Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System

A few days later, at the forest base.

"Where are you going so early? Stay in bed with me a while longer."

Julian reached out to pull Rayne in closer.

"It's already morning! You're the one sleeping in!", giggled Rayne.

The hot temperatures made him even more sluggish than before, causing him to sleep in for as long as he could.

"Plus I want to go see how they milk the cows this morning. If I go any later, I'll miss the process!", she explained.

Julian rubbed his eyes and pouted, "I guess I'm less interesting than cows".

"It's not like I can milk y--"

She froze, her face turning red.

Julian flashed a devious smile and pulled her in even closer.

"What was that? I don't mind", he whispered.

Rayne giggled and broke free from his embrace, "Listen here! You already kept me up all night last night! I deserve a break from being bullied by you!"

She stood up and got dressed while Julian lay in bed, watching her with a smile.

"Fine, fine. Tell me all about the milking", he teased.

Rayne's cheeks flushed pink as she quickly scurried off to the barn.

-

Fred and the other ranchers had just gotten set up to begin the milking process.

"Good morning Rayne! You're just in time", said Fred.

Rayne walked over with a big smile, "Good morning! I'm glad I made it."

Fred motioned for her to come closer, "Thanks to the solar panels we were able to install fans and coolers in the barn. The cattle are very happy with it."

He pushed over a small stool for her to sit on while she watched him milk the cow, explaining the process.

"Okay, do you want to try? Don't worry, it's not difficult", he asked.

Rayne nodded and quickly walked over. She followed his instructions and gently pulled on the utter, causing milk to flow out into the bucket below.

"Wow! This is so cool!", she said.

Fred watched her movements closely, ensuring that she was using the correct technique.

"Perfect! You did really well, good job", he complimented.

Rayne stood up after she was finished and gently patted the cow in front of her. She was so happy that she finally had a chance to milk a cow.

Growing up as a typical city girl she rarely even got to see a cow, not to mention milking one. This has always been a small item on her bucket list.

She spent the rest of the morning in the barn, happily petting and brushing the cows and calves.

-

As soon as noon hit, Julian came over to look for her. He knew she would lose track of time with the animals so he came over with simple sandwiches for lunch.

Mila and Rita recently made a large fresh batch of bread and they gave Julian a few loaves.

"Oh, Julian! You're here!", said Rayne as she noticed him walking over.

He lifted the small basket, "I'm here to bring you lunch".

"Lunch?! What time is it? How long have I been here?", asked Rayne, surprised.

Julian walked over and laughed, "Silly goose, it's already passed noon. You've been here all morning. Did you have fun?"

Rayne was shocked that it was already so late in the day.

"Oh wow! I spent all morning here! Yes, I got to milk a cow, it was very exciting!"

She recounted her morning and all of the new and exciting things she got to do for the first time in her life.

Julian happily listened to her stories, feeling that the decision to have Fred's group merge with them was well worth it.

-

They walked over to where the recreation center was being built.

"It should be finished any day now, then we'll have to rely on you to fill it with books and other items", said Julian.

Rayne looked at the 90% finished building with a sparkle in her eyes.

The overall shape of the building was very basic, a simple rectangular structure with a few rooms inside. She didn't want to complicate things due to their current manpower and to simply save time.

"Ah, I can't wait. The sooner it's finished, the sooner everyone has a place to have some fun!", she smiled.

They sat down on a patch of grass near the lake to eat. Julian directly handed Rayne the basket with the sandwiches he had prepared.

When Rayne opened the large basket she nearly laughed. Inside were two small sandwiches and nothing else.

"Why did you use such a huge basket to carry these two small sandwiches?", she asked, handing one of the sandwiches over to him.

"So that you could use the basket as a cover for any additional food or drinks!", grinned Julian.

Rayne looked at him with an approving smile, "You're the best, for that I'll treat you to a refreshing iced tea!"

She reached her hand into the empty basket and took out two cold iced teas, handing one of them over to Julian.

"Thanks for making lunch babe", she smiled and took a bite of the sandwich.

She was pleasantly surprised by how fresh and flavorful it was. In her opinion, it even beat out some of the sandwiches she had in her system!

"Wow, next time remind me to store what you make, this is so good!", she exclaimed happily.

They ate quickly and then ran back home because the intense sun was too much for them, even though they sat in a shady area.

-

"The air feels like it's getting drier recently", said Rayne as she downed an entire water bottle.

She had to go out and fill the lake nearly every night due to how heavily their settlement relied on it, making her concerned for the rest of the survivors living out in other places.

Just as she finished her thought Julian turned to face her, "I'm thinking about taking a trip into the city soon. Ian told me earlier today that Alpha Team came back with more news: Damien's men are going around raiding small settlements."

Rayne quickly sat up, "I want to come with you!"