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[DUBBED] Blizzard Reset- The Second Life Survival Plan - Short Drama Full HD 720p #ADB
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The pain ceased, replaced by a hallucination of my soul freezing.
00:04What is minus 94 degrees like?
00:07Each exhale turns into shards that pierce your lungs.
00:10Your blood flow slows.
00:12Even steel turns brittle and breaks.
00:14In my past life, I watched my limbs turn dark and go numb.
00:18My younger sister Jess had on the last coat she took from me,
00:21cuddled in Wade's arms, laughing behind the door.
00:24Vera, you have more body fat.
00:26We need this coat more than you do.
00:29I wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
00:32Human malice is colder than the harshest winter.
00:35I woke with a jolt.
00:36My back soaked in cold sweat.
00:38It was extremely hot.
00:40The cicadas outside were loud.
00:42I reached for my phone.
00:43July 15th, 2025, 95 degrees.
00:47I'm still alive.
00:48I searched for a pendant, wishing I had a storage space.
00:51Nothing.
00:51I tried to call out to the system.
00:53Nothing.
00:54Nothing at all.
00:55All that was left was my bank balance and the blazing sun outside.
00:58I had no powers or storage space, but I still had my memories.
01:02I still had my parents.
01:04Vera?
01:04The door swung open.
01:06Seeing me, my parents were stunned and thrilled.
01:10They returned, too.
01:12We tightly hugged one another.
01:14Dad's hands shook.
01:15Tears streamed down Mom's face.
01:17This time, we're done being nice for nothing.
01:19Dad wiped his face, his gaze hardening.
01:21We'll be fine.
01:22We still have one another and this house.
01:25It hasn't reached minus 94 degrees yet.
01:28We can build a shelter to survive.
01:30We need money.
01:31Mom dashed to the safe and emptied its contents onto the bed.
01:36Vera, go through all our liquid assets.
01:39Max, sell this house fast.
01:41We'll only take cash.
01:43I opened the banking app.
01:45There were no loans or overdrafts.
01:47It was our hard-earned money.
01:49Every cent had to be used wisely.
01:52Only 30 days left until the apocalypse.
01:55The bell rang.
01:56Even without opening the door, I knew who was there.
02:00It was Jess.
02:01She came from money for her boyfriend Wade's business.
02:04I opened the door.
02:05Jess walked in, wearing an entitled expression.
02:08Are Dad and Mom home?
02:10Give me $500,000 or I'm leaving home.
02:13In my past life, I went all in to get that money.
02:16This time, I looked over at my parents.
02:19Mom kept tapping on the calculator without looking up.
02:22Okay.
02:23Jess froze.
02:24Surprised by how easy it was, her face flickered with joy.
02:27Wait.
02:28Dad put out his cigarette and took a document from his briefcase.
02:32Sign this.
02:33Declaration of Relationship Severance.
02:35Dad, what do you mean?
02:37This money is meant to sever our ties.
02:39Dad's tone was cold.
02:41Take the money and your life is no longer our concern.
02:45We're going to sell this house.
02:48What?
02:48Are you crazy?
02:49Jess stared at us.
02:51You'd sell the house to make me break up?
02:53Will you sign it or not?
02:54I handed her a pen.
02:56Sign it or you get nothing.
02:57With $500,000, you can go wherever you want.
03:01Jess looked at the check.
03:02Greed won over reason.
03:03She thought we were just bluffing.
03:05I'll sign.
03:06Don't come begging me when Wade gets rich.
03:08She quickly signed it, took the check, and stormed out.
03:11As the door closed, Mom briefly trembled, then composed herself.
03:16Without her, there's one less mouth to feed.
03:18What comes next is what matters most.
03:21We had a total of $10 million.
03:23We needed a vehicle for extreme cold, hundreds of tons of coal, a renovated shelter, and food supplies for 10
03:30years.
03:30When survival was at stake, $10 million was nothing.
03:34Let's go.
03:34Dad looked at the empty house, his expression firm.
03:37Only the air raid shelter in the village can endure minus 94 degrees after proper insulation work.
03:42The house in Irwin Village would serve as our last stronghold.
03:46Without spatial ability, we can't store supplies instantly.
03:50Our greatest challenge was storage and preservation.
03:53Dad used the experience he had built over his career.
03:56Standing before the abandoned shelter, loo prints in hand, he shouted at the construction team we paid a fortune for.
04:02What I require isn't insulation, but full isolation.
04:06Isolation!
04:07With just $10 million, Dad still spent $3 million on infrastructure.
04:12Don't worry.
04:13Dad saw the reluctance on my face.
04:15When temperatures drop to minus 94 degrees, every bit of insulation is life-saving.
04:21My challenge was extreme stockpiling.
04:25I had to account for every cubic foot.
04:27The villagers assembled, as trucks continuously delivered supplies.
04:32Max, are you opening a supermarket?
04:35You sold your city house just for this?
04:37While carrying a 50-pound box of canned peaches, I wiped my sweat and smiled.
04:43Yeah, we couldn't get by in the city, so we returned to run a business.
04:47The glare of the sun was still blinding.
04:50I alone knew that this messy, overcrowded stockpile would turn into a treasure in a month, driving even the rich
04:57to envy.
04:59Mom suddenly rushed over.
05:01Looking grim.
05:03Vera, we have a problem.
05:05We're out of money.
05:06The diesel generator hasn't been bought.
05:08We also didn't buy enough thermal clothing.
05:11We're selling it.
05:12I glanced at the van used for transporting goods.
05:15Then, at the gold bracelet on my wrist.
05:18We'll sell everything except what we're wearing.
05:20Only three days left.
05:23Temperatures fluctuated abnormally.
05:25104 degrees by day, falling to 50 degrees at night.
05:29The fluctuations made the dogs bark all night.
05:32The yard was packed tight.
05:34Organizing supplies was challenging.
05:36Dad loaded two side rooms with 50 tons of coal, bricked up the windows, left a tiny access opening, and
05:42covered the outside with weeds.
05:44The biggest problem was diesel.
05:46The generator was our final power backup.
05:48Under strict control, storing tons of diesel was impossible.
05:52The construction team's gone.
05:54But the fuel?
05:55Mom gazed at the empty metal tanks, her anxiety rising.
05:58Dad gritted his teeth and reached out to a contractor he met back in his construction days.
06:04Nate, I need fuel.
06:05Don't ask why.
06:06I'm running a greenhouse farm.
06:08I'll pay 50% extra.
06:10Cash on delivery.
06:11That night, a modified truck quietly pulled into the yard.
06:15Dad placed two boxes of cash, amounting to $600,000, into the driver's seat.
06:20Once connected, the black tube pulsed like veins as diesel flowed into the underground tank.
06:25Mom and I kept watch.
06:27Heidi from next door came out, peering about.
06:30What are they doing this late?
06:32It reeks of gasoline.
06:34I tightened my grip on the flashlight and told her the septic tank was clogged,
06:37and we were clearing it out.
06:39It stinks.
06:40You should go inside.
06:41Heidi pinched her nose and went back inside.
06:44Once the tank was full, Dad slumped against the wall in relief.
06:48We're all set.
06:49Food, coal, diesel, medicine.
06:52Whatever happens, we can survive three years.
06:55An urgent weather alert suddenly disrupted the news.
06:59Stratospheric collapse will plunge global temps in 24 hours.
07:03I looked at my phone.
07:05Jess sent a photo of her dining at a luxury hotel.
07:07You're out in the countryside while I'm in a presidential suite.
07:11At midday on August 15th, the glaring sunlight suddenly dimmed.
07:15The sky was cloudless, but it looked strangely gray.
07:19The air became still.
07:20Even the cicadas stopped chirping.
07:23Dad urged us to enter the shelter.
07:25It was pure survival instinct.
07:26We rushed into the shelter.
07:28As rehearsed, Dad shut the outer wooden door and the blast-resistant door.
07:33As the winch turned, the final airtight thermal door shut firmly and locked with a click.
07:39Silence fell.
07:40Battery-powered LED lights dimly lit the shelter.
07:43We had installed periscope-style observation ports.
07:46I looked at the thermometer outside.
07:4895 degrees.
07:4986 degrees.
07:5168 degrees.
07:52It fell below the freezing point in no time.
07:54The raindrops froze into ice.
07:57Heavy snow followed.
07:58Each snowflake was palm-sized, grayish, with a sulfuric smell.
08:02At 3 p.m., it had dropped to minus 4 degrees outside.
08:06It felt like the earth had been submerged in liquid nitrogen.
08:09The loudspeaker came on.
08:11The village chief's voice quivered.
08:12Everyone, keep warm and stay indoors.
08:15The voice stopped.
08:16Perhaps the lines snapped, or the speaker had frozen.
08:19Through the port, I saw a villager who hadn't returned home stumbling toward his house.
08:23As he ran, his movements suddenly stiffened.
08:26Like a rusted, wind-up toy, just before reaching his front door, he dropped to the ground.
08:32Chaos outside.
08:34Shelter.
08:35Another world.
08:36The aerogel insulation worked well.
08:38No heating.
08:39Geothermal and body heat kept the shelter at 59 degrees.
08:42A thick sweatshirt sufficed.
08:44A padded sweatshirt was enough to stay warm.
08:46Dad ran a detector over the door seams and vents to ensure they were airtight.
08:50Both carbon dioxide and oxygen levels are normal.
08:53No air leakage.
08:54Mom dug through the supplies and took out a coal stove.
08:57Use coal first to save electricity.
09:00Smokeless coal crackled as it burned.
09:02Fire danced beneath the kettle.
09:04Dinner was simple.
09:05Noodles with three fried eggs and canned meat on top.
09:08At times like this, a bowl of steaming noodles was truly satisfying.
09:12We sat around the coal stove, eating quietly without a word.
09:15The signal was intermittent.
09:17Before the network collapsed, I opened social media.
09:20Panic everywhere.
09:21Despite being set to 86 degrees, it's still freezing.
09:24My window froze and shattered.
09:26A message suddenly popped up.
09:28It was Jess.
09:29Vera, what's going on?
09:31The air conditioning system went down.
09:33We're freezing here.
09:34We want to stay at your place.
09:35Come pick us up.
09:36I stared at the screen and told her the roads were blocked, so we couldn't pick them up.
09:40I then blocked her.
09:42As I set down my phone, a dull thud came from the ventilation duct above.
09:46Someone was hitting the camouflage layer.
09:49It stopped after a few thuds.
09:51Dad motioned us to keep quiet.
09:53He listened closely with a listening device.
09:55It's Frank and his gang.
09:57They're seeking shelter.
09:59Our camouflage is well made.
10:01Topped with rotten wood and bricks.
10:03Thinking it was a ruin, they left after kicking it twice.
10:06Frank was the village's bully.
10:07Needless to say, he had no food stored at home.
10:10Over three days, temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees.
10:14Life in the shelter grew boring.
10:16There was no entertainment, only faint light and relentless snowstorms.
10:20To conserve fuel, we only used the coal stove for four hours a day.
10:24We used arctic sleeping bags for the rest of the time.
10:27On the fourth day, villagers went around asking for coal.
10:30Through the port, I saw villagers wrap tightly in quilts.
10:34They used axes and crowbars to smash Heidi's door.
10:37Heidi, we're fellow villagers.
10:39Give us coal.
10:41Open up or we'll break in.
10:42Heidi's cries could be heard.
10:44Then I heard the door break.
10:46The screams stopped in under five minutes.
10:48The villagers carried off two sacks of coal.
10:51One of the axes still had blood on it.
10:53They'll find us soon.
10:54Dad cleaned his composite bow.
10:56It was his only ranged weapon, though we minimized chimney smoke.
11:00Thermal imaging or starving people with sensitive noses can still detect heat.
11:04A face suddenly appeared in the observation port.
11:07Frank was at the hidden ventilation outlet.
11:09Sniffing hard.
11:10His face lit up with excitement.
11:12There is meat below.
11:13We were found.
11:14But Dad didn't panic.
11:16This shelter was built for this exact day.
11:18Frank motioned for two of his men to dig into the vent.
11:21As soon as they touched the mesh covering the vent, a blue-violet spark flared.
11:26It was a high-voltage device.
11:28It wasn't lethal, but it could knock them off their feet.
11:31A scream was heard outside.
11:33There's electricity!
11:34Max has been on guard against us.
11:37At minus 40 degrees, getting injured or sweating from panic can lead to hypothermia.
11:42They retreated after cursing in frustration.
11:44This was only the start.
11:46A greater crisis came that night.
11:48The power grid went down.
11:50The town's faint lights were visible earlier, but they all went out.
11:53The world became pitch black.
11:55Our phones became useless.
11:56Even the last signal vanished.
11:59We were isolated.
12:00Dad told us to start the diesel generator.
12:02A low rumble came from the soundproof room.
12:05Despite the soundproofing, we could still feel the floor faintly vibrating.
12:09We turned on the old radio.
12:10There were occasional transmissions.
12:12Global disaster.
12:13Stay put.
12:14Await rescue.
12:16While counting the remaining coal, Mom suddenly panicked.
12:19Max, look at this corner.
12:20Frost had built up along the shelter's wall.
12:23What's happening?
12:24Dad touched it, and his face went pale.
12:26It's frozen all the way through.
12:28The soil has frozen 10 feet deep.
12:30The cold seeps into the wall.
12:32If it drops to minus 94 degrees, our insulation may not withstand it.
12:37The city's once glamorous hotel had become a huge ice coffin.
12:41Even in her expensive fur coat, Jess couldn't stop shivering.
12:45Wade crouched in a corner, wrapped entirely in the curtains.
12:48All the wooden furniture had been burned.
12:50Even the luxury bed was turned to ash.
12:52There's no food left.
12:54Wade had a sinister gaze.
12:56They had spent the entire $500,000.
12:58They spent it on designer bags, watches, and a useless fur coat.
13:03They didn't buy any food.
13:04Let's go find your sister.
13:06Wade suddenly stood up.
13:07His eyes flickered with madness.
13:09She must be prepared.
13:11And the countryside has firewood.
13:12How do we get there?
13:13It's minus 58 degrees outside.
13:15I have a car.
13:16Wade took out a car key.
13:18It was an off-road vehicle key he took from a corpse.
13:21That car still works.
13:22If we make it through, we'll live.
13:25The two charged out frantically.
13:26Frozen dead bodies filled the streets.
13:29Some froze as they crawled.
13:31Some were smashing doors.
13:32Luck favored the wicked.
13:34The car really started up.
13:36And it had a full tank.
13:37They drove straight to Irwin Village.
13:39The next day, a car emitting black smoke crashed into a large tree.
13:44The doors opened.
13:45Two figures slowly crawled out.
13:48Jess' face was pale from the cold.
13:50She looked toward our house.
13:51It wasn't fully covered in snow.
13:53Her tears froze at once.
13:55We did it, Wade.
13:56We will live!
13:57We were having dinner.
13:58To stay warm, we had a pot of stew for dinner.
14:01The observation port alarm suddenly buzzed.
14:03Someone was here.
14:05I peered outside, and my eyes widened.
14:07It was Jess and Wade.
14:09They weren't alone.
14:11Frank and his men were following them.
14:13Vera!
14:14Dad!
14:14Mom!
14:15I'm Jess!
14:16Her voice echoed from the loudspeaker,
14:18breaking the village's dead silence.
14:20I know you're inside.
14:22Wade said you sold the house and car and made $10 million.
14:25You must have a lot of food.
14:27Damn it!
14:28This idiot.
14:29To get Frank's help and mercy, she had given away all our secrets.
14:33Everyone!
14:34Jess shouted at the villagers.
14:35My parents are here.
14:36They've hoarded supplies.
14:38If we open the door, we can all survive.
14:41How cruel of her.
14:42Now the villagers were certain we had food.
14:44At the thought of $10 million worth of supplies, Frank waved his hand.
14:49Smash it!
14:50Pickaxes and hammers struck our blast-resistant door.
14:53Mom's hands shook as she held onto Dad's arm.
14:57Dad was expressionless.
14:59He walked to the control panel and turned the valve.
15:03It was connected to a high-pressure pipe.
15:05At minus 58 degrees, water was the deadliest weapon.
15:09Open it.
15:10Dad spoke coldly.
15:12I pulled the handle, nozzles hidden above the doorframe, sprayed water.
15:16It wasn't just water.
15:18Dad added salt to lower its freezing point.
15:20It was liquid before spraying.
15:22On contact with objects, it would freeze instantly.
15:26Screams broke out outside.
15:27Those breaking the door were drenched.
15:29Their clothes froze in seconds.
15:31Their hands were stuck to their tools.
15:34I saw Wade take cover behind Jess, using her as a shield.
15:37She stood frozen like a statue, covered in ice.
15:40Her eyes reflected disbelief and despair.
15:43The extreme cold cut the screams off.
15:46Dad's high-pressure spray system, originally meant for decontamination, had become a deadly defense.
15:52Even at minus 58 degrees, the concentrated salt water stayed liquid and dispersed as supercooled mist.
15:59But on contact with any object, it rapidly absorbed heat and solidified into ice.
16:06Frank ran forward with a homemade shotgun, but was doused instantly.
16:10His fingers stiffened before he could fire.
16:14Frost formed over his face almost instantly.
16:18He tried to wipe his face, but his gloves stuck to his skin.
16:23Wade, save me!
16:25Jess's scream was filled with terror.
16:27Through the port, I saw something terrifying.
16:31When the water burst out, the man who claimed to love her used her as a shield without hesitation.
16:39Her fur coat was quickly drenched.
16:42The soaked coat clung to her slender body.
16:45Wade used her as a shield.
16:47Are you crazy?
16:48It's so cold.
16:49What are you doing?
16:51Jess struggled.
16:52But Wade kept her from moving.
16:53He took cover behind the trembling woman.
16:56His gaze burned with a mad urge to survive and hatred for us.
17:00Don't move.
17:01You're my woman.
17:02You should protect me.
17:03Wade's voice trembled.
17:04Vera, open the door, or Jess will freeze to death.
17:08Jess stopped struggling.
17:09Not out of will, but because she was frozen.
17:12Her fur coat had solidified into icy armor.
17:16Immobilizing her completely, she looked at our observation port.
17:19Her gaze turned from panic and rage into a despairing stare.
17:23Frank's men collapsed and writhed in pain.
17:25The more they struggled, the thicker the ice became.
17:29Even Frank knelt, his body hardening into an ice statue
17:33as he wheezed heavily.
17:35Is the threat over?
17:36No.
17:37Dad pointed to the monitor.
17:38Wade's still alive.
17:40He hardly got wet.
17:41What is he doing?
17:42Realizing Jess was frozen solid,
17:45Wade knocked her to the ground.
17:47He pulled out a homemade incendiary bottle,
17:50lit the fuse,
17:51and charged toward our vent.
17:53I want all of you dead!
17:55The bottle struck the vent's cover.
17:58Flames erupted,
17:59but the extreme cold snuffed them out.
18:01Dad had reinforced the vent with fireproof insulation.
18:04It burned for less than half a minute before extinguishing.
18:07But Wade didn't stop.
18:09Like a madman,
18:10he smashed the duct with a crowbar.
18:12Come out!
18:13Give me food!
18:14I have money!
18:15That fool gave me all the money!
18:17I'll pay you!
18:18He yelled,
18:19his words incoherent,
18:20but he forgot it was minus 58 degrees.
18:23He dodged most of the water,
18:25but his pant legs still got wet.
18:27Through the port,
18:28I watched coldly.
18:30His movements slowed.
18:32Five minutes later,
18:33the banging stopped.
18:34He knelt there,
18:35holding the doorframe,
18:36face pressed against the steel,
18:38eyes wide open.
18:40Outside the door stood five ice statues.
18:43The threat was eliminated,
18:45but our position was exposed.
18:47The ice statues were both a warning and a marker.
18:50The next morning,
18:51Dad checked the instruments.
18:52Suddenly,
18:53his face turned pale.
18:54He tapped the barometer,
18:56his fingers trembling.
18:57This is bad.
18:59My heart immediately sank.
19:00Dad turned to me,
19:02fear in his eyes.
19:03Air pressure is dropping rapidly.
19:06A severe blizzard is coming.
19:08The winds can tear houses from the ground.
19:11Our door was sealed shut by thick ice
19:14formed from last night's water.
19:16If snow blocked the vents,
19:17we'd suffocate from lack of oxygen.
19:20The legendary super blizzard
19:21is more brutal than expected.
19:23It no longer howled,
19:25only gravel scraping steel.
19:27Just then,
19:28the oxygen monitor lets out
19:29a glaring red light in alarm.
19:31The carbon dioxide levels shoot up.
19:33The air duct is blocked.
19:35There's too much snow,
19:36or the layer has collapsed.
19:37If we didn't clear it,
19:38the three of us would suffocate
19:40within three hours.
19:41Dad acted without any hesitation.
19:43He pulled out the spare hydraulic jack
19:45and the alloy drill bit
19:46and aimed at the shaft.
19:48I steadied the drill rod
19:49as Mom cranked the fan
19:50to vent leftover air.
19:52The lack of air made me dizzy
19:53and my lungs burned.
19:55Ten minutes later,
19:56there was a sharp clang.
19:57The drill got stuck.
19:59It hit metal.
20:00A hint of joy showed on Dad's face.
20:02It's a car chassis.
20:03Wind flipped a car onto the shaft.
20:05The jack let out a heavy groan.
20:07With a dull thud,
20:08the creaking of metal came from above.
20:10A stream of cold
20:12yet incredibly sweet air rushed in.
20:14We gasped for air greedily.
20:16Dad pushed open the cover.
20:17I quickly looked out through the gap.
20:19Sure enough,
20:20it was Frank's SUV.
20:22It was like a giant lid
20:23blocking the snow.
20:24I turned and looked into the distance.
20:26My heart suddenly jolted.
20:28On the silent snow field
20:30lay fresh footprints.
20:31I followed the trail
20:33and adjusted the periscope.
20:34Three hunched figures appeared.
20:36Jason,
20:37a guy from the village,
20:38led them.
20:38Usually harmless,
20:39he now led two guy
20:41to pry open the shared grain storage.
20:43The door opened,
20:44but the inside was empty.
20:46Only a few moldy old grains
20:48and rat droppings remained.
20:49In that instant,
20:50any pretense of decency was gone.
20:53Jason suddenly raised half a brick
20:55and smashed his companion's head.
20:57Blood sprayed everywhere,
20:58like a glaring red flower.
21:00He iced the two men
21:02and took the spoiled grain.
21:03He grabbed a handful
21:04and ate it greedily.
21:06Down in the shelter,
21:06I was eating lunch.
21:07It was a steaming hot,
21:09self-heating meal kit.
21:10The aroma filled the room.
21:11Starvation erases humanity.
21:13Dad picked up some beef
21:14and stared at the screen blankly.
21:16This is the current gap.
21:18Some kill for moldy rice,
21:19while others eat meat
21:20in a warm shelter.
21:22Jason dragged the bloodied sack
21:23to leave.
21:24Suddenly, he froze.
21:26Three pairs of glowing green dots
21:27appeared in the distance.
21:29It was three starving wolves.
21:31Beasts that survived
21:32in this frozen hell
21:33were the top of the chain.
21:35Jason had no time to run.
21:36The first wolf
21:37quickly snapped at his calf.
21:39The second one
21:39went for his throat.
21:41His screams lasted a short while
21:42on the audio receiver.
21:44The red liquid
21:44quickly froze on the snow.
21:46The bag of moldy grains
21:47he killed for
21:48spilled everywhere.
21:50The wolves didn't even look at it.
21:51After feeding,
21:52they didn't leave.
21:53The three wolves
21:54circled around the vent.
21:55Their nostrils twitched.
21:56They caught the scent of humans.
21:58Dad put down his utensils
22:00and walked to the workbench.
22:01He welded spiked iron bars
22:03behind the blast door.
22:04A forced entry
22:05spells death.
22:06While Mom was sorting
22:07the coal we used for heating,
22:09she suddenly gasped.
22:10Max, look!
22:11A box fell
22:12from a hidden compartment
22:13of the coal bin.
22:14Inside were ten boxes
22:15of antibiotics.
22:16This was a gift
22:17from the coal seller.
22:18We didn't care before,
22:19but now,
22:19it was life-saving medicine
22:21worth a lot.
22:22As we celebrated
22:23the unexpected gift,
22:24the quiet radio lit up red.
22:26After some static,
22:27a man's voice came through
22:28with a sneer.
22:29Found it.
22:30There's a good target
22:31in Irwin Village.
22:32We act tomorrow.
22:34Bring the flamethrower
22:34and burn through the shell.
22:36The static was like
22:37fingernails
22:38on a chalkboard.
22:39Dad tuned the old radio.
22:41His face flickered
22:42in the red indicator light.
22:43A stranger's voice
22:44from before came again.
22:45It felt like he was next to us.
22:47Confirmed.
22:48It's that house.
22:49Frank died there
22:49a few days ago.
22:50There are noticeable
22:51ice statues at the entrance.
22:53It was our goods.
22:54Those bodies frozen
22:55at the entrance
22:56had finally attracted vultures.
22:58There must be
22:59something underground.
23:00Those statues
23:00aren't even searched.
23:02Dad turned it off.
23:03The shelter fell silent.
23:04Prepare to fight.
23:05This time,
23:06we were no longer
23:07just defending.
23:08Mom dug out bottles
23:09of high-proof liquor
23:10from the supplies.
23:11We usually couldn't
23:12bear to drink it.
23:13The bottles
23:13were smashed open.
23:15The liquid was poured
23:15in glass bottles.
23:17Oil-soaked rags
23:18were stuffed
23:18into the openings.
23:19I sat by the whetstone
23:21and held the bow.
23:21The arrowheads
23:22made a scraping sound
23:23against the stone.
23:24A cold glint
23:25reflected.
23:26No fear.
23:27Just adrenaline-fueled calm.
23:29In this brutal world,
23:30being weak
23:31was a sin.
23:32Late at night,
23:32the voice came again.
23:34They sounded
23:34overly confident.
23:35Tomorrow at midnight,
23:36us three will go.
23:37It's so few people.
23:39I'm sure they can't
23:39withstand a flamethrower.
23:41Wind and snow raged.
23:43A roar split the darkness.
23:45Three snowmobiles
23:46burst through the snowstorm.
23:47They stopped
23:48at the entrance.
23:49Through the periscope,
23:50I saw three heavily
23:51bundled up figures.
23:52They wasted no time.
23:54The leader waved,
23:55and a man with a tank
23:56stepped forward.
23:57Whoosh!
23:58A flame of over
23:5930 feet long
24:00burst out instantly.
24:01It was an industrial
24:02flamethrower.
24:03The orange flames
24:04looked unnatural
24:05in this minus 58 degrees world.
24:08The thick ice
24:09sealing the door
24:09melted under the heat
24:11and turned into steam.
24:12The steel door
24:13turned from black iron
24:14to deep red.
24:15Then,
24:16cherry red.
24:17Inside the shelter,
24:18the temperature alarm blared.
24:19The initially cold shelter
24:20instantly turned
24:21into an oven.
24:22We stripped off our gear.
24:23Sweat poured
24:24down our faces.
24:25Heat seeped
24:26through the cracks.
24:27It smelled
24:27like burning metal.
24:29It won't last
24:29much longer.
24:30The gaskets will melt.
24:31Mom tightened her grip
24:32on the Molotov.
24:33Dad just calmly
24:34stared at the screen.
24:35His hand rested
24:36on a red button.
24:37It was a dry powder
24:37fire suppression system
24:38he designed.
24:39But this time,
24:40it wasn't loaded
24:41with fire suppressant.
24:42Instead,
24:43it had starch
24:44he'd gotten from a mill.
24:45You want a fire?
24:45I'll give you a big one.
24:47Dad slammed down
24:48the switch.
24:50Blast!
24:51Hidden overhead vents
24:52gushed white plumes.
24:54That wasn't smoke.
24:55It was extremely
24:56fine flour.
24:57The immense pressure
24:58made it engulf
24:59the entire entrance
25:00at a high concentration.
25:01It enveloped
25:02the man with
25:02the flamethrower.
25:03He clearly
25:04hadn't studied physics.
25:05He had no time
25:06to react.
25:07He kept his finger
25:08on the trigger.
25:09The open flame
25:09met the high concentration dust.
25:12Boom!
25:12An explosion
25:13sounded like
25:14a thunderclap
25:14from the sky.
25:15A fiery shockwave
25:16engulfed everything.
25:18The periscope screen
25:19flashed white.
25:20Then came
25:21a violent tremor.
25:22Dust rained down
25:23from above.
25:24A short while later,
25:25I could see again.
25:26The ground was scorched.
25:27The man with
25:28the flamethrower
25:29was gone.
25:30Nothing left
25:30but charred remains.
25:32Another man nearby
25:32was blasted
25:33over 30 feet away.
25:35He hung on a branch.
25:36His fate
25:36was unknown.
25:38I tightened
25:39my grip on the bow.
25:40Dad stared
25:40at the corner
25:41of the screen.
25:41The leader
25:42was lucky.
25:43He was farther away
25:44and had gotten
25:44knocked over.
25:45His face
25:46was covered in blood,
25:47one arm twisted.
25:48Still,
25:49he managed to stagger
25:50to his feet.
25:51He sneered.
25:51With his other hand,
25:52he pulled a green object
25:54from his coat.
25:55He pulled the pin
25:56and pressed it firmly
25:56against the mangled door.
25:58Come out,
25:59or I'll let go.
26:00We'll get blown up together.
26:02Calm down.
26:03I turned on the loudspeaker.
26:04I was so calm
26:05that it felt strange
26:06even to me.
26:08You can blow a hole,
26:09but I've got piles.
26:11We have 10 tons
26:12of TNT down here.
26:13If you let go,
26:14we'll all burn together.
26:16That was an outright lie.
26:18Now it all hinged
26:19on who feared death more.
26:21Sure enough,
26:21the man's eyes flickered.
26:23His fingers
26:23stiffened slightly.
26:24He weighed his options
26:25and hesitated.
26:26At that moment,
26:27Dad stood still
26:28in front of the firing port.
26:30He drew the bow fully.
26:31The bowstring hummed.
26:33The man's wrist
26:34was magnified
26:35through the scope.
26:36The bowstring snapped.
26:37It was a specially made
26:38carbon steel arrow.
26:40It whistled
26:40and pierced clean
26:41through the man's wrist.
26:43It pinned his hand
26:44firmly to the ground.
26:45Ugh!
26:46The pain made him
26:47instinctively let go.
26:48The grenade rolled down the steps
26:49and fell into a snowbank.
26:51It exploded over 30 feet away
26:52and kicked up a cloud.
26:54It didn't damage
26:54the blast door at all.
26:56Before the man
26:56could even recover,
26:58Mom had already lit the Molotov
26:59and thrown it
27:00precisely through the port.
27:02Flames instantly
27:03engulfed the writhing figure.
27:04We didn't step out.
27:06We watched
27:06as they turned
27:07into smoking,
27:08charred lumps
27:08and everything stilled.
27:1030 minutes later,
27:11after it was safe,
27:12Dad went out to clean up.
27:13He pulled out
27:14a fireproof bag
27:15from the corpse
27:15of the leader.
27:16Inside was a hand-drawn map
27:17with Erwin Village
27:19circled in red.
27:20They had wrote,
27:20Suspected Entrance
27:22to Underground Water Vane.
27:23That map
27:24made Dad's eyes light up.
27:26If we had running water,
27:27our quality of life
27:28could change.
27:29Dad pointed at the lines
27:30on the map.
27:31Groundwater stays
27:31at a constant temperature.
27:33It's better than bottled water.
27:34According to the map,
27:36that potential groundwater vane
27:37is actually right beneath our house.
27:39The shelter became a work site
27:40for the next few days.
27:42We took turns.
27:43In this tiny area,
27:44we dug down.
27:45It was hard work.
27:47The frozen ground
27:47was as hard as iron.
27:49Each dig of the shovel
27:50sent a shock through us.
27:51We had to use
27:52an electric drill,
27:53then chip it with a pickaxe.
27:55Sweat ran down our backs,
27:56then quickly cooled
27:57in the chilly air.
27:58To conserve energy,
27:59we ate extra hardtack
28:00with our meals.
28:01The cramped space
28:02was filled with the smell
28:03of earth and sweat.
28:04But no one complained.
28:06We all knew
28:06that in this apocalyptic world,
28:08water was life.
28:10It was a currency
28:10stronger than food.
28:12By the third night,
28:13we had reached
28:13nearly 10 feet.
28:15Dad was swinging the pickaxe
28:16when he suddenly stopped.
28:17Thump.
28:18It was no longer
28:19a dull thud,
28:20but a hollow echo.
28:21Dad carefully struck again.
28:23The previously solid ground
28:24collapsed inward
28:25and revealed
28:26a pitch black opening.
28:27A damp breeze
28:28drifted up from below.
28:30The beam of the flashlight
28:32pierced the darkness.
28:33Down below that opening
28:34was actually
28:35a man-made tunnel.
28:36Moss covered
28:37the concrete walls.
28:38We could still see
28:39traces of slogans
28:40from decades ago.
28:41This was an abandoned
28:42air raid network
28:43from the war
28:44and famine era.
28:45Dad went down
28:46first to scout.
28:49A while later,
28:50his trembling voice
28:51sounded.
28:52Come down!
28:52Quickly!
28:53It's running water!
28:54Mom and I slid down
28:55the ladder.
28:56We went through
28:57a narrow hall.
28:57The view suddenly
28:58opened up.
28:59At the tunnel's end,
29:00a river flowed.
29:01It wasn't large,
29:02but under the light beam,
29:04the water sparkled.
29:05I reached out
29:06to touch it.
29:06The water was
29:07a little warm,
29:08about 39 degrees.
29:09Dad held the thermometer.
29:10His cheeks were flushed.
29:12The underground layer
29:13means it's not frozen.
29:14We can use a circulation
29:15system to heat the shelter.
29:17We can even take showers.
29:19At minus 58 degrees,
29:2039 degrees water
29:22was like a hot spring.
29:23We stared greedily
29:24at the river,
29:24as if it were
29:25flowing diamonds.
29:26But then,
29:27just as I was about
29:28to take a water sample,
29:29the light beam
29:30suddenly swept
29:31across the silt.
29:32I froze instantly.
29:33A set of footprints
29:34was clearly imprinted
29:35on the soft mud.
29:36It was very small
29:37and barefoot.
29:38Their toes dug deep in.
29:39The mud was still wet.
29:41Besides us,
29:42there were actually
29:43other people
29:43living underground.
29:44We followed
29:45the small wet footprints
29:46and felt our way
29:48through the air raid shelter.
29:49We turned a corner
29:50piled with moldy crates.
29:51The flashlight beam
29:52froze on a corner.
29:53Something huddled there.
29:54He was thin
29:55from going so long
29:56with no food.
29:57His clothes were torn.
29:59His skin was pale
30:00from years without sunlight.
30:01If not for those
30:02wide, terrified eyes,
30:03I would have thought
30:04it was a skeleton.
30:05It was Dwayne,
30:06the mute orphan
30:07from the village.
30:07He was clutching
30:08a dead rat.
30:09And had blue liquid
30:10coming from his mouth.
30:11Beside him
30:12was a pile of
30:13what looked like moss.
30:14Dad snapped up
30:15Heobo instantly
30:16and aimed between his eyes.
30:17Few supplies.
30:19Another mouth to feed
30:20meant big risk.
30:21Also,
30:22he knew our secret
30:23about the water source.
30:24He gave up.
30:25Closed his eyes,
30:26trembling like a leaf.
30:28For a few seconds,
30:29all we heard
30:29was the water.
30:30Forget it.
30:31Dad lowered his bow.
30:32He took two buns
30:33from his coat
30:34and tossed them over.
30:35Dwayne's eyes snapped open
30:36and he lunged at the buns.
30:38He swallowed them
30:39without chewing.
30:40After eating,
30:41he crawled over.
30:41He grovels frantically to us,
30:43then pointed up.
30:44He spread his arms wide
30:45to mime a huge circle
30:47and made anxious sounds.
30:48He made fists
30:49and mimicked
30:50holding a steering wheel,
30:51then drew a finger
30:52across his throat.
30:53He warned us
30:54that something had come
30:55with killing intent.
30:57We barely had time
30:58to catch our breath
30:59back home
30:59when the ground shook.
31:01It was machinery
31:02vibrating on frozen ground,
31:03not an earthquake.
31:04Even the glasses
31:05on the table rattled.
31:06I immediately went to check.
31:07A convoy tore through the snow,
31:10breaking the silence
31:10of Irwin Village.
31:12It was three
31:12heavily modified trailers.
31:14The fronts were fitted
31:15with snow plows.
31:16Bright red flags
31:17were displayed.
31:18Pledia,
31:19Sector 9 Rescue Team.
31:20It was the government?
31:21Mom's eyes lit up.
31:22No.
31:23Dad zoomed in the periscope.
31:25Look at their shoes.
31:26Those in camouflage
31:27wore cheap,
31:28no-name shoes.
31:29Their weapons
31:30also weren't standardized.
31:31It was a collection
31:32of rifles
31:33and makeshift shotguns.
31:35More importantly,
31:36they didn't immediately
31:36search and rescue.
31:37They kicked a corpse
31:38from the road,
31:39then lit up cigarettes
31:40and laughed.
31:41They're disguised bad guys.
31:43This rescue team
31:44was just a big looting gang
31:46pretending to be officials.
31:47They stopped at the village
31:48and discussed the route.
31:49The last truck,
31:50loaded with coal
31:51and generators,
31:52suddenly smoked
31:53and broke down.
31:54The lead vehicle
31:55didn't stop.
31:56They left behind
31:57two men
31:57and the broken truck.
31:59The main force
32:00rumbled onward.
32:00The stranded truck
32:02was like a treasure
32:03that had stopped
32:03close to our front door.
32:05It's a generator
32:06with five fuel barrels.
32:08Our fuel reserves
32:09were nearly gone.
32:10If we want to keep
32:11the heat and lights,
32:12this might be
32:13our last chance.
32:14Let's do it.
32:15The blizzard at night
32:16was the perfect cover.
32:18Dad and I put on
32:19white polar suits
32:19and crawled across the snow.
32:21The two guards
32:22left behind
32:22had clearly underestimated
32:24this weather.
32:25They huddled in front
32:26with the heater on
32:26and napped after drinks.
32:28Dad pulled out a towel
32:29soaked in ether.
32:30I had to pick the lock.
32:32Click.
32:32The lock was frozen brittle,
32:34so it opened easily.
32:35Dad quickly covered
32:36the man's mouth and nose.
32:37He struggled twice
32:38and then went limp.
32:40I did the same
32:40to the driver.
32:41We didn't try
32:42to move the generator.
32:43Instead,
32:43we took three barrels
32:44of diesel.
32:45Just as we made to leave,
32:46my flashlight swept
32:48under the driver's seat.
32:49I spotted a long
32:50black box.
32:51When we opened it,
32:52both Dad and I
32:53stopped breathing.
32:54It was two gleaming
32:5595 auto rifles
32:56and five full boxes
32:58of ammo.
32:58This was stolen loot
33:00from a real military outpost.
33:01Come on!
33:02We carried the guns,
33:03dragged the barrels,
33:04and ran back.
33:05We had just climbed
33:06over the wall
33:06when we heard engines.
33:08The main team
33:09was back.
33:09The blinding headlights
33:11lit up the now-empty truck.
33:12Furious shouts
33:13and a chaotic burst
33:14of gunfire followed.
33:15The two missing 95 rifles
33:18felt like a huge slap
33:19in the face
33:20that struck the outlaws hard.
33:21Enraged roars echoed
33:23over the village.
33:23But that wasn't
33:24the worst part.
33:25The worst was
33:26they took out
33:27more professional tools,
33:28industrial handheld
33:29thermal cameras.
33:30On that greenish screen,
33:31any trace of body heat
33:33would be completely exposed.
33:34Through the periscope,
33:35I stared intently
33:36at the disguised outlaws.
33:38They combed through
33:39the few remaining ruins
33:40of Erwin Village.
33:41A gunshot rang out.
33:43Mr. Royce,
33:44who was hiding in the east,
33:45was hauled out.
33:46Mr. Royce was 70.
33:48In order to ration his food,
33:49he was stick-thin.
33:51He kneeled on the snow.
33:52Before he could even beg,
33:54a cruel-looking thug
33:55smashed his jaw
33:56with a rifle.
33:57Where's the gun?
33:58The diesel?
33:58Who took them?
33:59The thug stepped on Royce
34:01and spoke coldly.
34:02Mr. Royce could only manage
34:03unintelligible sobs.
34:05Useless!
34:05Another shot fired.
34:07Blood stained the snow.
34:08His body was kicked
34:09into a pit,
34:10as if tossing out the trash.
34:12The second house
34:13and the third house,
34:14the few remaining survivors
34:15were dragged out,
34:16then killed
34:17when they couldn't give an answer.
34:19This wasn't a search.
34:20This was revenge.
34:22Suddenly,
34:22my heart clenched.
34:23The man holding
34:24the thermal imager
34:25stopped walking.
34:26He stood in front of
34:27the pile of rocks
34:28at the entrance.
34:28That was the air raid shelter,
34:30as well as Dwayne's hiding spot.
34:32Sir,
34:32there's a heat source below.
34:34It's weak,
34:35but it's a living person.
34:36The outlaws
34:37instantly got excited.
34:38Like sharks that smelled blood,
34:40they swarmed around it.
34:41They used crowbars
34:43to pry at the slabs
34:44covering the opening.
34:45Dwayne's terrified screams
34:46seemed to reach my ears
34:48even through the thick soil.
34:49He had been found.
34:51Should I save him?
34:52I thought about it
34:53for just a second.
34:54Dwayne knew the secret
34:55of the water source.
34:57If he broke under torture
34:58and talked,
34:59our whole family would die.
35:00Besides,
35:01he was a child.
35:02Someone who had survived
35:03this world
35:04by catching rats.
35:05Prepare to fight.
35:06Dad grabbed the new 95 rifle.
35:09Determined.
35:09Vera,
35:09go to firing port number two.
35:11It's high ground.
35:12Use the bow with the scope.
35:14Or just use the gun.
35:15Create chaos
35:16and draw their fire.
35:17I'll go save that kid.
35:18Dad didn't use the main door.
35:20He climbed into the tunnel
35:21we dug
35:21that linked to the air raid shelter.
35:23I took a deep breath
35:24and ran to firing port two.
35:26Through the scope,
35:27I saw that the thugs
35:28had already dragged Dwayne out.
35:29Dwayne's face
35:30was covered in blood
35:31as he struggled.
35:32A burly man
35:33suspended him in the air.
35:34Won't talk, huh?
35:36You mute?
35:36The man sneered
35:37and pulled a knife
35:38from his belt.
35:38I couldn't wait.
35:39I braced the rifle.
35:41My first real fight.
35:43Yet survival instinct
35:44studied my gun.
35:45Bang.
35:45I missed the first shot.
35:47It hit the ground
35:48beside the man's feet
35:49and kicked up some mud.
35:50But that was enough.
35:51The gunshot echoed
35:52like across the silent snowfield.
35:54It sent the thugs running
35:55and covering their heads.
35:56They dove for cover.
35:57It's guns!
35:59The thieves are over there!
36:00In that moment of chaos,
36:01a strong,
36:02large figure shot out.
36:04From the shadows
36:04of the opening,
36:05Dad grabbed Dwayne's ankle
36:06and yanked him back
36:07into the dark tunnel.
36:08Pull back!
36:09Now!
36:10I yelled into the walkie-talkie.
36:11I blindly fired the gun
36:12into the crowd
36:13and prevented their counter.
36:14The thugs snapped back to it.
36:16A hail of bullets
36:17poured into the opening.
36:18Dad pulled Dwayne along
36:20and rolled into the tunnel
36:21through the gunfire.
36:22In the final moment
36:23before he went in,
36:24I saw his body
36:25jolt violently.
36:26Blood burst
36:27from his left leg.
36:28He stumbled,
36:29then fell heavily
36:30into the hole.
36:31The air in the shelter
36:32froze.
36:33Only a thick smell
36:34of blood spread.
36:35Dad lay on the workbench.
36:37His face was pale.
36:38Cold sweat soaked
36:39through the cushion
36:39beneath him.
36:40On his left thigh,
36:41a gruesome,
36:42bloody hole
36:42was gushing blood.
36:44We could even see the bone.
36:45Luckily,
36:46the main artery
36:47wasn't hit,
36:47but the bullet
36:48was lodged inside.
36:49It had to come out
36:50immediately.
36:51Mom's hands shook,
36:52but her gaze was steady.
36:54She was a veterinarian.
36:55She wasn't new
36:56to surgical sutures.
36:58We had no anesthesia.
36:59The little bit of lidocaine
37:00we had expired long ago.
37:02Do it!
37:03Dad bit down on a stick
37:04wrapped in a towel.
37:05The veins on his forehead
37:06bulged.
37:07I have a feeling
37:07those bustards
37:08will break in.
37:10Mom took a deep breath,
37:11then heated a scalpel
37:12over a lamp.
37:13The sound of flesh
37:14being cut
37:15made us grit our teeth.
37:17Dad's body
37:17tensed up sharply,
37:18and he let out a growl.
37:20His hands gripped the table.
37:22The metal tabletop
37:23was actually dented
37:24from his grip.
37:25I held Dad's leg down
37:26as my eyes welled up,
37:27but I couldn't let them fall.
37:28Dwayne huddled
37:29in the corner.
37:30He shook with fear.
37:31He stared at the bloody hole
37:33in Dad's leg
37:33with a guilty look.
37:35Ten minutes
37:35felt like a century.
37:37Clink!
37:37A deformed bullet
37:38was tossed into the tray.
37:40Mom cleaned the wound
37:41and stitched it up.
37:42When the last stitch was done,
37:44Dad had fainted
37:45from the pain.
37:45The stick in his mouth
37:46was mangled.
37:47The surgery went well,
37:48but Dad would be crippled
37:50for at least a month.
37:51We lost our strongest fighter.
37:53Before we could even relax,
37:55a strange hissing sound
37:56suddenly came from the tunnel.
37:57I looked through
37:58the observation window.
38:00My pupils dilated.
38:01Thick, yellow smoke
38:03seeped through the cracks
38:04of the tunnel.
38:05It was chlorine gas
38:06or some homemade
38:07poison gas bomb.
38:09They couldn't enter
38:09and didn't dare use the tunnel,
38:11so they chose
38:12the cruelest method.
38:13Smoke us to death
38:14inside here.
38:16The yellow smoke
38:17was like a snake
38:18slithering through the gaps
38:19and silently seeping
38:21into the shelter.
38:21The air was filled
38:23with the choking smell
38:24of bleach.
38:24It was high-dose chlorine gas
38:26or some even deadlier
38:28poisonous gas.
38:29Quick, start the ventilation system!
38:31Mom shouted
38:32with her voice
38:32sharp with tension.
38:34She pushed Dad
38:35back onto the bed
38:36and rushed to the panel.
38:37This system was the last
38:38line of defense Dad designed.
38:40It was simple.
38:41A high-powered fan
38:42would blow filtered air
38:44into the room,
38:45increasing the indoor air pressure.
38:46That way,
38:47the gas couldn't flow in.
38:48The backup generator
38:49roared to life.
38:50The fan blades
38:51spun crazily.
38:52I stared at the pressure gauge
38:53and watched the needle
38:54move to the right.
38:55At the same time,
38:56I could smell the odor
38:58being diluted and pushed out.
38:59Although the sealed door
39:01blocked most of the smoke,
39:02when I flashed a light at it,
39:04I could see the edges
39:05of the door hissing
39:06and corroding.
39:07It bubbled strangely.
39:08They couldn't enter
39:09and we couldn't leave.
39:11I gripped the gun
39:12with sweaty palms.
39:13The gas attack
39:13lasted half an hour
39:14before it stopped.
39:15They clearly didn't want
39:16to waste their precious ammo.
39:18But then,
39:19an even more terrifying sound
39:20came from above.
39:22Thud.
39:22It was a digging sound
39:24and the vibration
39:25of drilling the ground.
39:26It's explosives.
39:27Dad spoke weakly from the bed.
39:29His face was ashen.
39:30The gas didn't work.
39:32They'll blow the top
39:33and bury us alive.
39:34Or rip the lid.
39:35If the top collapses,
39:36even just a corner,
39:38the cold would flood in instantly.
39:40We'd have no chance.
39:41We can only await our end.
39:43We must act first.
39:44I glanced at the still-struggling dad
39:46and held him down.
39:47Dad,
39:47you rest.
39:48This time,
39:49Dwayne and I will go.
39:50Dwayne couldn't speak,
39:52but in his clear,
39:53sharp eyes,
39:54there was a fierce tenacity.
39:55He pointed to an area on the map
39:57and made a breaking gesture.
39:58A natural limestone cavern
40:00was deep inside.
40:01Its structure was unstable.
40:03Even a mild tremor
40:04could cause a collapse.
40:05That would be the graveyard
40:06and the burial ground
40:07of those thugs.
40:09Dwayne and I put on gas masks
40:10and slipped into the intricate
40:12underground maze.
40:13Dwayne led the way.
40:14He moved as nimbly.
40:16He didn't even need any light.
40:17We deliberately made noises.
40:20We banged on pipes,
40:21making it seem
40:22as if we escaped in a panic.
40:23Sure enough,
40:24the digging above stopped.
40:26The outlaws heard
40:27the noise underground
40:27and thought we were
40:28trying to escape.
40:29They immediately gave chase.
40:31Over there!
40:32Don't let them escape!
40:33Chaotic footsteps echoed
40:35through the empty tunnels.
40:36Dwayne and I led them
40:37into the cavern area.
40:38The rock walls were covered
40:39with dangling stalactites.
40:41Even the floor had cracks.
40:42At the designated spot,
40:44Dwayne quickly ducked
40:45into a hole
40:46that only he could fit in.
40:47I hid behind a large boulder,
40:49clutching the grenade
40:50we'd stolen from their truck.
40:51When the flashlight
40:52swept around the corner
40:53and the thug's shout
40:54sounded close enough,
40:55I pulled the pin
40:56and counted silently to three.
40:58Go to hell!
40:59The grenade arced through the air
41:01and landed by the support pillar
41:02in the center.
41:03Boom!
41:04The blast was magnified
41:05in the enclosed space.
41:06It was deafening.
41:08What followed
41:08was the sound
41:09of rock breaking.
41:11The rock layers above
41:12collapsed like dominoes.
41:13Tons of boulders
41:14mixed with soil
41:15crashed down.
41:16The thug's cries
41:17faded into the noise.
41:19Dwayne and I scrambled back.
41:20The tunnel behind us
41:21kept collapsing
41:21as if death itself
41:23was chasing us.
41:24We retreated to safety.
41:25A final rumble
41:26blocked our way.
41:27All was quiet.
41:29Those men
41:29were trapped forever.
41:30But we paid a price too.
41:32All the exits
41:33to the surface
41:34were completely blocked
41:35in this man-made collapse.
41:36We became true
41:38underground dwellers.
41:39Outside threats
41:40buried beneath rock
41:41sealed off
41:42from the cruel world.
41:44We couldn't get out
41:45but that made it safer
41:46in a way.
41:46Days passed
41:47under dim lights
41:48and the drip of water.
41:50Dad's legs slowly healed
41:51under mom's careful care.
41:53Even though he still limped
41:54he could already stand again
41:55and work on his machines.
41:57Dwayne officially
41:57became part of our family.
41:59Although he couldn't speak
42:00he was so endearingly
42:01hardworking
42:02he took over the farming
42:03keeping the dozens of sprouts
42:05neatly organized
42:06with the ground water
42:07and grow lights
42:07we grew our first batch
42:09of bean sprouts.
42:10We even grew mushrooms
42:11in the damp corners.
42:12When a pot of mushroom
42:13and spam stew
42:14hit the table
42:15the smell almost
42:16made us all want to cry.
42:17There was no killing
42:18looting
42:19or scheming among us.
42:21The four of us
42:21sat together.
42:22Dad served some meat
42:23to Dwayne
42:24who grinned toothily.
42:25In that moment
42:26it felt like the apocalypse
42:27didn't exist.
42:28Half a year passed
42:29in a flash.
42:30Our hair grew
42:31and clothes wore out
42:32but our gazes
42:33were brighter than before.
42:35One early morning
42:35I went to check
42:36the sensor data
42:37from the outside
42:37as always.
42:38I froze
42:39when I saw the screen.
42:40Temperature rose
42:41from minus 58 degrees
42:42to minus 4 degrees
42:44in one week.
42:45The curve
42:45was still shooting up too.
42:47Dad, look at this!
42:48Dad came over
42:49and stared at the screen.
42:50His expression
42:51grew even more serious
42:52despite the warming.
42:53The temperature
42:54is rising too fast.
42:56This isn't spring returning.
42:57It's a pendulum effect.
42:59After extreme cold
42:59it'll likely swing back
43:01to extreme heat.
43:02As if to prove his words
43:03the sensor data jumped.
43:05The surface temperature
43:06was 32 degrees.
43:07The ice started to melt.
43:09And for us
43:09who lived underground
43:10this could mean a disaster
43:12in the form of a flood.
43:13Heat was surging brutally.
43:15In just three days
43:16the thermometer
43:17on the wall
43:18went crazy.
43:19The red mercury column
43:20surged from minus 58 degrees
43:22hitting 104 degrees.
43:25We didn't even transition
43:26from extreme cold
43:27to heat.
43:27A rumbling
43:28came from above.
43:29It sounded like a stampede.
43:31It wasn't wind.
43:32It was water.
43:33Snow melted instantly
43:34in the intense heat.
43:36The world turned
43:36into a giant steam cooker.
43:38Then came
43:39the massive floods.
43:40The shelter walls
43:41began leaking.
43:42Condensation beaded
43:43on the concrete surface.
43:44The air became hot
43:45and humid.
43:46I sweated profusely
43:48even at rest.
43:49Activate submarine mode!
43:50Dad tossed me a wrench
43:52and spoke urgently.
43:53We had already
43:53prepared for this.
43:54We added six foot
43:56long pipes
43:56to the ventilation duct
43:57that stuck out of the ground.
43:59All the drains
43:59were locked in reverse
44:01and coated
44:01with thick sealant.
44:03I saw the world outside
44:04through the periscope.
44:05The vast white field
44:06was gone.
44:07It was replaced
44:08by muddy,
44:08roaring yellow waves.
44:10The flood carried
44:11dead trees,
44:12broken ice,
44:12and car wreckages.
44:14They slammed
44:14into anything sticking up.
44:16At this moment
44:16our shelter
44:17was like a submarine
44:18in the deep sea.
44:20The water pressure
44:20was building.
44:22Door groaned
44:23under pressure.
44:24Water surged higher,
44:25swallowing the rooftops.
44:26Dad stared
44:27intently at the gauge.
44:28If water enters the vents,
44:30we'll have to rely
44:31on oxygen tanks.
44:32Duane huddled
44:33in the corner,
44:33watching water
44:34trickle down.
44:35I went over,
44:36wiped the wet spot
44:37with a towel,
44:38and gave him hard tack.
44:39I shook my head
44:40and gestured
44:40that it was okay.
44:41But I knew
44:42that if the water
44:42rose three feet,
44:44we would drown
44:44inside this metal can.
44:46The flood
44:46wasn't just water.
44:48It was a boiling pot
44:49of corpses.
44:50Through the blurry lens,
44:51I saw many swollen objects.
44:53People,
44:54livestock.
44:54They rotted
44:56in the hot floodwater,
44:57breeding massive bacteria.
44:59Even with layers
45:00of filtration,
45:01the air still faintly
45:02carried a sickening stench
45:03of decay.
45:04A plague was here.
45:06Mom wore two masks
45:07and sprayed disinfectant
45:08in every corner.
45:09Water deadlier
45:10than a bullet.
45:11The apocalypse's irony.
45:13A flood raged outside.
45:15Yet,
45:15survivors faced
45:16the danger
45:16of dying of thirst.
45:17If someone couldn't resist
45:19drinking that filthy water,
45:20they'd definitely die of cholera,
45:22dysentery,
45:23and typhoid.
45:23As for us,
45:24we sat around a small table
45:26and drank clean water
45:27from the river.
45:28We ate peaches
45:28from a can.
45:29The underground river
45:30had become our lifeline.
45:32Water came from
45:33deep underground,
45:34unpolluted.
45:35For our safety,
45:36we cut off all physical contact
45:37with the outside.
45:38We rarely even raised
45:39the periscope,
45:40afraid of catching
45:41some deadly germ.
45:42We relied on oxygen tanks
45:44and the air purification system
45:45to get by.
45:46This went on
45:47for an entire month.
45:48Then,
45:49one day,
45:49the sound of rushing water
45:50finally stopped.
45:51Dad cautiously raised
45:53the periscope.
45:54The mud on the lens
45:54dried and cracked,
45:55revealing the blue sky.
45:57The water's gone.
45:58Through the gap,
45:59I saw that the ground
46:00had turned into
46:00a brown, muddy pit.
46:02The buildings,
46:03trees,
46:03and bodies
46:04were all gone,
46:05leaving only a thick layer
46:06of foul silt
46:07that covered the earth.
46:08But in that dead,
46:09silent abyss,
46:10I saw a faint touch
46:12of green.
46:13Temp hit 75 degrees.
46:15Ground hardened.
46:16We headed up.
46:17Back then,
46:18to kill those outlaws,
46:19the exit was sealed
46:20during the collapse.
46:21That was now
46:22the biggest hurdle
46:23blocking our way home.
46:24Dad located the weakest point
46:26for the blast
46:26and used our last explosives.
46:28Boom!
46:29Dust flew everywhere.
46:31Sunlight pierced
46:32the darkness of the shelter.
46:33I squinted
46:34as the harsh light
46:35made my eyes water.
46:36I took a deep breath
46:37of the outside air.
46:38It still had the smell
46:39of soil and decay,
46:40but it was also freedom.
46:42We climbed out of the opening
46:43and stood where
46:44Erwin Village used to be.
46:45The village was gone.
46:47Nothing was left.
46:48Our house,
46:49the neighbor's building,
46:50all had been leveled
46:51by the flood.
46:52This place was like
46:53a clean slate
46:54with only thick mud
46:55and countless bits
46:56of scattered trash.
46:58This soil is rich.
46:59Dad crouched down,
47:00grabbed a handful of soil
47:01and rubbed it.
47:02The corpses and rot
47:03had turned into
47:04good fertilizer.
47:05Duane ran excitedly
47:06toward a higher spot.
47:08A small blade of grass
47:09pushed up through the mud.
47:10He pointed at the sprout
47:12and shouted with joy,
47:14Let's start.
47:15Dad wiped his hands,
47:16eyes without sorrow.
47:17Only a fierce passion
47:19to rebuild.
47:19Treasure lies beneath.
47:21We can plant our seeds now.
47:23We planted a vegetable garden
47:24on the ruins.
47:25After just one week,
47:27the first batch of kale sprouted.
47:29On the bleak wasteland,
47:30rows of greens stood like
47:32hope's flags in the sunset.
47:34The color of life
47:35was more dazzling than gold.
47:37The radio that remained silent
47:38suddenly burst to life
47:40one afternoon.
47:40It was no longer
47:41a malicious prying,
47:42nor random, chaotic static.
47:44Instead,
47:45it was a clear woman's voice.
47:47We felt moved
47:47when we heard her.
47:48This is Pledia's
47:49third safe zone.
47:50If you hear this broadcast,
47:52gather southeast
47:53to rebuild our home.
47:54The cigarette in dad's hand
47:56burned his finger,
47:57but he didn't notice.
47:58He just stared intently
47:59at the old radio.
48:01The government and order
48:02still exists.
48:03Do we go?
48:04Mom stopped sorting
48:05the vegetables.
48:06She looked uncertain.
48:07It did mean safety in groups
48:09and the return of civilization.
48:10I looked out
48:11at the setting sun.
48:12Our rebuilt greenhouse
48:14glowed golden.
48:14The shelter entrance
48:15stood like an unbreakable fortress.
48:18Groundwater babbled
48:19and the generator roared.
48:20We'd stored enough food
48:21to last a decade.
48:23No.
48:23Dad snuffed his cigarette,
48:25his gaze sharp again.
48:27We'd be refugees there,
48:28waiting to be assigned.
48:29Here,
48:30we are
48:30our own kings.
48:32I nodded.
48:33After enduring betrayal,
48:34killing,
48:34and survival trials,
48:36we could no longer
48:37trust strangers,
48:38even if it's the government.
48:39Just then,
48:40the roar of an engine
48:41came from the sky.
48:42A painted helicopter
48:43flew low overhead.
48:44It didn't stop,
48:45but as it passed over
48:46Irwin Village,
48:47it dropped a large package
48:49that landed in the mud.
48:50Hardtack and flyers
48:51flew everywhere.
48:52I picked up a flyer.
48:54It showed a map
48:54of the safe zone
48:55and a call to rally.
48:56Seems the world
48:57really is returning to normal.
48:59As Dad watched
48:59the helicopter leave,
49:01he smiled conflictingly.
49:02But we
49:03should just stick
49:04to our piece of land.
49:05We stood in the sunset,
49:07guarding a land of our own.
49:09As more and more survivors
49:10emerged from hiding,
49:11Irwin Village,
49:12now called Irwin Fortress,
49:14became a legend
49:15within the area.
49:16Amid the silent wasteland,
49:17we were the only place
49:18with green patches.
49:20It was seedlings
49:21and cucumbers
49:21climbing over the trellises.
49:23Ragged wanderers
49:24often passed by.
49:26From far away,
49:27they would stare
49:27hungrily at the green.
49:29They swallowed heavily.
49:30You can eat if you want.
49:32Trade your labor.
49:32That was the rule I set.
49:34We needed no wealth,
49:35only labor.
49:36And so,
49:37the bustle of humans
49:38began to return
49:39to the ruins.
49:40Some cleared the mud.
49:41Some repaired the walls.
49:43All for a bowl
49:44of hot potato soup.
49:45In this small,
49:46independent kingdom,
49:47Dwayne shone the brightest.
49:49Although he couldn't speak,
49:50he seemed born for farming.
49:52Those small,
49:53calloused hands
49:53had the power
49:54to turn waste into magic.
49:56Seedlings that died
49:57in Dad's and My Hands
49:58would shoot up
49:59in just a few days
50:00under his care.
50:01He was hardworking.
50:02He would wander
50:03the vegetable patch
50:03like an inspector.
50:04One day,
50:05I saw some wanderers
50:07pointing at Dwayne
50:07and eyeing him scornfully.
50:09Dwayne paid them no mind.
50:11He just silently
50:12shoveled some soil
50:13and expertly spread it around.
50:15Then he picked a cucumber
50:16from the trellis
50:17and took a bite.
50:18The crisp sound
50:19echoed across
50:20the silent wilderness.
50:21The wanderers
50:22immediately shut up.
50:23The scorn in their eyes
50:24turned into envy and awe.
50:26Amid piles of corpses,
50:27fresh vegetables
50:28meant being at the top.
50:30As I watched Dwayne
50:31stand up confidently,
50:32I felt relieved.
50:33This was our home.
50:35An oasis among the wasteland.
50:36The legendary
50:37Irwin Fortress.
50:39The mud clearing work
50:40after the flood continued.
50:41I held a shovel
50:42and cleared the mud
50:43around the tree
50:44at the entrance.
50:45It used to be
50:46the village landmark.
50:47It's also where
50:48Jess and Wade had died.
50:49Clang!
50:50The shovel hit something hard.
50:52I bent down
50:53and dug a shiny object
50:54out of the black muck.
50:55I rubbed the dirt off.
50:56It gleaned brightly
50:58under the sunlight.
50:59It was a diamond
51:00encrusted hair clip.
51:01I recalled the afternoon
51:02before the apocalypse.
51:04Jess waved the check,
51:05slammed the door,
51:06and left in a huff.
51:07She posted this clip
51:08on her social media
51:09and captioned,
51:10Some women can only save money,
51:12while I can only shine.
51:14Now,
51:14this symbol of vanity
51:15and greed
51:16lay quietly
51:17in my dirt-covered palm.
51:18It still shone,
51:20but it was cold to the touch.
51:21In the mud
51:22next to the hair clip,
51:23I also dug up
51:24several bones.
51:25They bore the marks
51:26of being gnawed
51:27and soaked.
51:27What were once
51:28living souls
51:29and relatives
51:29were now just a heap
51:31of sludge
51:32and unidentifiable bones.
51:33I felt no sense of revenge
51:35and no heart-wrenching sorrow,
51:37only bleak weariness
51:38of it all.
51:39Vera,
51:40pretty, huh?
51:41In my days,
51:41I seemed to hear young Jess
51:43trailing behind me
51:44and acting cute.
51:45I breathed deep,
51:46pulled a rusty box
51:47from my pocket,
51:48wiped the hairpin clean,
51:49and set it inside.
51:50There was no grave marker
51:52or memorial.
51:52I dug a deep hole
51:54under the tree roots,
51:55buried the box,
51:56covered it with soil,
51:57and stomped down hard.
51:59In the next life,
52:00let's not be sisters.
52:02I brushed the dirt
52:03off my hands
52:03and stood up.
52:04The setting sun
52:05cast golden light
52:06over the ruins.
52:07I turned around
52:08and walked toward the shelter.
52:09I didn't look back.
52:10Time was both
52:11the cruelest chisel
52:12in the world
52:13and its softest remedy.
52:14In 2028,
52:15the third year
52:16of the apocalypse,
52:17Erwin Fortress' expansion
52:19had reached
52:19its third phase.
52:20The damp shelter
52:21now linked
52:22to several air raid shelters,
52:24becoming a huge
52:25underground ecosystem.
52:26Sunlight shone
52:27through the triple-layer
52:28bulletproof skylight
52:29and onto the floor
52:30of the common room.
52:31Dad was next
52:32to the generator.
52:32He held a wrench
52:33and taught Dwayne
52:34how to replace
52:35a worn-out gear.
52:36Although he still
52:37had a slight limp
52:38from his injured leg,
52:39it hadn't dimmed
52:40his spirit at all.
52:41His hair had turned
52:42a bit grayer,
52:43but his gaze was relaxed
52:44than three years ago.
52:45Dwayne had grown
52:46into a young man.
52:47The mute orphan
52:48who had once been skeletal
52:50now had broad shoulders
52:51and arms full
52:52of solid muscle.
52:53He gestured
52:54and skillfully
52:55took apart the parts.
52:56His gaze was focused.
52:58A chopping sound
52:59came from the kitchen.
53:00Mom was chopping vegetables.
53:01She had gained weight.
53:03While most people
53:04still killed
53:04for a piece of moldy bread,
53:06Mom had to worry
53:07about losing weight.
53:08That itself
53:08was an extravagant
53:10show of wealth.
53:10Vera,
53:11bring out that jar of pickles.
53:13We're having spam
53:14for lunch.
53:15Mom spoke energetically.
53:16I carried a pot
53:17out of the temperature-controlled storage.
53:19As I passed a mirror,
53:20I glanced at my reflection.
53:22My skin was pale
53:23from living underground.
53:24But I wasn't sickly.
53:25I had weapons,
53:26food,
53:27and family.
53:28This was our life.
53:29We weren't just barely surviving,
53:31but truly living.
53:32We sat together,
53:33enjoying this hard-won piece.
53:36Every dish on the table
53:37was grown with our own hands.
53:38I felt deeply contented
53:40looking at everything before me.
53:41Sunlight poured in.
53:42Life was great.
53:43This is our family portrait.
53:45We're still together
53:46three years later.
53:47The lookout's chime rang.
53:49It was a visitor signal.
53:50A travel-worn convoy
53:52stopped outside our perimeter.
53:53Their cars had special emblems
53:55painted on.
53:55It was worn,
53:56but well-maintained.
53:57It's a trade caravan
53:58from the southern safe zone.
54:00In three years,
54:01humanity had finally rebuilt
54:02a fragile order
54:03from the ruins.
54:04Trade had replaced
54:05endless looting.
54:06I stood high on the wall.
54:08I held my gun,
54:09but pointed the barrel down.
54:11Their leader
54:11was a one-eyed man.
54:13He eyed the string
54:14of red chilies
54:14hanging from our wall.
54:15He swallowed hard.
54:17Miss Lane,
54:18the goods are all here.
54:19The one-eyed man
54:20opened the truck.
54:21Inside were barrels
54:22of gasoline
54:23and the solar panel
54:24components we needed.
54:25There's even boxes
54:26of sanitary pads
54:27and shampoo.
54:28We want to trade
54:29for vegetables,
54:30like spinach
54:31or the likes.
54:31If it's green,
54:32we'll take it.
54:33The exchange proceeded
54:34quietly and efficiently.
54:35When Duane brought out
54:36freshly picked cucumbers
54:38that still glistened with dew,
54:40the guards in the convoy
54:41were stunned.
54:41One couldn't resist
54:42touching them.
54:43The one-eyed man
54:44slapped his hand back.
54:45Watch it.
54:46These are the lane's goods.
54:47In this new world,
54:48we were no longer bullied.
54:50We controlled key resources.
54:52After the trade,
54:53the one-eyed man
54:53lit a cigarette
54:54and took a long drag.
54:56He eyed the fortress
54:56enviously.
54:58Folks in the main zone
54:59call Irwin Fortress
55:00a paradise.
55:01I can see it lives
55:02up to the name.
55:02I smiled,
55:03but didn't respond.
55:04A paradise?
55:05No.
55:06We had to defend this
55:07with our lives.
55:08The convoy left together
55:09with vegetables
55:10and our hope.
55:11Perhaps the world
55:12really was slowly
55:13getting better.
55:14After seeing off the convoy,
55:15night fell.
55:16It was New Year's Eve.
55:18Chaos aside,
55:19we still celebrated New Year.
55:20The dining room glowed warm,
55:22light bathing the table
55:23and chasing off the cold.
55:25The most lavish meal
55:26so far sat on the table.
55:28A large pot stew
55:29loaded with generous slices
55:30of pork,
55:31a plate of crisp
55:32and fresh cucumber salad,
55:34and a plate of
55:34steaming hot dumplings.
55:36These flour dumplings
55:37had flour that came
55:38from wheat we grew
55:39and milled.
55:40Although it wasn't store-bought,
55:42the wheat aroma
55:43was very rich.
55:44Here, Duane.
55:45This is the one you wrapped.
55:46You eat it.
55:47Dad laughed
55:48as he took a dumpling
55:49and gave it to Duane.
55:50Duane scratched his head
55:51sheepishly
55:52and grinned widely.
55:53He stuffed the food
55:54into his mouth
55:55and hissed from the heat.
55:56Mom turned on
55:57the restored,
55:58old-fashioned TV
55:59that was connected
55:59to a drive.
56:00The screen showed
56:01New Year's Eve sketches
56:02from decades ago.
56:03The quality was fuzzy
56:04and the sound crackled.
56:05But to us,
56:06it was heavenly.
56:07A laugh track
56:08came from the TV.
56:10We laughed along.
56:11As we laughed,
56:12Mom teared up.
56:13She wiped her eyes,
56:14raised her glass of juice,
56:15and toasted to us,
56:16as well as our family
56:17being together
56:18with not one missing.
56:20We clinked out glasses
56:21together.
56:21Outside,
56:22the cold wind
56:23still howled.
56:24Perhaps things
56:25were still bad elsewhere,
56:26but right here,
56:27right now,
56:28there was food,
56:29lights,
56:29my parents,
56:30and my brother.
56:31This was home.
56:32Even if outside was hell,
56:34this place was heaven
56:35when the door was closed.
56:37As I looked around,
56:37I suddenly felt
56:38that all our suffering
56:39was worth it.
56:40Dad carried the pride
56:41of being the head
56:42of the family.
56:43Mom's face showed
56:43the simplest happiness
56:44of a mother.
56:45Dwayne's eyes sparkled,
56:47for he had found a home.
56:48Right now,
56:49I wished time
56:50would stop forever.
56:51After dinner,
56:52I walked out
56:52of the shelter alone.
56:53The setting sun
56:54stained the entire land
56:56blood red.
56:56I stood on the wall.
56:58I looked at the land
56:59that had once been devastated.
57:01Three years ago,
57:02it was a frozen hell
57:03littered with corpses.
57:04Half a year ago,
57:05it was played.
57:06Now,
57:07greenery cloaked the ruins.
57:09The terraced fields
57:10we had carved out
57:10wound down.
57:11The greenhouse tarp
57:12glistened in the evening sun.
57:14At the entrance,
57:15the tree where I buried
57:16the hair clip
57:16had sprouted new buds
57:17that swayed gently
57:18in the wind.
57:19Smoke rose in wisps
57:20from the shelter's chimney,
57:22carrying the smell
57:23of firewood
57:23that traveled up.
57:24This smoke
57:25meant life
57:26and civilization.
57:27I touched my chest.
57:28There was no pendant,
57:29no storage space,
57:31no system.
57:31I had no special advantages.
57:34What remained
57:34was mom and dad's
57:35determination
57:36to sell the house and car.
57:37It was the persistence
57:38of modifying the shelter.
57:40It was the courage
57:41to pull the trigger
57:41on those thugs.
57:43Vera,
57:43come back for some fruit.
57:45I cut some watermelon.
57:46Mom's call came
57:47from behind me,
57:48followed by dad's
57:49and Dwayne's agreement.
57:50I turned around
57:50and looked at that
57:51glowing entrance.
57:52I smiled unknowingly.
57:53Was the apocalypse over?
57:55Maybe not.
57:56Disasters might come again.
57:58Extreme cold,
57:59heat,
58:00earthquakes,
58:00and plagues.
58:01It was like the earth
58:02was having one long
58:03immune reaction.
58:04But I wasn't afraid
58:05because I knew
58:06that no matter
58:07what tomorrow brought,
58:08the Irwins had already
58:09placed firm roots
58:10into this land.
58:11I told them I was coming,
58:12then turned
58:13and ran inside.
58:14The apocalypse would end
58:15and we would keep on living.
58:17We would live well.
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