Jim left the bedroom and went to the tablet on the wall.  Navigating through the menus he found the one for uniforms.  Selecting his uniform, he could hear that familiar sound above him from a vent.  The same nano-particles surrounded his body like before.  Head to toe he was in his uniform again.  There was a dinging sound.  He spun around and saw a small video screen next to the entryway.  Appearing on screen was Veronica, a live-feed of some kind.

"Jim? Oh hey, we're all meeting on the second floor for breakfast.  Simon wants to brief us on what we should all be doing today." Veronica smiled when she talked to Jim.

"Okay, I'll be right out." Jim replied with a smile of his own.

Jim approached the door and used his fingerprint to open the first door.  He did the same to open the second door.  Veronica stood outside the door waiting for him.  His connection to her felt stronger today than yesterday, though he still couldn't explain it.  They both approached the stairs.

"Ladies, first." Smiled Jim

"You're too kind, sir." Veronica replied in a playfully sarcastic southern belle accent.

They both went down the stairs and reached the second floor.  They met Connor and Lydia in front of a couple different doors.  They were standing by a metal railing that overlooked the ground floor.

"Where's Simon?" asked Jim

"Said he'd be down in a couple of minutes, finishing up with something, i dunno." Connor replied half asleep. "I am hungry though, so he'd better hurry up."

Lydia was looking at the ground floor, analyzing the computers.  Jim could only assume she was trying to jog her memory.  Jim glanced over at the large video screen against the wall and the radiation level that Simon pointed out the previous day was still very high.

"We won't be doing any exploring outside for a while it seems." Veronica said, noticing Jim and the screen.

"No, unfortunately." Simon said, appearing from the stairs suddenly.

"How long do you think it'll be before we can manage?" Jim asked, concerned.

"Impossible to say really." Simon glanced over at the video screen himself.  "Normally, a nuclear fallout like the one at Chernobyl would leave considerable radiation for longer than we'd be alive to see.  Even Oppenheimer's first detonation was still radioactive before the world delved into chaos."  Simon smiled unexpectedly. "However, no one ever had the kind of radiation suit that I have invented.  The suit is carefully crafted to withstand exponentially more radiation than anything ever invented."

"So, why can't we go out there then? If it can handle a bunch of radiation, what's the problem?" Connor, still waking up, asking candidly.

"The entire world went up in nuclear flames." Simon said flatly.  "Substantially bigger than anything the world has seen.  Even the greatest scientific minds couldn't have predicted the severe levels that we're seeing."

Simon groggily accepted this answer, mostly he didn't have the calories in his system to argue or question further.  Simon spoke up again.

"One more point." Simon began. "The suits, while tested in what were, at the time, considered to be extreme levels, haven't been tested in this unique environment."

Jim took this in, probably not fully understanding the gravity of it, but understanding enough to interject.

"They will have to be tested at some point though, right?  We will eventually have to know one way or the other if they can take it.  Can we use some sort of controlled environment?"

"Actually, yes." Simon spoke frankly "There is a chamber built specifically to allow radiation in for testing purposes."

"Wait..." Connor was finally able to comprehend things better.  "You're gonna let some of that radiation in?"

"Yes, in a very controlled environment, I assure you."

"How so?" Connor was skeptical.

"I have built a special chamber that can neutralize all of the radiation let in after testing." 

"You can kill the radiation?" Jim jumped in.

"Why wouldn't that work for out there then?" Connor pressed further.

"The chamber, at last check, is a might smaller than the rest of the world outside." Simon's tone was very smart and humorously sarcastic.  Not to mention this isn't something that only takes a minute.  It'll take a few hours to fully neutralize the remaining radiation.  Still, considerably quicker than thousands of years."

Connor was obviously satisfied with the answer.  That, and his care for the conversation faded as the thought of food re-entered his brain.

"Anyway, I'm hungry." announced Simon. "You must all be as well."

Everyone nodded in agreement.  Simon approached one of the doors and used his finger print to open it.  He waved everyone inside.  

Simon was the last to enter, Jim, Connor, Veronica and Lydia stood just inside the doorway.  Analyzing the room around them, it wasn't a very majestic room.  The room was more brushed steel.  There were a couple of compartments in the far wall, and a single oval table in the center.  This wasn't exactly the grandeur that any of them expected.  

They all took a place next to the table.  Simon pressed a button under the table.  Like it happened in the first dome-shaped room, five cylinders came up from the ground and expanded into seats, though these were more like barstools. Everyone took a seat.

"I could eat a horse!" Connor said, placing his forearms on the table.

"Yeah, no kidding." Lydia confirmed.

Simon pressed another button under the table and platforms began to rise next to them.  They all had a fingerprint scanner.  Connor looked at the empty platform, then back at Simon with an unimpressed look.

"Patience." Simon said, disappointedly.  "Place your finger on the scanner on the platform."

They all did so, and after about thirty seconds of a whirring and mechanical sound, a lid slid open and a plate of food and a liquid rose up.  They all took their food and drink and placed it on the table in front of them.  The lid slid closed. 

"Each one of you has a specific diet plan.  That finger scanner measured your needs and provided the necessary sustenance for your body to replenish energy."  Simon paused.

The lid slid open again and plasticware appeared.  Jim picked up his utensils, noting that the appearance was plastic. These utensils, however, were incredibly solid.  Jim held up a fork looking at Simon.

"Yes, they are a plant-based liquid polymer.  They are especially resilient. They are also biodegradable." Simon turned to look at everyone in turn. "You'll all find that just about everything produced in this shelter is biodegradable and recyclable, which is then in turn sterilized and reused.  Any and all natural waste is repurposed to create a nearly never ending cycle of sustainability."

"Simon! I don't wanna hear about natural waste when I'm trying to eat." Connor exclaimed.  Simon chuckled.

"I do apologize, I just find myself in a state of awe when I think about this brain child of mine, and how it came out to be nearly everything I had hoped it would be. Anyway, dig in everyone."

They all sat in near silence while they were eating.  Only the sound of utensils clanking and scraping on dishes could be heard as everyone very hungrily devoured everything given to them.  They all had a very similar looking dish, green in color.  It reminded Jim of some kind of cereal he used to eat, but he couldn't quite place it as his memory was still not great.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I could totally go for some coffee!" Lydia exclaimed matter-of-factly.

Everyone but Simon nodded his head.

"Of course." Simon smiled and nodded his head. "As for me, it'll just be a cup of tea."  Simon suddenly became a little sullen.  "Britain may not exist anymore, but someone should carry on with the age-old tradition."

"I'll have a cup of tea as well." Jim smiled and looked at Simon.  Simon glanced up at Jim at hearing this and half smiled approvingly through the obvious bout of mild depression that seemed to cross Simon's usually chipper face.  

"Very, well.  Do you have a tea preference?" Simon asked.

"Surprise me, but make it strong!" Jim smiled widely.  

Simon took note of Jim's attempt at cheering him up and was pleased by this, but remained humble.

"Of course." replied Simon.  Simon tapped something on his wrist and a digital tablet was projected on the table in front of him.  He began typing and both coffee and tea rose its way onto the platform as the food had, also rose with it, cream and sugar for everyone to self-serve.  Jim put a little cream, and a dash of sugar in his.  Lydia and Connor were both heavy fisted with the sugar, Veronica simply used a little cream.  Jim raised his cup in the air.

"A toast." Jim announced.

Everyone, realizing there was a toast, raised their cups as well.

"I propose a toast to all of us.  For being survivors.  For being survivalists. Somehow, someway, five were chosen to be in this shelter.  To survive the apparent nuclear holocaust which for lack of better phrase, was inevitable." Jim looked at everyone, and then to Simon. "I also propose a toast to this man here, Simon."

Simon looked at Jim curiously.

"If not for Simon and his numerous inventions, his brain children, and his overall positive attitude in this most bleak seeming situation, I don't think there is a single person here who would be alive.  To him I say thank you.  And finally, to this shelter we find ourselves in, Simon's creation.  the Regenex."

Simon couldn't believe his ears, his humble nature wouldn't allow himself more than a smile. 

"Hear, Hear!" replied everyone.  Veronica was especially smiling at Jim.

Jim stood there cup in hand, he couldn't help but feel gallant in the moment, as if he was King Arthur himself, sitting at the round table.  They all took a big swig of their beverages.  Everyone's beverage was a perfectly suiting temperature, and everyone's reaction confirmed that.

"Let me guess." Connor spoke up in a semi-joking tone, "Temperature regulated."

Everyone chuckled including Simon who simply nodded his head yes.

A few minutes had passed while everyone enjoyed their beverage.  Simon was the first to speak.

"I'm afraid, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end."

Everyone casually glanced up.

"While this shelter is mostly self-sustaining, there are a few jobs that we all have and will rotate on so that everyone can learn everything that needs to be done to keep things running smoothly and efficiently." Simon spoke in a business-like manner.  "I will take everyone as a group to the few jobs that exist here and explain what to do.  Now, we're going to rotate these jobs every couple of days so that no one is doing anything for too long and getting burnt out.  However, you may all find that a particular job suits your particular skill sets, and you may end up enjoying a job.  No one is forcing you to do it, and no one will keep you from it.  You will, however, usually find me on the ground floor in the main room.  I will make it a priority to monitor the happenings outside."

Everyone had finished off their coffee and tea and sat around the table.  Simon finished his final sip of tea and placed his cup on the platform next to him.  He pressed a button under the table and all platforms lowered.  Everyone stood up and the stools also retracted.

Simon motioned everyone back to the door they entered through.  They all found themselves back on the second platform overlooking everything. Simon walked down the stairs and everyone naturally followed.

Once on the ground floor everyone stood around the main computer.  Both Jim and Simon glanced up at the radiation levels, still very high.  Simon turned back to look at the group.

"On this floor, behind those doors behind you..." Simon pointed.  Everyone's eyes followed Simon to see four different doors. "...are the four main upkeep rooms.  You'll all become very familiar with these rooms, and how they function.  The upkeep doesn't need to happen often, however, each of you will have your assigned job on a rotating pattern.  If anything should happen to need maintenance, the assigned person will attend to them.  Simple enough?"  Everyone nodded.  "Brilliant." Simon smiled.  "Now, who would like the grand tour?"