Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Job Aptitude Test (1)

The day I return from a mission is always the best for getting a deep, restful sleep.

As soon as I laid down, the nerves that were on edge, as if they were about to pierce through my skin, declared a complete shutdown. Both my eyes and ears stopped perceiving anything, and even the sensation of the soft blanket surrounding me faded away. Without any disturbance to my senses, my consciousness sunk into the depths of slumber.

The morning after successfully completing the expedition to the research lab:

"Ugh!" As I stretched after rising from the wide, soft bed, blood began to circulate through my stiff body. It wasn’t an alarm clock or the need to relieve myself that woke me; rather, I awoke feeling refreshed after my sleep gauge had been completely drained.

Honestly, I'd love to laze around for a few more days, but I can't afford to. Starting today, we’re conducting aptitude tests for the residents. We can't just let them idle around forever.

The test consists of 4+1 components. The first is Record Analysis. This is a series of analyses based on the data obtained from the offshore prison and the behavior of residents since entering the shelter. Their previous jobs and skills in society. Crimes they committed. Prison records. How they've behaved in the shelter. And past results from personality and psychological tests.

Although this data is derived from the standards of pre-apocalypse society and may not perfectly align with our current situation, it’s still useful for evaluating disqualifying factors. For example, even if a woman with a history of fraud is highly capable or was a model inmate, she won’t be entrusted with any key positions. A person who has betrayed once can always do so again.

The second is the Written Exam. This test was originally developed as a means to efficiently manage residents during their permanent underground life after the lockdown. However, due to the extreme nature of our current situation, substantial modifications have been made.

The fourth is the Physical Fitness Test. Physical ability is the foundation of all job aptitude, so this is a mandatory part of the test. It's needless to say that those who excel in this area will be prioritized for desirable positions, such as joining the security forces. The last, or +1 component, is a VR Test

When I turned on my PDA, I saw women lined up in front of the temporary testing stations installed in the shelter. Zooming in on the panel, I noticed a variety of emotions on their faces: anxiety, anticipation, confidence, regret, and more. It felt like looking at fresh recruits waiting for their first assignment.

A notification arrived on my PDA. It was from Artemis.

The AI’s interference is restricted inside the VIP residences to ensure privacy. Thanks to that, unless it's urgent, Artemis leaves me messages through the messenger function when I’m home.

"Receive."

Upon giving the command, I received an email from Artemis, apparently sent around dawn.

Sender: Artemis  

Recipient: Seo Jinsoo  

Subject: Regarding the Policy Meeting

Jinsoo, there’s a meeting in the afternoon regarding labor allocation and policy decisions. Don’t be late.

"Got it." I closed the PDA and get out of bed.

***

While Jinsoo was checking his email at home, women with all sorts of thoughts gathered in front of the waiting area at the lower-level shelter. They had already been informed of the format of the job aptitude test through the announcement.

It goes without saying that doing well on these tests would determine how comfortable their future lives would be. As a result, everyone stood neatly in line, with no one trying to cut, perhaps even trying to earn invisible ‘discipline points.’ However, their mouths never stopped moving.

"Please, anywhere but the laundry! Please!" A woman next to her looked at her praying colleague with disbelief.

"You're still at it."

"Pilates… They won’t assign that as a job, right?" A former Pilates instructor, who once had 60 students under her, spoke with a gloomy face.

"Sis, you never know. Keep your spirits up."

"Yeah, that’s right!"

Her students encouraged her, though they all knew it was a long shot. There wasn’t a single prison in the world where Pilates instruction was assigned as labor for inmates.

Of course, this place wasn't a correctional facility, but it wasn’t any better either. It was simply a survival facility. What the Pilates instructor didn’t know was that her name had already been listed as a Grade C risk the moment her students at the shelter grew to dozens.

Meanwhile, some women had already set their sights on a specific career path. In a corner of the shelter's yard, a group of muscular women were huddled together, deep in thought.

"Sis, do you think we’ll become correctional officers?" A solidly built woman asked Jisoo. She sounded unsure.

"Not correctional officers, security forces." The woman next to her corrected her. She was a member of the same fitness family.

"Correctional officers, security forces, whatever. Same thing."

"Let’s be real, who here could handle the inmates better than us?"

They were confident that once given correctional officer uniforms and a baton, they could vigorously control the inmates. Actually, they didn’t even need the baton. Their bare fists would be enough. The last thing they wanted was to be sent to some grimy workshop, to work in a factory line, or to prepare meals for 2,500 people and clean up after them.

In comparison, getting to dress neatly, shout commands, and oversee people seemed like a dream job.

You know the type. Back in elementary school, there was always that one strong kid who called themselves the ‘supervisor’ during cleaning time and just watched everyone else, without lifting a finger.

"Hey, I heard you talked to that administrator guy, right? Did he say anything?" one woman asked while gently massaging Jisoo's shoulders as she sat on the bench.

Oddly, the one giving the massage seemed to be more pleased than Jisoo, as she kneaded her firm shoulder muscles. Each time her hands moved, Jisoo's sleeveless shirt shifted, making the outline of her nipples more visible through the fabric.

"Well, we'll only know once we see," Jisoo replied.

Like the other women, she preferred to be assigned to the security forces rather than a hard, dirty job in a factory or as a cleaner. They had said the selection would be based on ability, regardless of whether someone had been a prisoner or a guard, so her physical strength and control over others would surely give her an edge.

And indeed, it would. Keeping fit through regular exercise was a sign of self-discipline, a trait that earned extra points in this test. But the most crucial point: Jisoo had already been pre-selected to join the security forces before the test even began.

Though she had a strong hunch about this, she couldn’t openly brag about it to the others. Some of the women already had a clear idea of what they'd be assigned to. This was especially true for those who had specialized in certain fields before.

"I got thrown in jail trying to escape farm work, but looks like I'm headed right back to it," one woman with freckles and healthy, sun-kissed skin grumbled.

Her lively yet simple appearance gave off a rustic charm, though she wasn’t unattractive. While she couldn't be called beautiful like a flower, she could be compared to a well-grown cabbage. Having grown up on a farm, helping with agricultural work from a young age, and even graduating from an agricultural college, it was obvious where she'd be assigned.

"Farming’s better than working in a factory again," another woman with ten years of factory experience sighed.

"Are you kidding? You think farm work is easy? You wake up before dawn, work until sunset under the scorching sun, sweating like crazy while getting bitten by bugs, breaking out in rashes—it's a killer!" the farm girl vented.

Chronic back pain was just a bonus.

The factory worker looked at her with disdain. "You think you’ll be waking up at dawn and working under the sun here, like out there? Everything’s probably automated. And look around," she waved a hand in the air.

"The temperature’s the same all day. Not too hot, not too cold. No bugs, no wild animals. Farming here would be a breeze. Plus, with all the plants around, the air must be nice and fresh. And if we’re growing fruit, we might get some perks."

Though the factory worker wasn’t aware of the hydroponic farming systems, her guess was spot on. She was a sharp thinker.

"You think so?" The prospective farm worker scratched her head, uncertain. The soon-to-be factory worker sighed as she watched her. "I just hope we don’t have to wear those dust-proof suits. Working on the line is bad enough already."

She craved a cigarette, but being forced to quit, she could only smack her lips in frustration. Among the women waiting for their assignments were some who had already formed considerable groups.

"Where did you graduate from?"

"Ajou University. What about you?"

"I went to Pai Chai University."

These were the nurses. Technically, most of the women here were nurse assistants, but the few who had completed a four-year degree in nursing held significant influence in this place. In a regular prison, hierarchy would be determined by seniority, but this was no ordinary prison. It was a special place in a special situation.

With the number of medical staff far too low compared to the total population, those who had formal education in nursing would be guaranteed a certain level of authority among the city's leaders. Naturally, the nurse assistants, who would be taking orders from them, couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

With all their hopes, expectations, and anxieties, one by one, the women entered the testing room. However, the written test was far more structured, technical, and… a bit absurd, than they had imagined.