Chapter 147: You Like Teaching, I Like Gold

When Jack and Walter got back to the trading post, Dale and the others had already unloaded all the gray-white powder. Dozens of bags sat in neat stacks along one side of the canopy. Cass was crouched beside them, checking the packaging, and he stood up as soon as Jack returned.

"Can you tell us now?"

Jack blinked. "Tell you what?"

"What were you spacing out about back there?"

Dale and Roy were looking at him too, clearly waiting for the same answer.

Jack walked over to the powder and patted one of the bags.

"I was thinking that if this stuff is really that effective, we could mix it into the sand outside and plant things there."

They didn't quite follow. Jack pointed at the barren stretch of sand beyond the trading post.

"Once the heat wave is over, we mix the powder into the sand out there and plant potatoes. If they grow, we keep expanding."

Cass followed his finger and caught on quickly. "You want to cover everything out there with potatoes?"

"Potatoes, and any other seeds we have." Jack gestured toward the withered trees near the convenience store. "And those trees. I'm going to sprinkle some around them in a minute and see what happens."

Roy looked doubtful. "Is this stuff really that powerful? Could it bring a dead tree back?"

"No idea," Jack said bluntly. "It's some powder and a little water every day. If it works, great. If it doesn't, we haven't lost anything."

They looked at the dried-out trees and none of them said anything.

Jack picked up a bag of powder and waved Dale and the others along, heading for the trees. They fanned out, turned the sand around the roots with their tools, and mixed the powder in. Jack scattered plenty around each tree. Dale, Roy, and Cass copied him, turning over the soil around the remaining trees.

When they were done, Jack turned on the hose that had been laid for the old planting area. Water ran along it to the trees and quickly soaked the freshly turned sand around each set of roots. After every tree had been watered, they shut off the water and put the tools away.

Jack brushed the powder from his hands. "That's it. From now on, we just come by and water them every day."

With the trees taken care of, Jack and Walter went to prepare the cable for that night. Dale and the others went back to their own work.

By evening, the sunlight outside had weakened. Colt called over a few people and loaded the cable and tools they had prepared earlier onto a CUEV. Walter explained exactly where the connections would go, then left with Jack for the agricultural supply center. Colt stayed behind at the trading post with the others to start laying cable from that end.

At the agricultural supply center, Walter started with the main connection point inside the warehouse. He had several people fix sockets and connectors where he'd marked them, then ran one length of cable from the warehouse entrance to the outside.

Colt's crew started at the other end. The CUEV carrying the cable moved slowly along the route between the trading post and the agricultural supply center. To get power through as fast as possible, they laid the cable directly on the ground for now. Wherever the ground was uneven, they leveled the sand a little and pinned the cable down with brackets so the wind wouldn't move it.

Roll by roll, the line stretched out from the trading post. Once Walter finished the wiring inside the warehouse, he took a few people and began laying cable from the other side. The two groups worked toward each other along the same route as the sky slowly darkened.

When Jack saw the other CUEV again, only a short gap remained between them. Colt's crew carried the last roll off the cargo bed and dragged it across the ground to Walter. Walter crouched, lined up the two connectors, and joined them firmly.

He stood and walked back along the new line to make sure every connection was secure. Only then did he tell Colt to have the trading post send power.

Colt walked to the CUEV and switched on the communication system.

"Elias, the cable's connected. You can send power."

"Got it."

Walter led everyone back to the agricultural supply center. Many of the refugees were still waiting near the makeshift enclosure, and when they saw Jack and the others return, they crowded around.

"Is it connected?"

"It's done," Jack said.

Smiles broke out, and they moved aside to make room.

Walter didn't switch on the RCCUs right away. First he went to the connection point he'd marked that morning and tied the main cable into the warehouse wiring. Colt's crew plugged several lights into the sockets, and as the switches were flipped, the lights above the center of the warehouse and around the makeshift enclosure came on one after another.

The dim warehouse turned much brighter. The refugees looked up at the glowing lights, grinning more and more.

Jack walked up to one of the RCCUs. "Can we turn it on?"

"Yes," Walter said.

"Then let's try it."

Walter went to the controller and started the RCCUs one at a time. A faint mechanical hum filled the warehouse, the vents opened one after another, and cool air soon flowed in from different directions.

Jack felt the breeze drifting toward him and smiled. The refugees stood where they were and took it in for a moment without a word.

Then someone cheered, and the whole warehouse erupted. People crowded around the vents and held out their hands to feel the cold air coming out. Some looked up at the RCCUs on the wall, while others wandered around the warehouse to see whether the cool air reached the farther corners.

In the middle of the excitement, one of the refugees suddenly turned and ran for the door.

"Where are you going?" someone called.

He didn't look back. "Going to wash up! I'm sleeping well tonight!"

For a second no one reacted, and then everyone laughed.

"Wait for me, I'm coming too!"

"Don't use up all the water!"

A few more took off after him, and the others looked at each other and began drifting outside as well.

Jack and Walter watched them go. They didn't stop them. The night's work was done, and all that remained was to see how cool the warehouse would eventually get. The two gathered their tools and were about to leave when several refugees who hadn't gone out stepped up in front of Walter.

Walter noticed them looking at him. "What is it?"

They glanced at one another, and the one at the front finally spoke. "Could you teach us this?"

Walter didn't follow. "Teach you what?"

The man pointed at the RCCU on the wall, then at the sockets and cable that had just been wired in. "The cables, the sockets, how to install the equipment." He paused, a little awkward. "We want to learn. That way, when something goes wrong, we can try to fix it ourselves first. If we can't, we'll come find you."

The others nodded along. After he finished, they waited nervously for an answer.

Walter clearly hadn't expected the request. He froze, then looked at Jack.

Jack thought about it, and instead of objecting, an idea came to him.

“Why don't we just start some classes?”

Walter frowned. “Classes?”

"We gather everyone for lessons." The more Jack thought about it, the better it sounded. "Whoever wants to learn electrical work studies with you and Colt. Whoever wants to learn construction goes to Warren. Nobody can go out during the day anyway, so we might as well use the time."

Before Walter could respond, Jack kept going. It wasn't only Walter, Colt, and Warren who had something to teach. Elias and Henry knew how to run a settlement, distribute supplies, and plan trips outside. Leonard understood climate and environmental monitoring. Mort, Hal, and Marlin each had their own skills. And Megan, of course: basic nursing, wound care, and first aid were things anyone could use out in the wasteland.

"And not only here," Jack said. "The shelter and the trading post too. You take turns teaching, and everyone learns."

The refugees nodded eagerly, and their nervousness faded.

Walter's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea!"

"Right?" Jack said. "Once they've learned, you won't have to do everything yourselves."

The longer Walter thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and he looked ready to start teaching on the spot.

Seeing the gleam in Walter's eyes, Jack couldn't help finding it funny.

"Look at you. Anyone would think you'd found a pile of gold."

Walter was unimpressed. "What good is gold? You can't eat it. Teaching them is different. At least what I know won't end with me."

"Yes, yes, you're right," Jack said, nodding. Then he added, "But who says gold is useless? Even if you can't eat it, it looks nice sitting there."

Walter rolled his eyes and was about to snap back when one of the refugees standing beside them asked, "You want gold? I know where there's a lot."

Jack's head whipped around. "Where? Is it far?"

Walter watched him perk up and didn't know whether to laugh or groan. He held up a hand. "What are you planning? You're not seriously thinking of hauling gold back, are you?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Of course there is." Walter waved at the room around them. "This isn't the old world. Gold is worthless now. Why would you go to all that trouble to bring it back?"

Jack sniffed. "You get to enjoy teaching. I can't enjoy gold?"

"It's not the same."

"How is it different?" Jack said, entirely unashamed. "You're happy teaching, I'm happy looking at gold. Happy is happy."

Walter opened his mouth and found nothing to say.

Seeing him speechless, Jack ignored him and turned back to the refugee. "Never mind him. Where is it?"

The man was a little dazed by the exchange and took a moment to answer. "In the wasteland where I used to live. It's far from here. Even in a CUEV, it'd take a full day."

"Do you remember the way?"

"I do," the man said. "The ruins are near my old settlement. There's a huge warehouse with lots of gold bars in it. Once I'm back in that area, I can find it."

Jack nodded thoughtfully.

It was a long way. A round trip would take at least two days, and with the heat wave still on, it wasn't the time for a trip like that. But the gold wasn't going anywhere, and Jack had already made up his mind. Once the heat wave ended and he had the time, he was going to see it for himself.

All that gold, just sitting in the ruins. What a waste.

Of course he'd bring all of it back.

Cheerful, Jack turned to Walter. "Let's go. We'll tell everyone about the lessons and see what they think."

Walter didn't bother answering. He gave a couple of snorts and climbed into the back seat of the CUEV Jack was driving, as if the matter were closed.

Jack couldn't resist. "Oh, look, someone's sulking."

Walter's beard practically quivered. He glared at Jack, climbed back out, and got into the back seat of the other CUEV, the one Colt was driving.

Colt and the others watched the two of them bicker, wanting to laugh but not daring to, and struggling to hold it in.

Walter took his seat and saw Colt still standing outside the vehicle. "What are you standing around for?" he snapped. "Get in and drive."

"Oh. Right."

Colt scrambled into the driver's seat and started the CUEV.

Seeing that, Jack finally lost it and burst out laughing in the other CUEV. Walter heard him, decided he wasn't going to argue anymore, and turned to look out the other window.

Everyone packed up their tools and climbed into the vehicles. Soon the CUEVs left the agricultural supply center one after another and headed back to the settlement.