Chapter 146 Going Big

Jack looked at Megan in confusion. "What for?"

"Move Wayne, Erin, and Nolan in here too," Megan said. "If everyone's together, it'll be easier to look after them."

Jack blinked. "Wayne, sure. But aren't Erin and Nolan mostly healed already?"

"They can keep Wendy company," Megan said. "She'll feel safer with another woman around."

Jack thought about it and decided she had a point. "Okay. We'll do it your way."

They climbed out of the car and went back down the steps into the underground clinic. Jack found Warren and explained Megan's plan.

"We need three more beds. Wayne, Erin, and Nolan are moving in."

"No problem." Warren pointed to the space beside Wendy's bed. "Finish the flooring over here first. All four beds can go in this area."

He called over several people and had them take apart more pallets and lay boards across the ground near Wendy's bed. Another group started building the remaining bed frames.

Jack and Megan went back to the convenience store for three more inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags, then headed to the shelter. They found Henry, told him about Megan's arrangement, and asked him to find some people to move the three patients to the underground clinic.

Henry agreed and quickly called over a few helpers. Wayne's leg hadn't healed enough for him to walk, so he had to be carried. Erin and Nolan, who had recovered a good deal, followed on their own.

Jack and Megan carried the mattresses and sleeping bags back underground. The three new bed frames were already assembled, and the flooring around them had been laid. Jack handed everything to Warren, who had the mattresses inflated and set on the frames.

Once all four beds were ready, Jack and Megan went back up. They had just stepped out of the entrance when Vane and Noah drove back, each in a CUEV.

One of the CUEVs stopped beneath the canopy in front of the shelter, its cargo bed piled high with cable, RCCUs, and other parts. People nearby hurried over to help unload. Rolls of cable were carried to one side of the canopy, while the sockets, switches, and connectors were gathered on the other. Several boxes of RCCUs were lifted down carefully and lined up in a row.

Walter was talking with Vane. When Jack and Megan walked in, Jack asked, "What's going on?"

"There's a lot of cable here," Walter said. "I think we can get power to the agricultural supply center tonight."

"That fast? Is there enough?"

"Some of these can be connected end to end. It's enough," Walter said. "But I need to go over there first and decide where the sockets and wiring will go." He gestured at the sockets and connectors that had just been unloaded. "Colt will run the cable tonight. Once he gets there, he can connect it right away."

Jack thought for a moment, then walked to one of the CUEVs and switched on the communication system.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

After a brief burst of static, a voice answered. "I hear you. This is Tom."

"Tom, it's Jack. We're planning to get power to the agricultural supply center tonight. Take the RCCUs and cable you've found back there. Walter and I are heading over now to see where the sockets should go."

"Got it," Tom said at once. "We're loading up now. We'll wait for you when we get back."

"Good. See you there."

Jack ended the call and turned to Walter. "They'll take everything straight to the agricultural supply center."

Walter nodded and was about to go get his tools when Jack added, "Put on your protective gear. I'm coming with you."

"You're coming?"

"I want to see how the place is turning out."

Walter didn't argue. He went to get his gear and tools, and as soon as he was ready, Jack drove a CUEV toward the agricultural supply center.

When they arrived, Justin and the others hadn't returned yet. They parked the CUEV outside the warehouse and carried the tools in. The refugees staying there were surprised to see them and quickly gathered around.

"Jack, what brings you here?"

"I came to see where the sockets should go," Jack said. "We're running power over tonight."

The refugees were stunned for a moment, then started asking questions all at once.

"Tonight?"

"Did Justin's group find enough cable?"

Before Jack could answer, someone else asked, "What about the RCCUs? Did they find any?"

"They found plenty," Jack said.

Excitement spread through the crowd. They began talking over one another about how things would change once the power was on, and a few kept glancing toward the entrance, waiting for Justin's group to come back.

Jack and Walter left them to it and started walking through the warehouse. Walter checked the makeshift enclosure where everyone lived first, then moved along the nearby walls, working out where the sockets and cable should go. Besides lighting and power for the PCCUs, they needed charging ports where the CUEVs would park. If RCCUs were going in, they would also need separate sockets that weren't shared with ordinary appliances.

When they had walked the whole warehouse, Walter asked, "How many RCCUs did you find?"

"No idea." Jack shook his head. "I didn't count. I just know the storeroom was full of them."

Walter looked up at the warehouse and slowly followed the wall, his eyes moving from one spot to another. After a while, he asked, "Want to go big?"

Jack stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Walter waved a hand across the warehouse. "If there are that many RCCUs, let's put in a lot of them and see if we can turn the whole warehouse into an air-conditioned room."

Jack just looked at him. "Why?"

"Isn't that what you always say?" Walter glanced at him. "If you've got the means, why not use them?"

Hearing his own line thrown back at him, Jack didn't know whether to laugh or groan, but he didn't object.

"Let's ask Justin and the others first when they get back."

Walter rolled his eyes. "You think they'll say no?"

Jack looked at the refugees, who were still chattering excitedly, and shook his head. "Probably not."

"There you go."

Walter shrugged and ignored him from then on. He took his tools along the wall and started working out how many RCCUs they would need.

He had marked several installation spots and roughly worked out the number when the sound of CUEVs came from outside. Everyone looked toward the entrance as two CUEVs pulled up one after the other, and Justin and the other three climbed out.

Both cargo beds were packed. Along with rolls of cable and various parts, they carried several large boxes of RCCUs.

Walter walked out, took one look, and whistled. "That's a lot."

"This is only part of it," Justin said with a grin. "There are plenty more at the electronics mall."

The refugees swarmed around the CUEVs to help unload. Walter opened one of the boxes and examined the RCCU and its installation parts. Jack stood to one side and told Justin and the others what Walter had suggested.

"He wants to turn the whole warehouse into an air-conditioned room."

"That's what we were planning anyway," Tom said.

Walter glanced at Jack. He didn't say a word, but the look said it all: See? I told you.

Jack glared back. "Do whatever you want."

Everyone burst out laughing.

Then Chen spoke up. "We also saw some equipment that looked like exhaust fans. If we can really turn this place into an air-conditioned room, could we send some of the cool air outside to make the area around the warehouse a bit cooler?"

Justin, Tom, and Wesley nodded along. They had clearly talked it over on the way back.

Walter looked at them in surprise. "You have more ideas than I do."

"We were just thinking out loud," Chen said, a little embarrassed.

Jack was immediately interested. "Can it be done?"

Walter didn't answer right away. He looked toward the warehouse entrance, then up at the building's structure.

"Just pumping the cool air out won't work," he said. "For every bit of cool air that goes out, the same amount of hot air gets pulled in, and the warehouse won't cool down." He thought for a moment. "But we could run ducts outside and put in a few vents. They'd stay closed most of the time, and we'd open them when someone has to work outside, so the cool air goes to a fixed spot. How well it works, we won't know until it's installed."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "So it can be done?"

"It can."

"Then let's do it?"

"Let's do it."

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Justin and the others laughed too. When the noise died down, Tom said to Walter, "In that case, we'll go back for more RCCUs and those fans. We'll leave this to you."

"Go ahead," Walter said.

Justin's group climbed back into the CUEVs. The other refugees emptied the cargo beds and carried the RCCUs, cable, and parts into the warehouse. Before long, the two CUEVs left again for the electronics mall.

Jack watched them disappear and turned to Walter. "We'll try it here first. If it works, we'll do the same at the shelter, the trading post, and any houses we build later."

"That's what I was thinking." Walter smiled. "But I'm thinking about more than the houses."

"What else?"

"When we build houses from now on, we could put the main living space underground and build a pavilion on top." Walter pointed at the floor. "RCCUs cool the underground space, and ducts carry cool air up to the pavilion. When people need a break, they can rest under it for a while."

Jack pictured it and nodded. "Then it's settled. Once this works, we'll do it at our place right away."

Walter didn't waste any time. He took his tools back to the spots he had marked and began adjusting the number of RCCUs and sockets.

After a while, he finished a rough plan. Jack looked at the positions he had marked on his paper.

"How are you going to do it?"

"Eight units to start." Walter pointed along the warehouse walls. "Three on each side, one at the front, one at the back, so the cool air reaches different spots. The middle of the warehouse is wide open. If we put them all on one side, it'll be freezing near the units and barely cool on the other side."

Jack looked at the empty warehouse. "Is eight enough?"

"We'll see. Once we seal the doors, windows, and any broken spots, eight should make a noticeable difference. If it's not enough, we'll add more."

Jack grinned. "If this place really becomes an air-conditioned room, nobody's going to want to leave."

The people around them laughed.

"If we could stay in air conditioning all day, who'd want to move?" one refugee said.

"There's plenty of space, and now we've got water and power. Living here wouldn't be bad."

Others nodded. Some were already picturing life in a cooled warehouse.

After a while, Walter took a few people to sort through the RCCUs and parts that had just arrived so they could begin installing them.

Seeing that nothing more was needed from him here, Jack decided to go back and check on the underground clinic. He had only taken a few steps when his eyes swept across a corner of the warehouse.

Then he froze.

It was several seconds before he managed to speak.

"Fuck!"