As we relax, I pull Ashley into me as a way to show her that I’m here, I want you here next to me, and that I want to keep you here.
She leans in and nuzzles into me, acting like she’s in a safe place and can relax again.
Anna looks at us and smiles in a way that I haven’t seen since we met.
Derricc has calmed down and is looking to be contemplating something.
I want to grab his attention but there ends up being a bright light appearing in front of us.
“Erik, what is this?” Derricc asks as he tries to touch it and he hand goes through.
“Ok that’s not normal.” “This is real, this is all real” Anna leans into Ashley as if trying to protect her.
Ashley just grabs my arm, and sees that I’m just looking at it and relaxes enough to remain calm, but still looking puzzled.
The blue light turns into a loading screen with an ever increasing bar.
Derricc looks ready to pick a fight with a holographic screen while the rest of us are trying to comprehend the meaning of this light.
As the screen loads, it turns into a statistical screen: “Apocalyptic Organizational System successfully uploaded.” Organization size: 4 Essential departments: 10 Organizational Readiness: critical Apocalypse survival: 4.3% Human Civilization Restoration Probability: 0.0% Recommendation: recruit specialists “Holy mother of pearl, this is really something Erik.” Anna gasps as she really leans into the screen.
“I really underestimated the something big is happening issue.” “Erik, it looks like this thing can point us in the right direction.
It might have a way to help us.” Derricc has calmed down and realizes this is an ally, not an enemy.” The screen reverts back to a loading screen like there’s more to this.
“Seriously, what else is there going to be” Ashley exclaims like she’s tired of being thrown for a loop and honestly, I can’t blame her.
She’s had a rough few days.
After the screen loads, we’re taken to another screen that looks like more data.
“Welcome to the AOS sub system: The personnel assessment system.
Here the system operator can use this screen to determine how an individual fits into the organization.
Let’s use the system operator as an example.
Name: Erik Teachability: SS Physical ability: S Personality: A Mental ability: SSS Leadership: SS Adaptability: SSS Loyalty: SSS Patience: A Diplomacy: B Manufacturing: A Engineering: S Reconnaissance: SS Communications: A Research: SS Recommendation: Logistics Overall Score: SS+ Potential Score: SSS Ranks are listed from F-SSS.
Everyone can be analyzed by the operator and be put where they can contribute the most.
Good Luck “Ding, Erik meets the score requirements to become the head of Logitics.
Proceed.
“Yes” I say “This is amazing Erik, and this is only the beginning.” Anna exclaims excitedly “Now I wonder what it’ll say about the rest of us”, Derricc asks?
“Shall we Erik,” Ashley says and we all seem to get more excited about this.
Name: Derricc Teachability: SS Physical ability: SS Personality: A Mental ability: A Leadership: SSS Adaptability: SS Loyalty: SSS Patience: S Diplomacy: SS Manufacturing: A Engineering: B Reconnaissance: A Communications: S Research: B Official score: SS Potential Score: SSS “Ding, Derricc has met the score requirement for the head of leadership department.
Proceed.” “Yes, I say again”.
Name: Anna Teachability: SS Physical Ability: A Personality: S Mental ability: SS Leadership: A Adaptability: S Loyalty: S Patience: SS Diplomacy: SSS Manufacturing: S Engineering: B Reconnaissance: S Communications: SS Research: A Official Score: S+ Potential Score: SSS “Ding, Anna has met the score requirements to be the head of linguistics.
Proceed.” “Yes” Name: Ashley Teachability: SSS Physical ability: S Personality: S Mental ability: A Leadership: SS Adaptability: A Loyalty: SS Patience: SSS Diplomacy: A Manufacturing: B Reconnaissance: A Communications: S Research: A “Ding, Ashley has met the score requirements for the head training instructor department.
Proceed” “Yes” The screen changes to what looks like overall organization stat screen.
It says Overall Personnel ratings Combat: B Leadership: A Technical value: C Communications: C Manufacturing: D Engineering: D Research : D Overall organizational rating: D+ “Well then, that’s pretty rough to look at”, I say as i try to process everything.
“At least we have a road map” “Ding, host has filled 4/10 specialist slots.
New system function unlocked.
Shared system.
Each specialist will receive their departments section of the system that they can use to build up their departments, and unlock new skills and abilities to further allow them to improve the organization.” Next thing I know is each of us receiving a smaller screen we can expand on and it generally department head’s name, department, personnel divided by ranks, and what looks like a skill tree that has requirements to meet before unlocking.
It’s quite fascinating and honestly a complete game changer in ways I couldn’t even imagine before today.
“Erik, you know what this mean right.
We can use this system to give humans a fighting chance this time”, Erik says excitedly.
Ashley says “I really can be useful.
It was just words before as I didn’t exactly know what I could do before, but now I can actually help you in a meaningful way.
This is perfect.” “You also have to use others to fully maximize the system, it also negates my worry about you boys trying to do too much” Anna says excitedly.
“Host, system has new survival statistics for you.
Organization size: 4 Essential departments: 4/10 Organization readiness: critical Apocalypse survivability: 6.4% Human civilization restoration probability: 0.02% Recommendation: recruit specialists “Derricc, I think I know our next move.
Let’s head back to Colorado to plan the next move out.
“Aye aye captain”, Derricc jokes “What about the letters….and your parents?” Anna asks while looking like she’s found a new toy to play with.
“We no longer need to go.
Ashley got the answers to the questions she needed to have answered too from us while also getting dragged into something big.
It’d honestly be a little redundant to go back right now.
Maybe in the future we’ll swing back by their house and check for anything suspicious but right now, the system says we aren’t looking too good for surviving what’s coming.
We should fix that before we do anything.” Everyone nods in agreement as we leave the hot springs and get into the truck and we speed back towards the underground bunker.