The rusted maintenance hatch opens beside the sunken track, revealing a cramped concrete shelter. An overturned stool, empty cans, and a hand pump crowd the stale darkness.
Nora
I’ll check the entrance and the track. If anything followed us, I want warning before it reaches this door.
Nora crouches at the hatch, studying the weeds and fence line before easing it nearly closed. Eli settles beside the pump, his face paler than before.
Eli
The antibiotics are still sealed. I should have said this sooner, but climbing out and running took more out of me than I let on.
Nora
Then you stop pretending you can push through it. We rest, count what we have, and decide before dark whether the farm route is still possible.
Eli turns the bottle in his hands while Nora tests the pump. It groans, then gives a weak spurt of cloudy water before falling silent again.
Eli
There’s enough shelter here for a little while. Maya, we can sort the supplies and see how much daylight we have left.
✓ Quest Accepted
Ensure Eli is fit to travel
“I check Eli for injuries and ask what symptoms he feels.”
SUCCESS (Great Perception, rolled -2)
Maya kneels beside Eli and checks his hands, arms, ribs, and neck for fresh wounds or swelling. His clothing is intact, with no bite or bleeding visible.
Maya Gonzales
What symptoms do you feel right now? Tell me everything, even if it seems minor.
Eli
Weakness, mostly. My legs shake when I stand, and I’m light-headed. No fever that I can tell, and no pain beyond the climb.
Maya checks his forehead and watches his breathing, then has him flex each ankle and move both shoulders. Nothing catches or provokes sharp pain.
Nora
He needs water and rest, not another march. I can ration what we have, but we lose daylight while we sort this out.
The examination finds no new injury, but the spent minutes leave the shelter dimmer at the hatch. Eli remains conscious and responsive, while the cloudy pump water waits untested.
✓ Quest Accepted
Determine whether the shelter's pump water is safe to drink
− Scene Quest Removed
Ensure Eli is fit to travel
“Is the cloudy pump water safe to drink?”
YES, AND MORE (Unlikely, rolled 3)
Nora pours a little cloudy pump water into a dented cup and lets it stand. Sediment settles quickly, leaving clear water above it with no chemical smell.
Nora
It’s safe. The cloudiness is silt, not contamination. We can boil it, but it won’t poison us as it is.
Nora tests a second draw from the pump. This time the water runs clearer, and the handle keeps pulling instead of going dry.
Eli
That’s more than a sip. We can fill every bottle and still leave some for whoever finds this shelter.
Behind the pump, Nora notices a faded service plate: the shelter connects to an underground cistern. Its reserve should provide several days of water, giving the group time to rest before choosing the farm route.
Nora
We have water, shelter, and daylight enough to recover. Eli stays here until his legs hold steady, then we decide when to move.
Eli
For once, the road can wait for us.
The shelter’s stale darkness feels less like a trap now. Clean water fills the cup, the cistern promises more, and the dimming light no longer forces an immediate departure.
“Maya fills her canteens with water from the pump to have for the trip”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 42)
Maya fills her canteens from the clearer pump stream, letting each one run briefly before sealing it. The water is cool, plain, and free of visible sediment.
The shelter’s supplies shift from emergency rations toward a usable travel load. Several full canteens now hang ready for the road, while enough water remains in the cistern for those staying behind.
Nora
That gives us a margin, not permission to rush. Eli rests until he can stand without shaking, and we leave with water for the whole route.
Eli
I can do that. Knowing we won’t have to search for water immediately makes the farm route feel possible.
Nora caps the remaining containers and places them beside the hatch. Outside, the track stays quiet, while the last daylight thins across the weeds and rusted fencing.
Nora
We use this shelter tonight. At first light, we check the route, count the water again, and decide whether Eli is ready.