<div align="center"><em><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>World’s End </strong></span></em><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>- Part One -</strong></span></div><br/>The massive television occupying the side of the office building overlooking Babylon Central Square flashed to life. A series of advertisements including the latest fashions, the Babylon Reaver’s next match of the season, to the newest sex club opening, all flashed across the screen in a kaleidoscope of colours and bursts of catchy tunes.<br/><br/>Beneath the technicolour monolith the grey masses of the city filed by, each individual wrapped up in the concerns of their own unfulfilled life.<br/><br/>A middle-aged woman in a black business suit stopped to glance up as the news headlines rolled and the sounds of the smug news presenter’s voice rolled out across the shadowed streets.<br/><br/>“I’m James Scott and this is Atlas News for Thursday 15th August 2021. Firstly, to our world news headlines…”<br/><br/>“China has been rocked by yet another earthquake today. This seismic event measured 8.7 on the Richter Scale. The provinces of Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei appear to be the worst hit. This earthquake marks the third this year for the region. With tens of thousands dead, injured or missing, it will be some days before the final toll will be known. The aid effort has been mobilised but has been grossly overstretched as China is still recovering from its last natural disaster.”<br/><br/>“To Europe now, where the central and eastern countries continue to struggled with the latest outbreak of the deadly Weeping Fever. The fever is now set to be the single largest pandemic in a century. Airports continue to be closed across Europe as well as national boarders. As governments continue to seek a strategy to best combat these outbreaks and prevent further infection, the death toll continues to rise.”<br/><br/>“The western U.S was devastated by hurricane Hephaestus just two weeks passed and in the weeks since the disaster, looting and civil disobedience have crippled several states. The National Guard has been dispatched and a state of martial law imposed, however peace in the region still looks elusive.”<br/><br/>“Staying with the U.S now - the U.S led occupation of South Africa appears complete. The massive military operation is said to be the largest of its kind since the Gulf War. The U.N have named the invasion, and I quote “a human rights nightmare.” The U.S government has maintained that their aims in the region are to curb ethnic genocide and to stop a “growing terrorist threat”. The justification for the military intervention has been hailed by many nations as reckless and even criminal on a world-wide scale.”<br/><br/>“Correspondents on the ground have reported that the U.S forces have set about claiming the largest diamond mining operations in the country, which are some of the richest in the world. These operations have been carried out even before beginning the process of humanitarian relief or establishing civil order in the embattled nation.”<br/><br/>The camera zoomed out revealing a metallic blue news desk, behind which sat the reporter. “Now to the local news front with our lead reporter Penny Chase. Over to you Penny…”<br/><br/>The camera panned across to a neatly dressed young euro asian woman with jet black hair, before the news report continued.<br/><br/>“Thanks Jim.”<br/><br/>“A massive crime wave continues to sweep our city. Recent crime statistics released by the Babylon Police Department indicate the spiking crime rate is even worse than first thought. Perhaps the most shocking statistic, a rise of 515% in violent crimes over the last two years.”<br/><br/>A montage of images flashed across the screen ranging from gangs clashing in the street, to riot police charging an angry mob hurling Molotov cocktail to police opening fire with automatic weapons on a team of masked gunmen.<br/><br/>“In a recent interview with Police Department spokes person Lieutenant Adam Reyner, Atlas News learned that despite record funding and recruitment levels and major restructuring including the addition of two new task forces to the ranks of law enforcement – the Special Investigations Unit and Special Operations Group, the Babylon P.D continues to struggle to maintain law and order within the city. This news comes with several reports of running firefights in the very streets of Babylon between teams from the Babylon Police Special Operations Group and unknown assailants. During these confrontations, bystanders have reported some extraordinary, even unbelievable events, some of which have left people in a near hysteria.<br/><br/>“Atlas news has received some footage from one of the scenes of these bizarre events, purportedly of S.O.G Police attempting to bring to justice one of these criminals…”<br/><br/>A snippet of footage played showing a team of Special Operations Group Police hustling down a narrow city street, clad in black body armour and helmets and armed with assault rifles. Suddenly frantic warning shouts could be heard off-camera “Contact! Fourth floor, east-side!” with a shaky blur, the camera suddenly panned upwards to focus on the side of a large building high above the streets. There loomed a large humanoid figure, however the image appeared blurry and pixelated making it impossible to make any details. Gunfire bursts shattered the silence and the windows around the unidentified figure shattered, sending glass showering downwards to the street below. The unknown figure then appeared to leap out across the expanse of the street, easily crossing the distance and smashed through a neighbouring office window. The footage suddenly faded and the young reporter came back into frame.<br/><br/>“Atlas News apologises for the poor quality of that footage. When questioned about the footage just seen, the Babylon P.D brushed off the recording as amateur digital special effects and claimed that the S.O.G team involved came under fire from above street-level before returning fire. The Police Department declined to comment further on the strange reports apart than to say that it was quote “doing everything in its power to keep the streets of Babylon safe and to root out threats, wherever or whatever they may be.”<br/><br/>“We continue to monitor the situation and will keep you informed of any new developments. This is Penny Chase for Atlas News, bring you the answers on the hour every hour.”<br/><br/>The office worker turned away from the screen, pulling her coat closer around her shoulders and rejoined the masses on their evening pilgrimage home from yet another day of work.<br/><br/>The terrible truth behind what she’d just seen remained a mystery to her, and the nine million other mundane people inhabiting Babylon.