In the anti, while Kai was enjoying his ti outside the shelter, the afternoon in New Haven‑45 was quiet.
There were no alarms, gunfire, or chanized soldiers trying to attack them. At this ti, the shelter felt almost normal.
"I want sothing new..." Claire muttered as she sat at one of the long wooden tables in the ss hall...
Soon, she peeled open an MRE packet she had saved in her inventory.
Earlier, she had only eaten instant noodles with a handful of moringa leaves and two slices of atloaf. It was certainly enough to fill her for the day, but since it was peaceful, she treated herself.
She unfolded the nu card inside the MRE and smiled.
[ nu: Beef Stew, Crackers, Cheese Spread, Chocolate Bar, Instant Coffee ]
It wasn’t gourt, but compared to noodles, it felt like luxury.
"Nice... I got a nice nu today..."
She heated the beef stew pouch over a small portable warr, tore open the crackers, and spread the cheese across them.
She was quite used to this already.
Then, she turned her attention to the chocolate bar. It was a welco surprise, and it made her think back to her days on Earth.
"Not bad," she murmured, chewing slowly.
She had always loved her favorite brand, Hercheese. This bar wasn’t nearly as good, but it still gave her a taste she had almost forgotten. For that, she was thankful.
As for the coffee, she saved it for later.
As soon as the al was ready, she imdiately tasted a spoonful of it...
"Mhmmm..."
The stew was salty, but it had real chunks of at and potatoes. She liked it more than she expected.
After finishing her al, Claire pulled out her old digicam, the one she purchased from the Gene Trader.
She scrolled through the photos she had taken over the past few days...
There were pictures of the Sentinels they had destroyed, the shelter walls patched with scavenged steel, and candid shots of her friends...
Many of them were Marissa laughing with Aurora, Victor tinkering with tools, Wallace posing with his usual grin. They all looked good in the pictures, despite the harsh life they lived.
Soon, she noticed that the battery icon blinked red, showing only one bar left.
She sighed. "I’ll have to replace this soon."
Luckily, Kai had stocked the warehouse with spare batteries for everyone’s devices.
That warehouse was a treasure in itself.
Shane managed the trades there, exchanging items for Survivor dals. Inside were sleeping bags, tents, bicycles, helts, camouflage suits, hatchets, and countless other supplies. It was the kind of place that reminded Claire how much Kai had done to keep them prepared.
After cleaning the table, she planned to visit the greenhouse next, where mushrooms, peanuts, and herbs were being cultivated.
The small field had beco one of their most important areas, giving them fresh food beyond canned goods and MREs.
But on her way, she stopped short.
"Huh?"
Wallace was leaning against a wall, holding a cigarette between his fingers.
Two locals, Althea and Sera, stood nearby, awkwardly copying his movents.
"The heck?"
Claire frowned.
She recalled that Wallace had actually purchased ten packs of cigarettes using his Experience Points, and now he was trying to teach the girls how to smoke.
She walked closer and looked at the man as if he were an idiot.
"Wallace, really? Do you two even know the side effects of those things?" she asked, looking at Althea and Sera.
The cigarettes that the Gene Trader had given slled really stronger compared to the ones back on Earth. She was worried that they would have worse effects on human bodies.
Wallace chuckled, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
"Relax, Claire. We’ve all consud Gene Enhancent Serums. Especially these two young won. They even have Gene Weapons before we could have one. The usual side effects don’t apply to them. Their lungs... their bodies can handle it."
Claire shook her head. "That doesn’t an it’s good for them. You’re wasting points on sothing that doesn’t help anyone."
"Heh... This helps calm down, you know?" Wallace said as he recalled his days back on Earth.
Claire sighed as she couldn’t really prohibit the man from getting these two girls addicted to smoking. They were already old enough to know better.
Right now, however, Althea looked uncertain, lowering the cigarette. Sera also laughed nervously, clearly unsure if she should continue.
Claire softened her tone and waved her hand.
"Alright... Just don’t smoke near Aurora’s field. She is growing our food there."
Wallace blinked and tilted his head, confused.
"Isn’t it better to smoke near plants? If I smoke near the plants, they’ll absorb so of it.... Doesn’t it clean the air or sothing?"
Claire paused, then shook her head firmly.
"That’s not how it works. The smoke doesn’t disappear... It sticks. Do you really want your moringa leaves, cabbage, and string beans tasting like cigarettes?"
Althea wrinkled her nose at the thought, while Sera laughed awkwardly, putting out the cigarette Wallace had handed her.
Wallace shrugged, grinning. "Fine, fine. I’ll keep it away from the crops. But don’t expect to quit anyti soon."
Claire sighed, relieved she had at least kept the smoke away from their food.
"I know... Everyone’s got their own vices."
She decided not to push further.
She wasn’t a busybody, but she couldn’t ignore it either.
With a shake of her head, she left them behind and continued toward the greenhouse...
***
In the anti, Kai was still following the garbage hauler, and soon, he discovered a hidden base!
It wasn’t a massive A.I. city, but it was large enough to rival a village.
"Finally... Another target! Maybe I can get ten B-Grade Cores here!"
However, as he continued observing from afar using his Keen Sense, he froze for a mont...
He expected to find more machines, but what he saw made his blood run cold.
Humans.
Dozens of them, chained and forced to work under the watch of A.I. soldiers!
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