The Industrialist

Chapter 97 Stories

The day after.

***

"Damian, we need Handsome to help market these," Lance placed the plastic container full of poison bombs. He needed to market the products and sell them at an amenable price. Trenchers knew the effectiveness of the Aiveez plants regarding Abominant repellents, they would surely buy a weaponized Aiveez nectar.

He hoped.

"How much are you going to sell each?" Damian responded as he drove the jeep going to Axiom Trench. They detoured this time, accessing the outskirts of the Boneyard and to the foot of Trench Hill.

Their encounter with the Obsidian scorpion had traumatized the kid and also the Specialist.

"I looking at 50 units each," Lance responded.

"That's expensive!" Damian sneered.

"Ok. What do you think is the price?"

"35 units the most." He squinted at the back of the passenger seat while he drove the jeep.

"You think?"

"Yeah. Trust me, kid. They won't buy 50 units. Even at 35, they will still negotiate the price."

"How do you know?"

"A lot of trade runs, kid. I dealt with a lot of people, bringing people back and forth between Axiom and the City. Even the rifles are priced at 150 units, now. The old and low-powered ones. The electric stun bombs are priced at 30 units."

"Interesting. You are not a specialist only but also a weapon smuggler too."

"If you see it like that, kinda. You gotta work and hustle kid to survive. I mean, I am just supportin' the traders here and there. Many would not want to travel without a Specialist."

Damian swerved a lot of new roads, sinuous but wide enough to fit the width of the jeep. There were more boulders and rubble compared to before as they took a long cut.

"How do you know the roads so much?"

"I told ya before. A lot of runs. After the wars, you know when I worked as a driver in a logistics company in Bay City, delivering merch to Axe and back."

"Usually," Damian continued, "the logistics company routing inter cities are mostly ex-soldiers. They wanted somebody that can defend themselves when encountering Abominants."

I support you, kid, more than I support Jefferson. Joe and George, too, share the same principle. So, you better not be faltered with anything, kid. We are here to support you."

Lance only smiled. With that statement, pressure had accumulated upon his shoulders. His belief never faltered from the foundations it built. Never falter. Never doubt. His father taught him motivation, too.

They entered the dead forest. It was 1400 H. No problem for any risk of Abominants, as they believed.

"What is that?" Lance asked. His sight fell on a heavy fog of dust, wafting almost motionless to the air, beyond the sprawling dead trees due west. The overcast was darkened, like a fire had been growing at the boundaries of a dead forest.

"Why? What did you see?" Damian slowed down their jeep and found what Lance had seen.

"Marching?" Lance said.

"Marching? Abominants? Impossible."

Lance confirmed his time again. 1400 H in the afternoon.

"It happens all the time. The dead forest's boundaries are beside mountains, casting a shadow from its peaks. Within the shadow area, the Abominants move on their own without direction. Just to scavenge food."

"So, we have nothing to worry about?"

"No. The roads we took are far away from the shadows. No Abominants could reach us."

"But the volume of the dust seemed to be battle formations," Lance said.

"Probably. It's Demetrian season so, they are more active. Can you feel the wind?"

"Yes. Bit cold, I guess," Lance responded.

"You know Abominants hated the heat of the sun, even a single ray could damage their skin. I don't know why. Maybe you know. Scientists are experimenting with this kind of phenomena."

At 1600 H, they reached Axiom Trench.

It was Lance's fourth time to visit the Trench but it was his first time to witness such a crowd. The noise and the heaving people were like celebrating something of a feast.

"What is this?" Lance spoke loudly, overcoming the guffaws of the crowd to Damian, as the heavy metallic doors opened, and they were greeted with people wearing different colors, different fashion scents, and different faces.

"It's Demetrian season next month, so they are preparing for the winter. Supplies, Lance. They need to fill every bucket they have of food and water."

"I haven't experienced Demetrian season outside the walls. What is it like?" Lance asked.

"Blood bathe, kid. Death."