Chapter 5
1364 Words
The Apocalyptic Rebirth
"I was reborn a year after the apocalypse. I survived in the apocalypse for a year," Jiang Yu said, her voice filled with a haunting solemnity.
Hao Jingye immediately straightened in his seat, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that mirrored the atmosphere in the conference room. On the other side of the camera, countless officials and scientists stared at the large screen displaying Jiang Yu’s image, their expressions grave.
Sheng An’s eyes sharpened, her focus unwavering.
Jiang Yu, oblivious to the scrutiny, seemed lost in her memories. Her eyes were on Sheng An, but they were unfocused, as if she was seeing a different reality. Her voice grew distant, echoing the horrors of her past.
"In fact, I'm not even sure if it was a year, because each day felt as long as a year."
"In 21 days, a meteor will strike, and on that day, at least ninety percent of the world's population will vanish. Countless coastal countries will be submerged by tsunamis triggered by the meteor... Our country will also turn into a scorched land, with destruction comparable to the explosion of numerous atomic bombs."
"Jing City wasn't directly hit by the meteor. The cities that were hit almost completely disappeared. Jing City was only affected, but it was like experiencing an earthquake of magnitude eight. Countless residential areas collapsed. Our neighborhood was relatively lucky to remain standing, though it became a dangerous building."
"At that time, every neighborhood was a dangerous building."
Sheng An listened intently, her fingers gently rubbing the fabric of the sofa. Her phone lit up, and she glanced at it.
[Old Zhang: Ask her about the nearest meteor.]
Sheng An asked, "Xiao Yu, do you know where the nearest meteor landed? Or do you remember any specific meteor?"
Jiang Yu thought for a moment, then said with certainty, "The nearest one should be in Shi City... There were so many meteors falling all over the world. I remember hearing that the largest meteor fell into the Pacific Ocean, submerging several surrounding countries with almost no survivors!”
As she spoke, she shivered, the memories clearly chilling her to the bone.
Jiang Yu continued, "Do you think the disaster 21 days later is the worst? No, that's just the beginning. Everyone who died directly on that day was lucky because every day after that was spent in disaster."
Her voice trembled, and her face was filled with undisguised fear.
Sheng An poured her a cup of hot water and gently patted her head to comfort her.
Jiang Yu inexplicably felt at ease and smiled at Sheng An.
Sheng An sat back down and looked at her phone, which had just lit up again.
[Old Zhang: Just now, Academician Sun and his team verified the calculations and combined them with previous research results. Jiang Yu is right. The nearest meteor to Jing City is likely to have landed in Shi City. What she says is likely true.]
The leaders, including Old Zhang, were preparing for the disaster while seeking verification.
But Sheng An was already one hundred percent convinced.
Jiang Yu wasn't lying. Her every action and expression were genuine.
She had indeed been reborn from a year in the future, and what she said was a true "prophecy."
Sheng An looked at her and said, "The arrival of the meteor will undoubtedly bring corresponding disasters. You're right, the apocalypse 21 days later is just the prologue to the end times. All disasters are just beginning."
Hao Jingye nodded, his expression serious. "A meteor suddenly crashing into the Earth is no less than the explosion of countless atomic bombs. It will inevitably bring about tremendous shocks, and earthquakes won't be just a one-time occurrence. The impact on geological plates will surely lead to frequent geological disasters. Plate movements alone will cause numerous earthquakes."
"Moreover, the meteor impact will generate high temperatures and fires. With meteors striking all over the world, even firefighting will become a luxury. The fires will ravage the world, destroying civilization in an instant."
"The destruction of the entire world will undoubtedly damage the ozone layer. The massive smoke will cause extreme pollution, and the air will likely become toxic. Acid rain will become the norm."
"Besides, the meteor might bring other hazards, such as... radiation."
His calm voice left Jiang Yu in shock.
Yes!
His speculations were all correct!
The meteor strike would happen in 21 days, but the endless disasters that followed would never cease.
Even when she died in her previous life, it hadn't ended.
Sheng An noticed her unease and smiled.
"Don't worry. Since we know, we can find ways to deal with it. The state machinery has some capabilities. It won't be the same as in your previous life, at least not entirely."
Jiang Yu's face remained pale.
She trembled, her voice hoarse and obscure. "This is only part of it. A powerful superhuman can do many things. There are even more terrifying crises..."
Sheng An's gaze sharpened.
She stared intently at Jiang Yu, leaning forward. "The emergence of superhumans is already unusual. It's definitely not something natural disasters can bring about. Are there issues with the meteorites?"
Jiang Yu marveled again at how much sharper these people were than she had imagined.
She nodded and dropped a bombshell—
"The meteorites not only brought disasters but also mutations.
"In my previous life, I heard at a temporary base that some bases had studied the meteorites and confirmed that they contained certain fragments. These fragments could awaken superpowers in some people.
"The principle is unknown, but it was said that ordinary people who stayed near the fragments for a long time could become superhumans. Superhumans who stayed near the fragments would become even stronger.
"In my previous life, everyone was fighting for the fragments. I was just an ordinary person and had never seen one."
The room fell into extreme silence.
Everyone was waiting for her next words. If the fragments could make superhumans stronger, then what was the even more terrifying crisis?
"Mutants." Jiang Yu took a deep breath and said slowly, "The fragments' influence is not limited to superhumans. It can also create mutants."
"Zombies?" Hao Jingye asked, puzzled.
Jiang Yu shook her head. "No, it's another kind of powerful existence. They look exactly like ordinary people, possess human intelligence, and retain human memories. Some are superhumans, and some are ordinary people."
"But they kill and eat people. They hide among humans and suddenly attack. They have no emotions or humanity. As long as someone is human, they become their target, even their parents and family."
The room became even quieter.
Hao Jingye felt like his breath had stopped. He instinctively looked at Sheng An.
Sheng An remained silent.
The greatest disaster in this world doesn't come from the outside but from within.
No matter how severe a natural disaster is, humanity can find ways to cope if they work together. They can always find a way to survive.
But the crisis brought by "mutants" would shatter human trust.
Who would dare to cooperate with others?
Everyone would worry that when they woke up, the person next to them might raise a knife against them.
Everyone would be forced to fight alone.
Mutants were indeed humanity's greatest disaster, a catastrophe capable of causing extinction.
Sheng An closed her eyes slightly, then reopened them, her gaze sweeping over the fearful Jiang Yu and Hao Jingye, her phoenix eyes deep and gradually calming.
Her voice was cold. "There is no unsolvable problem. We will find a way to identify mutants. Earthquakes, fires, toxic fog, acid rain, and so on, plus... viruses."
Mutants were viruses.
As long as humanity didn't all "infect" and become mutants at once, it wasn't unsolvable.
Sheng An's calm tone brought Jiang Yu and Hao Jingye back to their senses.
Anxiety was useless, and they wouldn't just lie down and wait for death.
There were more calm people like Sheng An. Her phone lit up, and a message came in.
[Old Zhang: Continue.]
Sheng An looked at Jiang Yu. "Alright, we've talked about the apocalyptic disasters. Now, let's talk about your space."
- Writer
