Zephyr sat in the van and called his sister, even though he knew it was likely futile. She was deep in the mountains for work, the signal patchy at best. With the apocalypse looming, her location was the worst possible news. The Etherscope, however, predicted they'd both survive the virus. Her fieldwork was supposed to wrap up in a few days, a fact that brought him immense relief. They'd relied on each other their whole lives. The thought of her stranded in the wilderness when the world ended was unbearable.
As expected, the call went straight to voicemail. Zephyr texted, urging her to call him immediately upon seeing the message, promising to keep his phone on 24/7. He knew she'd call as soon as she had service; his tone would convey the urgency.
"You sure you want to stop here, buddy?" the rental company driver asked, eyeing Zephyr's dilapidated apartment building with its overflowing trash cans and dog droppings scattered across the stoop. He couldn't understand why someone living in such a place would splurge on a rental van. But it was none of his business. Zephyr signed the paperwork, took the keys, and the driver left.
Zephyr sat in the van, taking a deep breath. He'd spent the day making preparations, but instead of calm, a wave of panic washed over him. The carefully constructed composure he'd maintained, the suppressed fear, threatened to erupt.
After a few minutes, he regained control. It was the end of the world, after all. A little freakout was understandable.
Following the Etherscope's instructions, Zephyr moved to the driver's seat, gripped the steering wheel, and closed his eyes. Like flipping a switch, a mental image appeared. He "saw" himself holding the wheel, his perspective rising to encompass the entire vehicle. The van became transparent, its inner workings laid bare.
The Etherscope was scanning the van. Even though he expected it, the experience was surreal, like stepping into a high-tech VR simulation. He'd always wanted to try VR, but it was too expensive. Now he was getting something even better.
Once the scan was complete, the van's specs appeared in his mind:
Model: Mid-size passenger van (14 seats)
Age: Ten years
Power: Gasoline
Top speed: 70 mph
Engine: 5.014L water-cooled inline four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection
Faults: Worn engine, aging components
A typical run-down rental, probably retired from a tour company. Bound to have problems the moment it left the lot. The rental company was ripping people off.
But none of that mattered to Zephyr. For a little over ten grand, he had a van. That was all that counted.
The first modification would make it apocalypse-ready. The Etherscope offered several options. Zephyr chose "base vehicle" – material-intensive but practical.
The list of required materials appeared, and Zephyr was taken aback. One hundred pounds of steel, one hundred pounds of copper, assorted screws, ten kilograms of titanium alloy, ten square feet of leather, plus a host of other obscure components. Just the first few items were substantial, and he knew titanium alloy cost a fortune. This was way more expensive than anticipated. He wasn't sure if he had enough cash, even after selling his belongings.
Payday loan ads were everywhere, but his student ID was with Miles, his driver's license with the rental company, and he had no property to leverage. He was stuck.
"Well, I'll order what I can…" he muttered, reaching for his phone.
Two missed calls. Probably while he was driving. The number was unfamiliar.
"Hello?"
"Zephyr?" A sweet, gentle voice.
"Speaking. Who's this?"
"Lucy Raina."
Zephyr was surprised. He'd expected a business call, not from someone he knew, let alone Lucy, one of the most popular girls at school. He and Lucy weren't close, but they weren't strangers either. They'd been classmates, even deskmates, back in high school. Lucy came from a good family, was beautiful, and had a great personality. Zephyr had even harbored a small crush on her, mesmerized by her quiet profile at the window. She was terrible at math, though, and he was good at it, so she often asked for help. He remembered her hair brushing his hand as she focused intently on his explanations.
After his parents' accident, he'd withdrawn, sitting alone in the back of the classroom. Lucy would sometimes glance his way, seeming to want to say something, but never did. He'd moved on, but their connection had faded. Even attending the same university hadn't changed that. Hearing her voice now, a forgotten warmth stirred within him.
"Wow, it's been a while," he said.
"Yeah, it has," she agreed. "So, I heard from Griffin you're… needing some money?"
Zephyr frowned. "What did he say?"
"He was having dinner with a friend of mine, and my friend asked him who he was texting. He said it was you, asking to borrow money. He made it sound… well, like you were desperate. I thought you might be in trouble, so I asked for your number."
"That jerk…" Zephyr muttered. Not only had Griffin stiffed him, he was bad-mouthing him too.
"Here's what really happened…" Zephyr explained the situation.
"That jerk!" Lucy echoed, indignant. "I knew you weren't like that. He even called you shameless! I told my friend to ditch him. So, do you actually need money?"
"I'll figure it out," Zephyr said.
"Is your PayPal linked to your phone? I'll send you some. Pay me back when you can. We're friends, don't be silly. You helped me with math every day, so patiently. I never properly thanked you." She laughed, and the sound was like a gentle breeze.
Zephyr was speechless. It was still such a beautiful sound. "Wait, you don't–"
"Consider it done. Don't argue, we're friends, right?" Her laughter tinkled like wind chimes.
"Right," Zephyr agreed, a warmth spreading through his chest. He hadn't expected help, especially from her. And she hadn't even asked what he needed the money for.
A notification pinged. Two thousand dollars.
Her message read: "A little extra, just in case. Send back what you don't use." A cute emoji of a giggling face with a hand covering its mouth followed.
He was genuinely touched. Lucy's family was well-off, but she lived modestly. This was her own money, not something she'd give away easily. Yet, she'd called multiple times after hearing he was in trouble…
Zephyr called her back.
Her voice was slightly apprehensive. "Zephyr? What's up?"
He chuckled, touched and amused. "Don't worry, I'm not calling to return the money."
"Oh, good…" She seemed to relax. "And don't thank me either. Then I'd have to thank you for all the math tutoring. I wouldn't have gotten into Jiangbei University without you…"
"No big deal," he said, scratching his head. He cleared his throat. "Lucy, I need your home address."
"My address? Are you going to hand-deliver the repayment?" she teased.
"Just tell me. I'm not going to do anything weird," he joked.
"Okay, okay…" She gave him the address, and he jotted it down.
"You're actually writing it down. Now I'm nervous! Are you really coming over? If you are, you're welcome anytime." She sounded flustered.
He knew his request was sudden, but it was crucial. "Lucy, next Tuesday, you and your parents need to stay home. Stay in separate rooms, preferably ones that lock. If anything… unusual happens, lock yourselves in and don't come out. I'll come find you. Can you do that? It's really important, it's about my life!" His voice was firm, unwavering. He couldn't tell her about the apocalypse; it would be too much.
"Lock ourselves in… rooms with locks?" she repeated, bewildered. "Is someone going to attack us?"
"No, but it's really important. You have to trust me, please! I'm begging you!"
"This… I… Okay… okay…" she agreed hesitantly.
"Promise me you'll do it!"
"I… I promise."
Zephyr hung up, exhaling slowly. He'd done all he could. She was kind, and if she was worried about him, she'd hopefully stay put.
Her survival was in the hands of fate now. He prayed this kind girl wouldn't become a casualty of the coming disaster. If she survived, he'd find her. He was sure of it.