Chapter 2

The four of them stood in silent amazement as they beheld the wondrous sight before them. Suddenly, Ian’s stomach loudly grumbled, reminding them that their first priority should be to find food. All four of them moved towards the nearby fruit trees, where Ian grabbed one of the luscious fruits and devoured it with wild abandon. “This is the best I’ve ever tasted!” he exclaimed with juices dripping down his face, offering Elanor one of the fruits with an outstretched arm.

“No, thank you,” Elanor declined, grabbing one of the fruits for herself instead. At the same time, Madison took the one offered to her by Ian, taking a large bite before releasing her rapturous sigh of pleasure.

“I want one,” Katie lamented in a pout, futilely making an effort to reach the delicious fruits. Ian began to chuckle, stretching up to pluck a piece of fruit for her before taking another for himself. Then the three of them settled beneath the fruit tree while Elanor opted to sit by herself.

“So now that we’re away from the confines of the bunker, what do we do next?” Ian asked the two women. “I’m still trying to figure out how to start over in an unfamiliar world with nothing to help us.” He completed his question with a deep sigh.

“Well,” Madison began thoughtfully, “our books will show us the way. I know that Katie here expressed interest in doing some reading. If it’s alright with you, I think starting with the books is our best bet, and if you see anything that tells us how to obtain other food, please let us know. Finding something other than fruit to eat should be our primary goal right now.” Katie quickly nodded her agreement as Ian gave her a reassuring smile.

“We also need clean drinking water,” Madison said. “The lake will have to be our source until we can find a way to bring water back to the bunker.” She added upon seeing Ian’s thoughtful face.

“We can use the metal boxes our clothes were in as a bucket, but it won’t be fun to carry it back and forth,” Ian said with a sigh. “Well, no time to waste. Let’s get working on whatever we can. I’ll get one of the boxes and head to the lake,” he declared, tossing the finished fruit to the side before standing.

“Since there are four of us, we should always stay in pairs to be safe. I’ll go with you, Ian, while Katie and Elanor stay at the bunker,” Madison said, getting up and dusting off her clothes. She glanced at Elanor, “Is that okay with you?” Elanor gave a small grunt in response.

When the first meal ended, the four returned to the bunker, discarding their used fruit skins and each preparing for their assigned tasks. Elanor and Katie sat at the one available table and opened the books they each chose. While Madison talked to the girls some more, Ian returned to the pod room to get a box for the coming journey. After he collected it, he waited near the bunker door for his partner.

Soon Madison and Ian set off for the lake, the metal box in Ian’s hand. “Ready to go?” he asked her as they stepped out of the bunker.

“Yeah,” Madison replied, closing the bunker door behind them. “I was talking to Katie after she started reading, and apparently, whoever left us here did what they could to keep the water clean for us.”

So what does that mean for us?”

“Well, the book said that they did tests on the water to ensure there were no toxins or other bad stuff, but since it was 18 years ago, we should also be careful and boil the water once we can,” Madison answered.

“That’s good to know, at least,” Ian said, a hint of relief in his voice. “Let’s hope the lake is still safe to drink!”

Ian and Madison continued their walk in awkward silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. Madison stopped when they reached the lake’s edge, sitting on the sand to admire the city beyond while Ian gathered some water in the box. “Ian, come sit with me for a moment,” She said.

Confused, Ian set down the box and made his way over to the woman, and sat beside her. “Is everything okay?” He asked,

“Well, we will be spending a lot of time together, so I figured that maybe we could have a discussion while we have some time alone.” She said nervously.

“Umm, yeah, sure,” He said, still trying to grasp the situation. “What do you want to discuss?”

“I mainly didn’t want the other girls to hear this, but we all know why we are here, and I’m assuming you do too?” She asked, her cheeks flushing bright red.

Ian blushed, stammering, “Y-Yes, I know why we’re here.” His mind flooded with images of what they were here to do-- repopulate the world. This was his specific purpose, and it brought a chill, knowing that it meant sex. Sex with Madison, his only friend, and connection to the other women; and sex with Katie, the timid girl who refused to speak to him; and Elanor, who seemed to wholeheartedly despise him. The memories of the pod room hit him, remembering all the women naked before him, all the women who would bear his children. Those thoughts overwhelmingly aroused him. His shorts bulged as his body responded predictably to the desires he couldn’t help; he tried in vain to conceal his tenting.

Madison blushed as she placed her hand on Ian’s forearm, carefully pulling his hands away from his growing member. “Well, here’s what I wanted to talk about,” she said, gesturing to the tent in his pants. “Since you and I both know what we’re here for, I just wanted to tell you that I’m okay with what we have. The others might need more time to adjust, so until they do,” she trailed off before removing his other hand from his shorts. She then placed her hand on his member, twitching through the fabric. “Go ahead and direct all your energy at me,” she said firmly.

Ian’s body jolted in response to Madison’s words. He was overcome with a mad feeling, and when he returned to reality, he stuttered, “Um, we can...?” He desperately wanted to put his hands on Madison, so he rested them on his thighs to resist the urge.

“Yes, Ian, yes, we can,” Madison said, standing up from her seat beside him and extending her hand. His reaction was instantaneous as he grasped her offering and stood by her side. They gazed at each other, Ian hoping for an indication of approval from Madison. She gave it, smiling tenderly, before snatching the tail of his shirt and peeling it off him. Her finger cautiously followed the curves of his muscled chest, which she’d only been able to behold from a distance on the last occasion they’d met.

Ian grabbed her hand, holding it in his as he looked into her eyes, seeking her permission. Her silent nod was all the encouragement he needed, and his hands immediately went to her shirt, slowly lifting it off with meticulous care. Finally able to explore each other with their mouths, they moved closer as one - their lips, teeth, and tongues dancing as one. His hands wandered all over her body, from breast to breast, with one buried in her hair while the other caressed her the other. She tasted so sweet, and he wanted more and more of her. The battle for dominance was an unspoken one, alternating between kissing and releasing as if it were a game.