INT. ECOPOINT ANTARCTICA OFFICE - DAY

Mei-Ling Zhou is seated at a desk. She puts on her glasses and faces the camera.

MEI: We’re still in the middle of this massive ice storm. It’s crazy. We missed our resupply window, and we’re low on rations. So, Captain Opara is having the team “hibernate.”

Captain Opara comes up from behind Mei and sets a mug of coffee down in front of her before walking away.

OPARA: Come on, Mei. Cryochamber time.

MEI: Already?

Opara places a hand on her shoulder.

OPARA: Huh. An hour ago.

MEI: Be right there!

OPARA: [offscreen] Snowball, give me my socks back!

MEI: I’m leaving the sensors on so when we wake up, I’ll have a whole new data set to examine!

OPARA: [offscreen] Mei, you’re holding up nap time!

MEI: Sorry. [to the camera] Bye!
The camera glitches out.

EXT. ECOPOINT FACILITY - DAY

The facility is engulfed in a snowstorm. One by one, the lights shut off as the scientists enter cryostasis. A peppy song is played in the background as the storm fades the camera into whiteness, with the words “BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS” appearing on-screen.

EXT. ECOPOINT FACILITY - DAY

Nine years later, the facility has sunk into decrepitness, with a broken comm tower and every surface frosted with snow. Water drips can be heard through the lifeless halls and only one power reserve is still blinking.

INT. CRYOSTASIS CHAMBER

Computers in the team’s cryostasis chamber turn on. A transmitted message appears on the monitor, but cannot be seen due to the weak signal. The computer analyzes the team’s tanks and only awakens the last one.

The door to the last cryostasis tank slides open and Mei steps out, yawning and stretching.

MEI: [?]

Mei steps into her slippers and walks over to Snowball’s charging station. Rubbing her eyes, she places one hand on top of its head.

MEI: Get up, Snowball.

Snowball, its interface showing full power, awakens and greets her. Snowball follows her as she yawns and walks out of the chamber.

MEI: Rise and shine, sleepyheads.
INT. LIVING AREAS

Mei goes to brush her teeth, with Snowball nudging her arm to help. She playfully blows him away with her hairdryer. She sets a kettle of water to boil on the stove and takes out enough mugs for her team. Finally, she makes her way over to their computer table.

MEI: Now, let’s see what our new data set looks like.

She begins to scroll through the windows of data.

MEI: Hmm… the atmospheric fluctuations above the anomaly have gotten… [gasps] It’s much worse than we predicted! We have to get this to headquarters.

More windows begin to pop up. Mei steps back.

MEI: Where is all this data coming from? Snowball, how long have we all been asleep?

Snowball’s interface displays “9 yrs.” Mei stumbles back, catching herself on the edge of the table.

MEI: What? No! Overwatch would have come for us.

She presses another button on the table, and red error windows pop up.

MEI: And the comms are down?

Mei ejects a hard drive with the Overwatch label as Snowball settles into its charging station. She heads over to another screen spanning the wall and watches as news articles about Overwatch controversies, omnic crises, and worldwide unrest appear on-screen. The last article that pops up is titled “OVERWATCH DISBANDED!”. Mei gasps.

MEI: Gone? Nobody even knows we’re here. Wait a minute… where is everybody?
The kettle begins to whistle during Mei’s realization. She runs, stumbling, to the cryostasis chamber.

INT. CRYOSTASIS CHAMBER

Mei runs up to the third pod and presses her hand to the glass. “MALFUNCTION” appears on the screen and the vital signs for Opara are negative. Mei gasps as the screens on the other pods flicker to life and all read negative vitals for her team.

MEI: [through the glass] No, no, no, no…

She rubs away the frost on the glass of Opara’s tank and looks in. She reels back, shocked.

MEI: [through the glass] No!

Mei steps away from the pod, leaning against the water tank. She slides to the floor and begins to sob. Snowball nudges her elbow and she embraces him in a tight hug. Time passes and she remains in the room with her dead team. Eventually she lifts her head and observes the Overwatch-labeled drive in her hand.

MEI: Nine years worth of data… I could save millions of lives.

Mei stands up.

MEI: [addressing the pods] I’ll take our work to the world, my friends. I mean… I will try.

INT. CENTRAL AREA

Mei opens the door leading to the central area and approaches the creaking comm tower.

MEI: The dish is broken. How do we get this data out?

Snowball dejectedly beeps in dissent.

Mei opens the door to one of the vehicles and finds that snow has piled up inside of it. She shuts the door. Snowball inspects a helicopter on the rooftop pad and reports that it’s useless.

Mei opens the heavy door leading out into the Antarctic tundra. She observes it before stepping away.

INT. OFFICE

Mei slumps into her desk facing a photo of her team. She inspects the hard drive.

MEI: I can’t do this alone. I wish you guys were here.

Mei looks over to see Snowball balancing her steaming mug. She takes it.

MEI: Thank you, Snowball. At least I still have you.

She rubs it softly and it beeps happily. The lights suddenly flicker.

MEI: Let’s see if we can make the batteries last a little longer.

She signs on to the computer and sees the weak signal broadcast.

MEI: Wait, what is this? This is broadcasting on the Overwatch emergency frequency. [gasps] Maybe someone knows we’re here!

Mei goes to the window and looks up at the comm tower.

MEI: If I could just…

She sighs, creating a patch of condensation on the window. She draws a circle on it and smiles.

MEI: Come on, Snowball. We’re not on ice yet.

INT. LIVING AREAS

Mei takes the water jug, her hairdryer, and other equipment from the facility. She begins to construct her Endothermic Blaster through a fast-forwarded montage. When it is finished, she begins to test the water for her ammunition. By electrocuting the fluid, she manages to create a material that freezes on contact.

MEI: Cool!

She and Snowball “high-five” just as the power goes out. Snowball switches on a flashlight.

MEI: Oh no.

She turns back to her contraption, hoping the power will restart.

MEI: Come on, come on, come on, come on!

INT. POWER ROOM

Following Snowball’s light, Mei enters the room where the power is stored. The one module that was blinking is now lifeless.

MEI: That was the last battery, wasn’t it? I can’t believe I forgot about the batteries! Without power, we’re dead.

While Mei despairs, Snowball turns its attention to its charging station. As she speaks, it droops with resignation.

MEI: There has to be a way to fix this… I just needed a little more time!

Snowball glances at Mei and then flies over to the charging station. It settles in, shutting off and transferring its power to the facility. The lights soon come on, and Mei looks up, amazed.

MEI: The power! Snowball… what?

Mei turns just in time to see Snowball’s power drop to zero and it shuts down.

MEI: No!

She runs over to the station, frantic.

MEI: Snowball! You can’t…

She grieves for a moment, then wipes her eyes.

MEI: Thank you… my friend.

Mei proceeds to arm her blaster with the fluid and head out into the central area.

INT. CENTRAL AREA - EVENING

Mei moves to the comm tower and creates a handhold with her blaster. She begins her ascent, stopping at the midpoint to repair a broken section next to a tank. Near the top, she hoists herself up onto another section. It begins to rattle; the screw on it has come loose.

MEI: Huh?

The section falls off and Mei leaps off, catching herself on the tower. The broken ledge hits the ice, causing the tank to burst in a fiery blast. The top half of the tower begins to plummet towards the cliffside. Mei pulls out her blaster and manages to create a block large enough to stop the tower’s fall and allow her to continue on.

Eventually, she reaches the top and plugs her laptop into the tower. She holds the antenna up as high as she can and presses play on the message transmission.

MEI: Come on, come on, come on…

Winston’s “Are You With Me?” broadcast begins to play.

WINSTON: [on transmission] To all agents of Overwatch...

MEI: Winston? Oh my gosh! Come on…

WINSTON: [on transmission] ...the people decided they were better off without us. They even called us criminals! But look around. Someone has to do something. We have to do something!

Mei looks at the drive with the Overwatch label in her hand, then turns her gaze to the southern lights in the sky.

WINSTON: [on transmission] We can make a difference again. The world needs us now, more than ever. Are you with me?

The transmission ends.

MEI: Yes, Winston. I am with you.

INT. CRYOSTASIS CHAMBER - DAY

Mei places steaming mugs of coffee in front of each of the pods, then leaves.

INT. ECOPOINT FACILITY

Mei once again opens the door leading to the outside. She takes a deep breath and steps over the threshold, dragging a sled full of supplies behind her.

EXT. TUNDRA

Mei hikes up another hill and looks back. Her tracks lead far behind, to the point where the facility is no longer visible among the dunes. On her back, Snowball beeps as it fully charges from an attached solar panel. Mei laughs.

MEI: Rise and shine, Snowball! We’re on our way.

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