Free Reset: A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Fantasy (Contaminant Series Book 1) by Eli Frost Duham

water, lab equipment, and more.  There were four small hand baskets by the three small steps that lead into the food storage unit. 
    Michael’s disbelief caused his face to twitch involuntarily, “YES!” He shouted as loud as he could.  He gathered as deep a breath as he could muster, “YEEEESSSSSSS!”.  His voice rang in the bunker, bouncing off this wall and that.  Michael knew that he must have been gone at least an hour.  He left to return upstairs.
     

Chapter Nine
    When Michael stepped up from the basement, Jenna, Anna, James, and Tessa were standing in the kitchen.  They turned to face him.
    “Did I miss anything?” Michael scratched his eyebrow with his thumb.
    Jenna slid over to him, “No.” Her eyes had tears welled up, “But there’s no lab, I mean… unless you found one down there.  There’s no way for us to...”  She looked down.
    “Yes.” Michael eyes were charged with excitement.
    The others in the kitchen looked at him with zero enthusiasm.
    Anna’s chest fell heavily, “Yes, what?”
    “Yes, I found a lab.”
    “You did?!” Jenna was laughing as her eyes were still crying.
    “Oh, yeah.  We hit the jackpot.  There’s food, water, a lab and one helluva security system.”
    Anna cursed praises, “What are we waiting for?!  Let’s move in.”
    Michael got over his stammering, “It looks like people lived there, but I searched.  Nobody’s home.
    James stood up straight and unfolded his arms, finally showing proper interest, “Lead the way.”
    ***
    Michael and James carried Peter down the stairs gingerly.  He was awake but Michael insisted that he save his energy for standing in the door frame.  Bruce and Anna walked in front of them and Tessa and Jenna walked behind.  Michael was telling them the story of the shock he got from the door knob, when Bruce started to reach for it.  He hesitated.  Anna stepped in and reached out, getting the shock instead. 
    She let out a, “Ouch!” 
    Her hand flew back too, hitting Bruce in the face, knocking his glasses crooked.
    Once inside the door, everyone made a comment about how creepy the corridor was at least once every five minutes.  James got vertigo and rushed over to the wall to vomit.  Eventually, Anna took point followed by Jenna, Michael, Peter, James, Tessa and then Bruce.  The going was slow and the lights seemed dimmer than Michael’s first time.  The swirling seemed to upset everyone except Michael.  He felt better with everyone close by.  By the time they reached the door frame, no one had said anything in a while.
    Michael said, “Okay, this is the door frame.  It’s some kind of scanner.  I don’t know if it scans for weapons, but I’ll try it.  You just step in,” Michael stepped in.  Jenna handed him her gun, taken from the soldier.
    “Now,” Michael lifted both hands above his head, “Just lift your hands and hit the gray button.” He hit the gray button.
    The metal arms detached and spun around the frame just as before.  When they returned to their resting place, the light on the other side came on and Michael stepped out, “I guess the weapons are good!”
    Anna insisted that Peter go next so that he can rest.  She and Tessa helped him inside the frame.  Peter did the same as Michael without a problem, though he practically collapsed trying to leave the frame and landed in Michael’s arms.  Michael put one of Peter’s arms around him and kept him standing until Anna stepped through the scanner.  Together, they eased Peter to ground.
    One by one, the others stepped through.  First, James came through, then Tessa.  When Jenna went through, she went to push the gray button and at first nothing happened.  She looked at Michael, horrified at what would happen next, but when the metal bars detached to spin, she took a deep breath.  The arms returned to their resting place and Jenna practically jumped from the frame.  Bruce stepped in the frame, raised his hands and hit the