Luckily, there weren’t patrols around the breach, and it looked like Volkov didn’t find it.

What was surprising, in truth, was how Thaids didn’t find it after all those years. But the answer, despite the weird problem, was that it wasn’t easy.

The barrier was invisible. It could be occasionally seen shimmering, but that was it. For the thaids to get past it, they had to be very lucky, being at the right place, no, the right spot.

Though Erik noticed something as they headed toward the breach, there weren’t thaids around. It was weird considering that another mass migration was taking place. But even this had simple explanations.

Either something devoured them all, or New Alexandria’s troops killed them all. Regardless, thaids died, and in both cases, the perpetrator left nothing behind.

A thaid would have eaten everything, humans simply used the corpses to make armors and weapons.

“Where are we going?” Amber asked. Mira also looked at him, waiting for an answer.

“We’re going to my old workplace,” Erik said. “Mr. Fox’s farm. The owner has passed away, but the house should still be empty and big enough to accommodate all of us. We won’t even have to search for food since I can grow whatever we need.”

“A farm seems perfect for hiding while you make new clones,” Mira said. Amber nodded in agreement.

“But we also need to search for information. You said you wanted to contact the resistance here. How do we move for that?”

Erik remained silent for a second. “I will go. The last time I was here, there was the need to have a permit to roam around. I don’t know what happened after I destroyed the Crystal Cross Gang and helped the resistance set foot in the city, but I don’t think things went well due to how many guards there were outside. Still, it’s the best thing to do.”

“What about us?”

Emily, Amber, and Mira didn’t like the idea of staying behind and doing nothing.

“I will find a way to make you able to roam around. Maybe making fake permits or the like. The city was basically empty the last time I was here. I don’t know if it is because many people died when the parasites attacked or because they were hiding inside their houses. But for you, roaming around now will be impossible. If there had been more people, you could have at least blended in, but based on the current situation, it would just be risky.”

The group made their way through the streets in silence. As they walked, Erik recalled his time working at Mr. Fox’s farm, taking care of the crops and animals. It had been a quiet, peaceful job, different from his current life, full of threats and difficulties.

It looked like he wasn’t the only one thinking about him having worked there. It was natural, considering they were heading to the farm.

“How long did you work at the farm?” Amber asked.

“Almost two years,” Erik said. “It was a good experience. Ah, the only one. To be honest, no one wanted me back then.”

He fell silent, not wanting to say more. His memories of that time were often painful, but at least they were just distant memories. A lot of time passed since then, and he changed a lot. Power was just the last thing he got during these years.

After about an hour of walking, Erik spotted the roof of the farmhouse in the distance.

“We’re almost there,” he said to the group. They picked up their pace, eager to rest in a safe place after their long journey.

As Erik and the group approached the farmhouse, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

He had many fond memories of working here, tending the crops and animals with a soothing simplicity. He had far less fond memories of Mr. Fox.

But as they neared, Erik saw the farm was in a state of disrepair, but it wasn’t surprising since Mr. Fox didn’t have heirs.

The grass and weeds around the house and barn had grown knee high, obscuring the stone path that led up to the porch.

Vines crept up the walls, snaking through open windows. Dust covered every surface outside the house.

What was once a comfortable home now was dilapidated and forgotten.

Erik led them inside the empty farmhouse. Though it was dusty, it still provided shelter from the elements.

Mira looked out a window at the vast fields surrounding the property. Most of it was full of weeds, debris, and now rusty machines.

Erik went to the window and looked out. Upon seeing the machines in that state, he remembered when Mr. Fox bought them. Of course, it was all thanks to Erik’s work there.

He sighed, then left the window and turned to Emily and Amber, but Mira was listening.

“We can lie low here for a while,” Erik said. The others nodded in agreement, grateful to have arrived.

“This place hasn’t been lived in for a long time,” Amber said, running her finger through the dust on a table.

Mira walked over to Erik, who was again staring out a window, this time not simply to see how the outside was, but to check for the presence of other people. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Erik nodded. “It’s just that… this farm held a lot of great memories for me. This was the first place anyone really accepted me.” He fell silent for a moment.

“What happened to Mr. Fox?” Emily asked. Erik remained silent for a bit. “He got killed by the Crystal Cross Gang.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

“Don’t worry. He was a piece of shit.”

Indeed, he was, but not a complete one. Honestly speaking, Mr. Fox was much better than most people in New Alexandria.

Thinking back at those times, he couldn’t stop resenting Becker for the city’s state, or rather the citizens’ mentality.

However, based on what Erik knew now, it was entirely possible the situation didn’t depend on Becker at all.

Sure, he pressed people to get stronger. Frant wasn’t in a healthy situation.

After all, especially because of the rampant criminal gangs around, Becker needed a powerful army. He needed loyal people.

Startled by Erik’s reply, Emily sat on a chair after clearing it from dust.

“But enough of that. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Let’s tidy up this place. This much dust will be bad for our health, and since we are going to risk a lot every day, adding another reason to fear for our condition won’t be good.”

The three women and four clones nodded. The clones were looking at the area in person for the first time. June went to where Erik found Mr. Fox’s body. His master’s memory was vivid in his mind.

Over the next few hours, Erik and the others set about clearing the space they would need for resting and working.

They dusted furniture, swept floors, and removed debris that had made its way inside during the years of abandonment. Luckily, water was still running, and electricity was ok.

Erik cleared a stray cobweb from a windowsill, his mind wandering back to when Mr. Fox had shown him how to care for the vast acreage. Those lessons would prove useful again, it seemed.

…

…

…

As dusk approached, the group had reclaimed several rooms and planned their next steps.

“I’ve cleared a room for you to make the clones,” Amber said. “It’s on the second floor. There, you can keep the eggs safe.”

“Thanks.”

Erik sighed in relief as he sat down on Mr. Fox’s old couch. Finally, they had a moment to relax and rest their weary bodies.

Mira and Amber sat down next to him while Emily chose an armchair. The three clones decided to stand nearby.

“We did well to get here,” Erik said.

“This place will serve us well for now.” The girls nodded in agreement. They were all tired from the long journey, but felt safe within the walls of the old farmhouse.

Mira looked out the dirty window at the overgrown fields. “It’s peaceful here. I can see why you valued working on this farm.”

Erik smiled. “It was a quieter time then.”

A brief silence ensued, only to be broken by June.

“Should we eat something?” June said.

“Yeah… I’m hungry too.”

The group got up and set about finding something to eat in the old kitchen. Though dust covered a lot of things, Erik located some cans of peaches and other preserved foods Mr. Fox left. They shared a meager but nourishing meal together, while talking about this and that, but mostly about their future plans.

Most of the initial work had to be made by Erik. To make the clones, to find the resistance, to find a way to let his comrades roam the city. However, he knew that once the second of these two tasks were completed, most of the problems would be solved.

What Mira, Amber, and Emily were going to do, then, depended on them and on Major Fischer. Erik was going to search for news about Richard, and of course, Volkov.

The predicament was quite challenging. Attacking Volkov directly could cause Richard’s death. Rescuing Richard would essentially reveal his presence to Volkov. And if the man escaped, Erik would have to begin his search from scratch.

The best thing to do would be to rescue Richard and kill Volkov simultaneously, but for that, he needed allies… and clones.

…

After eating, the women found bedrooms to claim for the night. Erik likewise chose a dusty room, glad to lay his head on an actual bed once more.

June and the clones kept watch from the porch, allowing the others some needed respite, but they were going to rest soon too.