Disc 1: Many Streams. Ch. 6: Night Surfing

Common Day ripped the electricity pile from the wall, and all went dark in an instant. Thanks to his new powers, his eyes adjusted quickly to the blackness. Still holding the heavy pile in his hands, and with Satis clutching his right arm, Common Day looked through one of the windows at the cryogenic chamber.

Faint rose lights glowed in some parts of the spherical room. For a few seconds, a chilling stillness settled over everything. Then, from within the countless capsules, came a muffled sound—and the one in the center opened first.

A man, seemingly in his forties, stood up inside the capsule. Common Day could tell he had a strong build and was probably tall—taller than Common Day, at least. His more distinctive feature was his hair: a perfectly even blend of gray and blond strands. The man stared blankly into space, still processing the situation he had awoken into. And then, without warning, his empty gaze turned into a harsh cry that echoed through the chamber.

More capsules opened. People of different ages, genders and races began to sob with intense anguish. All of them appeared healthy—regardless of age—and wore simple garments in various shades of rose. They didn’t acknowledge each other. Their grief was too consuming. After a few more seconds, their lamentations grew into screams of pain—torturous to hear.

Common Day decided the joke had lasted enough—it was time for them to leave before the horde of awakened people noticed them. But just as he was about to turn around, the first man to awaken looked directly into his eyes despite the darkness.

In that moment, Common Day felt real terror.

“I lasted for eternity. I grasped absolute power. I knew all there was to know. I was universal. And we all gave you the freedom to do as you pleased in this corrupted world. And you, greedy wretch, stole the only thing that was forbidden to you!”.

All the awakened ceased their howling and turned toward each other, then toward the man in the center. The gray-blond man leapt from his capsule and began walking toward Common Day and Satis.

“This is the payback we receive for our sacrifice. All of you—unite again and kill that man!”

The faces of the horde twisted into madness. They looked tortured and ravenous, cursed and deranged, desperate and obsessed. But only the Man in the Center could see clearly in the dark, so they followed the sound of his steps toward the command center. That was the signal Common Day and Satis needed to overcome their frozen state and start running.

They entered one of the exits, unsure of what else to do. Fighting was not an option. Common Day still had some energy left, but he felt weaker than before—probably the toll of overusing his powers in such a short time. And of carrying the heavy electricity pile. “I’m not letting this go,” he said to Satis with a glance.

As they hurried through sterile corridors, new rose lights flickered on—likely part of an emergency system. No drug addicts or other threats appeared in their path, so when the sound of rushing footsteps grew louder, the feeling of isolation only deepened.

At last they reach a new inner garden, this one covered by a roof. There were only three other doors—but it wouldn’t matter. From all directions, the Rose Horde poured into the square garden like the living dead. If they had seemed mentally unstable before, now they were the embodiment of misery and hatred.

Satis let out a shrill cry.

The Man in the Center emerged from behind the crowd. He seemed to be the only one capable of speech—and of standing upright. Yet he shared the same obsessive, withering gaze as the others.

“You don’t deserve to exist,” the Man said, addressing only Common Day.

With nowhere left to run, in just a second Common Day had time to regret everything once again. He had managed to have a little fun thanks to Satis, but deep down he knew the Man in the Center was right. He had done nothing meaningful with his life. His only remaining family were in a far away city, likely having forgotten him. He remembered his grandfather's funeral—and how the fear of death had gripped his throat.

If only I hadn't sought revenge.

Satis burst into tears, still clinging to his arm.

And then, the Second Earthquake of Many Streams began. The survivors would later call it simply the Great Earthquake.

The Rose Horde kept advancing, unfazed by the tremors. But then the ground gave away in an instant. Common Day and Satis clung to each other and screamed as the entire floor collapsed—garden and all. It was the first time Common Day had heard such a sound of destruction.It was how he imagined a nuclear blast would sound, and he thought his eardrums might burst.

The Great Earthquake lasted only forty-three seconds, but it was enough to bring down the entire mansion. They fell—along with the Rose Horde—into the community sewers. Even the Horde of madmen struggled to recover from the shock; some had already been crushed by falling debris. But not even the Great Earthquake was enough to hold them back for long.

The Man in the Center stood up, unscathed. The rest of the Rose Horde followed his lead. The scratches on Common Day’s body healed quickly, and he got on his feet, too. He grabbed Satis and ran, trying to put more distance between themselves and their pursuers—though without much success.

Behind them stretched a single dark tunnel, dimly lit by emergency lights. When the Rose Horde fully recovered, they would catch up in seconds—who knew for what purpose. Clutching to the pile, Common Day focused on what came next. He had a new chance, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

Then, he heard the cold drip of water nearby.

“Hold on to me!” he said to his devil companion. Satis leapt onto his back—she had sensed it too.

With his remaining strength—both physical and mental—he raised one arm and called the flow of the drainage system (the other arm was still clutching to the pile). It was as if he were squeezing an invisible enemy in the air. But his efforts weren't in vain. Just as the Horde came within meters, dozens of water jets burst from the tunnel walls. The pursuers were swept away against the rubble, their twisted screams barely audible.

Common Day and Satis ran into the thick darkness of the tunnel. Even with his arms still pointing at the Rose Horde, Common Day took a glance back—and locked eyes with the Man in the Center. In that single look, he knew that this Man would haunt them to the ends of the earth. With that thought, he ran even faster.

They ran for hours without finding a single turn. At one point, they considered climbing a drainage pipe—but doubted it would help. Eventually, the tunnel began to bloom with flowers of all colors along walls and ceiling.

Life always finds a way to prevail.

Still unsure if they were safe from the Horde, they finally found a wall ladder beside a defunct elevator. Satis climbed first while Common Day cast one last glance into the darkness. This time, no madman stared back.

They climbed for minutes that felt like hours, especially while still carrying the electricity pile. When Satis opened the manhole cover, they emerged outside. They were on a hill at the edge of Many Streams—Common Day wasn't sure which Outer Ring. The sun blazed overhead.

From their position they could see the north side of the Community.

Every visible building had been destroyed. Only the seven towers in the distance still stood, rising beyond the clouds. With its enhanced vision, Common Day recognized thousands of moving dots.

“Let’s go, before madness reaches us.”