Rei sat on the edge of the hospital bed, his mind still spinning from everything Dr. Tanaka had just told him. The X-Virus. The extinction of ninety-nine percent of men. The collapse of civilization as he knew it. It sounded absurd, like the plot of a dark sci-fi thriller, but the grim expression on her face made it impossible to dismiss as some elaborate prank. This was real. Somehow, while he had been frozen in cryo-sleep, the entire world had changed. And now, here he was one of the last surviving men on Earth, suddenly thrust into a reality he didn't understand.
"We need to get you out of here," Dr. Tanaka said abruptly, breaking the heavy silence. She tapped a few buttons on a handheld tablet, and the wires connected to Rei's chest and arms automatically detached with a soft click. "It's not safe for you to stay in one place for too long."
Rei blinked, still struggling to keep up. "Why not?" he asked, his voice rough and unsteady.
Dr. Tanaka glanced toward the door, her eyes narrowing as though she expected someone or something to burst through at any moment. "Because there are people who would do anything to get their hands on you," she said grimly. "Men are a rare commodity now, Rei. Some see you as a symbol of hope. Others see you as… a resource to be controlled."
A cold knot formed in Rei's stomach. The way she said the word "resource" sent an unpleasant shiver down his spine, and he suddenly had the uneasy feeling that waking up from cryo-sleep had been the least of his problems.
Dr. Tanaka didn't give him time to dwell on it. She handed him a simple gray jumpsuit and a pair of boots. "Get dressed," she instructed. "We need to move."
Rei hesitated for a moment, then nodded and began to pull on the jumpsuit. It fit snugly against his body, and he was vaguely aware of Dr. Tanaka's gaze lingering on him as he adjusted the fabric. When he glanced up, she quickly averted her eyes, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Sorry," she muttered, looking slightly flustered. "It's… been a while since I've seen a man in person."
Rei raised an eyebrow at that but decided not to comment. There were more pressing matters to worry about. Once he was fully dressed, Dr. Tanaka led him to the door, peeking out cautiously before motioning for him to follow.
The hallway beyond the room was sleek and futuristic, lined with smooth metallic walls and softly glowing lights embedded in the ceiling. It reminded Rei of something out of a sci-fi movie, but there was an eerie stillness to the place that set his nerves on edge.
"Where is everyone?" he asked quietly as they walked.
"Most of the staff have already evacuated," Dr. Tanaka explained. "There was a security breach earlier a group of mercenaries tried to infiltrate the facility. We managed to hold them off, but they'll be back. That's why we need to get you out of here before they realize you've woken up."
Rei swallowed hard. Mercenaries? He didn't like the sound of that. "Why are they after me?"
Dr. Tanaka shot him a sidelong glance. "Because you're valuable," she repeated. "More valuable than you realize. There are people out there who would pay a fortune to control someone like you. Or worse."
"Worse?" Rei's stomach churned at the implication.
Dr. Tanaka didn't elaborate, but the grim look on her face said enough.
They continued down the hallway in tense silence, their footsteps echoing softly against the metal floor. Rei's mind raced as he tried to make sense of everything. Five years ago, he had been an ordinary college student, worrying about exams, part-time jobs, and whether he would survive his illness. Now, he was apparently a rare and precious commodity in a world turned upside down by a global catastrophe.
As they reached the end of the hallway, Dr. Tanaka pressed her hand against a biometric scanner, and a hidden door slid open, revealing a small, dimly lit elevator. She stepped inside and motioned for Rei to follow.
"Where are we going?" he asked as the doors closed behind them.
"To a safe house," Dr. Tanaka replied. "It's not far from here, and it's secure. At least for now."
Rei nodded, though he wasn't entirely reassured. He had a sinking feeling that "secure" was a relative term in this new world.
The elevator descended smoothly, and after a few moments, it came to a stop with a quiet chime. The doors slid open, and Rei was immediately hit by a blast of cold, damp air. They had emerged in what looked like an underground parking garage, though most of the vehicles were sleek, futuristic models that didn't resemble anything Rei had seen before.
Dr. Tanaka led him toward a black, low-slung hovercar parked near the exit. She unlocked the doors with a wave of her hand, and Rei slid into the passenger seat, glancing around at the car's minimalist interior. There were no visible controls, just a single touchscreen embedded in the dashboard.
Dr. Tanaka tapped a few buttons on the screen, and the car's engine hummed to life, emitting a soft, electric whine. As they pulled out of the garage and onto the deserted streets above, Rei got his first glimpse of the world outside and his breath caught in his throat.
The city was unrecognizable. Towering skyscrapers loomed overhead, their glass facades reflecting the dim glow of neon signs and holographic billboards. The streets were eerily quiet, with only a handful of pedestrians hurrying along the sidewalks, most of them women dressed in sleek, futuristic clothing. Drones buzzed overhead, scanning the area with glowing red lights, and Rei noticed several armored vehicles patrolling the streets.
"It's like something out of a dystopian nightmare," he murmured, staring out the window in awe and disbelief.
Dr. Tanaka gave a bitter laugh. "That's not far from the truth," she said. "This city used to be one of the most advanced in the world. Now, it's just another casualty of the X-Virus."
Rei didn't know how to respond to that, so he stayed silent, his mind racing with questions. How had things gotten so bad? Was there any hope of rebuilding what had been lost? And most importantly how was he supposed to survive in a world that seemed determined to control him, exploit him, or worse?