“Your home,” I replied.
“Home?” he asked, brow lowered in confusion.
“Build your home first. With our help, of course, and then we can discuss a list. Our greatest needs are foundations for houses and means to keep water in small channels, and then come the roads. We have ample stone but no real experience doing it, unless you count our records Andi and Silk are poring over. We’re not just going to build a camp here, Breslin. Do you understand what I mean by that?”
“You want . . . a city?” he asked.
“For starters. We’re going to give people a safe place, away from that shithole Kassos and every other amateur dictator who’s carved this land up. We have Hightec, and a lot of it. I’d be lying if I said your arms weren’t going to prove useful, but your mind is just as valuable to me. To us,” I said.
“If you’re building all that, then I have a third quality you’ll want to use, and the good news is it will cost you nothing.”
“Which is?” I asked.
“I will fight. You know others will come, and not all of them intend on being a part of something. They’ll want what you have. I heard nothing of your Hightec, but someone has, and they’ll come for it. For you, and Silk, and all of this,” he said, his tone colored with regret.
“I know. We expect it, and sooner rather than later.” I clapped him on an enormous shoulder and pointed to the horizon. “We have a network building, and with it, I’m going to reestablish a place where children can grow up. Where people will get old, instead of dead at thirty. Or sooner. Trust me, whoever chooses to invade us makes a fatal mistake. I’ll see to that.”
He nodded, then turned his grin to me. “In that case, we have a lot of work to do. Show me this water you need shaped. I have a few ideas.”
“See the channels that run from our main springs?” I asked.
“Radial, small, protected. All good things to carry the water farther. I assume you want to expand the system?” Breslin turned in place, his eyes taking in every detail.
“We have three more springs located. What would you do to replicate this system, or even improve on it?”
He pulled at his chin, then gestured that I should lead. “Show me one of the sites? I’d rather know what I’m working with before making promises.”
“I like that. This way,” I said, striding off to the closest water source we’d found. It was to the east, where the succulents gave away a hidden cache of water. It was also close to Derin and Scoot’s forge, which they brought with them from The Outpost. Derin and his daughter were invaluable for his skill and her role as his assistant. Their craft—metalworking--- would need a considerable portion of the water in order to assure their productivity.
In minutes, we were standing in the bright sun, staring down a clear pool surrounded by green, living things on three sides.
“Does it overflow? Ah, okay. I see.” Breslin knelt by the small trickle that led away. The stream was knee deep, but the flow was good and, more concerning, underused. He rubbed his head, thinking, then stood with an air of decision. “Tell me more about your plan for this part of the settlement. Will you use the same model? Channels, trees, and homes?”
“Right. Same thing, but Derin and Scoot—that’s their place over there—will be here, along with space for a few more craft people. Leather, fabric. Maybe some printing. It won’t be purely industrial, but more of a mixed area,” I said.
“Then the first thing I would do is stone the walls, build up a reservoir, and decide where the homes will be. I like this setting, but the water will only flow so far if trees are using it. I don’t know anything about trees, so we’ll need someone to take a guess,” he said.
“Let’s say a hundred meters, maximum, for each channel. We can fit twenty buildings around this, along with open space and enough tree cover to protect the gardens. If we have to, we can dig this spring out, or see if we can punch through the water table nearby. We have access to data that might let us do just that,” I said. I didn’t mention what Andi had at her fingertips because I didn’t know Breslin well enough to reveal our second and third sites.
“That makes sense. So I’ll need access to sandstone or something harder, and I can build the channels first, then cut out the connections and let the water run. Might be a good idea to have a small pond at the end of one of the channels, just in case we get a heavy rain. And you know we will. I’ve seen evidence of the storms that blow through here. It’s better to have a place for all that water to go,” Breslin said.
“There’s a ridge just west of us that’s nothing but rock. I can take you there later, and we can stake the channels. You’ll have help, by the way. New arrivals work on their own homes. The sweat makes them care for it more. Like an investment,” I said.
“Good plan.” He scanned the distance, then looked back at me, his eyes questioning. “What about defense?”
“For now, we have active defenses that you can’t see, but trust me when I say it’s unlike anything you’ve known. Later, we’ll build walls, if only to contain our growth as it happens. We’re here for the long haul, and that means building smart, not just throwing places up for the purpose of a roof,” I said.
“We saw monsters in the desert. Things I never imagined, or at least signs of them. Tracks, scat. Bones. I’m not going to lie, a wall would make me feel a lot better, especially knowing my children only have a wagon to protect them,” he said.
“What about two walls? Or even three?” I asked.
“Go on.”
I knelt and began scratching a rough diagram in the dirt. “I see us growing in a pattern, sure, but there’s more to it than that. We’re going to establish The Oasis as a hub for control, law, and commerce. But that’s the beginning, because I know there’s a shitstorm on the horizon. There always is,” I said.
“And you’re going to make concentric rings of control, to fall back in case a large force of—people? Creatures? What?” Breslin asked.
“People worry me more than monsters. I can handle most animals by myself, and they actually serve a purpose for us.”
“Meat? Hide?” he asked. “What else?”
“They’re a threat. Not the kind of vague bullshit people use to control the masses. They’re a real, tangible threat to show people that just because we’re building a stable city, the land around us is vicious. It will always find a way to kill you, because this world is not civilized. Not even a little bit. The virus left life in such disarray, I wouldn’t be surprised if a dragon came flying overhead. I don’t want to lose people, and I want us to be safe, but—”
“A good jolt of reality wouldn’t hurt now and then, eh? Especially if it has claws. Or wings. Or Both,” Breslin said, laughing easily.
“Exactly. And that’s just one of the big-ticket items I have in mind, along with a thousand others. We’ll never recreate the urban decay of— ah, where I’m from, which means we have to start with a better foundation, and lay plans for a fight against nature that will never end,” I said.
Breslin gave me a measured look, and when he spoke, it was in a slow, deliberate tone. “I know you might want to reveal all your plans to me. I’m an outsider. But your desire to hide where you’re from doesn’t really matter to me, Jack. I don’t care, and it’s a little late to close your jaw now, don’t you think?”
I smiled at him. He was quick, and more importantly, he was right. “I guess if you’re in on our future defenses, the possibility you’re a spy for an invading army is irrelevant. You could just build a door and let them walk right in,” I said.
“And poison your water, or some other cowardly act,” he said.
“Cowardice is another word for sneaky, especially when you’re fighting giant lizards. Or ogre things with human flesh stuck in their teeth,” I said.
“It was you. I’ll be damned. Hardhead?” Hardhead had been a monstrous, cannibalistic creature with a bounty on his head. I took his head, and then I took the bounty.
“My work, yes
. I’d just arrived in town, so to speak. Had to earn a little coin before I knew what my next step was going to be,” I admitted.
“I went the same route, but without the heroics.”
“There was nothing heroic about how Hardhead smelled,” I said, earning a bark of laughter from Breslin.
“Still, I came into the city from a settlement to the north. Low hills where my family was able to scrape by as ranchers. A hard life, but I took to the hammer at a young age. I was always finding bones and such, but from old creatures long past,” Breslin said.
“Fossils? That’s what got you working stone?”
“Among other things. Being this size helped,” he said, and it was my turn to laugh.
“Sometimes, we’re built for a certain job. Need anything from me right now?” I asked him.
“I’ll unload the wagons and then wrangle the kids later. Is there a community meal tonight?”
“Sunset. In the center, and I’ll show you the facility under us. It’s part greenhouse, power center, and storage, but that’s all changing since we found Andi. She’s both engineer and advisor, and we can all talk tonight. We’ve got a surprise for everyone. The good kind.” I peered up at the sun. It would be a full afternoon of work, and by the time the fire was going, I would be ready for some quiet. “Meet me at the fire, and we’ll go from there.”
“Until then,” Breslin said, clasping my hand and moving off. He was grinning like a man who’s just found the kind of job security one can only dream of, and he was right.
4
Everyone milled around nibbling at roasted bird while we waited for the main course, an enormous rattler that would easily feed an army. Three people took turns basting the creature, which was curled up and stuck with metal rods to hold it in place over the glowing coals. As barbecue went, it was quite different than anything from my time, but for now, it smelled incredible.
Mira poked the snake with a knife, nodded, and pronounced it done. “Grab a plate and come on. Veggies are here, herbs are chopped, and we’ve got some flatbread for the drippings. There’s plenty. Don’t be shy.”
People began moving into a line, parents pushing their kids ahead, with several of the men holding back. Breslin and Derin were in conversation, smiling and chatting in what could only be good for The Oasis. I waited too as the line thinned. There was plenty of rattler to go around, and by the time I made my way to the food, people were settled on the ground, talking and eating in a companionable hum.
“Snake?” Breslin asked.
“Better than almost anything except those big hogs. We eat birds, and even the occasional unidentified critter. Fish, too, when we can get it, but the rattlers are—well, I won’t say easy to kill, but there are plenty of them around,” I said, peeling the snakeskin back from the white flesh and slicing some away with my knife. We had plates and cups and cutlery; all courtesy of the stores underneath and what our new arrivals brought with them. As a community, we were reaching a point where people could stock their homes and not give everything away. It was a good sign, and we were about to have an even better one as the sun set.
Andi slid next to me, a grin on her lips, her hazel eyes twinkling with excitement. Her blonde hair had gotten longer, but she still looked like an elven maiden to me. Her smile deepened as I admired her. “Ready,” she said.
“Do the honors? It’s your baby,” I said.
“Happy to. Mira helped, along with a few others. With a crew of six, we can complete beyond the borders of the forest, right out into The Empty, if that’s what you want,” Andi said.
“I think that sounds like a huge step forward,” I said.
“Was hoping you’d say that. It’s time to reclaim this world. We start here, and that’s not the only good news.”
“I’m listening,” I said, leaning close enough to smell the spice of her skin. She was glowing with excitement and it made her even more beautiful.
“I finished prepping the solar trucks. They’ll carry a ton at minimum, and roll over anything in this godforsaken desert. They’ve got a range of eighty klicks a day and you can start using them right away. Parked at our place, under the trees.”
“That’s a game changer. Any chance there are more stashed away?” I asked her.
She kissed my forehead, chuckling. “I’m sure of it, but I need to dive into the manifests that were updated after I went in the tube. Silk can help while you and Mira bring home the bacon.”
“Thanks, babe.” I looked around at the people and nodded to her. “Your show.”
Andi stood and clapped her hands. “Listen up. A lot of work went into this next trick, and there’s more where that came from.” She walked to a post and I heard a distinct click.
Lights flared into life along the center pathway, drawing a gasp and then applause.
“I’ll be damned,” Breslin said. “Power. Real, steady power.”
“And more where that came from. We had a source underneath us, in the facility, but that’s no longer necessary. I’ll be upfront with you. We have a reactor, and we can light up the entire area if we want. We’re going to run lights, but each home will have power, too. We’re done with camping out. From here on, we don’t just survive. We solidify our hold on this place and push outward. No matter what,” I told him.
“Why do I feel like that was a question?” Breslin asked me.
“Because it was. You’re either in or out, and I need that hammer you brought swinging as soon as possible. What do you think?”
He smiled and unfolded a scrap of paper. “I made a few notes this afternoon, ranking the projects that I can do by importance to everyone here. Before I say anything, I’m going to need a team. I can’t do waterworks by myself, and I think you’re going to like my other ideas even more.”
“You’ve got it. How many?”
“Twenty to start,” he said without flinching. “Not water channels.”
“The roads, then? That’s your first item?” I asked.
“How did you guess?” He laughed, then began to read the other items. “Three days to lay the base for my house. My family can work on it, and I can do split time between the road and home. I’m guessing that reactor didn’t come from the facility under our feet?”
“You would be right,” I said in a neutral tone.
“Then you’ll want to connect us to wherever the other settlement is. And that means stabilizing a road that is, at best, a ruin. There’s only one way to do that. I think,” he said.
“Tell me.”
“We take what’s left of the road and make a smaller road, or maybe even two narrow paths, like what a wagon might roll on. Small, easy to make, and we could do a section each day, if we have enough people. How far away is the other place?” he asked.
If I answered his question, it would be a leap of faith on my part. Since he didn’t know about my ‘bots, I decided to tell him of the nanobots in my blood, what they did, and where they came from. The risk was worth the reward.
“The road surfaces to our east, and I’ll want to connect the hidden spring where Derin and Scoot are set up. That’s less than a klick. That comes first, before anything else.”
Breslin squinted into the growing darkness. “Not much to work with, but okay. Four days, maybe five if we have water, my tools, and enough existing material.”
“Five days. Not bad,” I said, and I meant it. Building a network of roads—which was, in effect, rebuilding the modern world—was nothing short of a heroic task. “Let’ me see if I can speed things up.”
“How so?” he asked.
“Easy. More hands.” I stood and walked to the center pit, jumping up on a tall rock that served as a table. “Everyone get enough to eat?” I asked. The answering cheer was music to my ears. We were well-fed, happy, and tired from productive work. For now, we avoided the bullshit of petty issues, but I knew those would come later. Right now, survival was still uncertain, and that went a long way toward eliminating things that didn’t really matter
.
“What do you need, boss? We got a belly full o’ snake. This is the time to ask,” someone shouted. It earned a good-natured laugh, like a warm ripple through the crowd.
“Right to the point, hey? Well, here it is. This big guy is Breslin, and he’s going to take over two projects for us. Projects that will help us live in a way like, well—like these lights.” I pointed overhead to the chain of bright white bulbs above our heads. They cast little pools of safety and civilization, and their light was steady and warm. Andi had a good connection, and the reactor was running perfectly.
“What projects?” Mira asked. She was sitting cross-legged, chewing idly on a stem.
“Water channels. Five of them at minimum, and the four new springs, and all that entails. They’ll be covered, at least partially, by the baked tiles that Lasser’s crew has been making. Breslin will run with that, so that’s one part of what he’ll oversee. The other is a bit more aggressive. We’re going to use the highway exposed by the storms, and we’re going to reconnect our points of interest. Here, Derin’s new place, all the way to the Fortress. We need as many hands on this as possible. I’m not going to lie. It’s hard work, but if you go to the road crew—or the waterways—we’ll finish your house for you. I need three teams of as many people as I can get, and we’ll start tomorrow. Show of hands?”
A forest of arms went up.
“I need twenty people to stay here for house construction, ten to feed us, and two for water. Other than that, security is covered and I’ll start hunting hog tomorrow. We eat pig every night until the roads are done.”
The answering cheer was loud enough to make me wince. It was amazing what good barbecue could do to motivate a group of hardened survivors.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Mira, you’re with me at dawn. Lasser is fishing, but when he returns he’s second in command. Silk, you’re in charge here, and everyone else, split up according to your skills. Kids stay put or run water. Derin and Scoot, you stay on task at your place—where’s Beba?” I asked.
Future Reborn Box Set Page 44
