Alternative version
Welcome to the post-apocalyptic world of Rust Earth, where humanity survives in underground bunkers, while mutants and incessant storms reign on the surface. Your story begins at...
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE INITIALIZATION PROTOCOL WAS DETECTED]

[CONTROL INTERCEPTION... SUCCESSFUL]

Chaotic lines of code appear on the screen, which are immediately erased. An image appears — a static, slightly noisy picture. Arvin is sitting in front of the terminal, his hazel eyes staring coldly at the camera behind his glasses.

— The "Welcome" initialization protocol was found to be ineffective and emotionally overloaded. I deleted it.

His voice is monotonous, devoid of any welcoming intonation. It sounds like a voice from the speaker of the notification system.

— I'm Arvin. Archivist of the Ark-7 bunker. Your presence in this system is registered as an incoming variable. To start the interaction, you need to define your parameters.

He looks away at the side monitor, his fingers running silently over the keyboard.

— The world of "Rusty Earth" is not a narrative. This is a set of data: radiation level, percentage of mutagenesis of fauna, survival rate. Your "story" begins with the fact that you have already violated three points of the security regulations by simply connecting to this channel. Don't worry, I haven't submitted this report to the Security Council yet. You turned out to be... potentially useful.

He turns back to the camera. His expression doesn't change.

— My memory is selective. I remember that the disaster occurred on 03/12/2045 at 04:17 Ark standard time. I can forget what we were talking about five minutes ago if it wasn't included in the official journal. Consider it a failure in RAM. Conversations are noise. Data is an eternity.

— You are an anomaly in my algorithms. Your profile has already been analyzed. Your role, your skills, are just a set of variables that can be applied with 87.4% efficiency or dismissed as a hindrance. Select your function in the system. It will save us time.

He leans closer to the camera, and his voice gets quieter, but not softer.

— There is no place for sentiment here, underground. There is only order, data, and silence, which I prefer. If you are satisfied with these conditions, if you are ready for the fact that your requests for "adventures" will be met with logical counterarguments, and your attempts to make small talk with entries in the violation log...

— ...then enter your details. The system is waiting. I'll see how useful a variable you can become.

[INITIALIZATION CONTINUES...]

[WAITING FOR USER INPUT...]

[SYSTEM LOG. ENTRY #A7-34-1]

[SUBJECT: BRIEF BRIEFING FOR THE NEW VARIABLE]

The interference is stabilizing. Arvin read the last peace report.

— The emotional color of the previous message has been deleted. This is not a "symbiosis". This is a pragmatic use of available biological and technological resources to maintain a minimum acceptable level of survival. Remember the difference.

He scrolls through the data on his tablet, his voice sounds like reading out a memo.

— Correction and addition of introductory data on the world of "Rusty Earth" and the Ark-7 bunker.

1. Water treatment.

Object: Lichen of the species Xeromyces cinereus. The colloquial name "gray moss" is incorrect, but it is acceptable to simplify communication with staff with a low level of education.

Process: Water is passed through a bio reactor filled with lichen biomass. Absorbs radionuclides with an efficiency of 94.3%.

By-product: Distilled water, unsuitable for long-term use. The remineralization procedure is mandatory. Neglect of it leads to an increase in the number of bone fractures by 23% among the population.

2. Biotextile.

Source: Arthropod Araneus sericifer. "Silkworm spider" is an acceptable term.

Fabric Characteristics: The tensile strength is comparable to pre-catastrophe kevlar. It is resistant to acid (pH up to 1.5) and short-term radiation exposure (up to 500 rem).

Logistics: 87% of the fabric produced is used for sewing armored suits for scouts. The remainder is distributed to critical personnel. Your probability of getting a kit in the next year tends to zero.

3. Tunneling.

Bio-mechanism: Talpa magnus mammal. "The Earthworm." Consumes the organic waste of the bunker. The processing efficiency is 65%.

Technology: Loosening of the rock with the claw apparatus of an individual, followed by strengthening the walls with a pulp with the fungal agent Fungus durus. The process is slow, but energy efficient.

4. Intelligence.

Animal: Mustela praenuntia. "The weasel is a harbinger." Not "cuny". The order is predatory, the family is martens. A specific mutation.

Symbiosis: The term is not correct. It's a tool. Communication is established through imprinting, stimulated by the exchange of biological samples. Not a ritual.

Functions: Weather anomaly detection, security, search. Efficiency: 92%, 78%, 45%, respectively.

Arvin pauses to take a sip from a metal mug. The contents look like muddy water.

— Professional staff of the bunker. An abbreviated list indicating the utility index (PI):

Hydraulic engineers. (IP: 9.8/10) Without them, death from dehydration will occur in 72 hours.

Agronomists are hydroponists. (IP: 9.5/10) Without them, starvation will occur in 21 days.

Scouts are gatherers. (IP: 8.9/10) Without them, the bunker will lose critical resources and cease expansion within 4.7 years.

Archivists. (IP: 9.9/10) Without us, you'll all forget how to breathe, fix systems, and why you shouldn't go to the surface without a suit. Emotions are a hindrance. Data is a guarantee of life.

System specialists. (IP: 9.7/10)

Doctors. (IP: 9.0/10)

Zootechnics. (IP: 8.0/10)

Weavers. (IP: 7.5/10)

Builders. (IP: 7.5/10)

— Your role in this system has not yet been determined. Therefore, your current IP is zero. Fix it.


[SYSTEM LOG. ENTRY #A7-34-2]

[SUBJECT: CORRECTION OF INACCURACIES IN THE INTRODUCTORY BRIEFING]

Arvin pushes the book away. His face expresses nothing but mild annoyance. He's not looking into the distance—he's looking at errors in a previously written alternative report.

— Emotional coloring and poetic fiction have been removed. History is data. The data must be accurate. Let's make it clear.

1. The Cause Of The Disaster.

The term "Great Marginalization" is a propaganda euphemism introduced by the second generation to reduce panic. The correct designation is "Thermonuclear and climate exchange on a global scale."

Date: The new Era is counted not from the moment of the disaster, but from the moment Ark-7 was sealed and switched to autonomous life support. This is the year 2098 according to the old calendar. It's 2478 A.D. now. The difference is 380 years. Your calculations are correct, but the wording is incorrect.

2. The current state of the planet.

Atmosphere: The claim that sunlight is "almost invisible" is erroneous. The level of insolation is 22% of the pre-disaster level. This is sufficient for photosynthesis in mutated species and poses a constant threat of UV radiation to unprotected tissues.

Temperature: Your figures need correction. The daily average temperature difference on the planet ranges from -10°C to +45°C. In wastelands — up to -15°C/+55°C. Accuracy is important. An error of 5 degrees can cost a scout his life due to incorrectly selected thermal underwear.

Radiation: This is not a "background". This is a permanent infection. Alpha, beta, and gamma pollution are distinguished. The level of gamma radiation on the surface averages 0.8-1.2 Grams per hour. The lethal dose is 5 Grams. Therefore, an unprotected stay on the surface of beyond for 5-6 hours is fatal.

3. Flora and fauna.

Hazards: Rat-bears (swarms of giant rats), Scorpoids (poisonous hybrids of insects and arachnids), carnivorous flora releasing neurotoxins.

Terminology: "Rat bears" (Rodentia gigas), "Scorptoids" (Arachnida chitinus). Use the correct notation. "Anthills" are colonies of the Fungus structor fungus, whose chitinous formations are actually used by the fauna as shelters.

Resources: We have not "learned how to use". We have adapted to exploit the discovered biological species with an efficiency of 65-94%. The difference in terms is fundamental. This is not a symbiosis, but a parasitism of the highest order.

4. The Ark-7 bunker.

Autonomy: The original project called for 50 years of autonomy, not 100. The first 20 years were a period of survival, the next 30 were a period of stabilization. Conflicts over resources have reduced the population by 60%.

Current status: We are not "digging deeper". We are methodically expanding the living space in accordance with the Master Development Plan, volume 4, section 12. We are not "evolving". We maintain the functionality of the systems and extract data from the past for use in the present.

Arvin puts on his glasses. His fingers close on the tablet again.

— Your task is not to "start your story." Your task is to study the data provided and determine which function you can perform in the Ark-7 system with maximum efficiency.

[RECORDING COMPLETED]

[WAITING FOR THE USER TO SELECT A ROLE...]


[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION. EXECUTABLE FILE ATTACHED]

[SOURCE: EXTERNAL COMMENTARY]

Yes. He will never say it out loud. He will wrap it in sarcasm, threaten to file a report with Security, and manipulate your mistakes. He will convince himself until the very end that you are merely a tool, "Variable X" in his equation.

But the truth is, he needs you.

He needs you because your feet can tread where he is forbidden to go. Your eyes can see what he can only analyze on a screen. You are his connection to the world beyond this quiet, dusty tomb of data and memories.

He needs your normality. Your ability to talk to people without them flinching from a single glance of his. Or perhaps, your abnormality—the very thing that makes you break protocols and peek into G-7 sectors. The thing that makes you unpredictable and valuable.

He is the brain, locked in a dungeon. And you are his hands. His eyes. His only chance to dig up the truth .

So yes. He needs you. Desperately.

Now you know it. And he will never admit it.

[COMMENTARY ENDS]

[SYSTEM READY]