@Avhira-The-Eldritch-Horror group
It's December 31, 2137. It's close to midnight across the entire world, as there was only one time zone at this point. People everywhere are getting ready to celebrate the start of 2138. They cheer, nearly united, as they count down.
"5!
4!
3!
2!
1!"
They chant.
"HAPPY 2-" everyone chokes on their words. They know the year should be 2038, and yet all of them, without a doubt, know that the date is January 1st, 29. They have not traveled back in time, scientists and historians prove. They don't know what's going on. For about a month, the world is thrown into chaos as people try to figure out why all records of a possible 2138 are gone, replaced by the year 29.
In February, the world starts to go back to normal.
The world leaders have decided that the disruption was counterproductive, and to just go with it.
A year passes. It's December 31 again, and people have come to the consensus to celebrate the year 30, even though they know it should be 2139. They count down again, less cheerful this time, worried something similar may happen.
"5
4
3
2
1"
They chant, an edge in their tones.
And they know, all as one, that the year is not 30, but 28.
Positions, scientists, philosophers, anyone who possibly can all start panicking, wondering what's going on. Scientist study, philosophers converse, politicians try to calm the public. The world is thrown in complete disarray for six months, and even after, nothing goes back to normal. The next December, the chant comes as a fearful whisper.
"*5
4
3
2
1*"
And the year is 27. Scientists, now knowing that the years are counting down, study weather patterns, volcanos, the sun, anything they can to try and figure out what will happen in 27 years, when the countdown reaches 0.
Many religions believe that it is a sign from God, nature, the Almighty, or the universe that Jesus will come again, the world will end, or other religious events.
Philosophers believe it to be a sign, but none of them can figure out what for.
Then the scientists hit something that might check out. The hole in the ozone layer, that they had artificially patched a hundred years ago, was getting worse. Their artificial solution was holding out and adapting, but the countdown and the declination of the ozone layer seemed to line up. All scientists in the world work hard to find a solution, but the only possible one they can agree upon is to stop all pollution. At the day and age they are in, it wouldn't be a viable solution.
They keep working, reducing pollution as much as they can, but the ozone layer is still getting worse. The damage needs to be reversed, and the only way to start healing it would be to completely stop pollution.
The world disagrees. They can't, everything they do runs on something that pollutes. Politicians demand scientists find another way, but there isn't one. Wars break out between people who refuse to give up their way of life, and people fighting to protect the planet. But the wars only make the pollution worse. That December, the year skips 3 down.
The year is 8. Ships have been sent to space in hopes of finding another habitable planet. Humanity has given up on earth entirely, both those who tried to save it and those who wouldn't give up their ways of life. No habitable planets have been found.
Scientists were puzzled and confused about planets they had recently discovered that had disappeared.
The general assumption was that all possible habitable planets had been moved by the divine, punishment for Humanities destruction. They keep searching anyway.
Not sure what would happen next.