Arno ran like a madman, oblivious to the explosive sensation in his chest caused by oxygen deprivation. Trees rushed past him on either side, falling away in a dizzying blur until his limbs felt utterly drained, and his head spun from lack of air. Only then did Arno halt. He was approximately three or four miles from the village. A small river flowed beside the road, winding its way into the distance.

  Arno collapsed on the roadside, gazing at the barren fields. The formerly bustling figures had vanished without a trace. Scarecrows slumped in the fields, their tattered cloaks cast aside. The landscape seemed devoid of life. No longer did Arno naively believe that he was part of some film production, as no cinematic setting could reproduce such harrowing realism.

  "What on earth has happened to this world..." Arno bellowed in his mind. His chest heaved from the exertion, each labored breath painting his vision a blood-red hue. His usual life had turned into a dystopia overnight. Had he slept for just one night, or perhaps for countless years? Either explanation failed to account for his presence here.

  As Arno's inner turmoil escalated, his jet-black wristwatch started emitting a faint "beep... beep..." Its color morphed from pitch black to a deep green, illuminating the watch face, where a timestamp materialized.

  13:27:56, 19th July 2059.

  Stunned, Arno froze, gazing dumbfounded at the time displayed on his watch, immobilized as though deprived of his ability to think.

  "No, this can't be real..." Disregarding the potential danger of attracting zombies with his voice, Arno sprang up from the ground, howling in despair like a gambler who had lost everything. He clearly remembered that it had been the 18th of July, 2020. After work, he had gone to the market to buy groceries, then returned to his single-room apartment. After eating his home-cooked meal, he had immersed himself in an online game for five or six hours, finally succumbing to sleep due to exhaustion. He vividly remembered it was just before one in the morning.

  Was he dreaming? In a fit of desperation, Arno yanked his hair. The ensuing pain was proof that he was not dreaming. Overwhelmed by panic, Arno felt like he was lost in a fog, unable to discern anything clearly. If he wasn't dreaming, could the time displayed on his watch be real?

  As Arno grappled with his confusion, the once-luminous watch emitted a soft glow once more. The light blossomed from the watch's face, projecting into the air to slowly form an extraordinarily beautiful, perfectly proportioned human figure. The light transitioned into a rainbow of colors, ultimately taking the form of a mature, captivating woman.

  Arno held his breath as he stared at the projected woman, swallowing hard. In disbelief, he asked, "Zora?" He could not mistake her. This woman was Zora, the upperclassman he had been secretly admiring since his college days. He remembered being awestruck when he saw her for the first time, an impression that lingered. Unfortunately, Arno's introverted nature prevented him from ever confessing his feelings. After Zora graduated and moved away to work in another city, their encounters were reduced to occasional online interactions.

  Now, the object of his unrequited affection stood before him. How could Arno not be ecstatic?

  The woman projected into the air seemed to come to life, exuding a vivacious giggle, she spoke with a voice that held an enticing allure, "Zora, you say? Indeed, that is my name, yet I am not the Zora whom you harbor affection for. I am merely an artificial intelligence, created to mimic your beloved Zora."

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Upon hearing Zora's voice, Arno was transported back to his university campus, recalling their ambles down the leafy campus trails. Her laughter now mirrored the echoes of their shared past. Yet Zora's revelation left Arno incredulous. "Artificial intelligence? Since when did we devise such technology?" He realized it was the year 2059, fifty years from his own time. Creating an AI was not an unlikely feat. Considering his current predicament, Arno hastily asked, "Where in the world am I? What is happening?"

  Zora languidly stretched. It was then that Arno noticed her attire - a provocative lace nightgown that revealed a generous glimpse of her bosom. Although she was a holographic projection, to Arno, she was as real as a human being, her clarity surpassing that of high-definition films. He barely dared to look, despite having dreamt of this moment countless times.

  Zora, once again, emitted her charming laughter, gracefully flicking her hand. The backdrop instantly transformed into a living room, her provocative nightgown replaced by a violet dress. Seated on a couch, sipping from a steaming mug of milk, she said in a leisurely manner, "Wasn't my previous appearance quite tempting?"

  Arno initially nodded in agreement, but feeling uncomfortable, he quickly shook his head. His reaction provoked a bout of laughter from Zora, causing her to spit out her milk. Annoyed, Arno retorted, "I don't care if you're the real Zora or not, I need to know what's going on. Why am I here? Is the world about to end?"

  Zora discarded her violet dress, donning a professional black suit. She responded solemnly, "The moment of my creation was designed to serve you. First, this is indeed Earth, and the year is as indicated on your wristwatch. On December 3, 2055, the United States launched the Savior spacecraft to destroy a massive meteorite situated 7761 million kilometers away using nuclear explosives. Given the speed of both parties, they were expected to collide on December 10 at 15:22."

  Arno questioned, "Is this meteorite on a collision course with Earth?" Zora confirmed, "Indeed, according to global astronomical experts, the collision probability is 97%. The meteorite is approximately one-third the size of the moon. The total impact force would be sufficient to instantly annihilate Earth and the surrounding asteroid belt." Arno was perplexed. If it was as Zora described, the world should be in peace. Why then were there zombies, which only existed in science fiction?

  Zora continued, "The nuclear explosion was successful, reducing the meteorite to billions of fragments. Although a small portion would still head towards Earth, it was no longer a threat. As the force of the nuclear explosion increased the speed of the meteorite fragments, the first batch entered the atmosphere on December 14, 17:05. Two-thirds burned up in the atmosphere, while the remaining third scattered over Asia and America, numbering around 16,000. The second batch arrived 13 hours later, consisting of around 24,000 pieces, primarily scattered over Europe."

  "On December 15, 2055, at 13:22, the Chinese Academy of Sciences was the first to detect radiation on the fallen meteorites. Since the first instance occurred in County X, the radiation was named X-ray. Thereafter, regions worldwide discovered the same radiation on their meteorites. On the morning of December 16, before the effects of the X-ray could be understood, it exploded, releasing the super virus XR. By December 20, the virus had infected 85% of the global population of 8 billion through airborne transmission. On December 21, the federal government collapsed, and most cities worldwide descended into chaos."

  If Arno initially felt relief that Earth had evaded destruction, Zora's subsequent revelation left him frozen with dread. He realized that the global XR virus crisis was much more severe than any biohazard he could imagine. Within a few days, the global death toll had reached 6.8 billion. Arno could only imagine that the chances of survival for those remaining, amidst countless zombies, would be far less than 1.2 billion.

  Zora, devoid of any emotion, continued, "Based on our simulations, the current Earth population is less than 700 million, 500 million of whom were killed by zombies or other humans, and this death toll is steadily rising."