LOSS System: Last Store Standing

Open a real convenience store in the wasteland?

Once the thought came to him, Jack couldn’t stop thinking about it.

He didn’t know if he would ever make it back to Earth. Since he had an unlimited supply of goods, he might as well keep running the store. At least it was something he knew how to do.

But letting people trade inside the convenience store was out of the question.

The store was the one thing keeping him safe in this wasteland. He couldn’t take any risks with it. If he let the wrong people inside, they would only bring more trouble later.

Jack frowned and looked outside.

What if he set up a tent instead?

There were several dead trees beside the large pit. They could stretch a canopy between them and set up a six-person tent underneath. That would give him a small convenience store outside.

The trees could also serve as supports for the canopy.

The spot was a reasonable distance from the main store. If they made the tent stand out, anyone coming to trade would probably notice it first and pay less attention to the convenience store behind it.

The trees were also right beside the pit. If the pit eventually filled with water, it would become a small lake. They could put some tables and chairs nearby and turn the area into a simple outdoor restaurant.

The more Jack thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

It might actually work.

Just then, Vane walked past the store. Jack quickly tapped on the window to get his attention.

Vane turned at the sound. When he saw Jack waving, he came inside.

“What is it?”

“Help me outside,” Jack said. “I want to discuss something with everyone.”

Vane nodded and helped him to his feet. Leaning on Vane, Jack slowly made his way out of the store.

They stepped into the shade of the canopies. It was still hot, but without the sun beating directly down on them, the heat was much easier to bear.

Jack looked up.

“Finally, we don’t have to worry about this damn heat cooking us alive.”

“It’s still hot,” Vane said, “but it’s much better than before.”

They made their way over to the others.

Cass looked at Jack. “Why aren’t you resting inside? What are you doing out here?”

“I just thought of something. I want to discuss it with all of you.”

Vane helped Jack into a folding chair. Once he was seated, Jack waved Susan, Ray, and Mort over.

“Could everyone come here for a moment?”

The three soon gathered around him. Cass watched Jack with a curious look, wondering what had gotten him so excited.

Jack pointed toward the dead trees beside the large pit.

“I just had an idea. What if we set up a trading post over there and handle all future trades there?”

Everyone followed his finger toward the dead trees. After a brief silence, Cass reached over and pressed a hand to Jack’s forehead.

Jack slapped it away.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking if you have a fever. Maybe it cooked your brain.”

“My head is perfectly clear.”

Cass pointed at the convenience store. “Why can’t we trade here? Why do we need another trading post under those dead trees?”

Susan, Ray, and Vane remained silent, but they clearly had the same question.

Jack sighed. “You all know what’s inside the store. If something goes wrong, the consequences could be serious…”

Vane understood what he meant.

“You’re worried someone might come after the supplies inside?”

“Exactly.” Jack nodded. “There’s enough in there to drive anyone crazy.”

“He’s right,” Mort said. “I don’t know everything you have in there, but anyone looking through the windows can see the boxes stacked in the corners. It’s obvious the store is full of supplies.”

He looked toward the store.

“If Valkyrie had known how much was in there, she would have tried to take it at any cost. It wouldn’t have mattered whether you shot Barak or Valkyrie herself.”

Jack nodded. “That’s why I want a separate trading post.”

He pointed back toward the dead trees. “If we put up a tent there and make it easy to spot, anyone coming to trade will notice it first.”

Then he pointed at the large glass windows of the convenience store.

“All we need to do is cover those windows. That should keep people’s attention on the trading post instead of the store behind it.”

The others seemed to agree.

“Besides, we have three injured people here,” Jack continued. “We can’t do any heavy work, but we can take turns watching the trading post. It’s better than sitting around with nothing to do all day.”

“I think it’s worth trying,” Vane said.

Jack looked at Susan and Ray. “Once Elias and the others move here, anyone who can’t handle heavy work can help watch the trading post too.”

After thinking it over, Susan and Ray agreed.

“The idea could work, but there are still a few practical problems,” Mort said. “What are we going to trade? What can other people offer us in return? And how much should each item be worth? We’ll need to set prices.”

Vane agreed. Building the trading post wouldn’t be difficult. The real problem was working out the rules for trading.

“That’s why I called everyone over,” Jack said. “You’ve lived here for a long time, so you know what people need most.”

He looked around at them.

“What do people lack most in the wasteland?”

“Water.”

Several voices answered at the same time.

“And food,” Vane added. “Those are the two main things we search for whenever we go out.”

No one disagreed.

Mort gave a bitter laugh. “Those were always the two things we went looking for too.”

Jack pointed toward the large pit, then at the empty cans on the table.

“What a coincidence. I have plenty of both.”

Cass opened his mouth, but in the end, he only managed to say, “Damn it. You really love showing off.”

The others could only smile.

Water and food were precious to everyone else. Jack, however, had enough water to irrigate the land and fill the pit, and enough food to let everyone eat their fill.

Of course they found it irritating.

Jack spread his hands with a grin.

“How is that my fault?”

Susan gave him a look before returning to the discussion.

“Besides water and food, people also need medicine, especially for wounds, fevers, and diarrhea. Many people survive attacks from mutant beasts, only to die later from an infection or illness.”

Jack grinned again. He was about to point out that he had plenty of medicine too, but Cass stopped him.

“That’s enough. Keep showing off and you might get struck by lightning.”

Jack reluctantly kept quiet.

The discussion continued, and they soon came up with a long list. Besides basic supplies like water and food, medicine and tools were also badly needed, along with many other useful items.

Jack went through his supplies in his mind. He seemed to have everything they had mentioned.

When everyone had finished, he said, “We’ll start with drinking water, bread, potatoes, and canned beef. If someone asks for anything else, we can bring it out then.”

He thought for a moment before continuing.

“As for medicine, we’ll handle it depending on the situation. If they have something to trade, we can make a deal. If they have nothing at all, we can still help when necessary. Consider it a good deed.”

Susan agreed.

“We don’t need to decide what people must bring us,” Jack continued. “As long as it’s useful, we’ll take it. That’s still easier than searching the ruins for supplies ourselves.”

“If someone has nothing to trade, they can work off the cost instead. What we need most right now is more people.”

“What about the prices?” Mort asked.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Jack said. “Once I come up with something, I’ll ask what everyone thinks. For now, we need to get the trading post ready. It would be awkward if people arrived before we had anywhere to trade.”

Mort accepted the answer.

They continued discussing the plan until the sky began to darken. Jack looked up and brought the discussion to an end.

“That’s enough for today. We can talk about the rest tomorrow. Let’s eat dinner first.”

No one objected, and Susan went inside to get the food.

Jack remained beneath the canopies as the light faded. Then he suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed.