My eyes slowly opened as the sunlight shined through the ocean, illuminating my room with its cool colors. I slowly sat up, looking around the room before rubbing my eyes and stretching my muscles the best I could without disturbing my nearly healed wounds. Standing up, I yawned and walked over to the ladder that led down into the Work-room. Aka the first room you would be in when entering the base.
Climbing down the ladder, I made my way towards the bioreactor room in front of me. Looking down the hall to my right, I could hear loud chatter and movement coming from the dining room. I smiled and walked down the hallway, now being in the middle of the busy multipurpose room.
It had been a few weeks since the Reaper attack, and whilst I had healed faster than anticipated, I still had trouble trying to do everything on my own like I was used to. So, seeing how everyone was eager to help while I recovered, I took this as the opportunity to teach everyone how to use everything. I taught everyone how to use the fabricator and the habitat builders.
I taught Levi, Hange, Erwin, and a few others how to use the Scanner Room to locate materials we'd need for fabricating. I taught everyone how to use the new vending machine, coffee machine, and tea machine. I taught Jean, Marco, Sasha, and Connie how to deal with the grow beds. Then Mike, Erwin, and Levi were taught how to work the more delicate machinery: Such as the Seamoth and our newly made P.R.A.W.N Suit.
When it came down to everything else, I taught everyone how to use their new tools, like their Sea-glides, repair tools, and so on. So, now everyone had their own suits and gear and were all pitching in to help around the base. Now, with everyone now out and about, I had realized that it would be best if we added onto the small base I had made originally.
What used to be just a few rooms and a Moonpool turned into a whole base fit for our big dysfunctional family. At least, that's how I like to see it.
When I walked into the dining room, everyone looked up and I waved at them before walking over to the coffee machine and getting a small cup. Erwin was then the first to speak up as I sat at one of the tables. Mike, Levi, Erwin, and now me occupying the small table.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, biting into the fish he had in front of him. Erwin came close to being the dad I had always wanted, to me at least. He looked out for everyone and made sure everyone wasn't getting into unnecessary trouble.
After my near-death experience, he had made sure to check up on me at least once a day to make sure nothing was wrong. He most likely was just checking in on me since I'm basically their only ticket out of here but I don't really like thinking about that. I looked up at him and smiled, tiredly taking a sip from my cup of coffee.
"I'm fine. Just need to find my energy before I feel like doing anything today. Oh, speaking of, do you know if anyone has done a stock check to see if we're running low on any materials?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow. Hearing my question, Armin then spoke up immediately.
"Sorry for interrupting, but I checked up on everything. We're only running low on rubies, lithium, and lead." I waved him off, showing I didn't mind the polite interruption.
"Alright. I'll make sure to gather those items when I go out today with a group. How's the food supply?" I questioned, Sasha and Connie both deciding to speak up.
"I checked the lockers. We only have a few food blocks left along with plenty of fish in the aquarium to last us a while." Sasha stated, a small blush on her face from the thought of meat.
"We also still have plenty of water and the Filtration Machine you installed is still supplying more," Connie added, nudging his brunette friend out of her food-crazed daze.
"Marco and I also recently tended to the Grow Beds. The Marblemellons are almost ready, not to mention the good supply of Lantern Fruit we have. Ahh, and the Chinese Potatoes are just about ready to harvest as well." Jean remarked, taking a sip from his bottle of water. I sipped more of my coffee as I stared out of the window, watching a Jellyray swim past.
"Armin, since we're running low on materials, tell Hange to use the Scanner and see if she can locate any of the materials we're missing nearby." I then watched as Armin nodded and stood up, making his way down the hallway to the Work-Room connected to the Scanner room.
As I sat there in silence, I took the time to reflect on everything that had happened. I had made everyone their own PDAs and other gear. I taught them how to use the fabricator, habitat builders, and all their other tools. With everyone's help, we built onto the base and made it our home here in the Mushroom Forrest.
~
A few weeks earlier
I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling with bags under my eyes. It had been a few days since the attack and I had barely healed and gotten sleep at all. I could hear the murmur of voices just beyond my door and I sighed, bringing both hands towards my face. 'Something needs to be done. With me so weak and useless, we'll die before the week even ends. We need a meeting.' I thought while dragging my hands down my face, pulling roughly on the skin.
I sat up and pulled the covers from my body, being mindful of my aching wounds. I let my feet touch the cold floor and I carefully stood with wobbling legs and made my way over to the door. I pulled it open, wincing in pain as I did so, and walked out into the next room.
"We need to talk, now." Everyone stopped what conversations they were having when they heard my voice and directed their attention towards me. I walked over and sat down at one of the few seats available.
"So, due to recent events-" I said, gesturing to my injuries. "-I am not able to help around the base and take care of you all as I should. So, it's about time that I taught you all how to use everything to your advantage." I pulled out my PDA and placed it on the table.
"For starters, I'll make all of you your own PDAs. Your suits and tools have already been made so now you just have to put them on. We're also running low on food and water and without either, we will not be surviving very long." I then slid my PDA to the center of the table small table.
"First thing's first, since any and all PDAs I make, will be linked to my own, any and all data that I have collected during my time here will be on yours as well. So, read the entire data tab. Multiple times if you have to. Scan and read EVERYTHING, because it's more important than you think." I adjusted myself in my seat, making sure no pressure was on my stomach wound, before continuing.
"So, here's what we'll do. I will teach each of you, how to use the fabricator. I will teach each of you, how to use a habitat builder. When the base has increased in size enough to accommodate all of us, I will be assigning jobs that need to be done, daily, to ensure our survival. One fuck up is all it takes, people. We're already running low on food since I got back, and it's only been a few days. We can't afford to continue doing nothing, otherwise, we'll all be dead." I stated, a solemn tone covering my words. With nervous looks flying around the room, Erwin cleared his voice and finally spoke up.
"I assure you we all understand the importance of the situation we're all in. I was actually discussing our possible next courses of action with me and my subordinates. We will all put effort into maintaining our survival for the future, no matter what we need to do to ensure it. When shall we start?" Erwin said, finishing off with a question.
"Right now."
~
3rd Person
During those earlier weeks, (F/n) began teaching her comrades the basic necessities. Such as how to use their PDA, Habitat Builder, Scanner, and Seaglide. It didn't take long for everyone to get the hang of how to work their gear and immediately after, they all started planning out on how to expand the base. A selected amount of cadets helped in adding a Scanner Room, a room for the male cadets, a room for Levi, Erwin, Mike, and a room for the females. Excluding (F/n) of course.
In the Work-Room, a ladder was added along with an extra floor which leads to (F/n)'s room via another latter. Once Hange and Armin found out there was a tank big enough for them to study the life forms lurking outside, they practically read out an essay on why there should be one in the base. So, with some hesitance, an Alien Containment tank was added into its own room of three floors.
(F/n) halfheartedly smiled as she recalled how Connie struggled when trying to help place down a multipurpose room. She had been standing at one of the windows, keeping an eye on everyone building onto the base. She would instruct them on what needed to go where and how it should look, but it seemed like Connie just couldn't seem to fix it.
-
"Connie... It's still crooked." (F/n) stated, plainly speaking to Connie through her PDA as she saw Connie turn in her direction with his arms outspread in exasperation.
"Again?! I deconstructed it like five times already!" Sasha could be seen behind him snickering at his misfortune, Connie then shooting a glare her way which only made her laugh more.
Levi walked up behind (F/n) and looked over her shoulder, noticing how crooked the room looked from the window's viewpoint. An audible 'tch' was heard and (F/n) glanced back, seeing his eye twitch in irritant. She chuckled a bit before looking back out the window.
"Jean, can you be a dear and help Connie with the Multipurpose Room?"
"Already on it," Jean said as he deconstructed the room and placed it down correctly for him. He smacked Connie upside the head before swimming off with Hange to place down the Scanner Room.
-
She smiled to herself, remembering the time when Eren and Jean were complaining about placing down their own beds the day after the rooms were made.
-
"What did you say, horse face!?" Eren yelled as Armin practically held him back, Marco doing the same to Jean. Eren fought against Armin, trying to pull free from his blond-haired friend.
"You heard me, you suicidal blockhead! I was here first, so my bed is going here!"
"That's not how that works, you idiot!" Eren argued.
At the loud commotion, (F/n), Levi, and Erwin all got up from their seats in the dining room and made their way to the dorms. It had been the day after deconstructing and constructing rooms over and over again and (F/n) just wanted to be done with everything.
She had been trying her best to explain how the Habitat Builder worked but it wasn't an easy job to explain that to all eleven people. It took them all a full day to place down nine Multipurpose Rooms, a Scanner Room, several Reinforcements, and yet another bioreactor for the base. All they needed to do was place down lockers, beds, more equipment, make the alien containment tank, and finish up the dining room.
Too many fights had been breaking out today between Sasha and Jean, Hange and Levi, and Jean and Eren because of all the hectic work. (F/n) was already upset as it was with being unable to leave the base in the condition that she was in. Not to mention the fact that she had basically become a teacher to a class of eleven people with no experience with advanced technology.
As they stood in the doorway to the room, all they were met with was the sight of two boys being held apart by their friends. Erwin let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head whilst Levi just stood there glaring at the two, arms crossed over his chest.
(F/n), however, was not in the mood for fighting, having dealt with enough of it all day. Erwin and Levi watched as (F/n) walked ahead of them and over to the boys, grabbing both by an ear with a menacing look on her face.
"That is it, I have had it!!" She shouted. "Since you two want to do all the fighting around here, I'm letting you both put your beds down last." She said, her expression having annoyance written all over it.
"Armin, place your bed down first." She said, Armin, following her orders and quickly picking a place to put his bed. She then went down the line like an irritated mother would to her disobedient children. After Connie and Marco placed their beds down, she allowed Eren to place his down and finally let Jean go last.
"Now, stop it with the arguing before I lock you both in the alien containment room to suffer with each other." She spat, walking off, leaving both Erwin and Levi to deal with the cadets next.
~
(F/n)'s PoV
As I took the final sip of my now warm drink, I got up and made my way over to the trash can, throwing my cup away. I gave a small 'See ya later.' to Erwin, Mike, and Levi and made my way to the Scanner Room. I walked to the Bioreactor room and took an immediate left, making my way into the Work-Room and then taking a right. Once I walked into the room, I was greeted by both Hange and Armin.
I and Hange then discussed some plans, Armin politely throwing in ideas every now and then. By the end of our discussion, we managed to find a few locations for lithium but not for Rubies or Lead. We'll have to go searching for them, unfortunately. Luckily, Lead ore is not very hard to come across. Rubies, on the other hand, are in a biome we haven't explored that well.
The Bulb Zone is the only area we know that we'll be able to find Rubies in; though, the only downside is how dangerous the area will be. With a sigh, both me, Hange, and Armin made our way out of the Scanner Room. Armin made his way left of the Bioreactor to prepare for the upcoming material hunt while Hange and I made our way to look for Erwin.
Nervousness washed over me. A bad feeling. With a small shake of my head to clear my mind, I continued walking, eventually meeting up with Erwin and Levi. 'Everything will be okay.'
~
Hey everyone, Ghastly again! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and sorry for the very late update. I meant to have it up earlier, but sleep hit me hard. Anyway, here you go and Tom and I will see you both next Thursday! Bye, my lovelies and stay positive! -Ghastly
(Hello!! Long time no see. I have been a terrible author lately because of how many chapters have been late because of me. This was supposed to be posted yesterday but I didn't start working on this until Wednesday. It's Friday now. I genuinely am being honest when I say that this makes me happy. It's been years since I've had a writing schedule; though that doesn't excuse my frequent tardiness, it makes it harder to keep up.
Ghastly has been going through absolute shit lately and me not being very online and active with her makes me feel awful. Me and her talked about things recently and we agreed on trying our best to rely on each other. I know we'll try our best and definitely get this fanfiction done. Hell, we're almost halfway done writing this! Things will get better for both of us. I know it. We just need to keep our heads up and not let our minds get to the best of ourselves.
I thank you all for your patience with my absolute bullshit. I promise to do better and write more author's notes when I feel like I deserve to write any. Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful day and enjoy this 2,500+ word-long chapter! See you next time!)