Chapter 15: Findings

Night had fallen and the group of survivors decided to set up camp, a few feet away from the river and waterfall they had found earlier that day. They went through the equipment that was salvaged from the wreckage, but found it wasn’t much. But they had managed to find most of the necessities they acquired; first aid kit, water canteens, backpacks, camping equipment, and  weapons with ammunition. They were even able to find a few working radios.

“Not much,” Cyne said, looking at what they had.

“It’s enough to get by,” Phoenix said, playing with one of the radios. When she had found it, she had tried making a connection through to ExaTek. But she found out that it didn’t work. She hoped that if she tinkered with it for a bit, maybe it would begin to work.

“I wonder where we are anyway,” Chastel said.

“We’re in Benio,” the woman operative said. “Near the city of Meham.”

The woman had introduced herself as Estela Frye, soldier of Squad One. She had short, spiked, blonde hair and green eyes, wearing the normal uniform for soldiers: a black tank, khaki pants, brown boots, and a forest-green coat. A hat covered most of her hair and her clothes hid her tan skin.

“How do you know that?” Cyne asked.

“I looked at a map,” Estela said. “Which, it seems, you failed to do.”

The two began bickering with each other, and Chastel tried to stop it many times. But each attempt he tried, failed.

Phoenix stood to her feet, gripping the radio in one hand, and walked out of the tent.

“Uh, Commander Volante,” Chastel said, trying to stop her, “didn’t Commander Wyrick ask us all to stay put?”

“I don’t take orders from a injudicious men like him,” Phoenix said.

Chastel said nothing more and let Phoenix leave. Chastel guessed that Commander Wyrick would be angry if he found out that Chastel didn’t stop her, but he had no right to object to a commanding officer as herself. Plus, he had a more pressing battle to stop. The one between Cyne and Estela.