Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. - Chapter 398

Chapter 398: The price.
Gurata’s scream drew attention from others, and a small crowd started to form. Their combined anger against one child was obvious to see. It was rage, burning so hot that it wanted to explode.

Sunshine wondered whether it was right to urge them to be rational. One little three-year-old girl was not to blame for the catastrophe that had occurred. But how could she something like that to people that were still grieving? Most were now the only ones left from their families.

They were just like the little girl. But they would never see it.

They needed someone to blame and she was it.

As a scavenger and trader trying to save her own world, she had to tread carefully, Boulder Creek was a commodity to her, a land of treasures. Other opinions she had needed to be kept to herself for now.

“Disperse.” She commanded the people.

Othyrean gestured the same. Three adults and one child remained back, just as they had been.

“Take her and give us food instead,” Gurata said, her voice hopeful. “She is the last of a royal bloodline and on some worlds, that makes her special somehow. Her family destroyed an entire planet. She carries their blood in her veins; someone has got to be interested in her. If we could leave, we would have sold her off long ago for food and water. It is what we are owed.”

Once again, Sunshine told herself to reserve her judgement. But deep down, she wanted to say, “this child doesn’t owe you shit.”

Instead, she frowned and said, “Look, she is not an iron shirt, a weapon, a mask or a piece of technology. She is a child. What reason would I have to take her?”

Gurata opened her mouth.

Othyrean stopped her, preferring to respond. “I have given you the reason why. If you do not take her, she will be killed. We don’t know how many other survivors are out there, but we all know everyone hates her. Some people wanted to drink her blood, thinking she got the special power of the mysterious prime core and that was how she survived.

Others wish to kill her to erase the past and start over without the stain of the royal family. There are those that think killing her will somehow be the sign that we have started rebuilding.

The worst are the people that think only by spilling her blood can the gods forgive us and clear the skies and restore Boulder Creek to what it once was.”

Sunshine looked at the little girl. The girl’s eyes met hers, wide, afraid but unblinking. They were filled with a silence that spoke louder than words.

“I….” she started.

Othyrean cut her off. “Save her.”

“I am on a salvaging mission,” Sunshine replied softly, “I am no savior.”

“Then salvage her,” Othyrean said strongly. “Maybe her blood is special or maybe not. The royals were believed to be messengers of gods, a special existence. Nobody believes that anymore, true or false. The girl will be better off with you. My people will be happier with food and water. She is a piece of a history, the last of her lineage.”

Sunshine hesitated. She was torn between helping and going on her merry way. Helping this girl would probably be no different from helping White. But White was not a human like creature on two legs. He was a simple bear with no enemies.

The girl had enemies, people that would maybe hunt her down someday. But maybe she knew some of the secrets of the prime core. Perhaps some kindness could get her to reveal what she could remember.

But at the age of three, did she even have any memories?

As she weighed the pros and cons, she looked at the girl. It was obvious that the little one was different. She did not beg. She did not cry. They claimed she could not hear, but Sunshine could see signs of understanding in her eyes.

The girl knew what was going on and she was just watching them as if she already knew her fate.

Sunshine sighed. “If I take her, will anyone come looking for her later on?”

Othyrean shook his head. “I don’t believe so. We will spread the word that she is dead.”

“Why are you determined to give her to me?” Sunshine asked him. “You don’t know where I come from. It could be a worse place than here.”

“Will she be killed over there?” he asked.

Sunshine blinked. “My homeland has its problems, but we are okay.” She worded her response carefully. “What about the rest of you? Don’t you wish to leave this place?”

He frowned. “This is our home; we are going to rebuild it. All we lacked was food and water. As long as we trade with you, we will have a starting point. Perhaps you can help us find something that can detoxify the air and make the soil healthy again. That alone will take us far.”

She thought about the flowers in her living space that could detoxify air, those whose roots could absorb toxins in the soil and the ones whose pollen could awaken dormant minerals in dead soil.

She even had serums which could restore soil vitality. Indeed, she had all she needed to help the people of Boulder Creek.

They could make a deal. After the soil healed, whatever crops they planted, she could take a certain percentage.

Sunshine waved her hand, bringing out flowers and serums from the space. She explained what each of them could do and the cost.

“We will take it.” He said eagerly.

“Hold on.” She raised her hands. “I want forty percent of everything that you will grow for the next ten years.”

Othyrean nodded. “We will take it. It is a small price to pay for the salvation you have brought us.”

“And you said you were not a savior.” Gurata said, excitedly. She raced off to share the good news with others.

Meanwhile, Sunshine waved her hand again, revealing a colossal cylindrical tank that held ten million liters of water from the Levias sea. “Use the water sparingly, it is the price for the girl.”

Othyrean dropped to his knees. “Thank you….” tears spilled from his eyes.

Sunshine pointed to the tank. “The water is free, but the tank is not. In future, I will expect payment for it. My beacon is flashing; it is time for me to leave.”

She took the girl’s hand. “What is her name?”

Othyrean shook his head. Before he could say more, Sunshine vanished.

By the time Gurata and others arrived, Sunshine was gone.

“Where is the savior?” A woman asked.

“Gone.” Othyrean shared, hand patting the water tank with such gentleness and a smile.

“And the cursed girl?” Gurata asked.

He took his hand away from the tank and looked at the crowd with a warning and coldness. “From now on, all members of Boulder Creek’s royal family are dead. If I hear one whisper of a survivor, death will be the punishment. The savior has left with water, seeds, and a way to heal our land. It is time for us to rebuild.”

An older woman at the back broke down, shouting loudly, “I told you all. It was a prophecy. Only the total wipe out of all the royals would bring salvation to our land. The cursed girl is dead, and we have water and seeds. Boulder Creek will live on.”

“All hail the savior.” Gurata screamed.

As they rejoiced, Othyrean pondered on the words of the older woman, Marlen. In a way, her words had some truth. He was glad that he had not let the people kill the girl as they once wished.