"You weren't kidding. This hits the spot," Advik Bhardwaj commented between bites.
"Glad you like it, sir. We'll keep the kitchen running as long as we have supplies," the cook replied before returning to his duties.
As Advik Bhardwaj was finishing his meal, an engineer approached, his tool belt clinking with each step. He gave a respectful nod before speaking.
"Good morning, sir. I wanted to give you an update on the power situation."
"Go ahead," Advik Bhardwaj said, setting down his fork.
"The main power grid went out overnight. We're running on the building's backup generator now. It'll hold for about two days, but after that, we'll need fuel. Without a steady supply, things could get complicated fast."
Advik Bhardwaj exhaled through his nose. He had expected this. "Alright. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll prioritize fuel resupply after breakfast. Anything else I should know?"
"Nothing critical right now, sir. The building's structure is holding up fine, and essential systems are stable for the moment," the engineer reported.
"Good. Keep monitoring everything."
"Understood. I'll be at the maintenance office if you need me," the engineer said before heading off.
Advik Bhardwaj leaned back in his seat, mulling over his next move. The base was taking shape faster than he had anticipated, but challenges like fuel supply reminded him that survival was a constant battle.
He stood, adjusted his gear, and made his way out of the restaurant. Time to get to work.
First, Advik Bhardwaj visited the maintenance office, a room filled with tools, spare parts, and various equipment neatly organized on shelves.
Inside, he found the engineer from earlier, who was inspecting a control panel.
"Good to see you again," Advik Bhardwaj greeted, stepping forward. "I didn't catch your name earlier."
"That's because I don't have one sir," the engineer replied as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Okay…your name will be Srinivas."
"Very well sir."
"Alright, Srinivas," Advik Bhardwaj replied, nodding. "Let's go over that power issue again."
Srinivas gestured toward a set of blueprints on a nearby worktable. "The main power grid for this area is down, probably due to infrastructure damage outside. We've been relying on the building's backup generator. It's keeping the essential systems running—lights, ventilation, and security. But it's a temporary fix at best."
Advik Bhardwaj crossed his arms. "And how long do we have?"
"Two days of fuel at the current usage rate," Srinivas explained. "After that, the generator will shut down. No power means we'll lose lighting, refrigeration, security systems—everything."
"Alright. Can you escort me to the generator room? I want to see exactly what we're dealing with," Advik Bhardwaj requested.
Srinivas nodded. "Of course, sir. Follow me."
The generator room was located on the lower level of the building, deep within the utility sector. The smell of oil and metal hung in the air as Srinivas led Advik Bhardwaj inside. The massive diesel generator rumbled steadily, its control panel displaying output levels and fuel reserves.
"This is our primary backup generator," Srinivas began, patting the large machine. "It's a Cummins CI 500D5P, capable of producing 500 kilowatts of power. That's enough to power most essential systems here but with limited capacity for non-critical areas."
Advik Bhardwaj examined the generator closely. "And what kind of fuel does it run on?"
"Diesel, sir. We need high-grade diesel to keep this thing running smoothly. We've got about 800 liters left in the storage tanks, but that's dropping fast with continuous use."
Advik Bhardwaj nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, so high-grade diesel. Let me check my system."
He scrolled through the system interface, navigating to the Resource Exchange tab. There, he searched for available fuel supplies. After a few moments, he found what he needed.
[Resource: Diesel Fuel (1 Barrel)
Cost: 5,000 Blood Coins (Each barrel contains 200 liters)]
"Five thousand for one barrel… That's steep," Advik Bhardwaj muttered, frowning at the price. He turned to Srinivas. "How much fuel does the generator consume per hour?"
Srinivas checked a digital monitor on the control panel. "The Cummins CI 500D5P consumes about 40 liters of diesel per hour under the current load. If we reduce non-essential systems, we could maybe push that down to around 30 liters, but it won't go much lower without compromising critical functions."
Advik Bhardwaj did some quick calculations in his head. "Alright. So, at 30 to 40 liters per hour, that's about… 720 to 960 liters a day. How many liters would we need to keep everything running for a full week?"
Srinivas nodded, doing the math. "If we average the current usage at 35 liters an hour, that's roughly 5,880 liters for seven days. You'd need about 30 barrels to keep us going for a full week."
"Thirty barrels, huh?" Advik Bhardwaj rubbed his chin thoughtfully. That was 150,000 Blood Coins—a significant expense, but one he couldn't avoid for now. He also knew this was only a temporary solution. He needed to secure a reliable, long-term fuel source soon. Taking over an oil depot might be the only option in the future.
"Alright, Srinivas. I'll purchase the fuel for now, but I'll need you and the logistics team to monitor consumption and find ways to optimize energy usage. We can't afford to waste a single drop."
"Understood, sir. We'll keep a close eye on it," Srinivas replied.
Advik Bhardwaj opened the Purchase Interface in the system and selected the diesel barrels. He confirmed the order, watching as his Blood Coin balance updated.
[Purchased: 30 Barrels of Diesel Fuel
Cost: 150,000 Blood Coins
Remaining Balance: 1,000,000 Blood Coins]
Within seconds, a notification appeared, confirming his purchase.
Advik Bhardwaj crossed his arms and turned to Srinivas, watching as the system notification confirming the fuel purchase disappeared from his interface.
"Alright, that settles our electricity for now," Advik Bhardwaj said, his voice firm but calm. "But what about our water supply? Have you checked on that system yet?"
Srinivas gave a slight nod. "Yes, sir. I inspected the water system earlier when we ran diagnostics on essential utilities. It's operational, but we're on limited reserves."