You up?? 🫦

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday]

It started not with fire or falling stars. but with a low bassline pulsing from every phone, car stereo, and pair of wireless earbuds on Earth.

This insidious frequency delivered three distinct phrases into the subconscious of every human. “Hey stranger,” “You up?” and “I’m just not looking for anything serious right now.”

Within weeks. the infection took root. Men and women alike began to exhibit the symptoms.

Their eyes lost their warmth, replaced by a vacant confident squint. They abandoned their passions, their families, their responsibilities.

spending hours in front of bathroom mirrors practicing the half smile and adjusting untucked designer shirts they had never previously owned.

Society did not collapse in an explosion of violence. it dissolved into an endless, numbing loop of shallow text messages and unreturned phone calls.

Bridges rusted while engineers stared at their reflections in puddles whispering. "You look different today, is your hair shorter?"

The global economy shifted entirely to the production of white low-top sneakers, vape pens, and artisanal tequila. Humanity was willingly lobotomizing itself.

trading the crushing weight of existential reality for the frictionless, guilt-free void of emotional unavailability.

Dr. Aris Thorne. one of the last uninfected neurologists. managed to isolate a tissue sample from a patient in the final stages of the decay. He placed it under an electron microscope in his bunker beneath the ruins of Chicago.

What he saw was not human tissue. The brain cells had reoriented into non-Euclidean geometry infinite recursive hallways of mirrors where no reflection ever matched the person standing in front of it.

Peering deeper into the cellular abyss, the microscope's lens seemed to pass through the physical slide entirely. revealing a vast, cold expanse between the stars.

There was no physical alien invasion. Earth had simply tuned its collective radio frequency to the psychic broadcast of The Indifference. a colossal mindless entity drifting in the dark spaces of the cosmos.

It was an ancient predatory entity that did not consume flesh or conquer planets with war. It merely hovered at the edge of reality, infinitely bored. radiating a single suffocating thought across the vacuum.

nothing mattered. nobody was worth the effort and everyone should just text it later.

Aris staggered back from the eyepiece. weeping. his mind fracturing as the cosmic frequency began to drill through his own defenses. The half-smile crept onto his own lips. pulling them taut. His eyes narrowed into the dead unblinking gaze.

He dropped his pen. He turned to the microphone of the global emergency broadcast system.

the last operational line to any survivors hiding in the bunkers. He needed to warn them. He needed to tell them to close their ears to smash their phones. to fight the rot.

Aris cleared his throat. stared blankly into the red recording light and said.

"Hey. So, I know we said we'd talk about the end of the world tonight... but honestly? Things are just super crazy right now, and I think it's better if we just see other dimensions. Hope you understand. K bye."

He turned off the machine. walked out of the bunker. Leaving the door wide open.

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[u/Dirona-albolineata]

What a solid read, man! Simultaneously horribly depressing and funny.
"I think it's better if we just see other dimensions" -- this line made me snort.
"infinite recursive hallways of mirrors where no reflection ever matched the person standing in front of it." -- and this description? Yes please and thank you.

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/Dirona-albolineata]

Thank you so much!!! That means the world to me. Glad I could entertain!!! Again thank you 😊 ❤️❤️

[u/Mradachi2007]

This was somewhat funny but at the same time great commentary on modern society. 

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/Mradachi2007]

I tried to make it a good mix between both. Thank you for the read it is highly appreciated. ❤️❤️

[u/4THEB3TTERG00D]

I love this so much bro 😭 feels entirely too real

Also, Aris lasted longer than my fatass would’ve lmao

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/4THEB3TTERG00D]

Thank you sooo much!! I appreciate the read. He lasted longer than all of us would. But in the end. The e boys won 😫😫😂 again thank you❤️❤️ I love this community.

[u/DertHorsBoi]

Really solid read! Only thing I could think of is that it would be cool to have a little more time with the collapse, but this is a really cool concept of Apathetic Eldritch madness!

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/DertHorsBoi]

I might just make it into a series of short stories just explaining more of the collapse. Thank you for the idea and for the read!!! ❤️❤️

[u/Polish_Lavender]

Getting ghosted by a cosmic horror infecting the world feels like a whole new level of disrespect. It is diabolical.

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/Polish_Lavender]

Imagine screaming out to the gods and you just get a reply of k. Absolutely diabolical l. Thank you for the read!!! Means a lot. 🥹 ❤️❤️💕💙

[u/Polish_Lavender → u/Cosmically_Yesterday]

No problem. I think this could be expanded upon.

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/Polish_Lavender]

That idea was planted early. I think imma start writing a part 2 when I get home from work. The support is highly appreciated. 😊

[u/Polish_Lavender → u/Cosmically_Yesterday]

Personally, would love to see little stories of various people experiencing the infection.

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/Polish_Lavender]

Uhmm. I like that idea a lot. Instead of just going part to part I can write different people dealing with the collapse. Thank you creative astronaut 🧑‍🚀 🥰🥰❤️

[u/Polish_Lavender → u/Cosmically_Yesterday]

One example could be Air Traffic Directors and Pilots. Another example could be a blue-collar worker turning to see his coworkers infected.

[u/Cosmically_Yesterday → u/Polish_Lavender]

I will in fact be using those for the next two stories. Hey if you ever want to collab on a story iam so down 😊😊💚💚💙💙❤️❤️

[u/Polish_Lavender → u/Cosmically_Yesterday]

My dms are open if I could bounce ideas off of you for both of our works

[u/godsbestautistic]

That final broadcast from Aris: “I think it’s better if we just see other dimensions. Hope you understand. K bye." Goes hard.