Chapter 2: Money Dey Build Shelter, No Be Mouth

I sharply comot from that area begin my own apocalypse survival plan.

I no wait for anybody to gather crowd or call alliance. I just waka straight, no look back. My mind dey set—no time for long talk or fake friendship.

For world map, I search well well, finally see one island for inside Atlantic Ocean.

The map big pass real life, e get that Google Maps kind sharpness. I dey zoom in, dey zoom out, dey check all corners. I dey reason: where I go fit dey secure, where nobody fit reach me quick?

The island get correct size—not too big, not too small—and e far from mainland or any other island. E just dey on e own.

Na so I dey reason like person wey dey find ancestral land for village—somewhere peaceful, but close to water, so food no go finish. This one tick all the box.

No earthquake dey worry am, no hurricane, no volcano wahala.

I even check weather report, e dey stable. Na just rain and shine. As e be so, I sabi say this place fit hide me well.

One flat ground dey perfect for airstrip, and the green hills around dey hide everything well.

I fit use those hills as shield, plus nobody go suspect say person dey build anything serious for there. I dey already see the vision for my head.

I dey already imagine my underground kitchen—pot of egusi soup dey boil, yam dey roast, even for end time, Naija person must chop.

I no waste time, I drop one billion buy the island, name am New Dawn Island.

I type the name with my full chest. For my mind, e be like say I dey start new country. If dem like make dem laugh me for world chat, e no concern me.

I talk say na tourism project I dey do, buy ten big ferries, sign construction contract with NPCs, carry all their machines and building materials enter the island.

I use small trick for paper work—NPCs dey happy, dem dey see better contract, everybody dey run come. I just dey sign cheque, dey smile.

I make the NPC oga people sign confidentiality agreement, so dem no sabi where New Dawn Island dey.

I give them that serious legal talk. I dey even threaten say if dem leak, dem salary go vanish. Oga dem come dey seal mouth, dey mind their business.

As ferries land, workers start to build simple airstrip.

Everywhere dey buzz, like Festac Town during new building season. I dey monitor dem through CCTV, dey drop bonus for fastest team.

I buy hundred small planes, use charter flight carry workers from everywhere reach New Dawn Island.

Na so the island dey turn to mini-Lagos. Workers dey gist, dey hustle, but nobody sabi wetin dey really happen.

Workers dey work day and night. To make sure nobody leak location, I don buy jammer put for ground, collect everybody phone.

If you like be engineer from Japan, I go still seize your phone. Everybody dey operate on code of silence.

Ten strong surface fortress dey the island, built with correct materials—if earthquake like, make e shake reach magnitude 12, e no go shake am.

I dey supervise construction with iron hand. I even dey joke with foreman, "Guy, abeg, do am strong pass Third Mainland Bridge o!"

All the fortress dem camouflage, even satellite no fit see am.

I order dem to cover am with tree planting, paint wey blend with bush, and small hut wey look like village shrine, so if anybody fly drone, dem go just see bush.

But all these ones na just to deceive people. The real apocalypse fortress dey underground.

For my mind, I dey thank God say I get sense to hide the main thing. My papa always talk, "If thief see empty pot, dem go waka."

Underground fortress fit survive bomb and chemical attack.

I even add extra layer of lead for inside wall. If dem like make dem drop bomb, na only sound go enter, nothing else.

Even if zombie sabi dig, e no fit pass the five-metre thick steel wall.

I remember one cartoon I watch—how zombie dey dig. I just dey laugh, say for here, even if na super zombie, e go tire.

Surface fortress get secret passage go underground base, but the passage narrow, only one person fit pass at a time, and the road be like maze.

I draw the design myself—twist and turn everywhere. Na only person wey get mind fit cross am. No be for faint heart.

Even if you find the correct passage reach main gate, you still need dodge traps everywhere.

I dey imagine say if person see all those booby traps, dem go just reason say make dem turn back. Na local wisdom mixed with oyibo technology.

If dem destroy one passage, I fit use another one surface; if not, underground fortress fit turn my grave.

I dey pray make that one no ever happen. But as Naija person, I dey always get back-up plan. Trust no one.

For apocalypse, na energy be everything.

If power go off, na finish be that. I reason say for Lagos, nepa fit disappoint you, but here, I no fit take chance.

To solve energy wahala, I install wind, tidal and nuclear power generator for the island.

I buy latest Chinese and American tech join. Even wind turbine I design am so e fit look like palm tree for bush. I dey chop my own dogo yaro.

I build five nuclear power plants—two big ones for normal use, another big one and two medium size for backup.

No be today I start to dey get sense—if one fall, others go still dey run. I dey overdo am, but e better pass make I dey beg.

These three big and two medium nuclear plants dey underground and some dey under sea.

I put one for under sea, blend with coral reef, nobody fit trace am unless dem get juju. Others for ground, locked tight with biometric.

I still put biogas tank underground. For emergency, I get hand-crank generator, plenty battery and diesel for backup.

I even store firewood, e be like I dey prepare for village festival. No be small matter.

Water no be problem: I set up rainwater collector, seawater desalination system, even tap underground water join.

I make sure any angle water fit enter. Even if rain no fall, sea dey. I no go ever beg for sachet water.

My purification machine fit clean apocalypse water until e safe to drink. My water clean pass holy water.

Wastewater treatment system dey handle all the dirty water from underground base.

No gutter dey smell for my own area. Everything neat, e dey process am well.

To stop flood, the wall dey waterproof, blast door dey tight, underground drainage system strong no be small.

Rain fit fall reach 100 days, e no fit flood my base. I set sensors everywhere.

Plenty air purification system dey provide fresh air for shelter.

Even if outside dey choke with smoke, inside go still dey cool, fresh like hospital ICU.

I still stock one hundred thousand bottles of oxygen for emergency.

I dey reason say if chemical wahala happen, I fit lock myself inside with oxygen mask, still dey flex.

Underground shelter get twelve compartments. If one or two spoil, the rest fit still work on their own.

I dey split my base like small estate. If person attack one, the other side go lock up and survive.

Each compartment get e own work. Three use latest automated farm tech to plant vegetables, raise fish, and raise chicken.

I set up system wey dey plant ugu, bitterleaf, and even small tomato join. E be like small village with fish pond and poultry farm.

Two compartments store enough food, medicine, and water to last me ten years.

I dey pack yam, rice, indomie, garri, and tin milk. E sure me say even if apocalypse last reach 2030, I no go see hunger.

The other compartments na bedroom, kitchen, dining, recreation, gym, bathroom, and medical bay.

I set gym with treadmill, dumbbell, even boxing bag. Recreation get PlayStation, ludo, ayo, chess, and some Nollywood DVD.

Anytime the NPCs begin suspect my project, I go just drop more money for them. Dem go keep quiet and work harder.

Some of them dey ask question, but once I shake cheque book, dem eye go clear. Na so e be for Naija—money dey silence worry.

With infinite wealth, I fit spend anyhow. The money no dey finish—never ever.

I dey reason say, "God, na so life suppose be."