Tabs woke up with a start; she felt disoriented and confused; she had no immediate recollection of where she was and went into panic mode. Her eyes flitted around the darkened room. The room smelt old and musty with dampness in the air, and there was not the usual fetid stench of human bodies crammed together in a confined space. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom slowly, and she noticed someone else in the room, 'Who is that? Where am I?' she thought. She could see the shape of someone's body in the corner of the room, lying on a mattress on the floor.
Scenes began to fade in and out of her recollection, as some moments were a blur to her but then crystal clear the next. Her mind jumped from one event to another, and she struggled to defragment the whole journey, leading her to this point.
She remembered the sharp pain she had felt as her ankle had given out under her and the warning notification that had flashed up on her display. She could still see the dark red outline of her ankle on her retina, and then they started moving away from the site. After that, everything had gone into a blur; she had been running on adrenaline and compartmentalised her pain and could not even remember getting where she was now. She used to do the same when she had suffered a beating at the hands of the raiders; she would go internally in her mind and shut off the outside world. It was the only way she had endured some of the degrading activities she had been made to do with Henry, the leader of the raiding band. She could not remember the name of the person who had helped her but vaguely remembered he had told her his name and had no idea what she would do now.
The only thing that started to strike her was that for the first time in over eight years, she was no longer awakening to a beating or someone screaming at her to do some work. The female slaves were controlled by a witch of a woman called Meg; she was a vicious woman who used to beat them with a metal chain while ordering them to complete menial tasks. Sometimes, they would cook. Other times, they would clean, although most of the time was spent being used as an ornament for Henry. She was sitting at his feet like an obedient dog.
She sat in the near darkness of the shuttered room, staring at the man across from her. She did not trust men and wondered if she was free. She had been tricked by the slave buyer who had seemed kind when she had been bought at the market. Would this man expect her to satisfy him, or even worse, she knew she could if she needed to, but it had been years now since she had last had sex, and after the pain caused by the second miscarriage, she had not even considered it since. The emotions that suddenly hit her were overwhelming: confusion, fear, happiness, ecstasy, so many intertwined thoughts that she could not control them, and she began to sob. She curled back under the blanket and quietly cried until she could cry no more.
Tabs realised she needed the bathroom; she didn't know where it was but needed to go. She went to get up and, without thinking, put weight on her ankle, "Argh", she cried out. The body on the mattress stirred and rolled over.
"Hey, you're awake at last." A male voice said groggily. "Don't try to move your ankle; it is swollen. I need to go into the local township today and get some salve for it and decent strapping." Kyto shifted on the mattress and stood up, stretching off and yawning loudly.
"Sorry about you sleeping on the floor, but when we arrived yesterday, you fell asleep before I even got upstairs. I dropped a blanket over you as that's all I have currently." Tabs noticed he did not have a blanket and realised he must have given his to her. Kyto moved towards the draped window where a tattered old cloth hung. He pulled it to one side and opened the shutters to let in the early morning light. The sun had not risen fully yet and was only peeking over the tops of the distant mountain range. He peered up at the sky; it still looked angry but was not as sore as yesterday. At this time of year, he knew he usually had about twelve hours of light. Not that time was a thing these days; it was more of a safety consideration since, at night, the dangerous wild ones were more active.
Tabs looked at him as he pulled back the rag covering the window. It was the first time she truly got to gaze upon him. As the light illuminated his figure, she saw his broad shoulders, which complimented his tall frame. She estimated he was around six feet tall, and as he reached to affix the curtain behind a hook, she took in his athletic posture, emphasised by toned muscles.
"Do you have a toilet?" Tabs said nervously.
Kyto turned and looked at her. The towel from her hair had come off while she slept, and he could see a red hint of her hair in the morning light. It was cut short and almost shaved at the sides, but he thought it suited her. She was filthy from head to toe from what he could see, and he would have to try and find her some clothes and shoes of some sort. Where she sat, he could see the soles of her feet, and they were calloused and hard and looked as though they may have been bleeding recently. He was not surprised to discover her wounds, given her circumstances. She needed shoes or boots. "I have a bucket across the hall in the bathroom area. Sorry, it's the best I can do here, especially since there is no running water. Once you're done, you can empty the bucket by pouring it out the window."
She struggled upright, using the wall as a prop, and hobbled towards the doorway. Kyto immediately approached her, "Here, let me help you." He placed his arm around her waist. Tabs flinched at his touch but felt the warmth and strength in his arms as he supported her and guided her to the bathroom. "Shout when you're done, and I will help you back." He pulled the door closed as he left.
A few minutes later, Tabs returned to the bedroom area; she used the wall to balance herself and did not want to call out whenever she needed something. She had survived eight years of hell between being a slave and with the raiders and did not like asking for help from anyone. She reached a chair by a small table and almost collapsed into it. Kyto grabbed a small stool from one side of the room and brought it over to her. "Here, put your foot on that. I need to look at how badly your ankle is injured."
Tabs obeyed, picking her leg up and slowly placing her foot onto the stool. Her ankle was a sight for sore eyes. There was a lump the size of a small rock sticking out from the side of her ankle joint, and the whole ankle was swollen and puffy. Kyto slowly unwrapped the makeshift strapping that had been put on it when they had escaped. Tabs couldn't help but let out a cry through gritted teeth, "Shit that hurts". Her retina display flashed red again as he slowly moved her ankle, and she knew she had done some severe damage to it.
"I am unsurprised; you took one hell of a tumble coming off the fence."
Kyto moved away and found an old drape. It was worn and tattered, but it would make a better bandage than she had been using. He tore it into strips, then set to work wrapping her ankle as best as he could.
"I don't remember your name, sorry?" Tabs asked, grimacing and her eyes flitting down.
"Kyto." He finished the final bit of strapping and stood up. She gingerly took her foot off the stool, lowering it to the floor. It felt better already with a half-decent bandage applied.
"I am guessing you are hungry?" Kyto asked.
Tab's stomach growled at the mention of food, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Kyto could not help but laugh and said, "I guess so."
Kyto made his usual meal, taking a couple of meat strips from his backpack and preparing everything. Tabs watched him intently. Everything he did was meticulous and precise. The smell the cooking food gave off was spicy heat with a hint of sweetness. The entire concoction smelt divine compared to anything she had eaten over the past eight years. While he cooked, Kyto began to share more about himself with her.
She knew he was a scavenger and spent his time travelling around. He had no immediate family or friends and had no idea where the members of his group had ended up when they were taken. He hoped one day to find them and deal with the raiders that had hurt them. She guessed they were similar ages, although she couldn't be sure. He had been in the area to search the industrial buildings for anything worth trading within the regional townships. He was under the impression that the location was abandoned until fate had brought their paths together.
"Ok, it is ready. I hope you don't mind spicy food." He said, tipping some of the food into a cup and handing it to her with a fork. Tabs didn't need to be offered twice and dove into the stew.
"Oh my god, this is so good", Tabs said with a mouthful of stew, "I honestly cannot remember the last time I tasted food so good."
Kyto smiled warmly. "Thanks. It is nothing special, just something I created and have always enjoyed, so I eat it often."
Kyto watched Tabs devour the stew. He thought she might even try to eat the cup the stew had been in; she spent that much time running her finger around the inside to get every morsel from it. Once they had finished eating, Kyto cleaned everything and repacked his backpack again.
"Well, I would ask your plans, but until that ankle heals, you are not going anywhere soon or fast."
Tabs had not even thought about it. The realisation that she could now decide what she would do was scary. "I have no idea; I have always dreamed of being free, but now that I am, I honestly do not know what to do. I suppose I would like to try and find my mother or sister if possible, but the raider group we were with was always on the move, and it's been so long now I wouldn't even know where to start looking."
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"Ah, Crystal," Kyto said.
"How the hell do you know that name?" Tabs snapped at him, her face showing anger.
"Calm down. You said it a few times last night while you slept. I meant to ask you this morning but had forgotten until you mentioned having a sister just now."
Tab's anger subsided slightly and turned more to embarrassment, "Sorry, I just didn't expect you to say her name; never mind, I had no idea I was talking in my sleep. I didn't say anything else, did I?"
"No, just the word crystal a few times; I assumed it must have been someone's name and not an actual crystal." He paused momentarily as he saw Tab's expression change toward deep thought and contemplation.
"Ok, I will set off into town to see what supplies I can grab and salve for your ankle. I will also see if I can get some clothes, as you cannot walk around in those rags. Make sure you stay resting and keep your weight off your ankle." Kyto stated. He walked into the bathroom, brought the bucket back through, and placed it next to her chair. "Just in case," he said.
Kyto still had a few items he could look at trading in the town, which he had been saving in case of an emergency if he could not scavenge anything useful. He only had enough food for two days to feed two people, so he needed to scavenge as soon as possible. He did have an emergency supply of two stacks, which he kept hidden in the lining of his webbing vest, but spending those would be a last resort.
He helped Tabs move so that she was sitting in the chair by the window he used as the entrance along with the bucket. That way, she could see as he approached the building and wouldn't be startled if she heard someone climbing.
The view out of the window was something that pictures were painted of. The low rolling plains seemed to move across the valley floor to the distant snow-tipped mountain range. The way the sun came over the peaks of the mountain slowly dissolved its shadow as the day went on and the clouds cleared from the sky. It was one of the prettiest sights Tabs had seen in a long time. She wasn't used to feeling the sun on her skin as she had spent so long inside the factory and never got outside in the daylight. She sat staring at the view when Kyto left to go into the local township. The sun's warmth made her feel relaxed and safe for the first time, but she could not remember how long it had lasted. It was not long until she felt tired again, not having the fear of guards screaming at her and not having to worry about being beaten or punished. She succumbed to her body's need.
It took Kyto an hour or so to walk to the township; he had not visited it before, and it looked similar to many of the others he had seen. Most townships had stockades around them, and this one was the same. He approached the entrance, which was situated on a road. Kyto was challenged by a guard who stood in a tower by the gate. The guard pointed a long-barrelled rifle at him, "What do you want?" he called down.
"I am looking to trade some goods if there is a trading post?" he asked.
"There is, are you armed?" the guard asked.
"Just a knife I use when scavenging." He replied.
"So, you're a scavvie?" the guard asked.
"Yes." He replied.
"We are not too keen on scavvies around here, boy." He replied.
"Well, I have come to trade, and also, I can provide repair services if people need anything fixed." He called up.
"What sort of repairs?" the guard asked.
"Anything mechanical basically and some electrical works also." He replied.
"Ok, if I let you in, I expect you gone again before last light, do you understand?" the guard said.
"I do, and no problem. I was not planning on staying." He replied.
The gates were finally opened, and Kyto was allowed to walk inside. As he entered, two more guards with cudgels looked him over suspiciously.
"Stop there while we check for weapons." One of them said.
Kyto stood still as the man started patting him down. "Where is the knife you said you had?" the guard asked.
Kyto opened his top vest pocket and removed the multitool. The guard burst out laughing. "That is not a knife," he said, placing his hand on his hip and removing a bowie knife from a sheath. "That is a knife."
"It does me just fine," Kyto replied.
"Go on in, you go. The trading post is off the town square in the centre. Stick to the main roads. You have no reason to go down any side streets," the guard stated.
Kyto made his way down the main road. He thought the township had about eighty buildings inside the stockade's protection. As he walked down the road, he got the usual looks from members of a township. There was always a wariness and level of suspicion, and he knew that the guards would be watching everything he did while he was there. It was always the same whenever he visited a township.
The trading post was a large brick building with a porched area in front. Underneath the porch were various items of furniture for sale and a few tools, shovels, picks, etc. He walked up to the entrance and pushed the door open. An old bell on a rope tinkled as he entered. A couple of patrons inside conversed with the establishment's owner, who stood behind a counter. The man behind the counter was a shrivelled old man with a white patchy beard who looked like he had had a hard life. A scar ran across his cheek from his right eye to the corner of his mouth. It was a deep and wide scar and did not look like it had been appropriately stitched as it healed. The two patrons were both probably in their 30s. Both were dressed in denim, and one of the men wore a jacket with the 'M' from the Montgomery Metals sign on a patch on its shoulder.
"Did you hear what happened at the factory?" he heard one of the men say.
"Did I hear? I was there." He replied. "I was covering for Stu as his wife had gone into labour. I was not supposed to be on shift and wish I hadn't been. The place is a fucking mess, the roof came down in the main area, and production has stopped due to it. As you can guess, John is livid and thinks one of the machines is broken." He spoke.
"Monty won't like that," the man behind the counter said.
"No, he won't." the other replied.
The man behind the counter looked from the conversation as the bell rang towards Kyto, who stood in the doorway. "Can I help you?" he called.
"I hope so. I have some items to trade if that's ok?" Kyto asked.
"I have not seen you before; what are you doing in these parts?" he asked, frowning at Kyto.
"I have been scavenging for trade goods," Kyto answered honestly.
The two men standing at the counter with the owner drifted off into the central area of the shop, browsing while Kyto approached the counter. "People in the town do not look kindly on scavvies, lad. On the other hand, I am always open to trade, so let me see what you have," he replied.
Kyto placed his backpack on the floor and removed what he had to trade. He had three small bundles of copper wire but only pulled two from his backpack and some gear cogs, which he had cleaned up and polished, so they looked almost new.
The man behind the counter took the items and examined them. "Copper, eh? Not bad quality either, by the looks of it. I'm not sure what I can do with the cogs, though. Where did you get them?" he asked.
"Vehicle engine." He replied.
"The only person around here with vehicles is Monty. I do not need them here, sorry, lad." He stated bluntly.
"Ok, what about the copper?" Kyto asked.
"What do you want for it?" The owner replied.
"I would trade for food if you have any?" he inquired.
"Sure, second aisle over there." He pointed. "Go see what there is that you are after, and then we can confirm how much I will trade."
Kyto walked over to the aisle and started walking down it. There were the usual baskets of vegetables that most townships seemed to have and several fruits. Kyto did not want fresh food as it would go off too quickly, so he continued until he saw some packets of meat strips and dried fruits. "How much would you give me in meat strips and dried fruit?" he called to the man.
"These days, most people want the fresh stuff; I will give you ten packs, " he replied.
"Ten, no chance each bundle alone is worth fifteen." Kyto said, "And with two bundles, that should be thirty packs."
"Fifteen then." The man countered.
"Each", Kyto said, smiling as he returned to the counter.
The man looked at him and laughed. "Cheeky fucker you are. I'll tell you what twenty packs are, which is my final offer."
"And one bar of soap?" he replied.
"All right, done." The man replied, holding out his hand. Kyto took it, and they shook on the deal.
Kyto's display triggered.
Congratulations, your language skill has improved to level 4, and with your fiftieth successful barter, you have learned the specialisation Bartering level 1. Bartering will let you know how far you can push a fellow trader. As levels progress, you will find it easier to get what you believe the value goods are worth or purchase goods at a cheaper price.
Kyto read the notification, smiling. He walked down the aisle and collected twenty packs of meat strips and dried fruit before taking them back to the counter for the man to confirm.
"That is fine, lad." The man said.
Kyto packed the gears, soap, and food into his backpack. "Anywhere I can get clothes around here?" he asked.
"There is a clothes shop, second street over the way." The man replied.
"OK, thanks. I may return in a few days before leaving the area." Kyto stated.
"I will always be here." The man replied.
Kyto left the store and crossed the road, heading toward the clothes shop. One of the men from the gate who had searched him as he entered called out to him. "Hey, you there."
Kyto turned and looked at the guard. "That's him. Said he can repair mechanical shit." The guard stated.
"Thanks." A woman walking with the man replied. She was tall, slightly shorter than Kyto and dressed in denim and a waxed jacket. Her gait was that of someone in authority. She walked with poise.
"So, you are good at repairing things?" she asked, walking over.
"Depends on what it is," Kyto replied.
"The water pump in the main square has packed in, so if you can look at it and see if you can fix it, we can maybe make a deal?" she asked.
"Sure, my name is Kyto." He said, holding out his hand.
"Wendy." She replied, taking his hand.
"You got an opening for someone to do repairs in town? I was thinking of finding somewhere to settle down." Kyto asked.
"Unfortunately, not. Stan is our maintenance guy but is off seeing his sister. He will be back in a week or so. I do not want to be without water in the town centre waiting for him to return." Wendy replied.
"That's a shame; this town seems well set up. It could have been nice to stay somewhere for a while." Kyto replied, smiling at Wendy. Wendy looked back at him and smiled back.
Not that Kyto had any plans to stay there, but he learned over the years that volunteering to become a longer-term member of a township usually supported how friendly they would be towards him.
"Aye, we have most things sorted these days," Wendy said.
Wendy led him to the centre of the main square, where an old water pump was situated. Kyto looked over the pump and noticed the gears were virtually worn out. He fished around in his backpack and removed his gears from the vehicle. "With some minor adjustments, I should be able to get it working." He said to Wendy.
"Ok, and what do you want as payment?" she asked.
"Three things. I need some salve, bandages, and women's clothes. I promised my sister I would get her something for her birthday. I am unsure of her size, but she is athletic and slim like yourself," Kyto said.
Wendy smiled at him, "Ok, well, if you manage to fix the pump, I will sort some clothes, and you can collect the salve and bandage from the doc's place." She replied.