At first barely noticeable, within a month the moon had covered half the distance to the earth and ocean tides had grown to four meters. Every day, high tides come and waves flood coastal cities, and there is no end in sight.

With the moon drawing ever closer, the tides rise ever higher, inundating another city and more inhabited land with salty waters every day.

High-tide warnings went up throughout the place. Many scientists predicted this phenomenon might eventually lead to massive flooding worldwide.

***

In a dark room high above the earth, a young girl named Mary watched a video that someone had sent her.

In a dark room high above the earth, a young girl named Mary watched a video that someone had sent her. Her heart skipped a beat when viewing each image frame slowly being replaced with newer ones showing different scenes unfolding all over planet Earth.

She hadn't expected anything so amazing to happen on Earth, but here it was.

A huge wave from the ocean suddenly emerged, making its way across the sky like a giant beast. It passed over her house. She closed her eyes, scared and bewildered by what she had seen, but it wasn't long before she felt curious instead.

Could that be true? She wondered. What could cause such a strange sight in the sky?

After a while, she opened her eyes and moved closer to the computer screen.

As she stared, mesmerized, at the picture, something occurred to her: "I wonder if anyone knows what's happening." Once again, there seemed little chance of finding answers anywhere else online.

Suddenly, the power was cut off completely. The lights dimmed, leaving only faint light coming through cracks between the curtains.

What was that? Had some sort of explosion happened nearby?

***

The geopolitical situation became more complicated as governments and private corporations rushed to protect their assets, which led to an arms race between them. At first, only governments were armed; then corporations and some wealthy individuals began purchasing weapons and equipment. The Skoena, Uwhary, Netraurhiel, Treasia, and most countries on the European continent—along with many other nations—were prepared to defend themselves and their territory with military force if needed. But no one believed war was going to break out anytime soon.

There have been reports of armed forces mobilizing near country borderlines worldwide.

However, after a month passed without any further announcements or information from the OSA, something bad happened.

All news media outlets had ceased broadcasting or publishing anything related to the world's ocean levels. Many TV stations went black. Others tried to cover up the real truth and the OSA by saying that all transmissions were being monitored by the government and it was best to keep calm and be patient.

In every country, large coastal cities began to sink into the sea, along with thousands of buildings in major ports. In addition, countless islands sank into the ocean or disappeared entirely.

These developments made people very worried. And the news stories about the OSA covering up the true nature of the crisis only added fuel to their concerns.

On top of everything else, several independent organizations were created, some claiming they possessed certain technologies and others claiming they knew something the OSA was hiding. They held press conferences and gave interviews on TV channels that had already been shut down. These groups claimed that they alone could save humanity from extinction. However, none of these claims proved accurate.

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With each passing day, rumors spread faster than ever before in human history. Some said the world would be destroyed within days, while others insisted this was nothing more than an elaborate hoax perpetrated by the OSA to distract everyone. Still, others thought the entire story might simply be a ploy cooked up by those who wanted to take advantage of the panic and chaos caused by the disaster.

At least, however much they wished otherwise, no one knew exactly how serious things were getting. No one had any idea when the oceans would stop rising or where the next tidal wave was likely to strike. People grew increasingly fearful.

***

Arman was summoned to meet Dr. Nambu in his office. He arrived early and sat impatiently waiting outside. His stomach churned nervously as he heard voices inside the building, followed by footsteps approaching him.

He stood up quickly, hoping not to draw attention. When the door finally swung open, Arman stepped back, relieved to see that it was only Dr. Nambu.

Dr. Nambu looked older than he remembered. Perhaps because of stress. Or perhaps time had taken its toll on both men.

They shook hands. "Good afternoon, Arman," the doctor greeted him warmly. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you." After a pause, though hesitant, she said, "I don't know what is going on."

Nodding, the old man gestured toward two chairs. Arman took the seat closest to the window. The room felt cold despite having windows wide open; there must still be traces left behind after so many years without maintenance work done here.

"We have bad news," said Dr. Nambu.

"... yes. A lot has happened recently, hasn't it?" Arman asked cautiously.

Dr. Nambu nodded gravely. "Yes, unfortunately."

"Is it just me, or does your skin look pale today, Doctor? Are you feeling unwell?"

A slight smile appeared on the old man's face. It reminded Arman of a mask, but he couldn't help thinking that this was probably the kindest expression he'd seen from the doctor in quite a long time.

After several minutes of silence, Dr. Nambu spoke softly. "I am afraid we may lose our civilization, my friend."

Arman realized that this was hard for him to say aloud. He swallowed, trying to hide his nervousness. This was far worse news than he imagined. What will become of us now?

For a moment, Dr. Nambu seemed lost in thought, staring through the window at the clouds drifting past. Then he turned around and looked directly into Arman's eyes again. There was sadness in his gaze.

"The OSA says it has solved the issue."

"But why can't you tell them yourselves?"

"Because they won't listen. You should understand—we cannot risk losing control over the situation. We need to find another way."

"What if you're wrong, then? If the OSA did solve the problem—"

Dr. Nambu sighed heavily. "No one knows when things might go awry next. All humans die eventually anyway, whether due to natural causes or otherwise." His voice sounded tired as well. Maybe exhaustion got more pronounced with age...

Arman stared out of the window. The sky was clear and blue. Birds flew overhead, calling loudly and flying low above the treetops. The trees swayed gently in the breeze.

It was a beautiful spring day. But somehow it didn't feel right.

"You sound like you want to believe me," said Dr. Nambu sadly. "That's good enough for me."

Arman frowned. "Why do you keep saying 'if' instead of 'when'? And what makes you think the OSA wouldn't listen to us?"

"The OSA doesn't trust anyone except themselves. They never let anything slip about their research."

Arman shook his head. "But surely someone else knows something?"

Dr. Nambu shrugged. "There are always people willing to talk, but they aren't usually trustworthy."

"Then how come you've been able to figure this out?"

"We have ways of making sure information gets to those who need to hear it."

"So why haven't you told anyone yet? Why wait until everything falls apart first?"

Dr. Nambu gave an apologetic shrug. "Our goal isn't to save humanity. Our goals are different. Once all hell breaks loose, there'll be nothing to lose anymore."

"If we try to warn everyone, maybe some people could escape," argued Arman. "Maybe others will survive too. Don't you care about human lives?"

The old man smiled weakly. "Of course I do. That's why we must make certain sacrifices along the way."

Arman leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking down at his hands. For a moment, he tried to imagine himself being given such terrible news. How would he react? Would he agree with Dr. Nambu's decision? Could he live knowing he played no part whatsoever in preventing the end of humankind?

He glanced up at the doctor. "Do you honestly expect me to take your word for this?"

"You have already heard the same thing from other sources. From the OSA, and even from your government. Have you not wondered why they kept silent?"

"They knew!" Arman exclaimed incredulously. "And they were waiting for us to get ourselves killed before telling anyone! Is that supposed to mean anything? Do you seriously expect me to believe any of this nonsense?"

The old man stood up slowly, moving away from the desk. He walked toward the door without turning back. "Good luck finding out for yourself."

***