It's 10 AM, and Sif just woke up from a long night of playing his favorite open-world game. His fascination with these games runs deep; he rarely goes out and finds solace in his virtual adventures. He gets up to do his house chores, avoiding his mother's frustration while also trying to complete the game's last level and unlock all the achievements.
He heads out to buy groceries, deciding to visit his friend Sam's store, where Sam works.
"So, Sif, when will you start working at that company you keep talking about?" Sam asks.
"I'm not going to work there; it's just an internship, and it's only for six months," Sif replies with an irritated tone.
"Why are you so worked up?" Sam asks.
"It's just that I'm 22, with no job, no degree, and no ambitions—just a desire to leave this place. You know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I know what you're talking about," Sam replies. "Anyway, see you around. Take care, Sif."
As Sif walks away, he reflects, "What's wrong with me lashing out like that? It must be the lack of sleep. Maybe I should go back and rest for a bit."
Suddenly, a car veers off the road and hits Sif, sending him crashing into the wall of a nearby building. The car doesn't stop and hits him a second time, killing him instantly.
He wakes up, finding himself underwater. "I've been in a car crash, so why am I drowning?" he thinks. There are no lakes in his town, only the sea, which is 3 kilometers away. He opens his eyes and sees he's inside a capsule filled with water. Through the glass, he sees two men staring at him emotionlessly.
As Sif starts choking, the water level in the capsule decreases until it's empty. The capsule opens, and Sif stumbles out, falling to his knees, unable to stand or speak. He realizes he's naked except for white shorts. The two men continue talking as if he's not there. One looks like a businessman wearing black sunglasses, yelling at the other man, who appears to be a doctor in his sixties with a lab coat.
"Fix it now!" the businessman demands.
"English?" Sif wonders. Not many people speak it in his town, but these two look like foreigners.
He looks around, finding himself in a lab with hundreds of similar capsules arranged in rows. In the center of the room are three large screens resembling the Batcomputer from the 90s Batman animated series. He snaps out of his thoughts as the two men suddenly stop talking and stare at him. The businessman leaves with a threatening gaze at the doctor, heading towards an automatic door. The doctor turns to Sif and says:
"Good morning—or should I say, welcome back. Oh, what am I saying? You probably don't speak English, but I'm sure I installed a multilingual program into your memory."
Without warning, the doctor injects Sif with a needle in his neck. "That's to clear your vocal cords and muscles," the doctor explains. Sif can now speak and move a bit, though he's still stiff.
He gets up and asks the doctor in a raspy voice, "Who are you? Where am I?"
The doctor, smiling, replies, "Good, good. You're regaining your health much faster than the others. What's your name?"
"Sif," he responds clearly.
"That's an unusual name," the doctor notes. "Before we continue, what year is it?"
"2024," Sif answers with a smile.
The doctor looks surprised. "Oh, anyway, there's no easy way to say this, but it's 2130, and humanity is in a dire state. You could call it a post-apocalyptic situation."
Before Sif can react, he bursts out laughing, leaning against one of the capsules. "Where's the camera—" His laughter stops abruptly as he sees a lifeless body floating in a nearby capsule. It's a woman, looking pale. Panic sets in.
Noticing Sif's distress, the doctor places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Just listen, okay?"
Sif nods, and the doctor continues, "We're out of resources and on the brink of another war. Luckily, it wasn't for nothing. You and others like you are the future of this war. Use the program I've given you."
The system's voice pops up in Sif's head: [System operational. Ogma 75%]. Host name: Unknown. Species: Prime human. Age: 19. Gender: Male. Abilities: Unknown. Location: Liberty Republic.
"What is this?" Sif thinks with growing fear.
The doctor says, "Ogma, recap 2024 to present."
The system begins narrating major events with images Sif doesn't recognize:
WW3 (2044–2045): 5.5 billion casualties. 2047: The fall of the Cenozoic Era. 2050: The rise of the Five Republics. 2060: The appearance of the Syndicate and the undead outbreak. 2079: The destruction of the Syndicate. 2111: War of the Sand between the Liberty Republic and the Hellenic Republic over the sub-Saharan region of Djanet, mediated by the Eastern Republic. Present day: Earth 45% uninhabitable, population 680 million.
The system stops, and Sif realizes this is no joke or prank—this is reality. After five minutes of trying to process everything, thinking about his family and friends, and feeling a strong headache, the doctor speaks again.
"We found you in one of our old facilities south of what you used to call France. We transferred you here. You need to rest. Tomorrow, I'll perform a full exam on your body. Follow me to your room."
The doctor leads Sif to an elevator. They ascend, and Sif realizes they are underground. When the elevator doors open, they reveal a corridor lined with futuristic rooms.
"Here is your room. See you tomorrow," the doctor says before leaving, and the door shuts behind him. Sif tries to follow but finds the door won't open, leaving him stuck inside.
The room is small, with a bed, a table, a laptop, a screen, and some other items Sif can't clearly see. His vision becomes blurry, and he feels faint. He lies down on the bed and falls asleep.
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