Bunker 77

7. Let's Talk History

My mouth dropped open.

Lulu snapped her book shut, a tired sigh escaping her lips. She leaned against the window and closed her eyes, as if a bad memory flashed through her mind.

"Eighty years ago, the war between the Bahari Kingdom, our kingdom, and the Cahya Kingdom ended," Rian continued. "We also lost the war. They assassinated our king as well as all of his living relatives. The bunkers built to protect the vulnerable were taken over by the enemy. They enslaved our warriors, and traitors to the king were given control of the bunkers. The people we referred to as the bunker's upper class were the descendants of traitors."

A twig fell on the windshield as the car drove through the thick forest, forcing Rian to stop his story.

"I'll take it from here," Lulu said, opening her eyes with a faraway look on her face. "The upper class and the government decided to stage a conspiracy. Since the war had been going for a long time, human resources decreased little by little. So, to solve the problem, they decided to give false reports to the people in the bunker, saying the war was still going on. Anyone who questioned the reports will be taken out immediately, and anyone who passed the military test will be forbidden to enter the bunker again."

The military test...

I leaned back against the seat, crossing my arms in concentration. The test was a mandatory test for every fifteen-year-old teenager in the bunker. We would be given a set of tests to evaluate our strength, intellect, and agility. But now that I think about it, during the last day of the test, they led us to a room for an individual interview.

I still remembered the satisfied look on the officer's face when I answered her questions, until the last question was asked. Would you swear on your life to put all your loyalty to the Bahari's flag and its rulers, even if it's against your loved ones and your best interests?

And I said, no.

Tapping my chin, I nodded slowly. "So, maybe that's why I'm not chosen," I muttered. Glancing back and forth between Lulu and Rian, I asked, "If there's no war. What do you do outside, really?"

"It depends on your qualifications and the answers you gave them during the individual test," Rian shrugged. "Some become the reporters, the ones that spread false reports about the situation outside. Some, like me, are trained to be law enforcers and to fight the rebels. But most are working in the government's departments."

As Rian continued with the explanation, Lulu reached inside her bag and took out a plastic container filled with sandwiches. She offered one to me, which I declined politely.

"The rebels?"

Rian nodded. "Some loyal warriors who survived the execution went into hiding and formed a movement. We're heading to the headquarters. Over the years, we succeeded in taking over a few small towns and saving the people from the bunkers."

"How many bunkers are there in the kingdom?"

"At least three in every town. Bunker 77 is the closest to the main city and the hardest to get into. But the passage we used was a secret passage that almost no one knew existed. This is the first time we used it after we discovered it in a book by the bunker's original architect."

I nodded before asking the question that had been nagging in my mind. "So, when Fikree said your troop lost contact with the bunker, what really happened?"

"That time, the upper class detected that we were working with the rebels. We were given a false mission, and when we got to the forest, they attacked us and left us there."

"Fikree... he attacked you?" I asked slowly. Although I could guess the answer, I still hoped it was not true.

Rian sighed. "He's the leader, Amna."