Warning! An earthquake is expected in one minute. Move away from windows and unstable or heavy objects. If possible, move to an open area. Stay alert.
"One minute, and they're warning to take precautions. Seriously!"
Reading the message flashing on his smartwatch, Lior couldn't decide whether to laugh or actually act concerned! But somehow, he managed to steer his scooter to the side of the road just in time before the ground beneath him shook violently.
Creeeeek-crrrrrccckkkkk !!
And with a sharp cracking sound, a fresh crack tore across the middle of the asphalt, splitting the street open like a jagged scar. A street lamp swayed with a clanking sound as if it was reconsidering its life choices.
It was only noon, and already the second earthquake of the day took place.
The screen of his smartwatch lit up again.
Earthquake magnitude: 4.8, a minor inconvenience.
Minor inconvenience — well, in today's world, it was... Right.
He barely spared it a glance at that while kicking his battered scooter into gear.
He had something way more important than that — a warm pizza box inside the huge delivery bag strapped to his back, a double cheese pepperoni already ticking its thirty-minute timer.
And he had left only fifteen minutes twenty-one seconds exactly to deliver it to a guy on Avenue-9, who never tipped anyone an extra dime and always had a complaint about the crust.
Lior kicked his beat-up scooter to life and rushed onto the road. With increasing speed each second, his mind remembered the company policy more important than an earthquake or the destruction of the world — 'thirty minutes, or it's free!'
No way he had any intention to let a damn earthquake mess with his paycheck.
Ten minutes later, his scooter pulled up to the destination.
Avenue-9, Block C-17, Apartment 407.
Glancing at the address of the customer on his mobile screen once, he parked his scooter on the roadside. Opposite him, there stood a century-old building, counting its days with already a foot in its grave.
An alert buzzed on his smartwatch, forcing him to glance at the screen again. It was another warning — this time from the Global Emergency Monitoring System.
Seismic Event Detected — Category 5. Possible Tsunami. Stay Indoors.
Lior snorted. "Two earthquakes before lunchtime, and now a tsunami; what a day!"
Shaking his head once, he stepped towards the building. Stopping in front of the main gate, he examined it carefully. Though it leaned at the right side dangerously, it seemed stable enough to set his feet inside.
"While the building itself is waiting to collapse, people have the nerve to eat pizza peacefully inside! Wonderful."
Grabbing the pizza box in one hand, he sprinted inside, avoiding the creaks on the floor and the beams hanging from over, waiting to fall. The interior looked even more dangerous than the outside, No way he was sticking around — deliver and dash.
He let out a deep breath as he approached the elevator; with a broken door hovering on one side, it looked like a dead relic. Who knew how long it had been since that thing worked?
"Stairs, then."
Climbing two or three steps at a time, he finally reached the fourth floor. The moment he pressed the doorbell of Apartment 407, the timer on his phone started beeping. A thin smile appeared on his lips while he breathed heavily.
Well, he had made it in time, even after having a 'minor inconvenience' on the way.
The door opened instantly, and a wiry man with messy hair and bloodshot eyes peeked out. He had on a stained tank top, with YOLO written in neon letters.
"Here's your order, Sir. Enjoy"
Lior stretched the box towards him, which was still felt warm; making his voice as sweet as possible.
"Thanks, you have no idea how difficult it is to get a decent pepperoni these days."
Muttering, the man snatched the box and shoved a crumpled bill in his hand before slamming the door shut.
No tip, as always.
He sighed, heading back outside the building. Finally, it was lunchtime, and he'd be able to have a warm bowl of chicken noodles and a slice of cake.
After all, it was his twenty-second birthday. He deserved a treat, even if it was from himself.
-
Half an hour later, he unlocked the door to his studio apartment and stepped inside with a plastic shopping bag. The place was small, old, but still livable.
A deep sigh came out of his throat as he took in his surroundings. Unwashed clothes piled up in the corners, empty instant noodles cups, coke and beer cans rolling around the floor, and fresh laundry crumpled up on the single chair in the room. The only electric kettle and a couple of dishes were left uncleaned.
It was a complete mess.
But Lior paid no attention to all these. He dragged the age-old tea table out from one corner, placing the noodles' container and the cake box on it. He shoved the clothes off on the creaked mattress occupying one side of the apartment and sat down comfortably on the chair.
As he opened the box and stuffed some noodles into his mouth, his eyes closed. The noodles were still warm, with a generous amount of chicken chunks even for a discounted meal.
Maybe, birthday blessings!
Lior slurped noisily. He could feel the slight rumble under his feet, but he chose to ignore it.
Probably, it was aftershocks, just like the other days.
Finishing a whole pot of noodles in one go, he let out a small burp. His hand reached for the cake, a big slice of red velvet from his favourite bakery, with twenty-two written on it with white frosting.
"Tsk! It'd be better with a candle on it. But, anyway..."
He shrugged off his thoughts. Cutting off a small portion with his fork, he toasted himself. "Cheers! To survive another year in this glorious, crumbling mess of a world."
He was about to put it in his mouth when suddenly his phone started vibrating non-stop.
"What now!"
He picked up the phone, irritated. It was an urgent broadcast from the Global Emergency Monitoring System.
The announcer's face was scared, it looked like someone had blotted all the blood from his face. In a trembling voice, he delivered the news.
"A meteorite three times the size of Earth is hurtling towards our planet at high speed. It will hit Earth within the next 24 hours. If it can make it to the Earth, the impact, the damage... It'll be catastrophic."
He visibly shook, even standing in front of the camera. "Remain alert, and if possible, try to save your lives."
His voice cracked, trying his best not to hyperventilate.
Lior stared at the phone's screen, his hand stopped mid-air, with half a forkful of red velvet cake.
He wasn't stupid. He understood clearly, what the broadcast was really saying.
A meteorite that size meant extinction.
So basically, he had twenty-four hours left to live.
"Two earthquakes, a tsunami warning, and now the end of the world…"
He chuckled dryly.
"Sure. What a wonderful birthday."