The door was found just off the coast of Montenegro.
As the world advanced through the 21st century, temperatures became warmer and weather crises more violent. The apex was a maelstrom in the Adriatic Sea. It appeared suddenly and with unprecedented ferocity; more than 400 fishing boats were sucked into its vortex. The oceans had been slowly subsiding for decades since the ice caps melted, and the maelstrom furthered their decline, revealing the large door cut deep into the granite.
The door was nine feet tall, and inscribed on slabs surrounding it were these words in different languages (many of them indecipherable):
‘If you can access this door, then you have doomed the planet beyond reparation. You may send one person through, and they will carry on your legacy. Everyone else will perish by your own folly.’
The world went into a collective panic.
At first, governments worked together to attempt opening the door. However, no tools, machinery, or explosives could open it. No scans, x-rays, or radars could penetrate the stone.
Those with the most talent began to stake their claim to be the person to go through the door- elite athletes shared videos of incredible feats of strength. Intellectuals put forward their claims, releasing lectures about the importance of intelligence over physicality, explaining that whatever was on the other side of the door should be met not with brawn, but with brains.
Each country rallied around a representative, some via election and some by force. Nobody could agree, as each country felt their representative was best and should be the one to enter the door.
Eventually, all governments agreed on a lottery, with every person in the world being eligible.
The winner was Olaf Hendrickson, a Norwegian drunk held at Halden Prison for public intoxication. He was quickly released, and after a parade was held (where Olaf had to be propped up by pillows in his stupor), he was taken to the Montenegrin coast.
Thousands of cameras recorded as Olaf walked up to the door, unsure if anything would even happen; no instruction had been given other than what was carved on the slabs. Suddenly, the ancient hinges creaked as the massive door began to swing outward. Once open, inside was only darkness. Olaf cautiously stepped forward, and a voice came from the open door:
“The door has been here since before any of our histories. The only thing we know is that the world goes through cycles. Humanity inevitably takes root on earth, expanding at an alarming rate, destroying everything with precision. When the oceans get too low, the door is revealed. Everyone on earth will die. Except you. You will remain as the representative of earth cycle number 34,876,546. Welcome.”
Olaf shuffled through the door, and it swung closed behind him. Humanity was left collectively stunned, and after a few environmental bills failed to reach a consensus in the world congress, everything continued as usual.
Zachary Arama hails from London, England, but currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, where he is working on his first novel.
cover photo by Oleg Gratilo on Unsplash