Right when the sunset all of them went to bed. There were four sleeping bags with thick blankets.
The two soldiers and the technician took the first tent which was close by to the door, Fan and Yue took over the second tent.
It was spacious on the inside. It could even fit another person inside.
Yue opened up the flap of the tent and glanced around. His sister was right there keeping vigil.
"Tian, come here, we have space," he beckoned her.
"Nah, I'm the first vigil. Sleep tight." She smiled at him softly.
Yue gave her an air kiss. "Wake me up when you get tired, okay? Don't stay up late."
"Hmm..." she also imitated giving him air-kisses.
Yue closed the tent flap and started to roll out the blanket and the sheets. Fan Xui sat next to him with an unknown look in his eyes.
"Fan, come on. Lay down."
He laid down silently and peered at the top of the tent.
"I feel you're too silent today... did I d anything to upset you? if you are, please tell me."
"No," Fan Xui turned over to his side. "It's just... I feel insecure. This Fan Xui you got to know was very powerful able to char zombies, scout buildings, but I'm just a weakling. I don't even know how to harness it.....I somehow feel it's unfair. If I was that strong I....." his fingers gently caressed all the scratched up his arm.
Yue grabbed his hand and gently kissed the back of it. "Baby, your powers are very simple. All you need to do is practice, practice, and practice until you get good at it. and..." he scooted close and pinched his cheeks. "You can't stop these scratches and bruises. It's an occupational hazard. Keeping away from zombie bites is the main goal. Not these superficial wounds."
Fan Xui's finger gently pulled down his t-shirt collar to expose his shoulders. "Can Trexa heal this?"
"Squeak," Trexa happily jumped onto his face, touching his nose with her small paws.
Chuckling Yue hugged her close. "I don't want her to waste her powers," he mumbled.
"Antiseptic?" he sat up and searched through his coat. Finding the small pot of medicine, he happily laid down and started to apply it to his scratches and marks.
"What she has is very rare and special. If this got out....we all will be in danger," he gently caressed her thick fur.
Somehow her fur had gotten thicker, and it was also shiny and healthy. Her chubby figure literally resembled a pumpkin.
Yue squeezed her tightly.
Trexa let out a happy squeaks and nuzzled against his neck
Fan Xui looked at them jealously. "Aw man, she took up my favorite spot," he grumbled and pulled Yue close.
Trexa also sneakily moved close, hugging Yue's neck. She even had the audacity to throw a victorious face at Fan Xui.
Yue let out a throaty chuckle and kissed her furry face. "Fan ah still have a big spot in my heart. I don't think she can take that away,"
"Corny, but I like it," Fan Xui kissed his lips softly. "Sleep, we have to wake up early,"
"Hmmm..." sighing Yue, closed his tired eyes.
The night was silent, devoid of small eerie sounds the insects make.
Instead, It was just deadly silent. The silver moonlight cast through the small glass area of eth ceiling over their window part of the tent.
'Silent yet deadly.. these kinds of nights it's hard to survive out there.'
Closing his eyes he could distinctly remember a night like this. he was then running away from eth ruined S city settlement over to G city.
The usual sounds of insects became deadly silent. The moon was round and shining beautifully, casting light over their make-shift camp.
The zombies that were roaming around all noticed them.
They did not have any lights or made any sounds. yet they were discovered…
It was all because of the full moon's light. it gave eth zombie's clear vision.
Gulping he tried his best to forget that dreaded night… but the memories of it haunted his dreams.
The subtle sound of dripping water was not helping…
Yue closed his eyes tightly and chanted a few song lines before he could put himself to sleep. Plus the warmth of Fan Xui's hug really calmed his racing heart down.
Yue slept for what seemed like an eternity before someone shook him slightly.
Startled, he opened his eyes.
Tian was half inside the tent holding his legs. "Next shift?"
"Hmm, go sleep," yawning Yue sat up and wore his thick coat.
As soon as he took the post Tian went to her tent and slept off.
Yue sat there in complete silence under the moonlight.
Lights attracted more zombies their way. It was better to switch them all off at night.
Well, moonlight is not something they can switch off. He could have tried to cover the glass ceiling with the extra tarp he had but the ceiling was too high. It would have been too much effort.
Yue sat stiffly for a while.
After an hour or so he started to relax. He switched on a small torchlight and silently started to sharpen the sword.
The swishing sound echoed loudly in the space.
Suddenly there was another sound deep inside the facility.
Yue paused, he placed the sharpening rock down, and tightly clenched his sword.
The light sound of dripping came from the left corner of the factory.
He swiftly pointed his light that was. But there was nothing there.
The dripping sound disappeared.
Yue frowned deeply. 'What the hell was that...'
Then he caught sight of the huge drums and pipes in front of him. they were in a water treatment plant. It was obvious that he would hear some subtle sound of water.
He thought this and dismissed that weird sound.
Silently he sat there until daybreak.
One by one everyone started to wake up. The first one to arise was Fan Xui. Right at what seemed like five am, he got up energetically. He sat beside him and they both ate some snacks.
By six, Tian and Hary got up.
"I'm never ever sleeping with him!" Hary grumbled tiredly, rubbing his eyes.
Both of them had a dark black circle under their eyes.
"What happened?" Yue worriedly whispered.
"The scientist decided it was a great idea to experiment on his samples late at night... he's intolerable, Yue. He does not sleep...." Tian who was always been patient and nonchalant seemed slightly stressed at the situation.
"Go sleep in our tent, I'll make us some breakfast,"
"Hmm food bags in my tent," Tian and Hary welcomed this offer with their arms wide open. They literally dashed to the tent and jumped in.
Chuckling Yue went to their tent. Inside, Prisitsky was happily jotting down something in his smaller notebook.
"You should sleep."
"I don't want to..." he mumbled, sighing softly.
Yue crawled into the tent and sat next to him. "But you have to. If you collapse, it will be very hard for us,"
Prisitsky removed his glasses and for the first time, he looked him in the eye with a serious look on his face. "I can't... not when I know that I'm part of the reason why... why so many people are suffering."
"You are not thee..."
"I was the one who convinced the government to shoot down the asteroids......"