26 – The Oasis

As Bonnie said, the journey to the oasis was quite long. It was already late, and we hadn't reached our destination yet, so I decided to rest halfway. Our choice fell on an empty police station.

"Come to think of it, I don't really know much about you, Bonnie." I opened the conversation. In Project Axiom, you can increase intimacy with your colonists by chatting with them, doing activities together, or getting special moments.

I feel like I've had those moments with Ciara.

Still wearing her E.E.S. and sitting in front of a portable heater, Bonnie chewed the canned food for a moment. "Nothing special. I was a spoiled brat from a rich family and had to face reality at the end of the world. I had to learn many things, and it wasn't easy, but now I'm fine. Look, I can already eat canned fish like this."

It turns out this is not easy. In the game, all you have to do is select [Interact] from a character, but in the real world, you have to chat with them. I think I chose the wrong topic. My brain can't think of the next question.

"How about you, Axel?" She chuckled, shoving another spoonful of food into her mouth. "Ah, silly. I activated you myself…. Hey, does that mean I basically gave birth to you?"

"So, should I call you Mommy?" I decided to follow the direction of her conversation.

She grimaced. "That sounds wrong on so many levels. I'm not ready to be a mother."

"Yeah, I agree. I wouldn't want a mother like you."

She laughed and continued eating.

"The thing is, I'm a reincarnated human from another world," I said.

Instantly, she choked and laughed again. "That's a good one. But please don't joke while I'm chewing."

"I come from a world that still uses internal combustion engines." I continued, wanting to see more of her reaction. "Solar power plants have not been adopted by many people, and we also still use wheels for transportation."

"Damn, that's so 2000ish." She chuckled but then put down the can of food. "If you are from the past, then it means things are still very peaceful?"

I paused for a moment. "Yeah, there were wars in some places. There were some crimes too. But my world is relatively safe. I can play games all day in my room in peace."

"I bet, at your origins, you're a handsome young man." She sneered, picked up her can of food, and started eating again.

Well, it seems she still doesn't believe my words.

***

"You saw that, Axel!?" Bonnie let out a hysterical scream as we continued our journey the next day.

"Yeah, I can see that clearly." Clinging to Bonnie's shoulder, I gazed at the greenery-overgrown buildings in the distance. Not only that, but I also found trees of various sizes growing from the cracks in the asphalt.

To me, it's an ordinary sight. But to Bonnie, those things might look so beautiful. All these years, she had only seen bleak landscapes, after all.

"Damn, why can't this E.E.S. be faster!?" She grunted, still flying low using the thruster on her back. "I want to eat fresh fruit!"

Several minutes passed while Bonnie continued to grumble. I'm not too annoyed and actually want to laugh at that.

She sounded like a demanding princess.

"Let's goooo!!!" She screamed again when she landed in the plant-filled area.

"I wonder, is this caused by the roots of evil?" I got off Bonnie's shoulders and looked around.

It seemed impossible for something like this to grow naturally. Elsewhere, we'll only find one or two plants in an area. I suspect it happened due to the contamination of the roots of evil. That is one of my reasons for building a shelter in a location without those things.

While I was thinking, Bonnie hummed happily, looking at the plants.

"These flowers…." She knelt in front of a bush full of red flowers. "These flowers are so beautiful!!!"

She sounded like she was about to cry, and that made me happy too. Since the first time I met her, she always exuded an aura of sadness, even though she often jokes.

"Mangoes!!!" She ran to a large tree and jumped to pick one of the green-skinned fruits on the branch.

Like a madman, she removed her helmet, took a knife from her waist, then cut the fruit.

Seeing her enthusiasm, I couldn't bear to ask her to be careful, even though we didn't know whether the fruit was safe.

Mangoes shouldn't grow in this continent, after all.

She looked at the orange flesh of the mango with her breath faltering. And as soon as she took a bite, she shed tears. "It's so sweet..."

In my world, it's relatively easy to find fruits like that. Meanwhile, here she mostly eats instant food, which sometimes has expired. I guess that's a normal reaction.

"So, you guys really enjoyed it, huh?"

That woman's voice made me shift my gaze to one of the big trees. A girl with long pink hair came out of that place. Her face showed that she was still young, maybe in her twenties.

Her delicate facial features were pleasing to the eye, and her slim body complemented her beauty.

Is she a goddess?

"Is she a Tarzan?" Bonnie mumbles, possibly referring to the figure's clothing, which consists solely of vines and leaves covering her private parts, similar to a bikini. "No, a Tarzan isn't like that."

Why did you even mention that name, Bonnie?

The woman stopped a few feet from us. Her mouth twitched, and her pink eyes filled with tears. "Please, help us."