Chapter 3

Although we didn't have a confirmed date, at least we had a promise from the higher-ups. That was enough for Ryan to finally relax.

The safe house was well stocked, but everyone tacitly agreed to conserve supplies to leave something behind for whoever might come after us.

Well, everyone except for Ryan and Clara. With Ryan taking the lead, Clara indulged herself and wasted the supplies without batting an eye.

They threw away the fat from the canned meat, bathed with bottled drinking water, and even used precious medical supplies as face masks. It was as if the safe house existed solely for the two of them.

And every time, I could hear Ryan's thoughts clearly.

"Clara eats so delicately, unlike Alice. She always cleans her plate like she's never seen food before. What's with those looks they're giving us?

"They don't understand how researchers need to maintain a certain quality of life. Alice loves me so much. She'll smooth things over for me like always."

After learning about the limited seats on the aircraft, my squad couldn't even be bothered to get riled up at them anymore. This persisted until the fifth day.

My squad and I had already prepared ourselves to wait a week or even longer. The rescue team hadn't arrived yet, but everyone remained calm.

Ryan, on the other hand, grew increasingly irritable. He stormed into the meeting room and rudely interrupted our discussion.

"Alice, when are they coming? Clara hasn't showered in ages. She's feeling miserable!"

I met his gaze evenly and said, "The orders were clear. They said as soon as three days, not exactly three days."

Ryan's face darkened. He glared at me and didn't say anything. However, his thoughts thundered loudly in my head. "Damn you, Alice! How dare you talk back to me!"

His expression stiffened as he thrust his hand out, palm facing upward. He demanded, "Then give me the high-energy-density battery."

That battery was the only thing capable of powering my microcomputer. It couldn't be recharged by the generator. I'd been rationing power carefully by only turning my computer on for five minutes a day to receive updates.

I frowned and questioned, "What do you need it for? Did you already use up all three gallons of diesel?"

He blurted out, "Yes! It's all gone! Without the electric blanket, Clara caught a fever. She needs to stay under the heated blanket until she's better.

"It's just a battery. When we get back, I'll make you a hundred of them! Just hand it over already!"

My squad members sighed, assuming I would cave in again. I stood up slowly with a grim expression. My shadow fell over him.

I said coolly, "The battery is down to 27 percent. My computer is the only one capable of receiving the military's encrypted signal. The rescue team will send the exact coordinates before their arrival. If we miss that message, we'll be trapped here forever."

Ryan looked at me warily. His pale complexion, which had become accustomed to staying indoors, flushed red with anger.

He retorted, "You're just making excuses! You don't want to give it to me because you're jealous of Clara. You're jealous that she's more fragile and feminine than you!

"She's suffering right now. Just give it to me already. I'm begging you, okay?"

Tom, who was the most hot-headed among us, slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. "How dare you talk to Colonel Ashford so rudely? That useless bitch you call a lover can die from her illness for all I care! That would rid our society of toxic trash!"

Ryan's voice went shrill with rage. "Shut up! You don't understand anything! Don't you dare insult her like that! Only Clara understands my ideals and respects me!"

In his fury, he suddenly pulled a scalpel from his coat and pointed it straight at my chest. "Give me the battery! So what if you're a strong woman? I'm still a man. Don't make me hurt you!"

I looked at him and felt nothing but utter disappointment. I couldn't even summon a tiny flicker of rage within me. All I felt was a hollow, bitter sense of absurdity.

We were young when we first met. Back then, I wasn't exactly remarkable. I was merely taller and stronger than my peers.

In contrast, Ryan had already gained recognition as a genius in the scientific field. He pulled a chemistry trick to scare off the bullies who bothered me after school. He used to complain that I ate too much. But every time he got a bonus, the first thing he would do was take me out to eat.

We had once been happy. Then, the apocalypse came.

His frail body and abrasive personality made survival a constant struggle. I fought tooth and nail on the front lines to secure a private lab for him and earned him the privilege of not having to socialize with others.

I had supported every single one of his experiments, even if they never seemed to bear fruit. He had never succeeded at anything, but I never gave up on him. Without me, he wouldn't even have held on to his title as scientist.

In return, all he gave me was resentment that stemmed from a deep sense of inferiority. I raised my hand and grabbed the scalpel. Before Ryan could react, I snapped it in two.

All color drained from his face, and he started trembling all over.

I reached into my pocket to pull out the battery. Then, I tossed it at him and said flatly, "Get out."