"…What?"
How could she have fallen asleep for over 3.4 years?
No—how was that even possible?
Questions raced through Agnes' mind, each one spiraling into more uncertainty than the last.
"Status," she commanded, her voice laced with urgency and confusion.
A large blue interface materialized before her, glowing faintly in the dark.
Name: Agnes Fox
Species: Human, Dea—
ERROR!
System rebooting… Processing update…
"Oh, great," Agnes muttered, sarcasm dripping from every word.
She wasn't an idiot. The word had flashed for less than a second, but she saw it—Deceased. Maybe the rich guys' servers had glitched.
An idea formed in Agnes' mind.
If the system thinks I'm dead… then maybe those "dead" bodies back there aren't dead either. Maybe I wasn't asleep for 3.4 years. Maybe... something else happened.
Adrenaline flooded her veins. Agnes sprinted toward the piles of bodies, though in truth, there wasn't much distance to cover. The confined space made every step feel more claustrophobic. Still, the movement was comforting.
She hated the dark. Always had. And right now, the darkness was suffocating.
The mounds were covered in debris—shards of concrete, thick layers of dust, and twisted metal. She began digging with frantic energy, tossing aside rocks and clumps of dirt. After a few minutes, she uncovered the top of the first mound.
A pale white arm protruded from the rubble, skin clinging to it in papery decay.
Agnes froze. Her breath caught in her throat.
Fear and revulsion surged through her. She was grateful she hadn't eaten much—her stomach churned regardless.
Then—ping.
Update Complete
The blue box reappeared without warning, this time much larger. A video began to play on the screen.
A gaunt elderly man appeared, his eyes sunken with exhaustion. Despite the serious tone, there was a glimmer of madness in his stare.
"Hello. If you are seeing this, nuclear war has descended upon us. In recent years, conflicts have caused growing concern among the population."
White text scrolled beside him:
What are we going to do when the war starts? We don't have the means to survive.
The man continued, his voice oddly detached. "This is a common concern. Without medical care, we will die. The human body is simply too weak to withstand the radiation levels of modern nuclear weapons."
His expression sharpened with pride.
"That's why I equipped the NeuroLinks with a self-updating, evolving system. The chip can manipulate your brain, accessing its full potential. It makes humans more... capable."
Agnes narrowed her eyes. There was a gleam of obsession in the man's voice now. He looked almost proud of what he had done. His hands trembled slightly as he spoke.
"Every NeuroLink is unique, tailored precisely for you. It can mimic any action you've witnessed, down to perfect accuracy. If you made a cardboard cutout of a cat as a child, the chip allows you to now recreate that cutout with identical precision. And more... The chip's generative AI learns from your environment—tapping into a vast, latent potential."
Agnes frowned. Wait. That sounds like a complete invasion of privacy. Why is he digging through our memories?
As if responding to her silent objection, the man pulled a document into view.
"This is legal," he said, pointing to a clause in fine print. "You agreed to it when you first received the NeuroLink."
Agnes's eye twitched.
"…What?" Her voice dripped with disbelief and confusion. Could he see all of her memories, even the-
The screen flickered. A new video loaded.
This time, it displayed a map of Earth, pocked with pulsing red markers.
"You see these points? These are the communal bunkers, constructed to protect our loyal customers during a nuclear event. Though there is a limited capacity, we can't fit everyone. I mean, I'm not made of money," he chuckled dryly.
"In the event of nuclear war, you are to report to one of these bunkers. Each one is stocked with a two-year supply of essentials—food, water, weapons, and tools. Everything needed for survival."
Agnes sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. Though, she was greatful for Mr. Dusks invention.
Unfortunately for Mr. Dusk and his apocalyptic prep, nuclear war never arrived.
Humanity had made something worse.
Somthing even his bunkers couldn't withstand.
They'd created a black hole.