When they returned to the camp, preparations were already in full swing.
Unlike Asan with Laszlo, Paul, as well as two others from the assault group, were ready to move out right now. Asan, while he still had time, decided to take a look at the camp inhabitants. It turned out there were not 15 but 19 people, including the Geographer. The first thing that caught his eye was the tent next to which a small fire was burning. It was a miracle they managed to light it in such terrain. Mostly women were sitting there, along with a couple of old men. To be more precise, six women of different ages and builds, one woman with a child, and two old men. Each of them looked poorly; some had bandaged parts of their bodies wrapped in rags, while others sat dejectedly. The woman with the child hugged him tightly, pressing him to her chest. The two old men kept whispering to each other.
Perhaps they were trying to cheer up the poor women who had seen horror in their eyes.
The rest of the camp members were men who had scattered around. Asan noticed that some were giving him looks, probably sizing him up, which made him somewhat uncomfortable but not exactly bad. Laszlo, after looking at the fire where the women had gathered, suddenly started walking towards it, and Asan followed behind like a tail.
Approaching the fire, the women paid attention to him but almost immediately looked back at the fire again, seemingly lost in thought.
"Hello. My name is Laszlo, I'm new to the camp and will most likely be part of the strike team. We're about to head into town and I wanted to know if there's anything you need?" — Suddenly, Laszlo showed concern and compassion for the ladies.
Asan wasn't surprised. The women, however, looked at him with wide eyes, clearly taken aback.
In each of their eyes, there was incredible pain and exhaustion, but at the same time, there was also a desire to survive. Even Asan felt moved by this.
"Good job, Laszlo. I didn't think you'd do it, but it looks like I invited the right person," said The Geographer, who was standing behind Asan.
"It's nothing. We're going into town anyway for this, so I just decided to clarify what we need," Laszlo waved off.
The girls exchanged a few glances, beginning to whisper to each other. After a minute, one of them, with bright red hair, stood up and spoke.
"We... We don't need much. Just some spare clothes, food, water, and baby formula," she said, looking at the child in the arms of the lone woman.
Laszlo nodded and got to his feet. That was all he needed to know. Asan glanced at their group a couple more times and then moved on as well.
Approaching the strike group, there were now five of them. The Geographer also approached them, apparently wanting to tell them the approximate plan and goals they would have when entering the city.
"Greet the new recruits, but I think you've already met them. Our camp needs food, clothing, as well as camping equipment. There's a fire station in the city where you can find equipment. It will help us, so you need to move closer to that area. Although, let me show you," said the Geographer and abruptly thrust his palm forward.
From his hand extended small, blue lines that began forming something like a map. Asan was mesmerized by this wonder, marveling at what magic was capable of. Though now the question of how he managed to get people out of the city had been answered.
The map showed various buildings, some of which were marked in red, presumably points of interest that the group needed to visit.
"From the map, you can see the red buildings, which need to be inspected. Since our town was more like a village, I knew many people there," said the Geographer, starting to point at each building.
"You will split into three groups. First, all of you will head to the farm. There are many sacks filled with different types of animal feed grain. Upon arrival, each of you must take at least one, preferably two, empty sacks. Then, the second and third groups will go deeper into the city. Paul, you should take as many sacks of grain as you can carry and return to the camp. If everything goes well, you will make another trip there," the Geographer continued, pointing his finger at three buildings nearby.
Asan listened to him attentively, but one question was stuck in his head.
"Can I ask something?" He raised his hand as if he were sitting at a desk in school.
"Go ahead?" Geographer turned his gaze towards him.
"Why not send the other men to carry bags with Paul too?"
Geographer glanced around at the other men. They clearly feared going back; it was evident from their eyes.
"I'll see what can be done about that. If Paul successfully returns after the first trip, the others will go with him. For now, though, the rest will stay here to guard the camp," he replied to Asan's question.
Cowards. That's what came to mind. They were scaredy-cats who would probably run at the first sign of danger. Such people were everywhere; if it weren't for Laszlo, Asan would have run away at the first sight of Ronnie too.
He did not condemn them, but... If they want to stay in the camp, they will most likely have to overcome their cowardice.
"Got it, what's the next plan?" Asan asked, wanting to hear the rest of the plan.
The geography teacher nodded at him and once again turned to the map.
"It's simple from here on out. There are certain houses where I taught as a tutor. These houses may contain useful items. They are probably safe since most people recently left for vacation. This will be Alice and Crane's task. Your goal is to find clothes, backpacks, camping gear, and if you're lucky, weapons. These could be knives like yours Alice, or anything else that can help us survive."
Asan wondered where he and Laszlo would be sent. After all, the others had taken the main tasks.
"Now for the third group, your task is to search for various household items.
Whether it's plates, spoons, forks, as well as water. You will go to the restaurant, on the way you can stop by a couple of houses, maybe you'll run into something that interests you. However, I want to warn you, there were the most creatures right next to the restaurant. You'll have to be careful."
Newbies straight into the thick of it, huh? Asan wasn't too surprised. But he hoped he'd manage to find some weapons in the nearby houses, they could come in really handy.
"Got it, water and various plates," Laszlo nodded to himself, drilling a new goal into his head.
"What about baby food?" Alice suddenly asked.
The Geographer thought for a moment. Laszlo and Alice seemed to worry about this the most, so they listened intently to what the Geographer would say.
"There are no stores in Janschwalde, everyone always went shopping in town using trains. If you find anything in the houses, take it, this applies to anyone. But, don't risk it… I understand it's tough, but…»
Asan perfectly understood what the Geographer meant. A child is a burden… If an expedition member dies, the camp will become weaker, but if a child dies… As harsh as it sounds, it would be more beneficial. Laszlo and Alice clearly had a different opinion. From what he could tell, Alice was some kind of grumpy girl who thought she was very serious, but in reality, she was just a simple good-natured person, much like Laszlo. Personally, Asan didn't prioritize finding baby food; honestly, his life was all that mattered to him, and risking it for a child?
"I hope we've covered everything. You have the most important tasks. Try to come back alive," said the Geographer, already turning away, but Asan stopped him.
"Then what will you be doing?" The guy suddenly became interested.
"I'll be mapping out the route for how we should best get to the Alps. By the way, if you find any tourist brochure, make sure to grab it, it definitely won't hurt us."
In summary, everyone was ready. Asan was a bit nervous but quickly calmed down. Soon, after a couple of minutes, they all started walking. Their first goal was to get out of the forest onto the road that would take them to Colony first. It was in Colony that the restaurant was located, which both Laszlo and Asana needed to reach.
After passing through the burned-out forest, they emerged onto the highway where already visible were wrecked and burnt-out cars. Glancing at the group, Asan decided to assess how each person was feeling. Laszlo seemed somewhat calm, but his shoulders were tense. He could see how they rose and fell. Alice kept reaching into her pocket, holding onto the handle of her knife.
Though her face was stone-cold, fear could be read in her eyes. Of course, they had barely managed to escape the city, but now, on the very same day, they were heading back.
Crane frequently clenched his fists and wiped them as if they were sweaty. His once imposing stature, which Asan had seen at their first meeting, was now much more drooping. Paul nervously clenched his jaw as if chewing something; the clicking of his teeth was the only sound in the air besides their footsteps.
Asan didn't even notice how he was nervously rubbing his neck. If he had been wearing a t-shirt, he was sure he would already be pulling on its collar, as he usually did in stressful situations. Each of them was afraid, but none slowed down their pace. They all understood that the path to Janschwalde might be their last. Asan didn't know what could happen there, but he already had some kind of plan in mind.
Initially, of course, he will go with everyone, but as soon as a threat greater than all of them appears, he will immediately abandon them, running away with his tail between his legs. Yes, not the bravest move, but who cares about morality if you'll be alive. And he didn't consider it bad either, if he managed to survive.
Soon, smoke appeared on the horizon. The air felt heavier near the city, and there were even more burned-out cars. Some of them seemed to be in good condition, but their roofs had been ripped off and lay on the asphalt. It wasn't hard to guess what had happened. Most likely, some people transformed into "Ronnie" right inside the car and burst out. But then it was astonishing how much strength they must have had to be able to do something like that.
"It looks like a farm," Crane's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He raised his hand as if holding binoculars.
The others simply nodded.
After a couple of minutes, they were already standing in front of the farm, and Asan could clearly smell the stench of decay. Each member of the group pinched their noses shut. Along with the decay, there was also the typical farm smell, which did nothing to improve the situation. Asan and the others pitifully looked at Paul. He clicked his tongue and waved for everyone to follow him.
The farm consisted of several buildings and containers next to them. It was located on the right side. Looking left, however, Asan saw a huge number of burned-out cars. Upon closer inspection, he realized that this must have been some kind of recycling plant where these cars were processed, as the giant cranes would not serve any other purpose. But their current task was the farm.
Upon entering it, the smell of shit in the air only intensified.
"God, what an awful smell…" — Alice said, tears welling up in her eyes from the stench.
"Shit... literally shit..." — He said, coughing slightly.
Asan silently followed them. He was feeling extremely nauseous. Not only was he hungry, but the smells were unbearable.
But thankfully, he didn't have to stay there long. The first building they entered turned out to be a jackpot, as it was a raw materials warehouse. There were numerous bags scattered on the floor, mostly empty ones. Without much thought, Asan, Laszlo, Alice, and Crane each grabbed two bags and headed straight for the exit.
Looking at Paul, Asan saw only a pitiful look, pleading for help. Good luck, buddy. Although he didn't know which was worse, the smell of shit and decay, or Ronnie.
So they left the farm and generally went their separate ways.
"Alright, let's go?" — Said Laszlo, looking ahead where burned-out houses lined both sides.
Asan nodded and they started walking.