LOSS System: Last Store Standing

Jack quickly cleaned himself up, changed into fresh clothes, and went back downstairs.

After Susan rebandaged his wounds and left the store, Jack grabbed several packs of bread from the shelves and followed her outside.

Everyone was already busy with the work they had discussed the night before.

Rows of finished bricks covered an open patch of ground. Mort and Vane were making more nearby, while Reed brought them water and helped mix the clay. Cass sat in a folding chair, controlling the small excavator as it dug the foundation for the wall.

Between the tents, Marg, Susan, and Ray were gathering everyone’s dirty clothes. Thomas was at the outdoor faucet, studying the connections and working out how to add a few more.

Jack watched from the store entrance without interrupting them.

“There are basins and laundry detergent inside,” he called out. “Take whatever you need.”

Marg answered from across the tent area and headed toward the store.

Jack carried the bread over to the large pit.

He had planned to open the packages before calling the Dustchucks, but the nearby burrows began to rustle as soon as he arrived.

One Dustchuck poked its head out, spotted Jack, and immediately ran toward him on its short legs. More soon emerged from the other burrows and gathered around his feet. A few of the bolder ones even circled his shoes.

Jack smiled as he watched them.

“Basic Animal Affinity really does work.”

As soon as he opened the bread, the Dustchucks formed a line and waited to be fed. Jack handed out the slices one by one until every Dustchuck had received a piece.

He expected them to move away and eat as usual, but the first Dustchuck suddenly came back. Still holding its bread, it rubbed its head against Jack’s pant leg before finding a place nearby to eat.

The next one did the same, followed by another.

Soon, every Dustchuck was returning to rub against his leg before settling down with its bread, regardless of how large or small its share was.

Jack couldn’t stop smiling.

The effect was even better than he had expected.

Not far away, Mort glanced up from his work and went still when he saw the Dustchucks gathering around Jack. His eyes widened as one after another rubbed against Jack’s leg, and he didn’t even notice the clay falling from his hands.

“How… how is that possible? Since when do Dustchucks get that close to people?”

Vane followed his gaze and smiled but said nothing.

Meanwhile, as Jack watched the Dustchucks eating, another idea came to him.

Could they help dig the foundation?

The remote-controlled excavator worked, but it was slow. With the Dustchucks helping, they might finish much faster.

Then Jack glanced at the large pit beside him and hesitated. The last time he had asked them to dig a reservoir, they had nearly turned it into a crater. If they dug another oversized trench around the settlement, he might end up with a moat instead of a foundation.

Just imagining it made the corner of his mouth twitch.

Still, it was worth a try. If they started digging too much, he could stop them before they went too far.

Jack waved to the largest Dustchuck.

“Come here.”

It was still eating, but the moment it saw him waving, it set down its half-finished bread and ran over on its short legs.

Jack led it to the shallow trench Cass had already dug. He pointed at the trench, then traced the marked route along the ground.

“Start here and dig along this line.”

The Dustchuck stared up at him without reacting.

Jack crouched down and scraped at the soil with his hands to show it what he meant.

“Dig like this. Understand?”

The Dustchuck tilted its head.

Jack pointed at the existing trench again. “Only dig along this line. Keep it about the same width and depth.”

By the time Jack finished explaining, even he felt that he might be asking too much.

He was ready to give up when the Dustchuck gave a small nod.

Jack stared at it. “You really understood me?”

The Dustchuck let out several sharp calls. Its companions immediately raised their heads from their bread.

Their leader ran to the marked spot and began digging with its front paws. The others quickly set down their food and joined in.

Together, they followed the line on the ground. The leader extended the existing trench while the others widened and deepened it from behind.

Jack hurried after them, watching dirt fly as the trench steadily stretched forward, his grin widening with every step.

“Yes, exactly like that!”

The lead Dustchuck glanced up at him, then went straight back to digging.

Jack nodded eagerly, unable to hide his delight.

“Good, good, good!”

Mort stared at the Dustchucks in disbelief. It had already been strange enough to see them approach Jack on their own. Now they were following his instructions and digging the foundation exactly as he wanted.

His mouth fell open.

“No… impossible.”

Cass set down the remote control.

“Are they actually working for us?”

The commotion soon drew everyone’s attention. Reed stopped mixing the clay, Thomas came over from the faucet, and Marg, Susan, and Ray paused their work between the tents.

For a moment, everyone stood watching as the Dustchucks followed the marked line and extended the trench.

Jack noticed their stares and smiled.

Elias watched from behind the others. Once his initial surprise passed, his attention shifted to Jack. He seemed to realize something, but in the end, he only smiled and returned to his work.

With the Dustchucks digging faster than the small excavator, Cass finally put the remote control aside. The machine came to a stop beside the trench.

Jack stayed with the Dustchucks a little longer. Once he was sure they would keep following the marked route, he returned to the shade beneath the canopies.

Cass was slumped in his chair when Jack returned.

“What’s wrong?”

Cass glanced up at him, then let his head drop again, his voice drained. “I’m useless now.”

Jack blinked, caught off guard. “Where’s that coming from?”

Cass looked toward the Dustchucks digging the foundation, his tone thick with gloom. “Even animals work better than I do.”

Jack stared at him, not sure whether to laugh.

“Why are you comparing yourself to a group of animals?”

Cass remained silent, looking thoroughly discouraged.

“All right, wait here.” Jack patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll find you something else to do.”

He went into the convenience store and soon returned with the drone, which he placed in front of Cass.

“Do you know how to use this?”

“I do. What do you want me to do?”

Jack sat beside him and gestured toward his bandaged chest, then Cass’s injured leg.

“Every time something attacks us, we don’t notice until it’s already nearby. We’re always caught off guard, and we can’t keep letting that happen.”

He tapped the drone.

“Marlin said it can stay in the air for two and a half hours on a full charge and scout up to fifteen kilometers away. We can use it as an early-warning system.”

Elias overheard them.

“That would help. By the time we noticed trouble before, it was already almost on top of us.”

Mort stopped working as well.

“If you had spotted us earlier, Barak and Jagger might not have been the only ones injured,” he said. “None of us might have escaped.”

“Exactly,” Jack said. “If I’d known which direction you were coming from and hidden somewhere with my gun, my aim might not be great, but could any of you have avoided being shot?”

Mort had no answer.

“That’s why we need to make proper use of the drone,” Jack continued. “We can’t afford to be caught off guard again.”

The gloom slowly faded from Cass’s face, his expression turning serious.

“I understand. Leave it to me.”

Jack gave him a satisfied look, then added, “So now you know you’re more useful than an animal, right?”

Cass’s face immediately darkened.

“Jack!”

Jack burst out laughing, and the others nearby joined in.

Cass ignored him and focused on the drone. After familiarizing himself with the controls, he sent it into the air and began surveying the area around the settlement.

Jack sat beside him and watched the convenience store and tents shrink on the screen. Cass first circled the settlement, then flew the drone farther out in several directions while everyone else returned to work.

Near noon, several moving figures appeared on the screen during another patrol.

Cass leaned closer to study the image.

“Someone’s coming.”