Apocalypse Survival Guide

Chapter 2. Destruction of Daily Life (2)

People often say that life is a series of choices.

When you choose one, you must immediately decide the next, and this process never ends. With each choice, life slowly changes.

However, for mining, it was a series of endurance rather than choices.

There were no options to choose from; you just stared at the flickering blue light of the plasma in the dimness.

As you stared intently at the blue light that irritated the eyes, your mind naturally became dazed.

The sizzling, burning walls, hands straining to prevent the nozzle from spraying toward you, the occasional blue sparks that hit the helmet, and the stifled breathing trapped by the helmet.

With the flickering plasma light signaling the end and restart of each situation, a refresh was needed—a kind of ritual to prevent oneself from getting mired in the monotonous surroundings.

There was no set action for this. It was just something to restore one's depleted concentration and prevent space madness.

A personal action to help recognize that this was reality and awaken oneself.

'Whew...'

I let out a long sigh and put down the plasma cutter. It was to take a break. Balancing work and rest is important, even without someone enforcing it because your body ultimately needs looking after. This was my refresh.

The image of someone wielding a pickaxe, as in the past, is rarely seen today, but it still existed in this mining base. This is because the Blue Crystal has properties that can damage delicate electronic equipment.

Nadia, placing the crushed rocks inside Carry's transport box, sparkled with excitement.

"Hyun-woo, look over there. A glow-in-the-dark pickaxe."

"Not glow-in-the-dark, a plasma pickaxe."

It's called a pickaxe, but the tool is closer to a saw. The plasma emitted from its surface slices through everything and has far more destructive power than the standard equipment provided.

Since the energy source is Blue Crystal, the price tag is higher. And the maintenance cost isn't cheap either. It was equipment used solely for its output.

"You don't buy the glow-in-the-dark pickaxe anymore, Hyun-woo? You used to buy them a lot."

"I bought them often, so now I'm out of money."

For a miner like me, equipment is more important than everyday clothes. I haven't always been a miner, but it might be a man's instinct to be drawn to new equipment others boast about acquiring.

I attached a wire to the upper part of the wall uncovered with the standard equipment and pulled.

Chunks of rock, as durable and heavy as metal, cracked and crumbled to the ground.

Nadia watched the cascading stones with fascination, her tail swaying once to the left and twice to the right, as though seeing something incredible.

"I always feel how strong you are, Hyun-woo. It takes four people to do that over there."

"That's how all the equipment got broken."

"If you're strong, you can afford to be a bit less smart, they say."

"Who says that? Are you implying I'm not smart?"

"Ack."

Startled, Nadia began clearing away the rocks without offering an excuse. The extras she scooped up with the auxiliary device attached to her arm swiftly went into Carry's transport box.

I debated whether or not to give a playful whack to the oblivious Nadia who was whistling nonchalantly. After a short contemplation, I decided against it, letting out a small sigh instead and activated the metal detector. Seeing no significant response on the monitor, I confirmed:
"Nadia, no need to clear the rocks. This area's tapped out. Let's move to another place."

"Is it a dud?"

"Yeah, a complete dud."

Following the lights attached to the wall, we checked today's haul. The amount of Blue Crystals, shining like the blue sky and ocean, wasn't significant.

"I guess our quitting time will be slightly delayed today."

"Ugh."

Nadia's tail drooped. She hoped to fill the quota a bit more and scanned her surroundings, eyes wide open, but there wasn't a single crystal overlooked by others. What was important to us was crucial for others too.

All that appeared were dust-raising heaps of stone, further lowering Nadia's drooping tail.

Blue Crystal, a special mineral containing vast amounts of energy, was discovered less than a century ago, mined solely from ice moons.

Yet, Blue Crystals have become an indispensable resource, deeply integrated into society.

There's even a saying that if the Crystal Refineries stop, society stops.

This mineral was used in nearly every piece of equipment, from the batteries of the mining tools I use to the engines of solar furnaces.

While extremely hard, requiring no significant precautions for mining, the ore emitted special waves that disrupted delicate electronic devices, necessitating that humans directly wield specially coated tools for the mining work.

In this era, robots usually handle most first-level labor.

'They pay too little, considering.'

Thinking about the amount of money I needed to save had my breath catching in my throat, suffocatingly tight. The unique dim gloom of the tunnel further souring my mood.

"Carry, tell us if you're feeling overloaded, okay? I noticed earlier your wheels are worn out. Seems like it's time for a replacement."

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】

Carry showed a thumbs-up on the screen as if to say it was more than capable, with Nadia chuckling beside it.

Watching the two, I spoke up.

"Nadia, why don't you quit this job?"

Nadia wasn't like me. Unlike me, who possessed brute strength, she could expertly handle tools and maneuver power loaders, even the ones most couldn't handle without significant skill.

She had never formally learned, just picked it up from watching over someone's shoulder, but who could tell how much better she'd get with proper training.

I was genuinely impressed when she moved a massive boulder using equipment that manipulated gravity. It was dangerous if mishandled, often referred to as optimal suicide equipment.

"Are we on this again? I don't want to. I'd be alone if I went anywhere else."

"With how skilled you are, people would flock to you. There's no being alone."

News traveled that those recognizing her skill eagerly extended a love call. Anywhere would be better than here, and it seemed wasteful to keep her talents hidden in a place like this.

Above all, it was risky. Mining work puts you on a fast track to developing mental health issues.

I might not have had any choices, but Nadia did. She had options, albeit limited ones. That was why I brought it up, and yet the reaction returned was always the same.

"......"

Nadia didn't respond, quickening her pace instead. From the added force in her steps, I could already tell her expression—probably sulking again.

Tail fur slightly bristled, signaling dissatisfaction, was an unmistakable sign.

I realized I had come to understand Nadia's mood just from small cues like that, sparking memories of our past.

Our first meeting wasn't favorable. I was facing my own struggles while she, gravely wounded, was abandoned in a back alley.

Honestly, the back alleys of the residential area aren't that dangerous due to regular security robot patrols.

But good security didn't mean Nadia could receive treatment. At least not here.

If Carry hadn't found her, Nadia might not have survived.

'I was really shocked.'

I could tell she was a beastwoman, noticing her animal ears and tail. Her ears were half-torn, and she had a stabbing wound near her heart.

Seeing her soaked in blood, I unconsciously lifted Nadia onto my back and sprinted to the nearest medical area.

I recall most of my savings were spent then. I couldn't charge her for the expenses since she was suffering from aphasia too.

She only began speaking not too long ago. Nevertheless, the outcome was I saved Nadia, leading to this ongoing bond. Nadia was my partner.

"Okay, okay. I won't say more; just slow down. Carry's wheels are on fire now from going too fast."

"......"

Still no verbal response, but Nadia's ears perked up, and she slowed down. Almost simultaneously, Carry, who had been wearing a distressed expression, sighed in relief.

The surroundings were quiet. Only the sound of fans from the ventilation system and the scraping of plasma against the walls could be heard.

People chatting like us were present, but work noises dominated over conversations.

Finding herself by my side again, Nadia asked.

"Hyun-woo, how much have you saved?"

"All of a sudden?"

"Tell me. How much more credits do you need to save for the Earth shuttle ticket?"

"... I'm about 20 million short."

For an unknown reason, she insistently asked, even needing to lean closer, prompting an unintended response from me. Her appearance wasn't something you'd expect in a mining base, slightly overwhelming.

Upon hearing my answer, Nadia stepped back. Seemingly contemplating for a moment before abruptly speaking again.

"I'll cover that money. I've saved a lot."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"You saved me, Hyun-woo. It's paying you back."

"How much did you—? No, never mind. Forget I asked. There's no need."

Momentarily tearing through my guard, I nearly asked but abruptly reconsidered. Nadia offered to reimburse past treatment costs, but it wasn't necessary.

Truthfully, spending on Nadia's treatment wasn't minor. However, reimbursement had already been done in practice.

After her recovery, Nadia became my work partner, aiding me and doubling my daily earnings with her exceptional abilities.

Having Nadia as a partner for over a year meant the treatment cost was repaid, no?

"But why! I have plenty of money!"

"It's your money. Why should it be mine?"

"My money is Hyun-woo's money! We're partners, aren't we!"

"It's true about the latter, but use it for yourself, not me."

The cost of a shuttle ticket to Earth itself isn't exorbitant. It wouldn't be 50 million credits for just a shuttle ride.

Excluding the several million credit cost of a shuttle ticket equipped with long-range warp capabilities, the remainder was for buying an identity for myself.

For some unknown reason, when I awakened in this remote mining base, I couldn't recall who I was. My identity couldn't be determined either—any information about me was erased.

It lingered vaguely in my mind, 'all records had been deleted'.

Without knowing who I was, and absent any artifacts or data to identify me, lacking an identification bracelet meant that even if something happened to me here, no one would care.

Had I not unearthed the information about a broker, I might never have met Nadia—dead long before.

The connection with the broker persisted even now. Initially, the broker promised to procure a false identity allowing passage to Earth.

The broker had advised against recovering my erased data, usually implying good reason.

I had nothing. Lacking the strength to protect anything, I heeded the broker's advice, leading this lower-class mining laborer's life.

Caught briefly reminiscing my grim past, Nadia attached herself persistently.

"Then let me lend it! You can pay me back later! ...... In exchange for paying back a little later."

"Are we still on this? Although, lend it, huh....... That's a perspective I hadn't considered. When do I have to repay?"

"Well....... Around 100 years later......?"

"How much interest are you thinking? That'd bind me to the grave and still not settle it."

Noticing a shift in my gaze turning cold, Nadia sheepishly hastened to decrease the duration from 100 to 90 years. Even still, finding my gaze unchanged, she dropped it to 80 years.

Being generous enough to reduce 10 years each time, I was undecided between amusement or astonishment at the 80-year proposal. Seeing it could drag on endlessly, I shook my head from side to side.

Nadia, oblivious to giving up, chattered on with various gestures, insisting that there was no need for interest and just to repay in 50 years, or start small by living together in a tiny room.

'Together. Starting together.'

Her words spurred a tickling unfamiliar sensation within my chest.

Living under a blue sky on Earth, not a gray-shaded one—how blissful could that be?

As I began to drift into my fantasies, the speaker installed in the tunnel broke my reverie.

〈Attention all workers currently in the tunnel. Today's work ends effective immediately. Please organize your equipment and exit the tunnel.〉

〈Once again, broadcasting to all workers currently in the tunnel. Today's work is now concluded. Please organize your equipment and.......〉

"...... What's going on?"

I stopped in my tracks and stared at the speaker due to the unexpected announcement. With no monitor attached for additional information, I subconsciously reacted to seeing a speaker I'd never seen operational before.

"Are we leaving early?"

"Seems like it."

Honestly, today marked my first premature end to a workday here. There was a stiffening tension from the anomaly of the situation.

"Wow, it's time to go home! Carry, they say we're leaving!"

【૮₍｡ •᎔• ｡₎ა】

Excited to go home, Nadia's ears perked up, while disappointed Carry's ears drooped dejectedly from missed work.

Watching the contrasting duo, instinctively, something felt off—an indescribable sense, a realm of intuition.

Following the broadcast, Nadia and I, lugging an unwilling workaholic Carry, headed towards the exit.