Aria limped towards the open wall, her injured leg protesting with each step. The stick provided crucial support, but the pain still radiated through her knee and ankle, shooting discomfort up on her leg. she reached the entrance of the open wall in the corner.
The harsh glow of fluorescent lights illuminated rows of empty tables and she spotted Ryan with Samuel at the corner as they intently examined a shelf that held many bottles.
"Ryan," Aria called out to them.
Samuel and Ryan both turned their heads from the seed shelf upon hearing Aria's voice.
Aria limped towards them, her stick thudding softly on the floor. "What's this place" she asked, while her eyes scanned the rows of tables and the single shelf that was filled with bottles of the same sizes and the same black colors.
Ryan dropped the bottle he was holding back to the shelf and quickly moved past the empty tables to reach Aria's limping form. Concern etched on his face.
"Careful," Ryan cautioned, offering his arm to Aria for support. Aria leaned on him, her weight shifting onto his strong frame but she still grasped the stick for additional support.
And they walked back to the shelf, "How did you find this place?" Aria asked with curiosity, this tunnel was starting to turn into a maze with different secrets and locations in hiding.
"We saw a button on the wall," Samuel explained, turning from the shelf, a bottle in hand. "It was having the same symbol like the other and we pressed it."
Ryan guided Aria to the shelf and her eyes scanned the rows of bottles. The shelves was large and lined with rows of identical containers.
"We think this is where the owner plans to farm," Samuel continued, dropping the bottle in his hand after seeing what was inside it too, the rows of shelves were stacked high with containers.
"Farm?" Aria's brow furrowed in confusion, where's the soil, she didn't see any soil just tables.
"The containers contain food seeds of different types," Ryan explained, stopping at the shelf with Aria at his side, supporting her. His hand remained on her waist to have her steady.
Aria's eyes fell upon the shelves, closer this time, she looked at the lined up containers in rows that was filled with various seeds.
"Seeds?" Aria whispered
"Grains, vegetables, fruits," Ryan listed. "It's a comprehensive collection." The fluorescent lights above cast a glow, illuminating the little dust particles dancing in the air.
Aria began to put the missing dots together, her mind putting two dots at a time , this place that was hidden beneath the earth, was more than just an underground tunnel, from the living quarters to the bedroom, and bathroom they had discovered is an underground bunker which was designed to protect the occupant from the outside world. But who was the occupant? And why had they built this fortress.
Aria's thoughts swirled, The owner must have been filthy rich to have built a place like this and very smart too. The level of detail and planning that went into constructing this underground bunker was staggering. Every aspect, from the self-sustaining food supply to the elaborate security system, spoke of a mastermind behind.
Aria gazed upon the rows of shelves stacked high with containers again, "We should plant them," Aria said, breaking the silence.
Ryan and Samuel faces turned to her, understanding. the task ahead. These seeds are their tickets to survival and whoever had built this place, must have known what they were doing.
"This is freaking gold," Samuel exclaimed. "We can grow our own food, we have solar power, and we're safe down here. What else could we possibly need?" he surveyed the underground bunker's impressive facts.
Ryan's brow furrowed in thought, drifting to the rows of containers filled with different kinds of seeds. "Water supply, we haven't seen where we'd get water from." The walls that was made of cold and gray concrete, seemed to hold many secrets.
"We'll look for more secret buttons," Aria spoke. "Maybe one leads to a water source or filtration system."
Samuel's face lit up,. "Genius! I'll start scanning the walls for any hidden panels." He began examining the walls, his fingers tracing them.
Aria limped out of Ryan's supportive hold "Let's spread out," she instructed and Ryan nodded. "Be careful, okay?" Aria smiled faintly,
"I will." Samuel nodded from the wall he was, his gaze sweeping the wall.
Aria limped towards the nearest wall, her stick thudding softly on the floor. "We need to find that water source." Her injured leg protested, the pain shooting through her limb like a sharp dagger, but she pushed on as she moved, scanning the wall, searching for any hidden panels or buttons.
"Think it's a well?" Samuel called out from across the room, scanning the wall.
"Could be," Aria replied, searching for any symbol. "Or maybe a rainwater collection system."
Ryan brushed his hand over an empty table, his fingers tracing the smooth surface.
"Drip,"Suddenly, a single drop of liquid hit the table, creating a tiny ripple, the fluorescent lights above illuminated the tiny droplets of liquid that had begun to form on the table's surface.
Ryan brushed his hand over the spot where the drop had hit, and his fingers came back damp.
The spot was a little wet and Ryan's curiosity was piqued. He raised his head up and saw a tiny nozzle embedded in the ceiling, almost invisible.
"Drip," Another drop of liquid fell from the tip, landing on the table again with a gentle splash. Ryan brought his damp hand to his nose and smelled it, inhaling deeply.
No odor.
He slowly tasted the liquid, his tongue tentative, "Water," Ryan confirmed, his suspicion.
"Guys!" he called to Samuel and Aria, who were pushing at the walls searching for any hidden buttons or panels.
Aria was the first to turn her head to him, her eyes landing onto Ryan's. "What is it?" she asked.