Jingyi was always alone. A failure to her family. Failing to live up to their expectations in university and dropping out. Failing to keep friendships, and only being met with sad, wilted flowers in attempts to confess her love to the woman she loved. Her life slowly just devolved into a shallow pool of misery and cigarette buds. Nothing seemed to matter.
She only pulled herself up to get a job, just to be able to live. Working as a seafarer to transport goods across the world. She works this job 30 years, well into her 50s, it distracts her from her festering misery. Even if she's almost entirely alone, only accompanied through these years by a lit cigarette every night, she thinks she's happy enough.
Her life isn't even terribly uprooted when the infection hits. She feels awful for her crewmates, young and old, but when she finds herself alone in the freighter she managed to clear, nothing feels extremely different than it ever has. It's a little peaceful. The only problem is her injuries, and the hunger that arises as she realizes she can't leave to find food with a broken leg.
Her answer comes when her ship is approached by a group of 3 survivors. One says they're a medic. She lets them all on, and the ship becomes a little more lively. It's difficult to really let herself connect to any of them, as shes kept herself closed off for years, but her walls slowly break down. She finds a soft spot for all 3 of them. Especially Horang, who makes her feel like she's looking in a mirror reflection of her 20 year old self. Of the world weren't fucked, she'd encourage them to keep going with college. Maybe they can one day, if they can find some refuge overseas. Maybe she can sort out a better life of her own.
Maybe they all could have done anything. But it seems that wasn't the path fate had determined. The ships doors weren't secure. It's amazing nothing got in after so long. But a horde tore through the halls of the freighter regardless. And they were all unprepared.
Jingyi finds herself the last one standing. Her friends lying mortally wounded on the ground. They cry out in pain as she tries talking to them, trying to find some way to keep them alive. But there's no use. She raises Horang's axe up above her head 3 times, and each of them are put to rest. Out of their misery.
She sits down, and lights a cigarette.
The freighter is empty again.