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The look he sent me was one of pure horror, and this time I couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped my lips. I approached him and put my hand on his chest. “There was no need for weapons before the scourge came.”
Then, before his chest could start rumbling again and possibly shake the trailer apart, I said, “Come on. Let’s see what else we can find here. I don’t think these trailers are warm enough to stay in overnight, and they’re too small for you, but we should at least grab all the food we can find.”
I had more luck finding clothing in my size in the next trailer. Before long, I was decked out in proper winter gear and had a bag full of food, including several cans of sardines, which Kan’n seemed very excited about. By the time we were done in the last trailer, the wind had picked up, and the skies, which hadn’t been particularly clear to begin with, had darkened. My new-found parka was warm, but it wasn’t enough to hold up against a blizzard.
The trailers with their thin walls weren’t particularly warm either, and I doubted starting a fire inside one would be safe. We’d need to find better shelter soon.
“I’m surprised the scourge we saw were moving so fast,” I remarked as I did one last visual sweep to make sure I didn’t miss anything. “Especially in this cold. They’re usually slower in the winter.”
At the mention of the scourge, Kan’n looked up warily at the sky for signs of flyers, but there was nothing but gray. “Nests in colder regions make scourge that are more resistant to the low temperatures. They have more of the substance in their bodies to prevent freezing.”
“Lucky them.”
As we left the rows of neatly parked mobile homes, I waved at the weathered sign that readAngry Goose Trailer Park. “So long, and thanks for all the canned fish!”
Chapter 12: Kan’n
Even with all the layers of thick clothing, Sam was still shivering violently by the time we found a place I deemed safe enough to rest for the night. She also tried to hide the fact that she’d hurt her ankle, but her limping was more obvious now that she was wearing boots that, while warm, didn’t fit her properly. The place I’d chosen wasn’t that far from the trailer park, just down the road at the building that, according to the broken sign, was theCommunity Center.
It was notremotelysituated at the center of the community. I’d never understand human naming conventions.
It wasn’t too far from the place we’d landed, which was good, since I had no idea how the other hunters would locate us now that the pod was gone. All they’d have would be the history of where the pod had been before being dismantled and carried to the nest. If they thought we were inside the nest, they wouldn’t bother sending help, as it would be a suicide mission.
There were several buildings in the area, but this was the one that had held up best over the years. The building was made of that thick, gray, rock-like material the humans often used to build their structures, rather than wood like the others around it. It had many windows, all tall and narrow, too narrow for ascuttler to fit through. Most importantly, the windows were all unbroken. This building would be the warmest.
Sam had insisted we check the general store across the street, but the place had already been looted and picked clean.
I pushed open the metal door, and we stepped into a foyer, the floor of which was covered in brown and beige plush fabric with a geometric pattern. The place was dusty, and there was a dark stain right in front of a wooden bench. The walls were painted cream and orange.
“Whoa! What year is it? This place is like something out of a time machine.” Sam looked around, wide-eyed. “Let’s make sure we secure the place before we get settled in and wait for rescue.”
I had just been about to suggest that. She’d stolen the words right out of my mouth.
“That looks like the gymnasium-theater combo at the center of the building. You check that side.” She pointed to the left. “And I’ll do the other. We’ll meet up in there.” She nodded at the double doors to the large room she had dubbed thegymnasium-theater combo.
“No. We will stay together.”
She frowned. “There are no signs of the scourge in the area that aren’t years old. And there are no latrines or poop piles outside. I’m pretty sure it’s just a case of making sure all the doors are closed.” She started down “her” side of the hallway.
“We will stay together,” I repeated, stepping in front of her to lead the way.
She sighed, grumbling something about privacy and nature calling, but followed behind me anyway. The first door was an office with two desks and a number of metal cabinets.
“Ooh! Coffee!” Sam picked up a canister from one of the desks and shook it. “It’s pretty full too.” She squinted at the can and squeaked with excitement. “Andit’s only two years expired!”
I made a face at the thought of the dark liquid. It did give a burst of energy, but it still tasted vile to me. I’d learned never to say this in front of the average human, however. Their entire species seemed to be addicted to the stuff.
Also, why did humans make food that expired? The whole point of processing food was to make it last indefinitely, like our nutrition bars. Wrapped in the wax they came in from the food production facilities, our rations could technically outlive the hunter they were meant to sustain.
She found other items of interest in the drawer and stuffed them into her pack as well. It was now so full it could barely close. I watched her curiously. What I viewed as pointless odds and ends, she saw as potentially useful. Was this why so many in the camp claimed she was good to bring out foraging?
Sam picked up a silver-colored device that opened to reveal a screen much like the one she used back at the camp. She put the device in a fabric cover and tucked it under her arm.
“Why take that? It does not work. It is useless.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Shows how muchyouknow. For your information, this laptop is a prime candidate for converting to Xarc’n power.”
“Human technology is inferior.”
