He had already anticipated this. That's why his surprise didn't last long. After the phone call, he went from the second floor of the bunker to the first. This was the civilian area. Since the main entrance of the bunker was here, in case of a sudden attack (by the Abandoned), the civilians would be attacked first and the military base would stay safe. But there was no need to think about that anymore, because it was impossible to live on the surface. Even with radiation-blocking suits, survival was barely possible. Let alone the Abandoned — they had no equipment. They were terrorists living in small caves or old, crumbling shelters. And the Infected…
Despite all this, Kaito knew they couldn't roam the surface. Or rather, since the Collapse, not a single human had walked the surface. Everyone was probably killing each other over food. That was Kaito's belief.
Daily routines... The Colonel was accompanying a team to distribute food to civilians on the first floor.
"Is this all you're giving us? This much rice won't be enough for all of us."
"Then kill each other for food."
The Colonel replied.
"Aren't you being too harsh? Even if they're kids, at least show some respect to those their age."
Kuragari added. Yes, Kaito was the highest-ranking soldier in the bunker, but the world had already fallen apart. The Japanese Government had collapsed. There wouldn't be a single person coming from Tokyo to rescue them. No Government, no God. Civilians were a burden here. If they were killed, at least the food grown in the artificial farms would be enough for the rest to survive.
The Colonel, separating himself from the angry crowd, retreated to his office. He took a relaxing shower and began to wait. To think.
50 Days Before the Collapse:
Kaito and Shimizu were walking home from school. As always, they'd return to a silent house, study, eat dinner, and go to sleep. That day, Kaito and Shimizu started chatting.
"I'm going to my best friend's birthday, brother. Wanna come with me? Maybe we can find you a girlfriend."
"Are you making fun of me? Who would look at an antisocial idiot like me? All I do is play anime-style dating games on my console. Who could love such a loser? Don't piss me off."
"Then change yourself, brother. Go meet people. Throw out that console. You just don't want to change. If you really want to change, come with me."
"…"
"Or, do you want to be like Dad?"
"Dad!?"
Present Time:
The dream the Colonel had was a memory. He always saw his sister and family. Ridiculous, wasn't it?
Major Kuragari had sent him a message. There was an emergency meeting.
Running to the meeting, the Colonel was late. Of course, no one could say anything to him. After all, he was the highest-ranking officer.
"Sir, welcome. We were just about to start. If you allow me, I'll explain the key issues."
The Colonel nodded as if saying "Go ahead" and took his seat.
"The primary matter is that the Japanese Government has fallen. This means the chain of command is broken. People in other bunkers will now act independently. So will we. Along with this, we now have many more enemies. Besides the Abandoned, we need to increase our security."
No one could deny it.
"Then we'll strengthen the military presence on the first floor. The other issue is that artificial farming systems need energy. You know this. We were using solar power. The real problem is that the solar panels on the surface are damaged. So we must send a team to the surface."
Voices rose in the meeting. Some people questioned how a team could be sent — wasn't there radiation? Others asked how the panels got damaged. Arguments even broke out.
Angered, the Colonel shouted:
"SHUT YOUR MOUTHS! First of all, we have five radiation-blocking suits. Got it? Including me, I'll form a five-person team. Anyone who objects can say it to my gun."
And the meeting ended.
Afterward, the Colonel decided to select the team. He chose three trained soldiers and Kuragari first. She was the person he trusted most in the bunker. The other three soldiers were also loyal to him.
"If you're ready, we're heading out."
There was no room for doubt. The Abandoned? Not a problem — they couldn't survive on the surface. In short, the place they were going hadn't seen a human for six months. So there was no danger. None at all.
Until they saw it.
The team had to pass the coast after exiting. The solar panels had been installed near the shore. There was a short 600-meter distance, but they still had to be fully prepared. They walked and reached the location.
They saw that an animal was stuck in the solar panels.
"RADIATED FOX! Damn this whole system. Get that two-headed fox out of there now. I'm gonna puke."
The Colonel thought, I'm no engineer, but I'm sure this system was broken because of that fox's blood. Luckily, he had brought along a former mechanical engineer turned soldier. He had to.
They cleaned the mess. Threw the fox's body aside. The solar panels started working. They did it! Now, the energy needed for artificial farming was secured.
"Good job. Thanks to brothers, the energy is back. You're more useful than the other scum in the bunker. I'll buy you all a vodka."
Everyone celebrated with joy. They had solved the problem. Now, the only thing left was to walk 600 meters back and escape this hell.
Just then, Major Kuragari heard a crying sound behind her. Who could have met them at this abandoned shore?
To be continued...