Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

Ending his call with Ye Luoshuanghua, Su Wu gazed at the bright, orderly lights of the control center and let out a silent sigh.

The disaster had arrived. Tonight would undoubtedly be another sleepless night.

August 20th, 2:00 AM.

At the Farmhouse Shelter's sixth underground level, within the large equipment assembly center, the final Ore-Type Transporter was being modified. Under the precise control of robotic arms, its originally semi-open cargo bed was heightened and sealed into a watertight metal container.

Once completed, the vehicle rumbled to life and joined nine other similarly modified transporters waiting in the multilevel parking lot. The convoy, one by one, boarded the shelter's lift platform and emerged onto the surface.

The moment they left the shelter's protective cover, the torrential rain lashed against the pitch-black vehicles, raising a misty layer of water vapor over their exteriors.

"Ambient temperature: 17 degrees Celsius. Radiation level: zero," the onboard sensors reported, transmitting the data back to the underground control center.

The report caught Su Wu's attention.

"The temperature has dropped again. Looks like we're entering autumn—or maybe even early winter," Su Wu mused.

Through the transporters' onboard cameras, he watched on the control room's large main screen as the rain, nearly forming fine threads under the vehicles' headlights, fell into puddles on the ground and erupted into dense splashes. Even in the warmth of his office, the scene gave Su Wu a faint chill.

"Continue the mission," Su Wu ordered.

At this point, his forces included four Ore-Type Transporters and two specialized vehicles, collectively forming four dedicated transport convoys and two mixed-use teams.

The latter two were stationed at the limestone mine for excavation operations and at the city ruins for scavenging scrap materials.

Now, the four dedicated transport convoys—all recently modified for waterproofing—had been dispatched. Three convoys focused on ferrying resources from Jingyuan Shelter back to the Farmhouse Shelter while also handling external trade.

The fourth convoy, which Su Wu was monitoring, was tasked with transferring coal and processed steel from Qingning Shelter to the limestone mine.

As the convoy entered the heavy rain, it followed a well-trodden route to Qingning Shelter.

At Qingning, the shelter bustled with activity. Thousands braved the downpour, rushing to waterproof and fortify the exposed sections of the shelter. This scene was but a fraction of Su Wu's broader operation. Across his territory, more than 100,000 people were mobilized, working tirelessly through the night to prepare for the potential onslaught of flooding.

The convoy's stay at Qingning was brief. Upon arrival at the first underground level, hundreds of workers, pre-dispatched under AI direction, efficiently loaded the vehicles with materials before hurrying back to their own duties.

Fully loaded, the convoy departed for the limestone mine, soon entering the mountainous terrain.

Here, the conditions worsened dramatically. The rain-soaked mountain roads, hastily carved by the excavation team, were slick with mud. As the convoy pushed forward, the transporters' tracks churned through the sludge, significantly slowing their pace.

"This is after only a single day of rain," Su Wu muttered, frowning. A more serious concern dawned on him. With no vegetation left to hold the soil, prolonged rainfall would likely turn landslides into an everyday occurrence.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a deafening rumble echoed through the mountains.

A steep slope the convoy had just passed collapsed, sending a cascade of stones and mud tumbling down.

"Talk about bad timing," Su Wu grumbled, checking on the convoy.

Luckily, only the last vehicle had been struck by a few rocks, while the others remained unharmed. However, the landslide had effectively cut off the route behind them, stranding the convoy with no way to return.

Thirty minutes later, after battling the relentless rain and muddy paths, the convoy finally arrived at the limestone mine.

Along the way, they encountered three additional landslides. Thankfully, one was minor, and the other two occurred after they had passed, sparing the convoy from further setbacks.

However, conditions at the mine were no better.

Rainwater had flooded the exposed pits, halting excavation operations and threatening the cement production lines. There was a real risk of the equipment being submerged and rendered inoperable.

"It looks like restoring operations here won't be feasible for a while," Su Wu muttered, troubled.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to implement a major overhaul at the mine.

His plan was to construct a new underground facility on higher ground and relocate the cement production equipment there. With torrential rain likely to become the new norm, this was the only way to ensure uninterrupted cement production.

Building an underground facility, even with minimal requirements, was essentially equivalent to constructing a new shelter.

This would demand a significant investment of time, materials—including vast quantities of cement and metal—and a dedicated team of engineering robots to handle infrastructure, power systems, and ventilation.

While the mine's existing stockpile of cement and the convoy's recently delivered coal and metal resources could meet the construction needs, transporting additional engineering robots posed a challenge. The roads, blocked by landslides, made it nearly impossible for reinforcements to arrive.

"We'll take it step by step," Su Wu murmured. "If necessary, I'll resort to aerial transport."

His thoughts turned to the K2-series agricultural drones stored in the shelter.

Currently, the Farmhouse Shelter's manufacturing center had the capability to produce K2 drones, which could carry up to 40 kg. With some survival points invested in upgrading the drones, they could likely handle transporti

ng the necessary equipment and personnel through the air.

(End of Chapter)