Chapter 42
“My name is Scott, this is my partner, Mia.” As Peter left, the youth in black uniform pointed to a slender tall woman standing next to him.: “I’ll be the captain of the team in the next ten days of scavenging. It’s best in your own interests if you listen to my commands. Otherwise there will be big reprecussions and penalties when we come back to consortia”
Mason, Zach and several other boys promised to obediently follow the captain after hearing the punishment part.
Scott said to Dudian: “Little boy, what’s your name?”
“Dean.”, Dudian replied
“You may have potential…” Scott nodded: “But do not be proud and blinded by it. The death maybe waiting around the corner. Stay behind me at all times and I’ll tell you what to watch out for”
“So he is going to be teaching me.” Dudian thought. He nodded in to show that he understood.
Everyone heard the chat between Scott and Dudian as their voices were loud enough to echo around. Most of them were envious in their hearts but avoided to speak out.
After all, Dudian was first in the course results. He also received two blessings, whether it was by force or identity they couldn’t shake his position. Moreover three of his closest bedroom brothers were backing him up too. Even if they acted on anger they couldn’t bare the consequences by daring to provoke Dudian, Mason, Zach and Sham.
“Well, here’s your ten days of dry food and water rations. This time we brought them for you but the next time you should go to headquarters to pick them.” Scott pointed to the ground where more than a dozen black backpacks were located.
Dudian looked at the black traveler’s backpack. Lifted up one and untied the rope. The backpack was filled with ‘mud’ balls. He had seen them in Jura’s house. They were mashed potate balls, the taste was very unpalatable but easy to eat… Actually if you ate one, you will have no appetite to eat the second…
Mason, Zach and Sham followed behind the Dudian to pick the backpacks. They choose the slightly larger backpacks.
Scott saw their selection method and smiled: “No need to make the choices according to their sizes and looks. They all weigh the same. They were provided by the headquarters and they never made mistakes in their portions. ”
Mason, Zach and Sham sinisterly smiled.
“What are those?” At this point, Scott noticed gunpowder tubes at Dudian’s waist.
“Little stuff, not worth mentioning,” Dudian continued: “it won’t bother me.”
Scott nodded and no longer said anything. He looked towards distant 20 consotrium scavengers and said: “Come over and prepare for departure”.
Consortia’s scavengers were adults. Some of them older than Scott. However when Scott’s order echoed all of them gathered as one. They were supported by the consortiums so they had all the equipments and weapons that Dudian’s group had.
“Scott, boss, where are we going today, ah?” A slim young man asked.
“No. 8.” Scott turned to Mia and said: “We should start as soon as possible, right?”
Mia nodded slightly.
Scott began to walk in front while Dudian followed after him: “The place where we are going today has been completely emptied and cleant of dangers. So you shouldn’t be worried about anything for now and try to save your stamina.”
Hearing this, Dudian and others were relieved. Their tight muscles gradually loosened down and they began to look around the surrounding.
It was wasteland in the vicinity. Previously Dudian noted that the moss had covered the rear of the giant wall which was totally opposite to the desert terrain on the other side.
“Outside of the giant wall is totally different that was in my imagination. I thought that desert will be everywhere.” Mason who was walking behind Dudian spoke out.
Zach smiled and said: “At least we shouldn’t worry about the water problem. As long as we dig a pit then we could get water!”
Scott glanced back: “There are puddles on the ground, you do not have to dig pit. Even if you digged out I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to drink”
“Uh?” Zach was stunned.
Dudian explained to him: “The radiation level outside is way too high. We can’t drink the water even if it was filtered by the soil. If you want to drink you would at least have to dig tens of meters below so that it would be suitable for the human body. Right now we have enough strength to dig that deep without being worried about our stamina. So do not mix this environment with the one back from training days.”
Zach who had heard Dudian’s words was puzzled.
Scott looked back at Dudian, did not say anything and continued to lead the way in front. It didn’t take ten miles when they came to place where vegetation was unsubstantial. To be exact they had come out to ruins.
Dudian was perplexed as he saw the ruins.
This … … was actually a collapsed city?
There was a cracked asphalt street in front of him. There were moss and lush vegetation covering the roadside and coming out of the cracks. Broken and dilapidated concrete walls left from the buildings could be seen. It seemed they were remnants of two or three floor shops. Vines and moss had covered all of them. Over the years they had been covered and buried under dense growing plants.
There were broken and scattered clothing in these desolate streets. Obviously over the time of three hundred years, rain dropped over and dust envoloped them. They had turned to black and hard stone-like objects. Only the rough outline of their shapes was left.
Dudian was shocked.
This … was the appearance of an entire ruined city!
Are these the results of the outbreak of the distaster that Earth faced three hundred years ago?
Once humanity was prospering, civilization had expanded all over the world … … Only the shell body of the original civilization was left.
His chest hurt and his breath became raggard. There was moist in his eyes.
“Dean, Dean?” Mason saw Dudian suddenly stop, couldn’t help but pat his shoulder.
Dudian recovered and saw Scott and Mia had already walking in the streets. He walked a bit fast to catch up with them. When his feet touched the vegetation which covered the asphalt streets, all sorts of feeling arose in his heart. He thought of his parents and sister. Flame like explosions and their aftermath were passing in front of his eyes bit by bit. He was sad that everyone had died. Moreover they will never be able to come back. This was the reality, just as the ruins that he saw in front.
“This is area No 9. It had been throughly scavenged.” Scott saw the people behind him did not keep up with his pace so he beckoned: “Speed up we are tight with time… We shouldn’t waste it in here.”
Dudian kept his head down.
Along the way, Dodian saw that the streets have been scavenged very clean. Basically in addition to collapsed concrete walls there was nothing left, no residual items. The streets were spacious back in time, there should be many scrapped cars but there is nothing to see. As Scott said everything that was left have been taken back.
But if the technological products of the old were picked up then why the giant wall’s technology is so backward?
Was there a serious corrosion because of nuclear radiation that no valuable object of research was picked?
He followed behind Scott and Mia, as if a ghost, looking at this once familiar rowdy world but silent.