Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The End of Days -PT 2

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Location: DC, Washington. / Research Lab Facility / "1 Day Before the End of the World"

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"Gilbert!"

A large, stocky man dressed in a white lab coat shouted down at another.

"Y-Yes, Sir!"

Gilbert, who was sitting in front of a large screen, quickly closed several tabs on his computer then turned his chair to face his outraged superior.

"How often have I directed you NOT to use the lab's computers for anything other than this project."

"Sorry, Sir!" Apologized Gilbert.

The large man, visibly agitated, continued on his way. However, he walked away backward while shouting any and all words of discipline he could produce as his voice progressively faded out. It was an unusual habit he had, continuing his lecture now from across the room. With one last boost of volume, the man roared at Gilbert.

"If you've finished your assignment, double, triple, and quadruple check the program!"

Gilbert left his words Un responded and returned his attention to the screen. Not even a minute later, the tabs he closed were open again, and he'd begun clicking and typing with haste while venomously muttering-

"So what if I spend a little time working on my own project. I've already dedicated plenty of time working for you, douche. You'd think someone saving the world would get a little more respect!"

It was a lie, though he believed it. There were thousands of scientists and engineers working on the project concurrently. Gilbert was good at his job, yes. But he tended to split his attention between side tasks. At the time, he was designing an MMORPG "Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game." Once in the new world, he'd planned to release it as the first video game and strike it rich. He even went as far as calculating how long it would take for the internet to be established on the new planet.

Gilbert was passionate about his game development; However, even he couldn't take his role lightly. Every so often, he'd switch back to his primary task of checking the Ai software for bugs. What they were doing had never been done before, and the fate of humanity quite literally depended on its success.

"Little Bang" was the most popular phrasing for their project; however, those aiding its creation referred to it as an AGP "Ai Generated Planet." The Ai was designed to create a new earth with every component needed for human sustainability using billions of data inputs. It was a self-learning entity that could empathize with the dire situation of the first earth and devise a method to prevent it from happening again. It was nothing less than a technological miracle program and their last chance at survival.

 

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Location: Kansas / Time: 5:30pm

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Artie spent the whole day deciding what to bring to the new world. He didn't have much to choose from, but the process of choosing still racked his brain. Regular civilians weren't allowed to bring much, just a single travel bag per person.

"Arrgg, why is this so hard! I'm sure they'll have WalMarts up in like a week. "

He picked up a selection of clothes, threw them down, and repeated the same action with another bunch. This went on for hours before a bag was adequately packed and waiting in front of the doorway.

That night, Artie tore down planks that covered his apartment's window. The little moonlight there was, seeped through and lit the room. He stared out and imagined what a new Earth would look like. Conversing with himself, he spoke lazily.

"If it did succeed, there'd be no muggy clouds, no dead plant life, or large buildings to block the view of the sky. The weather would be nice too…."

The thoughts he had were gentle. His eyelids felt heavy and flickered before inevitably closing shut. Artie fell peacefully asleep, having foolish but pleasant dreams about living in a new world.

 

<>

 

A sharp thundering siren erupted only hours after Artie fell asleep, slapping him awake.

"What is that atrocious sound? The world better be ending at this very moment."

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He dragged himself out of bed, down the dark hallway of the apartment building, then up the staircase to the roof. There, he could see other residents in their nightwear. He spotted people on neighboring buildings as well, all of which were staring up toward the sky. He, too, lifted his head and restlessly peered into the night sky, his eyes barely open and a drool stain frozen around his mouth.

"Great, Is there also an asteroid heading for us too?"

A very distant light began to grow brighter and brighter…

Without warning, a tremendous flash illuminated the space above. Despite the brightness of the flash, he and everyone nearby fixed their gaze on the anomaly happening above. His mouth held agape as the colorful, celestial sparkle spread across space.

The spectacle only lasted seconds, but he considered himself blessed to have seen it. Artie had no sense of how far it was, but the light began to dim more and more before halting to a fuzzy glow the size of a star. As it settled, nearby people celebrated and cheered around him. Unsure about the situation, Artie, in excitement and confusion, grabbed the shoulder of a stranger.

"That light in the sky, what was it?!"

Artie had a hunch as to what it was, but wanted confirmation. The woman who he grabbed turned around and exposed her joyful expression.

"The Little Bang worked! Haven't you followed the news at all? Our new home, it's up there."

She snapped her neck upward towards the dim glow. Promptly raising her arm, she jested her pointer finger toward it righteously.

"By the end of tomorrow, we'll all be sipping margaritas on a clean, gorgeous beach!"

Her face was eccentric as she stared off towards the light with an unyielding gaze.

"That was the Little Bang? It looked more like a large flashbang. You know, the military equipment. For stunning enemies."

The woman didn't turn away or respond to his joke. Artie was okay with it; he wasn't expecting everyone to join hands and sing kumbaya or anything. He'd become accustomed to standing alone in a crowd; he even convinced himself that it didn't faze him.

As music began to play, people all around jumped with joy and hugged one another. While heads looked up toward the sky or into the eyes of their companions, Artie found himself looking at the ground. He made a strange connection with it as he recounted the past few years of his life. Much like himself, the floor had no value; it simply existed.

"This isn't like me at all. Loneliness? Ha, I laugh at the chumps that feel lonely."

With his left hand, he grabbed the collar of his shirt and raised it over his nose. His eyes lowered, and his eyebrows tucked inward as he forcibly smiled.

"I've always been alone. Since my parents divorced, since I moved away to live alone, and since I dropped out of school to work. This time is no different from the last…."

The smile on his face forced itself wider. He fully opened his eyes and stood tall once again. Looking up, he opened his mouth and spoke loudly to no one in particular.

"Whew, I hope there's no aliens on that planet. Even worse, what if there's no toilet paper! I have sensitive skin; I can't wipe with leaves!"

There was laughter among the crowd, and Artie had begun to laugh and snort at his own joke. He felt himself becoming lightheaded the more he chuckled, and each breath became heavier than the last. Perceiving something was wrong, he gazed once more at the subsiding light and then relocated back to his room.

"Everything's in order for tomorrow. I should get some more sleep before the move."

He laid down on his mattress and yawned before picking up his phone and typing into the search bar.

"I guess I should see where the pickup is…."

The first search result revealed a location he'd visited before. It was Thirty minutes by foot and appeared to be the closest spot to his apartment. Wondering if there was an alternative, he learned that there would only be one pickup zone in each state.

"I lucked out. Thirty minutes is nothing compared to those who live on the state border. I wonder if the whole world can evacuate in one day. I mean, the population of the USA alone is now around 430 million people."

Artie shrugged away the thought and powered off his phone to conserve the battery.

"There's no guarantee it'll work anyways… But if it does, I at least hope mom and dad make it okay."

He yawned once again, put his phone down, and then dozed off. Still painfully unaware of what would transpire the next day.

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