LOSS System: Last Store Standing

After fooling around for quite some time, everyone gradually drifted back beneath the canopy.

Ava still refused to let go of the hose until Vane finally took it from her. Sitting near one of the PCCUs with the others, she excitedly recounted how the Dustchucks had chased the stream of water across the pit.

The Ashback Elk hadn’t left. The adults remained in the deeper water while several calves lingered near the shore, occasionally kicking up sprays of water. The Dustchucks showed no sign of leaving either. Some continued circling the floating chunks of ice that had yet to melt, while others drifted lazily with only their heads above the surface.

Watching the animals, Jack suddenly found himself thinking about the refugees.

If even the Ashback Elk had been driven into the water by the heat, the people still trapped at the agricultural supply center had to be suffering even more. They had already eaten the last of their food the previous night, and now that trade would reopen, they would almost certainly return tonight if they wanted to survive.

The problem was the journey itself.

The walk from the agricultural supply center to the trading post wasn’t easy. Traveling during the day was out of the question, and even after sunset the ground would continue radiating the heat it had absorbed throughout the day. Making that trip every night would cost them hours, along with a considerable amount of energy and drinking water. Even if they managed to trade for enough supplies, much of it would be consumed on the way back and forth.

Very little would remain.

If things continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before someone collapsed on the road.

Jack was still angry about what they had done, but he wasn’t cruel enough to simply watch them die.

He let out a sigh.

”Looks like being kind-hearted is my biggest weakness.”

Turning away from the pit, he went looking for Megan.

”I want to help those refugees.”

Megan blinked in surprise.

”What happened?”

Jack explained his thoughts.

After listening, Megan thought for a moment before replying, ”Let’s talk to Elias first.”

The two found Elias beneath the canopy. He was helping Vane and Reed clean up after the water fight and set down the empty basin in his hands when he noticed them approaching.

Jack repeated his idea.

”Are you serious?” Elias asked with a frown. ”After everything they did?”

”I know.” Jack smiled helplessly. ”I’m still angry too. But I can’t just sit back and watch them die.”

Elias studied him for a moment, then sighed.

”Fine. Then we’ll help them. What’s your plan?”

Jack pointed toward a stretch of open ground beyond the fence.

”I’m thinking we stop making them walk back and forth every day. Let them stay there temporarily.”

Elias followed his gaze.

”The location isn’t bad. But what are they supposed to stay in?”

”I’ll give them pallets and let them build temporary shelters themselves.”

”You think they can manage that?”

Jack shrugged.

”Not my problem. Warren can point them in the right direction. Beyond that, they’re on their own.”

Megan crossed her arms.

”What about food? You’re not planning to hand out bread and canned beef every day, are you?”

”No.” Jack shook his head. ”We’ll run a water line over there so they can collect water themselves. As for food, we’ll give them potatoes and a sack of salt. I’ll throw in a stove and a cooking pot and let them figure out the rest.”

Elias frowned immediately.

”That already sounds too generous.”

”It’s not charity,” Jack said. ”Everything gets recorded. Once the heat wave is over, they can pay us back with supplies. If they decide to leave, they settle their debt first. If they stay, we can hire them once they’ve paid off what they owe.”

Elias fell silent again and looked out toward the open ground beyond the fence.

The plan wasn’t without risk, but Jack wasn’t wrong. If the refugees remained at the agricultural supply center and continued making the trip every night, some of them would eventually die on the road.

”Fine,” Elias finally said. ”We’ll do it. Get the pallets and tools ready now. If they show up tonight, we’ll hand everything over immediately.”

”Sounds good.”

”What about the prices?” Megan asked. ”There should be some sort of system.”

Jack waved dismissively.

”The actual price doesn’t matter. It’s not like I need much from them. I just don’t want them thinking any of this comes for free.”

After reaching an agreement, Jack had Vane and Reed drive a CUEV to the convenience store warehouse and begin loading pallets into the cargo bed. Cooking pots, portable stoves, salt, and various tools needed for construction were added as well so everything would be ready by sunset.

The potatoes remained where they were for now. There was no guarantee every refugee would show up, so it made more sense to prepare the food after everyone arrived.

Jack then found a blank ledger and began making a list. Pallets, cooking pots, portable stoves, salt, and whatever else they distributed would all be recorded. When the refugees collected supplies later, every item would be entered into the ledger.

Once everything had been packed, the loaded CUEV remained parked beside the warehouse.

Now all they had to do was wait for sunset.

And for the refugees to arrive.

Deep inside the agricultural supply center, the air felt thick and motionless.

Sunlight streamed through broken windows, casting harsh patches of light across the dust-covered floor. The metal roofing occasionally creaked overhead. Everyone stayed in the shadows, yet sweat still ran constantly from their foreheads and down their necks.

Some removed their shirts, wrung out the sweat, then put them back on. Others sat against walls or shelves, conserving as much energy as possible while slowly fanning themselves with scraps of cardboard and cloth.

Very little remained of the water they had received the previous night.

As for food, there was none left at all.

Once night fell, they would have to make another trip to the trading post.

After resting for a while, a few people who still had some strength left got back to their feet and resumed searching through the agricultural supply center.

Most of the easy-to-move tools and supplies had already been picked over multiple times. What remained were large machines permanently fixed in place. One refugee tried pushing a piece of equipment, but it didn’t budge. The base was firmly anchored to the floor, and there was no way a handful of people could move it.

Others continued searching through the shelves.

Several boxes stacked in a corner were dragged out and opened again. One contained a large number of seedling trays. Some had cracked over time, but many were still intact. Another box beside it was filled with plant markers and identification tags, though most of the writing had long since faded beyond recognition.

Farther down the shelves were rolls of garden twine, plant ties, and clips of various sizes. Someone opened a dust-covered plastic container and found drip irrigation heads, end caps, and a collection of small fittings and connectors.

There was plenty of stuff.

None of it felt particularly valuable.

A refugee examined several irrigation nozzles before tossing them into a nearby sack. Another stacked the usable seedling trays together and tied them with garden twine. Pruning shears and small hand trowels were discovered as well and divided among different bags.

Near the back of the storage area, they eventually found more than a dozen packets of seeds. Some of the packaging had broken apart, scattering tiny seeds across the bottoms of boxes. The refugees carefully salvaged what they could, gathering the loose seeds into separate bags and setting aside the packets that remained mostly intact.

By the time everything had been collected, a modest pile of supplies had formed on the floor.

Yet nobody looked particularly pleased.

Seedling trays, plant markers, clips, and irrigation nozzles were useful enough, but nobody knew how much food Jack would be willing to exchange for them. More importantly, once these shelves had been stripped clean, what would they bring the next time?

”Let’s just take all of it.”

No one objected.

The items were sorted into bags, while the seedling trays were bundled together for transport. They might be enough to obtain some food, but nobody believed they would carry the entire group through the heat wave.

Silence lingered for a while before someone finally spoke.

”If it isn’t enough...”

The voice was barely above a whisper.

”We’ll have to beg him.”

No one responded.

But no one disagreed either.

They had run out of alternatives.

When night fell, they would take what they had found and make another trip to the trading post.

Whatever they could trade for, they would take.

Everything else depended on whether Jack was willing to give them another chance to survive.

The sun gradually sank toward the horizon. The bright patches of light creeping across the warehouse floor slowly retreated into the corners.

Everyone waited until darkness had fully settled outside before getting to their feet.

Bags filled with seeds, irrigation parts, and clips were slung over shoulders. Several people carried the bundled seedling trays.

The moment they stepped out of the agricultural supply center, a wave of heat washed over them.

The sun might have set, but the ground continued releasing the heat it had absorbed throughout the day. Every so often, the group was forced to stop and catch their breath.

Nobody complained.

Nobody spoke.

All they cared about was whether Jack would accept what they had brought and exchange it for enough food to keep them going.

The procession moved slowly through the darkness.

The people carrying the seedling trays traded places several times along the way. Those carrying bags did the same whenever exhaustion caught up to them.

Eventually, distant lights appeared on the horizon.

Almost everyone unconsciously picked up the pace.

The entrance to the trading post was still lit, and the guards had clearly spotted them long before they arrived.

The refugees stopped outside the entrance and set down everything they had carried.

The bags filled with seeds and irrigation parts were not particularly large. The bundled seedling trays formed only a modest stack on the ground, nothing like the piles of metal pipes and steel supports they had brought the previous night.

Looking at the meager collection of supplies, several refugees felt what little confidence they had left begin to fade.

Then a few of them noticed something unusual.

Several CUEVs were parked near the entrance.

Their cargo beds were loaded with wooden pallets. Cooking pots, portable stoves, and various other items were visible among the supplies.

The refugees exchanged puzzled glances.

A moment later, Jack emerged from the entrance.

He glanced briefly at the seedling trays and scattered supplies on the ground before raising his eyes toward the exhausted crowd.

”Is everyone here?”

The people at the front stared at him for a moment before nodding.

”Everyone’s here.”

Jack looked over the refugees. They were covered in dust and looked as though simply remaining on their feet required effort.

”Leave the supplies where they are.”

He pointed toward the parked CUEVs.

”I have something I’d like to discuss with all of you.”