Chapter 230 Entering the Base
The students were already grumbling as they worked.
"Aren't they supposed to be rescuing us? Why are we doing all this work?"
"We've been through so much. We thought they'd take care of us, not treat us like laborers!"
Someone whispered to Warren, "This isn't what you said it would be like."
Warren looked embarrassed. He'd always bragged that his dad, Gilbert, was a big shot in the West Mountain organization. But now, it seemed his dad's status wasn't that high.
Warren whispered back, "It's a tough time. They're short on hands, so they need everyone to hustle. Just work hard. Once we get to the base, we can rest."
The others reluctantly agreed.
Outside, soldiers were loading supplies onto sleds. Surprisingly, there were still plenty of supplies from Innovation Academy, enough to fill the sleds. The soldiers nodded in satisfaction.
They made some quick arrangements, and a few people started pulling the sleds back. Gilbert was assigned to escort the supplies since he couldn't make it back without a ride.
Only two soldiers stayed to take Lily and the students to the West Mountain Base.
"Let's go!" one soldier said.
Watching the sleds disappear, the students were stunned.
"We have to walk there?"
"Where are the cars? Why didn't they bring any cars?"
These students were used to comfort, not walking long distances. From Innovation Academy to the base was at least a dozen miles! They'd been starving for so long; how could they walk that far in the snow?
Hearing the students' complaints, the two soldiers exchanged a mocking glance.
"Shut up, all of you!" one soldier shouted, scaring the students into silence.
"If you want to live, follow us. If not, leave now!"
The soldier turned and walked away without looking back.
The other soldier said coldly, "Remember, whatever your status was before, it means nothing now. If you want to survive, you have to obey."
He threw down a bag of energy bars and turned to leave.
The students were stunned, struggling to accept this reality.
Lily said, "Let's follow them!"
The students, unsure of what to do, had no choice but to follow her. Lily had become their biggest hope.
A dozen miles felt endless. Cold and hungry, the wind cut through them, and many students collapsed along the way. The soldiers didn't care, only waiting briefly when their pace slowed. If someone couldn't get up, they didn't help.
Lily organized the students to help each other. "Listen, we have no choice. We must reach the West Mountain Base to survive. Everyone, please hold on, we're almost there!"
With Lily as their leader, hope slowly reignited in their hearts.
They kept trudging along, cheering each other on. Those dozen miles felt like an eternity. Whenever they couldn't go on, they'd munch on an energy bar. Those military-grade bars were lifesavers, keeping them from collapsing in the snow. It was like some kind of scientific miracle.
After what felt like forever, they finally reached West Mountain. The base was nestled at the foot of a mountain in the West Mountain cluster of Starlight City. A huge iron gate creaked open, revealing a deep staircase leading underground. The soldiers just stood guard and motioned for them to go in.
Exhausted, they summoned the last bit of strength to walk inside. To them, this place was a safe haven, a glimmer of hope for a better life. They followed the stairs down until they reached a spacious room that looked like a bomb shelter. There were several passageways around, all locked with heavy green metal doors.
"What now? What do we do next?" The students were both excited and scared.
"Don't worry. They went through all this trouble to bring us here; they probably won't harm us," Lily tried to reassure them.
Just then, the door to the right passage opened. A group of people in protective suits, carrying something like pesticide sprayers, walked out. They immediately started spraying Lily and the others with a thick disinfectant mist. The students coughed but understood it was necessary, so they endured it.
After the disinfection, a middle-aged woman walked over and said, "Everyone, line up in two rows! To ensure the safety of the shelter, we need to conduct a thorough disinfection and health check on you. Please cooperate!"
Medical staff set up two tables in the room. Lily and the others lined up obediently. The staff took blood samples from each of them and then led them to a spacious room to wait for the test results.
Exhausted, they did whatever they were told, not even having the strength or courage to ask any questions. They were locked in the room.
During this time, someone in a protective suit brought them food. It was a white, sticky liquid of unknown origin, but they were too hungry to care and devoured it. It tasted somewhat like yogurt, but it definitely wasn't yogurt.
After eating, they regained some strength, and some began to sleep. After an unknown amount of time, a chubby woman in her fifties, wearing glasses, appeared. Gilbert was with her.
Warren was excited to see Gilbert. "Dad!"
Gilbert glared at Warren, signaling him to stay quiet. The woman with glasses glanced at Warren, a smile flashing in her eyes.
She asked Gilbert, "Is this your son?"
Gilbert, slightly hunched, said obsequiously, "Yes, Mrs. Guise. This is my son, Warren."
Lancaster Guise nodded and said nothing more. She then addressed the group, "The tests show you have no infectious diseases or suspicious pathogens. That's good! Next, follow me for a cleaning, and then you'll be sent to the fourth survival pod."
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