They talked with the mountain couple for a little longer, and then they went back to the flier to explore a bit more. So far, the people they found outside the cities were not just surviving, they were thriving.
The Mesaarkans had devastated the cities and skipped over the countryside. They had picked the largest populated areas as their prime targets while the rural landscape in between was relatively untouched.
Perhaps one of the smaller towns would still have manufacturing equipment intact that could be salvaged. It wasn’t a job he wanted. The lack of available funding was a significant handicap. Back when he and his brothers agreed to take on this job, they didn’t realize how little support they would get from the Federation.
Jolt stopped at a few more places in rural areas and got similar answers at most of the sites, but there were some that showed interest in joining the Enclave. The common thread among those who declined assistance was growing their own food and keeping livestock or hunting.
Some of the people had migrated to the country from the cities, while others were descendants of rural families who had continuously cultivated a self-sufficient lifestyle. They had been living “off-the-grid” since before the war.
They did find several solitary males who wished to find mates. Knowing there were many females at the Enclave with no mates, Jolt recorded the men that were looking for mates to relay.
But there were a few males that Jolt believed were too interested in Iris, maybe even considering their chances of taking her from him. They were overt enough to make Iris uncomfortable. Jolt knew it by the way her hand gripped his a little tighter, and she stepped closer to him.
Jolt tamped down his desire to kill them where they stood. The men lusting after his female had no idea how close to death they were.
One male dared to ask, “What would you take for the woman?”
“Your life,” Jolt answered with a quiet vehemence that left no room for misunderstanding. “She is mine.”
“No, offense,” the tall, slender man said quickly. “If you know of any woman that needs a man. They just ain’t to be had around these parts. I’d be really good to her if I could find one.”
“I will put you on the list. There are females at the Enclave south of New Chicago that might be interested,” Jolt said. “Perhaps, we could arrange a meeting.”
He wasn’t sure how they would decide if a man were a suitable mate. The last thing he wanted to see was a female placed with a male that would abuse her.
At the last stop they made, someone started shooting at them as they approached the wooden dwelling. Jolt immediately shoved Iris behind him. No projectiles hit Jolt. Either the shooter had lousy aim, or they were meant to be a warning.
“You in the house,” Jolt called out. “We are not here to harm you. I’m from the Federation. The war is over, and I stopped to see if you need any assistance with food, medicine, or a medic.”
A young woman with flame red hair stepped out the front door, her rifle under her arm pointed groundward. Beside her was a big, longhaired multicolored dog. The blacks and browns were mixed together. He was as big as a wolf, but his muzzle was too blunt, and his ears were semi-erect. He stood quietly at the woman’s side.
“You’re a cyborg,” she said. “My father told me about cyborgs. He said they made you to fight the war.”
“Yes, that’s true. Why did you shoot at us?”
“If I were shooting at you, I would have hit you. I thought you were Nick Jester trying to worm his way back into my life again.”
“I don’t know who that is,” Jolt said.
“Just the jerk down the road that wants to screw me. Edson here doesn’t like him.” She nodded at the dog. “That’s good enough for me.”
As Jolt looked at her, he found it understandable that a man wanted her. He suspected one of his brethren would be thrilled to discover she was his female.
“I am Jolt Somber, and this is Iris Bloom,” he said. “We came on behalf of the Enclave near New Chicago to offer assistance if you need it.”
“I get by on my own, but I wouldn’t mind finding the right mate,” she said. “Jester comes around ever so often to offer his services, but that lazy bastard just wants me to keep him for the winter. He knows I got food stored up in the root cellar and wood for the stove.”
Chapter Six
Iris laughed.
“Next time he comes around I just might shoot the fucker,” she asserted. “Anyway, I’m pleased to meet you. Nice to meet someone who wants to help rather than trying to take what I got. I’m Talia Cannon. Does the Federation have any more like you?” She was looking at Jolt hopefully.
“We have hundreds of cyborgs working to rebuild the Farringay Starport. One of them could be your male, but they would likely not know until they met you.” Jolt explained.
“Could you arrange such a meeting?” Talia asked.
“You could come with us to Farringay. But, we cannot offer any private quarters at our base,” Jolt said. “We have women camping out in a separate wing waiting to be transported to the Enclave at New Chicago.”
