Jacob decided to explore further into the storage area in the offhand chance that he’d find at least snacks stored in a lunchbox or desk. My best bet would be to check the cafeteria area… though it was probably the first place people looted. The man sighed and continued to walk, panning his vision around as he explored. Jacob was starving from the amount of adrenaline he’d used, the break-in, and the stress of being alone. Thus, food was a priority

  General Storages layout was simple. The majority of it was a large room filled with stored cleaning supplies and medical tools, with a space for two (broken-down) backup generators, a similar space for an (also broken) HVAC system. Other than that, the exterior sides also held a breakroom and a trio of offices.

  Jackpot, Jacob thought as he started to search through the breakroom. He wasn’t going anywhere near the fridge, which had an unpleasant-looking stain that had pooled out from underneath, but the cupboards looked promising. The man was relieved as he found a box of chocolate chip cookies, ripping them open and scarfing them down. The things were stale but still edible, and a brand he didn’t recognize. On a whim, Jacob decided to look at the expiration date and gawked.

  Best By 5/12/94

  That’s forty-two years after I was put in stasis, the man thought. And who knows how long I was in that pod. My whole family is probably dead and my inheritance is likely gone with the wind.

  What the hell do I do now?

  What I need to do now is eat and then take a rest.

  Two packs of crackers and a juice box later, Jacob felt sated and exhausted. If I can hide myself in one of the offices, I’ll be safer. From what I’m not sure… but there might be something in here.

  The man decided to barricade himself in an old office, locking the door and pushed a desk against it for extra resistance. That should do, he thought before he unslung his bag and laid down on the floor. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and within a minute, Jacob had fallen asleep.

  ====--------====

  Jacob stood on a balcony, a glass of wine in a manicured hand. It was red wine, though that was hard to tell through the blue tint. Beyond the balcony stretched Brighton City in all its glory. The less glorious parts were edited out by the AI screens over the windows, replaced with rolling hills and forests. Jacob took a sip of the wine and savored it as the sounds of the party behind him lively and loud. “If only the generated parts were real…” he muttered in a refined, feminine voice before turning away from the window. “Of course there’d be no commoners to do their jobs though.”

  He continued to walk through the crowd, passing by various other partygoers and decorations, from a waterfall of wine at one end to a tree filled with large, genetically modified lizards. The reptiles had been altered to have a more human appearance, with a bipedal stance and three-fingered hands. Two were on a tree while the others were attempting to hide in a corner.

  Jacob watched the things play for a little while before realizing he’d drained his glass. “Might as well get more,” he said to himself. “The nights still young after all.”

  Jacob continued towards the refreshments table, where an automated bartender was mixing drinks. Its glowing blue eyes swiveled toward him. “Ah, Miss Rosalin! It's quite a pleasure to see you again. How may I assist you tonight?”

  “Red wine,” Jacob replied. “Aged ten years, standard glass.”

  The bartender moved its arms, and within ten seconds, another glass was waiting for Jacob. He picked up the glass before taking a sip. Perfectly made as always.

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  Without a word, Jacob turned away from the table and back to the balcony. This time, the screens were showing everywhere in a perfect winter, the slums and factories replaced by snow-topped forests and an icy lake. Perfect as always, and matched his visions blue tint. “I need some of these for the family mansion,” Jacob said to himself before he turned around and spotted a familiar face.

  “Rosalin!” Thomas Calums exclaimed. “Fancy meeting you here.” The two laughed at that before they stared outside at the view. “If only this was real…” Thomas said in a longing tone.

  “Full automations set for a decade or two down the road,” Jacob answered. “We’ll live long enough to see that alongside commoner relocation.”

  “I can’t stand those lower-class neighborhoods,” Thomas sneered. “Dirty, crowded, and with so many undesirables there. I don’t even know why our money supports those burdens on the system. They should just be removed from the picture entirely.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Jacob replied as they stared at the AI-modified parts of the view. “How does another walk around the exhibits sound? Thomas asked. “The night’s still young.”

  “Sounds lovely,” Jacob replied.

  The two turned away from the balcony and into the main section of the party. Here, the majority of the city's elite and famous mingled, from social media stars to the town's mayor. Thomas led Jacob through the crowd and to another room where the partygoers prized projects were on display. Again, the two stared at the bipedal lizards, who were now all playing with each other. “Your fathers company makes some… unusual novelty products,” Jacob said to Thomas as they watched the reptiles. The man nodded. “We’ve designed them as pets for children. We’re still working on how to make them sterile but also be in stock. It’s a conundrum, but I’m sure R and D will figure it out.”

  Jacob nodded as they walked over to a model of an experimental nuclear rocket engine. “Looks like the Bentleys are trying to do space exploration again,” Jacob said. “Sixth time’s the charm I suppose.” Thomas snorted at that. “At the very least, if they succeed we can escape the commoners completely.”

  “That sounds exceptional,” Jacob replied just as the lights flickered. The two paused in confusion as they looked around. “That’s not normal…” Thomas said. “Though it might just be a glitch- “

  At that moment, a siren began to wail through the speakers as the music cut out. An automated voice started speaking, voice flat and emotionless.

  “Alert, alert. A missile strike is headed inbound for Brighton City. All citizens report to your designated bunker within the next ten minutes. This is not a drill. Repeat: a missile strike is headed inbound for Brighton City. This is not a drill.”

  Thomas and Jacob looked outside at the sky as the screens turned off. Outside, they could see the city’s defense systems firing up, the force screen firing up over the wealthy districts, while the area- and point-defense lasers raised into the sky. All the while, the emergency broadcast repeated over and over again.

  At that point, everyone could see the first streaks of flame that were ballistic missiles headed towards the screen. The defense lasers fired and some of the missiles exploded into flame. Most however hit the force screen, which held for the first six hits. After that it snapped, missiles hitting the various districts. One missile, corkscrewing and damaged by a laser hit, hit Brighton City Hospital, though no explosion happened.

  Strangely, none of the rockets hit the slums or working-class areas.

  “We need to get to my family’s bunker!” Thomas shouted as he and Jacob pushed through the crowds of panicked partygoers. Another explosion rumbled a few blocks away sending everyone into even greater panic. The two finally reached the outside of the auditorium and raced down the street, around them raced police cars and military vehicles, while more missiles could be seen streaking in from the sea. Gunfire was also erupting from the coastal areas.

  This wasn’t just an attack. It was the start of a full-scale invasion.

  Thomas and Jacob were a block from the Calum family mansion when a missile hit down the street, and another behind them, blocking the two off from the mansion's street. “We need to find a public shelter!” Jacob yelled and the two reversed direction towards a side street where people were funneling into a stairwell. Right as Jacob entered the door, a sign buzzed MAXIMIM CAPACITY REACHED and the security gate began to close. “Thomas!” he yelled, as the man stood there. “Don’t worry, I’ll find another bunker!” Thomas shouted. “I’ll see you when the all-clear sounds!”

  The door shut in front of Jacob, blocking sight of the man and the other would-be refugees. As an explosion rumbled above, a rough hand tapped her shoulder. “Ma’am, please come to the main room. We’re about to close the airlock.” He was then led away from the door and into the bunker as Jacob began to sob.