Chapter 29 – Cold Desperation

The storm didn't let up. If anything, it grew worse. The facility trembled under the relentless force of the wind, snow pressing against every surface like an unyielding hand trying to crush us. The emergency power flickered now and then, reminding me that our lifeline was thinning.

We had to act fast.

Emergency Measures

I stood in the command center, surrounded by Daniel, Ray, and a few other survivors we had taken in. Everyone looked exhausted—dark circles under their eyes, lips cracked from the dry cold air, hands trembling from fatigue.

Ray folded his arms, his gaze sharp despite the fatigue. "We can't keep burning through supplies at this rate. The heaters are draining power faster than expected."

Daniel exhaled, rubbing his temples. "I ran the numbers. At this rate, the batteries won't last another three days."

Three days. That was our deadline before everything collapsed.

My mind raced. Options? The storm had buried our external solar panels and frozen the wind turbines. Digging them out in these conditions was suicide.

"We need an alternative heat source," I said finally.

Ray frowned. "You mean a fire?"

"Not inside," I corrected. "But we have stored fuel, right? If we set up a controlled burn outside, we can use heat channels to redirect warmth inside without the risk of carbon monoxide buildup."

Ray considered it, his military mind analyzing the plan. "That might work, but someone needs to go outside to do it."

The room fell silent. No one wanted to step into that frozen hell.

Finally, I sighed. "I'll do it."

Daniel's head snapped up. "James, that's insane."

Ray didn't argue, but his expression told me he agreed with Daniel.

"I'm the only one who understands the facility's exterior systems well enough," I said firmly. "Besides, if I don't go, someone else will have to. And I'm not risking anyone's life if I can take the chance myself."

Ray shook his head. "Then I'm coming with you."

I was about to argue, but the look in his eyes made me stop. This wasn't a negotiation.

"Fine," I said. "We move in ten minutes."

Into the Blizzard

The moment we stepped outside, the cold punched me in the gut like a sledgehammer. My thick layers barely did anything against the howling wind that threatened to knock me off my feet.

Visibility? Near zero.

Ray stayed close, his gloved hand gripping my shoulder to keep us from getting separated. The snow was waist-deep, making every step feel like trudging through wet cement.

We made it to the exterior fuel storage—a metal structure already half-buried in ice. Ray pulled out a crowbar, and together, we pried open the frozen hatch.

Inside, drums of fuel sat untouched.

"This has to be quick," Ray shouted over the wind. "You set the burn, I'll clear the vent pathways."

I nodded and got to work, pouring the fuel into a controlled trench I had dug out earlier for emergency heat management. My fingers felt like numb blocks of wood, but I forced myself to keep moving.

Once it was set, I pulled out my flare gun and fired.

FWOOOSH.

The fire roared to life, an orange glow against the white abyss.

The System's Intervention

System Notification:

Environmental Hazard Partially Mitigated

Heat Redistribution in Progress

Survival Odds +12%

A wave of warmth pulsed through me—not just from the fire, but from the knowledge that we might have just bought ourselves time.

Ray clapped a hand on my shoulder. "It's working."

I nodded. "Let's get the hell back inside."

Back to the Fight

The return was even harder. The storm had intensified, turning our tracks into nothing. By the time we reached the facility, my body was numb, my breaths shallow, my vision blurry.

The others rushed to help as we stumbled in.

Daniel checked the temperature monitors. "It's working. The heat's stabilizing."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room.

Ray sat beside me, exhaling deeply. "That was reckless."

"Maybe," I admitted, "but it worked."

The storm still raged outside, but inside, for the first time in days—we had hope.

What would you do in a situation like this? Would you risk going outside, or try to find another way to generate heat? Let me know in the comments!