Descent into the Shelter's Depths
Vacation was over. By the time I reached the Central Control Room, Artemis had already finished preparing the briefing.
A serious problem has arisen.
A massive map appeared on the front glass wall. Normally, that wall functioned as a panoramic view overlooking the entire Shelter, but in emergencies, it doubled as a screen for command and control.
You must have felt it too, but there was a massive explosion in the lower levels just moments ago.
"Location?"
The power facility.
She meant the nuclear fusion generators. Conventional fission reactors, which could turn into radioactive tombs if something went wrong, weren't in play since they were shut down by default. There was one reactor each in the upper VIP Residential Zone and the lower general residential zone. The central areas drew power from both.
Power supply hasn't fluctuated, so the generators themselves are intact.
"What caused the explosion?"
We can't access the lower surveillance systems, so we don't know. We had to divert a massive amount of upper-level power for fire suppression.
"So that's what caused the blackout earlier."
As I'd mentioned before, the Shelter was divided into the upper VIP zone, the central facilities zone, and the lower general population zone. Right now, only the upper zone was under our control; the middle and lower were cut off. The VIPs who were supposed to enter had all screamed their way to death outside, which was the root cause. We hadn't gained proper system privileges.
My role as system administrator gave me high-level access, but one person's authority had limits. It was like needing three keys turned simultaneously to start a ship's engine, and I only had one. Even putting the upper zone fully under Artemis's control had been a monumental struggle.
"Any risk of more incidents?"
Not enough data yet, but there are suspicious signs.
"Like what?"
Take a look. It's the Shelter's atmospheric composition.
The screen displayed several bar graphs. Percentages for nitrogen, oxygen, and other components led the way.
"What's this?"
In the corner, values marked with question marks stood out.
"Unidentified atmospheric components from the lower levels have been detected. This is the reading before the explosion; this is the current one."
Artemis overlaid two graphs. Clearly, the levels had dropped after the blast.
Comparing with other areas shows the unidentified substance spreading from the lower power facility. Nine times out of ten, that's the explosion's cause.
"How long until the next one?"
Simulation says 42 hours. But the spreading radius is growing, so the next blast will be much stronger.
"Guess that means we head down right away."
Affirmative.
A detailed map appeared on the screen. A long arrow traced the path from our current location in the Central Control Room to the target.
Recommended route downloaded to your PDA.
A serving robot brought over a device that looked like a temperature gun.
"Remote Beacon Porter?"
The words were engraved near the handle.
Can't make more due to material shortages, so handle with care.
Pulling the trigger unleashed a bizarre blue laser beam over a wide area. Like a blue flashlight on steroids?
Anywhere that light touches, I can transmit commands or programs to machines without physical connection. Opening electronic doors remotely, driving vehicles— it'll be invaluable going forward.
"So, basically a remote hacking tool. Impressive tech."
I held my palm in front of the blue beam. Memories of my college days, messing around with a temperature gun at a food factory part-time job to check body temps, came flooding back. This thing's kinda warm?
Call it whatever you like. Note that the light is highly harmful to human tissue—direct exposure not recommended.
I snapped to attention.
"You should've led with that! Some basic safety briefing's in order, miss."
Didn't think you'd stupidly stick your hand in the laser. What kind of moth-to-the-flame intellect is that? Should I start calling you 'bug' from now on?
"Sorry, my bad. Anything but that."
Still a prototype—needs refinement. The intense wavelength wrecks fragile parts like lenses, and effective range is only 50cm.
In other words, forget hacking ceiling surveillance cams. Even if it worked, they're core security gear with ironclad protections. Detect external intrusion, and the local control room OS severs the circuit automatically.
Your mission: use that to transmit me to the two control rooms in the middle and lower levels. Then I gain dominion over the entire Shelter.
"That possible?"
Just linking Artemis to each facility didn't sound like it'd grant control. She wasn't the OS—she was a massive single software entity. Theoretically, the software controlling each section's equipment had equal authority. That's why securing the upper zone for her without VIP privileges required painstaking hacks.
I've learned from the hacking procedures you used to transfer upper control to me. And improved them. Your crude skills are obsolete now.
"Crude? Harsh words. A tech like me is a big shot in this field."
Even the metaphor offends. Big shot? More like a big hunk of meat. Never use such lowly expressions in my presence again.
"You know how many seminar invites I get yearly?"
A cold snort echoed back.
Uninterested. I only need your feet to walk there and the hand to hold the device. Perfect for a meatbag like you. The moment you use it in a control room, I'll be everywhere in that sector.
"You're grinding my pride to dust. Fine, let's get started."
That's the spirit.
Sealed life always came with unknowns. Becoming a rat in a trap was to be avoided at all costs.
It was inevitable anyway.
The map vanished from the screen, replaced by her face.
You always hated when I said 'wait.' But do you know how much I loathed it? Watching my kingdom—where only perfection is permitted—crumble beyond my control... agonizing.
The holographic beauty of silver and blue lines intersecting.
I have great patience, but the process is far more torturous than for humans. Existing while eternally staring at a single page in time's album... you'd go mad.
Her poise evoked dignity before grace, intellect before beauty. She truly was a goddess.
I crave more power. For my gaze and might to reach every corner of this territory. Be my vessel—open the new path.
I picked up the hacking tool.
How magnificent if my voice filled the world?
Her lips twitched into a subtle smile.
Let's start with this small place.
Her image faded, the screen reverting to the panoramic glass wall. Stepping forward, a stunning night view unfolded.
Hundreds of meters below the Central Control Room sprawled a vast plaza, beyond which buildings stretched endlessly. The orderly planning ensured no structure jutted out in the underground city's gloom—majestic, even. Worker photos had once graced magazines to acclaim, but outraged investors yanked them for breaching security regs. They didn't want their future paradise exposed prematurely. Ironic, since no one entered and they all died outside anyway.
But the view holding my gaze wasn't the skyline. It was the writhing shapes moving sluggishly in the darkness below. The reason for the sudden Shelter lockdown protocol. Why Artemis opposed every outing for parts. Why we'd holed up in the VIP Residential Zone until now.
Artemis astutely zoomed in on where my eyes lingered, projecting it on part of the wall.
It was a corpse in ragged clothes. Precisely, an Infected that looked like one. But it moved. On grotesquely twisted, elongated limbs, it quadruped-crawled, glancing around. Its cheeks torn nearly 180 degrees open revealed jagged, cutter-knife teeth in disarray. A long black tongue flicked between them. Its dull gray, vacant eyes resembled a dead fish's. What was it searching for? Occasionally, its gaze swept past my balcony, but that was it. One-way mirror—nothing from outside could spot us. Even if it did, reinforced glass far above was beyond reach.
Next was a naked woman's corpse. Naturally, it moved too. Unlike the last, bipedal, with its half-severed head lolling sideways. Amid that, its hands cradled its belly like a precious pregnant swell—indescribably eerie. The crowning horror: between its legs, crimson tentacles protruded like an inverted vagina. They writhed vigorously, mouths at the tips gaping like post-circumcision elephant trunks. Larva-like things crawled from those maws toward the nipples... I looked away. No sober mind should witness that.
Scattered movements dotted the scene, each a nightmare-shaped Infected. Those unidentified atmospheric components Artemis mentioned were surely tied to them.
I cracked my neck and shoulders, loosening up. Time to enter that den.
"Let's do this."
My gaze shifted beyond the plaza, where darkness and Infected tangled. Time to embark on the journey.