They made their way down to the street. As they went, they were joined with some of the group Quatre had seen before, including the bald man that had found him that day under the escalator. However, just like Duo, they were not easy to read. They all seemed dangerous and guarded. He was having trouble pinpointing anyone who felt outside of the group. He decided he would need Bossa to prompt them to get any kind of good reading out of any one of them.
They made their way down the street two blocks until they came to a somewhat large fabricated brick building. It seemed a little drab, but with the small windows and only 2 entrances, it did seem secure.
“It used to be a hospital, but they have some bigger rooms where you can have lessons.”
Duo seemed impressed so far.
“Are there beds?”
“Some. As you can guess, much of the building was gutted, but we saved what we could. You will have to bring some of the equipment from your current place. But it looks like the cabinets weren't completely raided, so you even have some bandages and medical supplies.
“Let's hope we don't have to use them,” Duo said hopefully.
Inside, the rooms were relatively clean. Someone had already scrubbed them out and made sure any junk was gone. Right now, many of Duo's kids slept in one room. This would ensure that each child could have their own room. There was a rudimentary kitchen, with running water now thanks to Duo's help.
Quatre could feel the excitement coming off of Duo. This would be so much better than where they were.
“I hope you see that I'm planning more than just a safe haven, Heir Maxwell. If we do this right, we can make something of this colony. Perhaps we will finally rejoin the rest of the colonies officially. Now that they're here, we can show them what we can make of ourselves, no?”
Duo nodded.
“You really think this could work.”
“It's changed even in the last ten years, friend. There are enough families out there now that want to move away from the gangs and find a real community. A school and a greenhouse would be a good step in the right direction. With SSIP here now, bringing fresh supplies, we no longer have to just get by.”
“What about slicers? We can work deals with the gangs, but slicers won't care either way.”
“Yes, well, I'm thinking about that. I haven't worked it all out yet. But we guard the perimeter and we shouldn't have too much trouble.”