Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse

Chapter 135: The Wasteland Apocalypse Is Here

After the acid rain began, the entire base lost power and water. The top floor started leaking as the acid rain ate through the ceiling, filling the air with a thick, acrid stench. A glance outside revealed a scene from a toxic, ruined city; the white fog was so dense it stung your eyes and made it impossible to see.

Evelyn Ford put on her goggles and a mask, keeping a constant watch on the situation outside.

The dense fog produced by the corrosive acid rain was toxic. Inhaling it caused symptoms like dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Building 10 was still quite populated. The people on the first floor had already evacuated, moving to higher levels. At the same time, residents from the top floor were moving down. Suppressed sobs occasionally echoed in the stairwell. Evelyn Ford went out to take a look and saw a few children huddled at the landing, trembling.

Evelyn Ford gave Quincy two pieces of ginger, telling him to chop them up and distribute them to the people outside. Holding a piece of ginger in one’s mouth could help alleviate the nausea.

After a full day and night of acid rain, many people had inhaled the toxic fog and started to fall ill. The sounds of retching echoed from outside, and stepping into the hallway meant being hit by a medley of foul odors.

Some people, knowing Evelyn Ford was a doctor, started pounding on her door, begging for help. Hearing the desperate cries, Evelyn wrapped herself up tightly and opened the door.

"Doctor, please save my wife!"

"No, save my son first!"

"Please, my daughter! She’s already unconscious."

"Everyone, please calm down! One at a time. I only have Silver Needles with me, and I can only use them to alleviate your dizziness and nausea. I can’t do anything else. Those of you who are fine, get back inside immediately. Block every crack and corner with scrap paper and cloth strips. Don’t open your doors frequently, and don’t open your windows. The toxic fog outside is severe. I’m only coming out this one time, so everyone needs to take precautions."

Those who were still lucid enough to understand her words hurried back to their apartments. Evelyn Ford began examining the people who had lost consciousness.

Ronan Kendrick stood behind her. The moment anyone tried to push or shove Evelyn Ford, he would immediately step in to shield her.

Quincy, also fully geared up, came over to help. With Ronan Kendrick protecting Evelyn Ford, Quincy focused on checking the patients’ conditions. The three of them worked together, quickly stabilizing the situation for the residents of Building 10.

"Don’t swallow the ginger. Just hold it in your mouth."

"Doctor, my wife threw up again! Please, come take a look at her."

"Let her vomit. After she’s finished, give her a small piece of ginger to suppress the nausea. Then I’ll give her acupuncture."

"Doctor, my stomach hurts so much."

"You’ve inhaled too much of the toxic fog. You need to stick your finger down your throat and force yourself to throw up. If you have any clean water left at home, drink it right away."

Evelyn Ford could only rely on these crude methods to save people. Fortunately, she and Ronan Kendrick had gathered a lot of Gold and Silver Flower from Stag’s Leap Mountain a few days ago. Evelyn took out a small bag and had Officer Graham distribute it, giving each person a small handful. With the power out, there was no way to brew it into medicine, so they had to eat it raw.

Officer Graham knew the herbs were from Evelyn Ford’s foraging trip, but he didn’t let the residents know they belonged to her. He distributed them in his own name. When anyone asked, he said they were picked from near the wheat fields during the harvest.

Some people recognized it as Gold and Silver Flower. They knew some grew near the wheat fields, and since the flower was known for clearing heat and detoxifying the body, their doubts were completely dispelled.

What Evelyn Ford hadn’t expected was that there was a pregnant woman in Building 10. Seeing her swollen belly, Evelyn frowned deeply.

"Doctor, how is my wife? Is the baby in her belly okay?"

Evelyn Ford looked at the young man beside her and felt an overwhelming urge to slap him.

’Could they possibly be okay? After inhaling that toxic fog? Forget a pregnant woman, even a normal person couldn’t handle that.’

In the corner of the room was a little boy, about six or seven years old. He looked very thin, with a disproportionately large head, a sallow complexion, and dry, brittle hair. It was obvious at a glance that he was malnourished.

"How many months along is she?"

"About five months, I think." The man’s voice trailed off as he met Evelyn Ford’s icy gaze.

"I’ll try using the Silver Needles first to wake her up."

Looking at the pregnant woman’s swollen limbs, Evelyn Ford truly couldn’t understand why they would choose to have a child at a time like this.

The pregnant woman slowly regained consciousness, her face frighteningly pale.

"Doctor, is my baby okay?"

"For now, he’s fine."

The pregnant woman managed a faint smile, and the man beside her let out a sigh of relief. Evelyn Ford glanced at the little boy huddled in the corner, then helplessly looked away.

After a busy morning, the residents of Building 10 were more or less stabilized.

Evelyn Ford wasn’t some living Bodhisattva. After she went back inside, she bolted the door. ’If anyone goes out and inhales the toxic fog now, they’ll deserve it if they die.’

The entire base was shrouded in fog, blocking all lines of sight. Occasionally, cries for help could be heard from the next building, but with the acid rain pouring down and deep puddles of it collecting on the ground, even the base’s management was powerless.

"We’re really done for this time. Will the soil even be able to grow crops in the future? The trees outside have probably all been corroded by now," Quincy said, his face etched with worry.

"The Undercity still has farmland. It probably wasn’t affected."

"Thankfully, all the wheat outside was harvested. The losses would have been catastrophic otherwise."

"I wonder when this acid rain will stop. If it were just a normal downpour, we could still go out to look for firewood and food. But now, even stepping outside is difficult. How is this acid rain more terrifying than sulfuric acid? How can something like this fall from the sky? Could it be molten rock from the Earth’s crust?"

Everyone sat in a circle on the floor as Officer Graham took out a pen and paper. He began to inventory their current supplies of food, water, and medicine, as well as brainstorming various survival strategies.

"There should still be some intact rooms on the first floor. If we can dig up some clean soil, we could plant a few things. I have some vegetable seeds and raw beans, plus the three catties of wheat seeds the base issued. Quincy, Roy Henderson, Owen Chapman, and I each have three catties, so that’s twelve catties altogether."

"It’s a good thing I exchanged all my points for compressed biscuits. We’ve all collected plenty of clean water, too. If we’re frugal, we can last for a few months at least. But if this acid rain doesn’t stop for more than a week, something bad is bound to happen in this building," Quincy said, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"I also exchanged for a lot of compressed biscuits," Officer Graham said with a look of relief. "They don’t taste great, but they’re filling. They even expand when you soak them in water. If we eat them sparingly, we can hold out for a while."

Wendy raised her hand in protest. "Daddy, I can’t swallow the biscuits."

"Once Daddy grows some vegetables, you can eat vegetables. Can Wendy hang in there for a little while, please?"

Wendy thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay. I’ll help you plant the vegetables."

Evelyn Ford rummaged through her bag and pulled out a few candles to pass around. Since the acid rain started, the sky had turned dark. With no electricity in the rooms, they could only rely on candles for light.

After they finished their discussion, everyone went back to their own apartments. Ronan Kendrick, however, remained seated in his chair, showing no intention of leaving.

"What do you want to eat?"

Ronan Kendrick shook his head.

This was the first time Evelyn Ford had ever seen him refuse food, and she found it a bit strange.

"If you’re not eating, then why are you still here?"

"I’m making a bed for myself on the floor."

After saying that, he went back to 602 and returned carrying his own mattress and blanket.

"Go to sleep. I’m here. You don’t have to be afraid."

Evelyn Ford didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. "Who’s afraid? Do you think I’d be afraid?"

"Your expression was terrible just now. Weren’t you scared?"

Evelyn Ford sighed. "I’m worried. As of today, we have truly entered a wasteland apocalypse."