Ariella was relieved to see the sun rising properly at the crack of dawn. External energy sources were required because many of her systems were critically low on power. Restoring reserves was made possible by solar energy in particular.
The efficiency of solar energy was its greatest asset. It could transform about 99 percent of photons into useful energy, in contrast to earlier energy sources. It was one of the major technological developments that had previously transformed civilization and brought prosperity to humans. However, she had long since left that world behind.
Eager to gain a better look at the region, she immediately launched a reconnaissance drone. She had an unsettling feeling after what had happened the night before, a persistent sensation that something was seriously off in this universe.
Wandering zombies in the city? That was concerning enough. The more significant question was whether the entire globe had descended into anarchy or if this was an isolated incident that just affected one city. In either case, she was missing her typical "eyes" and "ears" because her external sensors were still broken. She was exposed, and Ariella detested being exposed.
She looked down at the city plan as the drone flew higher. It looked like a battle zone that had been bombed into oblivion, with a dense urban sprawl dotted with broken roads and collapsing buildings. She soon concluded, however, that they were far from the Western Hemisphere in spite of the devastation. If Earth's ancient standards were to be followed, the architecture, street designs, and even the remaining structural aesthetics pointed to a foreign region—somewhere in Asia.
She became much more suspicious after noticing the bilingual placards. There was English, but there was also another language that she was unable to identify right away. The idea that they had crash-landed in a nation where English was a secondary or commonly used commerce language was confirmed by this.
Beyond the broken ruins of the city, the ground was being reclaimed by nature. In the outskirts, bodies of water, dense foliage, and tall trees proliferate, undoubtedly flourishing because of the lack of human intervention. A few kilometers to the east, glistening in the morning light, was a vast expanse of water, probably an ocean or sea.
But it was the humans that really caught her eye.
Across the ruins, groups of survivors were engaged in combat with hordes of undead. Ariella immediately recognized a concerning trend in their movement patterns: they were all convergent in the same direction-In the direction of the spaceship.
Her quick-thinking analytical mind evaluated the circumstances. Their crash landing must have been seen by these individuals. It's possible that they even saw Theo battling the zombies. One thing was certain—they were coming, whether their intention was to make contact or to scrounge the ship for supplies.
They were also in a difficult situation.
It was clear from looking at their rudimentary weapons—improvised maces, clubs, and simple guns—that their level of technology was millennia behind what she and Theo were used to.
They were still just as dangerous as before.
Morality had a way of being stripped away by survival. Ariella was all too familiar with that. Humans were capable of unimaginable things in times of need. If it meant another daybreak, they would murder, betray, and even eat each other. Their actual nature—ruthless, opportunistic, and unquenchably greedy—came to light when they faced extinction.
She dispatched many drones to survey neighboring structures, looking for any indications of more dangers or supplies, while keeping one drone immobile for a comprehensive view of the surrounding environment. In a world like this, information was crucial.
Her drones were noticed, as was to be expected. Many of the survivors had their sights set on the crash site, even though they were still fighting the undead. Undoubtedly, there was a lot of speculation: was the hooded man from last night involved? Were survivors found among the debris? Could the ship be saved?
Some brave people went one step further. In an attempt to down one of the spy drones, they raised their rifles and shot. With their sophisticated evasive techniques, the drones maneuvered through the air with uncanny agility and ease. A few of them even turned on cloaking devices, disappearing into thin air.
The survivors' desperation was only increased by the demonstration of cutting-edge equipment. The ship was now a trophy to them, not merely a piece of rubble. A wealth of incalculable substance. In this hellish world, whomever held it would undoubtedly have an advantage.
Ariella snorted as she continued to watch from inside the ship. She saw the avarice in their deeds and the hunger in their eyes.
She whispered, "Greedy humans," to herself. "No matter where you go, they're always the same—destroying everything in their path for their own ambition."
If she wanted to, she could activate the ship's remaining security measures and obliterate them all. But that would drain an enormous amount of power—power she was already struggling to conserve. The antimatter module, their primary energy source, was still undergoing repairs. Every bit of energy had to be rationed carefully.
That left her with only one real option.
She turned toward the pod where Theo lay motionless. His wounds had healed completely; now, he was merely resting.
Time to wake him up.
She triggered the internal alarm, a sharp, piercing sound that echoed through the chamber. Meanwhile, she kept her gaze locked on the approaching scavengers outside.
Theo jolted upright, groaning as he clutched his head. "What the fuck? What time is it? I don't think I have training today!"
Ariella gave an eye roll. "Yes, you moron, it's not a training day. It's a damn war. Before we're encircled, get your ass out there and tidy up the mess!"
Theo blinked quickly as her words were difficult for his sleep-deprived brain to comprehend. However, his normal instincts took over when he heard the urgency in her voice.
His hand went to his nanosuit.
Ariella's only hope was that the scavengers didn't have any potentially dangerous weapons. The nano-robots in his suit could handle ordinary bullets, so regular guns wouldn't be a big concern, but what about bombs or missiles? That was a whole different story.
She gave a quick exhale.
After landing in a hostile environment, it was only a question of time until the situation worsened. They required a strategy, in one form or another.
They had landed in a hostile world, and it was only a matter of time before things escalated further. One way or another, they needed a plan.
Survival was never a guarantee. But if anyone could make it through this nightmare, it was them.
Now, they just had to prove it.