Three months had passed since the great quake reshaped their lives and the land beneath their feet. The group had wandered endlessly, navigating fractured terrain, collapsing cliffs, and eerie silence that blanketed the world. Nature, though still beautiful, seemed angry—trees twisted in unnatural ways, rivers carving new paths, and the stars, when visible, flickering strangely in the night sky.
By midday, they spotted it—a structure on the horizon, jutting out of the desolate landscape like a monument to the past.
Jas squinted, shielding their eyes against the low winter sun. “Is that… SpaceX?”
The building was sleek and futuristic, its metallic surface reflecting the pale light, but something was off. It wasn’t just the structure—it was the way the air seemed to ripple around it, like heat rising off asphalt, even in the cold.
Roman frowned. “I’ve seen pictures of SpaceX facilities before. This one looks... wrong. Like it doesn’t belong here.”
Ivy Mae was already sketching the scene in her notebook, her pencil moving in rapid strokes. “It’s almost like it’s been warped. Or... reimagined by whatever changed the world.”
As they moved closer, Jas’s curiosity got the better of them. They pulled out their salvaged tablet, fingers dancing over the screen. Despite the destruction, their knack for hacking had proven invaluable. A few keystrokes later, the faint hum of a generator powered up, and a massive screen embedded in the building’s facade flickered to life.
What appeared on the screen left them speechless.
Elon Musk, Kevin O’Leary, and Donald Trump sat around a glossy conference table in a room that seemed untouched by the apocalypse. Behind them, the SpaceX logo glowed faintly, but it was overlaid with something new—an emblem of Earth with chains wrapped around it.
Musk leaned forward, his expression calm but unnervingly cold. “Ladies and gentlemen, the future is ours to rebuild. SpaceX was the bridge to the stars, but now it’s our fortress on Earth. The technology we’ve developed can save what’s left... or control it.”
Jas’s stomach churned as O’Leary chimed in, his voice slick and self-assured. “This is an opportunity. The old world was inefficient. Too many people pulling the strings. With our systems, we’ll streamline survival. Of course, not everyone will make it. That’s just business.”
Ivy Mae clenched her fists, her voice a whisper. “Monsters… They’re talking about rebuilding, but it’s all about power.”
Then Trump spoke, his grin wide and unsettling. “We’ve got everything we need, folks. The satellites, the data, the resources. And soon, we’ll have total control. This isn’t just survival; this is destiny. My destiny. Trust me, we’ll make this new world even better than before.”
Before anyone could process his words, the screen crackled. A warning light flashed behind the men in the video, followed by a booming sound. The camera jolted, and through a window, they saw it—a Starlink satellite streaking across the sky, glowing like a comet. It plummeted, crashing into what looked like the remnants of Mar-a-Lago.
Panic erupted on the screen. Musk bolted from his chair. O’Leary cursed under his breath. Trump’s voice bellowed, “Get security! NOW!”
But the chaos wasn’t over. The screen flickered again, this time overtaken by static. Then came the sound—a low, guttural hum that sent vibrations through the ground. The air around the group grew heavy as dark clouds gathered unnaturally fast.
Suddenly, hail the size of fists rained down, tearing through trees and battering the already fractured earth. The building’s screen went dark, and with a final shudder, the generator powering it gave out.
In the silence that followed, the group stood motionless, their breath visible in the freezing air.
Roman was the first to speak, his voice low. “Whatever’s happening… it’s bigger than us. Bigger than anyone.”
Jas nodded, their hands trembling. “They’re not just trying to rebuild. They’re trying to control everything—who lives, who dies, who gets to thrive.”
Ivy Mae clutched her sketchbook tightly, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. “This wasn’t just a random encounter. This was a glimpse into what we’re really up against.”
As the storm dissipated and the air cleared, they knew one thing for certain: the fight for survival wasn’t just against the elements. It was against the forces trying to claim what was left of the world.
And they wouldn’t let that happen.