Chapter 55 On the Way
Once out of District Nine, Andrew immediately felt the temperature drop again. He was sitting in the compactor, covered with three or four military coats. Having lifted the wind-blocking cotton curtain, he poked his head out and said, "It must be like minus forty degrees Fahrenheit, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Alexander occasionally rubbed his hands together and softly responded, "Don't just sit there the whole time, get up and move around a bit. Rub your body."
"Were you also in a car when you came here?" Andrew asked casually.
"Part of the way. Then I walked for the rest."
"You're a real trooper," Andrew said, speechless.
The car drove along the icy, snowy road for about five hours before stopping at a small military supply station. The two of them got out, paid the bill, and took an almost scrapped gasoline off-road vehicle to continue their journey. Due to the harsh environment, pure electric or hybrid cars were too unstable and not suitable for long-distance travel in such temperatures.
The gasoline off-road vehicle was arranged through Samuel's connections. Although it was almost scrapped, it still cost quite a bit. But fortunately, the heater and other features worked, and its off-road performance was relatively intact. It was really very durable.
On the road, Andrew curiously scanned the snow-covered land and pointed to several large iron towers miles away, asking, "What are those for?"
"Marker towers," Alexander replied casually, "You can't see them at night. There's also a fence below the towers."
"Marking what?"
"Nuclear radiation," Alexander explained flatly, "After the disaster, the government built a lot of defensive structures, but they all failed in the end. Many of those buildings had nuclear equipment. When the disaster struck, the projects exploded, leaving large radiation zones. The towers were built to warn people not to enter those areas."
"They did accomplish something." Andrew sighed.
Alexander, bored while driving, asked, "What's your relationship with Samuel?"
Andrew was stunned by the question.
"What? You can't tell me?" Alexander laughed. "Then I won't ask."
"No harm telling you," Andrew took out an e-cigarette, turned to look at Alexander, and said, "Samuel is my uncle. He joined the police force after my dad. In one incident, my dad died for Samuel, so my feelings towards him are a bit conflicted. Saying I don't hate him would be a lie, but Samuel has been very good to me over the years. I keep forcing myself not to think about the past, but as a son, I can't forget."
Alexander was silent for a while. "You're better off than me. At least you have a relative who is good to you to hate. I have no relatives at all."
Andrew took a puff of his e-cigarette and said nothing.
"Do you know what happened between your dad and Samuel?" Alexander asked again.
"I heard from others that Samuel made a mistake, and my dad took the blame and was executed."
"Did Samuel ever explain it to you?"
"No, he never mentions it. When I was younger, I used to get angry and try to bring up the topic, but he just wouldn't explain." Andrew stared blankly out of the window. "Maybe it makes him sad, too."
"Andrew, Samuel's kindness to you is well-known in the police force. The past is the past. Holding onto it will only increase the conflict between you and Samuel. It doesn't serve any purpose," Alexander advised softly, "How many brothers in the world would intentionally harm their sibling? Besides, what you know is all hearsay. The truth might be completely different from what you think, right?"
"Yeah." Andrew nodded hesitantly.
"Alright, let's talk about something happy." Alexander grinned and changed the topic."When are you planning to get married?"
"To who? Emily?" Andrew really lit up when it came to matters between men and women.
"Can you be serious? I already told you..." Alexander was about to curse when he suddenly saw a group of people in thick coats emerge from the side of some dilapidated buildings ahead. He immediately shouted, "Andrew, grab the gun, quick!"
"What's going on?" Andrew sat up straight.
Ahead, a dozen people stood in a line, blocking the road.
Alexander didn't drive closer but stopped about sixty feet away.
"What do you want?" Alexander rolled down the window and shouted into the wind and snow.
"Bro, give us some food. We're starving." Two men emerged from the crowd.
Alexander shouted back, "Can't you see this is a military vehicle? We have no food. Get lost."
"No food? How about some gas, clothes, or money?" The two men continued approaching.
Seeing the frostbite on the people, including children and the elderly, Andrew softened and said, "Let's give them something."
Alexander's demeanor had completely changed from when he was in District Nine. With a cold expression, he shouted again, "I said, get lost!"
"So aggressive? If you don't give us anything, we won't leave."
The two men stopped approaching.
Alexander shifted gears and floored the gas pedal, driving the car straight towards the crowd.
Andrew exclaimed in shock, grabbing Alexander's arm. "If we don't give them anything, fine, but don't run them over!"
The crowd scattered as the car approached.
Alexander, unable to explain to Andrew, grabbed his gun and fired into the center of the crowd.
The gunfire scattered the crowd again. Alexander turned the steering wheel with his left hand, driving the car into the snowy field, flooring the gas pedal, and speeding across the hard ground.
Seconds later, another two or three dozen people emerged from the dilapidated buildings, firing at the snowy field. Fortunately, Alexander reacted quickly and took a detour to escape.
Andrew, sweating profusely, looked back and cursed, "These people weren't begging. They were trying to rob us!"
"If I had stopped the car closer, they would have stripped us of our clothes, and we'd freeze to death here," Alexander said coldly, "The people here aren't human anymore."
"They even dare to rob a military vehicle?"
"Do you know what this place is called?" Alexander asked.
"No idea." Andrew shook his head.
"It's called Voidreach. Three years ago, ten supply trucks from the Stardust City Special District passed through here and were completely robbed. The military commander was furious and sent three battalions, over a thousand men, to eliminate the bandits. But those thousand men were defeated in less than a day, and only about three hundred made it out." Alexander pointed to the road they had just passed, "If you dig into the snow here, you might find a deceased body."
Andrew was silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "Alexander, have you ever robbed supplies in Voidreach?"
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