Chapter 171: Another trade with an alien.
All the grain had to be moved out for inspection. It was quite the spectacle as the grain the ant urinated on was disposed of. It was set on fire, to the great dismay of the residents that witnessed it.
After that, a search of all supply stores followed. All bugs, no matter how small needed to be killed before mutating and eating all the food they had.
The ash was transported back to her place. She planned to put it in her space later.
After that Hades went off to check on the rest of the mutated animals they were keeping on the base while Sunshine returned to the first wall to see Ariel.
But she had barely stepped outside of the car when Professor Chloe caught up with her, waving a clip board. The Professor’s glasses slid down her nose, and her tone carried it’s usually brisk of urgency.
"Yoohoo..." She waved in an eager voice. "I bring good news. The thermometers you requested are ready; I was coming from testing them outside when I saw your car here."
Relief flickered in Suni’s chest. Finally, something practical that could help them measure the temperature accurately each day. They would be able to allocate resources better and protect the supplies well.
"Good. I am heading to the first wall, send the thermometers there." She turned but paused. "Professor, you don’t not know how much your inventions are saving lives."
"Madam president, this is all you. You provided the weird parts, and I just put the pieces together." Professor Chloe said, a smile forming on her lips.
As Professor Chloe run off, O’Toole stopped her, waving a clipboard. "All the children above ten have been signed up to learn how to shoot. But we have a few parents that want the age lowered to eight. Word about Ariel confronting the mutated ant has already spread and parents are scared."
"Ariel confronting the ant!" She exclaimed. That did not sound right to her. Nimo had said he screamed and she rushed over.
O’Toole nodded. "Apparently, he was holding a blade when Nimo found him. Kid has got guts. I know many adults that would have shit their pants or passed out from fear."
Sunshine’s eyes narrowed. It seemed like a part of the story had been left out.
"What do I do?" O’Toole asked her.
"Go to Professor Chloe and see what she can whip up that is child friendly." She told him. "No live rounds."
"Got it." He saluted.
Sunshine raised her hand, "Also get one of the psychologists to sit in on the shooting class for the kids. He or she should interact with them and observe their characters and reactions."
Her conversation with O’Toole ended there. By the time she reached the inside of her building, the thermometers had arrived. Several crates had been delivered; their wooden sides stamped with the Professor’s seal.
"These came for you." Nimo told her.
Sunshine pried one open, revealing the giant thermometers, their glass tubes thick and lined with red mercury that gleamed faintly in the light. Some were digital, industrial sized and all designed to be read from a distance.
Sunshine lifted one carefully, the weight settled in her hands with ease. She felt the cool glass and the precision of the markings. "These need to go on the walls, storage areas, gardens. Some days will be harsher than others in the winter. This way, we can adjust with all sorts of changes." She told Nimo. "They need to be placed in as many visible places as possible. Teams will be formed to record the temperature regularly."
"Yes ma’am." Nimo answered.
Sunshine rolled her eyes and set aside another crate. She opened it, revealing smaller thermometers. "And these are for homes. Every household gets one."
Nimo moved closer, her arms folded. Her dark eyes scanned the readings. For now, the numbers were steady_20⁰C, around 79⁰F. Cold, yes, but survivable.
Still, her head shook slowly, as if refusing the comfort. "I cannot help but worry. We have a bubble, and walls and unexpected things still leak through. You said this cold can freeze humans...I am afraid of it more than I was afraid of acid rain."
"We will be fine." Sunshine said with conviction. "As long as no idiot is tempted to mess with the system I have put in place."
"Like Mrs. Ike who wanted some snow to build a snowman for her grandchildren yesterday, so she tampered with the snow collection machine." Nimo mentioned an incident that had occurred the day before.
Sunshine sighed. The soldiers had arrested Mrs. Ike and sent her to the jail on the base. She was released after three hours with a serious warning. "Exactly. The snow, the air and the mist are all deadly. As long as nobody is bringing the snow inside and leaving it out, we will be fine. As for air, we just need to be warm."
She heard the sound of a phone ringing in her mind. The virtual screen appeared, coming to life alerting of a new job.
[Client Bjorn would like a consultation. Do you wish to accept or reject it?]
Of course, she would accept it. She had been trying to reach Bjorn for a while. "I will leave the thermometers to you." She told Nimo.
She rushed to the elevator and went to her place. Once inside, she zoomed past Cathy, went into the bedroom and vanished into the space.
"System, accept the call. Hurry, hurry, hurry."
A second later, Bjorn’s face appeared on a screen in the air above her.
"Greetings repairman Sunlight, I need help."
Sunshine did not want to give away her eagerness. So, she replied calmly. "What do you need?"
Bjorn was hesitant as she replied, "More grain and meat."
Sunshine thought about the grain the ant had caused them to waste. The one the ant bit but didn’t eat was still around. She also thought about the one in her space. She figured that she still had enough to trade.
"Do you buy meat of mutated monsters?" She asked.
She waved her hand and the large frozen steel containers with meat of mutated wolves appeared next to her.
"System scan." She instructed.
The system scanned and relayed the information on the meat to Bjorn. There was wolf meat, snake meat and two dead chicken.
Bjorn gasped suddenly. "You are selling such high value meat?"
Sunshine nodded. On earth it was only valuable to superhumans mostly. "Will you buy?"
"Of course." Bjorn blurted out with strength. "If you have more, keep it for me."
Sunshine cleared her throat. "My turn, I also need help. Do you have anything that can help me fight extreme cold. Something that can provide warmth inside a house naturally."
Everything the system offered was too expensive for her. Other options were not available for purchase.
So, she was hoping Bjorn could help with a solution that was cheap.
Bjorn’s skin shimmered for a second. "I know just the thing. Thermaline seeds. You plant them in ice for two days and they bud. The bud releases heat as long as there is ice."
Sunshine placed a finger on her lips and smiled. Wasn’t this a little too convenient. After all, she was a walking ice machine!