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The sky had abandoned reason.
It rippled in impossible folds, glowing with colors that hummed. The buildings leaned like they were gossiping about each other, and the streets twisted into impossible loops. The colors seemed alive, and reality itself seemed to groan.
Mountains of people were screaming, merging with each other, devouring everything on their path. Some screamed in reverse, others seemed to whisper their screams to the clouds.
Korvo’s fingers were fast and heavy on the ship’s keyboard, “this… this violates every known law of physics! The humans! The neighbors! Everything is—WRONG! AISHA, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”
“I don’t know! Who the fuck do you think I am, a babysitter for humans? I already have enough to do with y’all, I’m not taking another job!” the IA sassed, not helping at all. Her voice echoed slightly, like a sarcastic bell in the apocalypse.
Yumyulack stomped across a patch of grass that had suddenly sprouted legs, shrieking. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? EVERYTHING IS MUTATING!” A daisy on the ground blinked at him before hopping away.
“Oh my God, Yumyulack, the wall, it’s all bloody in there! Did you forget to give them food again?!” Jesse said annoyingly, getting outside of the house. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” She screamed when she saw one of their neighbors getting a second head, which started eating the first with a grotesque and disgusting sound.
Above all, an enormous eye was gazing in the sky, blinking slowly, immobile. There was something divine about it, as if nothing could escape its vision.
“Ooooh… such a pretty eye you are,” Terry said, winking at the sky. “Why don’t you come and have a drink with me?”
He was lounging casually on his new sun lounger that had somehow materialized amidst the chaos, sunglasses perfectly perched on his nose, cocktail in hand, like everything was totally fine.
The head that obviously won the battle seemed disgusted across the street, “he… he’s flirting with it?!”
Korvo’s eyes bulged. “…Terry! Stop! You—you —YOU CHEATER!”
Terry tilted his head, grinning, and winked at Korvo, who was flailing mid-panicked scribble. “C’mon Korvy, relax a little, isn’t it beautiful? You seem so… tense. Maybe we could go to the bedroom, to release aaaaaall of it, what do you say?” A tiny, miniature sun appeared briefly above his lounger, glowing suspiciously.
Korvo’s only response was a scream, nearly dropping his clipboard, while the rest of the chaos refused to pause. Hundreds of tiny Gooblers were popping out of his head like popcorn, changing into monstrous little insects that were soon attacking anyone on their path.
Terry sipped his cocktail, still as disconnected. “Relax, Korvo. At least we’re vibi. Also… think Hulu renewed us for this?”
The Pupa floated calmly beside Terry, humming quietly, and Terry offered it a tiny cocktail. The Pupa accepted with a quiet hum, adjusting its own sunglasses, floating next to him as though this apocalypse was just another day. A leaf drifted past, waving politely.
The world fell silent for one impossible heartbeat. Even the screaming sky seemed to inhale.
Terry raised his glass toward the cosmic eye, its glow reflected in his shades, “you ever think,” he murmured, “we’re just… background noise for someone else’s cocktail party?”
Then Korvo puked a Red Goobler onto the floor, and the silence shattered.
“GET FUUAARRGH—"the Goobler screamed, as he squirmed from Korvo’s stomach, limbs multiplying, eyes flickering and teeth forming in impossible places.
“Yumyulack you little fuck, kill him!” Korvo yelled.
The bounty hunter stabbed it and it split into two. Then four. Then six. A grotesque chain multiplying under the unblinking Eye, each shrieking its “GET FUUAARRGH” in perfect chaotic harmony.
“Korvo, why is your Goobler so fucking annoying, you bitch!”
“Oh my God, is it Stacy K, Stacy F, and Stacy G? Why do they have one body now?! And why am I not a part of it? I thought we were friends, guys!”
Terry leaned back, sipping his drink, toes still tapping. “Very dramatic, everyone. I approve of the energy.” He twirled the umbrella in his cocktail like a conductor.
Then, Terry could feel his body transforming, like every cell of his plant body was rewritten to something new, something beautiful, something…
“NO! NO! NO! THIS IS THE WORST! I CAN’T! FUCK! WE’RE HUMAN AGAIN?!” Korvo cried dramatically, tapping his hand and foot on the floor, his blond hair falling in his eyes. “MY HAIR IS IN MY EYES! THIS IS BULLSHIT! I HATE THIS!”
“Urgh, why is Korvo still the only hot one? I wanted to be a hottie!” Jesse sighed, lamenting the injustice of the world. A vine twined sadly around her ankle in solidarity.
“Oh man, I’m back to being fucking normal, that sucks!”
“C’mon Korvy, it means you got back your anus! You loved your anus!” Terry sipped on his cocktail. “I got my penis back! Yay!”
“Oh! Oh—yes, you’re right. I really loved my anus,” Korvo smiled, fondling his own ass.
“Why don’t we find a good use for your anus, Korvy…” Terry’s voice was seductive. A bubble popped somewhere in perfect timing.
Korvo giggled and ran to the house. “Jesse, Yumyulack, don’t do shit while me and Terry are… DON’T DO SHIT YOU LITTLE SHITS!”
Terry raised his glass toward the Eye. “Cheers, big guy. Same time next apocalypse?” and went after Korvo.
The Visitor blinked once more, as if amused, or perhaps impatient—it didn’t matter. It was still watching, oblivious of the chaos he caused.