Moritz looked over at Ellis, who shrugged. "They've been friendly and downright chatty," he said in German. "What's your sense telling you?"

The leader smirked. "Good energy from this one," he replied in German, waving at Zoe. "These twins are dangerous, but leashed."

"Hey now, we just don't have a reason to fight you," Tyson complained loudly. "It's called having morals."

Moritz belly laughed again. "My apologies, leashed was the wrong word," he said to Tyson in English. "For the sake of my people, before we accept completely, I would like to send someone to verify your claims."

"Of course," Zoe replied, bowing her head. "I will get someone to be here tomorrow morning. The round trip can be done in a day, but it's better if done over three, one to get there, one to tour and load up supplies, another to return. Do you have someone you would trust?"

"All of my people are trustworthy," he replied warmly. "My sense would tell me if someone was otherwise. Ellis will go."

The other man rolled his eyes before mock bowing. "As my liege commands."

"Is there anything you need urgently? Food, medicines, clothing? We can get it sent on the return trip." Zoe mentally prepared to open a comms link.

"Any and all of those, but nothing urgent," Moritz replied. "With winter about to set in, we were trying to store as much food as possible and we are mostly out of medical supplies. Blankets would be ideal too."

Zoe nodded. "Okay, let me set some plans in motion. I'll call our nearest team for the pickup. Boo, can you please request basic aid package and let them know to expect a visitor tomorrow?"

"On it," Boo replied as Zoe opened a link to Beta team.

"Hey Zoe, bored already?" Locky asked as the answered the comm

"Far from bored, we're making new friends."

"Awesome. How can I help?"

"Can you send someone to pick up one of the people here, take them to our home, give them a tour and return with an aid drop?"

"Easy, I'll send Kally. She was hoping for something more excitement than endless countryside. Schedule?"

"Pickup tomorrow morning. I'm sending you location now. We'll be here anyway, so she can follow Avi's tracker."

"Done. Locky out."

Zoe glanced at Boo, who was just finishing her call back to their comms centre. "They'll have a truck loaded by the time Ellis is coming back."

"You've done this before," Moritz stated.

“Not exactly like this,” Zoe replied. “Personally, this is only the fourth mission I’ve been on, the second where I’ve been in charge. Our Community is one that is set up to help as much as we can and as we add more members, towns and cities to our fold, our ability to help increases. Setting up an aid package is normal and there are certain things that are included that you may not have thought about, including tools, cooking equipment and camping gear. Within a few weeks we may even be able to get any housing nearby setup for use again.”

The few nearby that understood English started muttering and relaying what Zoe was saying to the others, causing a stir of excitement. Glancing at his people, Moritz smiled a fatherly smile. “Stay with us tonight?” he asked.

“Of course, your hospitality would be appreciated.” Zoe looked to Tomas. “You might as well go bring your truck here. We’ll camp here, share what we have and map the area around here for the next few days.”

“We can help,” Jonas said in broken English, coming up to Zoe. The young man was a scraggly teen who looked thin, but not starved. “If people are close, I know where they are.”

“That makes sense,” Tyson replied. “I can read thoughts, but unless I can see them or they’re thinking of their surroundings, I can’t pinpoint their location.”

“Uh, sorry?” Jonas asked before Boo stepped up to Tyson’s side and started translating for Tyson.

“Any help is appreciated,” Zoe said to Moritz as Tyson, Boo and Jonas walked over to where other teens were excitedly chatting. Maddison stayed with Zoe, satisfied with just listening for now. Zoe smiled warmly. This had been a fortunate encounter and may make the process of rebuilding and resettling parts of the city easier.

~

Tomas returned shortly, parking the truck out the front of the building, the data drone flying over it dutifully and Avi rolling to a stop at the entrance of the building. The children under Moritz’s care flocked out to the apple green vehicle, making appropriately curious and excited comments. “A self driving car?” Ellis asked Tomas, who directed him to talk to Zoe.

“Avi is a computer program I created to control the buggy,” she replied through Boo’s translations. “I can control him through my Talent, like I can control machines with tech in them. Here.” She held out a tablet and passed it to Boo, a map of the area already displayed, the areas they had scouted marked. “Boo, can you please just do a few actions on the map for me?”

Boo manipulated the map, zooming in and out, scrolling this way and that. Zoe placed a finger on the edge of the tablet and the actions reversed, returning to the point that the tablet initially showed. “For me, making tech do things is easy. Tomas can make engines work again. Avi, say ‘hi’.”

“Greetings Ellis,” Avi said in its pleasant female voice.

“Oh! She talks!”

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“Avi is technically not female,” Zoe said. “Avi is just the vehicle intelligence. The voice can be changed easily.”

“But it’s a nice voice,” Ellis said.

“Oh, no, I mean, Avi is just a computer program and I can change it easily enough. I also like that voice, so I don’t plan on changing it.” Zoe patted the bonnet. “Avi was my first machine based construct.”

“You have made others?”

“Yes, I have one that controls my home and another in my suit. As my suit doesn’t have speakers, Nix doesn’t talk, but still helps with my suit automation and assisting in other tasks.”

Ellis nodded politely, though he didn’t really understand.

“Sorry, I forget that not everyone understands like I do. Can you help me? I want to cook a warm meal as thanks."

~

One of the people in the group they had found was called Whisper, and Zoe found out why very quickly. Other than the very quiet speaking voice of the young woman, she had a Talent of being able to send her voice to people she knew, being able to deliver messages over long distances. Moritz asked her to recall all the groups so everyone could help prepare the pending feast.

~

The team spent the rest of the afternoon setting up camp and helping where they could. Boo did check-ups on everyone and was able to give antibiotics to someone the group had been fearing for. Their condition wasn't critical, but an infection with no treatment could get fatal.

A large pot bubbled with a vegetable soup, seasoned as Hayden had instructed her, sending mouth-watering smells through the building. A small bag of bread rolls and various other things to nibble on were added from the teams supply. Knowing that a resupply would be coming, Zoe felt that generosity over caution was the way to go.

The shared table was laid out with food from the visitors and the locals, a mixed assortment of meats and vegetables, cured and fresh, roasted and pickled.

Moritz banged a chair against the ground loudly, getting everyone's attention. "We give thanks to God for another day and thanks for new friends. We also give thanks to our new friends for the food and provisions and the full bellies we will have.”

“Thanks!” the group said to their visitors. All five of them couldn't help but smile.

"Help the little ones have their fill first, then you eat," Moritz said, waving at the group of children, all under ten years, if Zoe was to guess. The teens holding their hands or carrying them moved forward with the children, serving them while sneaking bites of their own. Moritz half heartedly told them off, his fatherly smile back on his face as excited and happy chatter settled about the room.

"They respect you," Zoe said, moving to Moritz's side. She had taken off Nix, keeping her arm control, and now was a couple of inches shorter, making her crane her neck further.

"As your team respects you," he replied, nodding to the teens waiting, letting them serve themselves.

"The respect they give me is part of the fact my parents are senior in the Community."

Moritz chuckled. "Not all of it. Tyson and Maddison respect you for your commitment to your cause and their lives that they owe you. Boo respects you as a person, your willingness to push boundaries while keeping your morals. Young Tomas is too young and distracted, but still looks up to you, holds you in high regard."

"How can you know all of that?" Zoe asked, astonished at how accurately he had read them all in such a short time.

"I read your energy and how it interacts with others. Your team has nearly perfect synergy, energy flowing from one to another and back again. I know how to read the flow. The more synergy, the tighter the bonds. Believe it or not, but our bond is already influencing us and our decisions as respective leaders."

Zoe stared silently at the feast, nodding to Tomas, indicating he was allowed to eat. Boo was off helping care for the young ones, while the twins had gone to the entrance, guarding against the night. Light rods had been attached to the roof from their supplies, bathing the large room with warm light.

"I didn't always have the morals I have now. I've always believed in our cause, to create a global Community, but I had once been willing to push boundaries further."

"Your past shapes your future, but does not define you," Moritz said sagely, placing a large hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "The sins of your past will always haunt you while you strive to be a better person. The day you stop being haunted is the day you return to those sins."

Zoe became silent as her past caught up to her, memories of blood and smoke filled her nostrils. She shook her head to clear it. Now was not the time to let memories overwhelm her.

~ Your heart rate has spiked. ~

Chuckling out loud, she smiled faintly and shook her head at Moritz's questioning gaze. "Memories and nurse maids," she replied cryptically.

"Come, the others have served themselves and your team and I are yet to eat." Moritz waved for Zoe to approach the table first before the two of them went and sat near the entrance, waving the twins to go eat. Boo shook her head at the invitation, wanting to make sure the children near her were sated first.

~

Moritz, Ellis, Zoe and a few others passed a pleasant evening in idle chatter of future planning. The two men were excited for the prospect of staving off starvation, especially for the children in their care, most of them now asleep in a big pile under several blankets Boo had insisted they use. Several worn, stuffed animals were visible, most heavily patched or just created from patches.

They helped map the area on a small holographic display Zoe set up on the table they sat at. It didn't take long for the men to get the hang of controlling the display.

Zoe took mental notes on Moritz's organisation of people. Ellis was his second and a few other adults were responsible for various important tasks. Crews went about scavenging what they could, farming the land nearby, repairing and building and patrolling. They didn’t have too many other people nearby, and rarely saw anyone other than travellers, who were few and far between. They generally avoided going too far in towards the city proper, as there were more ruthless gangs there and they were left alone out here. Boo eventually joined the other adults after settling the last of the children.

“We can set up various buildings for various needs,” Boo said. “With help from everyone here, we can set up a base to expand and survey from.”

“Are there houses nearby?” Zoe asked, zooming the map out a little.

“Yes, this area,” Ellis replied, poking a point on the map only a few kilometres away, back towards where they’d come from. “There are some larger houses there, mostly abandoned and smashed up, nothing really of interest there any more.”

“No one has claimed that area?”

“No, just wild animals.”

“Perfect.” Zoe noted the spot on the map, highlighting and labeling it for future use. She yawned and stretched, the tiredness she now felt echoed in a few faces around her. “I’m going to turn in for the night. Kally will be here early in the morning to take you to our home,” she said to Ellis.

Ellis nodded in reply and went off to sit by the children as the group dispersed and settled down for the night.

~

Zoe lay on the hard ground, staring at the ceiling. She had given her sleeping mat to the children, as had everyone else in her team. Maddison had volunteered to help with the night watch while Tyson and Boo stayed together to watch over the children and to settle them if they stirred. Tomas slept in the truck, blanket tossed over his legs and chest haphazardly.

As she drifted off, her dreams turned dark, reliving nightmares, forcing her to watch over her fatal mistake that she had made barely three years before..

A child’s face haunted her, its scared face screaming as their parents fell next to them and a stray bullet caught them in the throat, ending the scream suddenly. As the scream ended, Zoe sat up suddenly, sweat dripping down her back and face.

Shuddering, she brought her knees up to her chest and cried silently, eventually falling into the deep sleep of the exhausted.