Unbelievable cold engulfed the land, turning everything into an icy wasteland.
You are a refugee from London, a recent engineering graduate. Will you survive in this frozen hell, or will you perish like thousands before you?
[image]
Chapter 1
When the few scientists tried to shout on television, warning that the climate had changed irreversibly and that a new ice age was upon us, people laughed at them. No one believed. But when the icy cold descended upon the earth, destroying all life, there was no room left for doubt. People finally saw the truth but by then, it was too late to save the world they once knew.
It was far too late for the ideas they had once ridiculed. Now, most of the planet lay buried under thick layers of ice, and the chances of survival were almost nonexistent.
But humanity found one last hope. A fading ember in the blizzard.
The development of a generator one capable of providing heat to a small community became that hope. It ran on coal and could sustain life only in a limited area. But it was enough to try and preserve at least a handful of people.
The last remaining scientists and engineers were gathered into teams tasked with leading this desperate project. I was among them. A freshly graduated engineer, I suddenly found myself on the edge of the abyss: the lives of those who boarded this ship with me now depended on my decisions. No, I wasn't the only one entrusted with critical tasks, but each of us carried an unbearable weight of responsibility.
I looked around at the unfamiliar faces. Most of the passengers had no hope left in their eyes. Some had already accepted death. To be honest, I wasn't sure we could survive either.
The scientists claimed that the ice storm approaching in two months would be catastrophic. Temperatures would drop below minus a hundred degrees. No one could survive in such conditions. Our only chance was to build the generator in time and secure enough fuel for it to last.
"Sam, I'm cold," came a weak voice my little sister, Rachel. She pressed closer to me. She was only eleven, and I was the only family she had left. Our parents had been sent to another colony. I was her only protector now, and it was my responsibility to keep her safe.
Outside, the temperature was around minus fifteen degrees. Even that already felt unbearable. And soon, we would face far worse.
"Just a little longer. We'll be there soon," I tried to reassure her with a strained smile. But my attempt at comfort was unconvincing.
For the past few nights, I hadn't slept, studying blueprints and construction processes for the generator. Everything had to be executed with absolute precision. Any mistake an incorrect measurement, a misplaced mechanism could lead to failure. And repairs would cost us time. Time we wouldn't have. Every minute of delay would be paid for in lives.
I was just a twenty-two-year-old engineer, and the weight of this responsibility crushed me.
Our small colony had only three hundred people. Most of them were specialists engineers, builders, designers. The rest were laborers, without whom the work could not be done. And, of course, there were children. No one agreed to leave their families behind, even knowing the end could come suddenly and that hope was scarce. People wanted to spend their last days with their loved ones, together as a family.
Our family was separated for a reason.
I followed in my father's footsteps he was a scientist and engineer involved in the generator's development. He had been sent on another expedition, along with my mother. I agreed to this journey not just for a chance at survival, but to continue his work.
The ship's horn shattered my thoughts. The vessel had stopped. We had arrived.
"Everyone, disembark! We need to unload everything today and set up temporary shelters. Gather as much firewood as possible for the night!" a loud voice commanded.
The captain. He was in charge of this expedition and would become the leader of our new settlement. He commanded respect he seemed like someone who truly cared about his people. His decisions had been reasonable so far, though no one could predict whether they would hold up in the harsher trials ahead.
The captain had managed to bring along several machines and pieces of production equipment, which would significantly ease our work. Most importantly, he secured a vital resource food. Even though supplies were scarce, he had acquired a large number of rations. It was far from abundance, but it was better than starving. Something about him made me suspect he had a military background his posture, his demeanor.
The passengers formed a neat line, slowly climbing onto the deck and into the boats to reach the shore. I stood aside, separate from the main crowd. My job was to oversee the unloading of the equipment. This was our most valuable asset, our lifeline our beating heart.
Once most of the passengers had disembarked, we began unloading crates filled with supplies and resources. The process was slow. The boats became overloaded, forcing us to wait until they returned. The wind picked up, cutting through our clothes. By the time we finished, my hands were numb, my teeth chattering. A thin mist of frost clung to the workers on deck, amplifying the damp chill of winter's breath.
"Good work, kid," the captain's voice broke through the howling wind. He clapped a firm hand on my shoulder. He had stayed with us, overseeing the process and even carrying crates himself.
"Thank you," I nodded, feeling a faint smile tug at my lips.
Back in my cabin, I immediately found Rachel. While I had been working, she had been kept inside the ship, away from the cold. The children were protected as much as possible they were far more vulnerable than the adults. She was sitting wrapped in a thick blanket, looking exhausted.
"Come on," I said. She only nodded, not meeting my gaze.
With the last load of crates in the boat, we finally made our way to what would be our camp.
The horn.
The ship slowly pulled away, heading back to London. It would now be our only link to the outside world. It was scheduled to return in a month with fresh supplies. But in that time, we had to set up camp and survive.
On the shore, people were already setting up tents and installing stoves. Some of them had already been lit, sending thin streams of steam into the frigid air. That meant warmth. I could barely feel my fingers, clenched into fists against the cold.
As our boat docked and I finally stepped onto solid ground, a tremor ran through my legs. Gripping Rachel's hand tighter, I led her to the nearest stove. Its warmth, caressing my frozen face, felt like salvation. Rachel walked beside me, clutching her worn-out coat. Her hands were ice-cold, but slowly, they began to warm up.
This was only a temporary solution. The small metal stoves provided heat, but they were painfully inefficient. The colder it got, the more firewood we would burn. And as temperatures dropped, this method of heating would become useless.
To survive, we needed a steady coal supply. Wood was necessary to fuel charcoal kilns, which would then produce the coal needed for the generator. In theory, if we could establish a coal mine, build a heated corridor to it, and create proper working conditions, we would have a chance. Firewood wouldn't be enough freezing temperatures would make gathering new resources impossible.
"Here, drink this. Warm yourselves," a soft voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned. A woman was offering us mugs of hot tea. Her face was tired, but there was kindness in her gesture.
"Thank you," I said, taking the mugs. I handed one to Rachel.
"Thanks," she murmured, wrapping her fingers tightly around it.
Slowly sipping the tea, I finally felt warmth spreading through me. The hot drink soothed my throat, and with it, my thoughts my soul. For a few moments, I allowed myself to relax, savoring this brief respite. But I knew it wouldn't last long. There was still much to do.
I stood, feeling my strength gradually return. I needed to join the other engineers to discuss our next steps. We only had preliminary data a landing point and rough estimates of the resources in the area. We needed to explore the land, figure out where to start.
"Rachel, I have to work. Can you stay with the other kids?" I asked, keeping my tone gentle.
"Alright," she said simply.
I was lucky. Rachel never threw tantrums. She accepted everything around her with quiet resilience, adapting in her own way to the horrors of our new reality. That gave me hope that we would endure. Or at least, last longer than we thought possible.