In the city of Rolnya, located along an inland river delta bordering Lake Merenia (which itself formed part of it), the population was growing rapidly because so many people fled to escape the violence elsewhere. Some said they came for safety; others claimed economic reasons. But whatever their motivations, most of them settled down and started building homes. As a result, Rolnya soon became overcrowded, with over 200 thousand inhabitants crammed together in such tight quarters that crime rates skyrocketed and tensions ran high.

Because the government didn't know what else to do, they sent out troops to patrol the streets and keep order. However, they were woefully unprepared. The soldiers weren't well trained or equipped, and they lacked the necessary skills needed to maintain peace. Many residents grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of law enforcement and civil control; meanwhile, criminals took advantage of the chaos and preyed upon innocent citizens.

As a consequence, riots erupted throughout town: looting, burning buildings, beatings, and killings. People fought each other just for the sake of fighting. With nowhere left to go, many civilians sought refuge inside local churches and temples. Others simply tried to hide in abandoned houses or crawl under bridges. A few brave souls managed to barricade themselves within the remains of burned-out shops and factories.

"Help me!" screamed a woman whose husband was being beaten up outside her house near the center of town. She held onto one arm while another person helped pull the man back. "Please, somebody, anyone..."

Some people watched helplessly from nearby as two men brutally assaulted a middle-aged couple. One of them kicked the old lady in the stomach repeatedly until she fell to the ground, then punched and stomped on her face. The other man grabbed the old man by the neck, slammed him against the wall several times, and choked him until he passed out. Blood poured profusely from the man's mouth. His wife covered his body with her own bloodied arms, screaming and begging for mercy.

But no help came—no police or army units came because there was nobody left to enforce the law.

***

Meanwhile, 100 miles to the northeast of Rolnya, the coastal city of Kukarachina (population of 30 thousand) experienced similar problems. When the tides rose, they flooded much of its central business district and destroyed many businesses, including restaurants and stores. Although this area wasn't densely populated compared to Rolnya, the flooding caused widespread panic nonetheless. Citizens rushed out into the street looking for higher ground, but the water level continued to rise quickly due to heavy rainstorms.

"Have you heard the news about Rolnya? What's happening over there?" asked Arman. He'd read stories online about the riotous waves hitting the city of Rolnya, where more than 150 thousand refugees crowded the streets without any food, clean drinking water, medical supplies, or shelter. And now rumors are spreading that entire families are going missing every night.

Yueh shook his head sadly, saying, "It sounds bad, doesn't it? I can only imagine what must have happened during the last great tidal wave," said Dr. Yueh. "I'm afraid things are getting even worse."

Arman stared at the ocean stretching out beyond the window. Waves crashed violently against the shoreline. "I see."

A few days earlier, Arman met Dr. Yueh, the head researcher at a pharmaceutical company called Biozones Pharmaceuticals. They'd been talking nonstop ever since. During that time, Arman learned a lot about bioengineering and genetics from Dr. Yueh. It sounded like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

"So what exactly does your company do?" Arman asked.

Dr. Yueh smiled warmly, showing off his perfect white teeth. "You could say we're scientists who study life. We use biotechnology to modify living organisms, which gives us unprecedented power to change the world around us. In fact, our research has already led to major breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, energy production, and environmental management."

"Well, do you want to hear more?" asked Dr. Yueh.

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Arman shook his head. "No, I'm fine. You've already told me everything."

They both laughed. After a moment, Dr. Yueh turned solemn again. "There are many things I still need to tell you, my friend. But first, let's focus our efforts on saving lives instead of creating them. We have enough trouble with that as it is."

He nodded toward the ocean. As if responding to Dr. Yueh, a large wave crashed against the coast, sending up spray and foam.

***

Kukarachina became a ghost town overnight. Everyone evacuated their homes and fled inland in search of safer places to live. Most of the buildings were either washed away or collapsed under the weight of the surging waters. Many of the survivors moved farther north to escape the rising sea levels and increased storm surges. Those who remained behind tried desperately to salvage what little they could, but most of the houses and shops were lost forever.

One night, a young girl wandered over to a family huddled together near one of the tents. She sat down beside her mother. Her face showed deep sadness; she seemed exhausted by all the chaos and destruction. The child gazed intently at her parents' faces, then suddenly began to cry loudly. Tears streamed freely from her eyes, wetting the dirt floor.

Her father picked her up gently and held her close. His wife put an arm around him, stroking his back comfortingly. Together, they rocked the crying girl, whispering comforting words to calm her. Eventually, she calmed down and fell asleep in her parents' arms.

As darkness descended upon the camp, another woman approached them. Seeing the sad look on the couple's faces, she offered to help. "Are your children hungry? Do you need medicine for them?"

When the husband answered yes, the stranger handed him a small package containing two bottles of milk powder. Then she gave each member of the family a bottle filled with water. When they thanked her profusely, she smiled and walked off.

"This situation has been getting worse with every passing day," Arman said.

Supplies of food and medicine in the refugee camp are running low due to a lack of transportation and distribution systems, and many volunteers are returning to their homes as the situation becomes dire.

Families scavenge for leftover items in abandoned stores after losing everything else to the tidal floods. They rummage through debris looking for anything useful—broken furniture, pots, pans, utensils, clothing, shoes, tools, books, toys, bedding, pillows, blankets—anything usable. Everything must be salvaged. Nothing goes to waste.

This situation culminated when people started attacking refugee camp food warehouses and killing some volunteer workers who came out to protect the goods.

Some people took advantage of the chaos and looted nearby neighborhoods for valuables. Others fought with other groups, killing several victims before being stopped by security forces. In response to this outbreak of violence, the military intervened to restore peace and order. However, they also fired indiscriminately on civilians, which caused even greater panic. This resulted in additional casualties.

The following day, a second wave of violent attacks erupted in the refugee camp, targeting government officials and police officers. These men were seen as symbols of authority and therefore easy targets for mob rage. Hundreds died in the riots, including many innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire between soldiers and rioters.

Afterward, the refugees were left without any form of law enforcement protection. All public facilities had been destroyed, and now only the military maintained control over the area. Soldiers patrolled the streets in armored vehicles, firing warning shots at anyone suspected of looting or attacking them. Anyone found guilty would be arrested and imprisoned indefinitely until the situation improved.

***

"I hope you don't mind that I brought along some supplies for us to eat," Dr. Yueh said, handing Arman a box full of dried fruits and nuts wrapped in plastic. He opened the lid and looked inside, then raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What's wrong? Don't you like fruitcake?"

Arman shrugged. "It doesn't matter what kind it is. It looks good to me."

Dr. Yueh laughed softly, then pulled out a pair of chopsticks and dug into the cake. After taking a few bites, he chewed thoughtfully. "You know, we should find a way to preserve these cakes so that they won't go bad. If not for ourselves, at least for others in the future."

Arman frowned. "That sounds expensive and time-consuming!"

Dr. Yueh laughed again. "No, it wouldn't be difficult to do. We just have to figure out how to dry the fruit and nut mixture first."

"But why bother preserving something that will probably never be eaten anyway?"

"Because if nothing else, we can give the preserved food to our friends here," the doctor explained. "We might still be alive tomorrow, but maybe someone else isn't. And if the world ends soon, well, who cares about wasting food? But since it could last for years, we shouldn't throw away perfectly edible stuff either."