Chapter 610: Black Water
Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Black Water
On the third day after the earthquake, Rhys Chase and his administrative staff were helping the residents get settled. Evelyn Ford and Wendy were still busy treating the injured, while Ronan Kendrick led Ethan Dawson and the others out to search for supplies every day. Inside the space, Officer Graham and the others weren’t idle either. They would immediately wash and dry any supplies brought in. The medicine from the pharmaceutical factory and the cotton and fabric from the clothing factory were especially precious—not a single scrap could be wasted.
Rhys Chase had the surviving residents from Flumen and the resettlement housing gather in the base’s main plaza. Every survivor was able to receive a thick, padded outfit, a raincoat, a first-aid kit, and a stainless steel bowl.
In the main plaza, a doctor with an injured leg was brewing a large cauldron of herbal medicine. Five meters away was a temporary kitchen where several cooks were preparing meals.
The base now provided two meals a day, distributed promptly at eleven in the morning and six in the evening. Residents only had to bring their stainless steel bowls to receive two corn buns and a scoop of stir-fried shredded potatoes with meat.
The food was mediocre, and those with large appetites wouldn’t necessarily feel full, but at least no one was starving.
The base had suffered immense losses from the torrential rains and the earthquake. Hundreds of acres of wheat fields were almost completely destroyed, though they had managed to harvest a good amount of corn. Fortunately, Rhys Chase had been farsighted, having transferred ninety percent of the base’s supplies into Evelyn Ford’s space over the past six months.
For the past two days, the residents had all been crammed into tents in the main plaza, which now extended into the cornfields. Liam Sterling had sent a few of his subordinates to get a survivor count, but after two days, they only had a rough estimate.
From this earthquake, over 20,000 people were missing, and the death toll exceeded 40,000. Roughly 100,000 residents had left the base to fend for themselves after the quake. There were over 3,000 with broken limbs, more than 2,000 on the brink of death, and over 300 orphans. The number of able-bodied survivors was still in the hundreds of thousands, though some had already gone to the base’s industrial zone to scavenge for supplies, preparing to leave.
"Attention, all residents. This earthquake was caused by the movement and collision of tectonic plates, with a magnitude exceeding nine. All buildings and shelters in the base and in Flumen have collapsed, and the ground has cracked open. It is no longer possible to survive here.
There are still some usable supplies to be found in the base’s industrial zone and Flumen’s industrial zone. The vegetable greenhouses and cornfields also have plenty of vegetables and grain. You are all free to go and search for them."
Liam Sterling stood in the center of the main plaza with a megaphone, repeatedly encouraging the residents to gather supplies.
A good number of residents were cooperative; they took the distributed gloves and went to scavenge for supplies. Others, despite being perfectly able-bodied, simply refused to lift a finger, waiting for the base to hand out their two daily meals.
Rhys Chase and his team were already discussing an evacuation route. Some felt they could head back south, while others wanted to go north and seek refuge with the Central Base.
"Have you contacted The First Base, The Third Base, or The Fourth Base?"
Ryan Rowe shook his head. "We can’t reach The Third Base or The Fourth Base at the moment. The quake’s magnitude was huge over at The First Base, and their losses are even more severe. The shelter’s roof collapsed, crushing many people. A rift valley opened up in their industrial zone, causing many factories to collapse into it. Tens of thousands are already missing. They’re also planning to head north."
"They’re going to seek refuge at the Central Base, too?"
"And the Central Base? Can we reach them?"
"We can’t reach them right now."
Everyone fell silent. The world was vast, but in that moment, they had all become homeless refugees.
"What are we supposed to do? There are so many people, so many mouths to feed, and someone’s causing trouble every day."
After a moment of contemplation, Rhys Chase said grimly, "House the young women and children separately. Troublemakers are to be executed on the spot. Don’t stop anyone who wants to leave. Rebuilding the base is impossible now. If people want to go, let them find their own way."
"Commander Chase, do you have any good strategies?"
Rhys Chase glanced at the vast, swarming crowd in the main plaza and fell silent once more.
"Keep trying to contact the Central Base. And while you’re at it, try to reach Arden Base."
Ryan Rowe nodded. "Yes, sir."
When Ronan Kendrick found Evelyn Ford, she was cleaning surgical tools with Wendy.
The three of them found a secluded spot and entered the space directly.
"What happened?"
From the look on Ronan Kendrick’s face, Evelyn Ford knew something was wrong.
"A lot of dead small birds have appeared around the base. I caught two live ones so Zoe can ask them what happened." Ronan Kendrick pulled two Red Birds, their feet and beaks bound, from his jacket pocket.
Officer Graham and the others had been busy for days and were resting in the wooden house at that moment. The trio entered the house, and Evelyn Ford knocked on Zoe’s door. Her knocking was a bit loud, waking everyone else up.
"Auntie, are you finished with your work?"
Zoe rubbed her eyes, bounced out of the room, and jumped straight into Evelyn Ford’s arms. Wyatt Vaughn followed behind, holding her shoes.
"Zoe, put your shoes on first."
"Where’s Quincy?" Wyatt Vaughn glanced behind the trio, and not seeing Quincy, she instantly grew tense.
"He’s still busy. We just came in to discuss something. It’s hectic out there, and we have to get back to work after this."
"What’s happening outside?" Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell both came out of their rooms. Evelyn Ford ushered everyone into the living room of the wooden house. Only after they were all seated did she briefly explain the situation outside.
"Residents have already started leaving in droves. But over the last two days, there have been many fights and brawls, all over scavenging for supplies. As far as I know, Rhys Chase’s team is trying to contact the other bases in Frelia and the Central Base."
"The Central Base?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "They’re planning to return to the Central Base, but it’s a long journey, so many people are hesitant."
Ronan Kendrick untied the ropes binding the two small birds’ feet. When Zoe saw the birds, her eyes instantly lit up.
"Auntie, Uncle, they’re sick! They’re crying out in pain."
Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick exchanged a glance, their expressions turning grave.
"Zoe, ask them why they’re sick. A lot of little birds have died outside. Did they eat something poisonous?"
Zoe nodded. "Okay, I’ll ask them right now."
Zoe carried the two small birds back to her room. Wyatt Vaughn paced back and forth nearby, and even Taylor Vance and the others had anxious, worried looks on their faces.
"What’s the base’s remaining population?"
"An estimated seven hundred thousand or so, but people are leaving every day. Others have formed various groups. Now, you have to go in groups to search for supplies in the ruins, or you’ll get robbed. Rhys Chase is swamped; he doesn’t have time to manage these petty squabbles. Just last night, a young woman was dragged off and assaulted. The perpetrator was caught on the spot, and Rhys Chase ordered him executed. The body is still hanging by the canopies."
Joelle Finch couldn’t help but shudder, and Wyatt Vaughn reached out to pat her on the shoulder.
"Auntie, I’m done asking them."
A few minutes later, Zoe came running out of the room, cradling the two small birds.
"They said they went outside the mountains to look for food a few days ago. Just as they got there, the ground split open, and this black, foul-smelling water gushed up from underground. They said the smell of the water made them feel sick all over, so they flew back as fast as they could. But a lot of other birds still died."