Chapter 22: Beginning A New Way Of Life Part One

That night Ai stayed up keeping guard. She could feel the rumbling of the earth caused by the first type machina as they traveled across the land. Mai had her head leaned against Ai's shoulder fast asleep. It was not until the early morning hours when Ai finally heard the sound of metal on metal as a first type machina stepped onto the hatch door. This sound echoed loudly throughout the bunker waking everyone up. But before anyone could speak Ai pressed her finger to her lips telling everyone not to say a word. Ai raised the shotgun in her hand and pointed it at the bunker's hatch and waited. Her finger held steady over the double triggers ready to fire both at once to get a nice clean hit on whatever entered.

"Ding!" "Ding!" "Ding!"

This sound continued for almost four hours until it finally stopped. But Ai did not let down her vigilance. She continued to wait for another two hours before she finally breathed out a sigh of relief. "We should be safe. But we can not go out for a while. Which means we will be cramped down here for the time being. Use the battery powered radio to check for any news and we will need to take turns circulating the air in here."

Now was the time that would be a test on their mental states. They were now forced to live in the bunker twenty four seven for the next few days "Ai, get some rest you were up all night." Shizune said as she spread out a futon for Ai.

Ai, did indeed feel tired from being up all night so she nodded her head and walked over to the futon and laid down. She did not wake up until later in the afternoon to find a hot meal waiting for her. Smiling faintly Ai sat up and said: "Smells good."

"I figured while we still had gas canisters I would cook some food." Shizune said with a smile.

"It is good to enjoy but after today we should not use it anymore for the next few days. At least until we can open the hatch again and get some better ventilation." Ai was worried about everyone getting sick if they continued to use the gas inside the bunker.

"I know, don't worry, your dad and your uncle were circulating the air the entire time. We just wanted to give you a hot meal when you woke up. You have done a lot for us Ai. Each one of us is grateful for how far you went in order to keep us alive. I don't know all the ins and outs of what had happened to you in your past life but I do know it is because you traveled back in time that we are able to be here now. Fully prepared for what is to come." Shizune said as she prepared Ai's plate.

The radio only had one channel working which was the emergency channel. It kept repeating the same thing over and over: "This is the Emergency Broadcast System, All citizens are to stay within their homes or in a safe place out of sight of the invaders. I repeat, this is the Emergency Broadcast System, All citizens are to stay within their homes or in a safe place out of sight of the invaders "

"Mai you can shut that off that is nothing more than a recording. In a matter of a few days, it will be gone as well. All information we will get from now on is what we see with our own eyes or hear from others." Ai explained.

"So what do we do now? We spend the next few days just sitting around doing nothing?" Mai said with a frown. Ai could already see that Mai was not going to be able to stand being locked up like this.

"Sadly there is not much to do unless you feel like tinkering with something to learn a new skill. We did stock up on board games but those will only break our boredom for a short period of time. There is also sleeping to pass the time as well. My suggestion is to sleep. It will keep your mental state in better condition. We can't go venturing out too far for now but in the next few days, we can at least go topside for fresh air. After about a month we can venture back out beyond the confines of our house." Ai did not know how much will change in a month's time but she could not risk anyone leaving past the boundary of the house for the time being. Otherwise, they may just end up dead.

"As long as I can go outside I will be happy. I couldn't imagine staying down here for an entire month. Without being able to move around." Mai said as she sat down next to Ai leaning her head back against the couch closing her eyes. "I will just sleep for the next few days then. wake me up when the hatch is open."

"What are you, a cat?" Ai let out a laugh as she tickled Mai's sides. The parents all smiled as they gazed at the two young girls joking around. Even in such dire times where their lives could be easily reaped by the first type machinas, Ai was able to lighten the mood and calm everyone's nerves.

Four days later…

Ai slowly undid the locks on the hatch and slowly opened it. The shotgun in her hand rested at the opening as she peered outside. "Seems clear." Ai said as she fully opened the hatch and climbed out. As soon as she stood up she scanned her surroundings to check for any signs of first type machinas. After looking around and listening to her surroundings Ai let out a sigh of relief and yelled down into the bunker. "It's okay come up and get some sun."

Everyone had bright smiles on their faces when they finally climbed the ladder. It had not even been a week and this short amount of time being confined was already taking a toll on their mental states. "Fresh Air! Gah! I stink!" This was Mai's first reaction after getting a whiff of fresh air.