Later Stranger

Only the roar of the engine was heard as the group of four headed back home. No one spoke a word. Not out of fear or awkwardness, but rather in thought.

The survivors in the solar panel factory were extremely weird, at least, the minority that insisted on joining Oliver and Aiden's base.

Oliver narrowed his eyes while tapping on the steering wheel, deep within his contemplation yet had enough common sense to focus on the road.

Aiden had come to an agreement with the elderly and the rest of the survivors, in exchange of five hundred or so solar panels (enough to sustain a small base), Oliver would give them half a year's worth of food and a good amount of seeds to help them weather through the beginning of the apocalypse.

Both sides were happy with the outcome. Though to appease the few that still desired to follow them, he promised to come back in a few months to trade again and they could come along during that time. Thus, the base would have time to strengthen themselves and be able to accept new people without any unnecessary sacrifices on both sides.

Before leaving, Oliver had graciously told the group of the weaknesses of zombies and how to avoid being infected, so the previous tragedy of their last life would not happen. Everyone wouldn't become zombies within that budding base and can continue building it to help more people. Oliver and the group left under the grateful eyes of the survivors.

Once they got out, Aiden gave a quick peck on the cheek to Oliver, happy with his active decision to help others without angering them to death.

After leaving unimpeded, the group discussed future plans in further trading with the group. However, when Shilah pointed out the odd relationship between 'Jacob' and those survivors was when suddenly they had a collective feeling that something was amiss but simply could not put a finger on it. Which resulted in the entire group being in a state of quiet confusion.

Perhaps unable to bear the silence anymore, Hillary was the first to speak out in a bubbly tone.

"Maybe they just felt weird to us cause we haven't seen that many people before?"

"No." Shilah immediately shot her friend down with an affirmative tone, "It wasn't the size, this 'Jacob' they talked about, they said they were acquaintances, but...?"

She paused, hoping that the others would perhaps fill in those blanks for her since they had more experience than her when it came to the apocalypse. Unfortunately, no one answered her, leaving her to think of the other possibilities and causes to the unsettling feeling that they got from the survivors. The silence did nothing to stop Shilah and Hillary from proposing other possibilities to each other, while Oliver and Aiden remained excluded.

Aiden had his lips flattened into a line and eyebrows slightly furrowed, making him look more stern than usual. It was tempting to squish his face with both hands to rid of the uptight and unhappy face, though Oliver restrained himself from embarrassing the man in front of others in favor of focusing on the road. Well, that and the fact that Aiden was wearing his "I am thinking deeply" face.

The aforementioned 'Jacob' had indeed saved a hundred people, but also simultaneously doomed them by not giving them any further help to weather through the apocalypse. He just left them at the solar panel factory, possibly to starve or to leave them to the natural elements.

They seemed to have no prior knowledge of the apocalypse, only being told that they must go to the factory to be safe.

Or did they...?

Oliver widened his eyes and glanced at Aiden, they made eye contact and immediately knew what the other was thinking.

With a slight smirk, Oliver knocked on the steering wheel.

"Ah, how nice it must be for 'Jacob.' He has it so easy." Oliver spoke, dragging each syllable to exude a sense of false envy.

Hillary and Shilah stopped their mini-debate a looked over with confusion.

"Why? Just tell us, please!" The brunette requested honestly, already quickly used to Oliver's bad taste in unnecessarily keeping people hanging. Shilah, the most restrained one, also glanced curiously.

"Well, just imagine! Such a powerful ability." He did not give up on leaving them guessing.

Simultaneously, the two women on the back turned away from Oliver and asked Aiden the same question. Before Oliver could pout, Aiden pinched his cheek softly and answered in an amused voice.

"The group was mind-controlled, in a sense. 'Jacob' hadn't left them completely vulnerable, giving them information, like-" Aiden gestured to himself and Oliver, "-the nearby future base and powerful figures."

"How could you tell?"

"Wow, how did you know?"

Shilah and Hillary spoke at the same time.

Oliver quickly getting over his once again stolen spotlight answered, "Well, they were collectively convinced to go to the factory. 'Jacob' had told them of Aiden, but only eleven people, whom all happened to be probably the strongest and healthiest ones, were the most insistent about following Aiden."

"And?" Shilah had asked inquisitively.

"And they all believed him. Well, all of them believed that the factory was safe, but only a portion of them strongly believed that Aiden would be the best person to follow."

Hillary showed a blank look, not understanding what that had anything to do with mind control. Shilah, who was equally confused, at least had her face to show a contemplative facade.

"Mind control is a difficult power. It's like trying to condition or train a dog to do your bidding. The more you do it, the easier it is for the owner to control and command that dog." Oliver felt a bit of pity from Hillary's ignorant look. Not that he could blame her, mind control was a rare ability that many have heard of, but less had witnessed or learned the mechanics of.

"It seems that he focused on those eleven people especially." Aiden helpfully added on, filling the gap as to why that particular minority wanted to follow them so badly.

A small hum from Oliver agreed with Aiden. That handful were unreasonably convinced. No matter how hot-headed or stubborn a person was about following another, they would consider the safety of themselves and the people around them, not regard the lives of others as nothing compared to going to Oliver and Aiden's base.

"Plus!" Oliver pointed a finger up into the air, attracting the attention of everyone to himself once more. "They showed no reaction to my spatial abilities. That itself is weird. It seems that he told them of me, or at least spatial abilities, but decided to erase their memory of it. Thus, they held knowledge of space power, but only thought of it as common knowledge, as seen from their nonchalant reactions."

"Is that good or bad?" Shilah pinpointed the important phrase of erasing specifically the memories of spatial abilities.

Oliver crooked his lips, satisfied that Shilah was quick to catch on. An engaged audience, who wouldn't like that?

"Well, good in a sense. They wouldn't be so obsessed with abilities and simply attempt to strengthen their current physical or mental qualities. And they wouldn't try to keep me as a portable and convenient backpack." He answered her in a good mood, though his eyes narrowed sharply when thinking of the desperate survivors.

"But, it doesn't make sense why he would just plain out leave them there with no other help. Was it to force them out of their literal comfort zone? Or was shelter enough for the group? He clearly "convinced" them that he needed to leave. What was so important?"

No one could answer his questions since no one knew. This 'Jacob' character perhaps had good intentions, but not enough foresight to think of the survivors. Maybe it was a moment of pity for the people.

Either way, he gave the minimal amount of help and threw the problem onto Aiden. Giving them hope that the strong man would probably come down and help them, or they could even go to his base to hug a thigh and become his little brother or sister.

As for his focus on those handfuls of people, he most likely thought that they had the greatest chance of actually surviving the apocalypse past a month and arriving at Aiden's base, thus giving that base new people to absorb. So, helping both parties in a way.

Unfortunately, hope cannot fill the bellies of survivors. But, it might have been the limit of that mind controller's abilities also. At least, one person couldn't just mindlessly dump food onto them like what Oliver had done.

Not that they would never know. Oliver's eyes returned to small crescents filled with amusement and excitement for the future.

"Well, no point in thinking further." Aiden sighed and leaned back onto the car seat. The trip was successful and they also managed to unexpectedly help a large number of people.

Oliver nodded, "Yea, and we'll probably meet this elusive 'Jacob,' the world isn't that big during the apocalypse."