Apocalypse Shelter Administrator-Chapter 71: Conversations with Beautiful Women

Conversations with Beautiful Women

Do you know what is the most important thing in a closed-off organization? It’s the morning roll call. Two examples of such places are the military and prisons. They don’t need development, only the duty to maintain today as the same as yesterday, and tomorrow as the same as today, forever.

In that sense, there’s no place where the morning roll call holds more significance than this shelter. Nothing comes in, and nothing goes out. This paradoxically means there are even more things that need to be checked.

The operation of the fusion generator.

The air circulation system.

The status of the water supply and drainage.

The food supply system.

The presence of any infectious diseases.

And finally, the population.

Even a single change in any of these could threaten the community. The sacred event that comprehensively checks all of this is the morning roll call.

Since the emergency lockdown, we hadn’t been able to hold this important event for a long time, partly because there was no need. Even if there were problems, we couldn’t act on them with infected creatures lurking everywhere, and the most crucial item to check, the population, had been fixed at one for a long time.

I can’t reproduce asexually, so it wasn’t going to become two, and if it ever became zero, that would be the day the shelter’s purpose ceased to exist. But now, everything has been normalized. The population has reached four digits, and all the AI assistants are in place. It was only natural that the morning roll call resumed.

10 a.m. on weekdays in the central control room. Artemis, Chloro, Rose, and Kiz all attend, reporting on their respective duties and any noteworthy matters. There was still a bit of time left before the roll call, allowing the ladies to engage in lively conversation.

[Seyoung is a proud and competent woman. I think she deserves more praise for her worth.] Said Rose.

[Passing the civil service exam at that age isn’t something just anyone can do. But Rose, you don't seem focused on just her abilities, do you?]

Kiz seemed to know something. She subtly teased Rose.

[You two seem quite similar.]

[Almost like friends, or rather, sisters] Chloro agreed.

[Seyoung and I had many conversations. At first, it was discussions about work, such as how to manage the reformed security force or how to integrate former guards and prisoners]

Rose said, likely referring to their recent one-on-one meeting at a café.

[But as time passed, we found ourselves talking about each other. By the time we parted, we had become friends.]

Rose's voice was unusually excited.

[Rose, I hope we’re included in that circle of friends. I'd be sad if I were the only one who thought we were friends.] Said Kiz, though there was no hint of hurt in her tone.

But Rose didn’t seem to notice that. She quickly responded, flustered. [Of course! We’re all friends. It's just, Seyoung…]

[Seyoung?] Chloro asked.

[She told me that if we had been in school together, we would have had so much fun. Walking to and from school, grabbing snacks after class, grading our tests together, and spending free time together on school trips. She said it was a shame we couldn’t make those kinds of memories.]

At the word "memories," Artemis seemed to react briefly, in an uncharacteristic way.

[She said she wasn’t much into photos, but if we had been together, she would have had several albums full of them.]

[Wow!] Kiz exclaimed in admiration.

[I was really happy she said that.]

Rose’s voice was warm.

The conversation continued with various topics. Kiz talked about requests from the residents. Chloro discussed future production activities and the types of crops to cultivate.

In truth, as artificial intelligences, they didn’t need to use spoken language. They could exchange data in the blink of an eye. It’d be far more efficient than through speech. Yet, they engaged in these slow, inefficient conversations solely for my sake.

[Can you sign this too?]

“What about the new clothing supply you mentioned before?”

[We’re going to hold off on that. If we’re mass-producing, it would be better to get design opinions from the residents first.]

"Sounds good. Go ahead with that."

I was reviewing the shelter’s operational data and processing the approval documents submitted by Artemis. I hadn’t participated in their conversation, but I was still listening and watching.

They continued using spoken language out of consideration for me. So I could join the conversation at any moment. Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t feel excluded. I felt both apologetic and touched by their thoughtfulness in using such an inefficient form of communication for my sake.

At some point, their chatter turned toward me.

[Administrator!]

It was Kiz.

Judging by the timing of her question, she had probably been watching me from the corner of her eye as I finished signing all the documents. The gaze of all four AIs on the large screen now turned toward me. It was a bit overwhelming.

[How did you come to join us here, Administrator?]

Kiz’s job involved managing the residents' overall welfare, somewhat similar to a military logistics officer. Naturally, she had analyzed how most of the prisoners ended up here and what crimes led them to their “happy bread lives.” This curiosity extended to me as well.

Chloro and Rose also looked at me with interest. Only Artemis remained calm, as she already knew most of my story from our long conversations during the emergency lockdown.

“There were two main reasons. The first was financial. No matter how quickly I advanced in rank or how bright my future looked as an elite soldier, at the end of the day, I was still a government employee. There was a cap on how much I could earn.”

[A salary of 115 million won for a major isn’t impressive?] Chloro asked, referencing my past tax records.

I joined here right after leaving the military, so my previous job’s withholding tax records were still on file. As someone tasked with managing workers, she naturally had an interest in pay systems.

"The allowances were huge. I earned more from those than my base salary, especially with all the missions and facility dispatches." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

The same technology used for offense could be used for maintenance too.

"But no matter how many allowances you get, you're still a government employee. Your wages are bound to be cut eventually. It’s far more profitable to work as a civilian contractor."

This is a common story, particularly in the Air Force and aerospace industries, where it’s practically a set path.

"That’s when I received a recruitment offer for the construction of this underground defense city, and the rest, you know."

[And the second reason?] Rose asked.

"It's a matter of safety. There was global instability like never before: the unprecedented Great Depression, the international situation right before World War, and the sudden appearance of the alien ship. It was unsettling. Plus, I was in a position where I could overhear information that wasn't made public, which heightened my fear even more."

[Our administrator is truly the elite of the elites!] Chloro nodded as if it was obvious.

I flashed her a grin as a way of saying thanks for the compliment.

"Since my position involved frequent deployments, I had many opportunities to access overseas information that was unavailable domestically."

Particularly helpful were the war correspondents I befriended during deployments and my connections with the U.S. military. For example, I once saved an American reporter who had been kidnapped by a local gang while covering a story and was on the verge of something terrible.

He owed his life to the 20 twenty-dollar bills I slipped into the gang leader’s pocket. A pack of cigarettes for each of his men was enough to take care of them.

The poor French reporter was even easier. Just by sharing some food and supplies I discreetly diverted from military provisions and occasionally giving interviews about life during deployment, we became close friends.

[Isn't that embezzlement?] Rose asked in disbelief after hearing about the French reporter.

"Call it flexibility. Every piece of information I gathered eventually became life-saving. Think of it as the cost of maintaining a biological reconnaissance drone."

[That's impressive!] Kiz's eyes sparkled with excitement. Though, technically, it was just exaggerated special effects playing on her avatar beyond the screen.

"Getting close with the U.S. soldiers wasn't hard either. There were just a few ‘events' that helped with that."

For example, picking up soldiers stranded in an armored vehicle disabled by an anti-tank mine while on patrol. That was how I struck up a conversation with their quartermaster. Those poor soldiers had given up on moving on foot in the middle of a dangerous zone and were trembling in fear.

Then, there was the time we spent two days trapped together in an external operation, caught in a sandstorm so thick you couldn’t see ten meters ahead. Exchanging cigarettes and combat rations during that time definitely helped strengthen our bond.

I also can't forget how I fixed malfunctioning equipment that would’ve taken weeks to repair if sent back to the maintenance division. With just a military knife, a wrench, and a few parts I pulled from an unused radio, I had the repairs done in 30 minutes. They looked at me like I was some kind of wizard for returning fully functional equipment. Incidentally, I think this was the biggest factor in forming a bond with them.

After completing a few quests like that, I managed to reach 100% in favorability. I still get mad when I think about how one of my petty superiors threw a fit because they treated me with more respect than him.

"Anyway, after gathering raw, uncensored information and intelligence from various countries, the puzzle came together. A large-scale war was bound to break out. That’s when I received the scout offer."

[Did the alien ship in Mars orbit influence your decision?] Kiz asked.

"It wasn’t entirely irrelevant. But back then, the war was the bigger issue for me."

An alien ship may have been an unprecedented event, but it was millions of kilometers away. The imminent war crisis was far more threatening than any of the dozens of alien disaster scenarios conspiracy theorists were talking about.

"Besides, I was an officer and a combat engineer commander at that. If a full-scale war broke out during my service, I’d be one of the first to die. Even if I retired, I’d be called back to defend strategic points as a reservist."

If I were a female soldier, I could have chosen full retirement and avoided being called back as a reservist, but unfortunately, I’m a man. I had no choice. I joined as an officer in the first place because I figured if I was going to be drafted, I might as well make money and build my career. It was only due to various circumstances that I ended up serving long-term—it wasn’t out of some overflowing sense of patriotism.

"But after retiring and working here as a shelter administrator, the situation was different. If the country remained intact during the war, this place would be 100% subject to wartime requisition. Naturally, I, who was fully familiar with this shelter and ran it, would likely be assigned as a local commander."

[Aha, so you could earn a lot of money and, if worse came to worst, avoid dangerous conscription while staying here. It’s a win-win.] Kiz laughed as she spoke.

"Even a neighborhood mutt has an advantage on its own turf. Whether a war broke out or not, I figured I wouldn’t lose anything by putting down roots here. And if the kind of disaster that could collapse the nation happened? I'd just seal the shelter and hunker down, and everything would be fine."

I shrugged.

"Whichever scenario came, I was prepared for it."

I also considered building a personal bunker, but with my level of skill and experience, it made more sense to attach myself to rich, powerful people. The scale of resources and facilities available would be on another level.

A personal bunker might have a basic emergency generator and a small garden at best, but this place had a nuclear fusion plant, hydroponic systems, and even cultured meat production—everything was here.

"So, when I arrived here, I started getting involved in everything from top to bottom. And the first to arrive was Chloro."

Chloro and I exchanged knowing glances.

"Next were Rose and Kiz."

[I went into standby mode after just three days since there was nothing to do.] Rose added.

[Aye! I arrived after being summoned!] Kiz saluted.

But even with three state-of-the-art AIs, maintaining a closed-loop city of this unprecedented scale was impossible. So, the last member to arrive to save the shelter in this unsustainable situation…

"And finally, Artemis, you showed up last."

[Hmph.]

When she first arrived, Artemis was far more depressed than she is now. She considers that a bit of a dark chapter in her history.

[Let’s stop talking about the past and get started on the meeting, shall we?] Artemis spoke, clearly trying to change the subject.

Everyone could tell what she was trying to do, but I was the only one who could call her out on it. Chloro, Rose, and Kiz all saw Artemis as part of the family but kept her at arm's length out of respect.

[I’d like to introduce the shelter's ERP system.]

As she spoke, the large screen in front of us displayed a 3D map of the underground city from a top-down view. At the bottom of the screen were various categories related to city management and operations, such as construction, policy, personnel, and incidents.

It looked a lot like the user interface of a construction management simulation game.