Chapter 289 - Burden of Survival

Translator: _Min_ Editor: Rundi

One thousand meters under the surface, a cave the size of two basketball courts was buried deep inside.

With the elevator descending, the light along the corner of the cave opened consecutively as it illuminated the underground space.

Around the area was soil packed tightly and rocky surfaces. Facing the elevator was the door to Fallout Shelter 027.

It is an inconquerable base.

The only entrance was blocked by a gear-shaped door 10 meters thick. The 8m thick compressive alloy steel and the 2m thick lead sandwich was enough to withstand a million tons TNT equivalent nuclear strike!

Tian Feng walked to the door of the fallout shelter, inputted his fingerprint, and opened the steel cover attached to the door. He then took a cable covered in soft lead material and attached it to his EP.

The door, even impenetrable by Gamma radiation, naturally would not let any electromagnetic waves pass through. The information exchanged between the fallout shelter and the outside world was purely done through this cable.

The EP screen flashed as a woman’s face quickly surfaced.

Although she looked young, the three stars on her shoulder made it impossible to underestimate her ability.

Han Junhua, age 24, PAC colonel. Unfrozen three years ago and has taken over the leadership position as the previous head of Fallout Shelter 027 passed away.

“What’s the situation?”

Tian Feng saluted as he responded in a firm tone.

“Mission completed.”

“Mhmm, come inside.” Han Junhua nodded and signaled the staff to open the fallout shelter door.

The gear shaped door gradually opened and exposed the narrow tunnel inside. A metal bridge suspended there, with the guidance of the mechanical arm, it formed a road inside the fallout shelter.

After they passed through the bridge, the twenty soldiers put their rifles and ammo on the weapon rack and walked into the sanitization room. The staff standing on the side pushed the weapon rack into the sanitation room to be sanitized.

Tian Feng didn’t immediately go inside the sanitization room, he walked in front of Han Junhua and handed her the nuclear fusion core.

“Blood?”

“It’s blood.”

Han Junhua had a serious expression when she saw the bullet marks on his bulletproof vest.

“The war is still not over?”

She subconsciously thought that he was attacked by NATO soldiers.

When he heard her words, the resolute face had a forced smile.

“It is over, but you will never believe what I saw outside.”

Han Junhua scanned the blood on the nuclear fusion core as she seemed to have understood something.

“Half an hour later, come to the conference room.”

“Yes.”

Tian Feng saluted the girl twenty years younger than him as he watched her leave.

…

The light in the conference room was on, but the mood felt repressive.

After pushing open the door, four pairs of eyes landed on him. Tian Feng gulped as he walked to the conference table and sat in a chair.

Fallout shelter leader Han Junhua, citizen representative Wu Yaguo, PAC Federal Research Institute Academician Qin Xuehai, Fallout Shelter Technology senior engineer Feng Hui, and the still trembling Shi Yongtian.

On top of the conference table was the nuclear fusion core stained with blood.

“Briefly explain what you saw outside, or we can’t continue on the topic,” Academician Qin with white hair gently smiled as he said to Tian Feng.

Tian Feng looked at Han Junhua and after seeing her nod, he began.

“This is what happened…”

At the request of Academician Qin, Tian Feng outlined everything that he had been seen since leaving the fallout shelter. Including the nuclear winter on the surface, the zombies, the Fishbone base’s powerful firepower and apathy to the PAC regime, including the exchange of fire with those cannibals.

When Tian Feng finished explaining his encounters, the meeting table once again became silent.

After a long time, as the leader, Han Junhua broke the silence.

“Feng Hui, how long can this nuclear fusion core last?”

“To maintain the existing power usage, it is enough to support us for six months.” Feng Hui gave a conservative estimate.

“The acquired power can last us for half a year? That is simply impossible!” Wu Yaguo immediately protested.

All the equipment of the fallout shelter relied on electricity, whether it was food production or the operation of the water purification device. To maintain their existing power usage, it means that each person can only be allocated 600ml of drinking water every day, 1 hour of ultraviolet radiation, and three meals of nutrient supply in reserve.

This means they couldn’t take a bath, couldn’t be full, lack energy, and survive a full six months in the sub-health state.

“During extreme times, there is nothing that is impossible,” Han Junhua briefly said, and then look to Feng Hui, “Maintain existing power usage. You can go now.”

“Yes.”

Hesitating for a moment, Feng Hui got up. While holding the nuclear fusion core, he left the conference room.

“You can not ignore the public opinion.” Wu Yaguo stared at Han Junhua. “I do not know what the damn procedure is, but the old leader had everything taken care everything until you woke up. Now everything has changed! ”

For Wu Yaguo’s accusations, Han Junhua was indifferent.

“You can not blame Xiaohua, she has done very well,” Academician Qin with a gentle tone tried to persuade in an attempt to keep Wu Yaguo calm.

“Very well?” Wu Yaguo scorned, “It has only been three years, and since you have succeeded, everything has changed. First, the farming output has been reduced, the nutrient supply is mixed with organic food, then the cut in water supply, and finally the cut in existing power? All of this is pure nonsense! ”

“I am just making the most realistic choice with the current supply status.” Han Junhua’s voice was cold, without the slightest feelings.

“The most realistic choice? I am only aware that this fallout shelter is designed for 50 years! It is 50 years calculated from the supercomputer! However, how many years have passed now? Less than 20 years, the fallout shelter is forced to open. I do not know what you have done in the past three years as the leader,” Wu Yaguo said in anger.

Quietly waiting for Wu Yaguo to vent his anger, Han Junhua slowly opened her mouth.

“1000 people, for 50 years.You tell me how many people are in the shelter now?”

Wu Yaguo was speechless, his angry expression froze on his face.

“I’ll tell you, a total of 1743 people.”

Seeing Wu Yaguo’s silence, Han Junhua continued.

“The first thing I did when I woke up from the hibernation chamber was look at the work log from the previous leader, but guess what I read?”

“What?”

“The first line, in 2171, I can’t refuse a mother’s request, I took her baby from her hands.

“What’s wrong with that?” Wu Yaguo did not think it was a big deal.

“That baby was the 1001 resident of the shelter.”

“Is it because of this baby, Fallout Shelter 027 will be opened nearly 30 years in advance?” Wu Yaguo laughed. “Or is it that you really can not find an excuse and have to use an innocent baby to hide your own incompetence?

“That’s just the beginning,” Han Junhua said expressionlessly. “I hosted a wedding for a couple in 2172. I knew it was not right, but I still blessed them with happiness.

“There is nothing wrong with that! Don’t you think that in this environment filled with despair, a wedding is inspiring.”

“So, in this 16 years, you held more than 400 weddings?” Han Junhua’s sight swept across the four people at the meeting.

Tian Feng who couldn’t interrupt stared at his EP in a daze. Shi Yongtian was still shaking while sitting at the table. Han Junhua’s explanation didn’t satisfy Wu Yaguo as he still remained indifferent. Academician Qin let out a sigh and lowered his head.

“There is no energy-saving plan, no family planning. The supercomputer can calculate the energy consumption as accurate as ten points after the decimal, it can calculate the near-perfect population structure and growth curve, but it still can’t calculate your IQ!

In the end, her calm voice finally was inflicted with a trace of anger. The volume was not high, but it stung the eardrums of all that was present.

Academician Qin opened his mouth. He wanted to say something to ease the tense atmosphere on the conference table, but ultimately he didn’t say anything and just quietly watched Han Junhua. Wu Yaguo’s face turned red from anger, but he couldn’t find any reasons to refute.

“Including me waking up earlier, I was shocked,” Han Junhua said. “With the plan, I was supposed to be dormant for 25 years before taking over the leadership position. But what did the old man do? He committed suicide in fear of the crime he committed!

“Old Zhang died of myocardial infarction.” Wu Yaguo trying to retort, but his tone lacked decisiveness…

“Myocardial infarction? With the medical capability of the fallout shelter, do you think a myocardial infarction could kill someone? He concealed the condition and gave up on treatment, that is suicide!” Looking directly at Wu Yaguo’s eyes, Han Junhua said firmly.

Wu Yaguo lips moved, but he couldn’t say a word.

“If it is you, what would you do?” Academician Qin abruptly asked.

“In 2171, I would refuse to accept the baby. Before 2180, there will be no newborns. After 2180, following the supercomputer’ analysis of the population growth curve, strictly control the number of newborns,” Han Junhua said without hesitation.

“But do you know? Leader Zhang didn’t just face a baby, but also human nature,” Qin academician whispered, “I witnessed the day at the door when the tragedy happened. People outside the door begged, hoping that little Zhang would leave one side of the net open (to give the wrongdoer a way out). According to the discipline, the fallout shelter can only accommodate a thousand people, little Zhang also abided by that discipline.”

“He did not.” Han Junhua said.

Listening to the words of the little girl, Academician Qin just kindly smiled and recalled.

“People kneeled down, someone insulted him, and people even tried to force themselves back into the shelter. I remember little Zhang shot the gun. You can’t imagine the scene. A husband attempted to take his son to the door to meet his wife… It was little Zhang that shot.”

Wu Yaguo closed his eyes, he seemed to recall a distant event. Tian Feng was still staring at his shoelaces, but he clearly remembered that day it was him at the door on duty.

However, Han Junhua was still unmoved, she said emotionlessly,

“Why could he refuse a group, but not a child?”

“Perhaps, that is because of human nature.” Academician Qin sighed.

“Therefore, foolish things were committed from the beginning.” Han Junhua said.

“Without experiencing it, what happened that the day is just a passage to you. The ideas you have are indeed not wrong,” for her indifference, Academician Qin just sighed and said compassionately.

“You, do you still have a hint of human nature left?” Wu Yaguo said in disbelief.

Han Junhua didn’t look at Wu Yaguo as she said with an apathetic tone.

“Human nature? It is just a burden of survival.”