Chapter. 17. Travel preparation (18)
****
Sabak. Sabak.
Clang, clang, clang.
March.
Aside from the exhaustion, it is a simple and boring act. Simple repetitive labor such as walking, panting, occasionally looking at a map, and then walking again.
“Wow, so you never came out for almost seven years until I went to meet you in that underground library? “In that underground library?”
“I was in it even during the war, so it was about 9 years… I guess?”
“oh my god. 0.1 century in one sitting? “Is it even a tree?”
“I couldn’t help it. I thought about going outside several times, but I couldn’t cross the wasteland wearing heavy radiation protection equipment if I couldn’t walk for even two hours. Fortunately, because the place is the place, there were books that I could read for the rest of my life.”
As always, it is conversation that turns such simple labor into a daily routine.
Gossip about women planting rice seedlings in seedbeds.
The grumbling sound of two sentries standing at the guard post.
The sound of two people talking calmly on a journey filled with nothing but dust and metal footsteps.
“I read it all in less than 5 years, let alone my entire life.”
“Five years? All the books in that basement?”
“…Because it was the only way to escape the loneliness and the thought that I would die alone like this. If it weren’t for Genie, I might have died at that point. “Being alone was scarier than I thought.”
“Genie… Oh, that broken drone back then?”
“huh.”
Since our backs were facing each other, I couldn’t see her expression, but I could hear her sighing softly.
“Ginny is in my hospital room. I was planning to move to a new, state-of-the-art drone like Corduro…”
He didn’t stop walking even while listening to the story.
“Do you remember when we first met? It was so awkward to talk to other people…”
The sand that settled in the sandstorm grabbed my ankles, and the sand that did not settle rushed towards my eyes and mouth.
“I thought I was ready to face death, but when I found out I was surviving alone… I still wanted to live.”
My back and shoulders were throbbing from being weighed down by the burden straps, and thanks to the steamy plastic poncho, there was no place that wasn’t soaked in sweat from head to toe.
Marching is hard and tiring work.
“Oh, that wreckage you see over there is the campsite shown on the map, right?”
“…It’s already arrived.”
How exhausting it is.
How I fell in love with it.
I had no idea how time passed or how far I had come.
Dana’s story. Not the ‘Speed Wagon’ girl I know, but ‘Dana.’ A. The story of her life until now under the name ‘Hyacinth’.
Now that I think about it, I think it was the first time I’ve talked to Dana for this long.
“Hold on a little. “If you go and rest for a while, I’ll at least prepare for camping.”
“I guess I can listen to the rest tomorrow, right?”
I looked forward to the painful journey to the point where I was looking forward to tomorrow.
Sabak. Sabak.
Just like that. Just like that.
Light footsteps left heavy marks on the remains of the building that collapsed during the bombing.
****
The remains of a building cast in a gloomy shadow by the setting sunlight.
The two men and women, holding their breath, carefully walked through the collapsed concrete.
….scramble, scribble.
Nod!
As the man waved his hand, the woman nodded with a nervous look.
As I said before, the man holds up three fingers.
two.
One-
“Wow Ahhh!”
“?!!”
Let’s go!
“It’s out! Dana! Pull!”
“Hmm-!”
Something lurking in the shadow of the building was startled by a sudden roar and ran away, only to get caught in a sloppily laid plastic snare and end up dangling.
“Kiik! Kiiik!”
“Okay, gotcha!”
“It’s dinner!”
Cheers echoing through the buildings where only the skeleton remains.
Dana’s face was covered in dust and panting, but she was holding tightly to the rope of the hanging prey. Her face was bright with a sense of accomplishment, and I was happy to see it.
“I heard there were markings of campsites and food on the map. “I don’t know who the hunter who made this map is, but when I get back, I’ll have to visit him and say hello.”
“I caught this creature, but… do you know how to eat it?”
“Have you tried this too? It’s a radioactive scorpion. Wasteland Survivors Stock.”
“Radioactive scorpions? But this one has a slightly transparent white body and seems to be much smaller than the radioactive scorpions I know…” “
So, it’s luck. “This one is famous for its special food even in the wasteland!”
I took over the rope that Dana was holding and immediately snapped the head of the guy who was swinging his tail and claws menacingly.
“What you know is a radioactive scorpion that is over 6 months old. “It’s big, has a thick shell, and is so tough for novice survivors that it should be called combat, not hunting.”
Knock. Tsk. Tdu-duk!
“And the white one we caught is a radioactive scorpion larva that hasn’t grown yet. “The shell is transparent, so it looks like it has just finished molting.”
The radioactive scorpion is the most well-adapted creature to our times, living everywhere in the wasteland, and its meat is scarce and its outer skin is not very strong, making it an unmarketable creature.
However, these white, small larvae are rarely found in certain terrains, and they are often sold to gourmets in the dome at a fairly high price.
“As far as I know, don’t you catch scorpions by spraying water on the hole they dug? I know that they live on the hard ground of the wasteland…”
“Normally, but young ones cannot dig into the hard ground of the wasteland because their shells have not yet matured. So, they live in crevices in rocks or in the remains of buildings with few people around, catching bugs and rodents.”
“I see….”
“Tsk. All you have to do is remove the tail and thin legs, pick the pear, and take out a little of the intestines, and you’re done. You can bake the rest like this and eat it. “It is best to grill it until it is crispy with a thin skin and eat it with the skin still on.”
Although it is small, it is a creature with a body length of about 50cm.
It is rich in protein and vitamins, can be stored at room temperature for up to a week if cooked well, and above all, it tastes good.
Tap, tap, roar!
Today’s campsite is in one corner of the collapsed building, along the pillars and below where the ceiling still remains.
We collected dried plant scraps and small pieces of wood and plastic chunks that were left nearby, piled them up with firewood, started a fire using rifle barrels and belt buckles instead of flint, and made a slope connecting the ceiling and floor using waterbed vinyl left over from making raincoats.
“When starting a fire without proper firewood, it is important to control the direction of the wind. “You could suffocate while you sleep from the gases released from burning trash.”
“You drank beer on the way home and took the empty can with you, right? Put it under the edge of the plastic over there. “You will be able to catch and collect the dew that has collected on the plastic at dawn.”
“And also… I think the outer boundary could be made through this hole… I wonder if it might be a little cold with the wind coming in? Since the village was completely robbed, there wasn’t enough firewood to use, so this is…”
“Phew!”
While I was busy moving around for a while, I heard Dana’s laughter next to me.
“Oh sorry. “It’s not that it has any other meaning, it’s just that… it seems interesting and fun.”
“Interesting?”
“huh. You said it during the day too, right? When I was living alone in an underground library, I dreamed of a life like this. A life that is hard and difficult… but free and where I can change the world around me with my own hands. “By chance, I ended up adding another item to my bucket list.”
“this. Just in case, today is an extremely rare day in wasteland life. There are no attacks from mutants while moving, a safe place to sleep that has been proven to be safe, and even ultra-luxurious ingredients. “If everyone in the wasteland lived like this, scavengers would be treated as bourgeois.”
“I know, me too. Still… it feels really good to be in the moment I was dreaming of.”
Fasssssuk.
As she said that, Dana carefully took out the young radioactive scorpion she had buried under the bonfire.
When I shook off the sand, a bunch of red, ripe bodies came into my hands.
Wow!
The crispiness of the skin can be felt when you take a big bite. And the elastic flesh that feels like it’s about to break when the front teeth dig in. The body was steamed with sand using heat, and the more you chewed, the more juice flowed out, filling your mouth with the unique savory protein taste of arthropods.
“It’s delicious…. It’s literally the essence of a living wild wasteland…!”
“Professor, you’ve lived in the wasteland for seven years and have never had this before?”
“I caught it about three times, but as soon as I caught it, I posted it on the community exchange before it lost its freshness. Ah, I can’t wait to finally eat this! “If I had tried it sooner, I wouldn’t have had to pay a lot of money to get Mr. Woojin to take antidepressants!”
“I’m sure this taste will be remembered for a long time.”
“hmm! Mmmmm! When we return, let’s look for it on the exchange. If not, at least submit a request.”
“If I buy it, won’t it taste like this?”
“hmm? is it? Still, there are quite a few people in the upper class of the Dome who enjoy gourmet food, so wouldn’t they eat better than us?”
“still-”
.
.
.
.
After that, Dana and I talked for a long time about whether it would be better than now if we go back and buy a young radioactive scorpion dish. Before we knew it, we started laughing like idiots at each other’s faces, which were now filled with soot.
The day ended with a happy time.
The sticky flames of the plastic bonfire flickered softly, and the air that suddenly cooled with the night passed through the campground.
“professor. “I guess… we should sleep together, right?”
“yes. I was already sweating profusely and couldn’t even wash my body. If I was exposed to the cold wind, something could happen to my body. The most important thing in outdoor life is health. “It will be much warmer if you sleep next to each other.”
“Sweat… If you sleep together… the smell of sweat… um….”
…. Pow!
Gulp!
“Is it all done? “No, what kind of alcohol… aren’t you weak in alcohol?”
“I’m a little thirsty.”
The place to sleep was more like a bivouac where one slept covered with a raincoat and leftover pieces of plastic.
My face turned red due to intoxication. Slightly drooped eyes and a drowsy voice.
When I laid down and saw her turning towards me, these words came out of my mouth without me even realizing it.
“Dana is so pretty even when she’s covered in dirt.”
“…!”
Dana’s eyes widened like a startled bird and her face became even redder. And his lips were pursed as if he had decided on something.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The last thing I remember before the fatigue of traversing the wasteland all day took over was her face.
In my sleep, I thought, ‘Professor… are you sleeping? ‘Are you asleep?’ I thought I felt Dana’s voice and a thin hand slapping my cheek, but I was probably mistaken.
I was tired and full, and the inside of the plastic blanket warmed by body heat was quite warm.
‘What a perfect day.’
With that thought in mind, I fell asleep.
****
Crackling- Crackling-
“Confirm the signal…. Yongke- Crackling!” “You came through that sandstorm, Professor Park.”
“Hi! Let’s not even talk! “It’s been a lot of hard work for three days… If you have any spare vehicles, can you send one over here?”
“Uh… Raptor movement has been confirmed, so all vehicles are currently on operation, but I think we can send at least one vehicle by tomorrow morning.”
“Then let’s do a favor! You know the coordinates! [47. 943. 15. 7]! “That building with a water tank on the patrol route!”
“yes. Confirmed. “Please wait a moment.”
Pop-
“Dana! You heard it! They said they would send me a car! “We can go home now!”
“huh.”
“Wow! If I really go back, I’ll just beat up that guy Ian like a bad dog-”
“Yeah.”
“Uh… Dana? “Is something bad happening?”
“are you okay.”
The evening of the third day of wilderness survival with Dana.
Even though the first day ended on a good note, the fact that the wasteland was a dangerous place did not change.
My body was still exhausted, and while trying to circle the habitat of a carnivorous variant shown on the map, I got caught and ended up in a gunfight. I ran away from another variant attracted by the sound, and held my breath in a hole abandoned by a wild variant… After all these hardships ,
they were able to successfully request rescue by getting out of the range where the sandstorm interfered with radio waves.
I’ve talked a lot with Dana and learned a lot about things we didn’t know about each other in the past.
‘There’s nothing faster and more effective in helping people become friends than crossing the firing line together!’
Although it was a bit of a struggle, it means that his relationship with Dana grew closer rapidly.
I’m sure it would happen, but I’m sure it would happen…
“Hey… Dana? “Do you have something to tell me?”
“….doesn’t exist.”
But why did Miss Dana Elisha Hyacinth become so persnickety?
On the second day of crossing the wasteland, I fully understood that she had become a little grumpy.
I am a former special forces soldier, have good physical strength, and am familiar with various hardships to the point where I can laugh off most torture, but Dana is still weak and an ordinary woman who has not experienced much of life on the outside.
It was common knowledge that when a person’s physical strength is low, they become irritated even at small things, and I actually liked getting to know Dana’s human side, so I accepted her grumbling with the feeling of ‘Okay, let’s try a little harder.’
And this morning.
‘Umm~ I slept well. Good morning Dana~’
‘…I’m glad you slept well.’
– Creepy!
Isn’t it more than just annoying, it’s a very cold chill?
‘What did I do wrong? Have you delved too much into the past? okay. There is no one in the wasteland who does not have at least one trauma in their past memories, so did I delve too far into wanting to know more? Or perhaps that magical day that comes once a month?’
Or maybe…. Maybe…?
Sigh!
“Oh, I guess it’s because I’m relaxed. My head hurts. Come to your senses, Professor Park, the person with you is Miss Dana Elisha Hyacinth, not that damn human being. “There’s a basket on your head!”
I shook my head as I thought of blasphemous thoughts about Dana. We’re just getting to know each other now! You’re trying to chew raw rice even though the rice isn’t even cooked!
As I was suppressing the creeping bad thoughts, I heard the slightly wet sound of footsteps clapping from behind.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, a bad thought occurred to me – wow!”
Craddangtangtang!
“There was water so I washed up and came out. Professor, go wash up too. “You sweated so much on the way, but you couldn’t even wash properly.”
“Dana, I understand… Oh, what about clothes, just a raincoat?”
“I sucked it. They say people are coming tomorrow morning. “I’m a public figure, but I don’t want to be seen like this.”
“Ahhhhhh[email protected]*#&^@#!!”
The moment I looked back, the ‘bad thoughts’ I had been holding onto grew like an avalanche.
The second floor of a concrete building with a collapsed wall and a clear view of the outside.
Dana came up behind me, her bare feet dripping with water, wringing out the moisture from her hair with both hands.
Since it was made by chopping vinyl with a talent that is not limited to a wide poncho, it was inevitable that there would be exposed parts here and there.
All that was visible through the gap that was revealed was pure white flesh.
Oh my god.
O Haram, do not lead me into temptation! Guide me with light!
Sarah. Sarah.
Even with my eyes closed, the sound of flesh grazing pierced my eardrums and pierced my brain.
Dana sat down by the small bonfire as if nothing had happened and looked at me.
“What are you doing. “Go wash up.”
“Oh no, I used to live like this-”
“Wash up and come.”
“yes.”
Hang on!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sigh!
“Big!”
After pouring cold water on my head, I came back to my senses a little.
As I began to see my surroundings, I noticed Dana’s clothes hanging neatly next to the faucet that someone had connected to the rooftop water tank.
A white dress that has been washed cleanly but is already worn out.
Shoes worn with broken heels.
And uh… small items of clothing for specific areas and my neatly washed raincoat as if I was meant to wear it.
Uh…. Uhhhh!!!
Think, think! Think of it as a reward for putting you in this position! In this situation, what number of cases should be assumed, what are the variables, and what are the risks that come with it…
Wow! Puhaaagh!
“He said, ‘The light guides me, and no desire or anguish can invade my faith…!’”
Wrong. As the sun sets, it looks like Roharam is saying, ‘You take care of it!’ Who, who, please tell me what to do in a situation like this!
….Soowoouk-
“Not you, you bastard! Ugh…. I really need to calm it down somehow….”
Argh!
After a time of cold water, the Lord’s Prayer, and the National Anthem.
A man in a raincoat walked out onto a concrete building where the sun was setting.
“I’m here?”
“yes.”
“sit down.”
“yep.”
Dana and I, wearing plastic raincoats, faced each other through the bonfire. There was a bottle of strong alcohol prepared by Ian at both her seat and mine, as if they had prepared it in advance.
“…I came out alive like this. “I thought I would celebrate in a small way.”
Tteok klik klik pong-
“Cheers-”
“That’s a cheer.”
When I lifted the bottle up, the sides of the raincoat opened up, leaving me with nowhere to put my eyes. Dana was already drunk, so she tilted the bottle with a gesture that did not show it.
Gulp-gulp-
“Chulok gulp! “Chulok haeuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu toolocking lol….”
“This is a few percent alcohol and you get sick like that… and then you get hurt.”
“But he drinks the same amount and doesn’t feel anything…”
“I have a different body.”
“…That’s right. “You are a bit of an unusual person.”
Dana looks at me blankly, probably already drunk, without even wiping the alcohol flowing from the corner of her mouth.
“professor. “I asked you earlier if you had anything to say, right?”
“hmm.”
“that’s right. I have something to tell you. And you probably have something to tell me too. clearly.”
“….me?”
“okay. you. Professor Park.”
Her big eyes were looking at me as if she wanted to see what was inside me.
“Do you know that I and your friends are all idiots? “Do you think I wouldn’t even notice that you were impatient from the moment you came out of the connector?”
“…Dana that’s-”
“You’re in a hurry. There’s definitely something they’re not telling us. “You are in such a hurry, as if you are someone who does what he wants to do before going far away.”
Sreureuk-
Chabak. Chabak.
dump.
Dana, holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand, staggered over and sat next to me. When I saw her collapse, I unconsciously reached out and held her up.
She looked up at me as she fell into my arms. There was water in the opened eyes.
“….don’t go. “It was so hard to get out.”
“It’s not like that.”
“The wasteland isn’t as beautiful or as vibrant a world as there… but it still has its good moments. “Just like we’ve been going through for the past three days.”
“Dana…”
That undeniable raw emotion pulled me in.
“Over the past three days… we talked a lot, right? The difficult days, the embarrassing moments, the things I like, the things I dislike, the future beyond my dreams…”
The fingertips approaching.
“Up to this point, these are things that Bex and Ian also knew and shared. Your most intimate and precious memories that you can only share with people who are like family to you. “Things like weaknesses.”
The scent of alcohol in the heated breath.
“But… I don’t want to be your friend. I want to become a person who knows and shares more things than that. “Someone who will share not only your past, but also your future.”
Sararak.
“let me know. More than I’ve ever told you about yourself. “About Professor Park, who will be with me in the future.”
“….okay.”
Ah, I expected a moment like this to come someday. At least, I never thought that I would encounter it in a place with a clear view of the outside, in a collapsed concrete building with a sandy wind blowing.
The hurdles are too high for a beginner.
My laughing breath mixed with my heated breath.
“It’s as if you’ve been preparing this comment for a long time, Miss Dana?”
“…Noru unni taught me. this and that.”
“Hahaha, my God.”
“….if?”
“Ian said it would definitely be safe. “I’ve sorted out the surrounding threats in advance.”
“Ah, Roru, what on earth did you do while I was gone…”
God. Roharam.
Even this woman in front of me was an accomplice. oh my god.
With her cute confession, the moment someone who was more familiar with this field than anyone else came into their heads, they burst out laughing without anyone having to say who was first.
And because laughing while close to someone you love is a very exciting experience.
widely.
I turned off the switch of the steel-like reason that made Professor Park who he is today.
It was not a cold night. It went beyond simple body temperature and reminded me of a long-forgotten warmth.
A night where you pray that morning will never come, in the warmth and feel of soft skin in your arms.
****
