CHAPTER 35 - AURORA EXPLODES

Natalie didn't pay much attention to the barrage debate in her chat. After hearing Cortana's explanation, she finally relaxed.

A fifty meter range? That's more than enough!

This was a gun, after all, time for a test fire!

With excitement, she dove into the water once more.

When she surfaced, she lifted her hand and pulled the trigger beneath her.

Bang!

A muffled shot rang out. There was no recoil, but the bullet tore through the water like a dart, cutting a clear trajectory before vanishing at lightning speed!

"Nice! This feels amazing!" Natalie cheered. "Now that I've got a pistol, I feel like the strongest in this ocean!"

With her basic gear fully upgraded and a ranged weapon in hand, it didn't make sense to stay here much longer. She had already explored the area, and it was time to move on.

Maybe... head for the land?

But just thinking about the 86 kilometer distance made her head go numb. That would take a days of swimming!

As she was weighing her options, Cortana's voice suddenly cut in again.

"Warning: The Aurora's drive core is continuing to deteriorate."

"What?" Natalie blinked. "What does that mean?"

Cortana replied calmly, "The Aurora's reactor has reached critical levels. It will explode in approximately ten minutes."

"Explode?!" Natalie jumped. "You're kidding me, right?! That ship is gonna blow?!"

"Affirmative," Cortana responded, still as calm as ever.

The live chat went wild.

"Oh damn, here comes the big one!"

"The Aurora's gonna blow?! That massive ship?! This is gonna be nuts!"

"This better be one epic scene..."

"Wait, wait, I'm close to the Aurora, aren't I?" Natalie quickly asked. "Will I get caught in the blast?!"

"Calculations show that the explosion may send debris flying and trigger high tidal waves. Please avoid the area immediately."

Natalie frowned. "In that case... maybe I'm safer staying underwater?"

"No way, Natalie, you can't miss this kind of epic moment!"

"Exactly! Get above water! You have to see this!"

"Worst case, you die and restart. It's worth it!"

The chat convinced her.

Reluctantly amused, Natalie climbed back into the escape pod and floated up to the surface.

Truth be told... she wanted to see it too.

In the distance, the Aurora was still ablaze, flames crackling across its hull. From the moment she crashed on this alien world, that ship had been burning non stop.

A quiet tension settled over her.

Then, Cortana spoke again, her voice crisp and cold. "Nuclear reactor approaching critical. Countdown: 10... 9... 8..."

Natalie held her breath. The live chat froze, waiting.

"3... 2... 1-"

FLASH!

A blinding light burst from the Aurora, dazzling like a second sun rising from the ocean!

BOOOOM!!!

The deafening explosion ripped through the air, reaching her ears like a thunderclap. The escape pod rocked violently under her feet.

No. The entire sea was shaking!

It was like a magnitude eight underwater earthquake. Her escape pod bobbed wildly like a paper boat in a storm.

Natalie instinctively dropped into a squat, hugging the pod tightly.

And then she saw it.

The Aurora was erupting like a volcano, spewing giant fireballs in every direction!

Chunks of burning debris shot through the sky, one of them hurtling straight toward her!

"AHHH!!" Natalie screamed, ducking and covering her head.

WHOOSH!!

The flaming wreckage soared over her head, trailing heat and wind like a missile, and crashed into the ocean behind her with a massive splash.

Even from that close brush, she felt the searing heat and the swish of displaced air rippling across her skin!

And then it happened.

A massive tidal wave, at least five meters high, erupted from the blast zone and came charging her way like a mountain of water.

"My god, that wave is-"

SPLASH!!

Before she could finish, it smashed right into her.

The impact flung Natalie into the ocean like a rag doll.

Luckily, it wasn't strong enough to harm her, and within moments, she was back at the surface, gasping for air and wiping water from her face.

Behind her, the echoes of the explosion continued to rumble, fading only after thirty full seconds.

The Aurora was now shrouded in dark smoke, billowing like thunderclouds over the sea. No one could tell what remained beneath the fog of destruction.

In her chat, the viewers had completely lost it.

"My GPU is MELTING!!!"

"That was insane!! Who the hell designed this?! This is pure cinema!!"

"Just for that explosion alone, I'm buying this game right now!"

"New World Studio... you absolute legends!"

"This is already an all time classic game moment!"

"Ahhh! This is insane!!!" Natalie couldn't help but cheer out loud.

What just happened had been a full blown sensory overload, visuals and sound pounding her like a double explosion. Her cheeks flushed red, and her heart rate rocketed to 180 bpm.

Spectacular. Absolutely spectacular!

"Natalie, I suggest searching the wreckage of the Aurora that crashed nearby. You may find useful supplies." Cortana's calm voice chimed in at just the right time.

"The Aurora wreckage?" Natalie's mind flashed to that massive chunk of debris that had soared over her head earlier.

You can check your wristband for the exact location.

She raised her wrist. A thin beam of light projected from the bracelet, revealing a glowing waypoint in the water.

Distance: 672 meters.

"Only about 600 meters away... Alright, let's check out the Aurora wreckage first!"

Without wasting a second, she dove into the water, kicked on her underwater propulsion unit, and sped off toward the crash site.

But soon, she slowed down, a deep frown forming as she recognized the seaweed-covered terrain ahead.

This is where Escape Pod 2 crashed...

And she hadn't forgotten, there was a three meter long sea monster lurking here.

Still, that beast had been here 2 days, its probably gone. It shouldn't be a problem... hopefully.

With caution tightening her chest, she pushed forward while keeping a sharp eye on the depths below.

Suddenly, within a thick cluster of seaweed vines, she spotted a shadow rising.

A chill raced down her spine.

The worst case scenario had just come true.

1024 Words.