Day 16 - 20
Gabriel stood still for a moment, overwhelmed by the sight inside the cave. In front of him were piles of resources—limestone, clay, basalt stones, and even pockets of coal tucked between cracks. He ran his fingers along the rough texture of the cave wall, a smile forming on his face. "This is it," he whispered. "This is what we need."
Behind him, Xenia stepped forward with confidence, surveying the area like a general planning her battlefield. "Listen up," she called out to the group. "We have a new mission. We're going to fortify the cabin with stone. The infection is creeping closer every day. No more fragile wood walls. We build stronger, smarter, together."
The team nodded, galvanized by her direction. Gabriel agreed, stepping forward. "To work with stone, we need proper tools. I'll take care of setting up a crafting station."
They cleared a space near the cave mouth to set up a makeshift crafting table. Using hardwood planks from salvaged cabins and stone slabs, Gabriel crafted a durable surface for construction. He scavenged rusty iron nails, binding agents like sap and resin, and began forging the essential tools.
The saw was built first—a salvaged hacksaw blade fastened to a wooden handle using tight metal wiring and resin glue. The hammer followed, constructed with a basalt head tied securely with woven leather onto a short thick branch. For chiseling, they reshaped metal tent stakes into crude yet serviceable blades. Gabriel even managed to repurpose a broken wrench into a makeshift spanner by binding its head tightly with charcoal-forged straps to prevent slippage.
As the day progressed, Rico worked with surprising ingenuity. He discovered that the coal veins in the cave could provide enough heat to smelt small metals. With Rafe's help, they constructed a rudimentary forge—a pit layered with firebrick stones and insulated with clay. Using salvaged metal sheets from old bunk beds and an iron grill from a collapsed stove, Rico managed to rig a basic smelter. He fueled it with coal, dry bamboo shavings, and compressed charcoal bricks formed from leftover wood scraps.
While Rico took to his electrical ambitions, he assembled a crude dynamo system. He salvaged copper wires from abandoned electronics and used a bicycle wheel as the rotating motor. By attaching magnets to the wheel and connecting it to a basic crank system, he demonstrated how spinning the wheel could generate a small but steady current—enough to light a few bulbs or power a small radio. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.
Meanwhile, Rafe examined the dense basalt rock he found. Inspired, he shaped it using a hammer and chisel into small spearheads and blade-like tools. Tying them onto bamboo shafts with sturdy vines, he created an array of weapons: short spears, throwing daggers, and even a heavy cleaver he nicknamed "Basalt Fang." The stone was heavier than steel but devastating when wielded with power.
Anna and little Cecil stayed closer to the cabin. With a collected batch of clay from the cave, they began making pottery. The two shaped the clay into various sizes of pots and bowls, slowly spinning them by hand and smoothing the surfaces with wet cloths. Anna crafted a tall-necked jar perfect for storing clean water, and Cecil focused on a wide-mouthed bowl that could be used for boiling. They sun-dried their pottery pieces, later firing them in the coal pit once it was safe to do so.
Near the cabin, Xenia worked on something more personal—a proper crib for Rhys. Using leftover planks, she shaped the frame with the help of Gabriel's saw. She wrapped the inner sides with soft cloth and used twine to hang a handmade mobile above it. She filled a small glass bottle with goat's milk, sealing the top with repurposed rubber from a broken sandal, which she poked with a clean pin to make a makeshift baby bottle.
She held Rhys in her lap, bottle in one hand, whispering to him as he drank. "I know it's selfish that I'm prioritizing your comfort over everything else. But I have to. You're the one thing I can protect without guilt. It's my job to make this place feel like home to you."
Rhys giggled, tiny hands reaching up to touch her cheek. Xenia smiled. She kissed his forehead and continued feeding him, savoring the moment of peace amid the storm of activity.
Nearby, Wild Man, still bandaged but eager to contribute, was given orders by Brie to stockpile wood. He stumbled at first, unsteady and unsure of how to organize tasks. He tried dragging branches until Brie taught him how to split logs with a wedge and axe. Once he got the hang of it, he worked diligently.
Nestor, watching from the half-assembled tower, called for help. "Hey, beard boy! Bring me that rope!"
Wild Man rushed over clumsily with the rope, nearly tripping over a bucket. He laughed nervously. "I'm not used to being helpful," he admitted.
"You're learning," Nestor grunted, pulling the rope to secure a plank.
Soon Brie asked him to refill the water drums from the well. Though winded from the effort, Wild Man obliged without complaint. Then Gabriel called him over to carry mixed mortar, and despite his inefficiencies, Wild Man was slowly being folded into the fabric of the community.
Construction pressed on through the evening. Gabriel extended working hours until 9 p.m., knowing the urgency. Dinner would follow at 10, and sleep by 11. The new structure had to be ready.
The cabin's first floor was now reinforced with stones. The walls, once made of bamboo and pine, had been replaced by mortared blocks of limestone and basalt. Gaps were filled with clay and sealed with pitch. The windows were refitted with shuttered wood slabs and reinforced from the inside with brackets formed from melted scrap.
Brie and Marga, energized from their farming earlier, helped plaster the inner walls using a mixture of lime and ash. It dried into a sturdy, clean surface. The new stone floor was paved with flat rocks and polished using water and grit.
Xenia watched it all from her porch. Despite the labor and exhaustion in everyone's eyes, she saw hope. No one complained about the long hours. Everyone understood what was at stake.
Tomorrow, they would begin the second floor—Gabriel had plans for using salvaged tin roofs and stone railings to prevent break-ins. Marga suggested adding a water filtration system using gravel and sand layers. Rico proposed connecting his dynamo to the top floor so they could add a watchlight. And Xenia? She planned to teach Cecil how to read next week.
Unity didn't come easy. But it was built—stone by stone, hand by hand, heart by heart.