Overwatch: The Alternate Future

Chapter 13 : Mei

Ecopoint Antartica

Zhou Mei-Ling had no idea what was going on. To her, she had woken up from a very long sleep and into a nightmare. That hyperbole was not too far from the truth too.

What felt like weeks ago, Mei was part of the Overwatch eco-research team dispatched to the Antartica to learn about the abnormal global warming. Her team was doing fine until a snowstorm hit their facility and they were trapped within it. With their resources dwindling, Mei and the rest of her team enter into cryostasis as a last resort for survival. Years passed without Mei's realization. She was finally rescued and woke up to a brand new world. Her other research teammates did not survive the cryostasis and worst, Overwatch was gone. No family and no friends. Alone with her trusty little weather manipulation drone – Snowball. Oh then there were Kya and Sombra who woke her up.

The tanned skinned Kya was dressed in shawls, vest and cargo pants. With only a video camera and surveillance silver dome-shaped cameras attached to her belt. She claimed to be an undercover reporter specializing in Overwatch and that Overwatch was far from gone. Then there was the purple-neon haired Sombra who referred herself as an international renowned anonymous hacker. Mei could not grasp how someone can be known and anonymous at the same time but what stressed her most was Sombra's semi-automatic Machine Pistol.

Unlike the other Overwatch agents, Mei was not a soldier. She was a scientist. She trembled at the the thought of violence. That being said, Mei spent the last few days building her Endothermic Blaster from whatever scraps left in the facility. She did not trust the two girls, especially Sombra, and if push comes to shove, she was willing to shoot an Icicle through their heads with her new weapon.

Her trust on the two girls waivered as days passed but lonely and lost in the future, Mei listened to them. They retold her stories on the Liche hacking omnics and Jack from the past. It was Kya who told her that Winston's recall message did not reach everyone and advice Mei to fix the satellite dish and retrieve the message. But then again, Mei was a climatologist and not an engineer. The three girls dismantle most of the Ecopoint facility as Mei used what little electronic knowledge she had to fix the satellite dish and learn of Overwatch current status. During the whole process, Mei found parts for Endothermic Blaster and something she thought it was best to hide from the two girls for now. Finally, Mei was able to reach out to Winston few days ago. Then, Sombra hacked into Overwatch's communicator and Kya requested for a recall.

"How long are you going to be afraid of me?" Sombra asked as she sipped her cocoa. "We have already gone through so much together."

"I still don't know how you know so much about Overwatch." Mei frowned. Her Endothermic Blaster was always ready. Lately she had only been using it to cool objects. However, Mei may only be research member but she was still an Overwatch agent. Learning combat is part of the job. Mei just never needed to use the training on the field yet.

"I have my source and Overwatch has their secrets," Sombra replied with her usual tinge of arrogance. "But then again, I know most if not all of Overwatch's secrets. I am just very good at my job."

"You said it like you did all the work," Kya snapped at her teammate. Kya was the more sensible of the two and took their situation a little more serious. "They are here."

Kya was watching the little screen installed on her electronic gauntlet. Sure enough, Mei could hear chatting from outside. A lot of familiar voices.

"Think I could have a look at one of those bombs of yours?"

"Over my dead body!"

"Ah, you kids today with your techno music. You should enjoy the classics, like Hasselhoff."