Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm

"Two levels down, third door on the right," I said to Liu Yu Zeng and Chen Zi Han as I passed by them and went to the stairway leading down. I would admit that I was having conflicted feelings about the commanding officer taking his own life. I both admired him and condemned him for his act, but I couldn't say what I would do if I were in that situation.

Either way, it was done, and now it was time to move on.

I left Liu Wei to deal with the military members. They might not be from the same country, but military was military, and there was a language that only they could speak. Besides, I didn't need all of us to get the device, and I definitely didn't want to be followed by one of the Country M members.

The three of us walked in silence. Chen Zi Han was in front of me because, let's face it, there was never a time when I walked into the unknown, and he wasn't in front of me. Liu Yu Zeng was behind us, watching our backs. No matter how messed in the head I was or how my moods were swinging like a pendulum, I knew that these two men always had my front and back.

I chuckled low as we reached the second landing down. Turning to our right, I counted three doors.

"Everything okay, Sweetness?" asked Liu Yu Zeng as Chen Zi Han tried the handle. When we found it locked, I closed my eyes for a second. Wang Chao would have definitely been useful right about now. I gave Chen Zi Han the same code that the commanding officer had given me and breathed a sigh of relief when the door swung open.

"You aren't answering," pushed Liu Yu Zeng, and I realized that I was a bit more in my head than I initially thought.

"Sorry, yeah, I'm okay," I said with a smile as I looked over my shoulder at him. "Missing Wang Chao, wondering why the commanding officer would choose to take his own life, and wondering where we are going from here."

"Huh, and here was me thinking that you were stressing about having to go back into the waters at dusk when the zombies and sharks would be out hunting," mused Liu Yu Zeng. I turned around and looked at him and blinked a few times.

"You know, if you were just a tad more intelligent, you would qualify as a moron," I grumbled. That hadn't even entered my mind when I was moping around, and yet, now, it was front and center. "Maybe we should wait until tomorrow."

"Found it," called Chen Zi Han from inside the room. Shaking my head over Liu Yu Zeng's stunned look, I turned back around and went toward where Chen Zi Han was standing. Coming up next to him, I saw a panel along the back wall of the room with a glass-covered box sitting in the middle of it.

I think that I watched way too many movies because I could have sworn that this was very much the typical setup for the red button that would and could destroy the world.

Then again, I guess it wasn't that far off. The device, the one in my head that was going to be like a tv remote, was a small black square the size of my palm with only a single red button in the center. There wasn't even anything that labeled it as the device to activate the ASATs. In fact, if it weren't a giant red button locked under a glass box, I wouldn't think that this thing was even that important.

Oh well, must have been created by men. Women would have, at the very least, labeled the thing. Here was me hoping that I didn't find it randomly in my everything else drawer and wonder what it was for. I could easily see myself pressing the red button, wondering what it did. Maybe I should put it somewhere else or label it.

Meh, I would put it away for now and then label it when I had more time. And labels.

I flicked my wrist, and the thing that was guaranteed to end the world was put safely away into my space. "Remind me what that is," I grumbled to Chen Zi Han and Liu Yu Zeng. The two men just chuckled as we turned around and went back to the others.

"You guys ready?" asked Liu Wei as we approached the massive group heading to the surface.

"No," I said with a chuckle. "Can we try again tomorrow?" I pressed. 𝑏𝑒𝘥𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝑛𝘦𝑡

"You seem fit to be tied," said Lonnie as she approached me and the guys. The man that was trying to hold her back the first time trailed behind her.

"I am," I admitted, wrinkling my nose. "I hate being underwater," I continued with a shrug.

"Ah, that would do it. Want us to go first?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No," I sighed and closed my eyes. At least I still had my wet suit on, and I wasn't stuck trying to get that thing on in the presence of everyone. "There are more than a few… issues I have to deal with."

"Want to share with the class?" she asked, and a second man came up and handed Lonnie a gun. It looked a bit weird compared to what I was expecting, but it also looked familiar.

"MK 16 SCAR-L," said Lonnie holding up the gun. "Useless for underwater conflicts, but it's my baby. What can you do?"

"Want me to put it away for you?" I asked, not sure why she was bringing it up.

"No," she answered with a shake of her head. "It has been treated to resist salt water, plus it has special lubrication on it. We are used to our guns getting wet."

"Then?" I asked.

"What is waiting up top for us?" she asked, looking at me dead in the eyes.

To tell the truth or not to tell the truth. That is the question.