Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.

Chapter 228: Lisha Qinn and Ooops.



Every Monday, there was a general meeting in Fortress Four after breakfast. Unlike other Mondays, the case would not be the same on this one. For one, the presidents were not interested in attending and two, many people just wanted to stay indoors and nap.

It was -42 degrees Celsius. The effects of the extreme cold were being felt even within the wall base. It always took the Thermaline seeds an hour to adjust to new temperature. For the humans, it was taking even longer.

Lisha was wrapped in a jacket that was lined with wool from the mutated sheep, and she had thrown on two blankets for extra heat.

She was in her office, waiting for the thermaline seed to increase the heat. As for the fireplace, it was doing its best but what she wanted was to feel normal. By that, she wanted summer kind of warmth.

She took a small sip of her hot milk chocolate, leaned towards the microphone and started her daily morning address. "Good morning residents. Welcome to another week in the apocalypse.

This is Lisha Quinn, your head of communications in Fortress Four. If any lucky resident had awakened or showed signs of awakening, please report to me or the medic bay and you will be upgraded upon confirmation of your change."

Residents that were listening frowned and those that could see the speakers all around the base looked at them. Lisha's voice sounded a little smoother and more mechanical this morning. Her voice sounded like a computer generated one which made announcements at airports and subways.

They would be right to guess that. Lisha had tinkered with the system to make the change. She was bored and looking for something to occupy her time.

"There will be no general meeting today and everyone that has come to the information center should go to their respective posts or homes. You can also visit your friends or lovers and laugh, cry or just indulge in gossip.

Whatever you do, don't make babies, no matter how cold it gets, and you embrace each other for warmth. Use protection, visit the medic bay and get a shot or a pill. If you do find yourself pregnant, it is not a crime. Ooops babies happen all the time.

Hi Warren."

She stopped and giggled.

Residents blinked, many in a state of a confusion. Since when was the morning broadcast informal? Was Warren Quinn an Ooops or accidental baby?

Lisha cleared her throat and continued, "If you find yourself in that situation, make sure that you report to the medic bay so that your pregnancy is monitored carefully. The doctors will make sure that mother and child both make it through the pregnancy and birth.

President Suni would like me to inform you all that the command centers are off limits to civilians with the exception of those that work in that department. Soldiers who are not on duty should not go in and out as they please as well.

I am Lisha Quinn, and I will be here all day. Adios."

The residents that had entered the information center, grumbled as they left. Low murmurs that were swelling into discontent especially among those that had complaints to raise. Some simply liked causing trouble because there was not much to do.

"Without access to the monitors in the command centers, how will we know what is outside every day?"

"It is not such a big deal. Who wants to know what is outside anyway?" A woman muttered.

Dwayne was sitting in a chair near the entrance of the information center, and he heard some of the grumbling going around so he raised his voice and said, "For those of you who want to know what is beyond the wall, you can by all means walk out of the gate and take a tour." He forced a smile on his face. "Please, enjoy the beautiful scenery." His sarcastic tone made the woman scoff.

Sunshine, standing behind the door of her office in the second wall giggled. "They have a fully stocked theater, a library and many other things to keep them entertained and yet they complain about being bored all the time. They should use their time to train more then."

"The command center is not a toilet that they can access as they please. Do not let them bother you." Hadrian added.

"Who is going for the tour, I am taking down names." Dwayne announced.

People hastened their speed, some even started running as if Dwayne was going to grab them and register their names.

As civilians walked out, soldiers walked into the information center and sat in a relaxed manner discussing this and that. But a few sat stiffly like they could sense that they were in trouble, their faces shadowed by apprehension.

Private Craydon was among the troubled ones. He had his head lowered and chewed on his lower lip nervously. I can take any punishment as long as we are not thrown out. He thought to himself.

The doors were closed when the hall filled up and then the members of the committee took their seats. The soldiers were so well behaved that they immediately stopped talking and sat at attention as if they were in a military parade.

Major Elio's tone was heavier than stone when he stepped forward. "I am disappointed in most of you," he began. "A marauder, an enemy of ours sneaked in here. He saw fit to call you all lax and easy prey. It seems that you allowed yourselves to forget what you are here for or why we are living behind walls and gates."

Hades' voice followed, sharp and cutting. "You made an agreement when you came here. You were to guard this place with your lives. That was the price of the food that you enjoy, the roofs over your families' heads and medicines for your children. You have grown soft, careless forgetting that we are in an apocalypse with dangers lurking around. But that, will not stand."

The soldiers shifted uneasily, shame thick in the air.

Sunshine's eyes burned cold fire as she added her own warning. "Each of you has a copy of the contracts that were signed. Go back and read through, break them and I will not hesitate to dismiss you. Which means that you leave this place with your families. Without shelter. Without supplies. Do not test my patience, I have very little of that left."

The silence that followed was suffocating; fear had replaced the laxity in the soldiers' eyes.

Major Elio took command again, his voice firm, almost fatherly but aged with steel. "No more smoking on duty. No more gossiping by the wall instead of watching the residents or taking note of what is out of place. We have many soldiers and yet Ariel Quinn was the one who noticed the marauder.

Isn't this a shame to us? Can we brag about the advantages we bring to the base if a child is doing our job? From now on, shifts will change every four hours, and I expect everyone to stay alert all the time.

If you see anyone that is a little too interested in the security protocols of our base, report them. If anyone violates the rules, report them."

Then, Sunshine's gaze turned sharp as a knife. "Private Craydon, step forward."

A ripple of tension coursed through the crowd as the young man obeyed, stiff and pale.


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