Officer and Biologist

In the prep room of Vault 117. Cradling a cup of hot water to warm her body, the woman had finally grasped her current situation and calmed down. She looked across the long table at the two guards sitting before her. "Could I meet your Administrator?" The two guards exchanged glances. The slightly older of the two looked at her cautiously and said, "We will report this matter to the Administrator... Please state your identity. Are you a resident here?" "Heya, Ph.D. in Bioengineering, from Wasteland Era Year 190... You aren't shelter residents, are you?" The guard nodded. "I'm not, that's true. Only those two bluecoats who brought you here are, but the Administrator treats us all equally." Heya's expression suddenly grew tense. "Are you the Torch?" Both guards looked utterly baffled. "Torch?" "What's that...?" Seeing their reactions, Heya breathed a sigh of relief. Her taut shoulders gradually relaxed, and she leaned back into her chair. She muttered under her breath, "Nothing... As long as you aren't." It made sense. Twenty years had already passed. The older guard frowned, looking at her. "What are you talking about?" Heya paused, then said, "I will explain the situation back then to your Administrator later. It's my duty... Speaking of which, what is your vault number?" "404." 404? Heya looked somewhat perplexed. Did Qingquan City have that number? She had assumed that near 117 would be 116 or 115... *** Meanwhile, at Changjiu Farm. *Discuss my situation?* Hearing those words, Vannus's expression instantly tightened. However, Chu Guang's next words relaxed him slightly. "The expeditionary force has failed. Your General Klaas was killed in battle. The war is over now, so you can write a letter to your family. You only need to pay a ransom of two million dinars to compensate for our losses in the war, and you can go back wherever you came from." Hearing this figure, Vannus nearly choked on his own saliva. He coughed dryly and said, "My Lord, even if I sold all my family assets, I couldn't possibly scrape together that much money." Two thousand dinars could buy a strong, healthy slave. Two million dinars meant a thousand slaves. And the slaves meant here were not fast-expendable clones, but male and female survivors with full lifespans who were capable of heavy labor. A thousand slaves... Only a myriad commander who possessed a fiefdom could possibly wield such immense wealth. He could scrape together two hundred thousand at most, and that was assuming he emptied out his entire family fortune. Chu Guang was not surprised by Vannus's response. "Alternative plan: I need a batch of new recruits trained here. Do me a favor, and I can give you a discount on your ransom." Vannus froze for a moment. *Train recruits?* *...Me?* Seeing him remain silent, Chu Guang continued, "Any questions?" "No, My Lord... Thank you very much for your trust," Vannus paused, then said. "May I know the reason?" Chu Guang replied without hesitation, "You must have heard as well—a massive marauder tribe is rising. Optimistically, we might face them early next year; pessimistically, we might encounter them before winter ends. If you don't want a barbarian as your new master, you'd better show some real skill. "I'll give you ten men. If their training goes well, I'll take ten percent off your ransom, and then give you another ten, and so on. If your performance is outstanding, perhaps I will waive your ransom entirely. Whether you can go home early depends on your own performance." Vannus's Adam's apple bobbed, a complex array of emotions shifting in his eyes. There was surprise, disbelief, and other feelings difficult to put into words. He bowed slightly and said with a respectful expression, "I obey your arrangement, My Lord." He suddenly began to understand. Why this man was able to command heartfelt loyalty from so many people. Looking at the obedient Vannus, Chu Guang nodded in satisfaction. "Dismissed." "Yes." After Vannus left, Jiu Li, who was standing nearby, looked nervously at Chu Guang. "My Lord, are you certain you want a man of the Legion to serve as a drill instructor?" In the central and even northern regions of the River Valley Province, people with that bump in the bridge of their nose were synonymous with devils, the root of plagues and disasters. He could not trust a Legionary under any circumstances, let alone a mid-ranking officer of the Legion. As for Wrench and Luka, they didn't feel much about it. Legionaries were hardly ever seen in the southern River Valley Province; they harbored greater hatred for the local marauders and mutants. Though making a captive into an instructor was somewhat strange, they had both originated as marauder captives and serfs themselves. Besides, this was the Administrator's judgment. They harbored no doubts that his decision was correct. Looking at Jiu Li, whose eyes were filled with distrust, Chu Guang said frankly, "Why not? On the battlefield they are our enemies, but off the battlefield they can be candidates worth winning over. The Legion's power base isn't in the River Valley Province, so we won't have direct conflict for a long time, and our grudges can hardly be called a blood feud. Besides, he has undergone reform quite well during this period. Since he has won the workers' approval, I think he should be given a chance." The Legion's tactics had elements worth learning from. Chu Guang needed an instructor to train a cadre of junior officers versed in logistics, light infantry tactics, trench warfare, and mobile warfare. Vannus, who had received a military education since childhood and was himself a mid-ranking officer in the Legion, was undoubtedly a suitable choice. Having a captive lead troops in the field was unrealistic, but giving lectures and training to the "NPCs" posed no problem at all; the only obstacle was psychological. In large-scale warfare, only by allowing NPCs and players to coordinate organically could the players' combat potential be maximized. Sooner or later, they would encounter opponents far stronger than mere marauders. Of course, saying that didn't mean Chu Guang fully trusted the man. Afterward, Chu Guang would assign two sufficiently loyal guards to join, both to learn from the experience and to keep watch. If this man showed any ill intentions or overstepped his bounds, the survivors who viewed Chu Guang as their savior would report it to him at the first opportunity. When that time came, Chu Guang would naturally handle it. "...Here with me, things like origin and status don't matter in the slightest. That goes for everyone. "I hope you remember that." These words were not only directed at Vannus, but also at this representative of the refugees. Jiu Li's shoulders gave a slight shudder. Although he still couldn't bring himself to trust that Legionary, he lowered his head nonetheless. "Yes, My Lord." *** After the others stepped down, Chu Guang kept Luka behind alone to get an update on Changjiu Farm's recent situation. Overall, the assimilation of the refugees was proceeding fairly smoothly. Nearly twenty refugees who had obtained work had already been permitted into the farm. These included two butchers, three tanners, as well as artisans like carpenters, tailors, and masons. Another fifty or so laborers were currently being processed. The refugee camp was merely a buffer. Chu Guang had never intended to keep those refugees stranded at the east gate indefinitely; keeping them there was only meant to prevent chaos. As long as they proved their worth through labor, anyone could enter Changjiu Farm and become a legally settled resident. After listening to Luka's report, Chu Guang pondered for a moment and said, "It seems there have been more refugees lately." Luka replied respectfully, "Yes, My Lord. Over the course of just this week, a full twenty-some people have arrived across three groups. And that doesn't count Shuang Mao and his fifty-plus tribe members whom you received just now." It seemed the continuous turmoil had indeed caused considerable trouble for the survivors of the River Valley Province. Especially that Bone Chewer tribe... Chu Guang's fist tightened slightly. Just then, the indicator light on the VM strapped to his arm blinked. His interest piqued, Chu Guang immediately opened the VM's screen. The message was from Xiao Qi. *Master, a living person seems to have been found in Vault 117?* Seeing this message, Chu Guang froze. *A living person?!* Xiao Qi: *Yes... Her name is Heya. She claims to be a resident of Vault 117 and says she has important matters to discuss with you in person.* Looking at the text sent by Xiao Qi, before Chu Guang could even recover from his astonishment, three lines of pale blue pop-up windows suddenly surfaced in his field of vision. [Mission Completed.] [Permissions for Floor B3 of Shelter 404 Unlocked!] [Administrator, please inspect at your earliest convenience!] *** He truly hadn't expected his little players to be this capable. Chu Guang had originally thought it would take them at least two or three days to locate the remaining 10 percent of the hidden map. Who would have guessed it wouldn't even take twenty-four hours? This was simply incredible! How on earth did they pull it off? He was in no rush to unlock Floor B3; it wasn't going anywhere anyway. Returning to the outpost, Chu Guang followed the guard to the reception room and met the "old popsicle" said to have come from twenty years ago. "My Lord, it's her." "Understood." Motioning for the guard to leave, Chu Guang sat down across from her. His gaze fell upon her striking white hair. After pondering for a moment, Chu Guang asked an irrelevant question. "Is this silver hair of yours... natural?" "A DNA defect. I hear it was only a minor ailment before the war, but unfortunately, I was born in the vault... That's not the point, though." The lady took a deep breath and extended her right hand toward Chu Guang. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Heya, a resident of Vault 117... and likely the only surviving registered resident." Chu Guang noted that she placed special emphasis on her status as a "registered resident." Could there have been unregistered ones as well? Still, none of that was the main point to him. The point was her hair—she looked like an SSSR pull at first glance! If he slipped her into the Alpha 0.9 version update, wouldn't it be wrong not to let the players shower the godly planner with praise? Fellow student Yin Fang could finally stop worrying about people harassing him; very soon, he would get a taste of what it felt like to fall out of favor. No creature was more fickle than a gamer. Noticing an odd gaze directed at him, Chu Guang cleared his throat, adopted a serious expression, and looked at her. "Chu Guang, Administrator of Shelter 404. I've already confirmed your identity through my assistant. I'd like to know what on earth happened to you all." Burying the tip of her nose between her palms, Heya took a deep breath, raised her head to look at Chu Guang, and said, "A disaster. If I am to explain the whole thing clearly, it might take some time." "That's fine. The one thing not in short supply on the wasteland is time." "You're right." A helpless smile appeared on her face. Gathering her emotions for a moment, she spoke slowly. "To you, this happened over twenty years ago, but to me, it feels as if it took place yesterday..." Just as stated in the promotional materials, Vault 117 was a community-type vault. In principle, it was not equipped with cryogenic hibernation facilities. Facilities of this type primarily served residents who were unwilling to undergo cryogenic hibernation and preferred to stay with their families, as well as individuals unfit for cryogenic sleep or allergic to cryoprotectants and thawing agents. After all, although cryogenic hibernation technology had been developed, the longest proven freeze period was only fifty years. For hibernation measured in centuries, no one could guarantee there would be no side effects. Rather than spending an anxious, terrified life in an unpredictable future, some preferred to spend their final pleasant days in the vault with their loved ones, leaving the future to the people of the future. After the war broke out, a total of one hundred residents entered the vault. Among them were teachers, doctors, professors, corporate executives, lawyers, and more—without exception, they were highly educated elites. And after entering the vault, just as planned, each carried out their duties, preserving this utopia for a very long time. However, in the face of time, nothing was eternal. As the first newborn cried its entrance into the world and the oldest passed away of old age, the survivors of the old era inevitably met aging and death. Mathematical models could only predict macroscopic samples; they could not predict love. Even though all the survivors were well-educated and consciously controlled the population, the population still grew much faster than expected. Space and resources eventually faced a crisis, and crisis bred discord. A faction of the new generation believed that staying here meant waiting for death with no hope for the future; they had to venture outside. Calling themselves the Torch, they wished to drive reform within the vault, carrying the tools left to them by pre-war civilization to fulfill their future mission ahead of schedule. However, another faction of older residents believed that the outside world was far worse, and going out would only mean certain death. They should patiently wait until the preset time arrived, pass their knowledge to the next generation, and then open the doors according to plan to welcome a new era. The rift worsened rapidly in Wasteland Era Year 180, and the fuse was lit when a member of the Torch opened the doors without authorization to save a wasteland child. His name was Wang Yi. The young boy was clever and eager to learn. Under the care of the Torch, he quickly became a core figure of the organization. In Wasteland Era Year 190, rebellion broke out. Many died, and most critically, the reactor's fuel rods were damaged. Unwilling as he was, the Administrator at the time, Seven Willard, had no choice but to compromise. He opened the vault and promised the Torch that as long as they found replacement fuel rods, he would share a portion of the pre-war stockpiles with them so they could go fulfill their mission. Meanwhile, Vault 117 would seal itself again according to plan and continue waiting for the scheduled time. Regrettably, however, the Torch did not keep their promise. They blocked the vault's blast doors and forced Seven Willard to hand over the remaining black boxes. Lacking fuel, the full recycling system could no longer be maintained, and the remaining people were forced to enter the emergency shelter room. Twenty hibernation pods were stored there. To yield the chance to others, Administrator Seven Willard chose to stay behind alone. Having heard the whole story, Chu Guang couldn't help but ask, "That Seven Willard... exactly how old did he live to be?" Heya looked bewildered and shook her head. "I don't know. I only remember that he seemed to have lived for a very long time." *All right.* Chu Guang dropped the question. "Yet the others still died." Heya nodded. "Yes. Most of our ancestors were individuals unfit for cryogenic hibernation. Strictly speaking, so was I, but I'm somewhat different from them." With that, Heya showed Chu Guang her arm. Near her pulse, a silver line was visible. Chu Guang frowned slightly. "Cybernetic modification?" Heya nodded. "Because of my DNA defect, my cybernetic modification reached seventy-nine percent. Basically, any organ you can name, I had replaced with a bionic counterpart. I imagine... that might be why I survived." Gripping the armrests with both hands, Chu Guang immediately asked, "How did you produce bionic organs?" Heya explained, "The black box, a product of Project Ark. It's a miraculous device—you only need to input a few basic raw materials to obtain preset products. Our black box primarily produced bionic organs, but during that rebellion, they were almost entirely stolen by the Torch." Hearing that they were stolen, Chu Guang felt a twinge of heartache. Being stolen was bad enough, but it had happened twenty years ago. Even if they could be found, whether they were still usable was hard to say! "What are your plans now?" Heya looked lost and shook her head. "I don't know, but the Administrator instructed us that if anyone survived, they should find other vaults and tell them our story. Oh, right, there's a suit of power armor in the Administrator's office. He said it would help us—" "I've already salvaged it, along with his VM." Looking at this bewildered young woman, Chu Guang continued, "If you have nowhere to go, why not join us? We happen to need an expert well-versed in biology." Heya was slightly taken aback, then nodded gently. "I don't mind. Though my research might not necessarily be of help to you..." At this point, as if suddenly remembering something, an embarrassed expression appeared on her face. "Right, there's a matter... I wonder if I might ask a favor of you?" Ever helpful, Chu Guang smiled and said, "Go ahead, what is it?" Heya offered a somewhat shy smile and spoke politely. "Um... could you lend me some DNA? I'd like to study it." Chu Guang: "???" Right then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed immediately by a knock. "Come in." The door opened. Liu Ding, vice captain of the guard corps, stepped briskly into the reception room, his face solemn. "Administrator, an aircraft has arrived from the south." *An aircraft?* Chu Guang was briefly taken aback, his gaze turning deadly serious in an instant as he surged to his feet. "Take a few men over. I'll be right behind you!"