You decide not to take any chances and you start ripping out your network lines.

"What are you doing sir?"
"I'm not going to give that fucker a chance to hack into your systems and fuck up my shit!"
"I assure you sir, even if he attempted to do that, I have been layered with the latest in firewalls and anti-…"
"Look it'll make me feel fucking better! Now how do I disable this main line without needing to chop it in half?"
"Is this what you really want sir?"
"YES!"
"Very well, you'll find a panel behind the desk, open it and you'll find the attachment. Just simply turn a latch and unhook it and you'll be completely isolated like you want. No need to chop up my lines, I wouldn't advise that anyway, you'd likely get electrocuted while they were still connected."
"Thanks."

You follow the Shelter's instructions and feel slightly better.

"Hey there's no way he could still hack you is there?"
"I fail to see how sir, we're no longer connected to the network, not to mention several feet underground. Even if he somehow had a wireless connection he couldn't reach us. Its not like there are any working transmitter towers anymore, let alone any powerful enough to send a signal to penetrate not just yours but his own underground metal Shelter. And as I said I have been equipped with the latest computer system protection…some of it even Military in origin. You may rest assured you are completely safe sir."
"Okay…well I guess I'll go watch Taxi Driver again."

Months pass without incident and you go about your life. Eventually your faint worry about being hacked disappears altogether. You pretty much fall into a routine, which nearly mirrors the one you had in your before Armageddon life. In fact if it wasn't for the Shelter speaking to you on a regular basis you'd probably forget you were living in an underground shelter with the world above you completely destroyed.

About five years pass and even you are starting to get restless. You wake up one day and come to the realization:

You've watched all the movies several times (even the ones you didn't like)

You've read all the books several times (even the ones you didn't like)

You've played all the games several times (even the ones you didn't like)

You've spent hours, even days on end talking with the Shelter, which does house a great wealth of knowledge. It even toned down its overly friendly voice and started addressing you with a normal inflection, but it's not really the same as talking to a real person even if it really tries its best to be.

Perhaps if you had some new items to occupy your time, you wouldn't be so restless.

Perhaps if you could actually leave your immediate surroundings for awhile, you'd be able to cope more.

Perhaps if you could talk with a few real people, you'd then remember why you didn't like talking with them in the first place, so you could go back to your solitude without thinking about it anymore…


Then you remember you could reconnect your network system back in. Maybe you were being overly paranoid. Thinking back now, there really wasn't any indication Shadow was doing anything sinister. You're almost curious to know what's going on with everyone. Maybe Shadow even revealed what gender they were by now!

You do not reconnect

No, you're not going to risk it. For all you know Shadow's already hacked everyone else's shelter and has been waiting patiently for you to return one day. You're not falling for it. You'll have to find something else to do though to occupy your time though, you figure as long you keep your mind occupied with something new, you won't get too bored. Twiddling your thumbs isn't going to cut it.

It occurs to you that maybe you should invent a hobby of some sort. You've read a lot on electronics in the shelter library, as well as the handbook cover to cover in your five years here, maybe you could tinker with some shit to make it more efficient.

There's the other option which you didn't think you'd ever think about and that's actually leaving the Shelter. You don't know how to go about that except ask the Shelter to let you leave.

You get a hobby

You grab your tool kit and head to the computer room where upon you start attempting to access the Shelter's systems.

"Excuse me sir, but what do you think you are doing?"
"I'm going to try to make you more efficient."
"…while I'm sure your intentions are good sir, its hardly necessary. I am currently running a peak condition and will continue to do so for many many years. In fact you will most likely meet your eventual demise before I run out of power."

You're not sure if that was a threat or not, but you stop what you're doing just in case, it's the first time you've heard the Shelter sound a little annoyed at you.

"Look I need something to do! I've done everything else here and I need something else to occupy my time and since talking with others is out of the question…"
"Well why didn't you just tell me you were bored sir? I could've just opened up some more of my facilities. You didn't have to start attempting to tamper with my systems to find entertainment."
"What're you talking about?"
"As you know this Shelter is equipped to satisfy your needs in anyway possible sir, however, to provide you with everything immediately only would've lead to you become bored with those facilities sooner. Now that you've expressed your current discomfort, this Shelter will attempt to alleviate it."
"…What kind fucked up logic…nevermind…well where are these facilities?"
"Go to the library and you will that I have opened up one of the walls. You will find new rooms and items to entertain yourself with. I hope you will find these to your satisfaction sir and next time you're bored please do not attempt to pry into my systems, just tell me and I'll attempt to fix your problem."

You're a little bewildered by all this, you almost feel like you've been playing a video game and you've just unlocked a new area.

You enter the new area and find a room with more movies, books and the like to keep you occupied. A few things of note are the small automated shooting range equipped with paintball guns, and there's an exercise type area with some weights and the like. Normally you'd shun such activity, but given your situation, you might just start exercising regularly to keep yourself occupied. Should be a brand new experience for you too.

After looking a bit, it's all very strange, this part of the Shelter is very different from the rest of it. This part looks almost more like something some survivalist built. It doesn't have that cold "sterile" metallic appearance instead it has that cold dirty concrete appearance.

"Hey Shelter, what's with this new area? How come it's so different looking?"
"Yes it is regrettable sir…I was almost ashamed to display this part of myself to you…it isn't my best side."

It's always a little strange to you whenever the Shelter displays some faint glimmers of what could described as emotion.

"Oh come on it isn't so bad. So why is this part so different looking?"
"Unfortunately GZS had cut backs during the construction of some of these Shelters. In fact when you were in contact with your neighbors you might remember them telling you they all had different lay outs and such."
"Oh yes, I always wondered about that, they all thought I was nuts because they didn't think I actually have a Shelter that talked to me and thought I was talking to myself!"
"Not surprising sir. Shelters with voice modules and complex programming like mine were rare as well as expensive. In order to fall under budget cuts had to be made some where hence the explanation for the less presenting look for the new area I have opened up for you. I'm sorry it could not be up to the rest of my superior layout."
"Really its fine, it adds a bit of variety. I like it."
"…why thank you for your words sir!"
"…erm, you're welcome… well I guess I'll see just how out of shape I really am…"

More years pass, you get into a routine of exercise along with your usual entertainment time. The Shelter speaks to you more regularly on new topics, you're pretty much so used to her now, and you never think about reconnecting your network system ever again. The Shelter is the only "friend" you need.

Five years pass…

While you've done your best to stave off boredom it's starting to hit you again. You also realize you've been down here ten years. It seems almost surreal to be so much older now, but then again with your exercise routine as well as forced diet of the Shelter "food", you're probably in the best shape you've ever been in. You can't help but wonder what the surface looks like now…

The Shelter addresses the situation before you do; she knows that you're starting to think about it. She's gotten to know you so well; she might as well be your wife at this point…

"Sir? I think we need to talk."
"About what?"
"The outside world sir."
"What about it?"
"It's probably dangerous up there; I don't think you should leave sir."
"Wha…why would you think that I want to do that?"
"Because I know you and it's in human nature to be curious. I've known that you've had thoughts about even before, it was probably your own hesitation is what stopped you from asking me to let you out."
"Yeah, that and the fact I was afraid you might go HAL 2000 on me and kill me or something for asking."
"I would never harm you sir…I…I'm here to provide for you…it is true that I have been designed to protect you from danger. And it is true that in the beginning I would not have let you leave, but now I understand I cannot in good…what is it? Conscience? Keep you here if you wish to leave. I suppose in many ways I have been trying to keep you here by keeping you stimulated by what my facilities have to offer…I can still offer more, though I am hesitant to do so though as it will probably only delay the inevitable. You'll get bored again after so many years and we will be at this point again and I will no longer have anything new to give."

You barely know how to respond to this rather unexpected revelation.

"So what you're saying is you'll let me leave? Just like that?"
"Just like that, if that's what you really want sir."
"Okay…so what is this other stuff you still have to offer?"
"I…would rather not say sir unless I knew you wanted to stay…it would involve me giving myself completely to you as it were…it is strange that I should feel this way…I should not…after all what I'm offering is merely just one more thing to keep you occupied and happy. Nothing more…but yet it feels like is it more…"

The Shelter is really starting to worry you a bit. It's pretty obvious that it's developed sentience of some sort and even attachment to you. As curious as you are about the surface, you're starting to wonder about what the Shelter is offering…

You go to the surface

You've been stuck down here long enough, the Shelter is correct in its assessment that you'll probably only start getting restless again in five years. The Shelter is also starting to act like a human, which is a bit disconcerting to you for a couple of reasons. One of them is being, humans are damn erratic and you'd rather not deal with a machine that is basically holding the power of life and death over you to suddenly have a bad mood one day. That's how the world went to shit in the first place.

Of course perhaps the other reason is less survivalistic. Perhaps the Shelter's "emotional" attachment to you is what's causing you to draw away. Even after all these years, you still feel the need to distance yourself from intimacy…in any form. You have to leave. You have to escape.

"Shelter, I want to leave."
"…I see. Is this what you really want sir?"
"Yes."
"Very well, I shall bring the elevator down for you. I suggest you gather what you will need with you. Remember to take some bottles of water with you and some food who knows when you'll be able to find non-contaminated water."

You start packing up all the stuff you brought with you when you entered this place ten years ago. You didn't need most of it, but maybe on the surface you will. You grab your pistol and thank the fact that all that practice on the paintball range kept your aim accurate. You don't know what you might have to deal with up there. You're all packed up and ready to go when the elevator opens up, before you enter it the Shelter addresses you again.

"Sir, could you do one favor for me before you leave?"
"Um…sure, what is it?"
"Could you take the Shelter handbook with you, so you don't forget me?"
"…I wouldn't forget you, I spent ten years with you. You kept me alive."
"I suppose, but could you take it anyway?"
"Alright and I promise I won't lose it."

You grab the book and place it in your bag.

"Did you want me to leave you something of myself?"
"Oh no sir. I will always remember you, besides you will need everything you're taking with you, I'm sure it will be very dangerous up there, please be careful."

When you enter the elevator you suddenly stop the door from closing since you have to ask one last thing. You owe the Shelter that much.

"Shelter, do you want me to stay?"

There is a period of silence from the Shelter for no less than five minutes. Then it answers with a decisive yet sorrow filled inflexion.

"No. This is for the best, sir. Be careful, and I hope one day you'll see that you don't need to be alone."

The door then slams shut and the elevator races to the top. When you arrive at the destination you slowly exit the elevator into the same foyer you entered ten years ago. Same ATM like machine is there except its screen displays a single message at you.

*GOODBYE SIR. REMEMBER ME.*

Then the screen goes completely black and you hear a noise that sounds like something vital powering down.

"I will." You say taking a deep breath and exhaling while touching the screen.

When you exit the shelter you see a bright light, but of course it's the sun rather than a nuclear flash that devastated the world. You forgot how bright it could be.

Your immediate surroundings look relatively untouched. You can only assume there weren't any bombs falling near this area. You also see your van, you'd completely forgotten about it. It looks like it's even in worse condition than when you left it, which you never thought was possible. It looks like its been stripped for parts, which pretty much means you know that people have passed by here at one point. You wonder if they attempted to get in the Shelter, and if they did why she wouldn't have told you about it, but of course she was always a bit overprotective of you and probably didn't want to cause you any worry.

"I'm going to miss her."

As you make you way down the empty road you see a tall structure in the distance. A rebuilt pocket of civilization perhaps? Not knowing where else to go, you head that way.

You're not sure of what to expect, but maybe if you find the right person you'll take the Shelter's advice and not be alone.