Debbie felt strange when they got back to the farm. The house was a busy as it had ever been. In addition to the usual suspects, Prince William, Princess Catherine, and their children Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte had taken over a corner of the cellar. Next to them were 8 bunkbeds occupied by 16 soldiers from the Welsh Guards. The remaining 4 soldiers were riding out the fallout in the Boxer command and control APC, which was parked in a garage lined with 2 layers of sandbags. In addition to providing them protection, the Boxer provided secure communication with what remained of the government and military, keeping the farms residents in the loop via regular radio reports. Her father was helping out keeping moral up, and spending a lot of time with Diana, Stevo's Mum. Kahlil was glued to a radio, listening intently for any scrap of news. Then there were those missing. Nobody had heard from Adam White, or the three protection officers since before the attack. The other two that were missing were the cause of Debbie's unease. Claire and Stevo spent the night together in Drebun. It wasn't that she was worried about Claire, she had had plenty of boyfriends and could look after herself, not that Stevo would push her if she wasn't interested. It was that she thought of Stevo as hers. She had never indicated this to Stevo, and wasn't sure when she developed feelings for him even, but she had, and now she has this drama to deal with on top of the end of the world.
In Drebun, Stevo awoke slowly, momentarily unaware of where he was. Claire was still sleeping on the bed opposite, after crying most of the night about a lost future. There would be no marriage to a successful husband, no honeymoon in the Caribbean, no charming children at a posh school. The world that she grew up in was gone. Her dreams crushed. Stevo had calmed her by saying that she would help build a new world, and would be an elite part of the new society, then she dozed off, before they discussed the details.
He hated to wake Claire, but he wanted to get to the inn for a cooked breakfast and to use the facilities, before maybe doing a mission. He lent over Claire and gently shook her shoulder. She awoke with a start, then quickly relaxed. Stevo told her his plans for the day, and a few minutes later they were seated at a table in the inn, a serving girl giving them large mugs of caf to drink whilst they waited for their breakfast to finish sizzling in the kitchen.
Moments later the serving girl was back with two plates loaded with scrambled eggs and sausage served with a thick slice of bread.
"Better than the mres they are eating back on the farm, eh Claire?" Asked Stevo with a grin.
"Yeah! Thanks for last night it all got too much for me for a while there."
"You had to adapt more than most to the changes that are still coming. If nuclear war doesn't phase you a little you are already crazy. I think we should pop back to the farm and check everything is OK after we eat."
Claire nodded her agreement her mouth full of sausage. The inn door opened and in walked a welcome sight. Adam West, alive and well. Stevo waved him over.
"Good to see you, we were worried when the attack came."
"I was in a bunker deep under Whitehall. The surface is devastated, but the government bunkers held firm. We are waiting for the fallout to settle then we are moving to Corsham to meet with the Prince of Wales and form a new administration."
"You won't find William at Corsham, he is with the Princess his kids and 20 troops, at the farm. We are going there after we finish breakfast. Come with us."
"Good that he's safe and amongst friends. We lost contact with the Kings plane around the time of the attack. He was heading to Canada. It may just be messed up atmospherics causing an issue, but we don't know for sure."
When they arrived in cellar of the Farm a few minutes later, they were warmly greeted by everyone, Debbie was a little awkward with Stevo but if you weren't specifically looking for it you wouldn't notice. Stevo being a typical male didn't.
Stevo and Claire were brought up to date on what was known, (electricity and communications were down and almost all survivors were hunkering down avoiding the fallout.) while Adam took William and Kate to one side and updated them on the lost contact with his father's plane. When they returned to the group William looked shaken.
If they heard nothing from the king in 14 days he would be considered lost, William would become king of a devastated country, the majority of the population dead or dying, infrastructure largely obliterated, industry and agriculture at below subsistence levels, and under attack by occult forces from another plane of existence. He couldn't make things worse he supposed.
Kahlil spoke and lightened the mood.
"We have plenty of supplies, but morale could use a lift. We are getting dinner delivered this evening. Stevo, Deb, talk to the innkeeper see what you can rustle up. Bring Gregoor back with you if you can he needs to see our world if he is to help rebuild it."
Deb gave Stevo an unreadable look before she spoke up.
"I hope there are no vegetarians here, they love meat in Drebun."
To the accompaniment of a few chuckles Stevo and Deb departed.
The innkeeper greeted them on arrival,
"Stevo, back so soon? They are still washing your breakfast plates in the Kitchen. Deb it's always a pleasure to see you."
Stevo explained that they needed an evening meal for 2 dozen people, packed for transport to their home world. Gregoor was to join them, and would ruturn with payment, a case of fine wine from Earth. Although Stevo and Debbie had no trouble transporting item from this world to Earth, they were unable to move items in the other direction. They hoped that Gregoor could.
The innkeeper said that he would have the meal ready at nightfall and would speak to Gregoor when he saw him.
That left them with the afternoon to kill. Stevo had an idea. It would be dependent on Gregoor initially, but it had the potential to aid both Earth and this place to develop. He grabbed Deb and went to speak to a merchant who was eating at the bar. She introduced herself as Amaanda she bought fruit and vegetables from villages like Drebun, arranged their transport to one of the major cities where the load is sold for a profit.
Stevo thought this could work. He could supply fresh fruit and vegetables to Earth, and pay for it with either coins, or preferably salveged goods from Earth. It would be a win-win everyone gains.
Stevo was brought crashing back to the moment by a loud voice yelling,
"Fire! Fire!"
Drebun didn't have a fire brigade, neighbors banded together knowing that the house they save might well be their own.
Stevo and Deb ran outside and grabbed buckets before jogging the 60m or so to Granny Agnes place. Nobody was exactly sure how old she was, but she was the oldest in the village, and had sat for almost everyone in Drebun when they were young. One of her oil lamps was knocked over igniting her straw mattress, within moments her bedroom was ablaze, she was fortunate Gregoor carried her out with nothing worse than a lung full of smoke to show for it.
Stevo handed off his bucket and checked her over. Her breathing was labored and she was wracked by a coughing fit when she tried to speak. He decided that was the best moment to act and cast his heal. A moment later she spoke, the cough no longer a problem.
"I've heard about you Stevo. A visitor who cares like he belongs. You're friends and you are trying to save a bit of your world. Have you considered preserving it by bringing it here."
"The world I grew up in is dead, destroyed a day ago. Whatever society rises from the ashes will be a friend to Drebun. I may be a visitor, but I am the only visitor who has a second home here. Take the key, stay there until repairs are done."
"Thank you Stevo, but my granddaughter insists that I stay with her."
The fire was out so Stevo grabbed Deb and Gregoor who was being dawned over by the aforementioned granddaughter, and they went to see if their food was ready.
