Taking turns sleeping, we spent the rest of the night and the next day hidden in that store. With the rising of the sun, Mutans were outside, busily marching through the streets. Perhaps they were searching for us. While I slept, Suvan scoured through the littered remnants around us and found some additional clothing for me to wear. It was a green jacket made of a plastic-type material that was impervious to water which could prove to be useful if we ever reached the mountains.
As darkness came, the streets became deserted once again. We left our camp and began traversing through the empty streets. The skeletal buildings above continued their silent watch, their oppressive presence a constant reminder of days past. It was now a gigantic tomb and a home to a hundred horrors. It was also a monument to the folly of mankind - a civilization that could build such majesty and yet destroy itself so easily. Would we ever see such destruction again?
My thoughts were broken by the whispering of Suvan.
She said, “That horror in the subway, do you think there are others?”
I hesitated before answering, “I do not know. But I do wonder how such things are created. Did Tahn have a hand in such a monster? Or was it just the product of the Ancient's folly?”
“Or both,” she replied. “From your description, he has taken the mutations and turned them to his own purpose. It is evil and against the will of Allah. He will be punished for such folly. But right now we have other concerns than his morality. We must get back to the trail and escape this city. Our rations are too low to survive far in the desert.”
“Our food and water are low,” I agreed.
“That is not my only concern. We are still now on the run from the Mutans. They know that we are in the city. At Tahn's bidding, they will be searching for us throughout the day and perhaps even the night. I have never seen them use torches before, so that shows that they are adapting to new circumstances.”
“They are still afraid of the dark,” I said confidently. “It was only their obedience to Tahn that allowed them to temporarily overcome their fear. Anyway, we can find plenty of places to hide during the day. We shall get to the end of the valley and then to the safety of the mountains.”
She gave a sigh of despair. “I should never have come on this journey. It will only lead to my death. Tell me, have you not thought of what lies at the end of this valley? The Mutans will only have to guard the exit with enough numbers to stop us from breaking through. It will be impossible for us to reach the desert without running into them. It is probably the same story with the entrance. We are trapped inside here like rats unless we can think of some clever way out.”
“Then we shall have to find another way,” I answered crossly. “Perhaps the subway tunnels come out somewhere else.”
“I'm not going back down there,” she said firmly. “I would rather die from the blade of a Mutan than visit those accursed tunnels again.”
“You may have your wish,” I spat back angrily. “Do you have any better ideas?”
She did not immediately answer, but stopped and listened to make sure our conversation had not drawn the attention of some creature of the night. After a moment, she replied softly. “I don't know if it can be done, but it is better than the alternatives: we can climb out.”
I was stunned by this idea and felt foolish for not coming up with it on my own. We stopped talking momentarily to scramble over a rusted car that had blocked the sidewalk. When we were back down on the sidewalk, I finally replied, “The walls of those cliffs are steep. Do you really think it is possible to climb them?”
“We can only try. But first we shall have to find some rope, and if possible, some more food. Once we hit the desert, there isn’t going to be much time for hunting. I’m also worried about our water. Once we’re out in the Wasteland, it’s easy to go through a canteen a day.”
“Do you know where we can get some more?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been beyond the river. We either have to return to it, or depend on luck.”
We spent the rest of the night walking and being on the lookout for any Mutans. Since they depended on torchlight when traveling at night, it was no problem to find a way around them. The few patrols that we did see were easy to dodge. As the light of morning came, we found the remnants of a bank to hole up in. The floor was covered with blackened silver and now-green copper coins that had strange faces and unknown writing imprinted on the metal. The vault door was shut and did not budge when I tried to move the ancient door. I suppose it did not matter what useless things resided inside, but I was still curious. We spent the day inside, taking turns keeping watch on the street outside. Except for the sound of passing Mutans, we were undisturbed.
By the middle of the next night, we had cleared the heart of the city. The buildings were now becoming fewer in number and growing even less frequent the further we went. During our march, Suvan continued to search for a certain type of store where we could find the proper tools to scale the cliff side. It was nearing dawn when she found what she was looking for. It was a large building with a front that must have been all glass at one time. These windows had been broken long ago, the shards now covered with sand. The roof was half-collapsed, allowing the moonlight to shine from above. Most of the goods inside had been scattered or destroyed by the elements, but towards the back of the store there were still intact shelves.
Suvan entered and immediately began searching through the dusty items. When she had finished, there was a pile of goods at her feet. She said, “This is what the Ancients called a Sporting Goods store. I've found some good rope here. When daylight comes, I'll take a closer look and see what else we can scavenge for food.”
“Rope? Anything so old would be sure to disintegrate under our weight.”
She laughed. “This is not like the ropes of your village, made with hemp that has been twisted together; it is made of plastic like the one use by Tahn when he rescued us from that pit. Such a material will last many of our lives and still be strong enough to hold many times our weight.”
“But what of food and drink?” I asked.
“Water will still be a problem, but the Ancients also had a way of storing food that would make it last for a very long time.”
I shook my head. “Like that rope? Plastic food?”
“No, you silly man,” she shot back. “The people of old ate food much like we do, but had ways of storing and preserving food inside sealed containers.”
I didn’t understand. “Like canning? That can keep fruit fresh for many years, but not over the centuries.”
“No one knows how they did it, but some of their food can last for a very long time indeed. A store such as this carries this special type that was used for camping, which the Ancients apparently did as a hobby. Though I’m not sure why anyone would do such an activity. When it is lighter out, we shall examine this place further.”
As usual, we took turns sleeping until the early dawn light began slanting down through the demolished roof. Suvan then went to work while I kept watch for prowling enemies. From a hidden position inside the store, I could watch the street which thankfully remained empty of Mutans.
When she had completed her task, Suvan called me over to show the fruits of her labors. In front of her feet was a small pile of boxes and metallic pouches. “These are the best ones that I could find,” she said.
“What are they?” I asked as I began poking hungrily at the rations.
“Food - though food such as this requires the addition of water to be edible. We shall still need to find more of that. Remember it is important to smell and perhaps sample the insides for spoilage unless you don't mind being sick to your stomach. We have beef and chicken soup, rice, lasagna, and even scrambled eggs.”
I looked at the packaging and found the writing indecipherable. “Tell me, Suvan, can you actually read the writing of the Ancients?”
She shrugged. “I know a few words. My fa
ther taught me what he knew. It really comes with the job. After visiting so many cities, you start getting a feel for the language.”
I made a decision. I sat Suvan down and told her everything that had happened to me and why I was really going to the mountains. When I was done, I pulled Tai's note from my tunic, I showed it to her. “This may say something important. Can you make anything out?”
She took the paper from my hand. After a minute of concentrated studying, she shook her head. “I'm afraid it's far too technical for me. The words I know are simple, ones that dealt with my father's work; mostly regarding matters of food and goods. This is something beyond my understanding. Do you think it is really important?”
“I honestly don't know, but I lost everything because of it. I was told that the Rebels at the mountains can read this language. That's one of the reasons I was forced to go on this journey, so they would be warned of the Mujadeen’s plans.”
“Keep it safe until then. And thank you for showing it to me, Mikel. It’s nice to know that you trust me.”
Chapter 22