For a similar, grim, and much longer SF story see the Rifters trilogy by Peter Watts:
https://www.tor.com/2012/08/14/psychopaths-at-the-bottom-of-...
Spoiler: a biologically incompatible branch of life discovered in the deep ocean starts to outcompete everything on land once it's brought to the surface, leading to catastrophic breakdown of civilization.
"Whenever I find my will to live becoming too strong, I read Peter Watts." — James Nicoll