As the sun's first rays crept through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room, Fade stirred in his sleep. He opened his eyes to find Stephenie's peaceful face smiling as she slumbered beside him. The sight filled him with a sense of contentment and happiness, reminding him of the deep connection they shared the previous night. He took a moment to simply watch her, allowing the tranquility of the moment to wash over him. As he lay there, Fade felt grateful for the love they had found in each other, and he couldn't help but smile back at the sleeping beauty in his arms. "Who says size doesn't matter," Fade thought to himself with a chuckle. That was when an idea popped into his head as he turned to look at the knife still stabbed into his bedside table. "I want the time stone," he thought to himself, unfortunately, nothing appeared, "Ok, gum-gum fruit." But still, nothing materialized, it seemed as if he could not summon anything that did not conform to the rules of this universe.
He laid there for a while before he thought of a Sci-fi movie, he had watched about a man that was practically immortal thanks to nanites. He then took out his phone and tried to study the different variations of nanites. That was when he thought about a single, self-replicating nanite that would eventually grant him technomorphism while allowing him to maintain his organic body. He then felt extremely dizzy making him glad that he was already lying down, when he felt a small pinch in his hand. After the dizziness passed, he looked at his hand, but did not see anything. Then he realized that since it was a nanite, there would be no way for him to see it with the naked eye, so he would have no idea whether it worked or if he accidentally dropped it. He decided to wait for a while before trying something else, so, he got out of bed before going to the kitchen to cook breakfast. Taking stock of what was left in the fridge and pantry, afraid of a power outage, Fade decided it would be a wise move to prepare a hearty breakfast using the perishable items before they spoiled. He carefully inspected each item, ensuring they were still safe to consume, and then began to gather ingredients for his meal. Fade expertly chopped vegetables, scrambled eggs, and sizzled bacon in a pan, filling the kitchen with the mouthwatering aroma of a delicious breakfast. As he cooked, he couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a hot meal, especially considering the uncertainty of their current situation. Once everything was cooked to perfection, Fade served a generous portion for Stephanie and himself before taking it back to the room. Fade carefully stirred Stephanie awake, his gentle touch nudging her from the depths of her slumber. As she groggily opened her eyes, he smiled warmly and suggested they share a hearty breakfast in bed. Stephanie gratefully accepted as she saw him carrying a laden tray filled with a delicious spread. There were fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a medley of freshly chopped vegetables, all sizzling and steaming enticingly. The aroma wafting from the tray was mouthwatering, and Stephanie's stomach rumbled in anticipation.
Fade set the tray down on the bedside table and helped Stephanie sit up, propping her against the headboard. He poured her a cup of steaming coffee and handed it to her, then took a seat beside her. They both dug in, savoring each bite of the delicious meal.
As they ate, Fade couldn't help but feel grateful for the simple pleasure of a hot breakfast, especially given the uncertain circumstances they found themselves in. The warmth of the food and the comforting presence of Stephanie made him feel momentarily at ease, and he couldn't help but smile as he savored each bite as he planned out the rest of his day. Despite the challenges they faced, Fade knew that a good meal could go a long way in boosting morale and providing the energy needed to tackle whatever came their way.
After their meal, Fade took the tray away and helped Stephanie lie back down. They spent the rest of the morning in each other's company, enjoying the quiet moments of respite before they would have to face whatever challenges lay ahead. He knew he had to get rid of his roommate's body before it started to smell, but he didn't want to leave it out in the hall but throwing it from the balcony seemed disrespectful. Resolving himself, Fade got up from the bed, surprising Stephanie, as he left the bedroom, she followed behind him and watched as he opened the door to the balcony before picking up his roommate's body and chucking it down. He then went to the kitchen to finish cooking the perishable foods with Stephanie's help before storing it inside the fridge. Fade was worried about the tap water being contaminated, but just in case of emergencies, decided to fill up the tub. Luckily Fade disliked plain water, so he had several different cases of bubbly water along with other drinks and breakfast shakes. So, if everything went as planned, they should run out of food in five days and liquids in about thirty days.
They spent the next few days staying active when they weren't being intimate. Stephanie either talked to her friends and family, did yoga, or read. While Fade workout when he wasn't making bullets for the gun, as the days passed, he noticed that he was able to make more bullets. On the third day, the water and power turned off, afterwards there was a message sent out on the community chat group looking for people to go to the local store for food. People have tried going out these days, but few returned, and the ones that did talked about the raving masses outside, apparently, if you get hurt by one of the ravagers, you get infected and will become one of them. Fade looked at the two full gun magazines in front of him, before shaking his head, thinking that he did not have enough yet to risk going out, though he did notice that his body was actually getting fitter even with the food rationing, while Stephanie was getting noticeably skinnier. Once after dinner Stephanie said, "Fade, I think you were born for the apocalypse. Instead of getting thinner, you're actually putting on muscles." "I think it is because of all the exercise we have been doing," said Fade before giving her a wink, causing Stephanie to smack him on the arm as she blushed.
On the fifth day, as Fade sat on his bed, he thought about what the item that he was about to try and summon, depending on what worked, determined his future summons. They needed a power source to support his plans, so, he imagined a portable reactor from a T.V. show he had watched. It is not the most powerful he could think of it was just the only one that worked using fission, so he did not need to energize it first to start the reaction. He started to see an oblong shape taking form in front of him before he began to get dizzy, as he continued to watch it materialize his eyesight began to dim before he passed out. He woke up later to a noise from his phone, looking around, his eyes landed on an oblong thing right in front of him. His eyes widened in surprise, but he remained calm as he stretched out his hand to turn it on. When the core was inserted, a humming noise came from the reactor before it lighted up, showing that it was working, and that the reaction was stable. Fade couldn't help it when a huge smile started to spread on his lips, he wanted to shout out in happiness, but he was able to suppress the urge. He then looked at his phone and noticed that it was a new message in the community chat group.
Fade turned off and hid the reactor under his bed before he started to get dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, boots and a leather jacket. He then took the two guns he had made in the past few days along with two extra magazines with bullets before leaving the room. Coming to the living room, he saw Stephanie doing yoga, before he placed one of the guns on the table and saying, "The community is having a swap meet in the garage. I'm going to go down and check it out, do not open the door for anyone. If someone tries to break in while I'm gone shoot them thru the door, don't give them a chance to come inside." "I know we are running out of food but, is it safe for you to go?" asked Stephanie with a worried look on her face. Fade walked up to her before he patted her head and said, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself, it's you I'm worried about." She leaned into his hand as a smile started to show on her face. Seeing that she was placated, Fade left the apartment and took the stairs down to the garage.