Ethan accelerated through the -100 degree air, his goggles and face rebreather keeping his lungs from freezing as he zipped along the icy and snowy terrain. The roar of the snowmobile was the only sound in the utterly silent landscape, a stark contrast to the world he once knew. The cold bit at his skin, but he pressed on, driven by a sense of urgency.
Suddenly, the distant report of gunfire broke the silence. Ethan swerved towards the sounds, his heart pounding. He remembered that at this time, the new food source should start appearing. This doomsday wasn't entirely mundane, after all. His regression was proof enough that something supernatural was at work.
As he approached at high speed, he saw it: a massive white-furred ape-like creature, a yeti, howling in pain as flowers of blood blossomed from each new wound. The creature sighed and collapsed, the light going out of its eyes. Ethan pulled up and stopped, scanning the area. He saw the glint of metal and ski visors a little way off. The hunters stood up and waved, surprisingly wearing hunter's orange.
Ethan approached, popping his visor so they could recognize him as one of the fellows who always helped at the relief supply distribution. If his unique snowmobile didn't give it away, his face certainly would. The hunters weren't cautious; instead, they were jubilant at seeing him.
"That is a fuggin yeti? You see it, right? RIGHT?" a young woman's voice sounded from behind her winter mask.
Ethan nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. "I see it. Incredible, isn't it?"
The hunters gathered around, their excitement palpable. "We thought we were seeing things," one of them said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But there it is, plain as day."
Ethan examined the yeti, its massive form lying still in the snow. "This is a game-changer," he said, his mind racing with possibilities. "We need to get this back to the plant. It could be a vital food source."
The young woman nodded, her eyes wide with excitement. "We've got a sled. We can haul it back."
Ethan helped them secure the yeti to the sled, his thoughts drifting to the supernatural elements at play. His regression, the appearance of the yeti—something beyond the natural world was influencing their reality. But for now, he focused on the task at hand.
"Let's get moving," he said, his voice steady. "We've got work to do."
With the yeti secured, they set off towards the plant, the roar of the snowmobiles breaking the silence once more. Ethan's mind was already planning the next steps, his determination unwavering. The fight for survival was far from over, but with allies like these, he knew they had a fighting chance.