Chapter 42-A right to a good life

Chapter 42: 42-A right to a good life

Nathaniel entered the main lounge and immediately noticed how different it felt from the rest of the ship.

The huge windows revealed nothing but darkness and violent flashes of lightning, while the ocean stretched endlessly beyond the glass.

Every now and then, the fortress rose over a massive wave, giving them a brief view of the storm before descending again.

"How did she manage to build something this scary in such little time?"

Nathaniel walked toward the large television, lowered himself onto the sofa, and picked up the remote.

The television came alive. For several seconds, there was only static. Then the system’s communication network connected to the remaining emergency broadcasts, and a news channel appeared.

The anchor sitting on the screen looked nothing like the confident broadcasters from the previous day. Her hair was messy, her face was pale, and her voice trembled.

"...we are receiving reports from multiple regions, though communication remains severely disrupted."

A map appeared behind her. Large portions of the coastline were marked red.

"Authorities have confirmed that several coastal cities have been completely submerged following the unprecedented tsunami events that began earlier today."

The screen changed. Aerial footage showed an enormous city covered by water. Buildings rose from the flooded streets like broken monuments, some having collapsed entirely while others were barely visible beneath the waves. Cars floated through streets that had once carried millions of people.

The anchor continued. "Emergency agencies estimate that millions of people have been displaced in the first twelve hours alone."

Another number appeared.

"Current confirmed deaths worldwide have surpassed nineteen million, though officials warn that the actual number may be significantly higher."

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. Nineteen million in less than a day, and that was only the confirmed number. It was scary.

The broadcast continued. "Several countries have lost communication with coastal regions. Rescue operations have been suspended in many areas due to continuing tsunami waves and hurricane conditions."

Images appeared from different parts of the world: entire towns underwater, ports destroyed, airports flooded, bridges torn apart, ships thrown onto land, hospitals surrounded by rising water, and people standing on rooftops while waving desperately at helicopters.

The anchor swallowed. "Authorities are advising citizens in affected regions to move to the highest available structures and avoid coastal areas entirely."

Nathaniel gave a quiet, bitter laugh. "Highest structures," that sounded like a joke, a big one.

He leaned back. They were already useless in many places. He remembered his calculations. The first wave had been catastrophic, but the continuous tsunami activity was even more dangerous. Now the hurricanes were intensifying as well.

A new report appeared.

[GLOBAL HURRICANE ACTIVITY: EXTREME]

The anchor’s voice became increasingly strained. "We are also receiving reports of multiple simultaneous hurricanes developing across different ocean regions. Meteorological agencies are unable to determine whether these systems will weaken anytime soon. All survivors are advised to be safe."

Nathaniel stared at the screen. They wouldn’t, not anytime soon. He knew it. The world was entering a completely different climate pattern.

The screen showed another map, with entire sections of the coastline now covered in red. The death toll counter continued climbing.

19,184,729

Then:

19,219,441

Then:

19, 267,902

Nathaniel’s eyes remained fixed on the numbers. Every digit represented someone: a family, a friend, a child, a stranger, someone who had woken up that morning believing they still had a future. Now they were gone.

Nathaniel slowly exhaled. "This is worse than I calculated."

He wasn’t afraid for himself, not anymore. He had a fortress around him, along with food, water, medicine, and energy. Aymara had somehow prepared for almost everything. But millions of others had not even known the disaster was coming.

His gaze lowered. He wondered how Noel was doing and whether or not his marine ark was safe now that he was away from it and couldn’t monitor it’s condition with the waves attacking.

Then a familiar voice came from behind him. "Nate," Aymara called out to him.

Nathaniel turned. Aymara stood there holding two plates. She had somehow managed to make the first night in apocalypse look like an ordinary dinner evening.

Her hair was slightly messy from cooking, her cheeks were warm, and she was smiling from ear to ear, clearly happy.

"Food is ready," she announced.

Nathaniel looked at the plates, then at her, and finally back at the television. The contrast was almost absurd. Outside, the world was drowning but inside the fortress, Aymara was standing in front of him with dinner.

She walked over and placed the food on the table. "I made your favorites. Come eat."

Nathaniel glanced down. "You know my favorite foods?" He asked, his taste had changed alot in the last six years, it was surprising she had researched even this about him.

Aymara’s hands paused. "I remember."

Something changed in his expression, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he looked at the food. It smelled wonderful.

Aymara placed his medicine beside his plate. "Eat while it’s warm."

Nathaniel looked at her. "You really prepared all this?" He was in disbelief even though he saw her cooking with his own eyes.

"Of course."

"During the apocalypse, you still found a way to live like our world isn’t ending. If people knew this, they’d think you are selfish, don’t you think?"

"I have a right to a good life whether they like it or not," Aymara smiled. "Especially during the apocalypse."

He stared at her for a moment, then shifted his gaze toward the television. Another city had just disappeared beneath the waves, and the death toll had crossed another million.

Nathaniel’s expression darkened. "The world is truly ending."

Aymara followed his gaze. She didn’t smile this time. "I know. It’s scary to see."

Nathaniel looked at her. "I thought I understood what was coming."

"You did. I mean, you understood enough to warn your friend to be ready."

"No." He shook his head. "I understood the possibility. I didn’t understand the scale. This is next level horror."

Aymara sat beside him. "Nobody could have predicted the scale of destruction the end of the world would bring."

Nathaniel was silent. The news continued in the background. Another region had lost power, another country had declared a state of emergency, and another coastal city had stopped responding. The world was disappearing piece by piece.

Aymara quietly pushed his plate closer. "But you’re here."

Nathaniel looked at her.

"You’re alive." She pointed at the food. "And you’re going to eat your meal in peace without letting the world ending be an excuse for lacking appetite."

His lips twitched. "You’re remarkably bossy now."

"I’ve always been bossy. I just... Didn’t let myself take up space."

"No." He looked at her carefully. "You weren’t," he continued. ’At least, not with me,’ he added inwardly.

Aymara’s smile faded slightly.

Nathaniel continued watching her. "You used to let everyone else decide things for you."

She lowered her eyes. She knew who everyone else in that situation was, Dylan. With how limited her social circle was and lack of a family, he was the only one in her life and she’d given him so much power that she too got lost in the version of her he carved out.

"I know," she admitted, her tone full of regret.

"Now you don’t. That’s new."

"No. I don’t anymore." She looked toward the television. "Now I decide for myself what I want and I don’t care what the world has to say or do about it."

Nathaniel studied her. "And what did you decide?"

Aymara’s fingers curled against her knee. "That you were going to survive this disaster."

His expression shifted.

She continued before she could lose her nerve. "That this place would keep you safe. And as long as I am here, you would have food, medicine, and somewhere to sleep and you wouldn’t have to face all of this alone."

Nathaniel looked at the table, then at the walls surrounding them. "Our fortress," he said quietly. "But all of that are based on me, what about you? What have you decided for yourself?"