freenovelworld Chapter 310: On the Road 3
Chapter 310: On the Road 3
After giving Sprout its medicine, its condition showed some improvement two hours later. Evelyn Ford decided to take it in for a few days, planning to return it to Quincy once it was fully recovered.
"I just went to ask around. They say Frelia has a ton of greenhouses, so they’re not short on any kind of fruit or vegetables," Miles Vaughn said with an envious look. He had even given away a large piece of Dried Meat to get the information.
"Oh, right, some places in Varden have electricity now, too. I heard you can even buy generators and trade for oil to run them. We still have some diesel in our container, and I remember we have a generator. Looks like we can finally put it to use."
The generator and diesel were both from the cargo ship. The generator was a little old but still worked. As for the diesel, there wasn’t much left—only three barrels.
"Is gasoline expensive?" Evelyn Ford asked, looking at Miles Vaughn.
"Very. One ton of coal only trades for fifty liters of gasoline."
Evelyn Ford shook her head. "That’s not a good deal. We’re better off just burning firewood and coal."
"But being able to generate our own power is still good news. Maybe communications will be restored soon."
"I don’t think it’ll be that easy." Taylor Vance walked over. "Restoring communications doesn’t just require cell towers, you need operational satellites too."
Miles Vaughn slapped his forehead in frustration. "Right, I forgot about that."
"Still, having power is definitely a good thing. We can trade for some diesel to keep in reserve, since our generator still works."
On their journey, they had indeed seen some gas stations with power. The facilities were crude, but at least they were brightly lit.
The generator’s fuel consumption was pretty high, burning roughly two liters of gasoline an hour.
Because they had to bypass Mount Caldera, the group would be taking a smaller road starting tomorrow. Miles Vaughn had just been asking around about the mountain. Several drivers refused to talk about it, and a couple of them urged him to take a detour. Apparently, you had to pay a toll of supplies to pass through Mount Caldera. If you didn’t pay, bandits would forcibly detain you, and you’d be beaten or even killed.
The authorities basically turned a blind eye to Mount Caldera. The drivers said the bandits there were powerful and well-armed, possessing a lot of equipment, even explosives and a Gatling gun.
When they spoke of the place, their eyes filled with fear and dread.
Evelyn Ford was actually quite interested in their arsenal. A Gatling gun that could supposedly tear through a tank and fire six thousand rounds a minute... However, she didn’t want to stir up trouble right now. ’If I can confirm these people are really bandits who stop at nothing,’ she thought, ’I’ll find a chance to infiltrate their base later and take everything they have.’
After dinner, Evelyn Ford used the restroom and dug up a bundle of tree saplings on her way back. When she returned to their compartment, Ronan Kendrick was already washed up for the night.
Just then, a driver came over to chat with Taylor Vance and the others. He was hauling a load of wood that must have weighed around thirty tons.
"The charcoal made from this type of wood is the best quality," the driver was saying. "It doesn’t crumble easily. Usually, only wealthy families can afford it."
Evelyn Ford stared outside for a few seconds before pulling the curtain over the sliding window.
"It’s probably going to rain tonight."
Ronan Kendrick was lining a cage with a worn-out piece of clothing. Mina squeaked at him insistently, "SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"
"Rain?"
Ronan Kendrick nodded. "It’ll start in half an hour."
Evelyn Ford never doubted Ronan Kendrick’s predictions. To be safe, she had everyone cover their vehicle compartments with tarps and set up a makeshift shelter for the flock of sheep.
They had just finished when a light rain began to fall with a PITTER-PATTER. It was already eleven-thirty. Back in her compartment, Evelyn Ford felt a little congested. She took a cold pill and crawled into bed.
When she woke up the next morning, her stuffy nose felt much better. The rain hadn’t been heavy, and thanks to the shelter, the argali and elk were all dry.
The drivers hauling wood and coal had already begun to depart. A few others remained by the roadside, starting fires to cook. Evelyn Ford saw them soaking compressed biscuits in hot water. The packaging bore the words "The Third Base."
"Those are compressed biscuits from The Third Base in Frelia," Officer Graham said. "The driver who came over to trade with us last night had some. I took a whiff—they smell awful. They’re crudely made and have basically no nutritional value."
After he finished speaking, Officer Graham pulled the tarp off the vehicle compartment and folded it. The cornmeal mush in the pot was ready, and as its aroma wafted through the air, the other drivers who had stopped for a break all glanced over.
The drivers had to take the main road; the detour would take too long, a delay they couldn’t afford. That’s why they had no choice but to pay the toll to the bandits on Mount Caldera.
After breakfast, Evelyn Ford brought some branches over to feed the Mammoth. It was about time for the group to get moving.
When she stepped back into their compartment, Ronan Kendrick touched her forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found she didn’t have a fever.
"There’s been a chill in the wind the last couple of days. Try to stay out of it." He reached out to adjust Evelyn’s hat, rattling off a list of instructions.
Evelyn Ford watched him with a grin. "You’re getting a little long-winded."
Ronan Kendrick froze for a second. "Am I talking too much?"
"A little long-winded is good. I like talking with you."
The corners of Ronan Kendrick’s mouth curved into a slight smile.
Evelyn Ford took another cold pill. The Mammoth was already heading down the narrow road, which was in poor condition. Just half an hour in, they came across a landslide blocking the path. Everyone had to get out and clear the debris to proceed.
There were many villages nearby. The houses here were built of stacked stone and earth, their roofs held down with branches, dried grass, and mud.
Some people hunted in the mountains, while others used hoes to dig up tree roots and strip bark from trees. Occasionally, patrolmen would stop their vehicle and make an outrageous demand, like for thirty kilograms of grain.
The people here seemed to have had all their sharp edges worn down by hardship. Their eyes held nothing but numbness. As they passed an earthen hut, Evelyn saw a fire burning inside, with several raggedly dressed elderly people sitting beside it.
This was life after the apocalypse: despair and numbness. Most people lacked proper clothing and food, barely eking out a meager existence in the face of extreme weather...
Every natural disaster felt like a cat toying with its prey, and humanity was the mouse. It wouldn’t kill everyone at once. Instead, it would wear them down, make them suffer and break, leaving them to die a slow death in despair.
Evelyn Ford took a sip of hot water and drew her gaze away from the world outside.
On the evening of their fourth day on the road, a light snow suddenly began to fall. Two groups of refugees appeared behind them. One of the groups even had a cargo truck and an RV. Though the vehicles were somewhat dilapidated, their presence was still a surprising and enviable sight.
"Where are you folks headed?" The man from the RV came over to greet them, his eyes fixed on the Mammoth, wide with shock and excitement.
"You actually have a Mammoth! Are you from Country E?"
Evelyn Ford’s brow twitched. ’This guy knows what he’s looking at,’ she thought.
"No, we’re from Rivenia."
The man’s face lit with understanding. "Oh, no wonder. Rivenia is right next to Country E, so it makes sense you’d have a Mammoth. We came from Wexley, and we’re heading to Frelia."
Wexley was in Varden. With a smooth journey, the drive from there would have only taken two days.