DING... DING... DING... DING...
DING... DING... DING... DING...
"Huh!!"
"What's this?"
Every single individual on Terra heard that familiar notification. It was a ding, but not a normal one—it was a rhyming sound, and they received it all at the same time.
They raised their phones and looked at the unusual black and gold notification that popped up and kept on moving; from the poor to the middle class and even the upper class, from teenagers to the middle-aged and the elderly. Surprisingly, even those without a phone saw it on billboards or any other screen.
People across Terra were stunned, their faces reflecting a mix of confusion and curiosity. This was unprecedented—a global notification, synchronized and unavoidable.
On phones, the message shimmered, its black and gold hues mesmerizing. Billboards in bustling cities displayed the same moving notification, its elegant design captivating everyone's attention. Even in rural areas where technology was sparse, people found themselves inexplicably drawn to nearby screens, which had somehow tuned into the same message.
In homes, workplaces, and streets, conversations halted. The unusual event transcended social and economic boundaries, uniting everyone in a shared moment of wonder.
"Is this some sort of new government alert?" a young woman asked, glancing around at her equally puzzled friends.
"I've never seen anything like this," an elderly bearded man in a wheelchair muttered, his popping eyes fixed on the glowing notification.
Even those who typically avoided technology were drawn in. The message seemed to hold a magnetic power, demanding to be read.
"What does it say?" someone shouted, trying to decipher the moving text.
As people strained to understand, the notification finally began to resolve into clear words, delivering a message that would change everything.
In government offices worldwide, panic erupted. Leaders and officials stared at their screens, faces pale with dread. In war rooms and command centers, the atmosphere turned tense as the black and gold notification scrolled across monitors.
"This can't be real," a high-ranking official in the Northern Alliance muttered, his voice betraying his fear. "What does it mean for our control, for everything we've planned?"
In the Estrea Nations headquarters, diplomats from every nation were hurriedly summoned to emergency meetings. The Secretary-General pored over the mysterious message, his mind racing with the implications.
"We need to understand what this is and who is behind it, immediately!" he barked, causing aides to scramble.
In a hidden bunker, a shadowy figure watched the notification with a steely gaze. "If the people say yes, our grip on power will be severely weakened," he said to his assembled advisors.
"Everything we've worked for, our control over the masses—it could all crumble."
Governments feared the unknown force that had bypassed their defenses and reached directly into the hands of every individual. They worried about the choices people might make, the unity this message might inspire. What if it was a call to rebellion, a catalyst for change that they couldn't control?
Intelligence agencies were mobilized, tasked with uncovering the origin of the message. Cybersecurity experts frantically worked to trace its source, but the more they probed, the more elusive it became.
"We must prepare for any outcome," said a Head nations leader in a video conference with other heads of state.
"Our entire infrastructure of control could be at risk."
As the message finally resolved into clear words, a chilling silence fell over the world. The government officials knew they had to act swiftly, but for the first time, they felt the cold grip of uncertainty about the future. The power they held seemed fragile, their plans for control vulnerable to the will of the people.
[Do you want to live a better life?]
[Are you tired of your current life?]
[Yes] [No]
Those were the only words they saw on their screens. It didn't take a moment for an answer, they all looked at their right arms, and saw their life force on it, with shortened or minute time, those that were elderly and about to die, the poor and the bottom of society, from teenagers in depression to the middle-aged fed up they didn't waste a second and in synchrony, more than half the population said:
"YES."