LOSS System: Last Store Standing

Jack had been a little annoyed and wanted to ask Megan why they had taken so long to return. But when he saw how excited she was, he couldn’t bring himself to lecture her.

“So, what did you find?”

“Harvey found a cargo trailer made specifically for the CUEV!” Megan said excitedly. “That’s why we took so long. Oh, and we also brought back the rice we left behind last time. Four whole bags!”

She looked at Jack expectantly, clearly waiting for his reaction.

The cargo trailer and rice were both good news. But after spending so long worrying that they might have run into danger, Jack still hadn’t fully calmed down.

He forced a smile and gave Megan a thumbs-up.

“You two did great.”

Only then did Megan realize something was wrong. She glanced at the darkening sky and quickly understood why Jack had reacted that way.

“Sorry for making you worry.” Her excitement faded a little. “We were so happy when we found the cargo trailer. Then we got busy attaching it and loading everything, and we completely lost track of time.”

“It’s fine. As long as you came back safely, nothing else matters.”

Jack headed toward the CUEV.

“Come on. Let’s see what you brought back.”

Megan watched him walk away and secretly stuck out her tongue before hurrying after him.

By the time they reached the CUEV, Elias was already asking Harvey about the trip.

A metal cargo trailer was now attached to the back of the CUEV. Inside were several shovels and hoes, along with four large, bulging bags stacked neatly together.

The sight immediately lifted Jack’s mood.

“How did you find this thing?”

Harvey explained what had happened.

After they arrived at the agricultural supply center, Megan stayed with the CUEV while Harvey went inside to search for tools as planned.

The last time they explored the agricultural supply center, they had seen quite a few hoes and shovels in the farming tools section. However, not many of them had been usable, and since their main objective had been seeds, they hadn’t searched the area carefully.

This time, Harvey checked the area again and managed to find quite a few tools that were still in relatively good condition.

Once Harvey had found the tools, the two of them were ready to head back. But as he was carrying them out, he happened to notice a wheeled metal trailer outside one of the stores.

At first, he thought it was just a flatbed cart without a handle. He gave it a push and found that the wheels still worked, so he loaded all the farming tools into it and pushed it back to the CUEV.

When Megan saw him struggling with the trailer, she quickly got out to help.

“Why did you bring back a cart too?”

“I happened to find it,” Harvey replied. “I thought we might be able to tie it to the back of the CUEV and tow it home.”

Neither of them initially realized that the trailer might have anything to do with the CUEV. It wasn’t until they started looking for a place to secure the ropes that Megan noticed the coupling at the front of the trailer looked very similar to the hitch on the back of the CUEV.

She immediately remembered Jack mentioning that the CUEV could be fitted with a dedicated cargo trailer to increase its carrying capacity.

Megan pointed it out to Harvey, and they lined up the coupling with the hitch. To their surprise, the trailer attached without any trouble.

Jack walked around the trailer and tested the connection. The trailer shifted slightly with the CUEV, but the coupling showed no sign of coming loose.

“Looks like it really was made for the CUEV.”

Megan confirmed it.

After confirming that the trailer worked properly, Megan had Harvey show her where he had found it.

The place seemed to be a store that specialized in cargo trailers, with trailers of various sizes still on display inside. Some were similar to the one they had brought back, while others were noticeably larger and used different types of couplings.

“I’m guessing those trailers were made for different CUEV models or other agricultural vehicles,” Megan said. “There are still quite a few like ours, though, and they’re all in good condition.”

“That’s good to know,” Jack said.

“Is this the rice you found last time?” Elias had already crouched beside the trailer and was examining one of the bags.

“Yes,” Harvey confirmed. “That’s the rice.”

The last time they explored the agricultural supply center, Megan had found several large bags of rice in the grain seed section. The bags had simply been too heavy for them to bring back.

“Then we remembered the rice,” Megan said. “Since we had the trailer, we decided to bring it back with us.”

They loaded the tools first, followed by four large bags of rice. If there had been more room in the trailer, they would have brought back several more.

“If the trailer had been a little bigger, we could have brought back more,” Harvey said, sounding a little disappointed.

“It’s fine.” Jack placed a hand on one of the bags. “We can make a few more trips. We’ll bring it all back eventually.”

“But the CUEV slowed down quite a bit once the trailer was full,” Megan said. “That’s why it took us so long to get back.”

Jack finally understood why they hadn’t returned until it was almost dark.

After hearing the whole story, Elias called Vane and Cass over to help move the rice into the storeroom.

“Wait,” Jack said.

Elias stopped.

“What is it?”

“Leave it here for now.” Jack gestured to the bulging bags beside him. “We’ll cook some tonight and see if it’s still edible.”

Elias immediately understood. When Megan heard they were having rice for dinner, she asked, “How are you going to cook it?”

“We’ll keep it simple. Rice with tomato meat sauce,” Jack said. “You’ve been out all day. Go wash up first. Leave dinner to me.”

Megan accepted the offer and returned to the convenience store.

By the time she finished washing up and came downstairs, dinner was almost ready. Freshly cooked rice had been served in bowls and topped with thick tomato meat sauce.

Once everyone had gathered around, Jack didn’t touch the sauce right away. Instead, he scooped up a small bite of plain rice from the edge of his bowl.

The rice was noticeably less soft than rice cooked from fresh grains, and it had a slight stale taste from being stored for so long. However, it wasn’t sour and had no other obvious off flavors. At the very least, it was still edible.

“How is it?” Elias asked.

“The texture isn’t as good, but it’s definitely still edible.”

Megan tried a bite of plain rice and soon reached the same conclusion.

“Considering how long it’s been stored, it’s held up surprisingly well. We can serve it with strongly flavored sauces like we did today, or eat it with soup. The difference shouldn’t be too noticeable.”

Cass listened to their comments and couldn’t help saying, “Having something to eat is already good enough. Why be so particular about it?”

The others clearly agreed.

Jack and Megan exchanged a glance, neither knowing what to say.

After dinner, Elias began arranging the night watch.

“Vane and Cass will take the first half of the night. Mort and I will relieve them for the second half.”

That caught Jack’s attention.

Elias explained, “From now on, we can’t have only one person on watch. Fourteen strangers suddenly showed up outside, and no one knows whether they might try something during the night. We need at least two people on each shift, with one more person staying near the convenience store in case they need help.”

He glanced at Harvey, who had just returned from a long trip.

“If Harvey hadn’t traveled so far today, I would have put him on the night watch too.”

Jack understood his concern and agreed with the arrangement.

Once the night watch was settled, everyone began heading off to rest. Jack and Megan went upstairs and sat on the living room sofa.

A short while later, Jack remembered the question that had occurred to him earlier that day.

“Megan, have you noticed anything different about your body since we first arrived?”

Megan quickly realized what he meant.

“You mean the heat?”

“Exactly. When we first arrived, even opening the door made me feel like I was going to die from the heat. But lately, I’ve been spending most of my time outside. Other than sweating more, I don’t feel particularly uncomfortable. Is it the same for you?”

“It is.”

Jack’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Does that mean we’re starting to mutate?”

Megan was silent for a moment.

“Have you been watching too many science fiction movies?”

“It makes perfect sense,” Jack insisted. “It’s over fifty degrees outside. A normal person wouldn’t be able to stand it for long. Now we’re suddenly not afraid of the heat. What else could it be besides a mutation?”

“Who told you we’re not afraid of the heat?” Megan asked helplessly. “We’re just gradually adapting to it. That doesn’t mean the heat can’t hurt us anymore.”

Jack still didn’t seem ready to give up on the idea, so she continued explaining.

“When the human body is repeatedly exposed to high temperatures, it gradually becomes more accustomed to them. You start sweating sooner and produce more sweat, allowing your body to cool itself more efficiently. That’s why the heat doesn’t feel as unbearable as it did when we first arrived.”

“So it’s normal that I’ve been sweating more lately?”

“Of course. Sweating helps the body cool down,” Megan said. “The air here is also very dry, so sweat evaporates quickly and carries away more heat. Even though you spend a lot of time outside every day, most of it is spent walking around, watching other people work, or sitting at the trading post. You’re not doing intense physical labor the entire time.”

“We also have plenty of water, and we can go back inside to rest whenever the heat becomes uncomfortable. As our bodies get used to the temperature, it naturally becomes easier to tolerate.”

Megan then added seriously, “But that doesn’t mean we can ignore temperatures above fifty degrees. If we do heavy physical labor for too long without enough water or rest, we can still run into trouble.”

The excitement gradually faded from Jack’s face.

“So it’s not a mutation?”

“No.”

“Not even a small possibility?”

“No.”

That was enough to crush Jack’s hopes.

Just then, the system’s mocking voice sounded in his mind.

“Human, I told you long ago to stop indulging in unrealistic fantasies. Why do you refuse to listen?”

Jack: “…”

His face fell, and Megan couldn’t help laughing.

Jack gave her an aggrieved look.

“All right, enough of that nonsense.” Megan brought the conversation back on track. “Let’s talk about something important. When are we going to retrieve my car?”

The mention of the Tesla immediately turned Jack serious.

“I’m planning to go tomorrow. Now that the CUEV has a cargo trailer, we can bring Gordon with us. If we really can charge your car, we’ll stop by their old settlement on the way and bring back the things they left there.”

“What do you want to bring back?”

“Old fabric,” Jack said. “Anything that can still be used. We’ll bring back as much as we can.”

Megan seemed puzzled.

“Why do you suddenly need so much fabric?”

“Most of them are wearing my old clothes right now. I still have plenty, and I could convert them into an unlimited supply, but I don’t think that’s necessary.”

He continued, “If we can get enough fabric, Sue, Rae, and Marga can try making clothes.”

“Besides, Sue and Rae haven’t had any regular work since they arrived. Everyone else has their own responsibilities now. If this goes on for too long, some people may eventually start to resent it. Rather than wait for that to happen, we might as well give them something they’re capable of doing.”

Megan gave it some serious thought.

“Your concern makes sense. Elias and the others might not care, but it’s hard to say what will happen in the future.”

Then another thought occurred to her.

“In that case, I can’t be an exception either.”

Jack hadn’t expected her to include herself.

“I wasn’t talking about you.”

“I know,” Megan cut in. “But it’s still true. I can’t sit around doing nothing just because we knew each other before, can I? Besides, I’ve already decided what I can do.”

Megan was clearly serious, so Jack didn’t argue.

“What are you planning to do?”

“First, I want to train Sue and Rae,” Megan said. “Sue already has some basic knowledge. I can continue teaching her how to treat minor wounds, identify common symptoms, and use the medicines we currently have.”

“As for Rae, she can start by learning how to care for injured people, clean wounds, prepare medication, and keep records.”

That surprised Jack.

“You want to train Sue as a doctor and Rae as a nurse?”

“I can only train them for those kinds of roles. I can’t turn them into actual doctors and nurses,” Megan said. “That would require a proper education and extensive clinical training, neither of which I can provide right now.”

Jack understood.

“The second thing is teaching Cass and the others how to drive,” Megan continued. “I can’t drive every time we go out. Not only does that take up a seat, but someone also has to keep an eye on me instead of focusing entirely on the trip. It isn’t the most practical arrangement.”

Jack immediately agreed.

“That’s right. This is more important. Sue and Rae can learn gradually, but teaching the others to drive should come first. Then you can stay here and avoid going out whenever possible.”

Megan rolled her eyes at him.

“For now, I’ll focus on those two things. Once they’re taken care of, I’ll think about what else I can do.”

They talked for a while longer and settled on leaving the next day. When it grew late, they each returned to their own room.