Chapter 7: FIRST LIGHT
My back screamed when I woke.
Concrete floor. No padding. I'd slept worse the past month, but not by much. Grey dawn light filtered through the broken skylights above. I sat up slowly, testing my ribs. Better. The pain had downgraded from "stabbing" to "dull ache."
Progress.
Around me, five people were waking. Ruth was already up—standing by the glassless window frame, looking out at our ten square kilometers of rust and opportunity. Miles stretched methodically, military habit. Sofia had her eyes closed, breathing deliberately. Danny was still asleep, curled tight. Tom phased his hand through the floor unconsciously, dream reflex.
First morning. New Haven. Population six.
The System pulsed in my mind, cheerful and relentless.
[GOOD MORNING, HOST]
[INFRASTRUCTURE QUEST ACTIVE]
[OBJECTIVES REMAINING: 3/3]
[SUGGESTED PRIORITY: WATER PURIFICATION]
Yeah, I know.
I stood. My feet protested—blisters from yesterday's walk. I ignored them and walked to where Ruth stood.
"Sleep well?" I asked.
"Like shit. You?"
"Same."
She glanced at me. The black eye had faded to ugly yellow-green. "Your face looks better."
"Liar."
She almost smiled. "Okay. It looks less like someone used it as a punching bag. Still bad though."
"I'll take it."
We stood in silence, watching the river catch morning light. From here, I could see the entire complex. The main mill building where we stood. Three smaller structures—probably offices or storage. A tower that might have been a water tank. Rusted railway tracks leading nowhere. Overgrown paths. Collapsed fencing.
It looked like the end of the world.
"Twenty-seven days," Ruth said quietly.
I didn't need to ask what she meant. Her deadline. Prove this works or she walks.
"I know."
"Water first?"
"Water first."
Behind us, the others were stirring. Miles had found his pack and was inventorying contents. Sofia opened her eyes, looked around, closed them again. Danny sat up, hair sticking in every direction.
"Morning," Danny said. His voice cracked. Teenager. I kept forgetting how young he was.
"Morning. How'd you sleep?"
"Cold. But quiet. No sirens. No people yelling. Just—quiet." He smiled. "It was nice."
Tom phased fully awake, which was unsettling to watch. One moment asleep, the next standing, like he'd skipped the transition.
"So," Miles said, setting down his pack. "What's the plan?"
I walked to the center of the space. Everyone gathered without being asked. First real meeting. Time to establish how this worked.
"We have three critical problems," I said. "Water, shelter, food. In that order."
"We have a river," Tom pointed out.
"River water will kill us without treatment. Parasites, bacteria, industrial runoff from decades of operation here." I gestured at the surrounding equipment. "First priority is building a purification system."
"With what?" Ruth asked. "We don't have parts. Don't have tools beyond some rusty shit. Don't have expertise."
"We have materials." I pointed at the scattered machinery. "Industrial complex this size has filters, pumps, tubing. We scavenge what's here. Repurpose it."
"You know how to build a water purification system?" Miles asked.
"I know the principles. Filter sediment, kill bacteria, remove chemicals. The System—" I caught myself. "My power helps me see how components fit together. I can guide the build."
Everyone was watching me carefully. They'd seen my palm glow yesterday. They knew something unusual was happening but hadn't pushed. Yet.
"Second priority," I continued, "is shelter. The roof has holes. Rain will come eventually. We need weather protection."
"I can help with that," Ruth said. "Heavy lifting. Moving beams."
"Tom can scout the building safely. Check what's structurally sound."
Tom nodded. "I'll start after we eat."
"Speaking of." Danny held up the bread. "This is our food. One loaf. Peanut butter. Twelve dollars." He looked at me. "How long does that last?"
"Two days if we're careful. Three if we're miserable."
"So we need a food plan fast," Miles said.
"There's a town twenty miles south. We passed through it. We can buy supplies with what money we have. But long-term, we need sustainable sources. Hunting, fishing, foraging. Eventually agriculture."
Sofia spoke without opening her eyes. "I can't hunt. I'd feel the animal dying."
"You won't have to. Different people, different roles. We use strengths, work around limitations."
"What's my strength?" she asked quietly. "I read minds I don't want to read. I can barely function around other people. What use am I?"
I crouched in front of her. "Your telepathy makes you our early warning system. If anyone approaches with hostile intent, you'll know before they arrive. You're security. Communication. Intelligence. Essential."
She opened her eyes. Brown, exhausted, uncertain. "You really believe that."
"I do."
Miles cleared his throat. "Organizational structure. You're giving orders, we're following. That how this works?"
Good question. I'd been wondering when someone would ask.
"For now, yes. I have the overall plan. But I'm not a dictator. If you think I'm making a bad call, say so. If you have expertise I don't—Miles, you know medicine and military logistics. Ruth, you know construction and heavy machinery. Everyone has knowledge I need."
"But final decisions?" Miles pressed.
"Mine. Until we're stable enough to vote on leadership. Could be months. Could be years. But right now, we need decisive action, not committee discussions."
Ruth snorted. "Benevolent dictatorship."
"Temporary dictatorship with plans to transition to something better."
"Honest, at least."
"I'll always be honest. Even when the truth sucks."
Danny raised his hand like he was in school. "Can I make breakfast? I can heat the water, make something warm."
"That's a good idea. Tom, while he does that, you start scouting. Ruth, Miles, come with me. We're mapping salvageable equipment. Sofia, you rest. Get used to the quiet."
Everyone moved. No hesitation. They wanted direction, wanted purpose. I could give them that.
We spent three hours cataloging materials. The complex was a treasure trove of rust. Old pumps corroded beyond use. Filters clogged with decades of sediment. Tubing brittle and cracked. But underneath the decay, components remained. A valve here. Piping there. Seals, gaskets, metal that could be repurposed.
The System helped. When I touched something, text appeared.
[FILTRATION COMPONENT - SALVAGEABLE]
[ESTIMATE: 60% FUNCTIONALITY REMAINING]
[SUITABLE FOR WATER PURIFICATION: YES]
I'd point, and Ruth would lift. She moved hundred-pound equipment like it was cardboard. Miles would assess, mark with chalk. We built a pile of usable materials.
By noon, Danny had heated water over his carefully controlled flames. We ate bread with peanut butter. Half the loaf. Six people sharing. I chewed slowly, making it last.
"This is depressing food," Ruth said.
"This is all we have food," Danny corrected.
"Still depressing."
But we were eating. Together. In a place we'd claimed. Small victories.
Tom returned from scouting during lunch. He'd phased through every wall, every floor. His report was thorough—some buildings were structurally sound, others were death traps. The water tower was intact. The main mill had good bones but needed roof work. One building was a complete loss, ready to collapse.
"Good work," I told him. "This helps planning."
He ducked his head. "I can help. I want to help."
"You are."
That afternoon, I started the water purification build. The System let me spend Construction Points to enhance what we were building—turn salvaged parts into something functional beyond their individual capabilities.
[BASIC WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM]
[COST: 200 CP]
[BUILD TIME: 48 HOURS WITH AVAILABLE LABOR]
[EFFECT: PURIFIES 50 GALLONS/DAY RIVER WATER TO POTABLE STANDARD]
[ACCEPT? Y/N]
Yes.
The System activated. I could see it—not with my eyes, but with something else. Connections. How the filter attached to this pipe. How the pump drove water through the system. How chemical treatment could be achieved with materials we had.
I started directing. "Ruth, move that filtration drum to the river edge. Miles, we need tubing run from the river to here. Danny, check those seals—we need the ones that aren't completely dry-rotted."
They moved without question. I was in my element—project management. Break the problem into tasks. Assign tasks to capabilities. Monitor progress. Adjust.
Hours passed. The sun tracked across the sky. We worked.
By sunset, we had the frame of the system. It didn't look like much—scavenged parts held together with improvised brackets and desperation. But it would work. The System guaranteed it.
Ruth wiped sweat from her forehead. "You really think this will purify water?"
"It will."
"How do you know?"
"Because I can see the system complete in my head. Every connection. Every flow. It works."
She looked at me for a long moment. "Your power is weird."
"I'm aware."
"But useful."
"That too."
We ate dinner—the rest of the bread, more peanut butter. Danny heated more water. We were still hungry after, but we'd eaten. Tomorrow someone would need to walk to town. Buy food with our remaining twelve dollars. Make it last.
Sofia had spent the day alone, walking the perimeter. She returned as we finished eating.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Better. The quiet—it's like I can breathe for the first time in years." She sat near the group but not too close. "Five minds. I can handle five minds. It's when there's hundreds that I break."
"We'll keep population controlled. Won't recruit faster than you can adjust."
"Thank you."
That night, we slept in the same room again. Tomorrow we'd finish the water system. Start on the roof. Figure out food. Build something sustainable.
Ruth's voice cut through the darkness. "Cole."
"Yeah?"
"Day one is done. Twenty-six to go."
"I know."
"Make them count."
"I will."
I lay there listening to breathing. Five people who'd trusted me enough to follow. Who'd left everything for the possibility of something better.
Don't fuck this up. You get one chance. They gave you one chance. Use it.
The System pulsed acknowledgment.
[INFRASTRUCTURE QUEST PROGRESS]
[WATER PURIFICATION: 60% COMPLETE]
[ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 36 HOURS]
Thirty-six hours. A day and a half. Then we'd have clean water. Then shelter. Then food. One problem at a time. One day at a time.
Outside, the river whispered. Tomorrow we'd make it drinkable.
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