Chapter 128: A day for a year

Ivan and Cassia watched as the people in the office fainted. Their bodies slumped in their seats. No need to connect them to a helmet; the pulse button controls their brain waves, forcing them to see the preset information.

A large screen in the office displayed what the 30 people were seeing. Currently, they are being led on a path, claiming to be the one that brings them to the base. They are muttering among each other, with Cassia and Ivan leading the way.

They arrive at the base, a place more than two hours away from the military base. It is a place surrounded by high walls. They are amazed by what they see.

The gates open and everyone steps inside.

Exclamations sound as they enter. They see clean streets and beautiful buildings. Flowers are blooming as though doomsday had never touched this place. Ivan ordered them to follow him.

They arrived at a building that looked like an office. They arrived at the front desk.

“Hey Maya, got some new people for the base. Help me sign them in.”

Perched on Maya’s nose was a pair of glasses; she was wearing a cardigan and looked the picture of a young lady. This was how they set up the illusion. No one truly plays the role they have in real life.

The intake process was finished quickly, and they were sent to the cafeteria for food. These people ate and stuffed themselves.

Days passed, and once they got familiar with the base, they were given jobs. These jobs were based on their experiences before doomsday. Some have gone to the medical center with Adrienne. Others are part of logistics with Marcus.

Like this, the days turn into months. Some people are exceptional at what they do. The base appears to be running well. But behind the scenes, things were beginning to crack.

There were some who were displeased with the way things in the base were being handled. They thought they would be a better fit to run the base. And as such, they have begun to undermine Ember and Aiden’s authority.

One such person was named Garnett. He was used to being in control. He felt the base was too lax. He worked with Sarah in security. They had been training every day, but he thought the training wasn’t enough.

This was especially so because they had recently found mutated animals near the base. He thought the method of dealing with them was too humane. He wanted to send people to destroy the lair completely.

What he cared about was not the lives of the people working with him, but his own glory.

Then there was a woman who decided she needed to find a man to keep her company. She didn’t want any ordinary man. She wanted the leader, Aiden.

Things escalated to the point that she attempted to drug him. Not only trying to drug him, but she also attempted to harm Ember. Not long after, she was thrown out of the base.

As for the man who wanted war, he lured mutated beasts to the base. He pushed his comrades to their deaths for his own greed. He attempted to usurp power with a few other persons, but ended up miserably defeated.

Besides the constant disruptions, there were those who appeared genuinely happy and made meaningful connections. Two such people were the first man and woman who stepped into the office.

The woman who loudly opposed the sexual nature of the base thrived here. She and the man thrived as sexual partners. They would visit certain places in the base to have their own little adventures.

Towards the end of the year, disaster struck the base. An acid rain like before tore through the streets. This one, however, was not forgiving. The raindrops pierced the buildings like knives through butter.

Because they were unprepared, much of the food could not be saved. They were in dire constraints. Now, they needed to band together to get over the disaster. However, some, after experiencing the peace the base brought, were unwilling to return to the old days they had experienced less than a year ago.

They made their own ragtag team, attempting to ambush the others. Unfortunately, their plans failed.

The year ended with 15 of the original 30 still maintaining their principles.

Not that they needed them to maintain principles. What the base needs are people who won’t revolt.

The year ended, and the people in the office woke up one by one. It had only been a day for Ivan and Cassia, who were watching from the outside.

“Well, that was fun,” Ivan said, catching the disoriented gaze of the 30 people. “Seems only 15 of you can be taken to the base.”

The 30 people were still sitting in their seats, trying to understand what happened. Their heads swiveled around the room as if trying to understand where they were.

Ivan gave them some time to come to their senses. He had never experienced the pulse and thought they might need some time to understand what happened.

“Why are we back here?” someone asked.

“What do you mean?” Ivan asked innocently. “You never left. You’ve all been taking a really long nap.”

Cassia hit him on the chest when he said this. She glared at him before speaking. “Your experiences for the past year have been fake. The 15 people who stayed with the base are the only ones who will be living on the base from now on.”

She did not elaborate. Those who couldn’t go to the base in the end would have their memories erased the moment they stepped out the door. Explaining would only waste time.

For those who would become members of the base, they will find out on their own just how amazing the place truly is.

Walking towards the backdoor Cassia said, “Those who did not betray the base, please come this way.”

The confusion on their face was evident. They understood that the year they experienced was fake. But how they did it is a mystery they are still trying to solve.

Those who failed looked as though they were ready to fight.

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