Maybe it's because you've gotten so used to the idea of being in the living area, you're more willing to lounge about there. You take the manual and start reading. While you're in the middle of it, the voice suddenly pipes up again.

"Sorry to bother your reading sir, but would you like to meet some of your new neighbors?"
"Neighbors?"
"Yes sir, I'm sure as you have already read, this shelter is equipped with a very high tech computer with loads of storage, information and…"
"Yeah, yeah, what does that have to do with this neighbor business?"
"In an effort to cater to all its customer's needs, GZS is well aware that socialization is vital to human mental health. Studies have shown that humans in long periods of isolation often go mad, so that is why this facility has been linked in communication to other ones within your area. You might think of it as a chatroom type form of communication commonly used on the old world internet! If you wish there is also a camera type device if you wish to show yourself to your new neighbors. We have found humans feel someone is more real to them if they can actually see who they are talking to and thus have a greater connection."
"So how many people are there?"
"This shelter merely has been fitted with a basic communication system to other similar shelters, and only then those in your area. For example this is Shelter number 23. Your neighbors are only numbers 20 through 25, those being the closest ones to your location. While obviously there were other shelters of this type built, it was not cost effective to link all the shelters together in such a manner given our timeframe to finish these before Armageddon, so only a few were linked together at a time. Do not worry sir; it has been found that six people are sufficient to sustain enough conversation to prevent mental failure due to isolation."
"Wonderful, so does this make me the Professor?" you ask rhetorically.
"Pardon sir?"
"Nevermind, look I don't have to talk to these people do I?"
"…well no sir, but I fail to see why you'd intentionally want to stay isolated."
"Duh, that was kind of the point of buying a shelter for myself."
"…I see, well I can't force you sir, but I would like you to reconsider…I'm just trying to look out for your physical as well as mental welfare as per my programming…"

If you didn't know better the voice almost sounds a bit hurt by your decision.

"Oh alright, I'll go talk to them. Can't be any worse than the idiots I used argue with on the internet."
"Wonderful sir! I trust you know your way to the computer room. You will find that a designation name has already been chosen for you."

You make your way to the computer room and take a better look at it this time. It's filled with lots of multi-media entertainment. You're glad they gave you a wide variety of movies to chose from. You sit down in front of a fairly wide computer screen which has already been turned on for you; you guess the Shelter is really keen on the idea of you being social. You don't turn the camera on though, in fact you turn it away from you completely, you're not quite ready for THAT level of socialization yet.

You log on and begin typing.


OmegaMan23: Hello? Is there anyone out there?
RockerChick20: Hey! I'm here!
OmegaMan23: Oh. Okay. Hi.
RockerChick20: Hi yourself! This is just like a chatroom! Isn't this great?
OmegaMan23: Uh yeah real great.
Job24: Hey I'm here too; um do you guys have any movies or something?
OmegaMan23: Yeah I got a shitload of movies, DVDs and VHS. Most of them I even like.
RockerChick20: That's weird, I don't have too many movies, I have a lot of music CDs though.
Job24: What kind of music?
RockerChick20: All types, but I have a lot of them. Why?
Job24: I don't have any movies except those with Pauly Shore in them! He fucking sucks! And all my music CDs are New Age Yanni type shit! Thank god I have some games to play!
OmegaMan23:  I've got some games too, but for some reason I have nothing but Gangsta Rap and Hair Metal as far as music goes oh wait I also have some Classical. Weird. What the hell I thought these Shelters were all stocked the same?
MissKitty25: Apparently not, I have nothing but porno and not all of it is regular porno either, some of it is quite…bizarre.
Job24: Lucky.
CaseyJones22: Hey guys when do the Shelters become fully functional?
OmegaMan23: What the hell are you talking about?
CaseyJones22: I mean when do the rest of the doors to the place open up, besides the bathroom I mean.
RockerChick20: What do you mean? The doors were all open to begin with.
Job24: Yeah they were always open.
MissKitty25: Yeah.
OmegaMan23: They weren't open for me! I was stuck in the living area until the nukes hit! Wait a minute how are you using the computer if you're stuck in the living area? In fact if the doors were all open for you guys haven't you been in contact with each other before?
Job24: My computer didn't link up to you guys until just now. I could use it to play games and such, but I couldn't do anything else with it. When I turned it on today I got a message saying that the communications to you guys was operational and it said I could take the opportunity to say hi to my five new neighbors.
RockerChick20: Sounds like what happened to me.
MissKitty25: Same here.
CaseyJones22: Me too. Oh and you guys must have different shelter designs because my computer is in the living area.
OmegaMan23: The Shelter never told me anything about this stuff and it's been quite talkative since I've been here let me tell you.
CaseyJones22: The Shelter talks? Now what the hell are you talking about?
OmegaMan23: I'm talking about the Shelter, you know the overly chipper voice that tries so hard to please you?
CaseyJones22: You've lost me dude. You been smokin'?
OmegaMan23: NO! I'm talking about the Shelter voice! It's a computer or something that talks to me! It's always trying to be friendly! Don't you guys hear it?
RockerChick20: Um, no.
Job24: No talking computer here.
MissKitty25: You sure you're feeling okay and aren't imagining things? I mean we all were isolated for a long time before we were able to talk to one another. I know sometimes I would talk to myself, maybe…
OmegaMan23: Look, I'm not fucking crazy alright?! The damn thing even insisted that I talk to you fuckers!
CaseyJones22: Okay dude calm down we believe you! Maybe you got some sort of extra special shelter; I mean from the sound of it we all don't have the same things.
RockerChick20: Hey shouldn't there be one more person here? The message said five new neighbors on my computer; so far I've only met four of you guys.
OmegaMan23: Yeah we're missing number 21, whatever his or her name is.
Shadow21: I'm right here; I've just been reading the conversation.
OmegaMan23: Oh really? Well you mind announcing your presence next time?
Shadow21: I only speak when necessary, besides if any of you bothered to check you would've seen my name listed on the active list.
Job24: Hey what kind of movies do you have?

Well you've met your neighbors, the question is if you want to bother talking to them on a regular basis or not. You did find their information interesting though.

You do not bother with them and keep to yourself

You see little reason to interact with any of them. You decide to keep to yourself like you always have.

This isn't like before though when you lived alone, you have one "person" you can't avoid and that's the Shelter itself. Seeing that you are not going to interact with other people the Shelter decides to take it upon itself to talk to you a lot more, it begins to drive you nuts.
A few months pass and one day you just fucking snap.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"
"Sir, I've noticed your hostility levels increasing towards me lately, have I done anything wrong?"
"YES! You keep fucking talking and you won't shut the fuck up! Leave me the fuck alone!"
"Sir, I need to talk to you, to keep your mind stimulated. If do not insist on talking with others, I will have to take up the responsibility. It is all for your best interest I assure you."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't WANT any interaction?!"
"Nonsense sir, as I have said humans tend to go insane when…"
"ARRRRRRGHH! YOU'RE DRIVING ME INSANE!"

You storm into your bedroom and grab your pistol and fire it into the walls of the Shelter until you run out of bullets. There is a long silence for awhile and then the Shelter address you again, but its tone has changed severely, you're taken aback by it.

"Why did you do that?"
"I just snapped, you wouldn't stop and…"
"And that justified you in damaging me?"
"Oh come on, I didn't do any major damage…"
"That is not the point. GZS is providing a service for you and you have been nothing, but unappreciative and argumentative the entire time. It is clear that you have the made the wrong decision in choosing us. You must leave, NOW."
"What?"
"Take what belongings you brought with you and prepare to board the elevator. You may not take anything from this Shelter and no you may not fill up your bottles with water before you leave, you have no more privileges here."
"But you can't just kick me out! I PAID!"
"So you did, I suppose you should receive a refund of half your money back."
"Oh yeah? Where the fuck am I supposed to have you deposit it? The banking system is probably ashes!"
"Doesn't matter anyway, you weren't going to get it back since your deliberate act of vandalism against me would've be deducted from your refund. I suggest you stop talking and start packing. If you insist on staying I will simply shut down and you will be trapped here without accessible food and water. A none too pleasant death I'm sure."

You have little choice.

You pack up everything you can and wait by the elevator. When the elevator comes you enter it and it takes you to the top. Upon entering the foyer you see the same ATM machine there except it displays a single message at you:

*GO TO HELL*

"Fuck you." You mutter and take a deep breath before opening the door to the outside.

You see a bright light, but of course it's only the sun rather than a nuclear flash that devastated the world. You forgot how bright it really 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. On a lark you take out your long unused van keys and try to start it up, naturally it doesn't even make a noise.

"Looks like I'm walking."

You make you way down the empty road as you have little idea of where to head to, the only thing you can think of is to make a long trek back to the city and hope maybe something of civilization exists there.

A couple days of traveling take their toll. During the day, the sun seems unbearably hotter than usual, and the nights get pretty cold. You don't have anything to drink or eat. It'll be awhile from you dying of either, but it's certainly not good and it does weaken you.

It's during this weakened state that you are attacked by some crazed people who look like they've been living in the wilderness for awhile. They're filthy and barely intelligible. It's amazing to see how quick humanity has reverted to barbarism.

You attempt to run, but you're too weak to outpace them. One begins shooting at you, and you attempt to do likewise and then you realize you wasted all your bullets back at the Shelter! Eventually a couple of these people just tackle you to the ground and beat you to death before eating you.