It was eerily beautiful, the way the sunlight oozed off ruined steel beams and fell into the oblivion of murky water below. Jagged glass bared its teeth from a nearby window, and inside, rotting remnants of office chairs and computer desks stared at me as if wondering where all the workers had gone. Sometimes I wondered, too.

What was New York like Before?

People said it had once been an international hub for people of every kind, a powerful nation's shining beacon. They even said dogs the size of mice walked on golden leashes, and people could stroll into stores and find food waiting to be eaten. But you could never really trust those storytellers; all the ones who remembered Before were long dead.

Or worse.

Inside the office building opposite mine, something moved.

I stared at the room, barely breathing to keep my helmet from fogging. Had I imagined it?

No, something stirred from the shadows. I froze as emaciated figures emerged from the dark as if summoned by my thoughts.

The Others. Staring eyes. Peeled-back lips. Unnaturally long limbs.

Terrifying.

And no suits—no protection from radiation.

As one, the Others turned their stares toward me. And attacked.