Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Jiang Peng measured the lateral tilt angle of the hull, which was no more than five degrees.

This indicates that the hull rested on sand and mud, not on rocks.

The surface of the ship appears to be relatively flat, and the stress on the hull structure is relatively even.

It can be basically confirmed that there is no risk of overturning or breaking in the short term.

Gu Lang looked at the black hull in front of him, which resembled a vertical steel cliff that stretched from the water's surface to a height of twenty meters.

Looking up at this 300,000-ton behemoth up close, the sense of oppression is completely different from observing it from a distance using a drone.

A person standing under its shadow is not even as big as an anchor chain hole on the ship's side.

You can see the white gangway fixed to the outside of the ship's side from above.

The gangway is a metal staircase with handrails, equipped with a hydraulic and power system, and can be retracted when the ship is docked.

It resembles a "bridge" that can be raised and lowered, serving as the main entrance to the oil tanker.

At the end of the gangway, there was a small yellow platform with a roll of something hanging on it; ropes and planks could be seen from a distance.

"That's the pilot's rope ladder," Jiang Peng pointed. "The fact that the rope ladder hasn't been lowered means there must be someone up there."

Because the rope ladder is currently retracted, the two cannot climb directly onto the boat.

"I knew it wouldn't be that simple, so I brought a rope and an anchor to throw up and hook onto the railing."

After saying that, Jiang Peng threaded the rope through the stern ring of the anchor and tied two anti-slip figure-eight knots.

After spinning a few times in the air, it was forcefully tossed up.

"Thump!" The anchor struck the hull with a crisp metallic clang before falling into the sea.

"It's too high; we can't throw it up by hand."

After retrieving the anchor, Gu Lang weighed the boat and gave his assessment.

He then returned to the cabin and retrieved the drone from the locker.

Tie a thin rope into a small circle, fix one end to the anchor, and connect the other end to the hook of the airdrop device.

The drone, carrying the anchor, slowly ascended into the air, and Gu Lang looked at the screen on the remote control.

It stopped, aligned with the deck behind the railing, and after calculating the height, pressed the switch on the supplementary light.

The photosensitive sensor was triggered, and the anchor fell inside the railing.

Jiang Peng slowly pulled the rope back, feeling the hook move a distance.

It suddenly stopped and bit into the ship's railing.

After pulling hard a few times, he confirmed the stability of the rope.

Gu Lang retrieved the drone, tidied his backpack and rifle, and began climbing.

While it's not impossible to climb a 20-meter vertical rope using only arm strength while carrying the load and your own body weight, it's extremely physically demanding.

To save energy, he decisively used the leg-coiling method (Jumar technique).

This is a classic core move from CrossFit training and the Spartan Race.

No additional assistive tools are needed to effectively conserve upper body strength.

The principle is simple: instead of pulling with your arms, you lock the rope with your feet.

Use your leg strength to push off and support your weight, while your hands are only for guiding and gripping.

First, place your right foot on top and brace the rope with your outside foot.

With the left foot on the bottom, hook the rope with the outside of your foot as well.

Next, step on the toes of your right foot to form a fixed rope loop structure.

At this point, you can use your leg strength to push off and support your weight, thus increasing your height.

Then, grip the rope high with both hands, lean back, and alternately coil your legs left and right to tighten it.

After standing up, move both hands upwards again, alternating repeatedly.

Use the "pull-push-lock" cycle to climb upwards.

After climbing ten times, Gu Lang finally reached the freeboard of the oil tanker.

I climbed over the railing and landed steadily on the main deck.

He first took off his rifle, squatted down, and looked around.

As observed by the drone, there were no bodies, no bloodstains, and no signs of damage.

The oil pipelines and valve assemblies were neatly arranged, and some valve handwheels had rust marks, which seemed to indicate that they were simply lacking maintenance.

So he put down his gun and turned on the Geiger counter.

A string of numbers appeared on the screen, and he stood there for thirty seconds to allow the reading to stabilize.

The displayed value was around 0.67 microsieverts per hour, which is far higher than normal background radiation.

However, it was still below the safety threshold of one microsievert per hour, and the automatic alarm of the Geiger counter was not triggered.

He walked along the deck for a while, and the readings fluctuated between 0.6 and 0.7.

The radiation may have come from radioactive sediment particles that deposited on the ship's surface after the nuclear explosion.

After several months of rain erosion and natural decay, the levels have dropped to a safe range.

After confirming that it was temporarily safe, he returned to the stern of the gangway and found the control box for the rope ladder.

Pull the release handle, and the rope ladder unfolds section by section under the force of gravity, the planks striking the hull with a series of loud noises.

A few seconds later, the rope ladder was completely lowered, its body perpendicular to the hull.

The end hangs down to about one meter above the water surface.

Jiang Peng immediately stepped onto the wooden planks on the rope ladder and skillfully climbed up.

"You're too professional. You seem more like a pirate than a navy officer."

"They're pretty much the same; pirates are one of the origins of the navy."

Led by Jiang Peng, a former pilot, the two went directly to the rear bridge.

After turning the handwheel, the side watertight door of the main deck was opened.

Upon entering the upper building, it was pitch black inside.

Gu Lang turned on the rifle's flashlight and adjusted the light to the brightest setting.

A beam of white light shone into the depths of the corridor, revealing the words "A Deck" written on the walls on both sides.

The functional areas of deck A mainly include the ship's offices, cargo control room, and entrances to the engine room and pump room below.

Seeing that there was no one there, the two passed the elevator, which was out of service, and went up the stairs to Deck B.

An unsettling stench hung in the air.

This is the crew's living quarters and office area, with room doors on both sides of the corridor.

Gu Lang gestured for Jiang Peng and the others to stay where they were, and then walked to the nearest hatch.

Grip the doorknob tightly and slowly push it open a crack.

The stench quickly seeped out from the crack in the door; the smell of corpses mixed with the musty and putrid odors of the enclosed space, so strong that Gu Lang jerked his head away and almost vomited.

Through the crack in the door, one could see a dried-up, blackened corpse lying on the bed, its skin taut against its bones, its facial features unrecognizable.

Judging from the posture of the body, the deceased should have died lying in bed, with no signs of struggle.

He quickly closed the door and gestured to Jiang Peng to "go upstairs".

The two didn't linger and rushed straight to deck C.

Deck C houses the public dining and recreational areas, and its corridors are more spacious than those on Deck B.

You can see treadmills, strength training equipment, and pool tables in the gym.

The cultural and sports activity room was filled with books and magazines, and a chess set was scattered on the floor.

Jiang Peng rushed to the porthole of the gym, unscrewed the fasteners, and pushed the porthole open.

Fresh air, carrying the scent of the sea, rushed in, and the two of them stood by the window, breathing deeply for a while.

"How did those people die?" Jiang Peng wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes from the fumes.