Lunch was very much like breakfast.  Everyone had their choice of beverage, and there was also a leafy green salad involved.  There wasn't much conversation between them at first, just casual chit-chat about the food before them.  There was another button under the table that Simon pressed.  This revealed a center-piece lazy-susan while multiple basic seasonings as well as an ice-bucket with various salad dressings.  Jim was the first to speak.

"I saw some videos last night on my TV." Jim spoke to everyone but focused more on Simon.

Simon, not seeming surprised, acknowledged him with a simple nod of his head.  Simon continued eating his main course.  Everyone else was doing the same.

"Mostly, I was just curious what was available.  My attention was drawn to the most recent news."

Again, Simon nodded, more solemnly this time.

"If there's anyone here who hasn't watched the footage yet, I recommend caution.  I also recommend everyone to watch this footage.  It's intense. " Jim took a pause.  "I didn't want to see what I saw, but I saw it anyway.  Truthfully, my feelings are mixed about what I've seen, but I'm glad that I watched it.  As far as I'm concerned, anyone who does end up watching this, and doesn't feel some form of terror, or disgust.  Any one who doesn't get emotional seeing humanity delve into its lowest, I don't believe this person to be a human themselves." Jim looked up from his plate and gathered everyone's reaction.  It appeared to him that no one really knew how to react.  Although, he could see no one was really eating anymore.  "I apologize for bringing the mood down, and I'm sorry if I spoiled anyone's appetite, but ever since I saw how society came to an abrupt end, I've been in a weird mood."  Jim took a sip from his drink. "I don't know what all of our roles were during the end yet.  I still have very little recollection of anything before waking up in an emergency pod.  But I know what those who were less fortunate, those who didn't have an all-access pass to this most incredible, most amazing fallout shelter, were doing." Jim started to get very emotional.  "They were all running, all hiding, scared, terrified, begging, praying.  Hopeful that the leaders of the free world could put aside their differences.  Connor was right in what he felt yesterday." Jim looked directly at Connor who was also experiencing his own resurgence of anger. Jim looked back at everyone. "There was one video in particular that still haunts me even less than twenty four hours after seeing it.  It was the last available video in the list of news clips.  There was some young guy.  He couldn't have been more than twenty years old, some dare-devil.  As his final act for his viewers, he attempted to drive off road to the Area-51 base. This one guy, call him stupid, call him egotistical, doesn't matter.  I watched as he got in his vehicle and took off toward the base.  He only came to a screeching halt when he saw the Area-51 base launch a nuclear warhead.  All he could think of in that moment were the people he loved, and the people who loved him.  Meanwhile government officials ran for cover in their own shelters.  In the blink of an eye, an incoming missile came into view and the young man was reduced to his most basic emotional state and began to cry.  This young man had no choice but to accept the fate that was decided for him.  It didn't matter where on the planet he could've been, his fate was decided all the same.  Everyone he knew, everyone he loved, all gone because of people who couldn't have cared less.

The room was silent.  A pin could be heard dropping.  Jim continued.

"The mission that we have been tasked with, can only work, will only work if there is respect for everyone.  I don't want to live in the world that once was, and I'm almost glad that it ended.  We all now have a unique opportunity to rebuild our society in a way that's different from anything before it."

Veronica smiled at hearing this

"I agree." Veronica took Jim's hand. "I'm with you all the way.  What about the rest of you?

Simon smiled and nodded his head as did Lydia.

"Are there other survivors?" Connor cut in.  He was looking at Simon.  Simon, taken by surprise, looked at him.

"I've told you before, the odds..." Simon began

"I'm not concerned with how bleak the odds are." Connor continued, cutting off Simon mid-sentence. "As far as i'm concerned small odds are better than no odds." Connor looked around as he spoke. "Maybe this is the only shelter of its kind, maybe not.  Maybe somebody else out there managed to figure out a reasonable shelter and are underground somewhere trying to ride this out like we are."

"Maybe..." Simon squeezed in

"If it's statistically impossible that we are the only forms of intelligent life in the universe, then I refuse to believe that the odds of finding other survivors here on earth is 'impossible' or 'not worth it'.  Please don't get me wrong Simon, and I'm sorry to keep talking over you."  Connor was almost pleading by this point.

Simon looked at him calmly and collected.

"If there's even a remote chance that someone else out there survived.  We have to know, we have to find them.  We have to help them.  Otherwise, we're no better than the so-called leaders who put us in this situation." Connor sounded determined.

"I agree." Lydia chimed in.  "I totally agree with Connor. We can't just stay cooped up in this shelter the whole time just waiting for the air to clear, literally.  We have to get out there and explore.  We have to get out there and see what things look like now.  We have to take samples and figure out just how badly everything got messed up.  We have to see how the landscape changed.  I know those readings down there say it's too dangerous, but we have those suits you made, and they need to be tested, fine.  Then we test them. Does anyone disagree?"

Everyone but Simon shook their heads no.  Simon remained quiet, just listening.

"I realize there's more to this shelter to know, but I'm not convinced there won't always be more to study, and learn.  Simon here, who is obviously a very intelligent, science driven man, should also know this to be fact.  It is my opinion that we should all be treating our current situation as a majority rule.  A democracy.  There are five of us, no current declared leadership established, Simon..." Lydia looked directly at Simon. "I am very thankful that you've created this place, but I'm not convinced of you as a leader, at least not yet.  So, it's my proposal that as a leaderless collective, we use a majority rules scenario.  I put it to a vote that we make important decisions based on that philosophy."  Lydia raised her hand.

Everyone else sat there for a moment, in stunned silence.  not out of horror, simply disbelief.  Connor also raised his hand.  Jim looked at Veronica and Simon.  Veronica raised her hand, Jim shortly followed.  Simon, still with his hand down, seemed unsure.

"Why don't you have your hand raised?" Asked Veronica.  She was looking dead at Simon. Simon responded.

"Isn't this democracy of yours what got us here in the first place?  Isn't this form of government what led to the downfall of society as Jim has pointed out.  All of the videos that he watched reminded me of what these forms of government can lead to.  I am not convinced that repeating the past will lead to a different future.  That only sounds like insanity to me."

"Democracy didn't lead us to this new, bleak hellscape." Veronica continued. "Democracy is about the majority of the collective agreeing on how to move forward, yes, mistakes will be made, but, without mistakes, we won't know how to adjust and make better decisions." Veronica paused while looking at him. "You may know the ins and outs of this shelter, and I am also extremely grateful for it.  Without you, we wouldn't be alive."

Simon smiled at this statement.

"But, even you, as a scientist..." Veronica continued. "Must know that life can't start and continue in this shelter alone.  There's enough room for the five of us.  What happens if we do end up fulfilling more of the mission parameters and begin to repopulate.  What about our children, where will they stay?  What about our children's children?  No, Lydia is right, as is Connor.  We must get out and explore.  We need to test our equipment as soon as possible.  We need to see what our situation looks like, we need to see if we can contact anyone else who may have survived. Most importantly, Lydia is correct in saying we need some kind of basic governmental structure to make sure decisions get made, not by any one person, but by the collective, and right now, we are the collective.  I don't think it was by accident that there are five of us instead of an even number of people.  This is how decisions are meant to be made, and I think you should agree with that.  I put it to another vote that we follow Lydia's idea and act as a democracy, or risk ending up a dictatorship.  What say, all of you?" Veronica looked around.

Jim lifted his hand as did Lydia and Connor almost in perfect synchronicity.  Veronica, Jim, Lydia and Connor all looked at Simon who still had his hand down.

"If the majority rules, then the majority has already won, what does my opinion matter anymore?" Simon asked, defeated.

"This first vote is about establishing the system.  Democracy can't begin until everyone is on board with it." Jim intervened.

Simon looked at Jim, then to Veronica, then to Lydia and Connor.  He put his head down briefly before nodding to himself slightly as if having an internal debate with himself.  Simon lifted his head back up, then raised his hand.

"Democracy it is, then?" Asked Simon rhetorically.

"Democracy." Spoke Lydia

"Democracy." Spoke Connor

"Democracy." Spoke Jim and Veronica together.

"Then it's settled. majority rules." Lydia exclaimed, very pleased with the accomplishment. "As our first order of business, I propose we vote on testing Simon's radiation suits after we're done here."  Lydia looked around at everyone, all in favor, raise your hands.

Everyone raised their hands, the matter was settled.

"Let's all head down to the ground floor, we have some work to do." Simon announced.

Everyone placed their now finished plate and cups back on the platform and got up from their seats.  They all headed toward the door and left the food hall.  With possibilities of all kinds and a yearning for information, and desire to explore and find other survivors in mind, they all walked out of the room.  It was time to know for sure if they could survive in this post-apocalyptic world.  It was time to seek a better future.