LOGINNo one knew how long polar night would last, so Sven decided to follow Brandon's example and start growing vegetables and raising chickens and ducks. The more self-sufficient he could become, the better."You can raise them if you have the room, but I'll pass."Nicole already had plenty of fish and dozens of sheep. "The temperature swings are already this extreme during polar day. They could be even worse during polar night, so I'm not going to put in all that work for nothing."Sven still planned to get some. Since he wouldn't be going anywhere during polar night, he might as well give himself something to do.He asked Nicole for a good supply of vegetable seeds and planned to use both the backyard and the rooftop.If he couldn't get them to grow, he could ask Weasel and the others for help. Anything extra could be shared among them.After he left, Nicole contacted Hughie over the radio. "I heard polar night will most likely arrive within the next few months. Start stockin
That thought made Nicole curious. "Do you know how to fly a helicopter?" she asked Zeph."Yes."Seriously, what kind of superhuman officer was he? Was there anything he couldn't do?"The department regularly selected its top officers for specialized training," Zeph explained matter-of-factly.Nicole tossed a snack at him. "Of course they did, Mr. Perfect."With neither of the little ones around, Zeph spoke without the slightest embarrassment. "I'm quite a catch, and I still fell for you. That must make you pretty special."Nicole stared at him. "When did you get so full of yourself?"After successfully making himself at home at Villa 50, the mastiff began showing up every day. Before long, he even started dragging Marcus along in his wheelchair.Nicole frowned at him. "You're still in this condition, and you keep parading around the neighborhood. Aren't you embarrassed?""You're the only person in this neighborhood who doesn't show me any respect," Marcus said.Nicole could
Nicole's words cut deeper than any knife.Marcus covered his face. He had been cooped up for so long that he was losing his mind, so he thought a hunting trip in the mountains might clear his head. How was he supposed to know the wilderness was crawling with monsters?Nicole ignored him and had Jason brought in next.Jason was as cold and distant as ever, sitting rigidly without saying a word. Marcus couldn't stand seeing him like this. "Come on, stop beating yourself up. That woman only looked a little like Valerie. It wasn't really her. Think about it. Both of Valerie's legs were broken, and then she was swept away in the typhoon. There's no way she could still be alive."Jason looked completely hollow, as though he had nothing left to live for, but he still said nothing.Nicole would never understand men like him. They treated a woman terribly while she was alive, then destroyed themselves with regret once she was gone.Since he was acting so tough, using anesthetic on him
If the Robinsons couldn't find a doctor soon, their only option would be to fly Marcus to the government base.But the Robinsons had already left the base, and it wasn't somewhere they could simply return to whenever they wanted. Even if they made it back, they would still have to negotiate with the officials in charge, and emergency surgery couldn't be arranged at a moment's notice.By the time everything was settled, Marcus might have already bled to death.Zeph didn't want Nicole going alone, so he accompanied her to the Robinsons' villa.The house was in complete chaos. Before they even reached the living room, Marcus's agonized screams echoed through the halls. "Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts!"He certainly didn't sound like someone on the verge of death.This was Nicole's first time inside the Robinsons' home. The interior felt like a different world, with soaring ceilings and the kind of lavish decor found in a luxury hotel. Everything screamed wealth, from the enormous crysta
Victor's girlfriend also worked at the research institute, though she had an administrative job. She looked quiet and delicate, but Gabrielle felt that she was much better with people than the three reserved Goodmans.She didn't earn much, and she had lost her entire family during the apocalypse, leaving her completely on her own.One evening after work, she ran into a group of thugs. Victor happened to be passing by and took them down with a stun baton.She had no family complications, seemed honest and dependable, and would fit in well with the Goodmans.Seeing Victor get married would leave Gabrielle with no regrets.Gabrielle warmly invited them. "The wedding reception is in a couple of weeks. You and Zeph should come have dinner with us."Nicole readily agreed. "We'll be there."After spending some more time at the plaza, they headed home as the weather began to turn colder.When they returned to the neighborhood, several cars were parked outside the Robinsons' villa. Body
After lunch, Nicole brought down several bottles of skincare products, all unopened and still in their original packaging. "We found these while scavenging a long time ago. Take them and see what you can get for them. If they don't sell, don't worry about it."Sven readily agreed. "They'll sell. Guaranteed." He could sell just about anything if he put his mind to it.Nicole also brought down two cartons of cigarettes. "A friend gave us these. They probably weren't stored very well because they've lost some of their flavor."Hughie and the others had brought them over the day before. Zeph didn't smoke, and Nicole had plenty of better brands in her storage space, so there was no point keeping these until they went completely stale.Delighted by the unexpected haul, Sven asked, "What do you want in return?""Fresh beef or lamb, if you can find any."Sven hadn't made a deal in several days and was already itching to get back to business. He left Brandon at Villa 50 and headed out
Just after midnight, the timer refreshed. One hundred thirty minutes remaining.That meant time could stack.Nicole nearly laughed out loud. Seconds mattered. During crucial moments, even a minute could mean the difference between living and dying.She decided that unless it was absolutely necess
Nicole jolted, then immediately checked with her mind.The storage space was still there. The supplies were still there, too. She tested it; she thought of an item, and a coal briquette appeared in her hand.Sweeping the space again, she noticed the glowing timer had reset to zero.That was when
After paying the deposit, Nicole drove straight to the largest outdoor gear store downtown.The outdoor gear market was fiercely competitive. The store was in full clearance mode, shutting down with brutal discounts. Some items were marked down to 20% of the original price.Perfect timing.Nicole
"Ah!"Nicole Floyd jolted upright in bed, gasping. Sweat streamed down her forehead, her eyes unfocused and hollow.The sight in front of her cut through the haze in her mind.This was her old apartment, the one from before the apocalypse.Ding, ding…Text alerts kept chiming. She grabbed her p







