When There Is No Sun

July 7. 2050

"Earth scientists knew this was coming.

Astrologers knew this was coming.

YOU knew where we were heading.

The endless protests to spread awareness and prolong the incoming global catastrophe fell on deaf ears.

The radical, free thinkers were censored and brushed off as conspiracy theorists.

Our generation was too self-absorbed to heed their warnings.

Too enveloped in the Matrix of Illusions to do anything about it.

Way too comfortable in our blissful ignorance and denialism to shift the narrative.

They fancied us with endless distractions to keep us from seeing the reality of our dilemma.

NOW IT IS UNDENIABLE. IT'S HERE AND VERY REAL.

The end is very near.

Humanity is on the verge of mass extinction- there is no escaping this dark truth.

LOOK AROUND US!

Earth's climate is out of balance, manifesting as extreme and unpredictable weather patterns each season.

The ever-climbing surface temperatures have melted the ice caps completely, releasing noxious gases and further destroying the ozone layer. Urban areas are being cooked alive.

Entire cities are underwater, leading to forced migrations and displacing millions of people and animals.

Countries are closing their borders indefinitely- there is no entry or escape.

Our planet weeps, floods, burns, and ravages the land with its wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and sinkholes, leaving vulnerable communities devastated. Popular metropolitan cities across the globe have transformed into desolate wastelands.

We've resorted to surviving off of artificial food, extreme rationing, and starvation.

We've suffered greatly and are left for dead while the wealthy elite basks in their luxurious homes, hoarding food and clean water, under climate-controlled, weather-proof, domed cities.

The ever-growing population has led to overconsumption- simply put, there aren't enough resources to sustain us all. Humans have depleted our home planet, sucked her dry of her nourishment and abundant resources, to maintain the undying thirst of our egos.

Our ecologically unsustainable lifestyles of greed, instant gratification, and waste- which we were programmed to follow- have led to the endangerment and extinction of a laundry list of animals needed to maintain our ecosystem.

We have disrupted the divine order of our natural world and are now left to face the consequences of the corporate giants' diabolical practices.

The outside world is uninhabitable.

Our children can no longer play games outside with their friends- they pose the risk of contracting the latest genetically engineered viruses or breathing in carcinogenic pollutants. They glue themselves to technology and virtual reality. They'll never get to experience the beauty of nature firsthand, only reading about our Old World in textbooks.

We can't even leave our homes or enter public spaces without wearing high-grade protective gear and enduring invasive, full-body inspections. If the Patrols detect that we haven't been "chipped," we can and will be detained and forcibly injected with their new neurotechnology.

We live in fear. Posters plastered across the streets read- "Honor, Obedience, or Death."

Unemployment and homelessness are at an all-time high, as AI technology has dominated the workforce. Innocent people without a secure place to live or means of providing for themselves are known as "Transients" and "Outsiders." They get treated like zombies, but we all know who the real monsters are.

Do you see what has happened to us? We live in a lawless land where our sovereign right to live freely and peacefully is merely a fantasy.

This is Hell.

The Church, the banks, the billionaires, and politicians have joined forces to form a totalitarian One-World Government. They want world domination! It's written in plain sight- before our currency went fully digital, the back of the old one-dollar bill reads: "We Have Become God. Our Conquest is Immanent," written in Latin.

They are the puppet masters. We are their puppets.

Welcome to the Decade of the Great Unveiling- where the darkest, most sadistic aspects of humanity come to light.

Prepare diligently for the coming darkness and seek shelter for the Summer Carnage.

If there is a God, please have mercy on our S--"

The Livestream abruptly ended as my sister shut my laptop closed.

"You shouldn't be watching this! You could get us all in trouble!" she said scoldingly.

Watching or reading content from The Free Thinkers or speaking out against our leaders was strictly prohibited. Libraries burned down, videos and radio broadcasts were censored and removed, yet this video, in particular, fell through the cracks; I scoured the depths of the internet to find it. Knowing this information shakes me to my core.

Where did we go wrong?

I was born to a wealthy and powerful bloodline, The Rosebergs- one of the 13 remaining Elite families. My father owned several national and international banks. Yet, when it comes to helping The Outsiders, I feel powerless. I have the privilege of living under a Domed city on a preserved section of land known as Wellspring, protected from the harsh evils of nature.

We have everything we need here- comfortable lifestyles and abundant resources. The Dome's 360-Screen projects lifelike imagery of pristine nature scenes, movies, news broadcasts, and sports, yet the Annual Summer Carnage is our favorite form of entertainment.

They tell us that this mass murder ritual is necessary to combat our issues with overpopulation and lack of resources as if enough people aren't dying as it is. So far, 75% of the population has been annihilated. I wonder when this will all come to an end? Will we come to an end?

"Get your clothes on and report to the Town Center by noon," my older sister, Magdalene, commanded in a monotone voice.

I grudgingly slipped on a royal blue, floral silk midi dress, stepped into my ivory kitten heels, and grabbed my favorite gold, heart-shaped locket from my Mother's jewelry box. The front of the locket is embedded with a beautiful jade gem, and inside holds a precious photo of her warm, loving face. This necklace is all I have left of her after losing her during the first Summer Carnage. My father ordered her public execution for exposing government secrets. I haven't been able to forgive him since. Mother's radical, rebellious attitude still lives within me today- it is a fire that burns and propels me to see another day in this hellish existence.

I scarfed down my brunch that consisted of fried eggs, pepper jack, buttered pumpernickel toast, with a side of dates and raspberries. When it came time to take the daily "vitamin" prescribed by Dr. Cretin, I hid it under my tongue and chucked it down the drain when no one was looking. Last year, I realized the pill was corroding our pineal gland, decreasing our ability to dream, think freely, and hear our intuition.

The elites want us all to remain docile, human cattle. And that, we were, as we promptly and obediently gathered at the Town Centre to watch the public broadcast of the government-issued killings. I never found it entertaining- more disturbing and twisted than anything.

President Ketner's sinister face appeared on the holographic screen of the Dome.

"Welcome to the New Dawn. We have nearly met our goal of reducing the global population by 95%. Soon, this world will be our playground, without the excess Transients taking up so much space. Let us bask in the beauty of removing what no longer serves us as we enter the Paradigm of Transformation and embark towards a bright future," he proudly and eerily announces, then lets out a disgusting chortle.

The crowd cheers, celebrates, and cries as the commencement of the Annual Summer Carnage takes plight.

In the most sinister voice, he parts his lips and utters

"Delta Angel 777," a military code that signals the beginning of the Global Carnage.

Seven bells chime and resonate loudly, filling the space with its haunting song.

The crowd maniacally claps and shouts, looking to the screen in awe.

Just as the public broadcasting system begins to Livestream the killings, a static white noise interrupts the screen.

There is a massive, mechanical floating object directly over the Dome, gradually cloaking us in total darkness.

Everyone begins to shout in confusion.

Could this be an eclipse? Military aircraft? Alien visitation?

It was so dark that I couldn't see my hands in front of me. I grip onto Magdalene's arm for safety. Suddenly, a painfully high frequency strikes through the sky and shakes the glass dome. The mumbled confusion and cries of terror fill the dark space.

"We've gotta find a safety!" I cry out to her. Abruptly, a radiant blue ultralight beam shoots from the aircraft and encapsulates the Dome with its electrifying rays. The impact causes the structure to shatter completely and shower us all in a rain of glass shards.

I shield my eyes and take cover, fearful, confused, and now vulnerable to the outside world.

As I turned on my flashlight, I horrifyingly looked at the disaster around us. This is Hell.

For my whole life, I was protected from experiencing the reality of the outside world. The perceived safety and illusion of the Dome had been destroyed, and now the truth was right in front of us.

People frantically scurry to find shelter. The Outsiders run in a mob directly towards our town, deranged and manic after years of being forced to suffer from harsh environmental conditions and lack of resources. Like a zombie apocalypse, the dome dwellers howl blood-curdling screams as they scrambled to evade these Transients.

The craft above begins to shoot several electrifying beams, striking and disintegrating each bystander that falls into its trap. "TAKE COVER!" I yell while running and dodging the laser show. I run to a nearby fountain and catch my breath. That is when I began to feel a tug on my necklace. The jade started to glow and vibrate. Behind the fountain, I noticed a glowing cobalt orb floating gracefully. My necklace seemed to be magnetically attracted to this Orb. When I held the jade crystal up to the mystifying phenomenon, it began opening into a violet whirlpool. An unearthly whistle emanated from what looked like a portal to another Universe! Trusting my heart, I stepped closer, leaving all of the earthly chaos behind. I stuck my hand out to grab my sister, but she hesitated. "I-- I can't do this. I'm so overwhelmed and confused right now," she told me, her eyes filled with worry and concern.

I reassured her by saying, "Look, Maggie, as much as we bicker, I love you... I don't want to leave you behind in this chaos." She turns around to observe the sheer disaster. In the sea of blackness, deadly beams shoot through the void, and the sound of mourning and suffering is inescapable. After a moment of contemplation, we joined hands, closed our eyes, and instantly began falling, then at the speed of light, we transported to another plane of existence. The portal shot us out onto a patch of glistening white grass. We have entered a new world.

The sky was pink and purple, with a different planetary system. There were two moons, a pleasantly warm glowing sun, and the air smelled clean and fragrant. The landscape was vibrant and mountainous, abundant with natural resources, exotic flowers, fruit, crystals, and otherworldly creatures. The clear spring water sparkled like midnight stars, and the scene was a peaceful oasis.

A wave of gratitude washed over me as I looked around at our Novel World. Magdalene and I looked at each other dazed and bewildered.

"Is this heaven?" I chuckled.

Suddenly, an angelic goddess appears before us. I don't recall meeting her before, but her aura was undeniably familiar and recognizable.

"Welcome to Planet Acreon of the Perseus Galaxy, my loves! I've anticipated your arrival and so glad you made it here safely!

Rejoice, children- For you are now free from humanity's fallen timeline!

A new reality awaits us."

A chill ran through my spine- her voice sounded just like my Mother's.