TROA) Meeting Part 1

Life is truly resilient. Only a few weeks passed since a spring like weather had come. The plants and trees that were once withered started to bloom again as the rain fell and moistened the earth below. Animals were once more running about, which meant I could finally gather up some animals to bread in the base. I did not care what kind of animal they were since meat and hides of any kind would come in handy. Of course, until we have enough to go around, none of it would be harvested right away.

Flowers bloomed around the rock where the hidden entrance to the base was located. I picked a few flowers and brought them inside to where Jen was resting. Her belly was quite plump now, but she had a big smile on her face. “Jen!”

“Ai…” Jen looked over at me softly as I walked over to her. I took the flowers I had plucked and stuck them in her hair. 

“Mmm. Perfect!” I said with a smile. I leaned down and kissed her lips. “How are you feeling?”

“Heavy,” Jen whined as she gently rubbed her stomach. 

“Just rest for the next few days. Mom said you will give birth by the end of next month.” I sat down next to her and placed my ear on her belly. “Little baby, your mamas are waiting for you to come out big and strong.”

“Not too big!” Jen corrected, causing me to laugh. Poked my side, making me jump a little as I gazed up at her. I really loved Jen. She was just too cute for her own good. 

“Leader!” Kevin’s voice came over the coms. He had started calling me Leader now. 

I sighed as I pressed the earpiece in my ear and asked: “What’s wrong?”

“The temperature outside is dropping rapidly. In just ten minutes, it has dropped over twenty degrees.” Kevin reported.

“Alright, get everyone inside quickly. It seems the deep freeze is upon us. We will need to get ready for a long bout of cold weather. We will be holding a meeting in five, so have all top brass there.”I sighed. I guess the nice weather could only last so long. Luckily, we saved as many plants as we could. We dedicated a whole new section of the base to trees and plants of all kinds. If we found it outside, then we would dig one up and let it reproduce on its own. Since all the insects died off except for those living in the ground, we created bee drones to pollinate the floor. Unlike regular bees, these bee swarms ignored humans and did not try to attack them. They didn’t even have stingers. They only knew how to go from plant to plant and pollinate as a bee would.

 I gave Jen a kiss before heading to the meeting room. It was time to get ready for what was to come. As I walked through the living room and looked at the live feed on the screens, I could see that it was already snowing out. 

Walking into the meeting room, Ice, Kevin, my mother and father, and a few others who were designated mayors of the different floors where everyone lived were in attendance. “Leader, you are here. I set out a cup of tea for you.” Kevin pointed to the seat at the head of the table. A cup of tea that was still steaming was placed in front of the chair. I was starting to think Kevin was my butler and not the man who was in charge of my military.

I walked over and sat down. I took a sip of tea before looking at everyone present. “Alright. So, as everyone knows, the cold weather is setting in. We will be in for a long freeze. Since we are underground, we should be okay. But to be sure, since permafrost can sink deep into the crust, we will need to create a heating system for all sections. 

“I want new ways to heat each household easily without causing a fire or need for any kind of fuel. Any ideas?” I looked over at my mother and father. I could see the light in my father’s eyes.

“Your father said he can make a new kind of phase heater. It will be the safest and will heat the entire house in an hour.” My mother, as usual, spoke up for my father, who only nodded. How she knew exactly what he wanted to say is beyond me. I am starting to think my mother and father are aliens.

“Then we will go with that. How long until we can mass produce it?” I asked.

“We will need a week to make the equipment to mass produce.” My mother answered.

“Then let’s get warm clothing going for now. The level 1 living quarters will be the first to receive the new heaters. Then, level 2, and so on. If anyone dares to try to start a fight, lock them up. We do not need people causing a scene from other floors until all of level 1 has their heaters since they will be the first to be affected by it. Families with children are first. Especially newborns. They are the future of mankind.”