Chapter 5 The Orientation Tour

Chapter 5: The Orientation Tour

Jonah's voice rang out in the cramped corridor of the underground refuge as he gathered the new arrivals. The dimly lit passage, marked by scrawled maps and faded posters of the old world, served as the prelude to something bigger like a network of hidden shelters buried beneath the ruin of civilization.

"Listen up," Jonah called, his tone both authoritative and measured.

"My name is Jonah, captain of the patrol guards of the shelter.

Many of you have already met me, so this introduction is for those who haven't met me."

The new members of the shelter numbering to four stared at Jonah with dumbfounded gazes.

The situation before them was like seeing some kid playing a role of leader.

'Is the shouting even necessary, l mean there are only four of us. And what's with the formality,' muttered Alex in his mind.

Upon seeing their reaction, Jonah cleared his throat and continued.

"Okay so today l going to be giving you a tour, and l will showing you what we've built here, and explain how it works."

He then turned his gaze at Alex and then added.

"Also l am going to show the dangers associated with this place and what set it apart from the others.

He led the small group—four new arrivals, including Alex, through winding stairs and narrow passageways.

Ahead them six men with strong build treaded slowly.

The men were clad in makeshift bodysuits that were nearly identical.

Seeing their nearly identical attire Alex judged that they were probably part of the coast guards that Jonas had been busy bragging about.

The new arrivals shuffled quietly behind Jonah, their eyes darting around as they tried to absorb every detail. Alex walked with them, but his attention was split, focused on observing the others. It had become second nature to him to watch and access every survivor he met.

Survival had taught him that faces and posture could tell a lot about someone's status.

As he was observing, one figure immediately drew his eye, a thin, gaunt man in his early twenties. The young man had pale skin, which was almost sickly, and his eyes were hollow and empty, showing the absence of fear, or hope.

Alex had seen eyes like those before. Eyes that belonged to people who had taken lives and survived long enough to forget how many they had killed.

Another survivor that stood out was a tall girl,who was perhaps two years older than him.

This girl moved with a quiet confidence, her hand resting casually near a silver-plated pistol on her hip.

Upon seeing the pistol on her hip, Alex made a terse reminder to himself not to mess with her.

He had seen before how dreadful firearms could be, and anyone who can still own this very rare and scarce firearm, was no normal person.

After sizing up the confident girl, Alex's attention turned to a boy near the back, who looked far younger than the rest, fiddling nervously with a mechanical gadget in his hands. His wide eyes darted around like a squirrel's.

His build didn't appear to belong to that of a fighter, but Alex didn't judge.

After all strength was not usually judged by build alone, and it was usually the smart ones that often lasted longer than the brave.

After the boy Alex turned towards a young woman who appeared to be in her late twenties.

After the short evaluation Alex figured that everyone here were not just simple survivors.

Each one of them seemed to be build different, emitting a presence that only strong warriors could emit.

"Welcome to our shelter," Jonah began, gesturing toward a carved tunnel that opened into a grand, makeshift hall. "This is where Reigna presides over our operations. You'll find that the hall serves as our meeting ground, our control center, and our haven."

Jonah paced slowly as he continued, "Reigna is our leader, she is the one who band us together making us this shelter we are.

Under her, there are ten captains, each commanding a squad of guards, responsible for securing the perimeter and maintaining order. l am one of these ten figures."

Alex listened intently as they passed a series of reinforced doors and climbing ladders that led further up into the hidden underground refuge. Along the way, Jonah pointed out other key features such as the secured storage rooms for scavenged supplies, communal kitchens, and even a rudimentary infirmary staffed by a handful of dedicated medics.

"Now," Jonah said, halting in front of a large digital map pinned to a weathered wall, "our shelter isn't the only one out here. There are six other underground refuges, each as well-hidden as ours and with populations roughly equal to ours. But don't be fooled, these shelters don't mix well. Competition for scarce resources has made our rivalry inevitable."

At this moment a wiry voice suddenly sounded from the group.

"Why don't we try farming the surrounding land?"

Jonah and and the new recruits turned toward the source of the voice.

Alex saw the young thin boy cowering behind everyone's gaze.

The boy, under everyone's gazes continued.

" After all It's the only way to get more supplies, isn't it?"

Jonah shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "The surface isn't farmable anymore. The land's been poisoned, its soil tainted by the fallout. We rely on scavenging and strict rationing to keep ourselves fed. No amount of plowing will bring back the fertility that once existed."

The young boy then nodded signalling his understanding.

After that they continued their tour until they reached a small meeting alcove, where Jonah instructed, "Before we proceed any further, I want each of you to introduce yourselves. Tell me who you are. What skills you might have. We're all part of this community now, and knowing one another is the first step to survival."

One by one, the new dwellers offered scant details, a name, a vague background with but no one revealing anything deep about them. Alex offered only a quiet, "I'm Alex," his voice low and calm.

After the introductions, the tension in the room was palpable. The recruits exchanged unsure looks, wariness apparent in their eyes.

Out of the blue, Jonah's tone shifted. With a brisk nod, he announced, "Now, listen carefully. I'm pleased to tell you that starting tomorrow, you'll all be joining what we call the School."

A ripple of confusion went through the group. One of the newcomers, the broad-shouldered young man with furrowed brows, asked, "A school? What do you mean by that?"

Jonah's eyes scanned the room, meeting each pair of uncertain eyes before he continued, "It's not a school in the traditional sense. Think of it as a trial, a way for you to learn survival skills, combat tactics, resource management and even some of the old-world tech when it applies. It's our way of making sure that every single one of you can contribute to this community's strength in these harsh times."

"This isn't going to be easy," Jonah added, "but it's necessary if we're to hold our own against the challenges outside and against the rival shelters. I expect every one of you to give it your all."

Silence followed, punctuated only by the distant hum of generators and the occasional clink of metal echoing through the refuge.

Alex leaned back slightly, absorbing Jonah's words. While he couldn't shake the unsettling residue of his dream, he somewhat felt that this school program was very going to be very interesting.

'Aah, l have never experienced the education treatment before, l wonder if its fun' pondered Alex.

Although he doubted it. From all the information he had caught from the written documents of the past, school was something that people detested with their hearts."