Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 462: Pondering and scheming.

Sunshine and Nine panted, covered in minor cuts, bruises and reeking of the horrid stink that was Nine’s poison.

Vortan raised two fingers. "Twice. Two times you two have destroyed places and things because you are determined to each other. I sent you here as part of your punishment and instead, you nearly destroyed the tower and woke up a sleeping ravager!"

Sunshine pointed at Nine. "He shoved me at the beast. He started it."

Nine pointed at Sunshine. "She tried to melt my face off with acid. And she hit me with a cable."

Vortan sighed, rubbing his temples. "You two are the worst repair team in the galaxy."

"We are not a team." They both snapped.

Before Vortan could continue his lecture, one of the cable wires sparked violently. And more followed. The tower groaned, as if in response. Or perhaps it was telling Vortan all about how they had destabilized it.

Sunshine smiled nervously. "Uh...Vortan? I think the tower is about to--"

The structure shuddered, bolts snapping and cables detaching. Lights flickered like a scene in a horror movie.

And then, with a deafening crack, the entire tower began to collapse.

Vortan grabbed them both and pulled them into what looked like a storm of lightning in the sky. Or a rip in space that led them to the council chambers.

"Oh no..." Sunshine whispered. "Is it necessary to have another trial Vortan?"

He smirked. "Not a trial. Just an accountability for all the property you two have destroyed. This bill is going to be much bigger than the last one. Considering how much you value money Sunshine, I am afraid this will hurt you worse than a slap to your face."

Sunshine whimpered.

Vortan turned to Nine. "And you. Your payment will be made in nectar. Eighty percent of your stash will be confiscated."

Nine fainted.

Sunshine grinned.

*****

It had been happening for a while, all over fortress four. Teams of engineers were stringing cables across mounted steel poles. Soldiers always accompanied them, carrying fiber, routers and crystals that were said to work as amplifiers.

In Westbrook town, people gathered outside the market to watch the experts climb newly patched rooftops and poles, threading cables like veins. Children pointed at the glowing nodes, whispering that they looked like stars trapped in jars.

"What are they doing?" Asked an old man, clutching her bag of compressed biscuits and shawl.

"As long as it helps us survive, who cares?" Someone murmured.

The crowd doubled in size as minutes passed. They watched with a mixture of awe and suspicion. In the apocalypse, everything that was related to Quinn group and came from the main base on the mountain was treated like a miracle.

Not everyone saw the restoration as something to gawk over and worship.

In Jon’s house, a select group of the rich had gathered. Industrialists, financiers, merchants---from different fields, experts had been invited. They say in quiet conversation, pondering on the opportunity the new change was about to bring.

"If communication is restored as whispered about," said Sheldon whose rings gleamed in the sunlight, "commerce returns. We will be able to rebuild properly and not just survive but profit."

Jin leaned forward. "Imagine controlling the flow of information. Whoever owns the signal will be able to control the world."

A woman laughed. "If you think the Quinn’s will be letting any of us own the signal, you are drunker than I am."

Many heads nodded in agreement.

Jon cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, the signal is not the reason for our gathering. Monopoly is. We are lucky to be part of Fortress four and as they say, luck is also strength.

The Quinn’s can have the signal, we just need to use it wisely. The best way to profit is to venture into different fields." He looked around. "The world is practically being birthed from ground up. We can be the new pioneers of cellphones."

People murmured in agreement.

"Online shopping." Jon added.

Someone clapped. "I can purchase worthy vehicles from Sunshine and take on all delivery work."

"And who says we cannot shoot movies in an apocalypse? The way I see it, the watchers can be considered actors and actresses. Who needs CGI when we have real mutant and mutated monsters."

Some people laughed.

"I can bring back television." A man named Isaac Clarke stood up. "My family owned CBS. We had everything from news networks and cooking to faith channels."

Voices rose, business territories were divided. They pondered and schemed in whispers while outside, other people that had a clue on what was going on simply hoped to hear a loved one’s voice again.

Like Rori Quinn. She just wanted to find out if Colleta was still alive. And if she was, they needed to find her and bring her home before Fifi corrupted her.

Meanwhile, Lisha was overseeing the connection work in the information center of the second wall. She did not want anyone messing up the intricate system she had set up so far. Zulu was perched on her shoulder, screaming instructions to former telecommunication employees as if she was the expert and they, the interns.

A familiar figure waltzed into the center, and employees started to giggle. Phillip was a daily visitor. He always came by to visit Lisha with something that he hoped would win her heart.

Many had a countdown and bets on how long it would take for that goal to be accomplished.

Today, he carried a pelt, singed at the edges where his power had slipped.

He held the fur before Lisha. "This one is sable. I tracked it for two weeks before finally pinning it down. I was careful not to ruin the fur." He said, voice a bit unsteady.

Lisha looked the rich golden-brown fur which was far too big to belong to a normal sable. It was clear from the size that this had been a mutated one.

Lisha raised an eyebrow. "You hunted this?"

Phillip nodded, smiling shyly. "Sunshine said Amber left with your favorite sable fur when she divorced Hades. This is not that fur but...."

Lisha touched the fur, then looked at him. "It’s warm." She laughed. "Not convenient for the weather we are living in now but useful when the next winter or rainy season arrives."

She patted it carefully. "Thank you. I like this gift."

For Phillip, the ice wall around Lisha seemed to have been lowered.

For the people watching, fingers were crossed. Many were rooting for Philip. As long as he did not tell a stupid joke and ruin the moment, he would have one door in the foot.

Zulu squawked. "The bar is so low with you humans. Where at the twigs? Where is the food? Who needs fur? Human courtship rituals are bizarre."

And the moment was ruined!