The conversation with dad is short and… as sweet as he can make it. He manages, in the awkward rush, to get in his, “be careful, baby,” before hanging up.

My other call rings for minutes on end.

I had put myself in the back corner of the bedroom, perched on the edge of the nightstand, one finger parting the window’s blinds, pressing the phone to my ear until the blaring noise hurt. The noise in the background makes it too hard to hear otherwise.

Over the last hour, the parking lot has become a mess. The dorms seem to have emptied themselves onto the asphalt and concrete, students stuffing cars and trucks with whatever they can fit. Abandoned baggage lies on the paths around the leasing office, atop the bushes separating the sections of the parking lot, or in the street itself.

Some people stand in dazed indecision- I see someone sit on a couch another group left, leaning back and lighting a cigarette. Somewhere else, two cars back into each other, then get to honking. A car door slams, and the pushing and yelling starts up.

All over the place, people are in each other’s way, butting heads, breaking down in some cases. The excitement of yesterday became apprehension. It’s now that panic starts to set in.

When my call doesn’t connect for the fifth or sixth time, I give up. I leave a message:

“Mama, um… I hope you’re safe out there. If you’re with grandpa and the others, tell them all I say hi. I’ll be fine here. Me and some friends are heading to a node together. We’re sticking with a big group for now, but I hope I’ll see you all soon. And give me a call when you get the chance. Please. I… really need to talk to you. I- I love you. Bye… talk to you soon- bye bye.”

I’ve been trying to keep in touch better, since the whole integration thing arose. Since the aliens arrived to herald some kind of mystical apocalypse, a test and a transformation that humanity can’t avoid. Yeah, I’ve been… a little needy, lately. Better to call than to not.

My sister answers on the second ring. Her line is full of noise. Her breath comes in a rush.

“Mariah?!”

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes! A lot going on, but we’re holding it down here.” There’s a pause on the line, then she comes back, shouting over the noise. “What are you going to do?!”

“I guess-”

“Your roommate still with you?!”

“No, but-”

“What?!”

“No! But Lola and Caesar are here!”

“Good! Stick with them! Don’t let anybody wander off alone!”

“Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah- Hey! Calm down!” She shouts at someone in the background. “I’m coming! Sorry, it’s crazy around here. Orders rolling in one after another… Alright! Jeez!”

“Coumba?”

“I wish I had longer... listen, if you get the chance, come by the base. I know some people already brought family to stay. And it can’t be worse than waiting on campus. Alright? You promise?”

“Okay-”

“Love you, baby! Take care of yourself. I’ll call you soon!”

The call ends just like that.

Not long after, while I figure out who to call next, Lola walks in.

“Are you ready?” She asks. “We need to go.”

***

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Earlier this morning, around 4:00, we gathered in a crowd around the apostles.

There was the woman warrior in granite armor, who seemed to glow under the porch lights of the admin building. There was a man clad in metal, wearing it like a second skin: short and shiny, he looked like the stunt double of a silver surfer porn parody.

They both stood before the crowd and told us to gather the necessities, and only the necessities, before preparing to leave at dawn. By that point, there were less than two hours left. Two hours until we would have to leave our lives behind, carrying everything important with us.

My crew was done in forty-five minutes. The rest of the time was spent arguing over what extra shit we could fit in the Expedition, repacking duffel bags and backpacks, fighting over what in the fridge should come.

I gave them the living room, and shut myself in to make my calls.

Now, less than an hour after the aliens gave their orders, we’re pulling away from the building, its grey face still dark, stars still staring down.

A caravan already stretches through the little town’s streets, with locals standing on the sidewalks, watching from their windows and doorways and windshields. There are some leaving themselves, caught in the side streets, trying to join the procession.

It was on the local news, so even they would’ve heard about the meteor that struck the ground a few hundred miles down the interstate. Everyone saw the almost invisible barrier that rose from the crash site, bending the light just a little.

A node, and a safe zone: our destination.

So we make our way through the streets. Pretty peaceful at first, riding into the quiet sunrise. Until someone, somewhere starts waving, shouting for us to be careful. Then the same students who were complaining and arguing in the parking lot lean from their windows and stand in their sunroofs, waving their arms from the beds of trucks, blaring horns and cheering for all to hear.

It makes the slow drive to the highway feel less like an exodus and more like a parade.

After a while, we leave the noise and excitement behind us. The procession makes good time, going around 50 miles an hour, but it’ll still be hours until we reach the place. I’m left idling in the backseat while Arthur drives and Lola works herself up at my side, explaining to Caesar why there won’t be any music.

“Can you guys stop arguing?” Arthur asks. “For the rest of the day? Please?”

“Look, I mean… it’s your car. You’re my man. Why is she telling me I can’t turn on the radio? Listen to all these other cars jammin’. Are we supposed to hear something with that in the background? No. So…”

“I get it, but I don’t wanna be listening to some dumb shit when anything happens. It’s only a couple hours.” Lola crosses her arms and rests her leg on the armrest between the front seats. “What we should do is talk about what the plan is when we get there.”

“We fuckin’ go to the node and get our powers.” Caesar makes a disgusted face. “I can’t believe that just came outta my mouth. Eugh!”

“I don’t know guys.” I say.

“Yeah.” Lola points through the windshield, where a field of cars rolls down the lanes ahead of us. I look back to see more stretching behind, no end to the mass in sight. “All these people just get together in one place and things sort themselves out?”

“We…” Arthur waves a hand through the air, trying to catch words. “Fight? Grow?”

“We don’t know what to expect,” Lola adds.

“Yes,” Caesar frowns. “We do.”

“No, we don’t.” I try to slide into the conversation again, and Lola pats me on the shoulder for my support.

“Right, Mariah?” She says.

“I’m the one that didn’t even believe!” Caesar points a finger in Lola’s face, which she’s quick to slap away. “I know you know what’s going on, because they already told us!”

“Guys,” I say. “I don’t think everything’s going according to plan.”

They both turn my way, and even Arthur adjusts the rearview to give me a good long look.

“What do you mean?” They ask.

Well, let me explain…

Months ago, when aliens first touched down on Earth, there was all this diplomacy and fanfare. First contact. Revolutionary technology. An intergalactic community suddenly at our fingertips, watching us, talking with us.

We weren't alone out there in the cosmos.

We would become part of something greater, than our lives and our world… eventually.

The first aliens to arrive started talking about an ancient AI, built to preserve and protect civilizations throughout the universe.

"When it comes," they said, "there will be upheaval, but it's for the best. It will change your world, change your lives and the rules you live by, change the very nature of your existence. We caught the early signs and arrived to help you understand what's coming..."

Or something along those lines.

An unimaginably powerful, ancient force coming to rebuild our reality. Check.

Problem: somewhere along the line, it became corrupted.

By who or what, no one knows. But the Schema itself incorporated protections against this. When it comes to change the world, and its corruption brings chaotic forces and strange mutations, it will help us fight them.

When malevolent beings and primordial powers from beyond comprehension try to turn this corruption to their advantage, the Schema will guide us in rooting it out, purging itself through our efforts.

Or so it goes.

“Some people already shared what it’s like in the nodes,” I tell them. “And they’re saying something’s gone horribly wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Lola asks.

“I… don’t know. Tutorial’s missing.”

“Gone? Like- no advice? No help?” Lola searches my eyes for an answer. “What the fuck?”

“All these people come out with warnings.” I tell them.

“Well spit it out. What do they say?”

“The corruption…” I bring my phone back up, and find the article, to make sure I’m getting it right. “It exceeded acceptable limits?”

“So…?”

“The Earth,” I say. “And everyone on it. We’ve all been quarantined.”

When there’s no comprehension in their eyes, I sigh and shake my head.

“We’re not getting any help.”