WALL-E: The Apocalyptic Game Developer

Inside the spacecraft en route to Earth, the control room was alive with muted activity. Monitors flickered across the curved walls, each attended by uniformed personnel technicians, navigators, system operators all focused on their tasks. Some tapped away at holopanels; others called out readouts in calm, clipped tones.

At the center of it all stood Denji.

His hands were folded behind his back as he gazed at the massive forward display, where the Milky Way stretched across the void like spilled stardust. Just beyond it, the blue curve of Earth was beginning to emerge in the distance—smaller than memory, dulled by layers of clouds and debris, but unmistakably home.

Then came the soft whoosh of the sliding door.

Steve entered, adjusting the collar of his freshly-issued uniform. The black tactical suit clung snugly to his body, accentuating the soldier's sharp frame. Crimson veins traced its design, subtle but commanding and at the center of his chest and was a striking emblem: a blood-red skull surrounded by curling tentacles.

"Are we almost there?" Steve asked, brushing a hand along the barrel of the Gauss rifle holstered to his hip.

"Yeah. Any minute not we'll begin to descent." His gaze lowered briefly to the newly issued suit.

"How's the gear?"

Steve rolled his shoulders and gave a short nod. "Comfortable. Lightweight. Good balance. But... I don't know—it feels like it's missing something. A shield maybe?" he added, tapping the holstered Gauss rifle. "But this? This gun is something else."

Denji chuckled. "I thought you'd appreciate it. Gauss tech is rare aboard the Axiom. I only managed to convince the captain to hand over a few prototypes from their weapon archives. Once we find suitable materials down there, we'll be able to manufacture more."

"Glad we've got backups," Steve said, referring to the old-style ballistic weapons now secured in the ship's armory. "Primitive or not, better than being empty-handed."

He glanced down at the glowing red insignia on his chest. "Don't you think the emblem's a little… much?"

Denji smirked slightly. "It's supposed to be. We're not walking into a civilized Earth, remember. People—creatures—will need to know who not to mess with."

Steve raised an eyebrow.

Denji stepped closer, speaking in a lower tone. "In the ruins, fear is still a currency. People remember this symbol. They associate it with control, dominance, brutality. And that's what they'll see when they look at you—until we show them that the man behind it isn't their enemy… but their guardian."

Steve held his gaze for a moment. Then nodded.

As Denji stood, the soft footsteps of an approaching figure echoed behind them.

"Director," came a calm voice. "We've reached Earth's upper orbit. Descent will begin in 3 minutes."

Denji turned and faced the speaker: a man in a crisp white lab coat, pens lined in his chest pocket. Beneath the coat, a blue button-down and dark tie sat perfectly in place. His hair was neatly parted, thick brows giving him a perpetual look of focus. Behind square-framed glasses, bright blue eyes gleamed with quiet intellect.

"Thank you, Professor Utonium," Denji said with a nod.

Professor Utonium, like many others aboard this ship, was a clone—one of Denji's own creations. Months had passed since the successful awakening of Steve, and in that time, Denji had made full use of the clone system, bringing to life over two dozen personnel: engineers, pilots, medical staff, technicians, and researchers.

But Utonium was different.

He wasn't just another technician—he was based on the brilliant scientist from a show Denji remembered in his past life: The Powerpuff Girls. Inspired by that fictional genius, Denji had reconstructed him as a calm, capable, and deeply inquisitive scientist to serve as the Lead Researcher of the Pioneer faction.

And just like the others, Utonium had his memories seeded with loyalty protocols and scientific acumen. He was no mere NPC. He was essential.

Denji glanced at the monitors again.

Earth slowly came into view on the main screen.

But it was no longer the vibrant planet from textbooks and history files.

Gone were the swirls of lush green and pristine blue oceans. In their place was a weathered globe—its dominant colors now muted shades of yellow and grey, punctuated by sparse, sickly green regions where nature still struggled to exist.

The atmosphere glimmered faintly with radiation clouds. Orbiting above, the remnants of the old world drifted—broken satellites, forgotten stations, and debris fields wrapped the planet like rings around Saturn.

And yet, it was still Earth.

Denji stepped forward.

His eyes softened as he whispered, "We're finally here."

"Jarvis," Denji called. "Status report."

[All systems nominal, Sir. Atmospheric entry initiated. Coordinates locked: Zone 34A, former Korean, Seoul vicinity. Touchdown ETA: 01 minute, 42 seconds.]

The ship shuddered just slightly as gravity took hold. Flames licked the outside hull, reflected in the reinforced glass of the viewing panel. Dust streaked the clouds as they descended faster. And then—

The clouds parted.

The Earth came into view.

Below was a vast stretch of terrain caught between two extremes: on one side, a sprawling forest regrowth zone, lush but twisted with decades of unchecked mutation; on the other, the skeletal remains of an old city—Seoul's corpse—its towers sunken and cracked, its highways devoured by vines and rust. A river of broken solar panels lined the ruins, and shattered billboards blinked static into the dust.

"Zone 34A," Denji murmured. "Forest and ruins. The perfect starting zone."

[Deploying forward scans.]

Jarvis announced.

[Radiation levels minimal. Air quality… survivable. Organism scans: registering mutated fauna, low hostilities. Ideal for tutorial-phase gameplay.]

Landing gear extended with a mechanical screech. Drones were already detaching from the underbelly, scanning the ground for obstructions. A moment later, the ship touched down with a resonating hiss.

The loading ramp lowered.

A wave of filtered light spilled into the hangar bay, dust swirling outside.

Denji walked forward first, Steve following beside him, flanked by two red-uniformed clone troopers. Behind them came the blue Guardsmen, and trailing further were Utonium and his scientific team, pushing hover-crates filled with sensor towers, and mobile data nodes.

As Denji stepped onto the soil, he felt the faint crunch under his boots.

The air was heavy—rich with ash and minerals, but breathable.

He looked out at the world. The forest stretched like a wild, untamed frontier. And in the distance, the ruins waited—full of secrets and danger.

He raised his hand.

"Deploy the landing beacons. Secure the forest perimeter. I want recon drones in the city ruins within the hour. Jarvis, initiate terra-comms. And get me environmental sync logs for the VR relay."

[Affirmative, Director. Relays activating. Operation 'Awakening' is live.]

Steve grinned beside him. "You really pulled it off."

Denji didn't answer. He just knelt down, scooped a bit of soil into his glove, and watched it sift through his fingers like time.

This was Earth.

And this was the beginning.