Episode 12: Star Gas Station

Right now, it was 12 in the afternoon and we are already 2 kilometers in, quite an acceptable range for us to stop and rest a little bit. Being already deep inside the Merry Street and far from Rat Town and any peering eyes, we decided to stop for a short rest inside an old coffee shop. I am looking at the map app, and showing Natasha where Star Gas Station is, and how far we are from it.

"Look at this…all these red and yellow dots…are all living beings…red means very dangerous. And yellow being just slightly dangerous…".

"But, Honey…the entire city were filled with only red and yellow dots…look…it even spread to just about everywhere...". (Natasha)

"That's true…let's just say…that thanks to all this nuclear radiation and mutation, almost everything in this world wanted to kill us, Nat…I bet there is no animal out there that won't eat human…right?".

"I guess so…". (Natasha)

Based on the map, it is probably hard to even find an animal that we can domesticate, in my old memories even chicken right now is as big as a cow, and it was keen to eat any human it encountered. The map app updates were all thanks to Alfred efforts, according to him, he was able to use the satellite to provide me with a real time mapping system, complete with motion detectors, heat marker and even radiation gauge. This enable to me have a game like map that I can use to find all living being easily, but on the other hand, the City of Jouston were just infested with dangerous beings.

Near the outskirts that dangers reduce slightly, but it can be said that at every 10 meters there would always be something alive around us that we can find, and they were either red or yellow dots. Thankfully, according to Alfred, on our route's only mutated animal was detected, Mutants and Savages were none, and zombies were a few in between. Alfred will help us to avoid any encounter at all cost, so for that I have to keep the Map app on at all time.

"[We need to reach our destination as quickly as we can, preferably…before 5 pm, Sir…I do not recommend any later than that…after all. As we arrived, we also need to scout the building as well…]". (Alfred)

"Understood, Alfred…I try to go as fast as I can…".

I am sure that we can get there before 5, all of our belonging is already stored safely inside my Inventory, we are travelling as light as we can right now.

"Honey…I looked all over the store as carefully as I can…every nook and cranny that I could reach…this is all of it, I even searched the store next door as well…". (Natasha)

"...Thank you, Nat…this. Will help us a lot…. all of this can be turned into money for us to use them to buy anything we need…".

As we rested on our journey, I asked Natasha to do some scavenging, taking all the golden and silvers things that she can find and some intact Pre-war money. she finds a lot, jewelry's, watches and even golden teeth, it did not escape her keen eyes, she also gathered about few thousands worth of pre-war money as well. Some were still in band, some were loose, but all that she collected were still intact, the prints and color are still visible, which is the state that I can turned them into System approved funds.

"Money? honey. This is all junks…everywhere else in the world, the money we all use is these coins…".

Natasha pulled out The Coins, and showed me, I know that this world used this pure silver 50 cent coin, as the universal currency. Everyone uses this money to buys and sells things. They all still used the old-world coins as the currency, which is quite sensible of them, the coin survives the fallout and at the end of the day, people need to engage in trades, so the existing coins being use is quite reasonable.

"...I understand, Nat…but for us…from now on…these golds, silver and this pre-war money…is valuable to us…believe me…as long as we hoard this…we can have anything we want…".

"Really? well…if you say so…. but it is only for us, right?". (Natasha)

"That's right…for the whole world it's value remained the same…nothing but a junk...".

I stored the collected valuables and put them all into my Inventory, and I smirked at Natasha, as we started to walked again.

"Meaning…we should hoard them from now on, right….". (Natasha)

"Yes.".

"Alright, we will do just that…whenever I see them…I'll make sure to get as many as I can…". (Natasha)

She sure is wise and supportive, whatever I insisted on she would accommodate it, no matter how absurd it sounded. She has yet seen the reason as to why I said this would be beneficial for us and she just agreed to it, and I am thankful for that.

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Local time, 3:23 PM.

"...Honey...is this the place?". (Natasha)

"...I believe…it is…Star Gas Station…".

We have finally arrived at our destination, the Star Gas Station the most isolated structure at the southeast end of Jouston City. It was a small family-owned gas station, the building was mostly still intact and standing sturdy. With a late 40's style building design and style, for me it was certainly stylish and quite neat to look at. The building itself is just 10x10 meter big, like a box made out of thick concrete it was almost looked like a bunker, the front side of the building has a glass window that started halfway on the wall, glasses door. To complete the gas station looks is the 2 small pump station right in front of the building, a 5-parking slot on the right side of the building, and on the left and back side were simply empty land, and on the right side roughly about 600 meters away, was where the overgrown mutated forest started.

"It is certainly an abandoned gas station…but the building. Sure, is sturdy…". (Natasha)

Natasha said as she slapping the building wall, we both had decided to went around the building first, looking and scouting for anything that might posed a danger to us and so far, we found nothing, so we met up at the front door of the gas station.

"So far, so good now…let's go in now…CHAK! ...um…Nat, what are you doing?".

I rack the gun and ready, but all of a sudden, Natasha just swiftly moved in front of me.

"Honey…. I think…it's best for me to go in first…". (Natasha)

She really is a remarkable wife, jumping into the danger first, protecting me.

"Nat…I have a gun….and I know how to use them…it's better for you to follow my lead…and if I am in danger. You can just pull me out. Right?".

"But, Honey…". (Natasha)

"Thank you for worrying about me…but, it will be fine…trust me…".

We shouldn't be wasting our time here arguing about doing a noble thing or whatnot, so I insisted persistently that I should go first and she would be behind me, Natasha relented and agreed with me going in front, finally. The inside of the gas station store was small, there was a few merchandises shelf inside about just 4 of them, a magazine stand on the left, the counter on the right and on the wall in the middle were just 3 in wall refrigerator, as for any threat, there is nothing, just a lot of dust.

There are 2 doors, on the left and on the right, the door on the left are just broom closet and the Right room, is a small break room/office, there's pantry shelf, tables and chair in it, as well as microwave and coffee maker. We are searching for a way to lead to the basement floor, and I know that there was a door that lead to the stair leading down are in this room, after all, the old me has once goes down there, thankfully I discovered the way.

"Nat…it's that door…open it…".

Natasha nodded; acted on my command, it was a simple hidden door or rather just a simply bad door placement. It was on the left side of the end of the room, passed the break table on the opposite of the office table. As Natasha opened the door, I used my phone torchlight as our source of light. Slowly and carefully both of us made our way downwards, Natasha left the door opened and followed me closely from behind. We are finally inside the underground floor below the gas station, and this floor is a little bit bigger that the upstairs and the entire floor were just being used as storage area for the store merchandise and product.

"[Congratulations, Sir…we have arrived…safely…]". (Alfred)

"Fuh~...all clear Nat,…we are safe, there nothing in here…except us…we made it, love…we made it…Haha!".