Hazel was dizzy and reeling as she took in her surroundings.
The journey had been unpleasant as usual, but unlike usual, Hazel did not find herself atop the Community Living Center in Oasis Landing. Instead she stood beside a small shack on sandy ground.
All around her, as far as she could see, was a barren wasteland. Hazel could make out the occasional crumbling structure in the distance and there was a shabby house on a hill nearby, but nothing even remotely reminded her of the Oasis Landing she knew.
And, most worryingly of all: the portal was nowhere to be seen.
Steady, harsh raindrops kept pouring down, drumming a noisy beat on the shed's metal roof and quickly soaking Hazel's blouse. This was not the best place to contemplate her situation - Hazel needed to find shelter.
In the hopes of meeting someone who could explain all of this to her, Hazel made her way up to the house instead of trying to force her way into the shed.
She had thought she'd seen light coming from one of the windows, but it turned out to be nothing more than a reflection on the glass. Still, she approached the front door and knocked.
"Hello? Is anybody there?" When no one answered her calls, Hazel soon went from polite knocking to pounding on the door and trying to yank it open. It remained stubbornly shut.
The rain relented before the door did. Hazel walked down the creaky steps of the porch and towards the ledge of the hill she was on. There were remnants of what had once been a road, but it was too damaged to make out where it was supposed to lead
The rain had left numerous murky puddles behind. The fact that the ground had not greedily absorbed every last bit of moisture told Hazel that rain was not uncommon here - yet as far as she could see, there was not a single plant growing.
She dipped two fingers into a puddle and rubbed them together. The water felt almost grimy against her skin. Cautiously, she took a sniff and grimaced at the stench. No doubt the water was as polluted as it smelled, though perhaps it came from the ground itself. She wished she'd brought test strips along. That, and some disinfectant.
Hazel wiped her hands on her jeans and soothed herself with the promise of a hot shower when she got home.
But first she had to find out what had happened here.
Hazel ran towards the next closest building she could see, the wet dirt beneath her squishing with every footfall. She passed by some vegetation on the way, but it was nothing more than a few dried up sticks and dead brambles.
The structure she had taken for another shack turned out to be a house boat, crumbling and half submerged in the ground. Hazel could make out more like it in the distance, dotting the bleak landscape.
So, most likely this entire basin had been a body of water at some point. "An ocean?" she wondered aloud. But what could have caused it to dry up like this? Hazel yearned desperately for someone she could ask these questions. Her best bet still seemed to be the house on the hill.
She was sure that the portal had to be in there. It was close to where she'd arrived at, after all. But until its occupants returned, there was no way for her to find out. And so Hazel continued to explore the perimeter, always keeping the house on the hill in sight.
She crouched down to examine bits of debris in the sand, cursing the way her uncomfortable clothes restricted her movements.
She'd hoped to find some kind of clue. Something like a newspaper or even a sim's personal belongings, but all she could find were indistinguishable pieces of rusty metal. Hazel wiped her sweaty brow with the back of her hand and sighed, when suddenly--
CRASH!
There was a bright light, then a deafening noise. And then... nothing.
When the dust settled, a solitary figure lay on the ground, immobile and lifeless.
She awoke with a coughing fit. Her throat was dry, she was covered in dust and everything hurt. Hazel sat up slowly, the world spinning around her.
She struggled for a while before finally managing to stand up. As she pressed a hand to her throbbing head, Hazel found that she did not know where she was and how she had gotten there.
Hazel would never be able to recall clearly what followed after that.
Dazed and disoriented, she began to walk.
She did not know where she was trying to go, but she knew she wanted to get away.
Sand crunched beneath her feet and her body ached with every step, but she trudged on, barely looking where she was going.
When Hazel finally regained her wits, she realized she was lost.
Where was the house on the hill? The shack, the houseboat... there was not a single landmark that could give her any idea of where she was.
Though the sky seemed to be perpetually covered with a layer of clouds, the sun that peeked through them was relentless. Hazel could feel her skin burn and blister, but there was no shelter in sight.
Once again Hazel crouched down to dig through piles of scrap on the floor, but this time all thoughts of scientific discovery were forgotten. Her objective had been reduced the most basic: survival.
She'd hoped for a container of sorts, a flask or bottle with at least some liquid in it, or maybe a curved piece of metal that had collected some rain, but her frantic search remained fruitless. The only upside was that the sun had become more bearable as it was approaching the horizon.
After what seemed like hours of aimless wandering, Hazel finally spotted something familiar. There was the abandoned houseboat and she definitely recognized those rock formations! Summoning the last of her strength, she climbed the hill and made her way to the house.
The door was still shut tightly, but Hazel was beyond polite knocking by now.
It took her a few tries, but finally Hazel managed to kick in a window and clamber inside.
She went straight for what looked like the bathroom. Again, her hopes were dashed as the knobs creaked feebly when she turned them, but not a single drop of water came out.
After trying every single tap and finding even the water tank behind the toilet empty, Hazel searched the rest of the house. The cupboards were empty and so was the fridge. No food, no water, no people. Finally, Hazel entered the bedroom. The bed was unmade, but covered in a thick layer of dust, just like everything else in this house. Whoever had called this place home had left and not returned in a long time. Judging by the harsh environment outside, they were most likely dead.
The worst part was that, despite Hazel's earlier assumptions, there was no portal within the house. Perhaps there was no portal here at all. The wave of despair that washed over her at this thought made Hazel feel incredibly tired. Too tired to move on. It had grown dark outside, so for tonight at least, she would remain in this house.
Hazel could not bear the thought of sleeping in a dead person's bed and so, exhausted and discouraged, she curled up on the ratty couch and immediately passed out.
Her sleep was not a restful one, however. All night she could hear them and see their glowing tails against the dark sky: meteorites crashing down far in the distance and dangerously close.
The next morning, as the sun rose over the wasteland, Hazel knew she was going to die in this place.
The only question was how.
It could be quick and brutal. She doubted she'd be lucky enough to survive another meteor strike. Perhaps it would be better that way. The alternative was slower and meant much more suffering. It would be either starvation or thirst.
Oh, the thirst! Hazel's tongue felt like sandpaper rasping against the roof of her mouth. The next time it rained, she'd be forced to drink it. So there was another possible death: poisoning.
So many options, Hazel thought bitterly.
There was one thing she was certain of, however: She wasn't going to give up. She wouldn't just lie there and wither away. No, if Hazel was going to die here, she'd die knowing she tried everything she could to survive.
So, wincing at the pain with each step, Hazel made her way down the hill and towards the small shed.
It looked like nothing more than a garden shed, but Hazel was pleasantly surprised when she found a trap door inside. Some sort of bomb shelter, then? Maybe she'd be lucky and there would be cans or preserves.
Hazel climbed down the ladder with great care, still in pain from her various injuries. When both her feet stood on solid ground and her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, she saw something entirely unexpected.
It looked out of place; shiny and gleaming in the midst of this world of dust and death. But it had to have been there all this time. The spot where Hazel had arrived had to be just above this, she realized.
Strange, really - back in Appaloosa Plains Hazel had always used the portal from within a basement without any incidents. But then again, the portal she arrived at in Oasis Landing had always been under the open sky. Perhaps there was a difference between the two portals.
Cautiously, Hazel tapped the shiny metal object with her foot. What if it didn't work? What if she was stuck here forever after all? She would never see her loved ones again...
But as soon as Hazel's stained leather boot touched it, the portal sprang into action. There were a few sparks, and with a loud thrum a pillar of light appeared.
Hazel winced at the sudden brightness and covered her eyes, but without another moment's hesitation, she stepped forward.
There was energy buzzing all around her an then, with a painful tug, Hazel felt like she was being torn apart. Just when she thought she couldn't bear it any longer, the feeling stopped.
Fearing the worst, Hazel opened her eyes slowly and glanced around.
But her surroundings were familiar ones. White walls, clean floors, shadowed figures outside. She was back in the containment chamber, back in Appaloosa Plains. Home.
Hazel felt her knees give out under her.
"Hazel!" Wolfson rushed to her and caught her with surprisingly strong arms just before she hit the ground. "It's alright, girl, I've got you," she murmured reassuringly as she led her out of the containment chamber. Hazel stumbled along, grateful to have someone to lean on.
"Quick," Wolfson barked at one of the other scientists in the room, "Alert the hospital staff upstairs!" Softening again, she placed her hands on Hazel's shoulders and tried to catch her eye. "Are you alright, Hazel? Do you know where you are?"
"It's... it's all ruined."
"What's ruined?" Wolfson was sounding positively motherly now.
“The future," Hazel sputtered, her eyes glazed over, "it’s…”
"It's ruined!" Suddenly regaining her vigor, Hazel whipped around to point an accusing finger at the mayor. "And it's all your fault! The future is ruined because of your pettiness and greed!"
"Excuse me?!" The mayor looked scandalized, but Hazel would not be deterred.
"The future is a wasteland. There's nothing there. No people, no plants, no city," she explained, "and it's all because you destroyed the park!"
“Ridiculous,” Mayor Wells scoffed, “How could something so insignificant affect the entire future?”
This fucking guy, Hazel thought, if I was Hux, I'd have punched him by now. But Hazel knew better than to emulate her older sister, even in her rage. Struggling to keep her voice level, she asked, “Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect?"
At this, the mayor sneered. “What? What is it with that hippie? Now she’s talking about butterflies.” He leaned towards his bodyguard to whisper loudly, “Probably high on drugs, that one.”
Suddenly, Hazel's intentions to keep her composure were forgotten. “I just almost died over there," she bellowed, "and if we don’t take this as an incentive to change our ways, we’re all going to die. There will be no more sims, no more animals, no more plants… no more life. And it’s all because of people like you!” She'd been closing in on the mayor as she spoke and punctuated the last word another jab of her index finger.
"That's far enough, missy," the bodyguard growled and Hazel quickly withdrew her hand. She hadn't meant to actually touch the mayor, but her wild gesticulation had ended with the mayor recoiling and the bodyguard stepping between the two.
Seeing the mayor quivering behind his hulking bodyguard, Hazel realized she'd gone too far. But the mayor, humiliated to let a girl intimidate him like this, left her no chance to apologize.
Shoving his bodyguard aside, he lurched forward. "And that's it," he yelled, "You're fired!"
Wolfson, who had been watching the entire exchange with growing dismay, chose this moment to step in. "With all due respect, Mr Wells, but you do not have the authority to let go of my staff. I’m still in charge of this facility.”
Mayor Wells looked taken aback for a moment, but then his face turned into a vindictive snarl. “And I’m still in charge of your budget!” He straightened his back, making himself look taller, and adopted an authoritative tone. “This is the end of your little time travel experiments. I am cutting all funding for this project. I'm sure there are more worthwhile projects to pursue.”
His words had the desired effect. All around him, scientists gasped and looked shaken, Wolfson and Hazel included. The mayor favored them with one last smug grin and turned to leave, his bodyguard on his heels.
*
Hazel's injuries had turned out to be minor, her discomfort due mostly to bruising and dehydration, and so she was able to return to work the following day. What awaited her there did nothing to make her feel better, however.
“There’s nothing I can do,” Wolfson explained. Barely a day had passed, but everything was suddenly turned upside down. All around them, sims were bustling to pack up gear and stacks of files. “We’re lucky he didn’t do more… he could have shut us down completely. But now he wants us to pour all our resources into cow plant research.”
“You can't be serious,” Hazel said flatly.
Wolfson sighed. “The mayor thinks they’re funny. He wants us to cultivate them, make a miniature version perhaps. He thinks they’ll be a hit with tourists. 'Appaloosa Plains, home of the cow plant.'” She sighed again, frustrated but resigned to her fate. "That's the kind of research my name will be known for."
Hazel barely dared to ask the next question, fearing the answer. "What about the portal?"
"It's being put into storage. It's going to gather dust in the repository downstairs, with all the other things the government doesn't deem worthy of study." Wolfson sighed one last time, patted Hazel on the shoulder and walked off to help with the packing.
Hazel was left to stare at the portal. All the work they'd put into this project, the many hours she and her colleagues had spent, her risking her own life - it would all be for nothing. She could not let that happen.
***
It had taken a while, explaining it all to him. It had taken even longer to convince him that it was real. But Hazel had finally managed, breaching every clause in the research facility's non-disclosure agreement in the process. She could get into very deep trouble for this.
Still, it was nothing compared to the trouble they'd be in if anyone found out what they were planning to do.
*
Hazel had often begged her father to replace his ancient gas-guzzling truck with something more environmentally friendly, like a bicycle. Now she was glad that he had never listened to her.
The streets were mercifully empty at this time of night, but Hazel still found herself twitching at every shadow. Thankfully Aidan, the one driving the truck, was much more composed.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aidan asked as they got out of the car. He'd parked it at the back of the facility, far away from any streetlights, but close enough to the back doors. "We're about to break and enter government property here. If we're caught, you losing your job would be the least of our worries."
Hazel wrung her hands in a futile effort to keep them from shaking. "We have to," she said finally.
Hazel knew the science facility well, and so getting in and out unseen was relatively easy, even while carrying the unwieldy metal object.
What followed next was a blur of hurried motions. They drove home at top speed, lucky enough to not encounter any other cars on their way. They carried, shoved and dragged to get the portal down the stairs and into their own modest containment chamber.
Their work done, the pair stood in silence, an air of uncertainty around them.
Aidan was the first to speak. "This is nuts," he breathed. "Are we really doing this? No, we did do it. We're crazy. This is crazy."
Hazel turned to look at him. "You could..." She swallowed. "...leave. No one would ever know you were involved. I'm grateful for your help - I couldn't have done it without you - but I won't say a word if they catch me. Now that I've come this far though, I need to see it through."
Aidan arched an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world. Besides, it's really sexy seeing you like this," he grinned.
Hazel gave him a confident smirk in return, but inside she breathed a sigh of relief. Aidan had been by her side for most of her life. She could not imagine ever going on without him.
_________________________
Was Hazel jumping to conclusions about the future? Perhaps. Then again, I've been known to have a touch of the eco-friendly trait myself, so this does seem like the kind of preachy story I'd write. Hmm...
Initially I was going remain vague concerning the question of whether it was actual time travel or not, but I've changed my mind. There will be an explanation, probably in the next chapter!
Also, the meteorite didn't actually hit Hazel! I managed to get her to run away when I noticed the shadow, then made her go back to take some dramatic pictures XD
