《Dead Earth: A.T.H.》


 Chapter 1: Awakening

    Wednesday - October 15th, 2121:


    Our home away from home hovered aloft in the cosmos. The Orion Space Station [O.S.S] spectated the stars and the changes on our wondrous planet - Earth. It was a constant¡ª a stable reminder of humanity''s prospects.


    For me, those were the most enjoyable times. Being an astronaut aboard the O.S.S. was my biggest wish since I was a boy. And after years of grueling study, I was finally able to live out my dream.


    Today, I was supposed to be off from duty, but of course, Catherine had to stop me and beg for me to do her spacewalk. ''Oooh, please! I''m soo not feeling well!'' She said to me with a carefree smile that was clearly a veil to her lies. But this was Catherine¡ª one of the laziest people aboard the O.S.S. I knew it¡ª we all did. Whenever she couldn''t be bothered, she would make up an excuse. Reluctant as I was, since it wasn''t my duty to perform, I still went ahead with it. After all, being in the open vacuum of space¡ª just you and your thoughts. It was a feeling that one could never get sick of.


    Little did I know just how insane this spacewalk would inevitably end up being. From a normal event, it turned into something beyond comprehension. I got into my spacesuit, feeling the cumbersome weight that would turn into weightless bliss as soon as I stepped out.


    Roger looked at me with a snarking grin as the helmet latched onto my head, "You always do end up looking the best with the helmet on. Hides that ugly mug of yours."


    I couldn''t help but roll my eyes, even if Roger couldn''t see it from the helmet''s reflective visor. "That makes one of us, at least. Not even a spacesuit can hide your stench, Crapshot."


    Roger broke out in howling laughter, "Right, right! You''re always so quick with the retorts, Mr. OnePump-Man."


    The man patted me on the shoulder tenderly. What could I even say to him? All of us knew he was one of the longest-standing members of the O.S.S. he hadn''t seen his family in several years now due to the mission. It made his humor a bit excessive, but he was one of the most caring people here despite it. "Thanks, Geezer. Save some grub for me when I get back. Don''t shovel it all into your black hole of a mouth, okay?" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Yeah, yeah. Sure thing, Zit. Go out there and be a pain in somebody else''s ass." Roger retorted, simply waving it off. But he couldn''t hide the grin that creased his cheeks slightly.


    I entered the decomp-chamber and awaited the process to depressurize and unlatch the outer shell. Once the process was completed, I pushed myself toward the external latch, where I tethered my safety cord. It was a practiced chain of events, one I''d done countless times before in my six-year tenure on the O.S.S.


    Once I finished, my body drifted out into the open void of space, surrounded by the shimmering translucent stars that stretched out into the horizon millions and billions of lightyears away. "It''s still as beautiful as the first time I witnessed it." The words came muffled from my helmet''s voice projection box.


    I performed my duties with ease, sending my body from one satellite unit to the next, inspecting and recording. The biggest hurdle to the process was the time it took. The O.S.S. was humanity''s largest exploit to date. Its size was something our ancestors could only envision in their dreams.


    Truly, the whole process was something satisfying.


    But my peace could not last forever, as something changed in Earth''s atmosphere. Pillars of light burst out from the firmament, the tips swirling like everlasting minuscule galaxies that burst forth from the very planet we called home.


    I was baffled - shocked - scared out of my goddamned mind. "Roger, mayday. Mayday! What''s the status? Report. Something''s happening on Earth."


    The response was nothing but silence. "Catherine? Vlad? Jora? Stephanie? Roger? Anyone respond? Do you see what I''m seeing?"


    Was the radio not working, or was it something else? I could not have known back then. Their silence caused a stifling panic to stir in me, however. "Guys! Respond! We have a crisis out here! Can you not hear me?"


    My panicked cries were cut short as the illuminating glow of Earth erupted into a visceral flood of stimulation. It drowned out my senses and my understanding. The entire planet was suffocated in that blinding glow that consumed everything in its path. It stretched out into the darkness of space. Blanketing my body and the O.S.S. until no color remained within my visor''s sight.


    All I could see was the light before me, behind me, and side to side of me. It was hot, not like a searing flame, but something more deliberate. It was incorporated into me. It melded with my consciousness until it came out on top. And everything stopped. Time, memory, even my very breaths halted seemingly. I could not see Earth, nor the O.S.S. I could not even see myself anymore. What remained was but a deathly calm and silence as my consciousness blurred into the void.

 Chapter 2: Earth?

    Sunday - October 19th, 2121:


    My head was pounding with a piercing pain that stabbed into the back of my skull. I reached instinctively to touch it, but my hand caressed only the dome of my helmet. "Where am I?" My muffled words came out in a rasp, part dehydration, part confusion.


    "Sunday? That''s impossible!" I blurted out after lowering my eyes to the SmartScreen embedded into the wrist of my suit. My breaths quickened, exiting the voice projection box like gravel scraping against steel. Was I unconscious for four days? No, but that''s not the problem! Where am I? What happened after the eruption of light?


    My eyes darted immediately to scan the environment. All around me, bright blue bioluminescent fungi grew like overgrown stalks piercing into the clouds. Their presence was suffocating as they surrounded the small outcrop I lay in. My hand reached to my visor and tapped on a small, built-in button.


    ''Scanning Commencing - Unidentified Matter.''


    ''Unidentified - Unidentified - Warning Critical Failure Detected.''


    ''Anomaly - Anomaly -''


    "What the f-" My words choked in my throat as I gawked at the fungi. It began to sway and move. Dragging away from my position the moment the visor''s robotic voice sounded out.


    ''This can''t be happening.'' I forced the incredulous thought out as I stared blankly at the charred ground that remained around me. Craggly rocks jutted in deformed shapes. Crooked and bent over one another. ''The rocks won''t start walking too¡ª will they?''


    I found the notion amusing but couldn''t help but walk away¡ª just to be safe. As I turned around and took a few dozen steps¡ª behind, rustling noises sounded. ''Shit¡ª''


    My steps hastened, and I darted away¡ª I didn''t know where I was going¡ª all around me, all I could see was charred red rock that resembled Mars more than Earth. Was this even Earth in the first place? How the hell was one supposed to know? I lurched forward as a stone struck the boot of my suit, barely propelling myself to a jog as I regained my balance.


    The sounds around me were amplified, unsettling, and foreign. The noises trilled and thrummed, sometimes closer, sometimes further away. "HELLO? IS ANYONE THERE?" Impatience overcame me as I blurted the words out.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    But it was a mistake.


    The ground shook tremendously¡ª I could barely keep my feet on straight as my body wobbled side to side. I ran¡ª desperately. Behind me, stones bounced and rolled, their craggy bits digging into the ground like the plowing devices our ancestors used hundreds of years ago. There was nothing: no emotion or feature visible on them¡ª they were nothing but stone, yet that fact became a dreadful realization.


    Whether this was Earth or not, something was wrong. Something had changed, and it was for the worst. My friends, family, and crewmates on the O.S.S. Their fate was something I desperately needed to know.


    But there was no time to think. Not about why my body was moving so well nor why the once cumbersome spacesuit felt so light against my body. All I could do was run. After a few minutes, I saw a tree whose branches perched upward. ''Could I climb it and get away from them?''


    The stones were catching up, but none surpassed a meter in height. ''Surely, they can''t climb trees...''


    It was a silly thought, but¡ª I jumped.


    As my hands reached for the branch¡ª the stupid thing moved away from me. Maybe I should have expected something as absurd, but instead, I tumbled forward. The ground split before me like the parting red sea of stone, and my body rolled violently into the unknown.


    When I reached the bottom, I sprawled like a starfish bent over. There was no pain to speak of, only uncomfortable awkwardness. My hand reached up toward the visor''s scan button.


    ''Error - Error - Critical Malfunction Detected.''


    ''Anomaly Detected - Report to Orion Command - Anomaly -''


    "Damnit, broken down junk." I groaned out dryly before picking myself up into a seated position.


    I wanted to scratch my head in contemplation, but after everything that''s happened, I was too scared to risk taking the helmet off. My scanner was busted, and if the atmosphere was breathable or safe, it was up to my guesses. But seeing how the environment itself was already attacking, risking it seemed silly.


    I had to figure out what was going on. Four days passed since I was on the O.S.S, and the light erupted from Earth. So, surely I must be on Earth, right? But everything I''d seen thus far did not resemble Earth whatsoever.


    My thoughts flowed like the tides during the lunar relapse. From alien destruction to the downfall of humanity due to the experimental regime of the ruling government. Perhaps this was not even Earth. Maybe my lunacy was wasted on meaningless hyperbole. I could not know.


    Despite my irrational thoughts, I still picked myself up. No matter what happened, I had to survive another day to find out. If the world was ending¡ª or if it ended already, I had to discover why that was.

 Chapter 3: Signs of Life

    Sunday - October 19th, 2121:


    Having scrounged through the pit I fell into, there was nothing besides dirt and minute flora. The flora blanketed the ground in a greenish hue with hints of violet, nothing like the grassy plains I knew from my days on Earth. Reaching into it, I could feel a subtle vibration coursing through my glove.


    It was insignificant, but I still wondered what it would be like to feel it against my raw flesh. Would it be akin to the gnawing of insects¡ª or something else entirely?


    All around, the sights were novel and strange. I explored the area, gradually expanding the radius in which I operated. Nothing was attacking me, which was the only relief I had while searching. Despite this, I still had to be careful and quiet. I had learned the hard way what would happen if the environment got startled into action.


    Walking north¡ª or what should have been north, at least. The overarching jungle of bioluminescent fungi appeared before my visor once more. This time, I came up to one of the stalks carefully. My breath stalled inside my helmet as I caressed it. It was the same¡ª the subtle vibration that tingled against my glove¡ª like the tenuous breath of life that pervaded all creation.


    Just like before, they began migrating before my eyes. This time, not of my own doing but because of a shrill yowl that cut through the air.


    At that moment¡ª I saw it¡ª with its elongated furry form and plant-like growths that merged with its ears into some hybrid antennae. It closely resembled martens. Yet, it was different. Blatantly so. It was far more massive for one, closely resembling wildcats and not the tiny creatures it physically mirrored. Second was the plant elements that permeated its body. Its verdant ears oozed a misty residue that wafted toward the fungi¡ª halting their migration in its tracks.


    The creature pounced onto one of the stalks closest to it¡ª biting into it in ravaging chunks. My heart pounded against my chest at the sight. The beast was relentless and vicious. It offered the fungi no chance¡ª the clear differential between predator and prey. And I did not want to become the next prey.


    I slowly took a step back. But the ''martens'' ears perked up, and it turned its head toward me, with chunks of bioluminescent plant goo still dripping down its maw.


    Its bestial eyes froze my heart with fright. My life flashed before my eyes, for I did not know how to deal with it. Martens were solitary creatures if I compared it to the version I remembered. There shouldn''t be a pack of them nearby as a lone comfort. They usually ate small critters¡ª which, in this case, didn''t seem to match. But maybe the fungi was a small critter to it? I wanted to run, but my legs did not wish to move.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I was lucky.


    The strange hybrid turned its head back toward the stalk lying at its feet, bit into it, and ran off.


    I survived, but at what cost? The creature had left, but would it stalk me in the back, waiting for me to let my guard down? Did it consider me a threat or prey? Something that it could come back for whenever it got hungry?


    My steps quietly thudded against the padded greens and violets that blanketed the ground. There was something visceral about it¡ª a silence that dug into the depths of my mind¡ª the tension taut as a bowstring on the verge of snapping.


    I walked for forty minutes¡ª if my SmartScreen could even be trusted. The hues shifted as dull blues took control of the area. Strangely shaped trees became the only contrast as they spread across the field. As I looked up, the sky came through their canopy¡ª nor the Earthen sky I was familiar with, no. Clouds streaked across with minute waves. They covered the sky, hiding the world from the sun, moon, and stars.


    It was a kaleidoscopic array of color¡ª dull, yet powerful.


    Seeing the sky brought a pang of pain to my heart. My breathing became hoarse as I lowered my head and continued walking with no purpose or destination in sight. Worse was the twitch in my stomach, jolting through my insides. It gurgled and roared¡ª an untamed beast galloping in my gut.


    Accursed hunger. The downfall of humanity.


    I continued until I found a sheltered outcrop. The most normal-looking piece of Earth thus far. A single stone lay to the side, large and flat. I slowly prodded it with my hand, but nothing happened. I took a seat, careful but firm. After several moments, I breathed out with relief.


    My hands reached toward my helmet. I had to try. I pressed the scanner again, my final hope, before testing the waters the hard way.


    ''Unidentified Access - Report to Orion Command''


    ''Access Terminated - Unknown Anomaly - Report - Report - Report -''


    My hand dropped, and my head drooped. That''s that, then.


    I lifted my hands, running my fingers across the latches that kept the dome fastened, and unlatched them. With both hands on the helmet, I pulled up slowly. As it reached past my mouth, I felt the Earthen air enter my lungs, and¡ª


    Immediately, I retched.

 Chapter 4: Shadows of Civilization

    Monday - October 22nd, 2121:


    Grogginess slammed into my mind as a shrill sound struck against my muddled, sleepy state. I raised myself off the stone, my eyes focusing gradually on a large, white raven with rubied gemstone eyes. The tips of its wings shimmered with that exact gemstone red as it preened its feathers.


    The moment I raised myself, it turned its eyes toward me¡ª those unblinking pools of red that stared into the depths of my being. It croaked lightly¡ª as if attempting not to frighten me before returning to its preening.


    I couldn''t help but sigh, part exhaustion and part forfeit. If this is what my life has come to, then so be it.


    Having picked myself up, I stretched, feeling the weariness that encapsulated my being. It was time for another day. Having slept, the pain in my gut numbed down. Only the dryness in my throat kept clawing at me, for now.


    The unsettling creature followed me, a short distance away but still close enough that I could feel its gaze glued to me. It was bad enough that I had no idea what I was doing, Yet now I had the raven to worry about as well. Its wings fluttered with a crackle as the rubied tips slapped against the air. Thunderous and persistent, it circled at a distance.


    I trekked onward. Despite the haunting shadow that loomed behind me, the only path before me was forward. With each passing hour, I increasingly grew numbed to the changed environment. The miraculous hues and strange plant-forms became a constant. Even the creatures that crossed my path became a normalcy I did not expect.


    After three hours, I stumbled upon a creature that seemed to be a hybrid of a giraffe and a tree. It was unfortunate timing as it was mating with another lifeform resembling a brambly bush with a pig''s snout. Its long neck twined around the pig''s rotund form, latching onto its snout. While the core of the giraffe bloomed open, stretching out veinous filaments that encroached upon the pig''s rear.


    Having heard my step as it crackled against fallen leaves, the giraffe''s neck sprung up with a hissing grunt. Its eyes focused with viscous bloodlust.


    Behind me, the raven croaked and flapped its wings, causing the giraffe to turn toward it and huff. The two creatures then sprung up and wobbled off.


    "Did you help me, big guy?" My hoarse voice questioned from the voice box as I craned toward the white raven with palpable sweat on my back.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The bird flapped its wings, croaking a long gurgle in response.


    It was a rough noise, but it seemed the friendliest of anything I''d heard thus far. I raised my arm toward it with my palm lowered. It craned its neck a few times before it flapped its wings and moved toward me. The raven rested its claws gently on my arm as its rubied eyes stared at the reflective sheen of my visor. It croaked a few times in a hushed tone as if saying something¡ª something impossible for me to understand.


    I raised my other hand and caressed the bird''s back with a single outstretched finger. It didn''t protest, only nudged its head closer to my hand. "At least something out here turns out to be friendly. Were you lonely, big fella?"


    The bird was hefty, four or five times larger than a normal raven from Earth. It was surprisingly gentle, though. After a few minutes of petting it, the bird flapped its wings and circled overhead, croaking toward the west.


    "Are you saying I should go there?"


    It flapped excitedly and croaked again. I didn''t know whether it could truly understand me or if it was just the animalistic instinct of a creature, but I had no better option. The minutes turned to hours, and the path extended endlessly. Finally, my foot caught on something, and I flopped over, grunting as I picked myself up to see what caught me.


    Buried under a thick mossy layer, a jagged metal edge jutted out. I began scraping the moss off, rubbing it aggressively as the green fluids coated my gloves. My heart raced, and unknowingly, something stirred inside me. As I cleared a chunk of the moss, it lay buried there in ruin¡ª a billboard.


    It was a remnant of the world I knew before I set off for the O.S.S.


    It was genuine¡ª not the irrational thoughts or hyperbole¡ª not the confusion and mystery of the strangeness that surrounded me. No. It was a part of reality¡ª it was Earth.


    I turned toward the raven, who stared back at me before I turned further west. I ran. My legs carried me faster than they ever had. I had to see it.


    All around, the overgrown moss pervaded the space, but beneath the endless layers, the buildings peeked through. Building after building¡ª ruined. Devastation coursed through me, not unlike that which ransacked this city.


    I dropped to my knees as I stared blankly at the city.


    Life is over. Humanity is no more.


    My heart sank.


    Then it spoke, not in words I could understand, but in the familiar croak I heard repeatedly today. I raised my head. The bird had not given up. It nudged me to go forward. "Why?" I questioned with a hollow timbre. But it refused to explain¡ª it could not explain. I knew it, yet I stubbornly refused and waited and pleaded for it to tell me what the purpose of anything was¡ª what was there to look forward to when Earth was dead.


    It did not speak; no, it flapped. Aggressively and viciously. It turned toward me with animalistic fury. Its actions spoke louder than words as I picked myself up.


    If this was the Earth''s final requiem, it seems that the raven wanted me to be the witness to it.

 Chapter 5: Humanitys Downfall

    Monday - October 22nd, 2121:


    Following the raven''s guidance, I explored the remnants of the devastated city. I tried to figure out which city it was, but there were too many cities to know. It was English¡ª the only thing I could make out from the worn-out signs that sporadically poked through the moss lining.


    Finally, I reached an area where the moss thinned out. In that clearing, there stood a small, nondescript building that seemed to push against the encroaching environment. Inside, emptiness greeted me. Only a large hatch sat proudly at the center of the room, leading down. The hatch lay covered in rust in its entirety. Only the rotating mechanism seemed to fare better as glints of silvery metal pierced through.


    I grabbed the rotating handle and grunted as the metal creaked. Grunt after grunt, I forced the metal to move. Finally, it loosened and began to rotate. I lifted the hatch, staring at a seemingly bottomless void with only a single vertical ladder fastened to the wall. It was a narrow, suffocating descent, but after several minutes of plunging, I touched solid ground.


    Below, a long corridor stretched straight from the descent point, dimly illuminated by a series of covered bulbs with mechanisms I did not recognize. Perhaps it was something from after I had gone on the mission to the O.S.S.


    I walked through it, curious about what the raven wanted me to see. The walls warped around me as messages etched into the soil appeared almost instantly in the corridor. They were frantic, desperate, pained words from hopeless, lost souls.


    They begged for a second chance, a way to do it all over again, to not make the same mistakes. My hand glided across the stone, feeling the raw emotion etched into each word.


    What happened on Earth¡ª what caused such madness to descend upon humanity? Yes, things were never perfect, and there was always conflict, but it was never this bad.


    Heading further down the tunnel stood an altar at the end, guarding a singular book on a sheltered pedestal. Lifting the protective dome, I picked the book up and flipped through its weathered pages.


    February 12th, 2121:


    ''I write this record as the final hope of humanity''s resurgence. If you read this, know that we tried. We fought, and we have failed. But, if you read this, I hope you are one of us, a pureblooded human.


    It started three years ago when they came from below. They latched onto anyone they could. Like bottomfeeders, they burrowed into the bodies of those they came into contact with. Slowly but surely, they worked their way up and took control of those at the top. Those people started turning on humanity day after day, month after month. The articles kept coming up, but nobody believed it.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    We have failed humanity. We forsook our responsibility. We turned a blind eye to the oppression. It was our fault that we let them spread. Our negligence cost humanity the war and our home.


    Know this, we tried.


    When the year 2120 came, they could not hide any longer. Their experimentations became exposed, and the danger of their kind revealed itself for all to see. It was the chance for humanity to rise. We took to the streets armed and ready, but they were waiting for us to turn against them. They controlled the minds of the greatest humanity had to offer and used them against us. Our people turned on us, and their minds became corrupted and unfamiliar.


    Armageddon came for us all.''


    My hands trembled as I flipped the pages, gut-wrenching agony surged, and I struggled to continue. ''Did they lie to us during all of the calls from the Command Center?'' It was impossible to believe it.


    I turned through the pages until the last page stared back at me. Half scribbled and bursting with raw despair that seeped out.


    October 13th, 2121:


    ''Parasites, treacherous and malignant! How you''ve failed to stand the tests of time! You hypocritical beasts. Are you still reading? I hope you''re a human, my unknown friend. That would be the sweetest irony I could take to the grave.


    They have failed. The most brilliant minds of humanity carried a curse with them that the creatures could not solve. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry at their ploy. Those genius bastards influenced the parasites. Pushed them confidently onto the path of no return, leaving the creatures no hope of ever coming back from it.


    Project Horizon is set to launch any day now. With it, humanity will be no more. The creatures will be no more. All life will reset.


    The end has come for us all.


    I write this not for you, not for humanity, but for me! I will die proudly knowing that I passed on the history of our kind. The battles we fought and the determination of a species brought together! To hell with you, if you''re human or beast. You can screw yourself. We are the brave. We are the final remnants! Where were you when our people''s bodies littered the streets? When the creature''s onslaught forced us to burn the bodies in massive mounds as quickly as possible before the next attack began?


    Know this¡ª life may carry on still only because of our sacrifices.


    I pray for you, kind soul, that hundreds and thousands of years have passed. Else, you are a coward who has forsaken humanity.


    Godspeed soldier. May humanity''s resurgence prosper proudly someday in the future.''


    I closed the book in silence. Sitting down to the side of the tunnel as I lowered my head into my lap. My head shook from side to side uncontrollably. Howls creeped out from the suit''s voice box.


    "WAS I A COWARD? I DIDN''T CHOOSE TO SURVIVE."


    "What the hell do you know? Damned bastard."


    "You''re brave? You''re not the one forced to wander the unknown."


    "God dammit."


    Am I all that remains...

 Chapter 6: Hu-man?

    Tuesday - October 23rd, 2121:


    Day and night passed unbeknownst to me. I sat bathed in self-hate and doubt before finally¡ª the dryness in my throat burned¡ª a visceral inferno inside me. I groaned as my arms pushed against the gritty soil behind my back.


    Powerlessness was a temptress as my arms gave out, and I rolled onto my side. "Dammit." The curse broke free of the voice box. Again, I pushed myself up. I could feel the weight that bore down upon my shoulders as I stood on my legs again.


    I held myself up against the wall as I returned to the ladder to the surface¡ª the grooves of the etched-in messages rough against my glove with every step forward. Part of me wished that I could carve my message into it. To tell the world, I had not betrayed it.


    Reaching the surface, I scanned the area for my feathery little friend, but the raven was nowhere to be seen. Why had it brought me to this place? It was evident that it knew something, somehow, but how can I speak with a bird to understand? I''d have to figure that out next time I see it.


    ''I need water...dammit.''


    Last time, just breathing in the air caused me to wretch, so my thirst was turning into a genuine life-threatening dilemma. ''It''s dangerous, but maybe I can create a fire to boil some water of impurities and cleanse the air enough to drink it.''


    I had to risk it. No matter what, survival was the most important. It was the only way I''d figure everything out.


    Searching through the ruined city, I managed to find an intact container. I filled it with pooled-up rainwater that gathered in the recesses of the city''s broken-down streets. The water''s surface, laced with the mossy green that pervaded the cityscape, glistened with a toxic hue. But I hoped the fire would be strong enough to clarify it.


    I took the water and some other tidbits from around the city into a demolished building near the underground bunker and set everything up. Moss and broken down twigs piled on the floor, and a dozen chunks of brick and stone sat beside me. I began striking two stones together over the mossy pile, but before long, one of the stones crumbled into pieces that poured into the pile.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Again, stone after stone, failure after failure.


    Finally, the right pairing sparked onto the moss, igniting it.


    It was a chore to do without being able to blow on the embers, but I stoked the flames, and they blazed beautifully in the empty building. Heart palpations quaked against my chest as the water container sat near the flame. When it began to bubble, the murky green clumped into a sludgy layer atop the clear water below it. I poured it out, carefully scoop by scoop until mostly clear water was left.


    On the still water''s surface, I could see my reflection, the dusty dome of my helmet, and the scuffed reflective visor. My suit was the dirtiest it''s ever been, but thankfully, it was still in one piece.


    I summoned my courage and was about to lift my helmet when a skin-crawling howl cut through the air. The container dropped from my hand, spilling water onto the flames and extinguishing them. My hand trembled as it hovered over the dropped container. Then, the howl cut through again.


    I went to the door and peered out, nearly falling out of the building as the ground quaked suddenly. My hands clenched onto the door and frame, stabilizing myself. Then, I saw¡ª that thing, if one could call it that¡ª no, that abomination.


    A massive bulbous growth of browning green plant-life slithered along the abandoned city street, with each pass quaking the ground beneath its weight. But what stood out the most was atop the hulking wad of green. It was humanity¡ª or what remained of it. It was a man¡ª or a woman. It was impossible to tell from a distance. But I could see the long-flowing hair that twined with the vines, and flowers bloomed on the being''s face instead of eyes. Its torso lay bare and unmarred as its bottom half conjoined with the bulbous extension. The human''s flesh was dull and dried¡ª almost desiccated in appearance. But I could feel the vitality brimming from it.


    Seeing that, I choked down any word of protest or curse I could imagine as I froze.


    It slinked through the streets, with the human turning side to side as if searching¡ª exploring¡ª learning. It didn''t notice me despite coming very close. It moved further into the city''s depths beyond what I could see from the building I was in. It left nothing but a trail of dull green liquid, almost like a snail trail.


    I don''t know what came over me. As soon as the creature disappeared beyond the horizon, I left the safety of the building and followed it.

 Chapter 7: Ritual

    Tuesday - October 23rd, 2121:


    Five minutes¡ª fifteen minutes¡ª thirty minutes.


    Time passed as I followed along the slimy trail. Finally, I heard rumbling and howling. Both¡ª oddly familiar sounds.


    I crept up, glued to the sides of buildings and the broken-down detritus of the world that once was. Until finally, I saw that abomination once more. This time, it was not alone. Stones bounced, causing the ground to tremble beneath their rhythmic dance, all while the human raised its green tendrils to the sky in a circle.


    Those stones¡ª were not unlike the ones that pursued me when I first awoke. Looking closely, I could barely make out hints of green tendrils that sprouted from various cracks that lined the stones¡ª they, too, seemed to be some form of hybrid.


    Their dance was mesmerizing and strange. They merely bounced while rotating counterclockwise around the human-hybrid with its outstretched extremities. From the bulbous growth, the guttural howl gurgled repeatedly as its body pulsed like a creature breathing.


    Finally, a change occurred.


    The clouds seemed to part as a spiraling mist extended from beyond the horizon upward. It spiraled into a vortex that hung high in the sky, above where the creature raised its extremities. It rained down¡ª something that splattered across the creature''s bodies, eliciting chirps from them. They soaked the liquid, glowing as a lustrous green pulsated from their core.


    Then, the stones began to crack down the middle, like a baby chick hatching from an egg. Offshoots of green broke free from the stone, and flowers bloomed, blinking with curiosity. The sprouts at its bottom enlarged, holding up the creature''s weight as it bounced excitedly, witnessing the world around it with newly bestowed eyes.


    For the human, it was different, as it seemed to almost regress. The bulbous extension beneath it seemed to recede and absorb into itself, subtly merging with the human half atop it. Its change made me question everything I read in the bunker¡ª was humanity truly gone, or had the survivors merely changed?


    ''O.S.S. Detected - Report to O.S.S. Command''


    ''O.S.S. Detected - O.S.S. Detected - Report to O.S.S. Command - An-''


    Those grating words screamed out from my suit. I slammed down on the proximity alarm, but it was too late. The stone creatures and the human half of the amalgamation turned toward me. The stones rubbed against each other, clattering like teeth in the biting cold. There was a sense of exuberance¡ª and of yearning in their motions. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    But the worst was the human as its flowery eyes blinked in my direction, its mouth curved up into a grin that revealed layers upon layers of thorny, jagged teeth. It gurgled words, inhumane ramblings¡ª bestial howls both raw and primal. It spoke to me. Not in the words of man. Not in any language that belonged to Earth, but an instinctual cry that spoke to the soul. It¡ª hungered.


    I ran.


    Breaths rasped painfully in my chest as I weaved through the streets, heading toward the bunker. Behind me, the stones rumbled and clattered, and the howling gurgles continued¡ª distant yet approaching ever closer. The thought of the O.S.S. hung in the back of my mind, but it could not be a priority right now.


    I slid down a slope, slugged through moss and debris, and finally, I reached the hidden away building with the bunker. I stood glued to the door, pressed against it with all my weight as I listened to the world outside.


    It came close, and then it drifted away into the distance. And then it returned louder and angrier, the thunderous rumbling that shook the very foundation of the ruined city. It left again, panged with reluctance as its movements quaked every few moments, stalling, waiting, and listening.


    I knew I was trapped in a hole of my own design, but it felt safe. I turned to the hatch that lay open. Worst case, I''d dive into it and live out my days with the final remnants of humanity.


    Silence came as the creature left, only for it to return like a relentless hunter unwilling to forfeit on its prey. My mind distracted itself with random thoughts. The O.S.S. was near where they performed their strange dance¡ª their ritual to the sky. There was the spiraling mist that pooled above as well. Could it be what the book talked about¡ª the genius plan to bring forth the great reset? The horizon...


    My thoughts jolted as a slamming crash echoed in the streets, and the howling pierced through the air. I couldn''t see¡ª but I could only imagine it was throwing a tantrum at losing sight of its prey. The breath in my throat stalled as I awaited its departure. Once silence returned, I crept back and lowered myself into the bunker.


    I wanted to thrash against the bunker and throw a tantrum just like the beast outside, but I had to maintain silence, so I sat with my back pressed against the soil. My whole day seemed to have been wasted. My water was gone, and all my efforts seemed so effortlessly futile¡ª as if nothing mattered.


    The only guiding light in the dark was the realization that the O.S.S. was detected. That meant there was an actual destination for once, a chance to find hope and my colleagues. If I survived¡ª they must have as well.


    ''Tomorrow, I''ll search for it. The creature must be gone by then...''


    Wishful thinking. You should go now. Don''t be a coward¡ª find the truth.


    ''The O.S.S. is my last hope to find the truth...I''ll pray for success.''


    My thoughts dulled as I slumped against the wall into a deep slumber.

 Chapter 8: Data Log: x12-12-21x2

    Wednesday - October 24th, 2121:


    With the new day present, I went to the door of the building, listening out for any sounds of danger still lurking in the area. I bided my time, patiently awaiting any sign to abandon the plan. But in the end, nothing came.


    I stepped out, staring at the cloudy mess of a sky that blanketed the vast stretch above. Following the same path I took the day before, I reached the emptied ritual ground. Carefully observing it, waiting for any of those creatures to appear, but again¡ª nothing.


    You''re making excuses just to slow down, coward.


    Moving past the emptied ritual ground, I walked another thirty minutes west, and then I saw it, in all its glory, worn out and ransacked but still just as beautiful as the last time I saw it¡ª the O.S.S.


    The behemoth metallic construct stretched across the ruined city, laying comfortably on a bed of dozens of fallen buildings that became one with the environment. The green mossy tendrils that pervaded every stretch of the city crept up its shiny carapace. But they failed to penetrate the depths, only barely scratching the surface.


    ''O.S.S. Proximity Detected - Engage Docking Protocol Alpha?''


    "Engage." I quickly uttered before the proximity alarm awoke any more of the deformities that may be lurking.


    The system whirred momentarily before a click came from the O.S.S. as an instrument popped out from a hidden compartment and beamed a light down upon me. The brightness in my vision faded, and I touched down into the Central Deck. The whole room was in disrepair. Junk cluttered the floor and tables as if a widespread panic ensued, but there were no signs of remaining life.


    I rummaged through the junk, but there was nothing of importance. Moving on, I searched the space station while heading toward the Command Deck. I passed room after room, void of any sign to fuel the hope lingering in my chest. After a while, I passed the canteen¡ª Catherine''s favorite spot to lounge in.


    Temptation drew me into the canteen¡ª the lights flickered dully, which made it a challenge to observe the limited space. I walked around futilely until I reached where Catherine would sit.


    The table lay scratched with vertical gashes that ran down toward the seat, and in the seat itself, I could see the shadow of something prodding out from the side of it. Upon looking closer, there were broken nails gouged into the plastic membrane of the seat, with a fresh coat of purple nail lacquer atop the nails¡ª something Catherine loved to use to feel as if she were back on Earth. Because of that, it was blatant who they belonged to.


    I pulled them out and held them in my glove. Dried blood laced the snapped edges, speckling the purple. "Catherine..."


    What had caused such panic to fester while she sat frozen in place? Catherine was always the most unbothered of us all. Most of the time, she just wanted the mission to end and return to her life.


    I continued.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I had to.


    Unsettling currents swam through my gut. The emptiness of the space station wasn''t unexpected, but the details spread across it became a firm blow to my mind. After finishing the circuit around the space station, I reached the Command Deck. The door beeped as a sensor atop it flickered repeatedly, and then it opened.


    Almost immediately, the foul stench of blood hit me, bypassing any defense my suit could offer against it. Pinned against the wall was Vlad, his limbs nailed with verdant offshoots that sprouted from the desiccated wounds on his hands and ankles. His eyes were closed, a peaceful expression plastered on his dried-out face, an impossibility considering the terrible state Vlad''s body was in.


    I rushed to the wall, my hands stretching to pull out the verdant spikes that sullied my friend''s body. But almost immediately, they snapped at my fingers like a hungering piranha with countless razor-sharp teeth. As soon as I took a step back, they quieted down.


    "..."


    "Did the mutation get in when the O.S.S. dropped? Or¡ª was it inside the station already?" I muttered the words in disbelief as I stepped forward carefully. The verdant spikes trembled as a slit ran across the surface of it, opening into an array of minuscule teeth that lined the interior.


    Forfeiting my attempts at getting Vlad down, I searched the rest of the Command Center. It was disappointingly empty until I turned to the central SmartScreen used as a communication hub with Mission Command. The screen flickered with a new correspondence¡ª but that should have been impossible. Vlad was always punctual about his tasks. And if it was after the crash¡ª that seemed even more unlikely.


    I fumbled with the screen, clattering away on the keyboard to access the Data Log.


    ''Denied -''


    ''Access Denied -''


    ''Unresponsive Unit - Anomaly Detected - De-De-De-Denied''


    ''Access Granted''


    Correspondence: x12-12-21x2


    ''Dobryy vecher, kapitan Dostoyevskiy Vladimir...''


    I pressed a few more keys to translate the relay.


    ''Good evening, Captain Dostoevsky Vladimir.


    This correspondence code name x12-12-21x2 is confidential and for your eyes only. I repeat¡ª DO NOT SHARE.


    Captain, you and the members of the O.S.S. are humanity''s last hope at spreading. Humanity has fallen, and Earth has, too.


    I cannot get into details, for this message needs to reach you before they realize it.


    Just know¡ª this is serious. And this is your final mission.


    Captain, by the order of the United Federation and the 12 Allied Nations. Listen to the command you must follow¡ª word for word. Your mission is thus dubbed Project Horizon. Humanity will live on and prosper for generations as long as you survive.


    Guide the O.S.S. into the stars and maintain distance from Earth. Protect the inhabitants of the O.S.S. and maintain their blissful ignorance of humanity''s fate. Breed. Some might find fault with you, but humanity''s seed must spread¡ª do what you must. Finally, stay safe¡ª stay alive.


    You must survive.


    May God bless you, Captain. In you, we trust. May the horizon illuminate humanity''s fate.''


    I stared in silence¡ª at the contents of the correspondence and¡ª at the fact that Vlad never read the correspondence. Was humanity truly destined to die out completely?


    A sigh scraped against my helmet¡ª gruff and hollow.


    God blessed you real well, didn''t he?


    "Don''t think this is the blessing they had in mind."

 Chapter 9: Fractured Echoes

    Friday - October 26th, 2121:


    ''stay safe¡ª stay alive.''


    ''stay safe¡ª stay alive.''


    ''stay safe¡ª stay alive.''


    You''re not going to stay alive sitting around replaying the message.


    "Yeah, yeah, you''re right."


    I''ve lost count of how many times I listened to the correspondence and how many times I''ve tried to pry Vlad off the wall to no avail. It got to the point where I returned to rummaging through the space station, throwing whatever tools and devices I could at the spikes.


    Right as I was about to give up, I threw a bottle at the wall, causing it to shatter as liquid sprayed all over Vlad and the spikes that impaled his corpse. I didn''t even know what was in the bottle. It was a spur of frustration more than anything, and yet¡ª


    The creatures began to hiss and squeal as their forms began to smoke with a putrid green. It took moments before they silenced and turned into a rotted brown dried husk. Its weakened form caused Vlad''s body to collapse onto the floor.


    You shouldn''t be so disrespectful to those who passed.


    I went to Vlad and turned his body over onto its back. My hand caressed his desiccated face, no matter how peaceful his expression was¡ª I couldn''t believe that he passed comfortably. I ruffled through the pockets of Vlad''s standby gear, checking for anything that might shed some light on his final negligence.


    Are you trying to blame a dead man now?


    "There''s got to be something. Vlad''s never been late to a briefing in his life."


    Empty pockets kept on disappointing my expectations. There was nothing and for a moment I truly believed that, but I remembered a conversation I had with Vlad a long time ago.


    "The best way to hide something is to leave it in plain sight. Everyone will be so busy searching the usual hiding spots that they''ll camouflage the item, believing they had searched there already."


    The realization forced my hands into his chest pocket, which hung loose against his flesh. It looked so thin and empty that I skipped it¡ª just like Vlad expected. Inside was a flattened piece of paper¡ª a negligent scrap that blended with the shirt fabric to the absolute.


    ''I''m not insane. Something keeps following me. I feel its gaze breathing down my neck. I swear¡ª something is hiding aboard the space station.


    The past three nights I''ve done my rounds, I could hear it¡ª crying in the halls. I asked Jefferson, Riley, Samuel, Antonia, Fernando, and Victoria. I asked them all if they could hear it¡ª but they all questioned if I was drinking on duty.


    I don''t know who I can trust. Even Mission Command messaged recently to be careful of sleeper agents¡ª what did they mean by that? No matter how much I demanded an answer, there was only radio silence.


    I''m mentally and physically exhausted. I want to go home. Can this mission end already?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I knnawh''


    His writing panned out into incomprehensible letters, and at the bottom of the paper, it was scratched out completely. Whatever he wanted to conclude the message with¡ª he changed his mind.


    Imagine losing your mind days before the whole world went to shit.


    "He must have heard the plant life forms. Somehow, before the conflict on Earth spread, they must have been aboard the O.S.S."


    Is that really what he heard, though?


    "Is that the case, though? It wouldn''t line up with the timeline of the creature''s emergence that the book mentioned. Unless the plants and the parasites are not the same?"


    Suddenly, the space station shook as alarms blared within it. My legs gave out as I slammed into the wall, rolling repeatedly across the floor. The magnitude of the shaking increased with every passing breath. I clawed desperately toward the door, pulling my body against the force that pushed back.


    ''Pressure Surge Detected - Emergency Protocols Engaged -''


    ''Emergency - Equip Bio-Suits - Equip Bio-Suits -''


    The central console warned of a threat, and it didn''t take long for the same to make itself known as I felt the O.S.S. lift. The metal exterior tore and crumbled as a forceful shove sent the space station flying. My body slammed against the wall, feeling the embrace of death encroaching upon me.


    ''O.S.S. Emergency Detected - Activating Emergency Evacuation Procedure Delta-''


    ''Anomaly Detected - Anomaly - Evacuation Failed-''


    ''Emergency Detected - Evacuate Immediately - Restart Procedure''


    ''Evacuation in 5-4-3-2-1¡ª''


    Wrathful rejection possessed my body as the evacuation procedure started. The control interface removed my presence from the station in the only way it knew how. Forcefully. My body rolled against the ground as the force of ejection propelled me. It caused my head to spin as I stumbled to lift myself.


    Vomit slid down my throat as I forced it down the moment my gaze settled on the O.S.S.


    A dozen monstrously large creatures battled with the O.S.S., lifting it and carving their marks into it. One was a headless arachnid the size of a mountain with two jutting stalagmites outstretching from its back. It lifted its front legs, stabbing into the metal. And then I saw terror¡ª an incomprehensibly large human head that grew from the arachnid''s abdomen. Its eyes remained closed with only a wide grin spreading across the human face, revealing pristine white teeth, unmarred by the grime of living.


    Seeing it alone was enough to bring tears to my eyes, but the other creatures were no better. There was a primate with a scruffy face and grimaced expression, violently pounding on the metal exterior with bulging, veinous human arms as massive as a giant sequoia. Another was longer than tall, yet its scaled tail barbed with a thorny ball at the tip slammed into the O.S.S., battering it to pieces.


    It whipped its armored head toward the silvery exterior, snapping its massive maw shut around it. At that moment, green tendrils writhed inside its mouth, with rolling eyeballs lining them.


    I was nothing but an ant in comparison.


    You are an insignificant ant.


    I dropped to my knees, head still whirring from the evacuation. The creatures continued battering the station, demolishing it into pieces. I saw Vlad''s body.


    It flew out of the O.S.S. straight into the scaled beast''s tendril-infested maw. The tendrils wrapped around Vlad, absorbing him into themselves. The surface of his flesh slit open as the countless eyeballs emerged from it. The tendrils merged with his limbs, enlarging them and turning them into a hulking green that brimmed with power. For a moment, I thought I saw Vlad''s eyes open as the scaled beast shut its maw.


    I could neither hear nor see nor feel anything as darkness consumed me.


    Really? Did you pick now of all times to pass out?

 Chapter 10: Guiding Light

    Saturday - October 27th, 2121:


    I opened my eyes, but there was nothing for me to see. Were it not for my ears, I would have thought I was floating in the afterlife.


    But, no. I could hear it. Crawling and writhing atop my flesh. No, it wasn''t my flesh. It was my suit, but it felt like it was my very flesh that festered with its foul stench. No, it wasn''t a stench I could sense, but a foulness that pierced into my very subconscious mind.


    I screamed and thrashed and pulled myself off the ground as black specks, minuscule and numerous, washed away from my body.


    They were but ants, countless and homeless, and I had become their anthill. As they littered the floor, they burrowed into the depths of the soil, vanishing before my eyes. They reformed into a face that blinked innocently at me¡ª Vlad''s.


    I jolted, waving at the air maddeningly as my body lurched backward, and I hit the cavern''s uneven surface. The noise stopped, and the face disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.


    My breaths scraped against my throat, each one pained my lungs, unlike anything I had felt before. I struck my fist against the back of the wall in anger as I shook my head to clear my mind, but my fist recoiled off the soft lining. It struck me¡ª why was it so pliable? Where was I?


    Everything seemed so fuzzy¡ª both the surface and my mind.


    Then, Vlad''s face appeared again, smiling at me. He blinked with an innocence never seen before on his gruff and chiseled face. It was like specks of starlight drifted in his eyes. "Why did you do it?" His lips parted to ask in that rough accent that he could never get rid of.


    "I¡ª " The words started to come out, and then I blinked, and there was only me and the emptiness of the narrow cavern accompanying me. My hands clasped around my helmet¡ª I wanted to rip it off and howl¡ª but the walls wiggled behind my back, pulsating with their slimy glands dripping onto my visor.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    You''re acting like a coward again.


    I rushed in a direction, begging the celestial bodies above that it would lead me to the exit.


    "Why did you survive? It was my spacewalk you took over. I should''ve been the one to live, not a coward like you."


    Catherine''s sweet voice lulled in my ears as I jolted back to a pitch-black space that constricted behind me. There was no Vlad, Catherine, or anyone else.


    I turned back with my eyes shut, running with only my hand, feeling the soft, wriggling wall of flesh surrounding me.


    Suddenly, my foot struck nothing but air, and my body tilted forward, rolling for what felt like thousands of miles, but it only spanned mere moments. Then, finally, I crashed onto a hard surface. The sound of shattering thundered in my mind as I saw the fragments of my visor scatter across the floor. The reflection struck me as a skeletal figure stared back at me with budding eyes of green that gleamed with newborn naivety.


    I grasped toward my face with my glove rubbing against the helmet and intact visor. My blood flowed cold as the hastened breaths heaved against my chest.


    Then, a soft croak awakened me to the world as I lifted my head to see the white raven perched atop a tree. Behind me, a sloped edge led up a cavernous path into the unknown darkness. It was like the raven was the only light at the end of a neverending tunnel. With its white body shimmering against the backdrop of nighttime and the rubied eyes that burned with warm intentions, I found myself comforted and walking toward it. As I neared, it croaked and flew, guiding me away.


    I focused on its outstretched wings, ignoring the forest whose branches slithered toward me, ignoring the cloudy sky that swirled above, shielding the land from the sun and moon, and ignoring the whispered howls and moans of bestial predators that crept in the vicinity. In the depths of my racing heart, I knew if I followed it¡ª I would survive.


    With each ragged breath of mine, the bird would croak again, pushing the wilderness away from itself. I lost track of the time that passed. It was dark and chilling outside, no matter how much sweat drenched my back. Finally, the surroundings numbed to my presence, quieting down as the raven perched atop a tall fence about as tall as six of me stacked atop one another.


    It croaked and nudged its head toward a part of the fencing that lay in disrepair. Someone had left a doghole barely wide enough for a man to fit through. "Do you want me to go in?"


    I asked as if the bird could understand me, and it croaked back as if it could.

 Chapter 11: He, Who Fell

    Saturday - October 27th, 2121:


    I crawled through the doghole carefully, minding my suit not to rupture it on the jagged, broken-down edges of the metal. Once I passed to the other side, I turned back toward the raven who sat perched atop the fence with its head tilted toward me. "Are you coming, little guy?"


    The raven croaked and flapped its wings, flying away. ''Guess not.''


    As the raven departed, the rustling sounds returned subtly on the other side of the fence, filled with a wanton curiosity that craved nothing more than to catch me stranded and alone. I quickened my steps and went further into the area. Since the raven guided me here, there had to be something just like when it brought me to the bunker.


    I stepped through overgrown flora that reeked with the mutated qualities not unlike those on the other side of the fence, yet there was something different about it still. They seemed far more peaceful in comparison. It was abnormal, but it was nowhere near as terrifying.


    My hand slid across one stalk that brushed close to my side, and the flora wiggled away as if afraid of my touch. It made the trek through them admittedly simple as they would wave close yet always move back.


    I walked an hour through the same repetitive scenery before a gasp cut through the silence. I turned slightly to my left and saw a small human-like figure in my peripheral. My head hastily moved to see it, but it vanished into the overgrown jungle of flora. ''Was that a survivor?'' The thought coursed through my body like electricity as I ran after it.


    It took only a few minutes until the overgrown forest opened into a bright clearing that belied the mutated scenery surrounding it. Brown branches lined the perimeter akin to a makeshift picket fence. Beyond it, I could see several dozen makeshift beds of moss and leaves, shielded only by a layer of thick leaves that layered atop each other into a basic tent.


    Cries overwhelmed me as several shadowy figures bled into the corners of the leafy flaps that surrounded the beds in an attempt not to be seen. "I''m not a monster! I''m a human!" I voiced out naively in my belief that I saw survivors apart from myself.


    A few of the figures edged toward the entrance of their tents, and then I could see them. Human, yes, they were, but not entirely. They were all children. Some looked no older than a newborn, while others could pass as a five or six-year-old, but each had a mutation visible. I saw long, pointed ears and gemstone eyes on one boy''s innocent face. And there was a girl that had flora lightly embracing her skin, similar to those beyond the fence yet oddly beautiful in comparison. It caused her to resemble a mystical being from the old fantasy books from the previous century more than it did a monster.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Despite my intrigued thoughts, I still regretted speaking out, for they were not the humans I expected, but was it too late to regret it now?


    The children left their tents curiously. And I could see them all in detail with their different mixtures of flora and fauna and funga merging with their human selves. There was no viciousness in their gazes nor the typical hunger I could feel in the others beyond the fence.


    ''Have you come to eat us, Skyfall?''


    The youthful voice rang in my mind with caution and worry. It caused me to shake my head and scan the children again until I saw the boy with the pointed ears, his gemstone eyes glowing with a vibrant blue as he gazed at me. ''Don''t hurt them. Take me instead, Skyfall.''


    Again, the voice rang clearly in my thoughts, and I knew it was the boy. His eyes pulsed with every word transmitted. "I won''t hurt anyone! I''m just trying to survive in this accursed world!" I replied while facing the boy''s pure and protective gaze.


    ''You''re not lying, Skyfall? You won''t eat us like the others?''


    "No! I don''t know anything about it! Why are you calling me Skyfall even? And what do you mean by eating you? All I''ve done is to try and figure out what happened to Earth and my people!"


    ''I don''t believe you, Skyfall. You can be a liar just like the rest. Let me check, and I''ll believe you.''


    The boy looked to be the oldest of the bunch and stood as tall as a six-year-old, but his bravery and determination rang in my mind clearly with every demand he made. "I''m not lying! I mean you no harm. As long as you don''t want to harm me, we can get along, can we not?"


    He walked to me cautiously, and I could see a series of subtle protrusions lining his arms with glimmering colors. Somehow, it reminded me of the raven''s ruby-encrusted wing tips as the gemstones shimmered slightly from the underside of his arms. He raised his hand toward my chest, and I wanted to flinch back, but in my mind, my instincts screamed to trust him. He placed his hand on my chest, and his arms glowed as the gemstones surged with a strange power I''d never felt in my life before. It was unnatural and heavy but comforting just the same.


    ''It''s the truth, you''re not marked like the others, how? How did you manage, Skyfall?''


    "I don''t know what you mean! I told you, I mean you no harm. So, can you tell me why you keep calling me Skyfall?"


    ''What else would I call you, Skyfall? You, who fell with the sky, can only be called Skyfall, right?''


    "What do you mean? How do you know that?"


    ''Everyone knows when the sky fell. What do you mean, Skyfall?''


    "NO WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" I screamed in impatience, and the children screamed and shivered in return, falling back into their tents with terrified expressions. Immediately, I felt a pang of guilt.


    "Children¡ª What''s wrong?" A gruff, aged voice sounded beyond the tent-filled clearing as fierce steps echoed toward me.

 Chapter 12: Humanitys Seeds

    Saturday - October 27th, 2121:


    The ground vibrated beneath my feet as an older man approached. As the man neared, I saw his arms and torso wrapped with thick brown bark with ash-grey spots that speckled it, the weight of the growth thudding loudly against the ground as he slowly made his way to me. The man''s face was wrinkled and wizened, but it didn''t detract from the playful warmth that it radiated.


    Several children ran to the man and cried out, holding onto the back of his trousers. "Caretaker, Skyfall yelled at Sapphire."


    "There, there, little ones." The man said as he patted the children''s heads. "Skyfall didn''t mean to. He''s just confused and grumpy. You know how you feel when you''re hungry? It''s like that."


    "Now, I''ll talk to Skyfall, and you can play among yourselves, okay?"


    "Yes, Caretaker!" The children nodded and laughed before running off behind the tents, leaving only the sapphire-eyed boy and the ''Caretaker'' accompanying my confusion.


    The man sat on a stone near one of the tents and motioned for me to sit across from him, "Come, Skyfall. There must be a lot you''re confused about. Let''s talk."


    I sat across from him reluctantly, "Who are you? What are you? Why do you people keep calling me Skyfall? What happened to Earth? What is this place?"


    The man chuckled and stroked his beard, "Slow down, Skyfall. There''s no need to be so flustered. Let''s see¡ª as to who I am¡ª the children call me the Caretaker because I take care of them."


    "Caretaker...?" I questioned.


    "That''s right! Now¡ª as to what I am¡ª just a mutation like the rest. A lot has changed on Earth. You must have seen the signs already. This place is our hideaway from the Buried Ones. It filters the spread just enough that we''re allowed a moment of peace, for however long it may last."


    "Buried Ones? Are you talking about the creatures below the Earth?" I asked as the words pieced together into a large picture in my mind.


    "That''s correct, Skyfall. So you know about Project Horizon already?" The man stroked his beard with surprise painted on his wrinkled face. "That''ll make some things easier to explain then."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "You asked why we call you Skyfall, and to explain that, I''ll start at the beginning as it all correlates."


    "When the Buried began to parasitize humanity, some of our greatest minds created several plans to confront them. The children and I were one such plan. My son was one of the researchers and created a subterranean shelter for the young to survive. Granted, it didn''t go as planned, but the effort was at least made to preserve humanity. Another plan was what they later dubbed Project Horizon¡ª a method to destroy all the parasites at the root." The man paused with melancholy on his face.


    He sighed and continued, "Some had conflicting opinions of Project Horizon. They wanted mutual destruction or a way to leave themselves a path to survival. Humanity was far from united, and the enemies breathing down our necks hardly helped it. It was bloody, Skyfall. Your kind was fortunate to have spent your final days in the sky. When the end came, all plans were meaningless."


    "In the end, nothing mattered. The world had a way to keep the balance, and we were all cogs in the machine. When we awoke, the children''s minds were blank as the day they were born, filled with innocence and curiosity for the new world, and I was the only one left to take care of them. One day, after the end had already come, we saw the eruption of light ascending into the sky, reflecting upon the Earth¡ªthe starry void above. There we saw you¡ª projected and falling for all to see."


    ''It was incredibly cool!'' The boy called Sapphire chipped in, breaking his silent vigilance over our conversation as his voice entered my mind. ''The sky was always covered, and we saw nothing but the swirling mists and clouds, but when you fell, the sky opened up, and we could see what lay beyond. It was beautiful!''


    "It was rather awe-inspiring." The Caretaker added, stroking his beard. It seemed that he heard Sapphire as well. "I''m rather amazed that you even survived Skyfall. It belies comprehension, but I suppose the way the world is after the changes, what isn''t incomprehensible anymore?"


    He''s lying to you. Kill him and take the children hostage. Use them against the monsters to survive.


    "What you say doesn''t make sense. I found a journal in a bunker that said Project Horizon didn''t launch until the light erupted, and that''s when I lost my memory until I awoke on Earth. I also found the fallen space station. It had been attacked from within, and all my comrades were dead or missing. So, excuse me if I don''t trust your timeline wholeheartedly."


    ''Caretaker doesn''t lie!'' Sapphire replied with a sharp hiss in my mind, his eyes glowing as he spoke.


    "Now, now, relax, Sapphire. You cannot let anger be your first thought when someone doesn''t believe you." The Caretaker spoke and patted the boy''s head. "Remember, we''re all humans. We were disjointed once, and if we fought among ourselves again, we''d have wasted all those years for nothing."


    "I¡ª I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to doubt you. Everything is still new to me. This world, these things that surround me. It isn''t the Earth that I knew."


    "I know, Skyfall. You, too, are a young sprout learning how to walk again. Stay in the camp for a while and get to know the children. Perhaps it''ll help grant some clarity to your future." The man smiled and stood up, placing his bark-covered hand on my shoulder.


    "Okay," I muttered instinctively and lowered my head toward the ground, lost in thought.

 Chapter 13: Children of Earth

    Saturday - October 27th, 2121:


    I sat alone for several minutes before Sapphire came to me and pulled me by the arm. ''Come, Skyfall. Let me introduce you to everyone now that you''re not screaming at them.''


    In my daze, I was like a rock sat in place, but the boy nudged and nudged and got me to rise and follow him. He took me to the group that played behind the tents and introduced everyone to me.


    ''You know me already, Skyfall. I''m Sapphire because my eyes are sapphires.'' He then pointed to the girl that I had seen with him earlier. ''That''s Flora because of the flora that grows across her body.''


    Flora smiled shyly, hiding behind a larger boy who looked quite bulky for his young age. ''That one''s Geode, he''s a blockhead!''


    "You''re the blockhead, Sapphire!" Geode snapped back with his graveled voice, eliciting laughs from Flora and the other children.


    Sapphire then pointed to several other children, calling their names as he went along. ''Fauna, Bull, Vine, Quartz, Lily, Venus, Thorn...'' The list stretched on, and I could see the simple reasoning behind each name. These mutations laced their human bodies, giving them a subtle, unearthly tinge compared to the monsters I had seen before, and it also gave them a new life to go alongside the changes.


    One girl came up to Sapphire and me with an excited step. She looked about four with curved burgundy leaves retracted to the sides of her face with small hair-like extensions caressing her cheeks. Her name came from Venus Flytraps, which one could see spread across the old Earth. "Mister Skyfall." She spoke playfully with her hands behind her back. "Are you not going to eat us?"


    Again, they brought up eating them, to my confusion. "No, why do you people keep mentioning eating you?"


    ''It''s what the Buried and their Colossi do.'' Sapphire said.


    "Sapphire! If you can''t speak, then stop butting in!" Venus stomped her little feet.


    ''Sorry, sorry.'' Sapphire''s pointy ears arched downward sulkingly.


    Venus huffed and turned toward me again, "When the Colossi eat, they evolve and grow, enhancing the Buried''s control and compatibility with this planet. It''s why whenever someone new comes, we get curious¡ª but also scared that they want to consume us to evolve."


    "Humans don''t eat other humans," I said without thinking. I understood their fears and concerns with the colossal abominations out there. "You said Colossi and Buried separately. Are the Colossi the immensely large human-hybrids?"


    ''They¡ª''


    "Shut up, Sapphire!" Venus snapped, her leaves extended and shut like a hungering maw facing Sapphire. Then she smiled sweetly and turned back to me, causing sweat to roll down my back. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Colossi are called that because they''re colossal. And Buried because they were beneath the surface for ages. It''s simple, Skyfall."


    "Help!" Someone''s voice broke through our conversation as I turned toward one of the tents where a boy was flailing, the thorns on his back stuck into the thick leaves.


    "Thorn, why are you such a klutz!" Venus huffed and skipped off to help him.


    I turned to Sapphire, who looked somewhat dejected still and asked him. "How old are you kids anyways? You all seem quite mature."


    Sapphire beamed with a smile, hearing my words. ''Caretaker has been teaching us! We''re good, aren''t we? We don''t know how old we were, but the Caretaker said I''m the oldest at six. Geode, Quartz, and Bull are all about five. Flora, Venus, and the rest are four.''


    "How does he teach you?"


    ''Oh, uhm¡ª''


    "Sapphire, come here and help!" Venus yelled out while tugging on Thorn''s arms.


    Sapphire ran off in silence.


    Flora came to me Shyly when Sapphire left and grabbed me by the fingers. I looked at her, and she looked at me without speaking.


    "Hello, Flora," I said, "You''re not helping the others with Thorn?"


    Flora shook her head, her hand still clasped around my fingers.


    What an annoying rat. Doesn''t the vermin have anything better to do?


    "Do you need help with anything?" I asked, curious as to why the shy girl was suddenly latching onto me.


    Again, nothing but a quick shake of her head to say no.


    She''s so clingy, so annoying. You''re not here to babysit but to find a way to survive.


    "CARETAKER! COLOSSI!" Geode''s graveled voice screamed out as he jumped into a sprint. "The Colossi are coming, everyone."


    "Children, get ready for a fight." The Caretaker''s gruff voice sounded out from the middle of the camp. I could see the practiced confidence on the children''s faces as they moved in an organized manner, heading toward the Caretaker.


    ''Come, Skyfall. You''ll be safer in the center with the rest.'' Sapphire ran up to me and tugged on my hand.


    "Does this happen often?" I questioned, seeing their unworried faces.


    ''Sometimes.'' Sapphire hesitated a moment before continuing, ''Usually, they have no reason to come to this side due to the Caretaker''s powers keeping them away.''


    "Powers?"


    ''You''ll see soon enough.''


    As we returned to the center of the camp, I could feel the ground quaking violently beneath my feet. Large footsteps thudded dully against the overgrown jungle outstretched beyond the camp toward the fence I had come from. After several minutes, the Colossi''s form appeared above the trees, its flat, furry face grimacing with bloodied eyes and saliva dribbling down its protruding stone teeth.


    The Caretaker stepped forward, placing himself between us and the beast, his bark-like flesh revitalizing as it began to smooth over and enlarge.


    "What the hell?" I muttered in disbelief.


    "Get ready, children." The Caretaker said as the beast broke through the protective canopy of trees and lunged toward him.

 Chapter 14: Colossi Attack

    Saturday - October 27th, 2121:


    As the beast broke through the trees, I could see human mouths lining the sides of its torso, with elongated viney tongues salivating for a meal. It was akin to a colossal gorilla, covered in fur and tense muscles that could easily break a man in half.


    The Caretaker engorged his body into a hulking colossal form and leaped forward, slamming his bark-covered fist at the Colossi''s face. The flat-faced creature snarled and thrashed, whipping its muscular arm back at the Caretaker. With each step the two took, the ground quaked, and the surroundings demolished.


    From the corner of my visor''s vision, I could see Sapphire standing to the side with his arms outstretched toward the beast and the gemstones embedded into his arms glimmering with a pulsating blue. I didn''t know what he was doing, but I could see sweat blanketing his face as he strained himself.


    Everything was difficult for my mind to process. I thought these survivors were normal, or at least more so than the others, but seeing the Caretaker''s massive size slamming against the creature completely belied the normalcy I expected.


    The creature snarled and gnashed its stony teeth at the Caretaker in an attempt to devour the man in one bite. But the Caretaker was not a weakling either. His bark-like flesh proved to be a natural counter against the animalistic frenzy of a seemingly mindless creature.


    "Fauna, is the coast clear?" Venus asked the girl whose body was covered with patches of fur and had animal ears and a tail.


    "Yes, no other animals nearby." Fauna nodded, her ears visibly twitching.


    "Flora?"


    "All clear," Flora replied briefly from her position behind Geode.


    "Caretaker, everything''s clear, you can proceed." Venus chirped toward the battle.


    I expected the battle to turn into a hunt, with the Caretaker defeating the beast in a split second. Yet the mindless creature turned out to be far from mindless as a sharp glint shone from its eye, and it ducked underneath the Caretaker''s side, shoving him off balance and throwing the man into the distance. Before the Caretaker could react, the beast lunged toward Sapphire with immense yearning.


    Sapphire didn''t need to move. He remained rooted in place with arms outstretched and glowing. Geode rushed forward, his body taking on a rough exterior as minerals and stones poked out from his flesh. His bulky form gained momentum quickly, and he slammed into the beast, deflecting his attack on Sapphire.


    As the beast bounced back, the Caretaker rushed forward and pinned it down with his thick, bark-covered arms. The gorilla thrashed and spat, but it proved futile as the Caretaker rooted himself firmly into the ground, suffocating the life from the beast.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The children breathed audible sighs of relief, and I could see the glow around Sapphire dulling as he was about to lower his arms.


    But then a tearing sound crackled like thunder in the sky, and from the gorilla''s abdomen, a scaled human with an elongated tail burst, striking the Caretaker with a swift whip-like motion that cracked his bark-covered surface and sent him rolling across the ground.


    "Caretaker!" The children screamed out, and Sapphire immediately raised his arms, glowing brighter than he had before, to the point where I could see blood flowing from his eyes.


    The snake-human hissed at Sapphire''s action, which made me realize that the boy was most likely attacking the mind the same way he spoke. But compared to the gorilla, this human seemed far more resilient. Its scaled body slithered against the ground with quick strides and went toward Sapphire. The other children attacked just as quickly, resulting in a wildly inhumane sight as plants, vines, stones, and various minerals moved at the children''s whim.


    The Caretaker picked himself up as well. His flesh bled, and his rejuvenated form seemed to dwindle and dry up, but his size remained enlarged as he grasped at the snakeman. As it faced an attack from all sides, the creature coiled up, hissing loudly as the human vanished into a scaly swirl that caused the attacks to land flatly against it. Immediately, he unwrapped and slammed into the Caretaker''s arm, causing further damage to the bark covering. It then lunged with its human arms toward the children as an instant reflex.


    I saw Bull charge toward the snake with his small form blackening, horns growing from his head, thickening into the size of an adult man''s thighs. He slammed into the snakeman recklessly, and as he did, Thorn began to change as well, his body shrinking into itself as the thorny spikes around him jutted out tremendously.


    Geode grabbed Thorn by the lengthiest protrusion and picked him up overhead as he rushed toward the snakeman, who was being pushed back and impaled by Bull and his horns. The boy slammed down onto the snakeman, hurling Thorn as if the boy were a hammer at the creature''s head. It proved to be effective as I could see the snake-human''s brains splatter and blood flow rapidly down its bare torso.


    I felt relief wash over me. It was finally over.


    You''re useless. Where''d your backbone and will go?


    Bull and Geode pulled back slightly as the snakeman slumped over, but as the children pulled away, the snakeman''s body tore. From his snake-like tail, vines emerged, dripping blood and covered in teeth, and they wrapped around Thorn, who struggled to free himself from their grasp.


    Geode and Bull reacted quickly and grabbed at the vines. But the two were powerless compared to the bloody abomination that tightened its grip, eliciting screams from Thorn.


    "Thorn!" Both the Caretaker and the children yelled out and moved toward him. But the vines clenched and squeezed, bursting Thorn''s spiked shell and splattering pieces of the boy across the demolished ground.


    "NO!" Cries echoed, and the environment collapsed as the vines felt the weight of everyone''s abilities. But no matter how much they demolished the area further, it wouldn''t bring Thorn back.


    Good riddance. The brats are annoying.


    Both the gorilla and the snake were convincingly dead this time, as were the vines that emerged from the snake. Grief filled the air, and sobs seeped out from the children who mourned Thorn. The Caretaker returned to his aged form and stood over the remains that lined the ground, a gruff sigh escaping his lips.

 Chapter 15: Leaving The Camp

    Sunday - October 28th, 2121:


    The Caretaker and the children worked into the night to clear out the attack''s aftermath and restore the camp to how it was. They brought what remained of Thorn to the back of the camp and buried him with modest embellishments around his tomb.


    It caused the air to be tense with grief, but after an hour of awkward silence, Flora returned to my side, holding onto my hand. Soon, the Caretaker followed and asked me to speak with him.


    "You should go, Skyfall," The Caretaker uttered while stroking his beard.


    "What?" I asked at the suddenness of it.


    Finally, you don''t belong here.


    The Caretaker looked at me momentarily before pulling off a piece of bark from his ribcage. The man groaned and turned the piece toward me. "There''s a map here that''ll take you where everything started. You don''t belong here, Skyfall."


    I grabbed the piece of bark, seeing the grooved surface etched with basic shapes and dashes, an old-fashioned map, by all means. I could see the meaning behind it, however. It led beyond the fenced perimeter, around the desolate city, and beyond it. "It seems rather¡ªfar," I muttered while feeling the grooves against my glove. "Will I find answers there?"


    "You will." The Caretaker replied. "You should go. The days are long, and time is fleeting."


    "Okay," I replied as I held onto the bark and turned away from the camp. It seemed like a hassle, but the Caretaker was right. If answers were lying there, I should find them. I forgot that Flora still held my hand. As I turned, she tugged back. "Oh, Flora. What''s wrong?"


    "Don''t go." The girl spoke in a hush, with her face almost hidden against my suit.


    "Flora, stop this. Skyfall has to leave." The Caretaker chided as he came close to the girl and me. He grabbed her by the shoulder, "Let''s go back now, child."


    "No!" Flora shook her head and held on to me tighter. The trees that surrounded the camp rustled with every shake of her head.


    ''Flora, what''s going on?'' Sapphire''s voice cut through as the boy hobbled over with a bandage over one of his eyes.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The girl kept shaking and holding on to me. She silenced and closed her eyes, ignoring everything around her. The Caretaker had an unreadable expression on his face as he sighed. "Do you wish to go with Skyfall, Flora?"


    "No, I want Skyfall to stay," Flora whispered, but the girl shook her head. "I''ll go."


    "You should bring her along with you, Skyfall. Flora will be a big help in you arriving there sooner." The Caretaker said.


    You''re not the Caretaker here! Why do you need to bring her along?


    "Okay," I said flatly, not minding to have some support on the journey. With what I saw the children do against the Colossi, it could prove quite useful to have the girl around.


    Flora held my hand, and we went off. Sapphire had a saddened expression as he waved us off while the Caretaker stood rather rooted in place and silent.


    Flora kept pace with me surprisingly well, but after an hour, she had enough walking and called forth a nest of flowery vines intertwined into a flat-backed lifeform that stood before us. It lowered a large petal, raised Flora onto its back, and came down again for me. I was reluctant, but Flora gazed at me with innocent eyes, and I gave up struggling.


    Once we were on the floral lifeforms back, it sped across the ground much faster than anything my legs could''ve managed. We raced through the forest that cleared the way for us and went around a colossal mountain with hundreds of porous openings on its exterior.


    "Should we go around the city?" I asked Flora, whose head was resting against my arm. "It was swarming with Colossi last time I was there."


    "Don''t worry," She replied softly, her gaze focused down and away from me.


    I wasn''t confident in the response, but considering that the camp did use her as a tracker, I suppose I had to trust her. The area seemed eerily quiet compared to when I went through it earlier. It was almost unsettling how silent it was. "Do you know why it''s so quiet now, Flora?"


    The girl raised her head off my arm and looked at me with a strange expression. For several moments, she stared blankly before replying, "Colossi aren''t always active. Sometimes, they''re dormant."


    "I see. Do you know where the Colossi go?"


    "Everywhere," She said flatly before resting her head on my arm again.


    You see? You can''t trust them. They won''t even answer a simple question.


    We continued onward in awkward silence. It was also uncomfortable with the girl so close, the small pieces of plant-life and flowers writhed along her face and arms almost with a mind of their own. Despite their mostly human appearance, I still couldn''t feel a fondness towards the survivors from the camp. They were not the humans that I knew. They were not human like me.


    That''s right! Maybe you should ditch her somewhere.


    Flora''s words ended up true as we went past the city without any of the monstrosities appearing, a good sign if nothing else. Beyond the ruinous cityscape was an area I hadn''t seen before. It stretched vast across the horizon with a flattened, murky brown devoid of life. As the plant creature Flora summoned touched the surface of that brown land, it hesitated and pulled back. But with a tap of Flora''s hand against its surface, it moved forward reluctantly.

 Chapter 16: Cowards Struggle

    Sunday - October 28th, 2121:


    Another two hours of travel passed in silence. I told myself that Flora''s just a child, and even if the other children from the camp were more mature, it didn''t mean she had to be the same.


    I held the piece of bark close to my visor and looked at the map the Caretaker gave me. Beyond this stretch of ''desert'' was a winding valley and the area where the destination should be. Having Flora with me was very useful. Without her creature giving us a ride, this journey would have taken days.


    "Watch out!" Flora suddenly cried out as her plant creature lunged to the side with a massive stride.


    From the flattened depths, a long-winding centipede crawled out with a purplish carapace, rows of teeth, and dozens of human arms lining its torso as a replacement for legs. It stabbed out from the ground and lurched upward with a biting motion that caught nothing but air.


    As the plant creature landed, it rolled, tossing Flora and me onto the ground. I felt the world spin momentarily but picked myself up as I could hear the centipede hissing. I saw Flora lying motionless and went to her. Blood dripped from the back of her head, and next to her was a blood-splattered ground that proved to be far rougher than the sandy desert I thought it was.


    Just great! Useless, useless, unbelievable! Leave her!


    "Dammit!" I muttered as the creature behind thrashed and slithered toward us. I picked Flora up and held her close in one arm while scanning the area for anything I could use to escape. All around us was emptiness, but I saw that the creature she summoned turned rigid and slumped to the side, its limbs sticking out like hardened branches. The centipede hissed and lunged its ugly face at me.


    Just throw her at the creature and run. You''re a coward, so act like it.


    "Shut up!" I snarled at the hissing centipede as I grabbed at the hardened branch of our fallen ride and bent it with all the strength I could muster, snapping it off. As the centipede came close, I stabbed the branch forward, jabbing it into one of its eyes, causing it to thrash and hiss uncontrollably. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Green blood seeped out from its eyeball as it grimaced in my direction with a thick bloodlust.


    I was out of ideas. Stab it again? It didn''t seem to be that effective the first time around. Run? Could I outpace a creature of that size¡ª on its home ground? That seemed unlikely. I ripped off another branch and held it out in front of me¡ªas ineffective as it may be, I have to try.


    At some point, Flora had awoken because as the creature came rushing forth again, it froze in place as a series of deeply buried roots outstretched from the ground and wrapped around its long body. I looked down, and her eyes glowed a subtle green, her expression strained as the plant elements on her face bristled against her face.


    "Run," Flora forced out as the centipede struggled to break free of the roots that bound it.


    I jolted with Flora in my arms and raced across the sandy desert toward the valley. I saw from the corner of my vision that the girl''s eyes remained glowing and flickering as she kept the beast at bay. But as we pulled away from it, I could hear the thrashing echo loudly. I turned briefly and saw the rough sand bursting left and right as the creature burrowed in and out of the ground.


    "Can you get us another ride?" I asked Flora, who looked at me with a sharp glare that wasn''t very childlike.


    "When I''m out of the desert, I can."


    I didn''t respond and continued running. It made sense. There weren''t many floral elements around the desert that Flora could use, and it might interfere with her attempts at blocking the centipede. After a while, I saw the end of the desert nearing before my eyes as it transitioned into a narrow valley. The closer we got to it, the quieter the centipede hissed behind us. It was as if the valley was a forbidden ground to it, and any invasion would go against its instinct.


    The two of us entered the valley and pushed forward just enough that we couldn''t see the desert behind us. "Do you need to rest a bit? How''s your head?" I asked Flora, who was panting quietly in my arms.


    "It hurts," She said in a muffled voice. "It''ll heal fast, but a rest would help. Are you not tired?"


    "I am," I said without much thought. After all, I''ve been running left and right since I awoke on this estranged Earth. "The creature isn''t coming into the valley, so we can afford to rest. Can you still feel if any other lifeforms approach us?"


    "Yes," Flora replied, and her eyes glowed as a series of small vines sprouted all across the valley''s walls, swaying gently. "If anything comes, they''ll let me know."


    "Alright, that sounds good. We rest for a while and then head out."

 Chapter 17: Area: Z3-R0

    Monday - October 29th, 2121:


    We managed to rest for several hours without interruptions. Flora kept close to me the entire time despite not wanting to talk much. Once in a while, she would reply with a few words only to return to silence immediately after. I didn''t know why she was so attached to me, especially with her unwillingness to speak. The only thing that came to mind was that maybe she was just scared of being away from the Caretaker. That was probably it.


    But once our rest was sufficient and Flora''s head wound healed thanks to the power of the floral lifeforms funneling a peculiar liquid onto her skull, she called forth another quadrupedal plant creature to take us further into the valley. The craggy rocks seemed to breathe as we went into the depths of it, but with Flora''s presence, all remained peaceful for the longest of time.


    It wasn''t until the fifth time I noticed the same series of curving stones that I felt something was wrong with the valley itself, and I rechecked the map. We were going the right way, but why then? "Stop, Flora."


    I got off the plant creature''s back and stepped slowly through the valley from one ridged wall to the next. I pressed on my scanner, which remained unresponsive despite my efforts. I turned to the SmartScreen on my wrist, shuffling through the useful applications, but everything resulted in a negative.


    "Flora, can you find anything strange in the area?"


    "Strange?" She stepped off the creature and placed her soft hands on the soil''s surface with her eyes closed. She hummed a strange tune, and I could feel a subtle quiver underneath the surface. For a moment, it seemed as if the valley flickered as the surface distorted into something else.


    "You''re on to something, Flora! Keep it up!" As I spoke those words to Flora, she made the ground quiver stronger. I had no idea what she was doing beneath the surface, but whatever it was, it was working.


    A few minutes later, it was like a layer of distortion peeled off the entire valley, revealing a long-winding path toward a tall-fenced area. "You did it, Flora!" I exclaimed and picked the girl up excitedly into my arms, which elicited a small gasp of surprise from her. "Oh! Sorry, Flora!"


    "It''s okay...thank you," Flora replied shyly and hid her face against my chest.


    "Let''s see what''s hiding up there! The Caretaker said this is where it all started. There must be something to help us."


    Flora mumbled something, but I could not hear her over the excited thump of my heart. "What did you say, Flora?" I questioned, but she avoided answering it. It must not have been anything important.Stolen novel; please report.


    Walking up the path, we encountered warning signs repeatedly, all echoing the same message ''Warning: You are now entering Area: Z3-R0.''


    It wasn''t a base I was familiar with. Maybe it was beyond what I could access, or they built it more recently. Either way, I felt the tension in the air. We were so close to where it all began. Further along, the wrought iron gates were left slightly askew, giving us an easy way into the base.


    "Stop," Flora suddenly spoke. "I''ll stay here, you go."


    "Why?" I asked curiously as I put the girl down. "Are you sure, Flora?"


    "Yes," She replied softly, staring down the path with a distant gaze. "I''ll keep watch, you go."


    "Okay, be safe, and let me know if there''s any trouble."


    I left Flora and went into the base. All across the ground, I could see debris and craterous pits seemingly smashed into the ground. Further into the base stood a large building with its front entrance shattered into pieces. I went in fully expecting to find nothing, but to my shock, there were corpses strewn across the building.


    Blood pooled underneath them from visible gunshot wounds to their heads and torsos. As I passed by them, I could see that the gunshots were the same on every last corpse. There were men and women, some in uniform and some without. After a few minutes of exploring and several dozen corpses seen, I reached a room that had thick metal bars blocking it horizontally. Each was the size of a thick forearm with only a few centimeters gap between them.


    I poked and prodded the wall and the metal bars with nothing to show for it. All I wanted was to find a hidden switch or anything I could use to disable the security lock, but it seemed hopeless.


    [Lifeform Detected - Identify Yourself]


    Suddenly, a robotic voice sounded from the gated-off area. I was about to speak up when it went off again.


    [Lifeform - Anomaly Detected - Terminate Protocol Zeta]


    [Lifeform Detected - Access Terminal 1-z]


    [Terminate - Access Granted - Anomaly]


    As the robotic sound whirred in a glitched-out ramble, the barred gates clicked, and the horizontal bars retracted into the wall, opening up the path to the secure zone beyond it. I walked past and was greeted by an empty corridor incomparable to the bloodied mess in the previous room.


    Finally, I reached the end with a lone door that opened into a massive room with only a central console and a blurred glass panel that stretched across the back wall. I walked up to the console that stared back with a blackened screen devoid of information. After looking for a power unit, I got the screen to start up.


    ''...System Access Pending....// Lifeform check engaged... Human -''


    ''...Anomaly - System Malfunction...// Reboot Access Protocol: Access - Access -''


    #Access Granted


    ''Welcome to Area Z3-R0.''

 Chapter 18: Fragmented Revelations

    Monday - October 29th, 2121:


    Files flickered across the screen alongside glitched artifacts that accompanied them. They filled the monitor with thousands of unnamed documents from top to bottom. I began clicking through them, searching for answers.


    #10213: Our experiments have all failed. Why are these creatures so durable? They cannot be burned, frozen, electrocuted, or drowned. Our bullets do as much to them as feathers do to us. How is humanity supposed to stand a chance against the evolved ones?


    #5422: We lost so much time when they cut our funding. Infiltrating the government was the most brilliantly absurd move they could have made. They crippled our retaliation by so many months. Finally, humanity''s unified, but at what cost? Will we succeed before it''s too late?


    #17721: Curses, they must have infiltrated our group. Why else would half suddenly decide they want to go against Project Horizon? Are they so greedy for their own lives and not for humanity''s survival? How long have they worked on the oceanic base? It''s incomprehensible for something like this to happen. Our plan''s delayed¡ªagain.


    #21672: Project Horizon has forked into two paths. We''re nearly done developing the Ozone Reactor, which should poison these parasitic cockroaches that pollute our minds. But if all fails, we''ll leave our final hopes with Orion.


    #25551: The oceanic base has been developing something. Large creatures have emerged from the depths, and humanity''s future seems bleak. We''ve hidden away our closest loved ones in a subterranean nuclear bunker. It''s our final act of selfishness. May God forgive us and bless them.


    #32216: We''ve contacted Captain Dostoevsky. As long as the O.S.S. moves its axis to the calculated coordinates, the horizon will be clear.


    #37763: They''re coming. Colossal lifeforms are spreading further, and fear is infiltrating our minds. No matter how we struggle, we are no longer confident. The Earth quakes under their might. Were we the parasites all along? There''s no method where such life can appear suddenly. They must have been there since the beginning. Watching. Waiting. Planning.


    #40024: Humans can''t handle these abominations. What have we done? We''ve only made things worse in the end. We should''ve spent time with our families. The end is here.


    #45221: I''m the last one. I hear the voices coming closer. I don''t know how long I can last. This plague-like madness spreads beyond mortal means. Are we not the abandoned ones?


    The files cut off suddenly, leaving me in a daze. I went through it again. There had to be something more. Is this everything humanity''s greatest left? Preposterous.


    #351: There''s an infection slowly spreading across the globe. We''ve quarantined ''Patient Zero'' for monitoring and testing.


    #367: We''ve tried to neutralize the viral elements, but nothing''s working. Our closest success was eradicating a small part of the virus when exposed to the atmosphere. It''s a small step, but we''re hopeful.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    #1651: The speed of spreading has intensified beyond what our tests have determined possible. It begs us to ask the question¡ªwhy? Once the infection''s found a host, it seems almost impossible to separate the two.


    #3641: ''Patient Zero'' is muttering incoherent ramblings. It''s a language, but none that we know of, none recorded since the beginning of our history. Even worse is his body. It keeps expanding and growing beyond the limits of a human. Any more, and we believe he''ll burst.


    #27712: The oceanic base has sent us correspondence. They claim to know the truth and that we should come to them. Some are foolish enough to believe it and have left. What a headache.


    #39415: The O.S.S. is unresponsive. Has Project Horizon failed before it even began? We have the Ozone Reactor ready to fire at any moment, but will it be enough on its own?


    My fingers subconsciously rapped against the console''s cold metallic edge. Thoughts swirled in my mind, distant and unfocused. There was simply too much to go through. Some files were fragmented and corrupt. Others were incomplete. They left their findings in such a messy state.


    At least the pictures and videos should have had something useful. Yet they were such precise and clinical displays that paired identically with the textual logs, leaving me with nothing but disappointment. They didn''t even show ''Patient Zero'' or the experiments. Instead, opting to show test results and conclusions they came to. Useless.


    I slammed my fist on the console, causing sparks to crackle and an alarming drone to buzz.


    ''Awaken the Horizon - Ozone Saturation Incomplete - Retrying . . . ''


    The wide glass panel in the back of the room illuminated, and I could see a massive device aimed at the sky. It began to whirr and charge before a beam of misty light shot into the retracted ceiling above it. I could barely make out the scene from the corner of the panel as the clouds parted, revealing the celestial body above. It didn''t take long before it flickered and stopped, closing the ceiling up before the panel turned obscured once more.


    ''Incomplete - Core Zero Missing -''


    ''Insert Core Unit -''


    Finally, I had some direction. Would repairing the device change something? It seemed like they were confident about it, at least in the beginning. Where would the core be? In the oceanic base? How would I even get there?


    Again, I scanned through the console, gloved hands clattering away at the keys. There had to be a map or something to guide the way. After searching through several dozen files, I found a path to follow to the oceanic base. The only problem was, there were no instructions on how to actually access it.


    No matter. Just like with the distortion field, there must be an answer to be found once I''m there. I felt an excitement swelling within me as I turned to leave the base. If I take Flora with me, it should be easy to get through any obstacle. I felt genuinely grateful to have her around.


    I left the central room and headed back out through the body-littered corridors.


    "Flora, let''s go! We have a new destination." I spoke out. What awaited me was silence. "Flora? Where are you? FLORA?"


    Suddenly, the ground shook with a fury, sweeping me off my feet. It was apocalyptic and unbearable, something man could not contest against. From afar, I saw its head peer through the distant horizon, stretching higher into the sky as it approached. Did Flora sense it and run? I was praying that she did. Because staying here to meet that thing in person seemed suicidal in comparison. But did she leave, or did something happen to her? "Dammit!"


    Just leave her! You''re not meant to be a hero!

 Chapter 19: Betrayal

    Monday - October 29th, 2121:


    Despite that behemoth nearing, I searched through the area, calling out Flora''s name to no avail. Sweat drenched my back because of that hat thing. It neared the clouds with its monstrous size, and it was getting closer with every indecisive breath I took.


    "Skyfall, be at peace." That familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I turned to the approaching Caretaker. My heart dropped as I saw Flora in his arms, or in his hand, to be precise. She dangled limply with her mouth covered by bark that extended from the Caretaker''s hand.


    "Flora!" I snapped. "What''s the meaning of this Caretaker? What have you done to Flora?"


    "The child will remain unharmed. You''re the one they want, Skyfall. The Colossi are too much for us to handle. We already lost Thorn because of you. I don''t want to see more of my children fall, not because of something like you."


    "What do you mean, Caretaker? Are you betraying everything humanity worked towards? You''re colluding with the monsters that corrupted the Earth?" I felt such unbearable grief and indignation seeing the Caretaker there. He was a part of humanity''s hopes for the future, and now he was looking to sell me out to the Colossi for what?


    The giant Colossi approached, and I could see its terror on display. It walked and looked like neither a man nor a monster. Its size poked at the clouds, and its skin was an ashen grey that no man could have. No matter how I defied logic to explain the Caretaker and the children from the camp, I could not picture this titan as anything but inhuman.


    "You cannot run from the present, Skyfall. Submit, and we can all live in peace. The Colossi will permit us free reign over a part of the world, and everything will return to how it was." The Caretaker spoke out kindly, yet there was a cold determination that tinged his words. "You wouldn''t want them to take their anger out on the girl. Would you?"


    "Bastard, you''re the one that took care of her. How can you betray her trust like this?"


    I felt my head spinning as the rage coursed through me. I rushed at the Caretaker, slamming my fist toward his face, but the man sidestepped and tripped my leg, causing me to tumble onto the ground.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "It''s futile to struggle, Skyfall. Your part is over now. Leave the rest to those that remain.


    The ground rumbled as the Colossi titan approached, and the Caretaker seemed like a fortress of a man. Suddenly, I heard a croak echo as the white raven flapped its wings above us. Its ruby-tipped wings glowed with a light that shone down onto the Caretaker, causing him to stumble and loosen his grip on Flora.


    Flora''s eyes snapped open, and she struggled to free herself, thrashing out and grunting as her small body flopped around helplessly.


    Flora''s eyes snapped open, and she struggled to free herself, thrashing out and grunting as her small body flopped around helplessly. Then, her eyes shone with a verdant light that seemed to resonate with the raven''s crimson one. The Caretaker screamed as the bark-like plating that covered his body rippled back into his body with jagged edges raging at his betrayal.


    "What is the meaning of this, Flora!" The Caretaker grunted as he fell back, blood pouring out from his flesh as the bark retracted into his skin, leaving only a few speckles on display.


    Flora coughed, and blood dripped from her mouth, but she turned to me with a smile. "Run, I can''t hold them back for long."


    "Flora!" Her actions surprised me, but it was an incredible reassurance. "Come with me, Flora. If you stay here, they''ll hurt you!"


    The girl looked at me innocently and shook her head. She was just a child but had come to terms with her actions. "I''ll be fine. You have to go."


    I didn''t believe her. She was lying to me. I could see it in her eyes, but I was powerless to change anything, no matter how I resented it. Still, despite the logic of it, in my stubbornness, I walked toward Flora with the intention to pick her up and flee. But as if Flora knew my thoughts, she pushed me away with a series of plant-like growths that slid out from the ground. "Don''t waste time, go!"


    I''ve lost count of how often I had to run in this cursed world since I awoke separated from the O.S.S. I turned and fled toward the ocean. If I wanted to help Flora and the rest, I had to rid the Earth of the monsters that plagued it.


    "No! Stay here, Skyfall. Don''t run!"


    I ignored the Caretaker''s words, the man''s struggles, and the monstrous titan''s appearance.


    As I fled, the raven flapped its wings behind me, hovering overhead and echoing my desire to go to the oceanic base. "What are you?" I muttered to the raven as I sprinted through the depths of the valley''s narrow hills.


    The raven flew low, passing beside me as it croaked. We moved swiftly, and from behind, I could hear a roaring that thundered across the valley. It wasn''t something I could afford to concern myself with, however, and I pretended that it didn''t exist as I left the valley and raced onward to the ocean.

 Chapter 20: Oceans Depths

    Tuesday - October 30th, 2121:


    With the raven accompanying me, we made great progress as we passed through lustrous forests and remnant towns that dotted the horizon on the path out to the ocean. Seeing the raven''s back and its dazzling ruby-tipped wings flapping before my eyes gave me the power to push through and take every additional step toward the destination.


    The journey was eerily silent, without a single critter appearing on our path. It made it easy to move ahead without distractions. Any time my mind wandered elsewhere, the raven would croak and snap me back to reality, propelling me further ahead.


    After traveling for ages, I could hear the rustling tides moving across the sandy coast within arm''s reach. The cloudy sky reflected onto the water, giving it a pale, lifeless hue.


    I trudged through the sandy shore, looking for an access point to the base. But no matter how I searched, I couldn''t see anything different. They said it was an oceanic base but never told me how to get there.


    The raven circled overhead and descended away from me. I followed it curiously, expecting it to lead me to answers yet again. After several dozen steps, my foot sunk into the sand down to my knee, and soon after, a series of clicks echoed from beneath the shore. The grains of sand quivered and swirled as a series of crescent-shaped panels unwound and revealed a tunnel system burrowing into the depths of the shore.


    The tunnel had a metallic sheen coating its surface. As I spiraled downward, following the path, it lit up dimly by small spherical bulbs that dotted the corridor. Further down, the path shifted into a transparent enclosure reflecting the ocean depths. Minuscule creatures swam beside the tunnel, shifting mysteriously as their jelly-like bodies skimmed through the ocean. I kept heading straight, pushing toward the end that was quickly approaching.


    From the dark reaches of the ocean, a thud sounded from behind me, colliding with the transparent tunnel''s surface. I turned to an overbearingly colossal eye that clung to the side of the tunnel, unblinking and all-seeing in its might. It stared at me, and I jolted back, but it remained unfazed by my actions. The water pushed and pulled, and the eye sank slowly back, moving into the shadowy depths beyond my vision''s reach.


    You should turn back now before it''s too late. You''ve seen enough and done enough. Face reality, the world is better off this way.


    I stared out in silence momentarily before rushing onward. I had to see it for myself. The last remnant of humanity''s struggles.


    The structure appeared before me, shielded and sheltered from the water''s pressure. It stood proud and unbothered under the ocean''s depths. The long transparent tunnel latched onto one simple sealed door and an access panel to the side. I fiddled with the panel, and a beam scanned me. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ''Area: Null Access Scan Engaged''


    #Verifying Identity#


    ''Lifeform Detected'' - Anomaly#


    ''Balance Assessment# 1% - 17% - 50% - 100%''


    #Welcome to Area: Null#


    The door swung open, and the lights crackled, guiding toward a single console that awaited in the center of the room. Despite the base''s grand display on the outside, the interior was tiny and barren, leaving nothing to the imagination. As I walked forward, the console illuminated, and a voice spoke.


    ''If you''re hearing this. Thank you for coming back. You are the key to humanity''s salvation or destruction.


    We are the final frontier. We separated from Z3-R0 not because of manipulation but because we had to. We always believed the Buried brought forth the Colossi as their soldiers, but we were wrong. Colossi and humans were the same, meager people who struggled to survive, for the Buried had attacked time and time again in years gone by.


    The Buried are a threat to humanity. They''ve destroyed us more times than we can discover, yet they always find a way to survive.


    After countless hours studying, researching, and experimenting with them and ourselves, we''ve discovered the only way to claim victory in this war between species.


    Later, we discovered that Z3-R0 had come to similar conclusions when their end neared. Did that mean we made a mistake by splitting humanity''s resources? No! Either way, we were the damned ones, for humanity''s survival lies in the future and not in the present. Earth is dead, and survival can only come once you awaken the horizon.


    We''ve programmed the security protocol to only allow access to the ''Core Zero'' unit. If you''re hearing this, you must be confused and shocked. Lost in your fragmented thoughts and memories, but do not worry, child. You are strong. All this time, you''ve kept a balance with the parasite inside you.


    Welcome home, Zero.


    We know you''re scared and confused. But humanity is depending on you. Access the reactor. Awaken the horizon. Free the new generation from the Buried''s blight.


    We need you, Zero. Fight on, child. Restore the world and bring life to Earth.''


    Electricity surged through my mind, and I collapsed onto the floor, curled up and howling. My body thrashed against the barren floor, fists slamming against the metallic plating. Fragmented shards pierced into my thoughts, splicing them into dozens and hundreds. Roger, Vlad, Catherine, everyone¡ª


    I could see Catherine shivering, pale, and terrified. No! Why are you so horrified, Catherine? There''s nothing to worry about. I didn''t mean to, I didn''t! God, what have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?


    My insides gurgled and bubbled, and I felt the surging hatred spiral out of control as my mind blanked and I sprawled out, flattened, and defeated.

 Chapter 21: Patient Zero

    Thursday - July 18th, 2115:


    I remember doing field training the same as every other day. But then dozens of armed men swarmed the base, pushing everyone away from me. They grabbed me, dragged me away without a word, and threw me into the back of an armored truck. I was drenched in sweat and sobbing from fright. Mama always told me not to cry and to be a man, but when surrounded by so many cruel-faced men, there wasn''t a man out there who wouldn''t cry.


    The shackles bound me to the table, and a dozen masked ''doctors'' surrounded me. They poked and prodded and caused my flesh to bleed. My body grew dazed from all the sedatives and injections they shoveled into me. Everything was unclear and uncertain. I wanted to run, but there was no escape in sight.


    Each day, my resentment bubbled at the sight of them. The cold room and the silence they suffocated me in.


    Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. I lost track of time as the numbness consumed me. I could hear the voices consuming my thoughts. It was droning inside over and over again. Why? There were so many doctors around, yet not one could help.


    I think they''re giving up on their tests. They come less often to check on me, and when they do, their faces seem far more distracted and bothered by my presence.


    One day, they drove me for hours until I saw a shuttle pointing to the stars and several others patiently awaiting my arrival. They injected me with a series of shots down my spine and whispered into my ear, ''Field training is over. You''re selected to board the Orion Space Station. Congratulations, cadet!''


    That thought echoed in my mind repeatedly until it was all I believed in. I came to and was already aboard the O.S.S. in my resting pod. Soon, I was briefed and integrated into a routine that became the norm.


    My favorite was going out for the spacewalks. It was serene and calming. The noise all but disappeared in that barren void called space. Stars shimmered, and the swirling hues that danced atop Earth brightened all it touched upon.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I sat in the canteen once, and one of the cadets sat beside me. Catherine was her name. I didn''t remember when I last saw anyone so adorable. Her smile was infectious, and the way she lazily reclined, speaking to me as if we had been friends for ages.


    She made the days far more comfortable in comparison. Her presence attracted others as well; I met Roger, who was a belligerent old coot, but he had a humorous side to him. His sharp tongue paired with a kind heart and everyone knew it.


    So many of them felt like they were trapped in space. They wished to go back home, to be free and escape the mission. It caused a sense of familiarity to swell within me, and I didn''t know why that was. I too wanted to be free and go home.


    Roger was too mean-spirited sometimes, though it made it all the more satisfying when I held his head in my hands.


    We walked side by side toward the Maintenance Deck, and he fell, clenching his chest and heaving for air. And I held the man, his head rested in my lap, tongue lolled to the side, and eyes gaped open. I cried. I laughed. I embraced him tighter until the others came to help drag him to the infirmary.


    Catherine''s eyes changed that day and didn''t shine as much as they used to. Her smile dimmed. It lost that lustrous joy that I knew her for. Why did she stop smiling in my direction? What caused her to keep such a distance away from everyone? She can''t treat me this way. I''ve been with her since the beginning. What happened to Roger hurt her tremendously. I understood why she was so sad. The man was like a father to her. I was nothing to her.


    I loved my routine. It kept me consistent, grounded, and focused. The space station was a homey place to be. It was quiet and peaceful, and I could enjoy my day-to-day without any stress.


    I''m not feeling well. Can you do the spacewalk for me? Catherine asked in that sweet voice that whispered to my soul. She was always lazy with her tasks, but I was happy to oblige.


    As I put the helmet on, Roger spoke. You always do end up looking the best with the helmet on. Hides that ugly mug of yours.


    I laughed because it was true.


    I floated amidst the stars, freely embraced in their vastness. I lost track of time and everything. There was only a silent void and a peaceful routine. Every time, the same steps and actions, the same results and consequences. Like a cycle of perpetuity, it spun without stopping.


    It was the deepest of slumbers and the longest of rests. But nothing could last forever as the eruption of light swallowed everything it touched, and I felt the wake-up call shake me to my core. Earth was calling me home, and I had to answer the call.

 Chapter 22: Anomaly

    Wednesday - October 31st, 2121:


    I walked in a daze across the foreign land. Everything I believed in until now was a fabrication, and that realization tore me to pieces.


    It isn''t that bad. What''s the use of struggling?


    I could hear its voice caressing the back of my mind with its poison. All this time, I believed it to be my inner thoughts speaking, the constant reminder of my fears and cowardice, yet it was not.


    You''re not going to do it¡ªyou won''t sacrifice yourself for them¡ªnot after everything they did to you.


    I could see the pieces obscured and ashen clearing before my eyes as the world finally made sense. Why I felt so estranged from Earth, and why nothing seemed to work in my favor. Everything had to do with the creature inside me¡ª inside the suit. The anomaly, the air I could not breathe. Everything¡ª was because of it¡ª


    "Because of you."


    Me? It''s because of you! Everything was going so well, but you had to ruin it! Just give up your futile struggle and enjoy what remains of your pathetic life.


    It thrashed within my core, and I could finally feel its touch. It was violent and cruel and starved for freedom. My inferiority was like a sinking stone as it tried to wrestle control over me. But as the creature struggled, the raven croaked and perched on my shoulders, its rubied eyes gleaming as it stared at me.


    Your will can''t break me! No matter how hard you try!


    Despite its words, the thrashing calmed into what felt like a pecking at the back of my skull. It was constant and deliberate, but it was restrained. The raven stayed on my shoulders, unmoving.


    "What are you?" I still didn''t know if the raven was a creature of this world or something else entirely.


    You''re nothing but a hollow shell without his will.


    The raven flapped its wings, silencing my unruly friend, and croaked as its eyes focused on the path ahead. Again, it guided me. Steering my path toward Area: Z3-R0, where the Ozone Reactor was, but is that what I wanted?


    It wasn''t, not really, anyways. I wanted to live.


    But was there meaning to it when everything and everyone I knew was gone?


    Earth had forsaken me. Or had I forsaken it?


    With every step I took toward the base, I felt the burden weighing on me.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ''You''re the only one that''s left, kid. Humanity won''t get another chance if you don''t help them.''


    "I know that, geezer. But why does it have to be me?"


    ''Do it for us. After what you did, don''t you owe it to us?''


    "It wasn''t my fault, Cat. There''s no point in telling me this."


    Soil collected on my boots, dragging along with every step forward. Time came to a crawl, and the silence had me bordering on insanity. The world seemed so peaceful and empty now. I heard the chitters and howls of critters, no longer the frightening boogeyman I thought they were, but simply life that found a way. Maybe all I''d seen wasn''t made the same, and I still didn''t know what was truly human and what wasn''t.


    If the Colossi were related to humanity, then why did they attack the camp? Was it because of my presence? Is that why the Caretaker came after us?


    Questions rose one after the other until I had nearly returned to the base.


    A single word echoed in my mind: Anomaly.


    The system errors, the rejection from the wild, the Colossi''s constant presence, even the inherent alienation I felt.


    I didn''t know when it happened, but I had already arrived at the base, staring at the confining walls and the journey-ending thread that loomed overhead, simply waiting to be snapped.


    I sat with the dome of my helmet against my hands. It was still difficult to understand why they left their fate in my hands. Of all people, why did it have to be me?


    Flora''s face came to mind and her shy innocence. Did she know that I was different? When the girl held my hand, was it not because she could feel or see the disturbance inside me? But if that were the case, why didn''t she tell me? Nobody explained anything to me. Instead, they had me run around like a fool!


    It''s because you are a fool.


    "I am not!" My foot stomped, thudding loudly against the metallic floor.


    Lashing out, a coward that can''t do anything. That''s all you''ll ever be.


    "Coward, is that all you can say? Is that all any of you can claim?" I roared and paced my way to the central console room. "I did nothing! They ruined my life, I was toyed with and experimented on, and even the friends I made afterward, you forced me to kill."


    I slammed my hands against the console as I stared at the back room that housed the Ozone Reactor. Would it be so simple to make a difference? Would my part in all this be as crucial as the message from the oceanic base made it out to be? I did not¡ª could not know. But if they insisted on calling me a coward, I''ll show them what a coward can do.


    You''re not fit to be humanity''s horizon. You''re sacrificing yourself for nothing and no one. All that you had is gone, so why? Why must you flail around incessantly?


    "The more you insist on me being powerless to change anything¡ª the more I know you''re terrified of that change coming. Humanity be damned, even if it dies out, at least I''ll get to spite you." I laughed as I triggered the console.


    #Area: Z3-R0 - Scanning Commencing//


    ///Anomaly Detected - Lifeform -#


    ''Rejected Access - Retrying - Anomaly''


    #Access Rejected//


    //Overwrite Protocol ''Core'' Engaged - Core-Unit Detected//


    ''Thank you, Zero. We''re sorry¡ª we mistreated you greatly in your time with us, but we knew you''d return willingly. You are more willful than any of us could have believed. Humanity let you down, but you have made humanity proud. Godspeed, soldier. May you forgive us. And may you succeed in awakening the horizon for humanity''s sake.''

 Chapter 23: Awakening The Horizon

    Wednesday - October 31st, 2121:


    The wide panel retracted as an opening revealed itself at the central point. As the room opened, smoke billowed out, chilling the area to an icy crawl. There was enough room for one person to fit, and I walked into it, feeling a slight tingle against my flesh as that icy mist washed over my suit. Inside, the Ozone Reactor looked akin to some modified satellite with a large pillar aimed at the paneled ceiling overhead.


    I could not see how I was supposed to interact with it¡ª or do anything remotely humanity-saving. But as the panel behind me began to close, confining me to the reactor room within, the reactor whirred and awoke into motion as a series of compartments shifted, revealing a space within it fit for a single person.


    I walked into it feeling for the first time since I awoke an unbreakable confidence to do right. The space was restrictive and narrow, and as I walked into it, it sealed itself, blocking me into a path without retreat. But that was fine.


    As it shut, bindings unfolded from compartments that lined the space, trapping me in a tight embrace that held on as if it were afraid I''d change my mind.


    Immediately after, a part of me regretted my decision as objects jutted out from the inside, piercing into my body, tearing into my suit, and shattering my helmet. As the air entered my lungs, my insides burned and surged like howling worms writhing within. Worse was the voice scraping against my mind¡ª a veritable fiend clawing for an escape.


    I shook uncontrollably, with my eyes rolling into the back of my skull. My fingers wriggled and clenched, and nothing made any sense. From the cramped space, a blinding light erupted, and I could hear the scraping of the ceiling as it retracted open, and then¡ªthere was nothing.


    After who knows how long, my eyes opened, and I saw my home, I saw¡ªEarth. It wasn''t in a metaphoric sense or a spiritual one. It was the actual world¡ªthat once beautiful blue marble that lay before my eyes. I stared down at it with expressionless confusion, and it stared back, rippling with an ethereal force that parted the ashen clouds that blanketed the atmosphere.


    Then I heard that familiar croak as the raven appeared before me¡ªperched atop the starry void surrounding us. It defied logic¡ªyet there it was. Its rubied eyes gazed at me¡ªpenetrating deep into the depths of my soul, and I knew¡ª


    I could see¡ªthe dull green bulbous growth that latched onto half my face, leeching onto the very life that I lost. It squirmed in the hollow starry sky, crippled and afraid. I¡ªIt floated away into the life-barren void toward the distant horizon.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Then, the flapping sound crackled across the empty plane, moving toward Earth, free and liberated. As the clouds parted above the earthen sky, I witnessed the wonders that blessed it. Creatures large and monstrous burrowed into the depths, each one opening the ground up into a visceral maw that consumed entire ruined cities.


    I witnessed the Caretaker laughing as he stood in the camp with the children near him. Flora, too, stood nearby, unharmed but saddened. The Caretaker raised his arms, saying something to the children who backed away from him. The man''s lower body melded with the rising soil, and his bark-covered skin grew exponentially both in width and height¡ªit quickly towered over a vast stretch of Earth. His upper body crumbled into dust, replacing itself with a verdant splash of leaves that cast a shadow over the once hidden-away camp.


    The children got swept up in the storm that the Caretaker''s transformation caused, but the children reacted with unity and climbed the shifting terrain, raising themselves until they reached the crown of the colossal tree that now stood firmly in the ground.


    All across the world, some survived, and others got caught up in the shifting tides of change that encompassed Earth and vanished, buried in the dark depths of the world¡ªlost and forgotten.


    Eventually, calm returned, and all was as it should be for humanity''s sake. All across the world, I could see the groups of people who found a way to defy all of the odds. Neither monster nor parasite could destroy their wills, and despite everything, the corruption threw their way¡ªhumans survived.


    I was overwhelmed by the world and the changes, but in a sense, I felt relief more than anything. Whether before or after, my home was gone¡ªall that remained was a future for those who came after. But even that was joyous, for Flora, Sapphire, and the rest could have a future. One devoid of strife and manipulation, threats, and the spreading corruption.


    In the end, I was content.


    Maybe not fully satisfied, but at least I helped someone. Maybe¡ªthey would forgive me now for all the mistakes I made along the way. When all was said and done, it was time to rest.


    My vision blinked, and I was about to drift away¡ªwhen it knocked on my peripheral. I jolted to the side, penetrating the depths beyond the hills and valleys, past the rivers and mountains, and through the surging waves. And then, I saw it. Burrowing. Eating. Buried.


    ''No!''


    As the thought poured out of my mind¡ªit stopped and turned its leathery, dried head toward the stars lying beyond the thick earthen surface that shielded it. Its black, beady, listless eyes stared with a rhythmic tilt in my direction¡ªyet distant. And then, from the hollow black pupils, two fleshy, human hands reached out and slammed against the cornea.


    A visceral laugh crackled like thunder that spanned across the void, causing me to flinch and gaze away. And when I looked back, it was gone.


    I scanned the world from top to bottom.


    But after that. I could not find any sign of it.


    There was nothing.

 Epilogue: Living Earth

    Children skittered across a wide-open plain, laughing and giggling as one girl chased after them. The girl was the slowest among them, but as the distance grew, she smiled and spread her hand, causing the grassland to rustle as stalks of grass grew and aimed at the fleeing children''s legs.


    Some of the children were inattentive, and their legs were caught by the grass, causing them to dangle above the ground with puffed cheeks. While others moved and dodged with agile jumps, or deflected the incoming grass with their raw flesh that bounced the twining green back.


    The swift movements of the group caused laughter to echo as they continued their games, but soon after, the grass began to loosen its grip and retract.


    A woman walked across the plane dressed in a simple white gown with accented floral elements twining around it. Her face was beautiful and pristine, lightly touched by flowers and leaves. "Children, it''s time for your lessons."


    "Yes, Mother Caretaker!" The children fervently replied as they gathered at the woman''s call.


    They walked across the plane and moved toward a vast camp that spread far and wide. Behind the camp, one could see a towering tree stretching into the clouds. Men and women walked freely within the camp, each with a unique touch that blessed their flesh.


    The group moved at ease, passing by crowds and constructs before finally reaching a wooden building and entering it.


    The woman stood atop a carved podium etched in markings the children had yet to learn, and they sat below on leafy mats that cushioned the ground.


    "Blessed be Skyfather. May you recognize the eternally grateful and their praise for the blessings you''ve bestowed upon us." The woman chanted with her eyes closed, and hands clenched together before turning her gaze toward the children. "Now, children. How many times have I told you not to abuse your blessings?"


    "But, Mother Caretaker, we were just playing!" One of the boys spoke.


    The woman waved her hand, raising the boy''s leafy cushion off the ground and closing the leaves around him, leaving only a tiny gap for his eyes to peer through. "That is even worse, Horn. The blessings the Skyfather gives are not for children''s games. They are for survival, for the eternal prosperity of Arth."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "I''m sorry." The boy began to cry within his leafy cocoon.


    "We''re sorry, Mother Caretaker!" The other children added with lowered heads and saddened eyes.


    The woman waved her hand again, smiling, as she set the boy''s seat down, releasing him from his short-lived punishment.


    "You shouldn''t be so harsh on them." A man''s voice broke through the awkwardness. He walked into the building, laughing gently. He was tall, his long white hair parted behind his pointed ears, draping down his back. His smile was bright despite the thick bandage wrapped around his eyes.


    The woman looked surprised before her smile glowed through the room. "Sapphire, you''re back?"


    "How was the hunt?"


    "It was¡ªdifficult," Sapphire replied shortly before walking toward the woman. "We found something in the nest, though. I think¡ªyou need to come see this, Flora."


    "What is it? Is it that serious?" Flora chuckled and placed her hand on Sapphire''s shoulder, "Okay, let''s see what''s gotten you so tense."


    "Children, you can go home. I''ll see you tomorrow."


    "Yes, Mother Caretaker!"


    With that, Flora left the building, following behind Sapphire, and soon they reached a building near the border nearest to the colossal tree.


    Several men and women stood in a half-circle, eyeing something on the ground. "Move on over, Flora''s here," Sapphire spoke up, causing the crowd to shift to the sides, revealing an egg-shaped object laying on a leafy cushion.


    "Oh my, Skyfather! What is that?" Flora gasped as she stepped toward the object. She closed her eyes and felt it. Pulsing. Breathing. It lived inside. "Where did you find this?" She looked toward Sapphire with an unreadable expression.


    "It was deep in the nest, buried, shielded by the beasts that lived there, scattered across. We almost missed it. Maybe it would''ve been better if we had¡ª"


    "No! You can''t say that!" Flora interrupted. "Everything happens for a purpose. Such is the way that Skyfather wills it."


    Then, a crackling sound changed the expressions of all present as their gaze shifted to the egg-shaped object.


    Cracks spread across its surface until it finally fell apart, revealing a small bundle of flesh, its small hands clenched and body curled up. And then it shifted, revealing the tiny lifeform that hid within the egg''s embrace, with its two hands and feet and short black hair that poked out from its soft head.


    And then it moved¡ªhe moved, aware and conscious. His eyes opened and gazed at the crowd that surrounded him, and they stared back, focused on those deep ruby-red eyes, and then the baby smiled and giggled, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

 Chapter 1: Orion Down! [2.0]

    Wednesday - October 15th, 2121:


    Our home away from home hovered aloft in the void of space. Gravitating around the beautiful ball we called home. The Orion Space Station [O.S.S.] spectated the stars and the changes on our wondrous planet Earth. It remained a constant and stable reminder of humanity''s achievements and the lengths they would go to to achieve them.


    Granted, I did not care much for the grand history or the long list of accomplishments. For me, it was all about the freedom. And the peaceful days and nights¡ªall sixteen of them daily. Ever since I could remember, I had wanted to be free, and now, finally, I could live out my dreams.


    Today, I had a day off and was supposed to be free from my duties. But, of course, things were never that simple on Orion. Catherine begged me over the comms to do her spacewalk today. Please, oh, please! I''m so not feeling well! Her voice cut through my head between both ears from the comms.


    I could envision the carefree smile that spread across her freckled face. Cute as it may have been, I knew it was a veil to her lies. Catherine was a special case aboard the Orion. She was lazy, incredibly so. She knew it. We all did. I never could figure out why she hated the Orion as much as she did or even why she resented doing anything worthwhile while on it.


    But frankly, it had stopped mattering long ago.


    Reluctance overcame me. These weren''t my duties to perform, not today, at least. You really shouldn''t go out there. Something gnawed at me in the back of my mind, a gut feeling or a mental one, to say the least. Inevitably, I decided to go ahead with the spacewalk despite the disgruntled buzz in my head. After all, being in the open vacuum of space. Just you and your lone thoughts. It was a feeling that one could never get sick of.


    I came to the airlock and strapped into my spacesuit, one piece after another. The cumbersome weight quickly added up and bore down on my shoulders, but I knew it would turn into weightless bliss the moment I stepped out.


    You always end up looking the best with that helmet on. It''s a good way to hide that mug of yours. Roger''s mischievous laugh broke from the comms.


    I couldn''t help but roll my eyes, even if Roger couldn''t see it from the helmet''s reflective visor. "Are you spying through the monitoring systems again? Not even a spacesuit can hide your stench, geezer. One of these days, you''re gonna get Catherine''s boot up your ass if you catch her changing into her suit."


    Roger''s laugh broke into a howling cheer. Yeah, right. Catherine would need to be willing to go on a spacewalk for that to happen.


    By that point, I couldn''t even retort and merely sighed. Roger got me there. To my dismay, I knew the painful grin he would have stretched across his leathery face. "I''ll be off now. We can continue this in the meal hall. Save me some grub from that black hole you call a mouth."


    Yeah, yeah. Sure thing. Go out there and be a pain in somebody else''s ass. Roger said with a simple chuckle before silence returned.


    I double-checked everything from my comms and SmartScreen to all the latches on my helmet and suit before checking that my tether was fastened securely to the eject point. It was a practiced chain of events. One that I''d done countless times in my six-year tenure. I started the sequence up, and the chamber began to decompress.


    Once done, my body drifted out into the open void of space, surrounded by the shimmering translucent stars stretching beyond comprehension. The ethereal mists of space swirled freely around the Orion, and I drifted momentarily at peace, thinking of how it was still as beautiful as the first time I witnessed it. Even the buzzing, gnawing, anxiety-riddled chirp in my head seemed to fall into a serene trance as the solitary embrace of space wrapped around me.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    I craned my head toward the Orion, taking in its splendor. The O.S.S. was humanity''s largest exploit to date. It was something our ancestors could only envision in their dreams. We went from a world where cars couldn''t leave the tar-riddled roads to one where technology advanced by leaps and bounds with every passing quadrant, and the depths of the stars were only a journey away.


    It was distracting being out in space alone. No matter the tasks I had to perform, it was so simple to get caught up in the sights and delay my work. But finally, I got to work. My body propelled itself from one satellite unit to the next. Inspecting and recording. The biggest hurdle was not processing the data but hurdling from one unit to the next due to the time it took to traverse the metallic titan.


    Peaceful as it may have been, that peace could not last forever.


    As I made my way across the final unit for the final circuit toward the entrance, a sudden change occurred in Earth''s atmosphere. Pillars of light pierced out like porcupine quills, dotting the sphere endlessly. The quill tips swirled with an ethereal mist that floated innocuously with its greyish-blue desaturated hues.


    The buzzing in my head resurfaced with a ferocity unfelt of before. It raged and gnawed and ate at my insides. If I could jump frantically, I would, yet I floated in the void with only my tether as a lifeline. "Roger, are you seeing this? Roger? Don''t play games with me now, old man!"


    "Captain Dostoevsky? Mayday! Captain, mayday! Can you not see this, Vlad? What''s the status? Report! Dammit!" Silence mingled with the gnawing dread in my head. I pulled myself toward the Orion, but I couldn''t help myself. I had to glance at Earth.


    The spiraling mists enveloped the globe in a dense cover of greyish-blue, and from the ethereal mist covering Earth, a dazzling light began to glow. Intensifying with every moment as it began to spread toward the stars.


    "Catherine? Jora? Steph? Roger? Vlad? Yuzu? Anyone respond? Guys! Respond! We have a crisis out here! Please, anyone, respond!"


    My panicked cries stifled as the light erupted into a visceral flood of stimulation. I slammed on the emergency command on my SmartScreen, expecting the transportation sequence to begin. Instead, the robotic system aide nailed into me with its monotone voice.


    [Anomaly Detected - Descent Protocol Engaged]


    [ORION DESCENT IN: 10-9-8...]


    I gawked at the message, thankful that my helmet covered my stupefied face. Descending meant an emergency landing on Earth. The same Earth that was screaming out with its painful light. "Captain, we cannot descend! Captain!"


    Before I could even mutter another word of complaint, I felt the Orion envelop me in the transportation light. And I flew into the airlock, slamming against the wall.


    Suddenly, screams and wails cut through my head. Why? Why are you doing this?


    Think about this! You can''t. You can''t escape from this!


    "Catherine? Roger? What''s going on?" I cried out, the shakiness in my voice mimicking a wounded child. Something was wrong, terribly so! I tried to push myself up off the wall, but the Orion jolted, and I slammed into the wall again.


    Everything spun out of control. I did not even know if it was me or the room spinning after a while.


    Then, the light enveloped the Orion. It gave me no peace to collect myself. It gave no freedom to move or to find out what was happening aboard the station. It just came like the scorching sun. Searing the eyes and burning the flesh in its all-consuming grip.


    All I could see was the light before me, behind me, and side to side of me. It wrapped everything in its eerie greyish-blue, and then everything stopped. Time, memory, even my very breaths seemingly halted into a spine-chilling stasis. I could not see the airlock or the O.S.S. I could not even see my hands fumbling in front of my face. What remained was deathly calm and silence that weighed like a thousand blackened stars bearing down until my consciousness blurred.


    [3-2-1... Descent Protocol Established]


    [Orion Down!]