I once thought my biggest decision would be whether to dip my fries in ice cream or gravy.
Now I was standing in a forgotten government lab, surrounded by people I barely knew, being told I was a walking backup drive for the apocalypse.
Neat.
The repeater tower's core glowed behind reinforced glass like the world's worst night light.
On the wall, the terminal flashed warning after warning.
VIRAL SIGNAL STABILITY: 49%
EDU UNITS APPROACHING – ETA: 4 MINUTES
Rafe loaded a final clip into his sidearm. "They're coming in hot. You have to decide."
"Decide what?" I muttered. "Whether I delete the world or keep playing brain sponge for zombie Netflix?"
Sir Quackers waddled to the edge of the console and pooped in protest.
Chai wiped sweat from her forehead. "Can we upload Darren to the cloud or something?"
Aira was pacing now. "If we destroy the repeater, the loop ends—but if Darren really is the anchor…"
"I'll get wiped too," I finished quietly.
The terminal blinked again.
ALTERNATE ACCESS DETECTED – FILE: MEMORY_ARCHIVE-07-CORE
I tapped the screen.
A video played.
A younger me—cleaner, confident, wearing a lab coat.
Behind me, people in suits and masks watched from a glass chamber.
"Trial 1 failed. We underestimated the bleed effect. He retained fragments. Suggest rewriting memory after infection initiation to boost stability."
"...How many times can we wipe him?"
"As many as it takes."
Then the video ended.
I stepped away, heart pounding. "I wasn't just a delivery guy."
Chai tilted her head. "So what were you?"
Rafe looked grim. "You were Eden's first test subject. Then their weapon. Then their fail-safe."
I stared at the reactor.
Every instinct told me to break it. Smash it. End the reset.
But then—
BANG.
The elevator behind us screeched open.
A squad of EDU soldiers poured out, full body armor, glowing visors, weapons aimed.
"DOWN!" Rafe barked, diving behind a console.
Shots rang out. Sparks flew.
Aira flipped the table and returned fire with her silenced pistol.
Sir Quackers hissed like a kettle possessed.
I ducked behind the terminal as bullets shredded the lab's outer walls.
"We're pinned!" Chai shouted, dragging a metal tray as cover.
Rafe fired two clean shots. "They want Darren alive. They'll rush him soon."
A voice echoed through the lab speakers.
Female. Calm. Familiar.
"Darren. Stop running. Come home."
Everyone froze.
Aira whispered, "Who the hell was that?"
I knew.
The voice from the memory flashes.
The woman from the lab.
She'd been kind. Gentle.
Until she wiped me.
A second elevator dinged.
One EDU soldier stepped out—alone.
She removed her helmet.
Short gray hair.
Eyes like ice water.
It was her.
Dr. Miranda Voss.
I hadn't seen her in a decade, but her voice was burned into my neurons like a screensaver from hell.
She looked at me like a disappointed teacher watching a student eat glue.
"You were never meant to see this far."
Rafe aimed his weapon. "Move and you die."
She ignored him. Only looked at me.
"Come with me, Darren. We can fix it. We can reset it right this time."
The bracelet on my wrist pulsed.
Stronger than before.
My vision blurred again—
FLASH.
Dr. Voss, younger. Standing over me.
"He's stable. For now. The virus loves him. He syncs perfectly."
Another flash.
Her voice again.
"Loop 4 starts tomorrow. He won't remember this."
I staggered forward, grabbing the side of the console to keep upright.
"What did you do to me?" I said, voice cracking.
She took a slow step forward. "I saved you. Over and over."
"By erasing me?"
"You were broken. Dying. We gave you purpose."
"You gave me trauma and a glowing Fitbit!"
The lights flickered again.
Alarms blared.
LOOP DECAY AT 33%.
Dr. Voss raised her hand.
Behind her, the rest of the EDU soldiers froze.
Then dropped to one knee.
"Stand down," she ordered. "He's not the threat. They are."
Aira raised her machete. "Try me."
"Enough," Voss snapped. "You don't understand the scale. This isn't just a virus. It's an ecosystem. A time engine. If he ends it now, we lose everything."
Chai stared at her. "Why loop the apocalypse at all?!"
Voss sighed. "Because the world ended five years ago. This is the only version that's still alive."
Everyone went silent.
Even Sir Quackers tilted his head.
"What are you saying?" I asked.
"I'm saying," Voss replied, "that this isn't Earth anymore. It's a preserved simulation. A copy. And you're its core."
The reactor behind the glass began to hum louder.
The terminal glitched.
MEMORY INTEGRITY: CRITICAL
FULL CORE COLLAPSE IN 2:34
"You can't survive outside the loop," she said. "You'll dissolve like the rest of us."
Aira stepped between us. "That sounds like a threat."
"It's a truth," Voss snapped. "If he breaks the loop, you all die with him."
I looked at Chai.
Then Rafe.
Then at the gun in Voss's hand.
I didn't remember much from my past lives—but I knew one thing.
She was lying.
I stepped forward.
She stepped back.
Too late.
A bullet rang out.
Voss's head snapped sideways.
Blood sprayed the control panel.
Aira stood, arm extended, pistol smoking.
Voss collapsed.
Rafe shouted, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
But no one moved.
Then—
From the elevator behind her…
Someone else stepped out.
Dressed just like me.
Same face.
Same hoodie.
Same glowing bracelet.
He looked at me and smiled.
"Hey, bro. I'm you. And you're really screwing this up."