Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Management (2)

The residents were provided with three types of clothing: A tracksuit for labor and everyday use. A short-sleeve T-shirt and shorts. And a crop top and short shorts for environments with a lot of water, like a bathhouse, or when working in hot factories.

Jisoo was wearing the third outfit. Her sharply defined abs, along with her muscular arms, thighs, and calves, complemented her healthy tan skin. Although her face wasn't particularly striking, her cool, refreshing impression matched her strong physique, making her quite attractive. No matter which gym she went to, she'd surely be surrounded by men's attention.

“Hello!” She greeted cheerfully, her roughly cut short hair swaying and sending a whiff of shampoo scent my way.

She pulled out a chair and sat down on her own, spreading her legs wide like a boxer resting between rounds. Despite her appearance, which might suggest she was all muscle and no brains, she was quick at reading situations and adapting. Thanks to her impressive physique, no one dared pick a fight with her. It seemed like she was getting along fine here, as she had no complaints or questions.

“There are a lot of things I like about this place, but the best part has to be the meals, right? There’s always meat. It’s not some low-quality sausage mixed with flour and other fillers, but whole cuts of meat.” Jisoo spoke happily.

Now that I looked closely, I could see a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth, but for some reason, it didn’t seem unappealing in the slightest.

“All the meat here is cultured meat. Whether it’s sirloin, tenderloin, or any other cut, there’s hardly any cost difference. In fact, growing a whole slab of beef sirloin is simpler than making low-quality sausage that has to be mixed with all sorts of stuff.”

I manipulated the touch panel to check the menu and inventory.

“However, there will be some adjustments for the time being. We’ll still maintain a nutritionally balanced diet, but right now, the residents are experiencing nutrient excess.”

In this closed-off city, obesity was a waste. It would only end up as waste, and the healthcare costs associated with obesity were no different.

At my words, Jisoo visibly drooped.

“Don’t worry, you’ll still get enough to maintain that body. Anything else you need?”

“Well, just doing bodyweight exercises is a bit lacking. I’d like to have proper exercise equipment.”

I manipulated the PDA touch panel and entered the camp’s zone management mode. The manual activated, and the introduction continued.

[Click the ‘Camp Outdoor Construction' section.]

Hundreds of temporary structures that could be installed appeared.

[If you’re having trouble finding what you want due to the large number of structures, you can filter by checking the desired categories in the filter tab. You can check multiple boxes.]

I checked ‘Health' and ‘Physical Fitness,' and reduced the number of structures to around 20. I selected a few pieces of exercise equipment, and their green models attached to the cursor. I dragged and dropped them into the camp’s wide open space.

[Would you like to install a pull-up bar?]

[Would you like to install parallel bars?]

[Would you like to install dip bars?]

[Would you like to install a fixed barbell?]

After assigning a sufficient number of pieces, I checked the estimate. The required amount of steel, welding rods, and electricity was displayed.

[If you’re willing to endure complaints from users, you can save resources by using recycled steel. It may be rusted or chipped in places and look unsightly, but its performance will not differ.]

I checked the box for using recycled steel, along with the one for efficient automatic space allocation, and gave the construction order.

“I’ll install fixed exercise equipment. But dumbbells are a no-go.”

“Are you afraid someone might use them to bash in someone’s head?”

“That’s right. It’s a tough time right now, and people are easily on edge.”

Jisoo looked like she didn’t understand.

“Come on, everything’s safe and warm here, and the meals are great. What’s the problem?” She waved her hand dismissively. Understandable, considering she was an orphan with no family.

“Many of the women here left their families outside. For them, it’s practically the same as having lost them.”

“It’s fine, really. I’ve got a wide network here, and I know most of the inmates pretty well. The ones with the temper to bash someone’s head in with a tool? They mostly don’t have families or have cut ties with them. And even if they have a guy, it’s usually a casual thing or a gigolo. They probably wouldn’t care if he died outside.”

True to her blunt manner, the high-risk inmates on the profiles were mostly women with no family ties.

“You’re right.”

At my words, Jisoo grinned, saying, “See?” with a smirk.

There were a few gyms for the lower residential area’s citizens, and we could retrieve equipment from there, but I decided to put that on hold. Rather than just giving them out for free, it seemed better to grant access as a reward for good behavior. Naturally, the women interested in these privileges would have outstanding physical capabilities, which would, in turn, make them easier to control—a win-win situation.

Like the Jisoo standing before me now. When I subtly hinted at this plan, she smiled broadly and suddenly stood up. She grabbed both my hands and shook them vigorously. I barely managed to stop the security robot from firing at her in the nick of time.

After Jisoo left with a satisfied look on her face, another familiar woman entered. Though we had only spoken through video calls.

“It’s my first time meeting you in person.” Sophia greeted me.

“How’s life here?”

“It’s safe, warm, and I’m well-fed, so there’s nothing to complain about. The best part is that there are no bars.”

“There’s no need for them. In a way, this whole place is a prison.”

The entire camp was surrounded by an escape-proof fence, with numerous cameras and drones providing real-time surveillance. Even if someone managed to escape, the entire city was a massive closed-off space. It would only be a matter of time before they were caught.

The reason South Korea could maintain world-class security was due to its small land area, its practical status as an island nation, and its dense network of CCTV cameras, all working together in synergy. This underground city was that, multiplied by a thousand.

“Is there anything you’d like?”

“I’d love a beer.”

I gave a command to the security robot at my right. “Go get some beer. There should be a few left in this building’s fridge.”

The robot saluted and left the room.

“If you’d like, I can assign you to work in the beverage and alcohol production area. We’ll be starting up the factories soon, and you’ll be working there.”

Sophia’s eyes widened slightly. Work tends to come with small privileges associated with the specific field. Like a part-timer at a bakery, cutting up loaves of bread, who gets to snack on the larger crumbs.

These tiny perks might not seem like much, but in prison life, even those small rights can cause disputes. The manufacturing area would be no different. There would inevitably be scraps—like a sample beer for quality inspection.

“Thanks for the consideration, but are you sure it’s okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Won’t there be some talk? About preferential treatment?”

I laughed lightly. “And if they do talk, would it be a problem?”

“Well… I guess not.” She nodded.

“There’s no reason to ignore fairness, but there’s also no reason it must always be upheld. What matters most is whether someone is useful or not.” As I manipulated the touch screen on the PDA, a part of the facility was shown. A large woman was intimidating a smaller one. While it hadn't escalated to violence yet, it looked like she could strike at any moment.

“There have been 34 incidents of violence, large and small, in the facility since you all moved in.”

When such a large group of prisoners was thrown into one facility without distinction, conflicts naturally arose. Although these conflicts were gradually decreasing as the prisoners adjusted to their new circumstances, it would take more time.

“We know exactly who fought and why in every case, but we only intervened in three incidents.” I leaned back in my chair and spoke. “Why do you think that is? In a normal prison, we would’ve broken up the fights and punished the culprits. So why did we let them go?”

“That’s…” Sophia hesitated to answer.

“It’s simple. We’re not interested in rehabilitating the prisoners. What we care about are things we can’t figure out just by looking at their profiles.”

The situation on the screen was worsening. The smaller woman was struggling as the larger one grabbed her by the collar.

“We needed to observe the level of influence and violence each individual could exert, how power dynamics between women work, and at what point they submit to violence and fear. This is all necessary to ensure effective control in the future.”

Slap— A small sound was heard as the smaller woman’s face was whipped to the side. Sophia’s eyes twitched. Although she held significant influence among the prisoners due to her moderate mediation skills, she had an instinctive fear of such brute violence.

“This isn’t a rehabilitation center. It’s a survival facility. If you reform a criminal to be peaceful and cooperative, then what? They’d be reintegrated into society, right? But there’s no society left to return to. Whether we like it or not, we all have to keep living here.”

I stood up and approached Sophia. “What’s the point of turning bad people into good ones in this situation? What we need now are things like order, discipline, and obedience. These virtues are what will keep this closed city stable.”

A dull thud was heard. On the PDA, one woman was seen kicking the other, who lay sprawled on the ground.

[A3-2 Block Violence Incident. Intervene?]

[Approve] [Hold]

A window appeared on the PDA, waiting for my command. Instead of deciding, I looked at Sophia.

“The fact that all the women even made it here is thanks to you, in a way. If it weren’t for Seyoung, there would’ve been no communication in the first place, and if it weren’t for you, Seyoung herself would’ve starved to death long ago. Right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Watching me, Sophia nodded enthusiastically.

“You’ve done your share, followed orders well, and you’re smart enough to keep the guards alive and even maintain some control over the prisoners. It wouldn’t be a problem to give someone as competent as you a little special treatment, right?”

Knock, knock—

“Come in.”

Click— The robot that had left earlier returned, carrying two cans of beer. The cans were cold, with condensation beading on the surface. I handed one to Sophia, whose eyes were glued to the sight.

“You can drink it now.”

She popped the tab and drank deeply while looking blissful.

“Have a snack, too.” I opened a small pack of coffee peanuts from my drawer. She looked as if she had everything in the world.

“I have a different opinion of you than I do of Sasha. I look forward to working with you.”

While Sasha exerted influence over the women through cruelty and charisma, Sophia was skilled at handling the frightened outsiders on the fringes. She was like a shepherd of the outcasts. Though the two didn’t get along, they were surprisingly effective when working together.

“Anything else you want to say?” I held my beer can toward Sophia.

She nodded and lightly tapped hers against mine. “I look forward to working with you, too. I’ll do my best.”

After that, several other prisoner representatives came and went, and we made various deals, big and small. It was all rather easy, really.

I held all the resources and authority, so all I had to do was get a Yes or No from them. If they said Yes, that was the end of it, and if they said No, there were always other women who wanted to take their place. All I had to do was choose.

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