LOSS System: Last Store Standing

“What is it?” Jack asked, immediately interested.

“An electric four-wheeler,” Dale said.

Jack’s expression brightened. “An electric four-wheeler? You have one at your settlement?”

“No.”

His smile disappeared.

“But I know where to find some,” Dale quickly added.

Jack nearly choked.

“Can’t you say everything at once? First you get my hopes up, then you crush them. You’re sending my mood up and down like a roller coaster.”

Dale knew he hadn’t explained himself clearly and gave an awkward laugh.

Jack let it go. “Where did you find them?”

“In some ruins near our settlement,” Dale said. “There are a lot of old-world buildings there. We came across the four-wheelers while searching one of them for supplies.”

“They’re much more useful than a handcart,” Roy added. “They can carry two people, with space in the back for cargo. Walter said they were used to move tools and supplies around farms and large fields.”

That was exactly the kind of vehicle they needed. Even a few working four-wheelers would make traveling and transporting supplies much easier.

“Do you know if they still run?”

“We couldn’t tell,” Dale said. “There’s no power in the ruins. We tried starting a few, but nothing happened, so we left them there.”

Jack wasn’t discouraged. Even if most of the vehicles were broken, finding one that still worked would make the trip worthwhile.

He immediately brought the news to Elias.

“I know the kind of vehicle they’re talking about,” Elias said after hearing Dale and Roy’s description. “They were common on old-world farms and large growing operations. People mainly used them to carry tools, crops, and other supplies.”

“If we can bring a few back, transporting coal and searching ruins will become much easier.”

Jack agreed, and they returned to Dale and Roy.

After asking about the ruins and the vehicles, Elias confirmed that they were the electric four-wheelers once commonly used on old-world farms.

“Can you bring one here?” Jack asked. “I’ll pay you, just like I did for the coal.”

Dale and Roy discussed it for a moment.

“It should be possible,” Dale said. “We’ll talk to Walter when we get back. With enough people, we should be able to push one here.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“How many do you want?”

The question caught Jack by surprise. “There’s more than one?”

“A lot more, I think. We never counted them, but the parking area was huge, and there were several more rows farther back. The place might have been a factory that made them.”

Jack and Elias had expected one or two vehicles, not an entire old-world factory.

“What kind of condition are they in?” Elias asked.

“Some are so badly damaged that you can barely tell what they used to be. Others still look mostly intact, but we don’t know if any of them work.”

“Then bring as many as you can,” Jack said.

“All of them?”

“As many as you can deliver. It doesn’t matter whether they start. I’ll pay you for every one you bring.”

Even the unusable vehicles would still provide tires, batteries, motors, and other parts. With enough of them, they could take the working parts and assemble a usable electric four-wheeler.

Elias added, “Make sure you bring the chargers too.”

“We’ll try,” Dale said. “But we don’t know what they look like.”

“Then bring anything that seems related to the vehicles. If you can carry it, bring it.”

“How soon can you deliver the first one?” Jack asked.

“Four days at the earliest. We’ll bring one first, then continue delivering more if everything goes smoothly.”

“That works. The sooner, the better.”

With the deal settled, Dale and Roy rested until they had recovered enough strength, then left with the supplies they had received.

Jack watched them go with a smile. The day had brought one piece of good news after another, and Elias was just as pleased.

With evening approaching, Jack decided they should celebrate. He brought out several steaks, along with potatoes, bread, beer, and soda.

The smell of steaks sizzling beneath the canopy soon drew everyone over.

Hal found himself staring from the steaks to the potatoes and bread.

“Are we eating all of this tonight?”

“Of course,” Jack said. “The potatoes sprouted, our first coal trade went smoothly, and now we know where to find electric four-wheelers. That’s worth celebrating.”

Gordon and Harvey couldn’t take their eyes off the food either. Back at their old settlement, finding enough to fill their stomachs had been considered good luck. Here, they had clean water every day, and tonight they were being served steak, bread, beer, and soda.

Harvey leaned toward his brother.

“Good thing we came here.”

“For once, you’re absolutely right,” Gordon said.

By the time dinner ended, darkness had settled over the wasteland.

Elias arranged the night watch while Hal and Mort stayed beneath the canopy to discuss the brick kiln. Marg, Susan, and Ray cleared away the dishes.

Jack took a can of beer and went to the large pit alone.

After days of continuous filling, a layer of water now covered the bottom. It was still far from full, but it was finally beginning to resemble a pond.

Jack opened the beer and took a drink as he admired the progress.

The potatoes had sprouted, the coal trade had worked, and they might soon have electric four-wheelers. Things around the convenience store were finally starting to fall into place.

The system interrupted his thoughts.

“Human, you still have an unclaimed mission reward.”

Only then did Jack remember the reward from Paint This Place. So much had happened that day that he had nearly forgotten about it.

“Basic supply permissions have partially unlocked.”

“You may choose one existing resource and convert it into an unlimited supply.”

Jack considered his options.

Food wasn’t urgent. They already had unlimited bread, potatoes, and canned beef. The selection was limited, but no one would go hungry. Water was no longer a problem either.

What they needed most now was building material.

The storeroom still held cement and bricks, and an unlimited supply of either would save them a great deal of trouble. But Mort and Hal were already preparing to fire their own bricks. If the kiln worked, they would be able to produce as many as they needed. Clay could serve in place of cement for now, so neither option was worth using the reward on.

Then Jack remembered the unopened wooden pallets in the storeroom.

Vane and Reed had already taken several apart. If the remaining pallets never seemed to run out, the others would eventually notice.

Then again, they had probably noticed plenty of strange things about him already. No one had ever questioned where he came from or how the convenience store worked. Everyone simply avoided bringing it up.

In that case, Jack could keep pretending not to notice.

Wooden pallets were useful enough to justify the risk. Once taken apart, the boards could be used for fences, shelves, and simple shelters. With a little work, they could also become tables, chairs, boxes, and other furniture. If nothing else, they could always be split and burned as firewood.

“Wooden pallets,” Jack said.

“Selected resource: wooden pallets. Confirm?”

“Confirm.”

A short while later, the familiar notification sounded.

“Wooden pallets have been converted into an unlimited supply.”

Jack smiled.

“Uncle Jack.”

Jack heard Ava behind him and set down his beer. She stood a few steps away with her hands behind her back, clearly wanting to ask him something.

“What is it?”

Ava came closer and lowered her voice. “Can Daddy sleep with me tonight?”

Jack understood at once. Vane had probably been too busy to spend much time with her over the past few nights, and she was worried Elias might give him another task tonight.

“Of course,” Jack said, crouching in front of her. “Your dad is free tonight. He can stay with you as long as you want.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ava leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you, Uncle Jack!”

Before Jack could respond, she was already running back toward the canopy, calling for her father.

Jack touched his cheek and smiled as he watched her go.

He stayed beside the pit long enough to finish his beer, then returned to the convenience store.

Tomorrow morning, he would leave with Gordon, Harvey, Reed, and Mort. It would be his first time leaving the convenience store since arriving in the wasteland, and he couldn’t help feeling excited.

Upstairs, Jack took a shower and checked his gear one last time. The submachine gun, ammunition, food, water, and solar-powered lights were all ready.

Only then did he turn off the light and lie down.

They had a long way to travel tomorrow. He needed a good night’s sleep.

Before dawn, the noise outside woke Jack.

It took him a few seconds to remember that today was the day they were leaving. He quickly washed, changed into clothes suitable for traveling, then headed downstairs with his backpack and submachine gun.

Gordon, Harvey, Reed, and Mort were already waiting beneath the canopy.

The brothers had their supplies and weapons ready. Reed carried the same hammer as always, while Mort had reclaimed his chain hammer. The heavy chain was wrapped around his shoulder and waist, with the iron ball hanging at his side. Just seeing it made the corner of Jack’s eye twitch.

Marg and Susan were preparing breakfast nearby.

“Everyone ready?” Jack asked.

“We’re ready,” Gordon said.

“The sooner we leave, the better,” Mort added.

Once breakfast was ready, the five ate bread and canned beef and each drank a bottle of water.

Before setting out, Jack pulled Elias aside and lowered his voice.

“My handgun is in the drawer beneath the checkout counter. If anything happens, take it.”

Then he raised his voice. “I’m leaving the convenience store in your hands.”

Elias understood the meaning behind the private reminder.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything here. You be careful and come back soon.”

He called Cass over. “Use the drone to scout ahead of them. If you spot any danger, warn them immediately.”

“Leave it to me.”

Cass launched the drone. With a faint buzz, it rose above the canopies and flew in the direction Gordon had indicated.

Jack checked his gear one last time.

“Let’s go.”

Gordon and Harvey led the way into the wasteland, with Reed behind them and Mort bringing up the rear with his chain hammer.

Jack stayed where he was for a moment.

Since arriving in this world, he had never left the area around the convenience store. Now he was finally going to see the wasteland for himself.

“Jack, are you coming?” Harvey called from ahead.

“Coming!”

Jack hurried after them.

The morning wind swept across the barren land, carrying thin trails of reddish-brown dust. With the drone scouting ahead, the five gradually left the convenience store behind.

Jack’s first journey into the wasteland had begun.

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