I managed to arrange a meeting with one of the biggest construction companies in the country. A few favors, a few well placed calls, and suddenly I was sitting in a glass office high above the city. The man across from me was one of the top executives. His suit probably cost more than the car I drove in college. He studied me carefully, clearly trying to figure out why someone barely twenty years old had enough influence to get a private meeting with him. I leaned forward and decided to be honest. "I will be frank with you. I am scared. Zombies, nuclear war, another virus outbreak, whatever it is. I want to be prepared for the worst."
He smiled politely, the kind of smile businessmen use when they have heard something strange but still want the deal. "Do not worry," he said calmly. "It is not uncommon for wealthy people to build bunkers. Many millionaires invest in underground shelters these days." He glanced briefly at the tablet on his desk. I could tell someone important had already called him about me. That meant he knew I was not some random kid. He leaned back in his chair and sighed slightly. "So Mr. Black, what kind of budget are you thinking about?"
"Four billion."
He nodded casually. "Alright, four million should be enough for a… wait." He looked up at me again. I repeated myself clearly. "Not four million. Four billion dollars." For a moment the room went completely silent. The man blinked twice, clearly wondering if he had heard me correctly. Then he laughed softly. "Sir, with all respect, a bunker costing one hundred million dollars can comfortably support a family of ten for twenty five years. It can withstand nuclear fallout, supply food and water, and include luxury living spaces. There is really no need for something that expensive."
"I was not finished," I said calmly.
His laughter stopped.
"I want a bunker costing four billion dollars built on U.S. soil. Austin, Texas. Five underground floors. The plan should be ready by the end of this week, and construction must be finished within four months."
He stared at me, completely silent.
I continued speaking before he could interrupt.
"I want a fully functional military grade laboratory inside. A nuclear reactor generator capable of powering the bunker for at least one hundred years. Three meters underground minimum depth. Three meter thick reinforced concrete walls with titanium steel plates layered every meter. Full surveillance systems, security checkpoints, sealed air filtration systems, massive water storage tanks, hydroponic food systems, medical facilities, communication rooms, entertainment areas, living quarters. Everything needed for long term survival."
By the time I finished speaking his eyes were wide.
He looked exactly like my father had during our last argument.
Shock. Confusion. Disbelief.
"Mr. Black," he said slowly, "this kind of project is extremely complex. Our company is currently working on several other large scale operations. We cannot simply abandon them for—"
"I will give you an additional one hundred million dollars personally."
The sentence cut him off instantly.
The room went quiet again.
His expression changed almost immediately as the businessman inside him woke up. A project worth billions plus a personal bonus large enough to build an entire building by itself was not something any company could easily refuse.
He cleared his throat and adjusted his posture.
"Well… in that case," he said slowly, "I believe we can reorganize some priorities."
I nodded.
"Good."
Because this bunker was only the beginning.
After that I would need to secure supplies. Food for decades. Medical equipment. Weapons. Fuel. Vehicles. Everything needed to survive when the world finally collapsed.
But first, the bunker had to exist.
One week later I sat across from the same executive again in a private conference room. He greeted me with a firm handshake. "Good evening, Mister Black." He looked strangely amused. "Believe it or not, we actually have an apocalypse expert in our company. When he heard the budget for your project he practically begged us to let him work on it." The executive turned toward the door and motioned someone inside. "Allow me to introduce Dave." A thin man in his late thirties walked in carrying a tablet and several folders. He looked excited, almost like a child about to present a science project. The moment he started talking I realized he was exactly the kind of nerd you would expect for a job like this.
Dave immediately began presenting the design. "So we ran dozens of simulations based on your requests," he said while projecting diagrams onto the large screen. "To be honest, no matter how we calculate it, the most practical bunker construction cost will be around two billion dollars.
The heavy machinery, reinforced materials, land preparation, government taxes and specialized systems you asked for add another billion. That brings the total close to three billion." He paused and looked slightly uncomfortable. "There is also one issue. The nuclear reactor you requested. Unfortunately private ownership of a nuclear reactor is impossible under current government regulations. We simply cannot legally build that."
I crossed my arms but said nothing, so he continued quickly. "However we found an alternative. The land you selected in Austin, Texas actually sits above a region with strong geothermal potential. We can build a geothermal energy system beneath the bunker that will provide extremely stable power with very low failure risk.
It is not quite the same as a nuclear reactor, but it could still power the facility for many decades." He switched the slide and pointed at the final estimate. "Total estimated cost would be approximately three point one billion dollars."
I had to admit I was impressed. The design looked far more detailed than I expected after just a week. Dave had clearly taken my request seriously. The bunker layout included five underground levels, layered defense corridors, independent air systems, and large water reservoirs.
One particular detail caught my attention. The surface structure above the bunker was dome shaped and blended naturally with the surrounding terrain. Dave explained it enthusiastically. "This prevents hostile people from standing directly on top of the bunker entrance. It also makes the structure harder to detect from distance." Then he laughed nervously. "Actually that dome idea came to me just now while explaining the design."
The executive beside him interrupted quickly. "Mister Black, there is another issue we must mention. Because of the extremely short construction timeline you requested, building the bunker far away from established transport routes would delay the project significantly. At least two years." Dave immediately protested. "But building it away from major transport systems would make it much safer long term." The two began quietly arguing until I raised my hand. "Sorry, but time is the one thing I do not have. The bunker must be finished in four months."
I leaned forward slightly before adding one more request.
"I also have one more unusual request," I continued. "As many of the workers on this project as possible should come from outside the United States. Once construction is complete, they should be flown back to their home countries within a week."
Dave's eyes widened instantly. Then he snapped his fingers. "Oh damn that is brilliant." He leaned forward excitedly. "It is impossible to build something this large with a small team, so you want the people who know about the bunker scattered across the world afterward. That way nobody local knows exactly where it is."
I smiled slightly. "Exactly."
I leaned back in my chair and looked at both of them. "Use the remaining money for logistics, transport, and security. You can keep the rest of the budget if necessary. But I need this finished within four months. And please do not take cheap shortcuts to cut costs."
Both men nodded seriously.
Dave continued presenting the rest of the report, explaining where every dollar of the budget would go. It was obvious he truly loved the project. Toward the end he added one last feature. "Like you requested, we can also install some military grade automation systems. They are not as advanced as science fiction AI though. Mostly automated lighting, temperature control, door locking systems, intruder alerts, and internal monitoring."
He paused before finishing.
"But the final control of the entire bunker will remain with one person."
He looked directly at me.
"The sole master of the system will be you, Mister Black."