Doomday Engineer

Lily was asleep. Her breathing had steadied, and color had returned to her cheeks. I tucked the blanket around her and let Shadow curl up beside her on the cot. For the first time in days, she looked… safe.

I should've let myself rest. Should've let exhaustion take over. But I couldn't. Not with that door still on my mind.

I grabbed my rifle, checked the flashlight, and headed back into the storage room. The reinforced door stood at the far end, its surface smooth and unmarked, unlike the rusted walls around it. It didn't belong.

I ran my fingers along the metal. No handle. No visible lock. Just a small, bio-scanner embedded in the wall.

My gut twisted.

A research facility. A hidden sector. And biometric security?

[System Notification: Unidentified Sector – Clearance Required]

[New Task: Gain Access to Restricted Area]

[Reward: High-Priority Intel + Possible Technology Unlock]

That last part made my pulse quicken. If this place held advanced technology, it could be the key to surviving this frozen apocalypse.

I scanned the hallway. If I wanted in, I had three options:

1. Find a dead researcher's ID. Risky. If the system needed live biometrics, it wouldn't work.

2. Bypass the scanner. I'd need tools, time, and luck—none of which I had right now.

3. Let the system do the work.

I chose the third option.

"System, analyze security protocol."

[Processing…]

The scanner pulsed softly.

[Security Level: High]

[Access Method: DNA Recognition]

DNA? My stomach dropped. That meant whatever was inside wasn't meant for just anyone.

It was personal.

I stepped back, unease creeping in. Who owned this place? What had they been working on before the world fell apart?

Before I could think further, Shadow's ears perked. He growled low, his fur bristling.

Then I heard it.

Footsteps.

Outside.

I killed the flashlight and pressed against the cold metal wall, my rifle raised.

Voices.

"The tracks led here."

"Someone's inside. No way they got past that storm without shelter."

"Then we flush them out."

A loud crack echoed through the facility. Gunfire.

I clenched my jaw. They weren't here to talk. They were here to take.

And they had just made a mistake.

Because this wasn't just a shelter.

It was my fortress.

[System Notification: Defense Mode Activated – Perimeter Scan Initiated]

[New Task: Eliminate the Threat]

The system pulsed in my mind, feeding me tactical data. Entry points. Weak spots in their formation. The cold efficiency of it was almost comforting.

I took a deep breath, steadied my aim.

If they wanted a fight—

I'd give them one.

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