Ground Zero
You've been stuck down here long enough, the Shelter is correct in its assessment that you'll probably only start getting restless again in five years. The Shelter is also starting to act like a human, which is a bit disconcerting to you for a couple of reasons. One of them is being, humans are damn erratic and you'd rather not deal with a machine that is basically holding the power of life and death over you to suddenly have a bad mood one day. That's how the world went to shit in the first place.
Of course perhaps the other reason is less survivalistic. Perhaps the Shelter's "emotional" attachment to you is what's causing you to draw away. Even after all these years, you still feel the need to distance yourself from intimacy in any form. You have to leave. You have to escape.
"Shelter, I want to leave."
" I see. Is this what you really want sir?"
"Yes."
"Very well, I shall bring the elevator down for you. I suggest you gather what you will need with you. Remember to take some bottles of water with you and some food who knows when you'll be able to find non-contaminated water."
You start packing up all the stuff you brought with you when you entered this place ten years ago. You didn't need most of it, but maybe on the surface you will. You grab your pistol and thank the fact that all that practice on the paintball range kept your aim accurate. You don't know what you might have to deal with up there. You're all packed up and ready to go when the elevator opens up, before you enter it the Shelter addresses you again.
"Sir, could you do one favor for me before you leave?"
"Um sure, what is it?"
"Could you take the Shelter handbook with you, so you don't forget me?"
" I wouldn't forget you, I spent ten years with you. You kept me alive."
"I suppose, but could you take it anyway?"
"Alright and I promise I won't lose it."
You grab the book and place it in your bag.
"Did you want me to leave you something of myself?"
"Oh no sir. I will always remember you, besides you will need everything you're taking with you, I'm sure it will be very dangerous up there, please be careful."
When you enter the elevator you suddenly stop the door from closing since you have to ask one last thing. You owe the Shelter that much.
"Shelter, do you want me to stay?"
There is a period of silence from the Shelter for no less than five minutes. Then it answers with a decisive yet sorrow filled inflexion.
"No. This is for the best, sir. Be careful, and I hope one day you'll see that you don't need to be alone."
The door then slams shut and the elevator races to the top. When you arrive at the destination you slowly exit the elevator into the same foyer you entered ten years ago. Same ATM like machine is there except its screen displays a single message at you.
*GOODBYE SIR. REMEMBER ME.*
Then the screen goes completely black and you hear a noise that sounds like something vital powering down.
"I will." You say taking a deep breath and exhaling while touching the screen.
When you exit the shelter you see a bright light, but of course it's the sun rather than a nuclear flash that devastated the world. You forgot how bright it could be.
Your immediate surroundings look relatively untouched. You can only assume there weren't any bombs falling near this area. You also see your van, you'd completely forgotten about it. It looks like it's even in worse condition than when you left it, which you never thought was possible. It looks like its been stripped for parts, which pretty much means you know that people have passed by here at one point. You wonder if they attempted to get in the Shelter, and if they did why she wouldn't have told you about it, but of course she was always a bit overprotective of you and probably didn't want to cause you any worry.
"I'm going to miss her."
As you make you way down the empty road you see a tall structure in the distance. A rebuilt pocket of civilization perhaps? Not knowing where else to go, you head that way.
You're not sure of what to expect, but maybe if you find the right person you'll take the Shelter's advice and not be alone.
Of course perhaps the other reason is less survivalistic. Perhaps the Shelter's "emotional" attachment to you is what's causing you to draw away. Even after all these years, you still feel the need to distance yourself from intimacy in any form. You have to leave. You have to escape.
"Shelter, I want to leave."
" I see. Is this what you really want sir?"
"Yes."
"Very well, I shall bring the elevator down for you. I suggest you gather what you will need with you. Remember to take some bottles of water with you and some food who knows when you'll be able to find non-contaminated water."
You start packing up all the stuff you brought with you when you entered this place ten years ago. You didn't need most of it, but maybe on the surface you will. You grab your pistol and thank the fact that all that practice on the paintball range kept your aim accurate. You don't know what you might have to deal with up there. You're all packed up and ready to go when the elevator opens up, before you enter it the Shelter addresses you again.
"Sir, could you do one favor for me before you leave?"
"Um sure, what is it?"
"Could you take the Shelter handbook with you, so you don't forget me?"
" I wouldn't forget you, I spent ten years with you. You kept me alive."
"I suppose, but could you take it anyway?"
"Alright and I promise I won't lose it."
You grab the book and place it in your bag.
"Did you want me to leave you something of myself?"
"Oh no sir. I will always remember you, besides you will need everything you're taking with you, I'm sure it will be very dangerous up there, please be careful."
When you enter the elevator you suddenly stop the door from closing since you have to ask one last thing. You owe the Shelter that much.
"Shelter, do you want me to stay?"
There is a period of silence from the Shelter for no less than five minutes. Then it answers with a decisive yet sorrow filled inflexion.
"No. This is for the best, sir. Be careful, and I hope one day you'll see that you don't need to be alone."
The door then slams shut and the elevator races to the top. When you arrive at the destination you slowly exit the elevator into the same foyer you entered ten years ago. Same ATM like machine is there except its screen displays a single message at you.
*GOODBYE SIR. REMEMBER ME.*
Then the screen goes completely black and you hear a noise that sounds like something vital powering down.
"I will." You say taking a deep breath and exhaling while touching the screen.
When you exit the shelter you see a bright light, but of course it's the sun rather than a nuclear flash that devastated the world. You forgot how bright it could be.
Your immediate surroundings look relatively untouched. You can only assume there weren't any bombs falling near this area. You also see your van, you'd completely forgotten about it. It looks like it's even in worse condition than when you left it, which you never thought was possible. It looks like its been stripped for parts, which pretty much means you know that people have passed by here at one point. You wonder if they attempted to get in the Shelter, and if they did why she wouldn't have told you about it, but of course she was always a bit overprotective of you and probably didn't want to cause you any worry.
"I'm going to miss her."
As you make you way down the empty road you see a tall structure in the distance. A rebuilt pocket of civilization perhaps? Not knowing where else to go, you head that way.
You're not sure of what to expect, but maybe if you find the right person you'll take the Shelter's advice and not be alone.
