Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

With no one in sight on the island, Gu Lang headed south along the road.

He planned to pass through the fishing village and head to the fishing port to the east.

It was already noon, and a strong southeasterly wind had picked up at sea.

The eastern side of Dalu Island is covered with reefs, making it too dangerous to row directly across.

Not long after entering the fishing village, the Geiger counter started ringing.

This indicates that the value has exceeded the warning value set by Gulang—100 microsieverts per hour.

He immediately remembered the information he had found on his phone the night before.

Modern high-yield nuclear weapons are mostly three-phase designs, detonated using a "fission-fusion-fission" process.

It was specifically designed to produce the largest amount of radioactive fallout.

The first stage of a three-stage bomb can be considered a "trigger," making it a small fission atomic bomb.

Using plutonium-239 or uranium-235, its explosion generates extremely high temperatures and pressures to ignite the next stage.

The second stage can be seen as "fuel," with lithium deuteride used as the fusion material.

Under the high temperature and pressure of the fission trigger, a nuclear fusion reaction occurs here, releasing enormous energy and a neutron flux.

This is the principle behind the hydrogen bomb's explosion, and also the main energy source for a three-phase bomb.

The third level is extremely vicious and can be seen as the "outer shell".

It is composed of cheap nuclear waste uranium-238, which is key to exacerbating nuclear contamination.

The second-stage fusion reaction releases a massive flow of high-energy neutrons.

The bombardment struck the otherwise inert, non-radioactive uranium-238 casing.

This produces plutonium-239, a radioactive fission product with a half-life of up to 2.4 years.

This highly toxic radioactive element can cause cancer even if inhaled in minute quantities.

To put it simply, a fission atomic bomb is like a firecracker; once it explodes, it's over.

Because the fusion reaction itself does not produce long-lived nuclides, the contamination in hydrogen bombs mainly comes from the fission "trigger".

The uranium-238 casing of the three-stage missile acts like a "power amplifier" or a "pollution enhancer".

It uses the neutrons produced by fusion to turn itself into a huge source of radioactive pollution.

To maximize the extent and duration of radioactive fallout.

The strategic objective was to destroy enemy territory and hinder postwar recovery.

Gu Lang immediately rechecked his protective gear.

Ensure that all seals on the protective suit are intact, especially the newly installed filter canisters on the gas mask.

The scene along the roadside began to become shocking.

At first, it was just the carcasses of various animals, mainly cats and dogs.

But as they ventured deeper into the fishing village, human remains began to appear in their sight.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see that most of them are curled up on their cots.

He had no time, and dared not stop to check.

On both sides of the narrow road are rows of houses and hotels.

Whenever the windward area is approached, the numbers on the Geiger counter immediately spike.

Gu Lang had no choice but to constantly adjust his route, avoiding dusty areas and staying in open areas as much as possible.

The boots stomped on the pavement, making a dull thud that was particularly clear in the deathly silence.

The journey through this deadly village was oppressive and long, until he finally emerged from the building area.

Seeing the bay to the east and rows of small boats gently swaying with the waves, I couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Although the radiation level in the port area is higher than at sea, it is much lower than that in the fishing village behind it.

This is thanks to the sea breeze and the waves.

He went straight to the largest berth, where the sea breeze caressed the sleek lines of the white yacht.

It stands in stark contrast to the slightly dilapidated wooden sampans and fiberglass fishing boats around it.

Unable to find a boarding ladder nearby, Gu Lang had no choice but to find a wooden plank and place it on the main deck at the stern.

I jumped onto the boat, and the counter sounded a warning again.

The values ​​are particularly high at locations such as the stern trawling device and the cable stacking area.

In these remote corners that are not easily washed by seawater, the readings once exceeded 300 microsieverts per hour.

Startled, Gu Lang quickly returned to the shore.

Just as he turned around, he noticed several large silver water tanks on the hill not far from the dock.

So they quickly started looking for a water pipe on the dock.

He guessed that when ships dock at the pier, they would be like motorhomes.

Connect the tap water pipe on shore to the water inlet of the ship and fill the ship's water tank with fresh water.

Soon, Gu Lang found a small, out-of-place house on the dock.

He kicked open the thin iron door, and sure enough, there was a faucet and water pipe inside.

After opening the valve and pulling out the water pipe, tests revealed that the water had very low radiation levels.

He confirmed that it was clean fresh water pumped in before the nuclear explosion, and then dragged the long hose back to the yacht.

After a simple rinse to create a passageway into the cabin.

Gu Lang carefully sprayed his entire protective suit, especially the parts that are prone to contamination, such as the soles of his boots and gloves.

He opened the cabin door and entered the yacht's living room.

The interior is luxuriously decorated, with leather sofas and teak furniture.

The living room connects to the open-plan kitchen and dining area, and also includes a toilet.

Because it is a fully enclosed structure, the windows are tightly closed.

Although the internal radiation level is still 50 microsieverts per hour, it is still within the range where short-term exposure is permissible.

To the right of the reception room is a staircase leading to the middle of the lower cabin.

Go down below, and the engine room is at the back.

Once inside, you can see that a diesel engine, gearbox, generator, water pump, and battery pack are fixed inside.

There is a room on each of the two sides in front, which is the crew's rest room and the passenger's bedroom.

Continuing forward, a recreation room came into view.

The layout is basically the same as a KTV room, with a sofa surrounding a TV and a song selection console.

After confirming that it was safe, Gu Lang returned to the reception room.

Walk straight ahead to the end, and you'll find the driver's seat.

Gu Lang sat down in the single chair and suddenly felt something poke him from behind.

He turned around and pulled a small key from the gap in the seat, instantly realizing it was the ship's start key.

In addition to the three screens, rudder, gear lever, throttle lever, and marine radio, there are also some buttons and joysticks in front of you.

At the top of the console are 14 mechanical dials.

Gu Lang recognized the amount of oil, water, voltage, air temperature, water temperature, water depth, speed, and rotation speed.

It seemed very complicated, but he knew that most of the instruments were not really worth paying too much attention to.

After a quick check, he confirmed that the throttle lever and gear lever were in neutral.

He then inserted the key into the single keyhole, which had a structure similar to that of an excavator, with two positions: "ON" and "Start".

After turning the key to the right to "ON", the instrument panel and buttons light up.

The system began a self-check, and soon all three screens lit up.

From left to right: nautical chart positioning system, settings menu, and surveillance camera view.

Seeing that the power-on self-test was complete, Gu Lang continued to turn the key to the right.

"Buzz... Rumble—"

A deep, powerful roar came from below the stern.

The main diesel engine was successfully started, and the battery charging light came on.

Gu Lang breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the ship was operating normally.

The plan to escape south by boat was already half successful.