Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday - Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Kind and Ruthless
“Well… the safest plan is to start growing our own food.” Grace answered while looking around at the men.

A frown appeared on Davian’s face as he heard the suggestion. “You know that it will not be easy because of the weather. The only reason our rooftop garden is surviving is because of the special facilities it has… and also because of Kian.”

When Grace didn’t speak immediately and just stared at him in silence, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “You got a plan already, don’t you?” He knew her more than enough to understand the silence he just received for questioning her suggestion.

Grace let out a small sigh as she finally spoke. “Of course.” She summoned the digital screen of the system in front of the men with a thought, letting them see the details of her plan.

“Let’s break down the issues we will be facing in this plan.” She began. “Supplies – just like how we got the construction materials, there are still sources out there from where we can get supplies needed to start a greenhouse – soil, seeds, fertilizers, tools, pots, and all.”

Military and Government had only secured food, water, clothes, medicines, and such supplies from the supermarkets, stores, and factories, they hadn’t touched other items yet. Hence, there were still stores and factories out there from where they could find the materials they would need.

“Second – temperature. There are various ways to handle that.” Grace continued with eliminating the issues one-by-one. “We can use basements to set up the greenhouses as they are warmer compared to other areas. We can also use scavenged materials to insulate the walls and floors. Most importantly, I got a mutated plant that produces a liquid that can create warmth. We will mix it in the soil to increase the temperature.”

The men just listened in silence, amazed at the depth of research she had done just so the residents of Greenstone would be able to eat properly. And while she had her reason for helping Greenstone, it was also true that she wasn’t really desperate to save this place. She didn’t have to if she didn’t want to.

“Third – sunlight. While I can’t make the sun appear, we can use hand-cranked or pedal-powered generators to create power that will be able to replace the requirement of sunlight. Or we can also use fire and reflectors.”

Grace quickly sneaked a peek at the list to see what was the next issue before continuing. “Fourth – water. We are going to send out teams from now on to collect firewood and will use it to melt the ice to water the plants. We have also found a plant that can make the water toxin free. So, it will be available both for drinking and irrigating the plants.”

She continued with the list of issues and their solution she had come up with 2025’s help, and by the time she was done, all three men were looking at her with gaze filled with amazement and pride.

Silence lingered for a few moments before Davian finally exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief. “You really don’t do things halfway, do you?”

It was something Rune used to say to her a lot, but it turned out that she could even leave Davian surprised at certain moments with her skills.

She just shrugged her shoulders simply as if what she had done was no big deal.

Dr. Kian chuckled softly as he leaned back against his couch. “That’s an understatement. She’s got everything covered.”

Rune, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. “It’s a solid plan. But its execution is going to be difficult. We’ll need people who know how to handle plants, and not just any plants – these are going to be grown under extreme conditions. Greenstone can’t afford mistakes.”

“I already have a solution for that.” Grace tapped on the digital screen, and another list popped up. “Greenstone has a few former agricultural researchers among the survivors. I checked the records. If we recruit them for the task, they can help with setting up and maintaining the greenhouses.”

Davian nodded thoughtfully. “That’ll definitely make things easier.”

Grace continued, “But it won’t be enough. We need protection as well. Once people will learn that we are growing food, they are going to come for it. Some might ask, but others… they will try to take it.”

Even though the residents of the Greenstone had united to deal with the ongoing disaster, Grace knew better than to believe that they wouldn’t falter when it would come to food. They all knew the desperation that had taken root in the world. Hunger had made people unpredictable, dangerous.

Rune frowned. “We will have to increase patrols around the building. Set up additional security measures.”

“Agreed,” Davian said. “We’ll reinforce the entrance to the basement. Make sure only authorized people can enter. Maybe even set up some traps for added security.”

“Good,” Grace approved. “Though we might not need to start worrying about this matter for the time-being. It will take time for harvests to turn out, and until then, no one will try anything.”

A heavy silence settled again as they all processed the scale of what they were about to do. While growing veggies in the Greenstone would take care of the future need of food, they still had to solve the issue of food until the first harvest.

“And what about the immediate need for food?” Rune asked, bringing their attention to the obvious issue.

Grace let out a small sigh before she answered, “If they want food, they will need to step out and fight for it. I’m not planning to spoon-feed them. I will help them and show them the way, but they have to earn everything on their own if they want to survive this.”

Davian smirked before asking, “I’m sure this includes the plan of setting up the greenhouse as well.” He wasn’t really asking since he already knew the answer.

A similar smirk appeared on Rune’s lips as he added, “That’s why we follow her. She’s kind while being so ruthless.”