LOSS System: Last Store Standing

Jack and Megan exchanged a glance before getting into a CUEV and following Dale and Henry back to the shelter.

The refugee who had been shot in the leg was still sitting where he had been before. Several items recovered from the entrance the previous night lay beside him. Among them was a palm-sized metal component that had been badly bent, with part of its connecting structure broken away.

As soon as he saw Jack and Megan approaching, he pointed at the items on the ground.

“I spotted this earlier and thought it looked familiar. That’s why I asked Henry to bring you here.”

Jack followed the direction of his finger, frowning slightly. To him, the pile looked like nothing more than scrap metal abandoned by the refugees.

“What’s special about it?”

The injured refugee picked up the warped metal piece and turned it over in his hand.

“I think I’ve seen something similar in an agricultural book. The illustration showed a complete machine, though. Now that only this small piece is left, I can’t be sure.”

Jack took it and examined it for a moment. He still couldn’t make sense of it.

“And?”

The refugee glanced at the nearby pipes and brackets.

“It might be part of a large piece of agricultural equipment. If it’s just scrap metal, then it doesn’t matter. But if it really came from farming machinery, they may have destroyed equipment that could be important to you.”

Jack still didn’t understand.

“Why?”

“Because you have water,” the refugee said. “And if you have water, that means you have a chance to grow crops. When that day comes, equipment like this could be useful.”

Jack looked back at the scattered parts.

The previous night, everyone had been focused on cleaning up the aftermath. No one had paid attention to what these objects actually were.

Now, after the refugee pointed it out, Jack realized the refugees might not have brought only junk scrap metal with them.

Henry nodded.

“He has a point. Looks like we should pay a visit to the agricultural supply center.”

Jack nodded as well.

“We’ll see how the temperature looks tonight. If conditions allow it, we’ll head over then.”

The heat wave outside was at its peak. There was no chance of visiting the agricultural supply center right now.

Whatever equipment the parts had come from, and however much had been destroyed, would have to wait until the temperature dropped.

Jack placed the component back down.

After Megan checked on the injured refugee, the two of them climbed back into the CUEV and returned to the trading post.

As soon as they entered the canopy, Jack spotted Marg crouching beside the eight wooden planters, inspecting the seedlings one by one.

Several pulled seedlings already lay beside her. Their leaves had curled completely inward, and the edges had turned dry and black.

Jack parked the CUEV and walked over with Megan.

“What happened?”

Marg brushed away some soil around one of the corn seedlings.

The soil was still damp, but the plant drooped lifelessly.

“Something’s been wrong for the past couple of days. Once the temperature climbed today, they ended up like this.”

Jack walked down the row of planters, checking them one by one.

The transplanted wheat, soybeans, corn, and sorghum had all begun to wilt to varying degrees.

Some leaves had curled tightly shut. Several plants nearest the outer edge had already lost all moisture. Even though the soil remained damp, there were no signs of recovery.

The seedlings weren’t exposed directly to sunlight, yet they still couldn’t withstand the steadily rising temperatures.

Marg checked the soil again and didn’t add any more water.

“It’s not a water problem. If we keep watering them, the roots might end up suffering instead.”

She pulled out several seedlings that were already completely dead and left the others in place for the time being.

After a moment of thought, Jack called Gordon and Harvey over and told them to move all eight planters into the convenience store.

“The convenience store stays at a constant temperature,” Jack said. “Let’s see if they’ll survive inside.”

Marg nodded.

“We don’t really have another choice. If they stay out here, they’ll die for sure.”

Once that was done, Jack suddenly remembered the potato seedlings still growing in the original planting area.

The seedlings inside the planters had both the canopy and cooling equipment protecting them, and they were still dying.

The potato plants outside would only be worse.

Jack walked to the edge of the canopy and looked toward the planting area.

The once-green patch of farmland had become lifeless.

He let out a sigh.

“Looks like all that work was for nothing.”

His gaze moved past the dead planting area and settled on the large pit beside it.

Water continued flowing into it without interruption.

Sunlight reflected off the surface in a blinding sheet of white. The air above the water twisted under the intense heat, making the far side of the pit shimmer as though viewed through a transparent wave.

The water level had not noticeably dropped.

But neither had it continued rising the way it had before.

The incoming water was roughly balancing out the amount lost to evaporation, barely maintaining the current level.

Rings of watermarks lined the sloping walls of the pit.

The lowest layers of soil remained damp, while the higher sections had already been bleached pale by the sun. Fine cracks spread outward across the exposed earth.

The water wasn’t boiling, nor was there any visible blanket of steam.

Still, under temperatures exceeding eighty degrees, the rate of evaporation was clearly much faster than before.

Near the inlet, small ripples were still visible.

By the time they reached the center of the pit, they vanished into the blinding reflections.

The peak of the heat wave had only just begun.

Jack stood at the edge of the canopy for a while.

Just as he was about to turn back, several gray-brown shapes appeared through the shimmering heat in the distance.

He stopped and raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glare.

The first to emerge was a large Ashback Elk.

A ridge of coarse, dark gray fur ran from its neck all the way down its back. Its broad hooves stepped across the scorching sand, and every few paces it paused to catch its breath.

More Ashback Elk appeared behind it. Several smaller calves remained safely tucked within the herd.

The heat wave had clearly taken a toll on them as well.

The herd didn’t approach the trading post.

Instead, they followed their usual route and headed straight for the pit.

The lead elk reached the edge and lowered its head to drink.

Then, instead of backing away as it had before, it stepped into the water.

The water rose over its hooves and legs.

The elk continued deeper until most of its body was submerged. Only then did it stop.

It lowered itself slightly, letting the water reach the thick fur beneath its neck, before slowly lifting its head again.

Droplets ran down its coat and sparkled in the sunlight.

The rest of the herd soon followed.

The adults spread out in the deeper water, while the calves stayed in the shallows near the shore under their protection.

A few of the younger ones hesitated at first, testing the water with cautious steps.

The moment they realized it wasn’t deep, they splashed in eagerly.

One calf lost its footing on the slope and pitched straight into the water.

A spray of water shot in every direction.

Two nearby calves got soaked and immediately scrambled away in panic.

The fallen calf quickly regained its footing.

It shook its head hard, sending water flying from its ears and neck.

The droplets splattered directly across the faces of the other calves that had wandered back.

Watching the scene, Jack couldn’t help smiling.

The Dustchucks beneath the canopy had spotted the Ashback Elk as well.

They had all been sprawled near the climate-control units moments ago, but now they began climbing to their feet one after another, staring toward the pit.

Before long, the first few Dustchucks waddled out from beneath the canopy.

The rest quickly followed, dragging their round bodies across the open ground.

They clearly remembered the Ashback Elk.

After reaching the pit, several of them stopped to observe for a moment.

Only when they were certain the herd wasn’t going to chase them away did they scamper down the gentler slope on the opposite side.

The first Dustchuck barely touched the water before diving straight in.

Its body immediately sank lower.

For a moment, only its head remained above the surface.

Its short legs paddled furiously beneath the water.

Then its round body bobbed right back up.

The others rushed in after it.

The shoreline instantly descended into chaos.

Some Dustchucks stayed in the shallows, floating with their bellies pressed against the surface.

Others paddled all the way toward the middle of the pit, their little legs working rapidly beneath them and leaving thin trails across the water.

Several were bumped by their companions and rolled sideways into the water before popping back up in a panic.

The Ashback Elk lowered their heads to watch the tiny creatures darting around between their legs.

None of them tried to chase the Dustchucks away.

They merely shifted their hooves from time to time to avoid stepping on them.

The pit, silent moments earlier, suddenly felt alive.

Towering Ashback Elk stood peacefully in the water.

Calves wandered around the adults.

Round Dustchucks paddled in every direction, occasionally colliding with one another and sending sprays of water into the air.

Beyond them, the planting area had long since lost its greenery. The ground had turned pale and cracked beneath the relentless heat.

The air above the pit still shimmered beneath the heat wave.

Yet the animals gathered in the water brought a little life back to the barren landscape.

Ava was the first to notice the commotion.

She ran all the way to the edge of the canopy.

Standing there, she watched the Dustchucks and Ashback Elk splashing in the pit, letting out bright peals of laughter.

The others gradually gathered as well.

Before long, a small crowd had formed beneath the canopy, all watching the animals play.

After observing for a while, Jack suddenly remembered the ice machine that was still producing ice nonstop.

An idea immediately came to him.

He hurried over, filled a basin with freshly made ice, and carried it back to the pit.

The Ashback Elk noticed him at once.

Several adults near the outer edge instinctively moved closer to the calves.

But unlike the first time they had encountered Jack, none of them showed any sign of hostility.

Jack lifted the basin and dumped the ice into the water.

Chunks of ice splashed down one after another with heavy plunks.

Water flew into the air as floating blocks drifted apart across the rippling surface.

Several Dustchucks immediately swam over.

One nudged an ice block with its nose.

The block spun around and drifted straight into another Dustchuck’s head.

The startled Dustchuck jerked backward.

A moment later, it swam back and bit experimentally at the edge of the ice.

Within seconds, several Dustchucks had crowded around the floating chunks.

Jack stood at the shore, increasingly entertained by the sight.

Then he spotted the hose still feeding water into the pit.

Without hesitation, he walked over and picked it up.

A stream of water arced through the air and splashed onto several Dustchucks soaking in the shallows.

They jumped in surprise and scattered.

But after retreating a short distance, they turned around and stared at the stream falling from above.

Jack shifted the hose slightly so the water landed in front of them.

The boldest Dustchuck immediately swam over and parked itself directly beneath the stream.

The water hammered against its round back and sprayed everywhere.

The others quickly crowded in as well.

Jack slowly swept the stream from one side of the pit to the other.

The Dustchucks followed after it, weaving back and forth through the shallows.

Sometimes they piled together into one floating mass.

A moment later, they would scatter again.

Several Ashback Elk calves became curious and wandered closer.

Jack aimed higher.

The stream arced overhead and fell across them like rain.

Tiny droplets sparkled briefly in the sunlight before landing across their heads and backs.

The calves immediately shook themselves.

The resulting spray splashed onto a nearby adult elk.

The adult didn’t move away.

It merely lifted its head, glanced at Jack, then lowered it again and continued soaking in the water.

Jack was having far too much fun to stop.

He simply sat down by the edge of the pit and continued moving the hose back and forth.

The Dustchucks chased the stream.

The Ashback Elk lounged peacefully on the opposite side.

The floating ice gradually shrank as it melted into the water.

Ava stared at the Dustchucks chasing the stream with obvious envy written all over her face.

“Uncle Jack, can I play too?”

She looked up at him expectantly.

Looking at the hopeful expression on her face, Jack found himself completely unable to say no.

He lowered the water pressure slightly and beckoned her over.

“Sure. But don’t go into the water, and don’t get too close to the Ashback Elk.”

“Okay!”

Ava immediately ran over and eagerly took the hose from him.

The hose was a little heavy for her. She had to hold it with both hands as she copied what Jack had been doing and sprayed water toward the pit.

The stream landed in the shallows.

Several Dustchucks immediately swam after it.

Ava burst into laughter and slowly moved the hose from side to side. The Dustchucks followed the stream back and forth along the shoreline.

Perhaps she was having a little too much fun.

The hose suddenly shifted in her hands.

The stream swung sideways and blasted straight into Jack.

He didn’t even have time to dodge.

Half his shirt was soaked instantly.

Jack looked down at himself, then raised his eyes toward Ava.

Ava quickly hid the hose behind her back.

Unfortunately, the water kept spraying from behind her, drenching her as well.

She let out a startled yelp.

After trying to hold it in for a few seconds, she finally burst out laughing.

Jack wiped the water from his face and put on a stern expression.

“Was that an accident?”

Ava immediately shook her head.

The smile tugging at the corners of her mouth gave away the answer.

Before Jack could say anything else, she suddenly raised the hose again and sprayed him a second time.

This time, Jack was ready.

He jumped aside.

The stream sailed right past him and struck Vane and Reed, who had just walked over.

Both men stopped in their tracks.

They looked down at their soaked clothes.

Ava froze as well.

Holding the hose, she stood rooted to the spot, unsure whether she should keep going.

Then Vane suddenly bent down, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it at her.

Ava squealed and immediately ducked behind Jack.

The water landed squarely on Jack instead.

Jack stared at them.

“Were you all planning this from the beginning?”

Before he could get an answer, Reed scooped up water and threw it at Vane.

Vane twisted aside.

The water missed him completely and splashed onto someone else nearby.

The unlucky victim immediately retaliated.

What had begun as Ava playing with the Dustchucks turned into a full-scale water fight within moments.

The younger people around the trading post joined in one after another.

Some stood along the edge of the pit and hurled water at each other.

Others hid beside the CUEVs, waiting for chances to ambush their friends.

A few even tried sneaking up on Ava in hopes of stealing the hose.

Ava clutched the hose and retreated to the rear lines.

Thanks to the longer range of the water stream, she held a decisive advantage.

Whenever somebody got too close, she immediately swung the hose in their direction and forced them back.

Susan wasn’t idle either.

She kept bringing over freshly made ice.

The moment the ice hit the water, several Dustchucks rushed over and surrounded it again.

They nudged the floating chunks with their noses and chased them through the splashing water.

Some people stuffed handfuls of ice down the backs of their shirts.

Others pressed it against their foreheads.

Across the pit, several Ashback Elk calves also became interested in the commotion.

They wandered through the shallows, splashing water everywhere.

The adult elk didn’t interfere.

They simply kept the calves safely within the herd, occasionally lifting their heads to watch the noisy humans.

Under the canopy, Elias and the others didn’t join in.

Instead, they stood in the shade and watched.

The tension and exhaustion of the past several days seemed to wash away beneath the sounds of laughter and splashing water.

Before long, smiles had spread across more than a few faces.

Mort stood near the back of the crowd.

As he watched Ava chase Jack around with the hose, a rare smile appeared on his face.

Marlin happened to glance his way.

What he saw nearly made him stop in disbelief.

His eyes widened dramatically.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“The legendary locksmith Mort actually knows how to smile.”

The smile vanished instantly.

Mort turned and fixed him with a glare.

“Shut up.”

Marlin lost all composure.

He burst out laughing on the spot.

The people nearby quickly joined in.

Even Mort himself couldn’t keep a straight face forever.

After standing there with a scowl for a few seconds, the corner of his mouth slowly started to rise again.

Laughter, splashing water, and the clinking of ice drifting across the pit blended together and carried far over the wasteland.

In the distance, the planting area had already withered away.

The air still shimmered beneath the relentless heat.

And the peak of the heat wave had only just begun.

But at least for this moment, everyone managed to forget about the scorching world outside.