Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 69.3: A Message from Space (3)

The Melon Musk Space Bunker Plus Ultra consisted of five main modules and one empty reserve module. Its layout was roughly as follows:

Living - Hydroponics - Control (Tunnel) Empty (Tunnel) Power - Reserve - Workshop

As shown, the modules formed a ring around an empty central area, resembling a donut.

Melon Musk was currently stationed in the Living Module, where fortunately, he retained system control over the other modules. This control extended to regulating temperature, ventilation, water supply, power distribution, and shutter operations.

However, the Workshop Module, where the escape rocket was located, could not be accessed or controlled from the other modules unless:

The Master Authentication Key was used.Approval actions were executed at the system terminals in all four other modules.This restriction existed to prevent someone from impulsively using the rocket to escape back to Earth, driven by a sudden bout of homesickness.

The Living Module and the Hydroponics Module were exceptions, but all other modules were filled with former colleagues of Melon Musk—now turned into zombies, floating weightlessly in zero gravity.

As for the Workshop Module, its situation could not be observed from other modules. However, Melon Musk and Donald McGarry knew that zombies were present there, as they had encountered them during an earlier attempt to flee using the escape rocket.

Each module was equipped with its own emergency shelter and food storage to prepare for the destruction or loss of other modules.

The emergency rations and water supply in each module were of the highest quality, sufficient for over three months. There were also ample oxygen canisters for worst-case scenarios.

Securing just one module would drastically extend Melon Musk’s precarious lifespan.

This sparked a flood of ideas from thousands of users.

Click-clack, click-clack.

A notification popped up:

[Alert!] SKELTON has been banned from the live channel!

- Ban duration: 23:45 remaining.

I had also posted an idea, but unfortunately, I was banned. My top-tier suggestion never saw the light of day.

Meanwhile, a glaring problem emerged—too many cooks in the kitchen.

Melon Musk recognized this issue and posted a notice:

MELON_MASK:

Thanks for all the suggestions, but there are just too many. It’s getting chaotic. I appreciate everyone’s help, but please be more thoughtful before posting. And prank posts? I’ll be filtering them out using staff assistance.

For those watching the live broadcast, let me clarify: the VIVA_BOT helpers are not AI. They’re loyal employees who stayed with the company after the war.

So, they were human after all. No wonder I felt the emotion behind the ban.

Soon, only suggestions that passed the strict screening by the VIVA_BOT team appeared in the central chat for selected participants:

Jekyll: How about using the shutters as weapons? They’re strong enough to sever a person’s leg, so they should easily slice up zombies.desertfox: You’ve got oxygen tanks, right? Can’t you repurpose them as air-powered weapons, like the killer used in No Country for Old Men?BongoXL: You mentioned drones. A 16V battery might not carry a heavy oxygen tank, but in zero gravity? Equip the drones with modified air cannons and remotely fire at the zombies' heads.VexHexSex: What if you reinforced the shutters with mesh netting? You could lure zombies into the net, trap them, and crush them with the shutter like a guillotine.mmmmmmmmm (Zombie Studies Expert): Zombies struggle on steep inclines.These were solid ideas, even better than what I had thought of.

Zero gravity was an unfamiliar battleground for me. As a hunter, I was accustomed to using my skills and strength to kill zombies, mutations, and monsters—often effortlessly, like Cheon Young-jae dancing while dispatching the undead.

From the perspective of ordinary people, however, crafting practical solutions might seem daunting.

My idea involved attaching an oxygen-propelled rocket to an axe—a space adaptation of the Rocket Axe my mentor, Jang Ki-young, had invented.

MELON_MASK: Thanks for the suggestions about air cannons, shutters, and nets. I’ll give them a try.

It was fascinating to watch a global celebrity show gratitude and grapple with survival challenges live.

While he worked, I made a bland but nourishing porridge from Femicon and boiled water. After a spoonful, I felt marginally refreshed and began grinding some of DragonC’s coffee beans.

Suddenly, my communicator buzzed—it was Rebecca, not Defender.

"Skelton!"

"Yeah, what’s up?"

"Are you watching Viva! Apocalypse! right now?"

"Yep."

"Why aren’t you submitting any ideas?"

"Me?"

"Yeah! You’re so strong—you’ve fought monsters solo. When I told American hunters about you, they thought I was lying!"

"Well, it’s just luck."

"It’s not luck! You’re really strong!"

Static crackled, and the voice switched—it was Sue.

"Skelton!"

Her usually calm and cynical tone was replaced with uncharacteristic excitement.

"Hurry! Submit your idea! You’re great at coming up with juicy ideas. Help Melon Musk! Who knows? You might save his life!"

"...Ah."

I wanted to help, but how could I explain I was banned? I couldn’t admit that to Sue.

"The protagonist always appears last, right?"

"Like those who hide their strength?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"Okay! Skelton, I’ll be waiting!"

The transmission ended, leaving me staring blankly into space.

Well, there’s still time to contribute later. Many ideas already seemed superior to mine.

Acknowledging others’ ideas and absorbing them was one of the rare solid teachings Jang Ki-young had imparted to us.

Unsurprisingly, the chatroom buzzed with people pooling their collective knowledge to aid Melon Musk.

Ameicus: The oxygen tank pressure is insufficient. Even if you rig an air cannon, it won’t do more than bruise the zombies. Better rethink this.

Defender: Why bother setting up a net? Just toss something to entangle them, tie up their limbs, and drag them to the shutter. Then, use it like a guillotine.

Kuntakinte’89: If you’re suggesting something like a bola, it could work. Even in zero gravity, centripetal force still applies. Let me draw a diagram for you.

Melon Musk wasn’t just being supported—his struggle for survival, broadcast live from space, became a symbol of resilience and hope for all of us watching.

Ultimately, he chose Defender’s plan:

Spread a net in zero gravity.Lure zombies into it and entangle them.Use drones to haul the net and zombies toward the shutters.Crush them with the shutter, guillotine-style.Killing one zombie would secure Melon Musk at least three months of survival. If he recovered his strength, he might even reclaim the Plus Ultra.

MELON_MASK: How does this look? Pretty solid, right?

He frequently sought feedback, and experts guided him with precise advice.

In front of thousands—or millions—of viewers worldwide, Melon Musk prepared his tools.

The drones were equipped with life-saving cables and a reinforced net to capture zombies. The whole world watched as he demonstrated the throw, his hands trembling but determined.

MELON_MASK: Oh, like this? Toss the net so it fully encircles the zombie? Got it. Let me try again.

Melon Musk's throwing skills were steadily improving.

At the same time, our anticipation grew.

Even though I wasn’t directly involved, merely cheering for him filled me with an excitement and hope I hadn’t felt in years.

Viva! Apocalypse! was worth every penny.

MELON_MASK: Alright, I’m about to start. Wish me luck, everyone. If I die here, well... it can’t be helped. But before that, let me thank you all in advance. Viva! Apocalyptians, thank you so much!

Before launching his mission, Melon Musk shared the live feed from internal CCTV cameras set up in each module.

Six screens appeared:

The Living ModuleThe Power ModuleThe Water ModuleThe Hydroponics ModuleThe Reserve ModuleThe entry point to the Workshop ModuleThe Workshop Module, by design, could not be viewed internally. However, its entry screen displayed a circular, semi-opaque window in the door. Movement inside could theoretically be detected through the window, but at the moment, nothing was visible.

In contrast, the other modules were occupied.

Four zombies floated weightlessly in the vast spaces.

And then there was Bumpy, the mutated sloth, perched on the ceiling framework of the automated hydroponics facility. Its razor-sharp claws were dug into the metal supports, keeping it perfectly still.

“...Huh.”

It was huge.

Easily over three meters tall.

Those sharp, curved claws were terrifying. No matter how slow it moved, getting struck by them would leave a person utterly pulverized—or more accurately, shredded to pieces.

There was already one zombie reduced to just a torso, its upper body twitching as it drifted aimlessly in the Reserve Module.

The other zombies seemed intact, their dark surroundings making it hard to discern details, but at least their limbs appeared unbroken.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

Wearing his spacesuit, Melon Musk embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.

The shutter opened, revealing the Water Module, with its transparent tanks filled to the brim. Air bubbles floated within, illuminated by the sterile, artificial light.

A zombie drifted aimlessly alongside the rounded globules of water, oblivious to Melon Musk’s presence.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something about that zombie felt off.

“...Hmm.”

Melon threw the net.

His first attempt was clumsy.

Unlike his practice sessions, the net failed to spread properly. Frustrated, he reeled it back in and threw it again.

There was no need to exert much force. In zero gravity, even a weak throw wouldn’t result in the net falling to the floor.

Like a slow-motion scene, the net drifted through the air and perfectly wrapped around the zombie.

Direct hit.

However, the zombie remained motionless.

Melon Musk boldly stepped beyond the shutter and shouted:

“James! James! I have to confess something—I slept with your wife!”

The zombie turned its head, baring its teeth.

It reacted.

Thrashing wildly, it lunged at Melon Musk, its movements a frenzied blur. Whether the zombie’s rage was fueled by Melon’s confession or just primal instincts, even I couldn’t say.

The important thing was that, just as Defender had predicted, the zombie was now hopelessly entangled in the net.

Melon Musk deployed the drone.

The drone wasn’t powerful, but it was precise.

The moment it touched the thrashing zombie, Melon used the remote control to secure the net with the attached hook, dragging the captured zombie toward the shutter.

The sight of the zombie floating helplessly, its limbs bound by the net, was oddly surreal, almost dreamlike.

When the zombie reached the shutter’s edge, Melon spoke in a mournful tone:

“James, you’re fired.”

The shutter came down.

CRUNCH!

The heavy shutter, which had once severed Melon’s leg, now crushed the zombie’s skull like a potato.

HashireV4: He did it!

Anonymous101: Amazing!

dongtangmom: Good job!

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Defender: Well done!

Thisaki: Wow!!!!

COOKIEMONSTER123: Great work!

Terry F: Nice!

Madisonbridge: Melon! That was incredible!

mmmmmmmmm: Kyaaaahhh!!!!

The once-silent chat exploded with messages, flooding the screen with praise.

I wanted to join in but, unfortunately, I couldn’t.

Instead, I focused on the zombie’s lifeless body beneath the shutter.

When I first saw the zombie, something had felt off.

Now I understood why.

As Melon retrieved the net from the crushed zombie, I realized what had been bothering me:

Other than its head, the zombie’s body was remarkably intact—far too intact for something that had encountered a savage mutation like Bumpy.

This wasn’t the work of the sloth mutation.

Unless Bumpy had a peculiar habit of killing humans with just enough force to leave their bodies otherwise unharmed, this was the result of human intervention.

I reached for my communicator to inform Defender, but then I saw something strange on the live feed.

The CCTV for the Workshop Module showed something.

The once-empty circular window now displayed a dark, shadowy figure.

Soon, the shadow took shape.

Through the blurry glass, a face appeared—clear and unmistakably human.