Chapter 10: Surprise and Accident
The next morning, as the survivors were just finishing breakfast, the screen in the cafeteria lit up.
[Everyone, come to Corridor 9 in . There's something you need to take a look at.]
Having fully absorbed the lesson from last time, when he had inadvertently ruined everyone's dining experience, this time patiently waited until they had finished eating before sending the message.
Of course, it was also because he had spent too much time thinking up a suitable excuse.
The electronic synthesized voice was calm and flat, yet it made everyone subconsciously tense.
But this time, what awaited them would be a surprise.
Corridor 9 in was originally a passage leading to the backup equipment room, flanked by thick concrete walls.
Because it was relatively remote, and no zombies had made it their haunt, had never directed anyone to come here.
The day before, they had indeed tried to get a comprehensive look at the power station's situation.
But after all, they had only one day, and there was much to do, so it was naturally impossible to cover everything.
And that left room for explanation.
At this moment, on the originally smooth wall in , an alloy door gleaming with cold metallic light had appeared out of thin air.
It clashed with the surrounding environment, exuding an eerie sense of high technology.
"What is this?" 's eyes widened, her clear pupils revealing undisguised curiosity.
[A surprise.]
The text on the screen popped up, and then the alloy door gave a soft click. The identifier flashed blue, and the door silently slid to the side.
The sight behind the door made everyone hold their breath.
It was a spacious, bright white space so clean it was spotless, and it was astonishingly large.
Rows of precision instruments stood quietly, their silver metal shells reflecting soft light under the shadowless lamps.
High-speed refrigerated centrifuges, fully automated biochemical analyzers, cell culture chambers with robotic arms, and—
When she saw the instrument in the partitioned room, 's composure almost completely fell apart, and her voice cracked as she spoke.
"What the hell! That isn't a cryo-electron microscope, is it? In a place like this?"
The other three were also stunned. They didn't understand any of it, but the sheer high-tech aura washing over them was enough to make them feel awe despite their ignorance.
, however, had recovered from her daze, her gaze turning sharp.
" ? What exactly is this place for? I need an explanation."
A large that could rival the highest technological level of the era—was this also one of the so-called "nation's top-secret projects"?
But if such a project existed, how could she not have gotten even a hint of it? Just how high had the security clearance level here been?
What... exactly was being researched here?
At this moment, she, who had never liked conspiracy theories, couldn't suppress all sorts of outlandish conjectures from flooding into her mind.
[Sorry, your clearance is insufficient. I have no comment on that question.]
had long since prepared his lines. When you don't know what to say, just don't say anything.
Who told him to be an "AI"? If she had the ability, she could go find out the truth herself!
"You—" was slightly angry, but when she realized the other party was really an AI, she immediately deflated.
"Fine, then let me ask another question. What do you mean by opening this place now?" she asked instead.
[The original researchers here have completely evacuated, but the equipment was left behind. I think they will be of use to you.]
"Then why didn't you tell us this place existed before?" asked in a deep voice.
[I needed some time to destroy all the data and reset the equipment.]
was now spouting pure nonsense, but he wasn't worried about whether others believed him. Who asked him to be an "AI"?
These days, who couldn't trust a weak, pitiful, helpless little "AI"?
stared at the screen, silent for a long time.
He had a feeling the other party was lying—or rather, not telling the whole truth.
But he was equally aware that experience with humans didn't necessarily apply to an AI, and there was one thing the other party hadn't gotten wrong.
Considering the future, they might indeed need this laboratory.
"Understood." He slowly let out those three words, accepting the explanation.
, meanwhile, had completely immersed herself in her own world.
No longer caring about questioning , she rushed to the operating console and called up rows of equipment self-check programs.
Watching the green words "Status Normal" and "Calibration Complete" scroll across the screen, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Great! They all work!" She turned back to the others, her eyes shining with unprecedented light. "Now I can finally start my work!"
Watching , who was nearly in a frenzy, felt reassured.
It worked. At least there was finally a channel through which this beautiful scientist's value could be perfectly squeezed out.
An hour later, everyone gathered again in the cafeteria.
But the atmosphere was completely different from before.
The appearance of the laboratory was indeed an unexpected delight, successfully dispersing some of the gloom that had been weighing on everyone's hearts.
But the plan for the next phase also had to be discussed.
"We can't stay cooped up here forever," began, his finger tracing over the simple map of the power station's surroundings that had thoughtfully displayed.
"The food and water in the station are still sufficiently stocked for now, but we lack the means to contact the outside world."
"We can't know in a timely and effective manner what the outside world has become, how large the disaster actually is, whether there are other survivors, or whether there are official shelters."
"If we keep on like this, we'll likely miss the chance for official rescue, or even—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present, including , felt a chill.
Everyone knew what he was referring to. If the disaster was actually just and its surroundings, or merely outbreaks at a few points,
then would the government, which was still running efficiently, organize a rescue, or would it choose to nuke the area to control the disaster?
For everyone present, especially , who couldn't sprout legs and run away right now, that would basically be a death sentence.
If could even die, that was. He couldn't be blamed for not being sure, since he himself didn't understand what state he was in right now.
His gaze swept over each person. "So, I've decided to go out and see if I can get some new information."
"Captain, I'll go with you!" said at once.
[I'll also continue monitoring signals across all bands. If there's any news, I'll notify you.]
nodded. "Alright, then the two of us will go. , all of you stay here... and do experiments."
"Mm," spoke up on her own. "I'm no good at fighting; tagging along would only make me dead weight. I can help Sister Wan out, and I can also work with to keep maintaining the power station. There are still many places here that need repair."