Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Roller Coaster

Whoosh— A quick glance below revealed a dizzying sight.

"The cars look so tiny…"

The dump trucks that could turn a massive infected creature into a bowling pin looked like toy cars, and the cargo drones were no more than insects.

[No need to be so scared. It’s perfectly safe.]

Whether or not Artemis sensed my anxiety, she said it casually. The construction of rails across various points of the ceiling had just been completed, and she had contacted me earlier, eager to show off the results.

When I arrived at the appointed spot, I found myself on the rooftop of the central control building, the highest point in the shelter, offering a sweeping view of the entire place. I thought she simply wanted to show me the view, but it turned out she meant to give me a full tour by putting me on a lift.

Whiiiish— The wind blew once more. Even though I was at a considerable height, the wind was mild, thanks to the enclosed nature of the city. If this had been an outdoor building, I’d be facing a much stronger wind at this altitude. Of course, that didn’t make the terrifying view below any less scary.

"Am I really going to ride this?"

[So, would you rather just stay up here and take a quick look?]

"I can see everything just fine from here."

[With your eyesight, this is probably what it looks like.]

The screen Artemis displayed on the PDA mirrored what I was seeing—distant objects blurred by the limits of my vision, with the edges of the rail looking like they had been smudged out with a blur effect. I tried to bluff my way through, but she caught me immediately.

[And you can’t even see the rails between the buildings, can you?]

"I’m sure you’ve done a great job with all of it."

[Of course, I’ve done it perfectly, but it’s not 100% until the administrator signs off on the final inspection, is it?]

Her voice was full of justification, but there was an unmistakable hint of anticipation. She sounded like a developer eager to show off a new game mode she had created.

"Wasn’t this project meant to act as your extended arms in the first place? Why did you even install a lift when there aren’t any residents?"

Next to the lift in front of me were numerous giant mechanical arms. These rails stretched like a spider’s web across the city, allowing her to lift or lower anything she needed wherever she wanted. It was like a divine hand. It reminded me of an old game I used to enjoy, Black & White

[These rails aren’t just for carrying out my will. They’ll also serve as a transportation system. Cars and trams have their limits, after all.]

"But there’s no one to ride them."

[Just because there aren’t any residents yet doesn’t mean I should settle for something 2% incomplete. I want to build a perfect city.]

For Artemis, this seemed to be a matter of pride more than efficiency.

[And in any case, the security robots and androids can use it. If something happens, you could also use it to evacuate. If this had been built during the infection crisis, we could’ve responded much faster.]

I couldn’t argue with that.

"Then at least make it a fully enclosed design like a cable car. This feels more like a roller coaster at best."

The lift in front of me looked more like a stripped-down two-person roller coaster car, made even lighter.

[Don’t worry about safety. I’ve done ten test runs with a security robot on board.]

A video played on the PDA. It showed a fearsome-looking security robot riding the lift through various parts of the city. Apparently, it hadn’t been released from its "standby position" command, as its head jerked back and forth with every turn with its mouth hanging open and shutting in an unintentional comedic display.

Seeing that they had safely completed ten runs with something much heavier than me on board, I figured it should be fine for me, too.

"Ah, screw it."

I couldn’t let myself complain any longer, and I didn’t want to disappoint Artemis, who was clearly excited.

I stepped into the lift and sat down. The safety bar automatically lowered into place. Despite the lift’s lightweight appearance, the safety bar and all the joints connecting it to the rail seemed incredibly sturdy.

[Safety check complete. Shall we get started?]

She was practically giddy, like a child rushing to give their father a game controller on a day off. Her excitement made me smile.

[What’s so funny?]

"Nothing, really."

Vrrr… With a deep mechanical hum, the lift began to move. This was the highest point in the entire shelter. Ahead, the track extended for about 10 meters in a straight line before suddenly plunging downward. It was a vertical drop, the kind that gives you airtime. And it was a long one.

"Should’ve worn long pants… damn it."

Since the bottom wasn’t fully enclosed, even moving slowly, the wind seeped through my shorts. The chill between my legs wasn’t refreshing—it was downright cold.

[Your balls just shriveled up.]

“Don’t broadcast that.”

[We’ve arrived. Time to descend!]

Buzzzzz— This wasn’t like a roller coaster, it was a real roller coaster. As we sped downward, strong winds and a sense of weightlessness engulfed me.

“Why is this so fast? This isn’t a lift—it’s a ride!”

Even though the speed and wind made it hard to talk, she still understood me perfectly.

[Going slow isn’t fun or efficient, is it? Transportation should always be fast. Plus, we have the whole road to ourselves, so there’s no risk of accidents.]

A strange sensation started in my chest and spread to my stomach. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t like an orgasm either. It was a third, unfamiliar feeling bouncing around inside me like a rubber ball.

[You know it’s safe, so why don’t you let go of that bar?]

She said this while watching me tightly grip the safety bar.

“I’ve always been bad at these kinds of rides! I barely managed the Viking ship ride before! And why is this descent so long?”

[We’re only halfway down. Come on, don’t be scared—throw your hands up! Hands up high!]

There was no malice in Artemis’s laughter. But those who enjoy thrill rides never seem to understand the fear of those who don’t. Naturally, there were no 360-degree spins on this track, but the height and speed were far beyond anything I’d ever experienced on a roller coaster.

“Aaaaahhh!”

[Hahaha!]

One scream from fear, the other from joy. It was rare to see Artemis express so much emotion, but I didn’t have the luxury to notice.

Vroooom— Finally, the descent ended, and the speed and height that had tormented me disappeared. We had entered the city. We were still suspended at a considerable height, but compared to the terrifying drop earlier, this felt like nothing. The speed had also slowed significantly.

[Feeling calmer now?]

“Much better.”

[I was hoping you’d enjoy it more, though. That’s a bit disappointing.]

“Why don’t you let the robots ride and enjoy it instead?”

[Oh, no. There’s no fun in that. Riding with you, though, makes it feel like… like I’m completing an achievement. That’s the feeling.]

An achievement… I remember grinding through countless tasks just to unlock some minor in-game trophy.

[If your reactions had been more fun, I’d have rated this an S-rank experience. But based on how you responded earlier, it’s more like a B. That’s disappointing.]

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to make me do it again.”

[We’ll see about that. Hehe.]

After that, we spent more time in something closer to a work mode. We traversed the city via the rails, inspecting damaged areas and receiving briefings on newly constructed facilities. Seeing it all like this, I could feel that the city was truly being rebuilt. There’s always a big difference between reading reports and seeing the actual site in person.@@novelbin@@

Artemis occasionally slowed the lift down to highlight important facilities or point out areas we’d passed through during the operation to normalize the outbreak. Following the trail of blood, sweat, and tears I had shed back then filled me with a strange sense of nostalgia.

“They’ve cleaned everything up nicely. No sign of the infection left at all.”

There were still plenty of collapsed buildings and damaged roads, but all the organic debris—corpses, bloodstains, flesh—had been completely cleared away.

[The first thing we did was clean up. We used almost all of the stockpiled acid solution. When we restart the hydroponics facility, we’ll need to assign personnel to cultivation and cleanup.]

In one corner, crews were repairing sidewalks and roads, with cement mixers and rollers busily moving about.

“What about those buildings?” I pointed to the shops visible in the commercial district.

Rows of orderly signs were lined up in accordance with regulations. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Western, fast food, chicken, and pizza restaurants. Shops for shoes, clothing, beauty salons, hospitals, daycares, and machine repair services. These were the businesses that would’ve opened up had all the planned residents moved into the lower levels.

[Indefinitely on hold. It’s too costly to demolish them, and there’s no need to anyway. We’ll just leave them empty.]

“That’s kind of depressing.”

Riding the lift through the empty streets and city felt strange. No matter which avenue, alleyway, or gap between buildings we passed through, nothing but silence and the wind greeted us.

After completing the entire circuit, Artemis dropped me off at the front gate of the upper area. Even she must’ve thought it would be too much to slowly bring me back up to the starting point on the roof again.

“It was a nice change of pace.”

[That was just a temporary course. I’ll call you when it’s fully completed. It’ll be much more fun then.]

“I’ll wait, but I won’t get my hopes up too much.”

[No, you can look forward to it. Next time, the lift will be combined with a VR machine.]

“Oh!”

Honestly, that sounds exciting.

I paused before heading inside and looked back at the city. It seemed different somehow. Under Artemis’s leadership, it was changing day by day. The recent tragedies felt like a distant memory, and I almost believed the residents would flood in any minute now.

The lift slowly ascended to the rooftop. It terrified me, but maybe for someone else, it would have been a source of joy. Whoever that may have been, it’s something that won’t happen anymore.

[Hurry up and go inside.]

“Yeah.”

Whether she understood my thoughts or for some other reason, she hurried me along, and I didn’t stay to watch the lift ascend all the way up.