The Eternal Winter - Book 1 - Chapter 29 - Priorities (Patreon)

                                                                           The Underground Bunker
                                                                 Soon after the base began shaking

“What’s happening?” lieutenant colonel Ruth asks as soon as he reaches BF6 and enters the open room to find both of the majors talking in rushed tones.

Major Vaugns immediately turns to him and answers, “We got word from our lookout at the hanger that the large worm monster started burrowing through the wall, leaving the hanger and sending tremors throughout the base in the process.”

The lieutenant colonel grimaces at that before glancing in the direction of the stairwell to the hanger as he asks, “And do we know where it’s heading?”

“Unfortunately not,” major Carter responds with a grim shake of his head, “it burrowed straight through the wall of the first underground floor and into the ground dirt and stone outside of the base’s walls, underground.”

“Damnit!” the lieutenant colonel shouts, only for his head to swivel over towards the other side of the room where captains Andrew and Ruthers can be seen running into the room. “Report!” He shouts without missing a beat.

Both of the captains salute him as captain Ruthers answers, “The entrance to BF5 has been completely blocked by rubble. In addition to that, second lieutenant North is still on the floor. But we managed to tell him to head to the hanger.”

By now, the lieutenant colonel’s chipper attitude from earlier is nowhere to be found as he scowls at the captains before turning around and marching back to the stairs leading to BF6 while shouting back, “Change of plans. Our new priority is to secure the hanger before making our way out of the underground floors.”

“Sir!” All of the officers in the room answer at once as they begin following him.

“What of second lieutenant North?” captain Andrew asks after they begin climbing down the stairs.

The lieutenant colonel doesn’t look back as he answers, “My priority is the lives of the people in this bunker. So we will give him till one hour after we clear the hanger before we move out.”

Andrew grits his teeth at that but stays silent. However, unbeknownst to him, the lieutenant colonel does the same as he thinks, ‘He better not die, or the general will have my hide.’

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You can’t be serious,” Michelle exclaims, only stopping herself from snapping at captain Andrew thanks to her brothers hand on her shoulder. “They can’t expect us to just abandon him down here if he doesn’t make it in time!”

Despite Michael’s attempts to hold his sister’s anger in check, captain Andrew notices his clenched jaw before he looks at the others.

Victoria has a scowl on her face but doesn’t say anything, meanwhile Robert has a conflicted look on his face.

‘Good to see he does care about him, even if he’s still terrified of him,’ Andrew mentally notes before looking directly at Michelle and answering, “It is an order. The lieutenant colonel will be giving him one hour after the hanger is cleared before we leave.”

His answer causes the rage on Michelle’s face to gain a hint of confusion as she asks, “Why are you repeating…” she trails off as a look of understanding dawns on her face.

‘The lieutenant colonel never said we couldn’t go out to look for him,’ she thinks, her scowl softening a touch as her brother comes to the same realization.

“After the hanger is cleared, I’ll be heading out to look for him,” Andrew states without any hesitation in his voice. “If you would like to come with me, then do so. If not, then follow the others.” He adds the last part while glancing at Robert, who just stiffly nods his head in response.

Andrew then turns to look around the bunker at the various squads, each huddled in their own section of the bunker. But after a few seconds, he narrows his eyes on two squads in particular. These are the squads led by the two captains who have been quietly protesting Alex’s acceptance by the lieutenant colonel.

Both of the captains of the squads are grinning like crazy – as if they had just won the lottery. And their sentiments are obviously shared by their squads.

Andrew watches them for a few minutes as Victoria, Michelle, and Michael all begin planning for their search for Alex later, until he sees one of the captains turning to sneer in their direction, only to jerk his head back the instant he realizes he was caught.

“Looks like we may have some problems going to find him,” he mutters, catching Michelle’s attention as she’s the closest to him before she turns to look at what he’s looking at. Just to end up frowning herself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                          Alexander North

Well that’s a problem.

I stare up at the ruined staircase leading to BF1. The wall somehow seems to have collapsed into the stairwell, completely blocking access to the floor entirely.

So how am I going to reach the hanger?

I turn back to the stairs I just climbed before glancing at the doorway to BF2.

If I remember correctly, there should be an executive staircase somewhere on every floor that leads to the next floor up. But unlike the secret exits outside, dad didn’t have me memorize these. Just told me that they existed and showed me where they were.

And now I’m regretting not memorizing them.

Wait a second.

A faint smile emerges on my face as I think of a solution.

“Terminal, connect me to the North direct port,” I declare out loud before hearing some slight buzzing in my head, followed by a notice.

/ Notice \

User Second Lieutenant Alexander North has attempted to use direct port ‘North’.
Awaiting response from other end user…

\End of Notice/

I nod my head at that before proceeding to stare at the notice. For half a minute. Then a minute.

Then I sit down on the top of the stairs and continue to stare.

Please don’t let this take too long.