Chapter 444

Chapter 444

They entered an enormous cavern with a ceiling so high that Jake doubted he could reach it even if he used

Gravity Jump

. Clusters of glowing fungus pods grew along the walls, casting enough light for humans to see without the aid of flashlights. The central area of the cavern was empty, but at the back stood tents arranged in neat rows, each large enough to enter without crouching.

A few dozen humans occupied the cavern, far fewer than Jake had expected. Most of them stood near the tunnel entrance from which he and his companion had just emerged, clearly waiting for them. Everyone seemed tense, gripping their weapons tightly.

A person stepped out from the gathering of humans, clearly their leader. He stood nearly seven feet tall with a powerful build, the jacket he wore straining against his massive muscles. He was completely bald, and a nasty scar ran across his face, starting at his forehead, crossing the bridge of his nose, and ending at the corner of his mouth. His blue eyes held a steely, unyielding expression. It was obviously the Commander.

Silvia’s people parted, splitting into two groups that moved in opposite directions, away from Jake and Catalina. Silvia herself remained standing with the two of them. Jake quickly attempted to use

Mind Reader

on the Commander and some of the other new humans, but as before, the ability failed to work on any of them.

The Commander came to a halt a few paces from Jake and Catalina. Silvia then stepped up to stand beside him, turning to face Jake and Catalina. For a few seconds, no one uttered a word. The Commander silently regarded the two outsiders. He mostly focused on Jake, acknowledging Catalina with only a brief glance. Jake stared back at the human. The Commander’s expression remained unreadable, making it difficult to guess what he might be thinking.

The same couldn’t be said for his people, however. They struggled to conceal their emotions, all of them staring at Jake and whispering to one another. They stood too far away and spoke too quietly for Jake to catch most of their words. But at one point, he clearly heard one of them, who was clearly too agitated to keep their voice down, blurt out, “What the fuck? I can’t fucking believe it! Did Silvia really bring this thing to our base? What was she thinking? It looks almost identical to…”

That was when the Commander cast a brief glance over his shoulder, his voice calm yet commanding as he said, “No talking, everyone.”

He didn’t need to repeat himself, as a hush fell instantly over the group. His presence carried an undeniable authority that no one dared challenge.

The Commander turned his gaze back to Jake and finally said, “I’m the Commander. And you two are, I’m guessing, the outsiders Silvia ran into on her way back. Jake and Catalina, right?”

“That’s right,” Catalina began. “We came here…”

Without so much as glancing at her, the Commander raised a hand to silence her. His attention remained locked on Jake. “I’ll be the one asking questions. First of all…”

Jake was having none of that. He raised his electrolarynx, which he had been holding in his hand the entire time they’d trekked to this place, pressed it against his mandible, and said, “No, it’s you who needs to shut up and listen. If you’re planning to treat us as a potential threat, you’d better rethink it.”

Before he could say more, Silvia gave him a pleading look and said, “Jake, let me handle this, please.”

He didn’t argue. Silvia turned her gaze to the Commander. “Sir, let me assure you that Jake poses no threat to us at all. As you can see, he’s intelligent and capable of speech. He’s not some mindless monster like the ravagespawn. He was human once, like us. He and Catalina came here from an entirely different city.”

“Right,” the Commander replied. “You’ve told me that already. Still, I need to be certain…”

“Sorry for interrupting, sir, but I feel I need to reiterate this,” Silvia said. “I need to make it clear that Jake is no enemy. He’s not a threat to us. He arrived with Catalina, a sign that he doesn’t consider humans enemies as long as they don’t provoke him. I’m certain the survivors he helps benefit greatly from his assistance, and I’m sure having him as an ally would be of great value to us. Who knows, perhaps he and Catalina could even help us escape this city. There’s nothing to gain by antagonizing him. Believe me, I’ve seen what Jake is capable of, and I can assure you that making him an enemy would be a grave mistake.”

As he listened to her, the Commander seemed to loosen up a bit, but he wasn’t completely convinced yet. While his stance relaxed slightly, his skepticism lingered.

“I hear you,” he said. “But I have people counting on me, people I’m responsible for. People I’ve sworn to protect.” His gaze darted to Jake. “Our soon-to-be friend here needs to understand that very well. If I see the slightest indication that something is threatening the safety of my people, I’ll take the most decisive action.”

“Sir, I can assure you Jake is not a threat to us at all,” Silvia said. “He doesn’t hold anything against humans, and he won’t turn on us without reason. Let’s not start our relationship with hostility and suspicion. Let’s take a friendlier approach, shall we? I’m confident our group can gain a lot from bringing Jake and Catalina into the fold.”

Silvia was clearly doing her best to reason with the Commander. Her expression spoke louder than words. For a moment, the same stubborn look he had worn earlier remained on his face. Then, it finally began to soften.

“Alright,” he said, turning his gaze back to Jake. “I trust Silvia’s judgment. If she says you’re not a threat to us, I believe her.”

“Good,” Jake replied simply.

The Commander glanced over his shoulder at his people and said, “At ease, everybody. Return to your duties.”

The survivors hesitantly began to disperse. Not all of them left, though. Some stayed behind, watching the newcomers. Despite Silvia’s and the Commander’s reassurances, they remained tense.

“Follow me,” the Commander said to Jake and Catalina. Without waiting for an answer, he pivoted sharply and strode off. Silvia followed him, and Jake and Catalina fell in behind her.

The four of them crossed the cavern to one side, where a makeshift briefing corner had been set up. There was a table with several chairs, wooden crates filled with tools and supplies, and a whiteboard displaying a detailed map of Dead City pinned to it.

“Sit,” the Commander said, standing beside the map. He was clearly accustomed to giving orders. His cold, unwavering expression made it obvious that obedience was expected even from Jake and Catalina despite the fact that they weren’t his people to order around.

Silvia pulled out a chair on one side of the table and sat so that the Commander was on her right, and Catalina and Jake were on her left. Catalina shrugged her shoulders and took a seat across from the Commander.

The Commander then directed his gaze toward Jake, also expecting him to comply. Jake was already starting to dislike him. He had a feeling they would never get along. Still, he chose to play along. At least, for now.

However, as he looked at one of the chairs, he suddenly realized that the concept of sitting on a chair felt completely foreign to him. He hadn’t done it once since his transformation into a mutant. Instead, he moved to the opposite side from Silvia, positioning himself so he could see all three of them while keeping the cavern’s general area in his peripheral vision. He lowered himself into a crouch, pressing both palms firmly against the ground before him.

For a moment, the Commander remained silent, staring at Jake with an unreadable expression. Then he said, “Alright then. Before I tell you what’s going on in this city, I suggest we take a moment to get to know each other a bit better. So, why don’t we start by sharing our stories?”