2 Chapter 2

[September 2, 2383]

[Location: Bunker 030]

[10:00 PM]

"Initiating thawing process," announced a robotic voice that echoed from the speakers.

The cryogenic bays began to open, and at the same time, a deafening alarm and a yellow light flooded all the corridors.

Large clouds of ice broke away as the capsules slowly opened, revealing each of their occupants in perfect condition, though covered in frost.

I was half-frozen, with a body full of drugs and complete confusion. I had just started to feel my temperature returning to normal when I decided to open my eyes.

"Ah!" I exhaled forcefully, but any relief I felt dissipated immediately when a wave of nausea overcame me. "Damn... Bwaahgg!" I vomited, unable to contain the repulsive sensation that was taking over me. The transition from cryogenization to the real world turned out to be an unpleasant experience.

I fell to my knees in the hallway, violently expelling all the drugs that had been forcibly administered to me. It was a torrent of substances, a bitter blue liquid that tasted horrible.

The feeling was awful, but in hindsight, the damn doctor was right. Cryogenization was like an extended nap, although it left me wondering how much time had passed and whether most of the Rangers in this bunker had survived.

It didn't take long for me to recover enough for the numbness in my body to return to normal. However, the cold that surrounded me was relentless, and that reality hit me hard.

I got up and explored my surroundings, realizing that no one else had emerged from their capsules. There was no background noise except for the persistent alarm and the typical sounds of a bunker.

No voices, footsteps, or even an announcement over the speakers could be heard. The absence of any signs of life filled me with an unsettling feeling.

"Hello?" I asked aloud, hoping to get some response, but only the icy silence echoed back at me.

I walked slowly to the capsule next to mine and noticed that the soldier occupying that capsule had his eyes open, but his gaze lacked life. The screen next to his capsule clearly indicated: "No vital signs, Subject deceased."

"Damn..." I whispered, feeling a mix of sadness and concern.

It was evident that we knew not everyone would make it through the awakening process, but the lack of any other movement or sign of life in the bunker was unsettling. Were some still asleep? Maybe the effect of the drugs varied from one body to another.

I hurriedly went through the capsules one by one, checking their screens. The cruel repetition hit me hard: "No vital signs, Subject deceased." Each person from the first group had perished, without exception, except for me.

Desperation began to grip me. My steps led me to the large door of the room, which opened automatically as I approached. I didn't think twice and started running towards the other rooms containing the cryogenic bays.

My worst fear came true when I found the same in each of them. I spent over half an hour desperately checking the bays, but the result was always the same: "No vital signs, Subject deceased." Everyone, absolutely everyone, had lost their lives during cryogenization.

I was the only living being in the bunker, the only one who had survived the thawing process. I couldn't comprehend it. Why me? Out of all the occupants, I was the only one who had awakened.

Damn it, what was I going to do now? Loneliness and despair loomed over me.

"Shit, Shit, Shit," I exclaimed in frustration and, on impulse, punched the wall hard. "Son of a... Ahhgg!" The pain that ran through my hand was as intense as the torment I felt inside.

I realized how stupid I had been to vent my anger in that way.

"Damn," I said to myself.

I leaned against the wall of one of the bunker's hallways and slowly slid down to sit, having no clue what to do next. My mind was a whirlwind of unanswered questions. Why the hell did no one else survive? How the hell was I going to survive in this nightmare?

I was a soldier, trained to face adverse situations, but we hadn't been taught how to survive an apocalypse of this magnitude. I felt like I lacked the necessary tools to confront this overwhelming reality.

I remained motionless there for a good while, maybe two hours or more; the sense of time had become blurry, and I really had no desire to get up.

"Shit," I muttered quietly. There I was, living a life I had never asked for, while what I really wanted was to be reunited with my family in the afterlife. It was ironic, a cruel joke that life had played on me.

Finally, I decided to stand up when my stomach began to growl, reminding me that, despite everything, I was still a human with basic needs. Although I didn't have much appetite, I knew I had to satisfy my hunger; my body required it. However, doubts crept in about whether any food had survived in the bunker or if everything had gone bad over time.

I pushed away my thoughts and walked through the long corridors to leave the cryogenic capsule area. However, I suddenly stopped when I glimpsed the office of the old man who had led this bunker.

The lights were on, which filled me with intrigue. But then, I remembered that the old man hadn't been in one of the capsules. My heart began to beat strongly as the idea that the old man might be alive crossed my mind. Perhaps I wasn't completely alone; maybe there was a small chance.

I quickly approached the office door and opened it, as it was slightly ajar. "Hello?" I asked, hoping for a response, but the ensuing silence heightened my unease.

I scrutinized the small office, which, despite its modest size, seemed to hold a wealth of memories. There was a desk with a computer, scattered papers everywhere, shelves filled with books and diplomas, as well as picture frames that told an unknown story.

I approached the desk and suddenly let out a surprised and disgusted curse. "Damn...". On the other side of the desk, there lay a skeleton, with a Sig Sauer P226 pistol resting in its hand.

I circled the desk and approached the skeleton. It must have been there for many years, perhaps even hundreds of years.

Carefully, I turned the skeleton and observed that it was wearing the same attire as the old man, his military uniform with the white coat on top. "What the hell happened, old man?" I asked the skeleton, but as expected, there was no response.

My gaze settled on his skull, and I noticed a bullet hole just above his ear. The old man had shot himself. But why?

I got up from the desk, making sure to leave the pistol on the surface. My attention turned to the computer that lay in the office. "Maybe I'll find something in this damn thing," I muttered as I pressed the power button, although I was filled with doubt about whether it would still work after so many years.

My uncertainties faded when the dusty monitor lit up. With the sleeve of my suit, I wiped the screen, which was covered in dirt and dust, and the login screen appeared, requesting a password.

I quickly searched the desk drawers for clues and, as if by luck, I found a notebook with the password written on its first page.

"Apocalypse now," I muttered as I read the password. It was quite an unusual password, but that didn't matter at that moment. I typed in the corresponding keys on the keyboard and was surprised to see that the computer was still functioning.

Although I was getting a bit distracted exploring the computer's operation, I knew I had to stay focused on uncovering any information that could shed light on the situation.

In front of me, a series of folders labeled with the word "State" and some folders with various names filled the screen.

I opened the first folder labeled "State 1," and a long list of files unfolded before my eyes, displaying information I had never read or understood in my life. The overwhelming amount of data seemed to be in chaos, but gradually, I came across a section where everything began to make sense.

I started reading, absorbed by what I was discovering in those files...

[Year 40 after cryogenization

We lost contact with the majority of the other bunkers years ago, and those that still emit signals are at a considerable distance. However, our supplies have managed to endure until today, thanks to the successful longevity experiments we implemented in our food.

Our vehicles and the bunker itself remain in optimal condition, with no leakage or radiation seepage issues. So far, cryogenization has been a success, with only 50 casualties. The rest of the human subjects are in excellent condition and adapt well to the drug that helps them survive. The situation seems more promising than we had feared.]

Folder "State 30"

Within this folder, I found a much more concise and straightforward report. It was a summary of the people in cryostasis, with fewer details but a more updated perspective on the situation.

[Year 200 after cryogenization]

The report I found this time was heartbreaking. The situation had deteriorated drastically over the years. Of the numerous individuals who had entered cryostasis, only 50 remained alive. Many had lost their lives during their long cryogenic slumber, and others had perished when attempts were made to awaken them.

The author of the report seemed filled with guilt and remorse. They regretted the decisions made, considering cryogenization to have been a mistake. According to their analysis, we could have survived perfectly well for 300 years or even more without the need for this technology.

Damn, 200 years... 200 years of cryosleep, and only 50 people were still alive. Nobody had survived the long hibernation.

I sighed heavily and pushed the computer aside. The story I had uncovered was nothing more than a tale of death and despair. I could picture the scientist responsible, consumed by guilt and despair, choosing to take their own life.

Damn that damn scientist. Their experiment had left a trail of destruction and desolation in this place I was now destined to inhabit alone.