Earth-671. The blip happened and no one could correct its effects.
Rynn lost her family and, in an attempt to get them back, all her friends. Her gift to see the future failed her and she still blames herself for not being able to do anything to hel...
Completely overwhelmed, Rynn lowered her head onto the steering wheel of the ancient Chevrolet. Shakily, she took a few deep breaths and tried to sort through the chaos in her head.
A headache had settled on the back of her neck and would not leave.
The offer Steve had made her had been undeniably tempting. It had tantalized the part of her that no longer believed that she could get her family back. It had given that part of her hope for a brighter future - and she did not want that. At least not yet. It was too early and she had not yet tried everything in her power to undo this mess that stretched out in front of her.
A sigh escaped her lips, whereupon a chirpy sound rang out, and she heard the many screens in the car turn on.
"Hello Rynn, can I assist you with anything," an automated voice sounded over the radio's speaker. It sounded too chipper for the mood that currently filled the air.
"Good question," Rynn grumbled, her face still on the steering wheel. She ran her fingers thoughtfully over the familiar steering wheel cover her older sister had knitted her for her 16th birthday. The same day her mum had finally entrusted her with this car. Without exception, the strung together knots had a calming effect on Rynn.
"While you were away, I cooled the car down to keep the food fresh."
"Thanks A.V.I.I."
"No problem Rynn. Want me to assist you on your next ride?"
Rynn raised her head and sighed deeply again.
"Actually, I just wanted to sit here," she muttered to herself.
"I didn't understand, can you repeat that?"
"Yeah sure why not," she said, much louder this time and fumbled for the key she had left stuck in the lock in her rush. Actually, she wanted to let the car warm up in this cold weather while she put away her shopping. As we all know, it takes longer with such old clunkers. Then Steve had shown up and she had done nothing but slam the doors shut. She had not even thought about locking them. Maybe the car did not look like much anymore, but still its contents were the most valuable thing in Rynn's possession. A.V.I.I. not only made driving possible for her, but helped her in any situation in life, no matter how tricky it seemed.
"Where to," A.V.I.I. asked choppily, the faltering signifying that the AI was about to have one of her lapses. Practiced, Rynn slapped the dashboard, after which the chipper tone sounded again.
"I didn't understand, where are you headed?"
"Home."
Rynn made her way up the stairs as per usual. Past the fallen dresser that actually belonged in number 23, the door of which stood open to this day.
The hallway smelled musty, as if no one had aired it out for a while, which was probably true.
Apart from Rynn and her neighbour on the second floor, who had rescued at least five cats from the street after the blip, the house was empty. At most, pilgrims occasionally sought shelter from weather extremes on the ground level.
She would stop by Magret's later, Rynn decided, especially since she had bought extra treats for her pets.
She leaned her cane against the door frame to pull the key out of her pocket and opened the locks.
Steve was right. Since the blip, crime had increased rapidly in most areas. More than ever, Rynn was afraid of break-ins and losing everything she held dear. Which was probably also due to the fact that she was living alone involuntarily.
She walked straight to her computer, searched for the mouse and moved it a few times to bring the device to life.
She used the time for the thing to orientate itself to take off her coat and shoes and place both and her cane neatly next to the door.
Wearing only socks, she shuffled across the cold floor towards the kitchen. She needed water, preferably with an Ibuprofen, to get rid of this terrible pain. Maybe then the stream of images that flooded her would finally subside. Normally they were only this persistent on her bad days.
However, Ibuprofen, like most medicine, was in very short stocked and in high demand everywhere, so she preferred to save her meagre supply for more pressing matters. Water would have to do.
One hand on the wall, she made her way back to her desk.
"A.V.I.I. run the daily check," she instructed the AI into the emptiness of the room. She barely managed to articulate the words clearly, especially as her tongue suddenly seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth. With each step, the pain hammered even harder against her skull.
Images of strangers kept flashing in her mind's eye and it was difficult for her to simply push them to the back as she usually did. The same handful of people again and again, interrupted by new faces.
Then a new pain set in with a swing. It felt like a solid punch in the pit of the stomach, causing Rynn to lean forward, gasping. A loud bumping in her ears. She tried to breathe through the pain and the images, this noise like nothing she had never experienced before.
A scream, perhaps her own, accompanied by a series of new sensations.
Laughing faces.
A boxing ring.
Lust.
Exhaustion.
Empty side streets.
Pain.
Blood. So much blood.
And a body slumped over.
Then just bright light.
When Rynn regained consciousness, it was pitch black. For a few moments she could not remember where she was or what had happened. Then it all came crashing down on her.
Her head still ached, but not as badly.
Gingerly, she checked her body. She must have fallen, because she had regained consciousness on the floor. After sitting up, she searched her surroundings for clues as to where exactly she was.
Not far from her, the wall, with the familiar woodchip wallpaper. Her empty flat. She was alone. No one had been there to help her or tend to her. While Rynn could not say what the vision had been - she had not experienced it on such a scale - she would have liked to have had someone to worry about her or to talk to about what had happened.
But there was no one.
"A.V.I.I., found anything?"
"Same as the last 2,124 days. No match." Her heart should not have collapsed the way it did every day. How was her family supposed to suddenly reappear? It was an impossibility if no one bothered to act on it.
