Reborn

Terror gripped me as the gates closed, leaving me standing outside the base alone. On the other side stood the people I had fed, protected, and fought for.  

When the apocalypse began six months ago, I used my system to build and fortify the community center, turning it into a safe haven for all the survivors in the neighborhood. 

Now they were leaving me outside to die.

Victor, their new leader, stood in the middle of the yard with his arms crossed, watching me through the closing gates. A few people stood behind him, including my best friend, Hannah. Next to Hannah was my boyfriend, Daniel.

Seeing him with her hurt more than the bite I just received on my shoulder.

“Daniel!” I shouted before kicking the zombie that had just bitten me. He just stared at me while Hannah linked her hand with his and smirked.

“Go to hell, Mia.” Victor yelled out. 

It was crazy how I had turned into a villain just because I told victor and his friends to stop breaking the rules.

Suddenly, everyone decided they couldn’t be led by a woman. Some people asked Tom Edwards the billionaire to be the leader but he declined, saying I was the best fit for the position.

They branded him a ‘rich simp’ and elected Victor who cast me out as a traitor. Everyone forgot that the base wouldn’t have lasted that long without me. 

My system had already collapsed because of taking in too many unqualified survivors and wasting resources so now I was nothing but zombie chow.

Two zombies stepped out from behind an abandoned car. So, I pulled out my knife, Victor’s parting gift. But as soon as I killed them, others came.

I fought until my arms were too weak to lift and just stood there, hundreds of zombies surrounding me, each wanting a piece.

Before dying, I swore that if I had a second chance at life, I’d not waste my resources on those ungrateful bastards.

I woke up gasping. My hands flew to my chest. I glanced at my hands. There was no zombie bite, blood. Nothing. 

“What...”

I looked down at myself. I was wearing different clothes. My hands were clean and my skin was still baby soft. The air smelled fresh. 

I gasped. I was in Daniels room. I slowly turned my head and saw his sleeping form next to me. I stared at him as he slept peacefully, completely unaware that I had just watched him choose Hannah and leave me to die.

This couldn’t be real. I reached for my phone on the bedside table and glanced at it. The date on the screen made my fingers go numb.

June 17th. This was exactly seven days before the apocalypse. Was I reborn?

Before I could make sense of anything, a familiar electronic chime sounded inside my head, making me nearly fall out of bed.

Ding! 

A translucent blue screen appeared in front of me.

[System initialization detected]

The system was back. The survival system that had helped me build the neighborhood base in my previous life. I had thought it died with me.

[Host consciousness successfully restored.]

[Previous host status: Deceased.]

[Temporal regression confirmed.]

[Current timeline: Seven days before catastrophic outbreak.]

My mouth fell open as I realized I had actually gone back. I wasn’t dreaming. I was alive.

And I had seven days to prepare for the end of the world.

In my previous life, the system had given me the tools to protect the neighborhood, and I had willingly devoted myself to them. I had gone on endless missions, gathered supplies and protected everyone only for them to turn against me.

The system spoke again.

[Previous primary objective: Protect Community.]  

[Previous objective result: Host deceased.]

[Objective evaluation: Failed.]

[New primary objective: Build Your Own Base.]

I threw a dirty glance at Daniel and decided I would protect myself first this time round.

“Mia?”

I stiffened. He rubbed his eyes and looked at me sleepily. “What’s wrong?”

I stared at the man who had abandoned me. In my previous life, I had loved him with all my heart and made all kinds of stupid decisions to keep him. When it was time for him to defend me, he chose someone else.

I felt nothing for him now. 

Daniel sat up. “You look pale.”

“I’m fine.”

He studied me for a moment before sighing. “Maybe you’re thinking about your grandfather again.”

“You should take the inheritance,” He added as he leaned against the headboard.

In my previous life, I had refused the inheritance because my grandfather had been cruel and manipulative. I had convinced myself that accepting his money would make me just like him.

How noble and stupid. I ended up dying poor.

Daniel continued, “You don’t have to like him to accept what he left you. The money is legally yours.”

For once, he had said something useful.

“You’re right.” I swung my legs off the bed. “I need the money to buy a house.”

He laughed. “A house?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t tell him that I wasn’t buying an ordinary house. I was going to build a fortress. The system had already given me a warning.

[Base establishment recommended.]

[Time remaining until outbreak: 6 days, 23 hours, 51 minutes.]

Daniel reached for me as I stood. “Come here.”

I stepped away, leaving his hand hanging in the air. I had no time for this filthy ingrate,

“What the hell is wrong with you today?”

I got my sense back. “I have things to do.”

He frowned. “We just woke up.”

“I’m leaving,” I said, picking up my black dress. I put it on quickly.

“Mia, what’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” I said coldly. “I’ll call you later.” 

He sighed and placed his hands behind his head, leaving his bushy armpits in full view. “You know you can trust me, right?”

The words almost made me laugh. “Of course I trust you. In fact, I’ll give you a share of the money.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I smiled as I walked out knowing he would never see a cent of my inheritance and his share would exist only in his imagination.

An hour later, I sat across from my grandfather’s lawyer in his office. The elderly man looked surprised to see me.

“Miss Mia, I have to admit, I didn’t expect this call.”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

He went and opened a drawer, retrieved some documents and brought them to me. After reading through, I signed everything without hesitation.

The world was ending in six days. Money was money.

When the final document was processed, the lawyer checked his computer. “The transfer has been completed.”

I looked at the number on the screen and saw that my grandfather had left me far more than I thought. In my previous life, I had stupidly walked away from all this fortune. 

“I’ll need access to the funds immediately.”

“You have it.”

I stood. “Thank you.”

I left his office and got into my car. I stared at people going about their daily business with no idea that everything was about to change. They all looked like they were in some kind of mindless stimulation. 

As I drove to work at the tech company I worked for, I remembered the neural control chips inside the company’s research facility. Even if I didnt understand the technical bit clearly, I had access to them because I was the assistant to one of the lead engineers.

1000 chips.

In my previous life, I hadn’t understood what they were capable of until it was too late. The company had designed them for mind control. We were told they were to control hardcore criminals in maximum security prisons.

During the apocalypse, I always wondered if they could control the infected. But when I went to look for them, they were nowhere to be seen. Starting the engine, I drove towards the facility. 

[Important Resource Detected.]

[Legion Tech.]

[Location: Research Facility.]

[Current status: Secure.]

[Recommendation: Retrieve before outbreak.]

I tightened my hands around the steering wheel. “Finally.”

I had six days left.

I wasn’t going to build another base for people who would eventually turn against me. This time, I was only going to worry about myself.