Three months had passed since Johnstone's last call to the president. He remembered the conversation clearly. It was their monthly check in with progress from the vault and the outside world; each month society seemed one step closer to unravelling while Johnstone and his colleagues continued their peaceful façade in their hidden stronghold.

The first conversation after the event was as expected: sombre, serious and official. The situation on the island was barely mentioned by either of them and it became an unspoken assumption within the vault that the topic would be ignored. As if it had all just been a drill. But their very presence there confirmed it, each day their survival evidence of those who had not made it.

There was something different about their last conversation. President Clark had sounded hoarse, tired and panicked. 'This may be the last time we speak for a while. We have begun the evacuation of major cities and we all know what could happen next. I cannot say when I will next have the means to contact you.'

In their previous conversation President Clark had told Johnstone that war had been declared two months after the destruction of the island where he and his associates remained. Undetected and unknown. Their own state could not know that it was their president that had destroyed the island in the first place, so a statement was issued blaming opposition forces, accusing them of terrorist acts, crimes against humanity and of violating a long-standing peace agreement. Opposition forces denied any claims, of course, because they were false.

President Clark was under pressure from the government to retaliate with due force, and as the secrecy of Eternal could not be risked, an attack was launched against an opposition city. It would only be a matter of time before the tit-for-tat violence escalated beyond any possibility of reprieve. Almost as had been predicted.

Johnstone had spent the last few months struggling to accept that it had happened so quickly. That it had been prompted by their own actions and had not necessarily been an inevitable scenario. Before they could even finish their own work and research. Though he felt detached from the chaos, locked in his own underground sanctuary with no images of the outside world, his imagination was almost worse.

'Are we to follow evacuation procedures according to schedule?' he'd asked the president.

'Unfortunately, we have no other choice. It will still not be safe for you to leave the vault until radiation dissipates. You know what to do when the levels become low enough.'

The latter was not a question. 'We still have a strong signal from the control centre on the western peninsula and I will lead a team to recover any information we can from the east.'

'Then it is our only feasible plan. Yates has informed me of great progress and it would not do to lose it. We are counting on you all. Eternal must survive if humanity is to continue its intended path.'

'I understand. It will be handled.'

'Good luck. I suspect you'll need it. Let your resolve guide you.'

The call ended leaving Johnstone more worried than he would have cared to admit. Throughout the whole conversation his voice had remained steady, but this final admission from the president only solidified his doubts. Yes, they had protected the world from something deadly, something inexplicable. But would it have been worth it if there were nothing left to protect? He had wondered whether the opposition threats were founded. Surely, they would not risk their own destruction by launching further retaliatory attacks, sparking a war in which there would be no end.

Though Yates had assured them there was somewhere to go if they did, a refuge hidden away for those of Eternal to seek a better life after the inevitable hit the world. But the detail of this had long remained a mystery to him.

'You'll know before long. All will make sense at the end,' Yates had said as if this made everything clear. Was this 'the end' that he spoke of? The question remained uneasy in his mind while the months passed with no communication or news from the outside world.

He wished Lucia was there with him—he did not know whom of his colleagues he could confide in and so he largely remained in isolation. Yates had been very strict on releasing information on a need to know basis, as he was discovering himself. Had Yates truly shared with him the full extent of Eternal's purpose? He had believed that they existed for a worst-case-scenario, as a safety net so that humanity might survive if it ventures down the wrong path. He had not expected they would be the architects of the path themselves.

'Humanity will bring an end to itself and so, when that happens, we must be there to keep our existence alight.' More cryptic words from Yates that Johnstone found himself repeating in his mind as the days wore on. Though, he tried to push these thoughts aside, resolving on completing the mission at hand – doubt would take him nowhere at the present. There was no use torturing himself over a deed already done.

Before long, recent measurements showed radiations at a level virtually harmless to inhabitants above ground. Soon he would have to organise a scouting party. He had no confidence in what they would find, but destruction was inevitable. The outer cameras had been destroyed in the blast so the only reassurance he had was the steady signal coming from the western control centre from where their safe passage from the island had been promised. It had been protected in the same way as the vault, but only equipment and supplies remained there; or so Yates had told him.

On entering the crowded mess hall that evening everyone seemed on edge, his colleagues exchanging rushed glances with each other as they shuffled procedurally into the room. It had been announced earlier that Johnstone was to address the group and they all guessed what this meant. He had not spoken to the entire group together since the first day, and Johnstone sometimes wondered if he ought to gather them more. Even if only to reassure them. Though the thought had never turned to a conviction.

They probably thought him cold and officious. Not that he really cared. The one person whose thoughts had mattered the most was gone now. So too was the part of him that needed social fulfilment. He now spent most of his days feeling drained and numb, but the promise of Yates' new world kept him going enough to continue fulfilling his duty. Once he completed that his path would surely become clearer.

Johnstone cleared his throat. 'Thank you all for your attendance. I am sure many of you know why I have called this meeting.' He paused while several of them nodded in understanding, rather than appreciation. 'Radiation, according to our sensors, has now reached safe levels. I will soon send a team to test the area. I would rather not assign the responsibility, so I ask for volunteers to accompany me. I cannot guarantee the safety of any who venture above ground, but you will be provided with standard radiation suits and equipment. I will lead a team of five, tomorrow afternoon. Please raise your hand if you put yourself forward for this.'

At first there was silence, some looking to one another to gauge responses. Some had partners here, some relationships formed before the vault, others while within. Johnstone watched the interactions with a hint of jealousy, but mostly he was irritated by the tedious nature of the task. His instructions were clear that he must not assign these roles. The initial responders had to be volunteers.

The first hand that rose came from one of the young lieutenants, Benjamin Easton. Johnstone remembered he had been first in his class during training and had since risen in rank with ease, his intelligence quickly setting him apart from many of his peers. The woman next to him immediately raised her hand, a lab coat, Rose Munro who had been one of the scientists responsible for administering 'treatments' to the inmates. She and Benjamin had become a couple in the vault. Next an older man, a doctor who used to work with Lucia, Josiah Mason. Johnstone's stomach made an involuntary spasm. Since being in the vault he had done his best to avoid those who knew her; Josiah was one of the few who knew of his and Lucia's relationship and so he had kept his distance.

The final volunteer was a young engineer. The vault had not treated her well; her face was serious, and she looked worn out, creases formed around her eyes. Yet she could not be more than thirty years old. She worked with the engineers in section six. They were responsible for maintaining air quality, water filtration, and maintenance of equipment. More important than he was, he thought briefly, before returning to the task ahead.

'I thank you all for your cooperation. Will the four of you please remain here. I will also need a monitoring team, so we can communicate when we are above if needed.' He pointed to a long table to the left of the hall where several of the tech team sat. 'David, will you meet me in section four in an hour to arrange this?' A tall, bearded man in his forties nodded back at him. Johnstone continued. 'Everyone else, please return to your normal duties. Good afternoon.'

With this final statement, he gestured that everyone could leave, and the majority began shuffling out. When only the five remained, Johnstone spoke. 'Thank you again for volunteering. I'm confident it will be just a routine procedure. When we exit we will test that the radiation levels are low enough for our suits to handle. Then I will need a team of three to make their way to the western peninsula to prepare our transport and equipment. The other person will come with me. We will return to the laboratory building. There is some sensitive information that we need to check and recover. Now-' But he was interrupted by the young engineer.

'What kind of information?' I thought all sensitive data was to be kept in the vault, isn't that protocol?'

Johnstone turned to her with a stern face. He didn't like being side-tracked. 'I don't think you and I have been formally acquainted?'

'Evelyn Briar,' she replied, adding a rushed, 'Sir.'

'Well Miss Briar. There is classified research in one of the East Wing buildings'—he paused searching for the right words— 'with potentially valuable information that cannot be stored electronically, nor easily transferred.' His abrupt response seemed to have dissuaded any further questions.

Nevertheless, Evelyn spoke again. 'I'm happy to volunteer to accompany you.'

'You'll be needed at the western control room. As you're the engineer in the group, I'm sure your expertise is best suited there.'

'Then I will go Adam,' Josiah said, deliberately addressing him by his first name. Johnstone flinched though he did not correct him. 'I'm sure my medical training might be more usefully applied with you than on the western peninsula.'

Johnstone hesitated. Why had Josiah stressed 'medical'? Did he know something he didn't? Indeed, he had hoped to ask Lieutenant Easton, in the unlikely scenario that his skills would be more useful, but there was no arguing with the logic Josiah had given. This was supposed to be routine reconnaissance after all. And for all he knew, it could be.

'Very well, Dr Mason you will accompany me. Miss Briar, Mr Easton, and Miss Munro, you will proceed to the western peninsula. We will meet in section two at noon sharp tomorrow to be fitted with radiation suits. Understood?'

The group nodded and prompted by a look from Johnstone they started to leave. Josiah, however, waited.

'I know you've been avoiding me,' he said. 'You're not the only one to lose someone and you certainly don't need to pretend it hasn't affected you.'

'I can't say I know what you mean.'

'Okay then,' Josiah conceded but he was not finished there. Clearly his motives for staying behind were not to talk to him about Lucia. 'I know why we are going to the East Wing and I can't say I'm not surprised. Can you really trust that the vault will keep this research secure?'

'We are all in this scenario together. All of us know the consequences of breaching our orders. We will make it secure.'

Josiah's face dropped. 'I wish there was no need to return.'

'And I wish that much on this island had never happened, yet here we are,' Johnstone admitted, before grunting slightly, surprised by his own sudden honesty. He turned towards the exit, leaving Josiah standing stone-faced behind him. He expected Josiah to try and stop him and question him more, but apparently he decided he'd pushed him enough for the day.

Johnstone made his way quickly to Level Four where the archives and data were kept, deciding to do his research on Dr Josiah Mason. He should find out what he knew before leaving tomorrow.

'There might come a day when we have to make tough decisions, Adam. What we do is bigger than us and bigger than any sentiment you have. I hope when the day comes you won't disappoint us'.

The words echoed in Johnstone's mind, a voice from a not so distant past: Lucia's, reminding him that their organisation could not fail.