Alyster sat on the floor of the warehouse, trying to reason with themselves that they were going to figure out some way of getting out of this tundra. They had a week's worth of food and their strength would help them survive. They just needed the will. They got up, looked for a plugin to charge their phone, and set up a temporary place to sleep. They found a shelf with first aid supplies, a tent, flashlight, and a duffel bag. They grabbed a sandwich out of their food bag and put the rest in the larger back along with the survival gear they'd need the next day. Dragging a cushion and a sleeping bag to the corner they had put their phone down, they sat down with the sandwich in one hand and their phone in the other. They were able to get the data working and they tried to see if there were any news at all, from anyone that survived. There wasn't anything new on twitter or Instagram for the last 24 hours, and Vice and the other news apps they trusted had nothing new either. The latest story their old co-workers published was an attack at the airport…that they were a part of. There were even pictures from the security cameras of Alyster standing in the terminal wearing their blue armor, similar to the white suit they had on now. Even though the picture was grainy and their helmet covered half their face, they could still see their vacant eyes in the picture. They had went completely blank, suppressing their grief so they wouldn't have to deal with the pain. But now they could rest. Reading the rest of the articles, Alyster realized they stopped posting new ones a day ago as well. Logging into their staff account, they were able to gain access to the security cameras that still had a little battery left in them. There was no one in the office unfortunately. It looked like they had closed for the night and no one had come to open up. They were starting to grow distressed, whispering to themselves, "I guess I am the last human left". There was nothing they could do to bring back the world they destroyed, not even putting the core back in its place brought anyone back. Suddenly, something moved by the cameras. A few birds flew by the windows and a deer too! The animals were still alive and well, and there was still some hope that people were gathered somewhere! They needed to try and get back to their home, to see if some people survived! They also realized the core was more powerful than they could imagine…it held the earth in balance, and without it, life could not flourish. I guess Red was right about a few things. Putting down their phone, they laid down on the mattress and bundled up in the small blanket they found. Closing their eyes, sleep enveloped them like a wave. They could finally sleep in peace.
Fifteen hours later:
Alyster was awake, preparing for their long trek back to the city. The small town they were in had a little store where they could get extra food and a water bottle, so they would have some resources. They were just worried about what they would do when they ran out. That probably wouldn't happen for a month though. Grabbing a compass and the map of the province was the last thing they needed before they left. Outside the sun shone and made the snow sparkle brilliantly, and they could see the town down the road. It was a quick task getting what they needed and they went southward out of Salluit. The town behind them got smaller and smaller as mountains in the distance got larger. The icy wind bit at their ears and nose, and the sun provided little warmth. What they were doing was crazy, but they knew deep down it was worth it. Not to mention the view was beautiful. The mountains were draped in snow with windswept patterns and the sky was clear. And if they got sick of the view, it would change with every step they took.
Five hours later:
Alyster crested the top of the mountain and there was a deep valley before them. It looked like an iced over lake and there was a sign at the bottom of the slope. Planting their feet firmly they were sliding down a little, then they opened up their hands and shot two ribbons of flame behind. They shot down the hill in a minute and dug their heels in to stop themselves. That would be way more fun if they had some skis. Maybe they should find some at the next city. They needed to dust some snow off the sign and it read 'Watts Lake, Kingulialuq.' Pulling out their map, they realized they were going east a little too much…perhaps they should've looked at their compass more. They couldn't rely on their sense of direction they had in the city to lead them back. They walked across the frozen lake, making sure they were heading south and stuck close to the mountainside, near the shore. The snow was getting softer around their feet and there was even slush occasionally. Taking one more step, Alyster heard a crack. Their heart flipped as they darted sideways, and the cracking didn't stop. They slipped and their legs fell through the ice, the water engulfing them! They tried grabbing at the shards of ice but every one of them came apart and the water was to their waist! Losing the last handhold, they thought they were going to take a dive, but out of nowhere a massive shadow came over them and they felt claws gripping their shoulders. Two giant black wings encircled them and with one WHOOOSH they were ten feet in the air! It let go of Alyster as reached the top of the mountain and the massive creature flew off! Panting, Alyster muttered to themselves "What…was…that?" It could've been a massive vulture that saw Alyster as its prey until it realized they were too heavy. Or maybe a mutated crow? Who knows what pulling the core out did to the planet! Thankful they were alive and not an ice block, they warmed up their legs with their hands and were able to dry their boots and pants. They decided to keep to the top of the mountain, where they could maintain their direction without glancing at the compass. Reaching the last hill around the lake, the could see a forest in the distance full of evergreen trees! The trees disappeared out of view as they sled down the mountain and started another boring trek through the snowy plains. It was amazing how empty and deserted this part of the earth was, with not a single building in sight. Alyster remembered how Dustin at the office liked to blame a lot of problems on overpopulation. Boy, was he ever wrong. If he could only take a deeper look at problems like housing or money or even look outside the city, he would realize that. All the problems he liked to moan about were way more complex than that, and solutions were less obvious than the chill air they felt. Where was their mind going though? They were thinking of random arguments in the office only hours into their journey! Would they start having hallucinations by tomorrow?! "No, no, you'll be fine." Alyster comforted themselves. They were still going, taking one foot in front of the other. As long as they kept it up, they would find themselves back in Montreal in no time. Back to civilization.
Five more hours later:
They had made it far enough now that the trees were back in sight but still miles ahead. The cold was starting to get to them, but they were surprised their legs weren't sore. They still had a lot of strength keeping them going. It was great testing their limits as well since they never had a chance. But they were still human and their stomach started growling loudly. They found a comfortable place to sit and ate another sandwich from their duffel bag, washing it down with some water they had to defrost with their hands. They were now a couple miles away from the forest and they knew they would have to have their compass handy to keep their direction. Sliding it in the front pocket of their pants, they got up and stretched a little before walking. Picking up their stuff, they started walking through the trees, sparse at first, and then they were shaded from the sun by the tall evergreens. The forest was cold but cozy and the sun was starting to set. They would have to set up camp for the night soon, they just needed to find an opening. They were doing pretty good at keeping their direction, and when there were smaller trees around them they could see mountains in the distance. They felt better with trees around them for some reason. They reached a clearing as the sun dimmed and took out their tent and mat. The small triangle tent was easy to set up, and Alyster slid the mat and sleeping bag in. Snapping a few large branches off the trees, they laid them down in a circle. They pointed two fingers at the sticks and were able to create a streak of fire from the tips of their fingers, heating up a branch in seconds and setting it alight. They created a small, hot blue fire to warm themselves up before they went to sleep. Sitting at the foot of their tent, they realized this was going to be their life for a little while. Walking, eating, sleeping, just hoping they were going the right direction and it was going to lead to something. It was alright though. It was like a giant camping trip after their harrowing week. Scraping snow over their fire, Alyster scooched back into their tent and zipped up the end. They felt warm and safe as they drifted off to sleep in the middle of the forest.
The next morning:
Alyster was awoken by a ray of light seeping through the tent, and they woke up feeling a little chilled. They winced a little as they pulled off their blanket as the cold morning woke them up better than coffee. They knew they would be fine as they started moving though. They had to shuffle out of their tent that they cold barely sit up in and they grabbed their pack at their feet. Stuffing the mat and sleeping bag into their pack, they dismantled their tent. Once they had that stuffed in as well, they stood up, stretched a little, and were on their way again. Through the trees, the path was winding more, east to west, up and down. They really wished they had some skis with them. Reaching a clearing atop a small hill, they could see the mountains were even closer and the sun was shining again. It felt like a good day. They skidded down the hill and caught themselves on some branches at the bottom. They took out a lot of twigs with their weight and heard a lot of trees rustling above them. They though they took out a small tree for a moment, but they realized all the trees above them were still. Looking back at the top of the hill, a lone wolf was growling at Alyster.