Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. - Chapter 289

Chapter 289: When it comes to digging gold.
Sunshine was not sure what to make of what she was watching. She was standing with Nimo, Lisha and Rori, watching Castiel do some shopping through the market, in the late evening.

Dwayne and Cathy were following closely behind him, pushing a cart that was almost full.

“What am I looking at?” She asked the other women.

“A gold digger.” Lisha answered.

Sunshine head tilted upwards and she turned her head to her right, “A gold digger!!” Turning her head to the front, she looked back at Castiel. He was not alone; he had his friend/girlfriend with him and her mother. They were the ones picking out foodstuffs. “Someone kindly explain this to me.”

Rori leaned forward and explained through a whisper, “Cass told me that he wanted some money for shopping with his friend. I told him to take it from one of my bags.”

“He brought the whole bag and there is like fifty thousand dollars in there!” Lisha exclaimed. “He is not shopping for himself or our family, his little fake girlfriend is the one that is shopping.”

“No.” Nimo jumped in. “Her mother is the one shopping. She clearly told her daughter to ask Cass to join her in the market so that they can shop together. In the end, that grown woman is picking out things and our Cass is paying for them like a fool.”

Sunshine scoffed. “And you are just watching! What were you waiting for to get my baby away from them?” Furious, she marched forward to put an end to the exploitation.

“Does she think we haven’t tried?” Nimo asked Lisha.

“That woman….wait…I remember her name now. Iris Lancaster…the kid is Lily Lancaster.” Lisha sighed, losing track of what she was going to say earlier.

Sunshine meanwhile didn’t bother taking the long route. She covered Castiel’s ears, smiled coldly at Iris and warned her sternly, “My son is not your ATM card. If he ever buys so much as a lollipop for your daughter, I will throw you out of this base.” Then she lifted Castiel and said, “Dwayne, bring home everything Castiel has paid for.”

She did not wait for anyone to explain anything as she marched off to the car and slammed the door shut.

Nimo laughed. “I told you she would shut it down.”

“Too bad she did not use the hammer.” Lisha commented. They had tried to step in before, but Iris would cajole Castiel and claim they were buying things for his play date with Lily.

“I am surprised she did not smash everything.” Rori turned around. “Let’s go. I need the Lancaster’s moved to the third wall.”

“Or Jon’s base.” Lisha suggested.

**

“We need to talk.” She said to Hades the moment she got home.

“Foreman Sunshine, the artificial moon is complete.” Tank blocked off Hades and stepped in front of Sunshine.

Hastily, she turned on her heel and hurried to the workshop. Her breath was fogging in the cold air that seeped through the open windows. Nervous sweat trickled down her back.

Tank stood back watching quietly, waiting for Sunshine to inspect his work. The moon rested on the table, shimmering with smooth metallic scales, glowing softly.

Her fingers trembled. Excitement clawed inside her chest, begging to burst out. But she forced herself to stay still, to breathe. She had learned long ago that joy too soon could turn into ash.

“Tank,” she said, her voice was leveled, “you did a great job.”

The robot’s sphere head flickered blue. “Thank you, foreman Sunshine. Diagnostics are complete. All systems are optimal. I am awaiting permission to test flight stabilization.”

Sunshine smiled faintly but did not give the command. “Not yet.”

Tank’s mechanical arms folded across his frame. “I do not understand your need for delaying gratification here. We have to test the object; we should test it.”

Sunshine chuckled softly. “It is called being happy with others, I want all of us at fortress four to watch this moon suspend itself in the air. To the hopeless it will be a symbol of hope, it is going to be a good night I am hopeful.”

The bravado on her face could not depict the racing in her heart. The artificial moon could change everything_their nights, their fuel use, renew hope when the darkness came. It was more than a project; it was proof that even in the ruins of the world, humanity could still survive.

She turned off the Moon’s main panel and left the workshop in time to join her husband in setting up the table for dinner.

“You will never believe what happened at the market tonight.” She started. “Castiel is not allowed to own private money until he is twenty-five at least. We are raising a sucker, Hades.”

He laughed. “I heard from Dwayne.”

She huffed. “You should have seen him Hades, the girl and her mother were shopping like wives and girlfriends of your billionaire friends.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I think I gave you my unlimited card after we got married. I distinctly remember the notifications…..”

“That was different, I was preparing for the apocalypse.” She snapped, albeit softly.

The boys and White came to the dining table. While the bear waved its empty milk bottle at Hades, Sunshine’s gaze locked on Castiel. “We need to talk champ. I am the only woman you shop for from now on.”

Castiel blinked.

“What about grandma?” Earl asked.

Hades groaned. It was going to be a long, loud dinner with a lot of questions. And one bear clinging to his wife.

***

Breakfast was warm, noisy, and ordinary, just the way the family liked it. The smell of fried potatoes and eggs filled the air as the children chattered, interrupting each other with wild stories about their dreams. Hades, read something on a tablet between bites, his face half- hidden behind the steam of the mug.

“You are not listening, dad!” Castiel accused, crossing his small arms.

“I am,” Hades said without looking up. “Something about your mom freezing all your money and shattering it.”

The two older boys laughed at his words.

Sunshine made a humming sound that was also disapproving at the same time. “Darling you are breaking the rules, no gadgets at the table.”

Hades raised his eyes. “But I am listening, he started with something about a snow dog…”

“Not a dog!” Castiel cried out. “It was a dragon carrying a snowman on its back….see you are not listening.”

Laughter rippled around the table. Sunshine smiled but said little.

“I beg to be excused.” Hades stood up. “Duties.”

He left first, and soon after the rest of the family followed. Sunshine dropped the children off at their classes. Then Day drove her to the medic bay where she headed straight to visit Nusra.

The room was quiet, filled with the sterile hum of medical machines. Nusra was sitting up in bed, reading a novel_a romantic one.

“I didn’t figure you to be the romantic type?” Sunshine said.

Nusra’s intense expression softened into a smile that always seemed too kind for this world. “Oh, I am a sucker for anything romantic.” Nusra said, marking her page before closing the novel.

Sunshine sat beside her. “I hope that I have not come too early…..

“No….no it is fine, Mrs. Maya just left here actually.” Nusra told her.

“Nimo’s mom?” Sunshine asked. A sigh of relief came from her when Nusra nodded, “I was actually worried that you didn’t have enough company, but I guess I was worrying over nothing.”

The woman had no family on the base; she was bound to be lonely. If the Fawks were treating her like family, it was a good thing.

Nusra laughed lightly. “The Fawks have been very welcoming, and they invited me to live with them after I am discharged. Fingers crossed that happens soon because I am tired of this place.” A frown formed on her face.

Sunshine touched her arm, “Actually, I am here about your discharge, I hope that you stay longer. I want to talk to you about something, specifically…your missing leg.”

Nusra scowled. She clenched her jaw. The warmth in her voice evaporated, “What about it? I have been over this with Alfred; I am not ashamed of myself. I can’t live in this bed forever just because I am missing a limb. If that is what brought you here, please leave.”