Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Rescue Operation (6)

As the armed robots stormed into the prison, the women's gazes simultaneously turned towards them. Judging by their blank expressions, they seemed unable to grasp the sudden situation.

Past the main gate, what immediately came into view was a large yard that doubled as a walking path. It had been neglected for so long that weeds were growing all over. Some women lay exhausted on benches around the yard’s perimeter, while one crouched in a patch of overgrown grass, picking at something.

Is she gathering mugwort, perhaps?

The ocean was blocked from view by a concrete wall that appeared to be at least 10 meters tall. Ahead lay the administration building, with cell blocks on either side. Other visible structures included an auditorium likely used for religious services and events, as well as buildings for labor. Beyond the wide-open doors, various machines and lumber could be seen inside.

The entire area was filled with a stifling silence, devoid of any liveliness, but that silence shattered a few seconds later.

“Kyaaaa!” Women screamed and scattered in all directions. They all looked visibly starved, and some were nearly naked. There were more than a few women running barefoot, their clothes and shoes likely stolen by stronger prisoners.

Though their terrified expressions were pitiful, that wasn’t the priority at the moment. Comforting them could come later. After all, this was an isolated island, so they couldn’t escape.

“It’s on the third floor, but the building is occupied by other factions.”

Warden Seyoung’s words matched the schematics we’d found in the port’s control room. The rescue team headed straight for the administration building.

“The most important thing is securing the criminals’ personal information.”

This had been a key consideration since the planning stage of the rescue operation. Age, physical characteristics, past professions, criminal records, and how they had behaved in the prison—these were crucial pieces of information.

It would allow us to anticipate potential risks when reintegrating the prisoners, manage the factions more effectively, and make better use of those with valuable skills. Likewise, we also needed the personnel records of the prison guards, who were expected to be in the warden’s office.

The rescue team opened the half-shattered glass door and ascended the central staircase of the administration building.

[We’re heading to the records room.]

The security robots of Charlie squad clanked noisily as they moved down the left hallway. Their heavy movements stirred reactions throughout the building. Curious, women peeked out from office doors to see what was happening.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Close the door! What are you doing?!”

They screamed and quickly slammed the doors shut. Though only part of their upper bodies had been visible, they were wearing prison uniforms. Some seemed to believe another faction had invaded, as a group charged forward armed with makeshift clubs.

“W-What the hell is that?!”

The team ran away as fast as they had charged. Their fierce expressions, bulky frames, and the sight of guns and fire axes—all of it combined left no one daring to approach the intruding rescue team. By the time we reached the third floor, the first thing we saw was the warden’s office. Two women in prison uniforms stood guard outside, each holding a baseball bat.

[Step aside.]

The Alpha squad leader, who was at the front, issued a warning. One of the women fled down the hallway before the words were even finished, but the other hesitated.

“Uh, um… th-that…”

Judging by her expression and tone, it seemed less like she was standing her ground out of courage and more due to confusion and fear. But the emotionless robot didn’t wait for her to process those feelings.

Crack! As the robot grabbed the middle of her baseball bat, the wood splintered and broke in two.

[Step aside.]

The woman, now terrified, could only stare at the robot’s steel grip with splinters of wood still clinging to it. She trembled, too scared to move.

“Kyaaa!”

The robot shoved her aside roughly, sending her flying down the hallway and rolling as she went.

Crash! They threw open the door to the warden’s office, and five pairs of eyes instantly locked onto them, frozen in place.

“W-Who the hell are these bastards?!”

A tough-looking woman seated in the warden’s chair spoke. She seemed to be the boss of this faction. She was at least 180 cm tall, with a muscular build and a fierce gaze. Though momentarily startled by the heavily armed robots, she wasn’t visibly frightened.

Perhaps she’s of mixed South American descent? Her features are unusual.

She wore only a white tank top, which clung to her large chest with her nipples clearly outlined through the fabric.

[We are the rescue team] Rose said.

“Rescue team? So it’s real?!”

[For the smooth operation of this rescue mission, we request your cooperation. Vacate this room immediately. Everyone must leave at once.]

Despite Rose’s demand, the boss didn’t budge for some reason. Having already learned from the baseball bat woman at the entrance, the Alpha squad leader skipped negotiations. He grabbed her arm without warning.

Though she tried to pry the robot’s hand off, it wouldn’t budge. The veins in her well-trained arm bulged, but that was the extent of her resistance. She was unceremoniously thrown out of the warden’s office. The other women, who had been standing with their mouths agape, prepared to scream, but instead, they watched in disbelief as their boss flew through the air and landed in the hallway.

“Kyaaaa!” As expected, they all screamed and scrambled out of the warden’s office.

“They’re criminals, yes, but they’re still women. It's only a hassle when the management is female or when human rights laws get in the way.”

If you can suppress them with force and control them without leniency, the number doesn’t matter.

The door shut, and two security robots, armed with riot control shotguns and fire axes, stood guard outside. From various spots in the hallway, office doors creaked open, and pairs of eyes peeked out, observing the two robots. It almost looked cute, like a game of hide and seek, but knowing that each of them was a criminal gave the scene a different feel.

"You're very efficient at getting things done," Seyoung remarked, her expression showing admiration.

[We don’t make requests, we issue commands. They must follow the controls immediately, or they will face consequences.]

"Indeed, that’s the only way to maintain control over the prisoners here. Especially in a closed city, order becomes even more crucial," Seyoung agreed with Rose.

[While their status as criminals gives us a reason to enforce stricter control, that’s not all. These people will soon be residents in our city, but only as temporary inhabitants. They have contributed nothing to the construction of the city, neither in skills nor financially. This applies to the guards as well.]

Seyoung’s expression changed slightly, as if realizing there had been a misunderstanding between them.

"Wait a moment, the guards are innocent civilians. I’m not ungrateful for your help, but saying they must follow orders and obey is a bit much."

I could understand her point. It’s hard to just accept a life of control and submission, even after having your life saved.

[You may owe us a debt, but we owe you nothing. We are your protectors and providers, while you are simply beneficiaries. Even if you worked for a lifetime in our city, it would be impossible to repay the cost of admission. If you do not agree with this, you are free not to follow us. This decision has been approved by the Administrator.]

"…" Seyoung’s face stiffened, but she remained calm. Her approach was commendable—seeking a way to preserve her rights without antagonizing the other party, no matter the situation.

"I’d like to discuss this with my fellow guards."

I couldn’t ask for more if she handled the negotiations with such a calm demeanor.

[That’s fine. Take your time to discuss it with your colleagues. However, keep in mind that once you accept our proposal, there’s no turning back. Also, if you decide to stay and later change your mind, we won’t return. This is your last chance to move to a safe city. Make your decision wisely.]

Rose spoke, and Seyoung gave a simple nod before leaving the warden’s office.

[We’ve obtained all prison operation records and personnel information for the guards. The files are being transmitted to the central command now.]

As Rose reported this, a large batch of files was sent over.

Ding— With a few adjustments on the PDA, detailed profiles and evaluations of the guards appeared, including photos and feedback from their colleagues. Seyoung’s profile was there too.

The photo seemed to have been taken right after she was commissioned, showing her clean and youthful face in her uniform. All her performance scores were excellent, and her colleagues’ evaluations were universally positive. Even her middle and high school records were included as appendices, noting that she had been class president throughout high school.

“Shows leadership, fulfills responsibilities as class president, and earns the respect of her peers. Noteworthy for being a role model in all matters. It’s noted that a student who was bullied last year has now fully integrated into the class, thanks in large part to Seyoung’s efforts. However, her high sense of responsibility and maturity for her age may cause concern.”

I couldn’t help but be impressed as I read.

“She could definitely be entrusted with a role in middle management for the new residents.”

The criminals didn’t interest me much, and even skimming through the profiles of the senior guards, no one else stood out. After that, I moved on to the prisoners’ profiles. I couldn’t review them all, but I focused on those classified as special management targets. One issue quickly resurfaced—something that had been bothering me since the early planning stages of the migration.

Should I take them all, or leave the most dangerous ones behind?

At the top of the profile list were individuals who were rarely imprisoned for just one crime. Most had several crimes intertwined, creating a chaotic synergy that led them to this place. In short, they were the kind of people you wouldn’t want as neighbors.

If we used forceful control, managing them wouldn’t be a problem. Without human rights groups or government regulations in our city, any resistance could be met with a shot of rock salt to the chest. Even the toughest male rioters would scream in agony. If it's women we’re dealing with, a single public punishment would turn the rest into obedient lambs.

Surveillance cameras, vehicles, drones, and, if necessary, oxygen control are at our disposal. Alternatively, we can simply leave the worst criminals behind. From an efficiency standpoint, it would be the easiest solution. Just leave them. But that would mean certain death for those left behind. In starvation, they would die—100% for sure.

I would be sentencing them to death with my own hands. Not just a few people, but dozens, hundreds. As the city’s manager, I have the authority to make that decision. But do I have the right? Is it truly my place to hand down death sentences like this?

Does the unique situation of an apocalypse and a closed city justify issuing a blanket death sentence to those who haven’t committed capital crimes? In movies, games, and novels I’d seen, the decision was always easy because there wasn’t enough food, water, or safety.

If we take in half of them, we’ll starve. If we take them all, we’ll all die.

In such a scenario, the choice is simple. But at the moment, I’m not lacking in any of those things, which makes the decision harder. Or am I just being hypocritical? Am I trying to hold on to the idea of being a good person by using our abundance as an excuse to accept these bad people?

A thousand questions kept running through my mind, one after another.

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