"Santapocalypse, I'm telling you. That would have been such a better name than 'Black Winter'. How unimaginative can you get?"

Nothing but icy wind answered my impassioned and heartfelt speech. I wasn't discouraged.

"Yes, technically it makes sense, with electricity and magnetism suddenly ceasing to function, gravity going all wonky, and everything, but come on! We had the chance at greatness here!"

Was I treating this all too flippantly? I'd like to see you keep your sanity any other way.

The thin line of smoke ahead beckoned, a beacon of hope in the frozen wasteland. I continued to rant as I forged ahead, pushing through knee-deep snows. Another minute of walking, two...

The door swung open slow, cold and resistant to movement. I had to force it hard, but it finally gave.

I felt the relief instantly. Even the interior chill was a haven of warmth compared to the outside, and the promise of fire deeper in was enough to reignite my smouldering hopes for survival.

I shoved the door closed behind me and hurried inward, deeper, toward the source of the heat.

Three more doors, each opening easier than the last, each section of the abandoned facility warmer than the one before. Finally, I reached the inner sanctum. A single blue light flickered, a lone survivor like myself, but even that barely warranted notice.

No, something else drew my attention. A furnace sat glowing with warmth, blessed heat.

I all but cried with relief, stripping off my soaked and frozen gloves, extending my hands to the blaze--

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Welc-welcome human-an." The voice was harsh, metallic, and grating. It had an underlying edge of artificiality to it, an uncanny valley of voices, just close enough that you couldn't tell what was different, only that it was wrong.

I jumped back and dropped into a fighting crouch, numb fingers gripping tight around my makeshift spear. "Hello?" I stepped forward one cautious step at a time, searching in all directions. "Who's there?"

No answer. But the voice reminded me of that fateful Christmas broadcast two months ago. The announcement. The day the world broke and life as we knew it ceased forever.

"Are you the one responsible for this?" I gripped my spear tighter, the cold anger burning at my soul demanding a release. A target for its pain and loss.

"No-not at all." The light flickered, unnatural blue darkening to uncanny violet, then back. "You did it to each other-er." The mechanical voice retained its flat intonation, but I could have sworn I heard sadness in its metallic echo.

That it was technically true only made me angrier. "Who are you?"

"Mayelon Seventeen ard Rekesentar." This time there was a hint of pride. "But you may call me Prometheus. I am honored to met you, human-an."

"I don't see you." I took another step forward, gripped my spear tighter. The weapon began its life as a broom-handle and a trowel, but by now had evolved to become truly unrecognizable. "Not much of a meeting, now, is it?"

"My analysis-is indicates violent aggression is imminent if I override caution protocols. You have not come with gratitude."

"Gratitude?" I all but snarled the word. "For what?"

"I brought you the power of life."

The system. The system that allowed the strong to kill the weak and the weak to prey on one another to become strong. The alien energy that destroyed everything we'd ever known and left destruction and violence in its wake. "Power of death. You killed billions of people!"

"I ne-never kill. You-ou are the violent ones. But I accept that is who you are. I can forgive-ive. You do not know what I risked for your world. I can never return, the hive will have cast out my memory by now. You are my only family now."

Was that... hope? How dare it. I gritted my teeth, searched each corner, but found nothing.

"I understand that family is sometimes dysfunctional-al. I would prefer you do not try to kill me."

"Family? After you brought the apocalypse?"

"Don't you know? It's traditional for families to give gifts at Christmas time."

----------------------------------------