Chapter 462: Eternity 23.

"She’s not the commander."

"No, I suppose you’re the one who gives the orders."

Bai shook her head and went to inspect the batteries.

The power system was one of the most important parts of the caravan. It

had to support the lights, filtration equipment, refrigeration,

communication devices, and the small appliances they would need while

stopped. Bai had designed a set of backup options so the vehicle would

not become useless if one source of power failed. Some of those options

depended on equipment she could explain. Others relied on capabilities

she kept private, stored within her personal space and system. She did

not intend to reveal that part of her preparation until she had a clear

reason. The caravan was ready to serve its purpose, and the source of

every advantage did not need to be part of the public discussion.

Yan noticed that a few items on the equipment list were described in

unusually general terms. She could have asked what they were for, but

she understood that Bai had chosen the wording deliberately. Instead,

she checked what could be checked. She verified the visible equipment,

tested the emergency lights, and made sure the basic controls were clear

enough for Mother Yan to use if Bai and Yan were away from the front

section.

When they were satisfied with the first round of checks, Bai locked the

caravan and stepped back. She looked at it for a moment, measuring the

work that remained in her head. There were always more things to

improve. The protective panels could be reinforced again, the water

system could be made more efficient, and the storage compartments could

be reorganized to make access faster. But preparation had to end at some

point. They could not spend forever improving a vehicle while Aunt Lan

remained in a place that might be dangerous.

Yan read the thought in her posture, or perhaps she had simply reached

the same conclusion. "We can finish the remaining checks tomorrow. We

don’t need to make every possible improvement before leaving."

Bai nodded. "We’ll do one more inspection after we load the final

supplies. I want to test the brakes and check the route out of the

basement. Then we’ll be ready."

"And the leaking pipe?"

Bai looked toward the far wall. "I’ll fix it now."

Yan closed her eyes for a moment. "Of course you will."

"It might damage the floor if we leave it."

"I know. I know. Get the tools. I’ll hold the light."

The pipe repair took longer than Bai expected because the old bracket

had corroded around one of the bolts. She removed the damaged section,

replaced it with a new fitting, and secured the line so that it would

not vibrate against the wall. Yan held the light, passed the wrench, and

collected the old parts. When the water stopped dripping, Bai tested the

connection by running water through the line for several minutes. There

were no leaks. She wiped the floor, checked the area one final time, and

marked the repair on the maintenance list.

Yan looked at the note. "You’re going to put a date on that too, aren’t

you?"

"Yes."

"And the time?"

"If you want it."

Yan laughed and bumped her shoulder lightly against Bai’s. "Never

change."

Bai looked at her and felt an unreasonable urge to ask whether Yan meant

it as a compliment. She did not ask. Instead, she put the tools away and

followed Yan back toward the stairs.

Packing for a Journey of Three Hundred Kilometers

The following day was spent preparing the caravan and the people who

would travel in it. Bai had already made a list of supplies, but she

reviewed it with Yan and Mother Yan at the dining table rather than

treating it as a finished plan. They divided the list into essentials,

useful extras, and items that would only matter if the journey became

much longer than expected. Food and water went first. Medicine, clean

cloth, protective clothing, tools, replacement parts, batteries,

lighting, and emergency equipment followed. They also packed familiar

food for Lili, not because she could not eat what the adults ate, but

because a child was less likely to become frightened and unsettled if at

least a few things stayed familiar.

Mother Yan was especially careful about the medical supplies. She

checked the bandages, disinfectant, pain relief, fever medicine, gloves,

and basic tools they had collected. She made sure that nothing was

packed in a way that would prevent them from reaching it quickly. The

caravan had a proper medical compartment, but a few items needed to

remain in an easy-to-carry bag in case they had to leave the vehicle for

a short time. Yan helped her separate those supplies and added a small

notebook listing allergies, known injuries, and useful emergency

instructions.

Bai looked at the bag once it was packed. "This is good. Put it near the

door, not behind the food containers."

Mother Yan moved it immediately. "Like this?"

"Yes. If we have to get out quickly, it should be the first thing we can

grab."

Yan marked the location on the small map she was keeping for the

caravan’s interior. "I’ll put a note in the checklist too."

Bai gave her an approving look. "Good."

Yan looked up from the paper. "Was that praise?"

"Don’t let it go to your head."

"I shall treasure the moment forever."

Mother Yan smiled as she returned to the supplies. The joking eased some

of the worry in the room, but it did not erase the seriousness of the

journey. Three hundred kilometers was not an impossible distance in the

old world. On an ordinary road, it might have been a few hours of

driving. Now it could take days, depending on roadblocks, zombie

concentrations, broken bridges, and whether they found fuel or had to

detour around destroyed sections of highway. The caravan was well

equipped, but no amount of preparation could make the road predictable.

Bai checked how much food they could carry without making the vehicle

.

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TO BE CONTINUED.