LOSS System: Last Store Standing

After leaving the trading post in Elias’s hands, Jack headed straight for the shelter.

The wasteland was already baking beneath the scorching sun. Heat distorted the ground in the distance, while exposed sand and stones reflected a blinding white glare. The air felt almost motionless, and every breath drew more heat into his lungs.

The shelter doors stood open. The people inside had clearly noticed the sudden change in the weather.

Warren, Walter, and Colt were gathered at the entrance, staring out at the ground blurred by the heat. The others had begun leaving their tents and gathering in the center of the sleeping area.

Jack went inside and told them that the heat wave had arrived early.

“The temperature will rise to around seventy degrees today, and it’ll keep climbing over the next few days,” he said. “Once the heat wave reaches its peak, daytime temperatures could exceed eighty degrees, and the nights won’t cool down either. Everyone stays inside the shelter. Don’t go out unless it’s necessary.”

The news left everyone looking serious.

Jack checked the thermometer in the center of the sleeping area.

It had already climbed to 31.2 degrees Celsius.

The temperature inside was still manageable, but it was only a little after six in the morning. Outside, it was already close to sixty-five degrees. By noon, the shelter would only grow hotter.

“We need to bring it down further,” Jack said. “Nolan, find Cass and have him bring eight PCCUs over.”

Nolan hurried toward the new trading post.

Jack turned to Warren and Walter.

“See how many more units we need inside. Keep the rest nearby as backups, just in case.”

Warren surveyed both sides of the sleeping area and estimated the distance along the central passageway.

“Let’s add four for now,” he said. “Two on each side of the sleeping area. That’ll bring the total inside to eight.”

Cass and Nolan soon arrived in a CUEV with eight PCCUs in the cargo bed.

Everyone helped carry the units into the shelter. Following Warren’s instructions, Walter and Colt placed four of them along both sides of the sleeping area, connected the wiring, and switched them on.

The other four were set aside as backups.

As the additional PCCUs began running, the stifling heat inside the shelter gradually eased.

Jack left the thermometer in the center of the sleeping area for a while, then carried it down the central passageway toward the washroom and toilet area to check whether the temperature was falling throughout the shelter.

After a little over twenty minutes, the center of the sleeping area had dropped to 28.9 degrees Celsius. The far end remained slightly warmer at around thirty degrees.

Another ten minutes passed without any significant change. The temperature had stabilized.

Jack was satisfied enough with the result and headed for the entrance, but stopped before stepping outside.

Someone still needed to keep watch during the day. Now that the heat wave had arrived, the twelve PCCUs beneath the canopy might no longer be enough.

Jack looked back at the four backup units.

“Bring those outside and put them by the entrance,” he said. “That’ll give the people on watch somewhere cooler to stay. The rest of you can come out for some air from time to time too.”

Walter and Colt carried the four PCCUs outside and added one to each corner of the canopy.

Once the wiring was connected, the additional units came online.

Sixteen PCCUs and two PATCs now sent a steady flow of cold air beneath the canopy. The heat in the shaded area soon became noticeably less oppressive.

Jack placed the thermometer in the center and waited for the reading to stabilize.

Forty-four degrees.

He handed the thermometer to Warren.

“We’ll leave it like this for now. Everyone except those on watch should stay inside the shelter as much as possible. If anything happens outside, call out. We’ll hear you from the trading post.”

He turned to Warren and Walter.

“The trading post needs more PCCUs too. Bring Colt with you and come take a look.”

Before leaving, Jack spoke to the others.

“I’ll leave the CUEV here in case you need it.”

Warren returned the thermometer to the shelter, then followed Jack to the new trading post with Walter and Colt.

Warren checked the equipment inside and walked between the rows of tents to decide where the additional units should go. Walter and Colt inspected the existing wiring before bringing in more PCCUs.

After repositioning several of the current units, Warren had them add two more on each side of the trading post, keeping the tents and central passageway clear.

They then moved to the canopy behind the trading post and added another PCCU to each corner.

By the time Walter connected the final cable, it was nearly noon.

He closed the breaker, and the new units came online one after another.

Instead of heading straight back beneath the rear canopy, everyone remained at the front entrance and looked out across the wasteland.

The midday sun beat straight down, covering the barren ground in a blinding white glare. The sand and stones had been bleached pale by the heat, while the distant scenery twisted in the waves rising from the ground.

There wasn’t a trace of wind. Nothing moved beyond the moat.

The open ground in front of the trading post lay completely exposed beneath the sun, and the metal shells of the SEFPs reflected the harsh light.

Near the shelter, sixteen PCCUs and two PATCs continued pumping cold air beneath the canopy. The people on watch stayed within the cooled area, careful not to step out into the extreme heat.

After watching the wasteland for a while, everyone went back through the trading post and left by the rear entrance, entering the canopy that connected it to the convenience store.

The PCCUs and PATCs beneath it were still running, sending cold air through the shaded area from several directions.

The Dustchucks and Gray-Eared Jump Hares had claimed the spots closest to the vents. Even when everyone approached, the animals only shifted slightly and refused to leave.

Everyone found a place to sit.

The heat wave had arrived early, bringing all planned outdoor work to a halt. For the moment, no one had much to do.

After standing near the entrance for a while, Elias turned to Cass.

“Send up the drone. Have it sweep the surrounding area.”

Cass launched the drone from the edge of the canopy. It flew over the SEFP barrier and began circling the nearby wasteland.

Cass returned to the trading post’s rear entrance, sat down with the controller, and watched the feed.

Jack’s attention eventually drifted toward the nearby pallet-dismantling area.

Outdoor construction had stopped, but they could still dismantle pallets beneath the canopy. Any extra boards and wooden strips would come in handy later.

Jack got to his feet.

“Vane, Reed, bring some wooden pallets over from the convenience store warehouse.”

The two took a cart and headed for the warehouse.

Jack called Marlin, Mort, and Thomas over, then moved the dismantling tools with them to the edge of the canopy. They chose a spot that wouldn’t block the passageway and set out the tools and racks for storing the recovered wood.

Vane and Reed soon returned with the first load. After unloading the pallets, they pushed the empty cart back to the warehouse for more.

Jack pulled the first pallet in front of him and worked a pry bar beneath one edge.

Marlin, Mort, and Thomas picked up their tools and began dismantling the other pallets. Intact boards and wooden strips went into separate piles, while the nails they removed were collected in a box.

The steady sound of hammering soon filled the shaded area.

Seeing everyone at work, Megan returned to the convenience store and prepared a batch of chilled, lightly salted water. She came back with several cups and poured one for everyone working or resting nearby.

Jack set down his pry bar, accepted a cup, and took a long drink. The cold water ran down his throat, easing much of the heat that had built up inside him.

Walter held his cup and stared at the ice floating on the surface.

“Who would’ve thought that after everything the world has become, we’d still get to drink ice water?”

“Forget ice water,” Warren said. “There was a time when even clean water had to be rationed.”

Jack’s gaze settled on the ice cubes in his cup. After staring at them for a moment, a rather absurd idea came to him.

He grinned at Megan.

“I’ll need you to keep making ice. Don’t stop for now.”

“What do you need that much ice for?”

“You’ll see.”

Megan didn’t press him. Once everyone had finished drinking, she collected the empty cups and returned to the convenience store.

Jack selected several dismantled boards of suitable length and placed them in front of Thomas.

“Stop dismantling for now. Use these to make a few wooden boxes.”

Thomas set down his tool and looked at him.

“What have you come up with this time?”

“Make them first. I’ll tell you afterward.”

Thomas began measuring the boards. He cut them to the right lengths and fastened them together with nails recovered from the pallets, while Marlin and Mort sorted through the remaining wood and passed him pieces of similar size.

In less than half an hour, four shallow wooden boxes were ready.

Thomas checked the last one and pushed it toward Jack.

“Is that enough?”

“More than enough. Thanks.”

Not long afterward, the ice synthesizer’s completion alert sounded inside the convenience store.

Jack called Vane and Reed over, and the three returned to the store. They opened the machine’s compartment, loaded the first batch of ice cubes into containers, then placed everything on the cart and pushed it beneath the canopy.

The moment everyone saw the ice, they began to understand what Jack had in mind.

Jack had the four wooden boxes placed in front of the two PATCs and several nearby PCCUs. They divided the ice evenly among the boxes, then added some water to each one.

“So that’s what you were planning,” Cass said.

“Let’s see if it works,” Jack replied. “The ice machine is still running. We’ll add more when the next batch is ready.”

The water in the boxes quickly turned cold. Air from the PATCs and PCCUs swept across the surface of the ice water before spreading through the shaded area.

Cass held out a hand to feel the air.

“I think it really did get a little cooler.”

The others reached out to feel the air for themselves.

Hal studied the four boxes of ice water.

“It does make the air a little cooler, but the water in the pit is already evaporating constantly. Now we’ve added four more boxes of ice water. If we keep this up, the humidity around here is going to rise.”

“Didn’t we bring back two CAWRUs?” Walter said. “We can install them later.”

Hal paused.

“I almost forgot about those.”

Some of the ice had already begun to melt, leaving small pieces drifting across the surface. The Dustchucks and Gray-Eared Jump Hares seemed to notice the change and began getting up.

Several Dustchucks reached the boxes first. They circled one of them until a Dustchuck placed its front paws on the edge, sniffed the ice water, and lowered its head to drink.

The others immediately crowded around.

Two Dustchucks that couldn’t squeeze in moved to another box and began lapping at the water from the edge.

The Gray-Eared Jump Hares soon joined them, slipping between the Dustchucks to drink. Some even picked out the small pieces of ice floating on the surface, then settled beside the boxes and crunched away at them.

Jack didn’t know whether to laugh or complain.

“That’s supposed to cool us down. It’s not your personal supply of ice water.”

One Gray-Eared Jump Hare raised its head and looked at him with half an ice cube still in its mouth. Then it hopped behind the box and continued chewing.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Megan watched the animals crowding around the boxes.

“You went through all that trouble, and they’re the ones enjoying it.”

“Forget it. We can always make more ice,” Jack said helplessly. “As long as they don’t drink all the water.”

Another round of laughter spread beneath the canopy.

Not far away, Cass was watching the drone feed when his expression suddenly changed.

“Wait. Something isn’t right.”