. Three years, and what do you have to show for it? A game that doesn't even work?"
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "It's not just a game," she snapped, spinning her chair to face him. "It's my project. My career. And it's almost ready."
He crossed his arms, his expression a mix of concern and exasperation. "Almost ready? Arya, you've been saying that for months. When are you going to face reality?"
She turned back to her monitors, the lines of code blurring before her eyes. "Reality is what I'm building," she muttered. "You wouldn't understand."
Her brother sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken words. "I just don't want you to waste your life chasing a dream that might never happen." Then, he walked away, shutting the door behind him.
Later that evening, the glow on Arya's computer lights up her dim room. She sat at her desk, headphones on, immersed in her fantasy RPG project. Lines of code scrolled past as she adjusted the NPC interaction system.
"Finally!" she muttered excitingly with her hands in the air, like celebrating a win. Her latest build loaded without errors. She leaned back, removing her headphones and stretching her arms and back.
The sound of a knock on her door startled her.
"It's me, Daniel. Can I come in?" her brother's voice came from the other side.
Arya sighed, saving her work. "Sure, come on in."
Daniel stepped into her room, a laptop tucked under his arm. His brow furrowed with frustration.
"You're my last hope. This stupid thing won't connect to Wi-Fi, and I've got a presentation tomorrow morning."
Arya gestured for him to hand over the laptop. "What did you do this time?"
"Nothing!" he protested, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I was just reading an article about this asteroid destroyer. Multiple ads were popping up, and it suddenly froze."
Arya rolled her eyes, typing rapidly on the keyboard. "You're hopeless when it comes to tech. Maybe stop opening untrusted websites online, and this wouldn't happen."
"It's coming along," Arya added.
Daniel's tone softened. "I'm sorry about lashing out at you earlier…It's just that...I'm worried about you, you know...Any luck finding a job?"
Arya hesitated, her fingers pausing mid-typing. "Not really. I'm still streaming games online, and I have a few freelance gigs, but nothing steady. I'm hoping this game will be my big break."
Daniel frowned. "You're talented, Arya. You could work anywhere. Why put all your eggs in one basket?"
She turned to face him, a mixture of determination and vulnerability in her eyes, while giving Daniel his laptop. "Because this is the only thing that feels like it's mine, Danny. This game… it's my way of proving I can do something amazing."
Daniel nodded slowly, understanding her frustration. "I get it. Just… don't shut out the world while chasing this dream, okay? You've got people who care about you. Even though mom and dad are not here anymore, I know they are proud of you. Plus, you've got me, and you can't get rid of me that easily," he smiled.
Arya's expression softened. "I know. Thanks, Danny."
Before Daniel could leave the room, the ground suddenly shook violently. The laptop slipped from his hands.
"What was that?!" Daniel asked, standing abruptly.
Before Arya could respond, another tremor rocked their house, stronger this time. A loud crash came from outside, followed by screams and the wailing car alarms.
Daniel ran to the window, pulling back the curtain. His face went pale. "Arya… you need to see this."
She joined him, her breath catching in her throat. Fiery streaks lit up the night sky, meteors hurtling toward the streets. One smashed into a nearby building, the shockwave shattering the window.
"Is this some kind of asteroid shower? Was the article real after all?" Daniel stammered, stepping away from the glass.
Arya's mind raced, panic setting in. "We need to leave. Now."
They grabbed their belongings in a frenzy. Arya throws her laptop and hard drive into her bag. As they made their way to the front door, another tremor hit, sending them to the floor.
"Danny!" Arya screamed, scrambling towards her brother. He was pinned under a fallen beam, blood trickling from his forehead.
"I'm…fine. Go! Get out of here. I'll catch up," he grunted, though his face was pale. He is scared for his life, but he cannot show Arya because it would just make her more worried.
"No, I'm not leaving you. I already lost Mom and Dad, and I couldn't afford to lose you, too. You said I wouldn't get rid of you easily, right?" Arya started crying, trying to lift the beam.
Before she could free him, a blinding light filled the room, and a strange voice echoed in her mind, before losing consciousness.
[Survivors identified. System Activation in progress.]
—
Zack started to walk around. The strange, glowing sky above him felt surreal, as though the world itself was being warped. Then he saw a silhouette of a woman also running. "Someone's out there," he muttered to himself.
He slowed as he drew closer, noticing a woman running towards him. She was young, her clothes torn, her face a mask of worry. She wasn't in any uniform he recognized, yet the fear in her eyes mirrored his own.