The lights went out.
No one spoke in the darkness, only the sound of water coming from downstairs, one tap after another, like someone knocking on the door. Chen Hao squatted down against the wall, his fingers finding a crumb of biscuit on the ground, which he picked up and put in his mouth. He chewed slowly, as if chewing a few more times would conjure up more food.
"Nana," he said, "could you turn on a light?"
After a brief silence, a soft clicking sound came from the corner. Then, a small red light turned on, illuminating half of Nana's face. Her indicator light flashed twice, as if nodding.
The light was dim, but enough to see their surroundings. Carl sat on the box, a damp towel draped over his knees. Susan leaned against him, her ankle swollen and shiny; she didn't cry out in pain, but her breathing was a little heavy.
"Let's take stock of what we brought up," Chen Hao said, "and see how long it can last."
Carl opened the two sealed boxes. The first contained the main control module and backup hard drive; the second contained an emergency power supply, connectors, and several rolls of cable. Nothing else.
"What about food?" Chen Hao asked.
“I didn’t take it.” Carl shook his head. “I was just focused on moving the equipment.”
Where's the water?
No, not at all.
"Medicine? Blanket? Flashlight?"
"I didn't bring any."
Chen Hao glanced down at his pants pocket, took out the remaining half-pack of biscuits, which he had crushed into powder. He poured the powder into his palm, divided it into four portions, one for each person.
"Eat sparingly," he said. "This stuff isn't really a meal; it's more of a psychological comfort."
Susan took the small handful of crumbs, said nothing, and gently blew on them to make them scatter.
Nana stood up and walked to the edge of the platform, looking down at the first floor. The water level was still rising, and there were only three steps left to the stairs. A floating chair bumped into a pillar, spun around, and then slowly drifted away.
“The impact sound has disappeared,” she said. “It’s presumed that the floating debris was carried away from the main hall area by the water.”
"So, it wasn't a monster just now?" Karl breathed a sigh of relief.
“There is currently no evidence of a biological threat,” Nana replied.
“That’s better than having monsters,” Chen Hao said. “At least we’ll know how we died when we die.”
No one laughed.
He sat down against the wall again, his right arm numb from the damp clothes. He moved his elbow, and the bone made a soft cracking sound, like a rusty door hinge.
"What do we do now?" Susan asked.
"Let's figure out if we can stay here first." Chen Hao looked up at the ceiling. "This place doesn't look sturdy. The roof leaks, there are cracks in the corners, and the floor is a bit shaky when you step on it."
Nana walked to the wall and pressed the back of her hand against it. After a few seconds, she said, "The wall's moisture content is too high, and the structural bearing capacity has dropped by 62%. This platform can only support the structure for a maximum of 48 hours; prolonged use poses a risk of collapse."
“That means we can’t stay here long,” Carl said. “But it’s all water outside, where can we go?”
"So someone has to go out and find something," Chen Hao said. "Find food, find water, find a safer place."
Who will go?
“Me,” Chen Hao pointed to himself, “I’m the fattest. I sink slowly when I fall into the water, and I swim like a fat fish. I’m naturally suited for this kind of task.”
Carl glanced at him: "You're out of breath after just a couple of steps."
“I can walk slower.”
You're still injured.
"The injury doesn't affect my ability to walk."
“Then you go,” Carl said. “I’ll stay home and take care of the kids.”
Chen Hao ignored him and turned to Nana: "Do you still have the map? Do you know any places nearby where supplies might be stored?"
Nana's access panel on her back popped open, and she flicked the internal modules with her fingers. After a moment, she said, "According to the analysis of the building database, the three locations that are at higher elevations and are likely to retain supplies are: the old tool shed, the container stack on the north slope, and the ventilation tower maintenance warehouse."
Which one is the most recent?
"The old tool shed is about 170 meters away in a straight line and can be reached through the unsubmerged passageway on the east side of the corridor."
“Let’s go there then.” Chen Hao stood up and patted his pants. “Let’s grab what we can get first, then we’ll think about the next step.”
“I’ll go,” Carl said.
“You stay here.” Chen Hao shook his head. “Susan needs someone to take care of her, and Nana needs to guard the communications. You’re more agile than me, so you can step in if something happens here.”
"Then you can't do it alone."
“I’m not alone, you’re coming with me.”
"Oh," Carl realized, "You mean we'll go together?"
"Or should I tell you a comedy routine?"
“Then why did you say ‘I’ would go?”
"I thought you would automatically fill in the rest of the sentence."
Carl rolled his eyes: "Say it all next time."
The two began preparations. Chen Hao disassembled the remaining flashlight casing, pulled out the wire, and wrapped it around his wrist to make a leash. He handed the other end to Karl.
“If we get separated, pulling three times means we’ll regroup, pulling five times means it’s dangerous,” he said. “Don’t pull randomly, my arm already hurts.”
Carl nodded.
Nana charged the emergency power supply to 40%, put it in a small bag, and handed it to Chen Hao. "It can be used for short-term lighting or signal transmission. It is recommended to check the power every 30 minutes."
"Thanks." Chen Hao slung his bag over his shoulder. "Keep an eye on things up there. If there's any problem, just shout."
"clear."
Chen Hao walked to the top of the stairs and glanced at the water below. The water was calm and reflected no light. He lifted his foot and stepped onto the first step.
“Wait a minute,” Carl suddenly said.
Chen Hao turned around.
"Do you really think there's anything in the old tool shed?"
"Not necessarily," Chen Hao said. "We won't know if there's anything until we go and check. What we lack most right now isn't food, it's choices. Stay here and wait for the collapse, or go out and try your luck, which do you think we should choose?"
Karl was silent for a few seconds, then followed.
The two stood by the water's edge; the moment their shoes touched the surface, a chill ran through them. Chen Hao took a breath and stepped into the water. The water rose past his calves, the resistance slowing each step.
They proceeded along the east corridor. The markings on the wall were still legible, with an arrow pointing to a safety exit every ten meters. The water was knee-deep, and the two walked close to the wall to avoid being hit by floating debris.
After turning the first corner, an iron gate appeared ahead. The words "Tool Room A" were written on the gate frame, the handwriting was blurry, but still legible.
"We've arrived," Chen Hao said.
The door was closed, and the handle was rusty. He reached out and tried to turn it, but it wouldn't budge.
“It’s stuck,” he said.
Carl stepped forward and gave the door a hard push; it creaked open with a dull thud and cracked a crack. The two of them pulled the door open together, and a musty smell rushed out.
Inside were several metal cabinets, a workbench, and a few wrenches and pliers hanging on the wall. There was standing water on the floor, but it wasn't high, only about ankle-deep.
“The cabinet is locked.” Carl tried the drawer.
"Smash it with a hammer." Chen Hao looked around. "Let's see if there's anything there..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sound came from above.
The two looked up.
A crack appeared in the corner of the ceiling, slowly widening. Dust fell in, seeping into the water.
"Hurry up," Chen Hao said, "This room isn't very good either."
Carl found a large wrench and smashed open the first cabinet. Inside were several rolls of electrical tape, a box of screws, and half a bottle of machine oil.
“There’s nothing to eat,” he said.
The second cabinet is empty.
In the third cabinet, there was a package of compressed biscuits. The outer packaging was moldy, but the seal was intact. Chen Hao picked it up and smelled it; there was no strange odor.
“It’s edible,” he said. “At least it won’t poison you on the spot.”
He also found a roll of waterproof tarpaulin, two batteries, and a broken hand-cranked flashlight.
"The battery might work." He stuffed the things into his bag.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
The two regained their footing.
“It’s not an earthquake,” Carl said softly.
"Water pressure change," Nana's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "The crack in the west exterior wall has expanded to 3.1 meters, causing local structural instability. We recommend returning immediately."
"Received." Chen Hao grabbed his bag. "Let's go!"
They rushed towards the door. Just as they stepped out of the room, a loud crash came from behind them. A section of the wall collapsed inwards, and water poured in.
Chen Hao stumbled and almost fell. Karl pulled him up, and the two continued running forward.
The water was getting deeper and deeper, and the corridor began to tilt. They had to hold onto the wall to keep their balance.
"Nana!" Chen Hao shouted into the walkie-talkie, "We're almost there, get ready to meet us!"
"The backup lighting has been turned on," Nana said. "There is a temporary escalator on the right side of the platform entrance, which is made up of two sections of pipe joined together. Be careful not to slip."
Light appeared ahead.
A faint red light shone down from the second-floor platform, illuminating the water's surface. Susan leaned against the railing, holding a long pole.
“Over here!” she called out.
Chen Hao and Karl quickened their pace.
They finally reached the bottom of the stairs and grabbed the handrail to climb up. Chen Hao's backpack was waterlogged and became heavy, and he almost slipped halfway down. Karl pulled him up from above, and they managed to get to the top.
The two slumped onto the platform, panting.
"Did you get it?" Susan asked.
Chen Hao took the package of compressed biscuits out of his bag and shook it.
"It's not enough for one meal, but it'll last until tomorrow," he said.
Susan smiled.
Nana came over and checked the items in the backpack. "The battery voltage is sufficient, providing about two hours of power for the lighting equipment. The tarpaulin can be used to set up a temporary shelter."
"Good news," Chen Hao said, leaning against the wall. "We're not completely finished yet."
He looked up at the ceiling. The cracks were still spreading, but at a slower pace.
"What's next?" Carl asked.
Chen Hao tore open the cookie packaging, broke off a small piece, and put it in his mouth. He chewed for a long time before swallowing.
"Get some sleep," he said. "We'll talk about it when it's light."
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