Location: Bunker Command Center
Vilmire and his trusted advisors sat around a circular table, the agricultural advisor giving a presentation on Project Green Fields. Project Green Fields was a plan to make the land above the Bunker fertile, and allow for a mostly automated farm being managed by a few technicians and engineers to provide food for the bunker. It went over things like a drip irrigation system, automated farm vehicles, and the usage of GMO crops that needed less sunlight and water but gave much more yield than regular crops. It had already been agreed upon that they would need to do this, what was being discussed was the layout.
It was also in a bid to increase the Bunker's population, they wanted to rebuild civilization after all, and that requires quite a lot of bodies. This automated farm on paper would be able to feed a population four times larger than the current one. The plan was to wake more civilians from stasis, and encourage them to have children. IVF as well as advances in the field of genetics, which halved the time it took a baby to develop in the womb, would allow for a rapid population growth, which would allow further expansion. Even before that phase, it would allow for the children to be taken out of stasis, which would drastically increase morale amongst the many parents of the Bunker.
With that, they would also need increased habitation capabilities to house this new population. Current plans involved expanding into the cave system where the Bunker was situated, as well as minor surface outposts, this would take resources and power. Luckily, the Bunker was situated on a fairly large Iron deposit, which they could convert its ore into steel from. The Bunker's fusion reactor should keep up with power needs for now, but plans for solar farms have also been made.
Production was also an issue that had to be discussed, in fact, just as the Agricultural advisor, whose name was Lily Gustav, finished her presentation, Chief Engineer August Becker and Logistics Officer Austin Hughs stood up to begin theirs.
"As you can see, we have enough munitions, food, and building material to last us for a year, maybe two" Austin said
"Yes, and this is accounting for your plans as expansion Director, however, we have both agreed that steel production should begin soon, as well as scavenging expeditions to collect materials from old ruins. Our long range helicopters should fulfill this task wonderfully, and luckily, neither they nor their hanger have suffered from any major amount of decay during our stasis" August followed up
"We should also consider producing extra bullets, as our information on this bug civilization is limited, and any major hostilities may cause us to run out of munitions sooner than expected" Austin said
Vilmire considered their points, they were not wrong, they needed more materials, steel alone wasn't going to be enough, and while they could eventually start creating their own steel, what of the other things that they needed? Scavenging expeditions should be made at once. Possible locations for mining should be considered, though Vilmire was not sure how safe it would be to transfer resources over long distances with such limited transportation methods.
The presentation would go on for another half hour, basically hammering out the finer details of scavenging expedition patterns, as well as arming the scout helicopters so they may defend themselves from any other possible civilization that may have risen up in their sleep.
The last two to speak today were also the most controversial, Evan Stefanson and Suki Armone, both lead scientists in the R&D Department, and he already knew what they were going to suggest. You see, before WW3 went nuclear, there were breakthroughs in genetic engineering, as well as the surprising discovery of extrasensory powers. The research done suggested that through proper genetic modification, you could induce psionics in virtually anyone.
It wasn't just psionics either, they were talking about reworking the human genome, from better digestion of food, to the quicker development of the fetus in the womb, even to molding the rib cage to be like an armored plate, they wanted to do it all. It would be invasive, and would face harsh resistance. Vilmire as much of a pragmatist as he was, thought that this may be a step too far.
"Through our research before stasis, as well as through documentation of other experiments done before the bombs dropped, we believe it possible to rework humanity down to the genetic level, to make us more survivable for the blasted wastes and possible war with these… bug things." Evan said, the venom in his voice when he spoke of the bugs was palpable. Evan, along with Suki, have had a bit of a hatred for the bugs, and they didn't even know anything about them beyond a few pictures Scout Team Alpha sent back.
When Vilmire had confronted Evan about it a few hours ago, he responded back about "How those insectoid bastards stole our planet when we were sleeping. He said that if they challenged us, we should expunge them from existence"
Vilmire was surprised about how he suki, and many others in the R&D department of all places developed such hatred. The people there were known to be very tolerant of those of other cultures before entering stasis, he wondered if it had to do with them being scientists, as the bugs somehow developing intelligence, and complex civilization within the span of just 200 years made no damn scientific sense, so, that could be it.
He was snapped out of it when he heard Suki continue the presentation by putting on a pre bombing video. It showed a man stretching his hand out, and levitating a sphere the size of a beach ball, which suki said was made of Osmium, the densest material on Earth. The video showed the man moving the ball every which way, up down, left right, it didn't appear to have too much of a strain on the man. Other videos showed subjects releasing telekinetic blasts which busted through aluminum plates. One video showed a blindfolded woman that was given no information on the course she had to run, running it perfectly, along with that same woman stopping bullets mid air, though by the fact that the bullets were all stopped at the same point, it clearly showed a form of shield, and not bullet time reaction speeds.
"If we can learn to give these abilities to every human, along with the other suggested modifications, no bug could hope to ever threaten us" Suki said, with hints of pride in her voice
Vilmire turned to his other advisors who had looks of shock on fear on their faces, it was at this time Vilmire heard enough.
"Thank you everyone, I will think upon this" With that, everyone got up and left.
Vilmire put his head in his hands, and exhaled. Suki and Evan were mad geniuses, emphasis of the mad. No they were not insane, but they were willing to do things few others were, that along with an as of now irrational hatred of the bugs. They were one of his greatest assets, and their suggestions were not wholly unfounded. However doing what they proposed would be crossing lines that he wasn't sure that anyone else was willing to cross.
Vilmire sighed, he needed a drink.