The tunnel's dim lights flashed, hardly piercing the darkness.
With Solenne's deception — a soft, radiating crystal she had hidden within her mantle,
they could see just enough to proceed.
Habituh climbed up the rocky face of the tunnel, holding down her hand and pulling her siblings up one at a time. Aziel scooped up Kian, gave him a boost, and followed behind. At last, the family was reunited, standing before a gigantic door.
Habituh froze.
The doorway towered four times their own height, its frame iron-plate-plated with age until it seemed older than memory. Four titanic padlocks, rusted but intact, kept their edges closed.
Aziel gasped in awe,
"My God… who would have built this giant?"
Solenne stepped forward, running her fingers over the door's joints.
"How on earth do we open it?"
Habituh leaned forward, sweeping aside centuries of grime. Symbols throbbed faintly beneath her hand. A panel came to life, casting light over the metal.
Suddenly, a voice crackled over hidden speakers:
"Welcome, last remaining human.
Though humanity may end, you are evidence: more than fossils.
Confirm your humanity."
The family stood frozen.
"This has to be one of the bunkers our ancestors built," Solenne whispered, her voice trembling with wonder.
"They saw the end of Earth. and prepared."
Habituh shoved the panel, and it glowed. The puzzle flashed sequentially, and the rusted metal creaked as the locks opened. The door creaked.
A treasure trove of wonders stretched out before them.
Shelves piled with food, water pods, and dried fruits inside plastic domes. Folds of fluffy bread vacuum-packed. Storage crates thumping with ancient tech.
Solenne took a sharp breath, grabbing a glowing red apple.
"Lila, try it — but cautiously. Your teeth are not as tough as our folk's."
Lila chomped down, then spat it out, scowling.
"It's souring my tongue!"
Aziel encouraged her to try again, holding some out to Kian.
"Try again — it's sweet, child. This is food. Real food."
Habituh approached, ripping a piece of bread in two.
"See? Whoever planned this knew the first thing people would want is food. Look how soft it is, Mom. Dad — try it!"
They did. Aziel gagged slightly, covering his mouth.
"Egg… tastes like egg. By the stars — they were meat-eaters. Real food. Not synth."
His voice trembled with amazement.
"This has got to be hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. And still fresh. This… this could be heaven."
Deeper in, another room glowed. Guns were mounted on the walls: slick barrels, crystal-powered guns, strange armored gauntlets. Aziel stroked one, amazed.
"The Gravion Blaster's forebears," he whispered, holding the gun against his neck.
"What's that, Daddy?" Kian asked, eyes wide.
"Guarding."
Habituh approached another gun, but Aziel stopped — footsteps were heard at the door.
A Chimpanzee, its massive body standing in the doorway, eyes raking, nostrils flaring.
Aziel's senses flared. He fired the Gravion Blaster. An energy blast repelled the Chimpanzee, sending it flying into darkness. More shadows rushed through the tunnel behind.
Aziel spotted a glowing panel off to the right of the door. He blasted it. The massive vault door began to close with a screaming howl. Bonobos and orangutans stormed, shock lances held aloft. He kept firing plasma bolts, lighting the darkness until the door was closed.
"YES!"
Aziel roared, his chest pounding.
"That was amazing!"
Solenne huddled behind the children, hugging them tight, whispering comfort.
"Heavy… but amazing," Aziel growled, stowing the gun.
Habituh's voice trembled with hope.
"Since the Veil Kin know we're here,… can we remain? Forever?"
Aziel declined with a firm headshake.
"No. Tonight, we rest. Their bullets won't penetrate these walls, but this bunker is destroyed should they send in the heavier equipment. We'll make our break tomorrow. We'll use their tech, maybe a Siege Crawler, and block the doors."
Solenne's hand on his was warm with fear, black as night.
"I don't want to belittle them. We can't lose anyone. Promise me, Aziel, promise me we'll continue."
Aziel kissed her forehead, his voice soothing.
"We'll rest. Then I'll find us a path. Not even the past can catch us here."
The family proceeded deeper into the bunker, searching for a safe resting place.
Outside…
Dabozz knelt at the smashed tunnel door, his Bonobo raiders gathering around the slain corpses. He bent to examine their wounds.
Unsheathing a serrated Bloodfang Dagger from his belt, he made an incision in one chest, extracting the ruined bullet core.
"What is this?" he snarled.
One of the apes, fatally wounded, gasped,
"Termites… inside… stronger…"
Aghast, Dabozz machine-gunned him until there was silence.
He rose to his feet, shouting,
"TERMITE POWER! Smash the door!"
His raiders raked their blazing Ion Lances and fired against the bunker wall. Sparks flashed, and ozone-rich air cracked. For a few minutes, they blazed, but the metal didn't budge.
Dabozz yelled with rage, his parrot mount screaming above.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The fight for the bunker had commenced.