The metallic groan of the rig reverberated through the lifeboat, a sickening sound that made Joel’s stomach twist. The fire above had become a monstrous, roaring inferno, devouring the platform piece by piece. Flames reached down like claws, casting a flickering orange light that made the steel beams and walkways above him glow like the gates of hell.
The lifeboat was crowded with survivors, their faces painted with a mix of fear, exhaustion, and pain. Joel glanced around, his heart pounding as he took in the state of his crewmates. Most were smeared with grime and oil, their once-blue coveralls stained dark with soot and sweat. Several had burns, skin raw and blistered from the heat of the fire above. The acrid smell of scorched fabric and burned flesh hung thick in the air, mixing with the salty tang of the sea.
Kevin, the tool push, was slumped in the back of the lifeboat, his body barely moving except for the shallow rise and fall of his chest. His skin was a raw, blistered mess, burned almost beyond recognition from the flames that had engulfed him. His face, once tough and weathered from years on the rig, was now a swollen, red mass, his eyes swollen nearly shut. Joel glanced at him, and his stomach twisted. Kevin had always been one of the hardest men on the rig—unshakable, a leader. But now, he was barely hanging on. The burns had ravaged him, and Joel couldn’t see how Kevin could survive the trip to shore, let alone endure the brutal treatment process that awaited him. The man’s labored breathing, mixed with the occasional weak moan of pain, was a haunting reminder that even the strongest among them weren’t invincible.
One of the roughnecks, Jeremy, a burly man with a beard matted with oil, was cradling his arm, his face twisted in agony. His sleeve had been burned away, revealing a red, blistering burn that stretched from his wrist to his shoulder. He bit down hard on his lip, a groan of pain escaping every time the boat rocked. Next to him, another roughneck—a younger guy, barely older than a kid—was frantically paddling with an oar, his movements panicked and jerky. His eyes were wide, the whites visible even through the grime covering his face, and he muttered under his breath, words Joel couldn’t hear over the roar of the flames.
On the other side of the boat, a woman—one of the rig's engineers—sat slumped against the edge, her face pale beneath the soot. Her hair, once tied back in a neat ponytail, hung limply over her face, streaked with oil and seawater. Her hands trembled in her lap, blood trickling from a gash on her forehead where a piece of falling debris must have hit her. She was conscious, but her gaze was distant, unfocused, as if she were somewhere far away from the chaos around her.
Across from Joel, two of the roughnecks were trying to paddle, their faces set in grim determination as they worked together to push the lifeboat away from the collapsing rig. Their muscles strained under the weight of the oars, but it was slow going. The waves were relentless, and every time they seemed to make progress, another section of the rig would fall into the water behind them, sending shockwaves through the sea that pushed the boat closer to the danger they were desperately trying to escape.
The moans of the injured echoed in the small space, a constant reminder of the nightmare they had just lived through. One man, his face half-hidden beneath layers of grime, clutched his side, his breathing shallow and uneven. Blood seeped through his fingers, staining his coveralls a deeper shade of red. Another was slumped against the side of the boat, his burns severe, eyes closed as if he were trying to block out the pain or had simply given up the fight.
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Joel could feel the heat from the fire still raging above them, the flames lighting up the night sky, turning the smoke into a fiery glow. Every face in the lifeboat was etched with fear and desperation, their bodies broken and battered by the disaster, but somehow they were still alive. They had survived the inferno, and now they just needed to survive the sea.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Attention: System Merge Imminent
The Merge will occur in 30 Minutes.
Prepare accordingly.
Your survival and adaptation will depend on your readiness.
Warning: Environmental hazards and challenges will escalate post-merge.
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Not again, Joel thought, “I must have hit my head again.”
Joel gripped the edge of the lifeboat, heart hammering in his chest as the rig shuddered again. The ocean swelled beneath him, rocking the lifeboat as the entire structure above tilted dangerously. He slammed into the side of the boat, cursing under his breath, though the roar of collapsing metal swallowed the sound. His muscles tensed as he braced for the worst.
"Damn it!" he growled, but his voice was drowned out by the deafening roar of collapsing metal.
CRACK!
A massive section of the steel structure above snapped like a toothpick, the sharp sound cutting through the chaos. Joel looked up just in time to see a walkway buckle and fold in on itself, plummeting into the churning water. Steam hissed violently as the ocean met the heat of the fire, thick clouds rising and blurring his vision.
Sparks rained down around him, mixing with falling debris—chunks of steel, burning equipment, and splintered wood. Joel ducked, narrowly avoiding a falling beam that crashed into the water beside the boat with a splash. His breath came in ragged, smoke-filled gasps, every inhalation burning his lungs.
Above him, the rig continued its deadly collapse. A crane, towering over the platform, swayed ominously. Its base had been eaten away by the flames, leaving it teetering for a moment before crashing into the water with a thunderous boom. Joel’s world rocked again, the lifeboat tossed by the shockwave of the explosion.
BOOM!
The blast sent shockwaves through the rig, tilting the platform dangerously close to the water. Joel grabbed onto a railing, his muscles straining as the lifeboat scraped against the platform. The rig groaned once more, the sound of metal tearing and warping filling the air as more of the structure broke free and plunged into the sea below.
He stole a glance up—sections of the rig were collapsing like a house of cards, consumed by fire and chaos. The lifeboat, though tossed by the turbulent waves, was his only chance. But as another explosion ripped through the air, Joel’s balance slipped. His feet skidded across the slick metal, and he fell hard, pain shooting through his ribs as he hit the deck of the boat.
The fire still raged above, the heat unbearable, the air thick with smoke. And through the chaos, Joel could hear the rig’s final death cries—metal groaning, structures snapping, and debris crashing into the ocean. The platform was breaking apart, and soon it would all be gone. He had to hold on. Just a little longer.