You throw your hands up.

"Alright, fuck it then. You're right. What the hell do I care? Shoulda been more careful Ron."

You turn around and go back to the computer room to send the elevator up, you hear the pitiful begging from Ron, followed up by a couple of verbal abusive insults from Nina. Sheesh, she's turned into a real bitch. You better make yourself semi-useful so that vengeful attitude doesn't turn too much on you. You figure the best way to do that is to start monitoring and working with the GZS central computer, besides you need to look after this thing anyway. You don't feel safe with those other two idiots looking after it.

"(Sigh) Looks like I'm working again." You say as you press the button to send the elevator up.

Four years pass...

You've been here five years and things have changed.

The population has grown a bit, but not a lot since Nina's pettiness helps keep the population down. Nina, has thrown at least ten people into "exile". Anyone who only mildly displeases or disagrees with her, is often shown the elevator…unless they happen to be providing a useful skill like you. Nina really hates the fact that you're the only competent technician she has. You manage to keep things from breaking down constantly like they were, but only just the minimum. You purposely don't keep things running at maximum efficiency, since as long as you're needed you won't be in danger…of course there IS the fact you have a gun that also keeps you safe, but there's never any harm in having a couple of safety nets. The more the better.

In fact, you wonder about losing one of your safety nets. Todd and Charles have increased in their technical knowledge over the years, and granted they still aren't as skilled as you; they might actually be competent one day. And they do a lot less back talking than you…


You wonder if you should do something to ensure your position. Todd and Charles come in talking about some old movie they watched in the community living area. It would be really easy to just shoot them. Who would stop you? And what could anyone do about it?

You resist

Man, you MUST be going half-nuts down here. You can't believe you just considered killing two people just on a paranoid delusion. You begin to start seriously analyzing your behavior.

Okay, killing Elliot was in self defense. You didn't really have a choice. You were even defending this place, he didn't seem like he had good plans for the shelter and its inhabitants.

Sending Ron and William into exile wasn't your fault…well not really. You were just obeying goddamn orders. You tried to talk Nina out of it when nobody else had the balls to stand up to her. She wasn't budging. What the fuck were you supposed to do? Shoot her, like you were just thinking about shooting Charles and Todd just a few moments ago?

You just wanted to be fuckin' left alone, now you're roped into all this shit that you don't really want to be part of. You're NOT a bad guy, hell you're keeping this shelter from falling into ruin!

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM ME?!!?!" you yell.

Charles and Todd look at each other wondering what you're talking about.

"Uh…nothing. In fact we weren't even talking to you." Todd says.
"Are you alright? You've been spacing out and day dreaming a lot lately." Charles adds as you suddenly realize your surroundings.
"I…I gotta get outta this place."
"Well, that's cool I mean you do seem like you need to lie down and rest or something. We can look after…"
"NO Todd! I mean I gotta leave THIS place! The fuckin' shelter!"
"You mean go to the surface? Are you crazy?" Charles asks.
"I'm gettin' there and know I can't stay here any longer, or I'm gonna go fuckin' full blown crazy and shoot somebody else!"

Charles and Todd both back off.

"Hey on the other hand maybe leaving is a good idea!"

You tell Todd and Charles you're going to pack some supplies and as much water as you can carry and that all you want them to do, is to send the elevator up for you. They don't have a problem with it, they tell you just to come back and let them know when you're ready.

You go back to your room and load up on water and that crap they call "food" from the dispensers. Then you enter the medical room and begin taking medical supplies. When you think you're ready, you go back and tell Todd and Charles. Charles opens the elevator door and wishes you luck, Todd talks to you on your way there.

"So you sure about this?"
"Very sure, in fact I'm not sure why more people aren't wanting to leave with Nina bullying everyone."

Speak of the devil. Nina arrives with her goon Leon. Shit, you were hoping to avoid this.

"What's all this about me being a bully? And where the fuck do you think you're going?" Nina exclaims.
"I'm leaving Nina, you of all people should be happy about it, I won't be around to piss you off anymore or threaten your power."
"Well as much as I'd like you to leave, I admit you're needed here so I'm afraid I can't let you leave and even if you were to leave I can't just let you take vital shelter supplies! Go put those back and get back to your post NOW!"
"Nina, you're not calling the fuckin' shots on this, I'm going! I'm not you're goddamn prisoner! And if the rest of you are smart the rest of these people would stop cowering before you. But hey what do I know?"

You start to enter the elevator, and Nina makes another threat.

"Don't you DARE walk away from me! You go in that elevator and don't expect to get to the top! I'll make sure it gets stopped mid-way through and leave it there for you to die a slow death!"

You step back out and hang your head down.

"(Sigh) You WOULD do that wouldn't you?"
"You bet your ass I would!"
"Well I guess I have no choice."

You look up at Nina, raise your pistol and blast Leon twice in the chest and then point it at her. Onlookers slowly rise from their hiding spots

"Holy shit!" Todd shouts.
"Please don't kill me! Don't kill me!" Nina whines
"Gonna be hard to intimidate Charles or Todd without your head goon now isn't it? In fact I'd say your power trip is just about over. Hey folks, consider this my last favor to all of you! Alright Todd, tell Charles I'm going up!"

You enter the elevator and begin your ascent. Finally the elevator opens up to the same foyer you entered five years ago. Looks exactly the same, except the payment machine is now offline in fact the screen is cracked. There's a crowbar lying on the floor and the doors to the outside look like they were pried open. You see the outside world for the first time in five years. From where you're standing, it doesn't look too bad; maybe the devastation wasn't that great in this area. Somebody or possibly several people were here at one time attempting to get in, you laugh thinking about someone actually trying to get in this place.

You exit the foyer and go outside, you see a bright light. It's the sun; you forgot how bright it could be. You see everyone's cars still parked here, well almost. You can tell that few of them must've been taken at one time; a lot have just been plain vandalized. Your van still looks the same though, nobody in their right mind would steal that thing, and it already looks vandalized. You wonder if it would still start, but you left your keys to it in the shelter. You doubt if it would though.

"Meh, I need the exercise anyway."

You cover your eyes and take a far view of your position. Nobody around, there's not even a sound except the wind; you're all alone as far as you can tell and this is what you missed. Once again you have peaceful solitude.

You begin to walk…