Days in the bunker took on a new rhythm. Breakfast remained a family affair, though now charged with meaningful glances and smiles. Richard, true to his word, maintained a polite distance from their private affairs, his attention fixed on his tablet or lost in thought.
Jason found himself dividing his time between three very different relationships. With Elaine, he shared quiet moments in the kitchen, her hands guiding his as they prepared meals together. Sometimes she'd press against him from behind, lips brushing his ear as she whispered suggestions that had nothing to do with cooking. Their connection was deep and steady, built on shared understanding and mutual comfort.
Lily brought playfulness to their encounters. She'd ambush him in corridors, pulling him into storage closets for breathless kisses. Once, she challenged him to a game of strip poker that ended with them tangled together on the her bedroom floor, laughing between passionate embraces.
Marissa remained more reserved. While she joined their group activities and seemed to enjoy their closeness, she hesitated at crossing the final boundary. She'd curl against Jason at night, her body warm against his, but would gently redirect his hands when they wandered too far.
"Not yet," she'd whisper, kissing him softly. "But I'm getting there."
The family unit shifted subtly. Movie nights became more intimate, with casual touches and shared blankets. Tasks featured genuine conversation rather than usual silence. Even Richard occasionally joined their banter, though his eyes often drifted to Jason with an unreadable expression.
One evening, Jason caught Elaine and Lily sharing a private moment in the kitchen, Elaine's fingers gently brushing Lily's hair from her face, their foreheads touching briefly before they separated. The sight filled him with unexpected warmth rather than jealousy.
Late at night, Jason watched Marissa sleeping beside him, her face peaceful in repose. His mind churned with conflicting thoughts.
The nanovirus Richard had mentioned haunted him. What if it changed him in ways he couldn't control? The thought of hurting Marissa during a moment of intimacy made his stomach clench. His father's cryptic parting words from their last meeting echoed in his mind: "Can't make the same mistakes again."
What mistakes? And why did Jason increasingly suspect that Richard knew far more about the Collapse than he'd admitted?
Jason traced Marissa's cheek with gentle fingers, careful not to wake her. He wanted her—completely—but not at the cost of her safety or trust. Something about Richard's explanations felt incomplete, pieces of a puzzle deliberately withheld.
"I need to know what he's hiding," Jason whispered to himself, resolve hardening within him. "Before we go any further with this."
"We need to talk somewhere private," Jason announced the next day, gathering Elaine, Lily, and Marissa in the storage room furthest from Richard's workspace. He'd already checked for any surveillance equipment, finding none.
"I'm convinced Dad knows something about the Collapse," he said, keeping his voice low. "The way he talks about it, how prepared he was... it's not adding up."
Elaine nodded slowly. "I've wondered the same. Richard was never the prepper type before, yet he had this bunker ready."
"And the nanovirus," Lily added. "Where did that come from? Why was he working on it?"
Marissa leaned forward. "He spends hours in that private room. Whatever he's hiding, it's in there."
"We need to see his files," Jason said, meeting each of their eyes. "I think it's time we learned what he's keeping from us."
The women exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them.
"It's risky," Elaine warned. "Richard guards his privacy fiercely."
"Which only confirms he's hiding something important," Jason countered.
"I'm in," Lily said firmly.
Marissa nodded. "Me too."
Elaine took a deep breath. "Then let's do this. Together."
"We need to get him out of that room long enough for me to search it," Jason explained, sketching a rough map of the bunker on a notepad.
"What about a water leak?" Marissa suggested. "The pump room is on the opposite side from his workspace."
"Perfect," Jason agreed. "You are the most serious of us in such matters. He'd believe you spotted something wrong."
They mapped out the timing carefully. Marissa would create the diversion while Jason waited nearby.
"Remember, I need at least fifteen minutes," Jason reminded them. "Make it convincing."
Lily squeezed his hand. "Be careful in there."
"Are we all ready?" Elaine asked, maternal concern evident in her voice.
They nodded, nervous energy crackling between them.
"Then let's go," Jason said, checking his watch. "And pray we're not making a huge mistake."
Marissa flew down the corridor, her footsteps echoing against metal walls. Panic colored her voice as she called out.
"Dad! Dad, we need you now!"
She skidded to a halt outside his workspace, pounding on the door with genuine-looking distress. Her hair was deliberately disheveled, face flushed from running.
The door swung open, revealing Richard's irritated expression.
"What is it?" he demanded, annoyance shifting to concern as he took in her appearance.
"The water recycling system," Marissa gasped, gesturing wildly. "There's water pouring everywhere near the filtration tanks. The pressure gauge is in the red, and I don't know how to shut it down."
Richard's face tightened. "Dammit. If that system fails—"
"I know," Marissa interrupted. "That's why I came straight to you."
Jason watched from his hiding spot around the corner, pulse hammering in his throat as Richard stepped into the hallway. The door swung partially closed behind him but didn't latch.
"Show me," Richard commanded, following Marissa's hurried steps down the corridor.
Jason counted to ten, then slipped silently into the forbidden room.
The workspace was meticulously organized—folders labeled by date, notebooks stacked by subject. Jason moved quickly, scanning documents filled with technical jargon and complex diagrams. Codes in programming languages he doesn't know, biological notations, genetic sequencing charts—none of it made immediate sense.
Time pressure mounted as he rifled through drawers. Eight minutes had passed already.
The computer seemed the most direct route. Jason slid into Richard's chair and woke the screen. No password prompt appeared—Richard hadn't expected an intrusion.
File directories opened under Jason's searching fingers. Research data, system logs, communication records—
He froze. A folder named "Personal" contained a single document: "To Jason.doc"
His finger hovered over the trackpad. Whatever this contained, there would be no going back. With a deep breath, he clicked.
The document opened to a letter, addressed directly to him:
Jason,
If you're reading this, you've finally decided to look beyond the story I've told you. I'm not surprised. You were always too perceptive for your own good.
What I'm about to tell you will be difficult to accept, but you deserve the truth: The Collapse wasn't a random catastrophe. I know the reason —and I played a part in it.
Jason's blood ran cold. His fingers gripped the edge of the desk as the words blurred before his eyes. The room seemed to tilt around him.
A soft sound from the doorway made him look up.
Richard stood there, watching him. There was no anger in his expression, only a deep, bone-weary resignation.
"Is it true?" Jason's voice was barely audible.
Richard nodded slowly. "Yes."
He wanted to scream. To punch the wall. But instead, he just stood there, frozen—because some part of him had always known. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken accusations. Jason stared at his father…this stranger who had apparently helped end the world.
"How could you?" Jason finally managed.
"It's more complicated than you think," Richard said, shoulders slumped. He looked older suddenly, the weight of secrets visibly lifting from him. "But you deserve to know everything now."
"The others need to hear this too," Jason said, rising from the chair.
Richard nodded. "The cat's out of the bag. It's time." He gestured toward the door. "Let's go. They must be waiting for you."
They walked side by side down the corridor, neither speaking. Jason's mind raced with questions, his body tense with anger and confusion. Whatever came next would change everything they thought they knew about their situation.
Richard's steady footsteps beside him carried the certainty of a man finally ready to reveal the truth.