Short Stories from the Apocalypse

Ten years into the apocalypse, the remaining humans around the world gathered together to form the last survivor base.

According to surveys, the ratio of humans to zombies had reached one to ten: ten zombies for every human. This meant that whenever a convoy went out, it was bound to be surrounded and attacked.

With both food and morale in short supply, two factions naturally emerged among humanity.

One, the conservative faction: They believed an underground shelter should be built, with all of humanity moving underground to survive, while nuclear weapons were deployed on the surface to completely wipe out the zombie species. (Lie low for a few hundred years, then come back up. Better than getting eaten by zombies.)

Two, the radical faction (the misanthropes): They believed nuclear weapons would cause too much environmental damage and hinder sustainable development in the future. Everyone should grab a gun and fight, killing as many as they could. Once all humans were dead, the zombies would soon die without food, too (there was experimental evidence that zombies could starve to death). The world would be completely reset, leaving no species behind. After hundreds of millions of years, a new humanity would naturally emerge, according to the theory of evolution.

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, a third party, the "merfolk village," made a dazzling entrance, bringing hope of ending the apocalypse peacefully...

Scene 1:

During a break, Tang An leaned against the car door, a cigarette someone had offered to curry favor with him hanging from his mouth. His thumb and forefinger touched, then slowly drew apart, and a spark of lightning danced at his fingertips.

Head lowered, he had not yet managed to light the cigarette when he caught sight of Sui Yu's cold gaze from the corner of his eye. He looked up, and the two stared at each other for a moment.

Tang An lowered his eyes and smiled helplessly. He raised both hands in surrender, spat out the cigarette, and ground it underfoot.

Scene 2:

Tang An stared silently at Sui Yu for a long time. Sui Yu had almost thought Tang An would brush him off again when Tang An finally spoke.

"Sui Yu, we're not enemies." So sometimes, there was no need to be so sharp with his words.

"We're not enemies, that's true. But this situation we're in now is your choice, isn't it?"

Scene 3:

Beneath the moonlight, a silvery fish tail shimmered brilliantly, all the more captivating against the seawater in the distance.

The rustle of footsteps rang out. Someone was coming.

"It's getting late. I'm here to take you back."

A faint sigh sounded. "Time to go back, then. What a shame."

The sound of water breaking was accompanied by a low voice: "What a shame?"

What was a shame? He...

Scene 4:

They sailed through a waterway encircled by giant trees. The view opened up suddenly, and Tang An looked at the two "people" in the distance, one sitting and one standing. He turned to meet Sui Yu's eyes, and both saw amazement in the other's gaze.

It was a beauty that struck straight at the heart, nothing else. It also carried a sense of holiness. By comparison, the one standing there looked just like a human-shaped piece of merchandise.

Scene 5:

"End the apocalypse? It can be done."

"How?"

A slender, pale finger tapped lightly. "By physical force, of course."

Theme: Never give up, never abandon anyone. Hope is right within reach