[center][h1]Upper New York Bay[/h1][h2]Liberty Island[/h2][h3]7:45 - March 1[sup]st[/sup], 2020[/h3]
[hr][i][h3][sub]“The number of places in paradise is limited; only in hell is entry open to all.” [/sub][/h3][/i]
― Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2033[/center]
[hr]

When people think about the end of the world, they tend to think of gray skies and angry weather ferociously pounding the world to its knees. Today was not one of those days. The breeze rolling off the sea was calm and whispered a soothing melody through the rusting metal and crumbling concrete of a dying world. Though the sea was calm and gently bubbling and rippling along the shore, the faint echo of the past night's storm still rang throughout the dying infrastructure. Nikolai Petronov had never been a sailor at heart; the ocean was no friend of his. As Nikolai began to return to consciousness, pain flooded throughout his body and as he gasped a deep breath, it got worse. Heaving up water at a furious pace was not Nikolai's plan for this morning, but after a few minutes, his lung finally emptied and managed to taste air again. This was going to be a rough day.

Pushing himself to his feet Nikolai stretched out the sore muscles and tested his bones for breaks. After a moment of breathing and recollection, Nikolai checked himself to make sure his gear was still attached and his ration pack was still sealed. Though he would need to clean his guns extensively, everything seemed to be in a good enough state to carry on. After a few steps he began to feel a sharp pain in his side and sat down hard wondering what it was. Grabbing a section of sheet metal that had been lodged in his side he suddenly understood why his socks were red. He layed back and breathed slowly trying to slow his heart rate and thus, his bleeding. He gazed out towards the city and then up to the sky where Lady Liberty stood mocking him. He started to blackout as he peered off towards the city again. He damned the ocean in his mind, damned the Lady standing above him, and damned the metal sticking out of his side. Pain turned to a cold numbness as his body grappled with death. Peering off into the city he waited for the end. As a boat entered view in the space between the city and the island, the world faded to the warm, welcoming darkness of sleep.