Chapter 106 Starlight Barracks
In the shadowed confines of Building 25, the residents were hunkered down, consuming the provisions Steven had doled out. Their bodies, racked with discomfort after nearly a month without bathing, showed signs of raw rashes and unbearable itching. The scarce hot water supply dictated priorities; boiling water with a kettle was reserved for drinking, leaving no room for the luxury of hygiene. A bath, under the present circumstances, could mean a death sentence if illness followed.
Walter and Dennis, good friends since college and colleagues at work, were now roommates. At this moment, they were sharing a rare moment of cheer, courtesy of Steven’s generosity—a box of pizza each from the supermarket’s frozen stockpile. Despite the pizzas being as hard as rocks, resourcefulness found them pressing the pizzas under their down jackets, relying on body heat to render them somewhat palatable.
In their dimly lit sanctuary, ensconced in layers of thick blankets with only their heads peeking out, Walter wrestled with a piece of pizza. After a painstaking effort, he finally tasted the meat, a flicker of contentment crossing his face. In these dire times, this morsel felt like a feast.
"Thank goodness we chose to follow Steven back then! Now we can even eat some meat!" Walter exclaimed, his voice buoyant with gratitude.
Dennis, however, remained silent, a notable contrast to Walter’s exuberance. He gnawed at his pizza, finding the solid block too troublesome to piece apart.
Mistaking Dennis’s reticence for preoccupation, Walter nudged him with an elbow. "C’mon, don’t you agree? We ought to stick close to Steven from here on out."
Walter’s thoughts shifted, a tinge of envy coloring his tone. "Have you seen Elinor? Still all dolled up in those brand-name threads, strutting around in that Canada Goose jacket. And the kicker is, she seems to be able to take baths!"
Walter’s envy was palpable as he spoke of his own crude attempts at hygiene—rubbing off dirt by hand, only to hesitate later, as it provided a sliver of warmth.
Dennis finally looked at him, his voice dark with frustration. "What’s the point of envying her? We don’t have that kind of situation."
"True that," Walter sighed resignedly. "And we're not women. If we were, I'd want to be like her too."
With a lewd grin, he added, "But before that, how about I let you give it a try on me?"
Dennis shot back irritably, "Piss off, Walter. Even if you were the last person on earth, I wouldn't want you."
Walter retaliated, "Don’t be grossed out, man. I could use my mouth."
"Shut up, shut up! The more you talk, the more disgusting it gets!"
An uncomfortable silence settled between them, thickening the already tense atmosphere. Breaking the silence, Dennis’s voice turned contemplative. "Walter, don’t you think Steven’s just stringing us along with food? He’s treating us like disposable pawns in his game. He never intended for us to survive."
Walter's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"
Dennis the day’s rumors from their neighbors to Walter. This revelation plunged Walter into a brooding silence. Finally, he sighed, "Talking about this changes nothing. We thought about killing him and taking his house and food, but we couldn't beat him and almost got killed by him. In this world, the strong lead and the rest of us follow. If Steven gives us food, we have to toe the line."
Dennis remained silent, lost in thought. At that moment, their phone buzzed, breaking the heavy silence. Dennis fished it out of his pocket, and upon reading the message, his expression grew grave. A mix of inexplicable tension and excitement flashed in his eyes.
The next day, Steven rode his motorcycle out of the neighborhood, sticking to his usual routine but with more caution. After yesterday's ambush, he decided to take a significant detour, veering off in a different direction. Today, he opted not to call Henry, focusing instead on retrieving the weapons and equipment at the military camp. He also intended to cut down some trees for future use.
Last night, he had received another call from Chase and Caitlin, inquiring about his stance on their proposal. He brushed them off, claiming he needed more time to consider their offer. Despite his dismissive response, Steven could sense their impatience growing. He didn't care. He was merely biding his time, waiting to see when they would make their move. The residents of the 29 buildings needed time to negotiate and form a united front, and this period was crucial for Steven to finalize his preparations.
After a two-and-a-half-hour ride, Steven reached the area he had scouted the previous day. The vast expanse of white snow stretched out beneath him, broken only by distant landmarks. He retrieved the excavator from his extradimensional space and began digging, rapidly honing his skills from the previous experience. Eventually, he unearthed a building, though it wasn’t the armory as he had hoped; it was the soldiers’ dormitory instead.
Undeterred, Steven explored the dormitory and was struck by an eerie sight—neatly folded blankets, smooth sheets, but no sign of any frozen soldiers. 'How strange,' he mused. 'Why is there no one here?'
He continued searching other nearby dormitories, only to encounter the same unsettling emptiness.
A possible explanation dawned on him. With the severity of the snow, virtually all land-based transportation would be rendered useless. If the soldiers had stayed, they should be trapped here, essentially frozen in place. Yet, their absence suggested they had left en masse. He speculated that high-ranking officials, possessing precise information about the impending apocalypse, had evacuated early, using the soldiers to protect them and transport crucial supplies.
As this theory crystallized in his mind, Steven's sense of caution deepened. The empty warehouses and the deserted dormitories painted a clear picture—whispers of a selective evacuation executed by a few privileged officials on the night of the snow disaster, leaving ordinary citizens in the dark. These officials were likely biding their time in hidden shelters, waiting for the calamity to pass so they could reassert control.
Steven felt a chill that wasn't just from the snow. He understood that the disaster wouldn't abate quickly and that over time, people's hearts and minds would change. Once the dust settled, new armed groups might arise, posing significant threats.
However, that time wouldn't come too soon, as there was still some basic order being maintained.
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