Chapter 346


    Life in the neighbourhood had settled into a routine, with building 50 receiving about 10 liters of water daily.


    Ste checked the pH with a test strip—normal, thankfully. The water had a faint taste. likely filtered groundwater from the city officials.


    Cody and Lukas were the ones who lugged the water, chatting idly as they made deliveries.


    The water was distributed from a tanker at the town square, attracting a crowd daily. Allocation was per household, and with two strong men


    contributing. their share naturally exceeded that of others.


    After the men left. Ste noticed they had received double the usual amount. An official surplus was out of the question; she figured they''d given


    extra, assuming a trio and a dog would need more.


    Weather was fickle—days of sunshine followed by rain. After past lessons, survivors had grown cautious, venturing out only with makeshift umbres


    or carrying wooden nks above their heads.


    When the skies cleared, a notice informed residents that a sanitation team would visit. ‘Sanitation’ was a euphemism for soil deacidification.


    Lincoln Agricultural Research had devised a method to reduce soil acidification over eight years, now shared with city authorities tobat the


    effects of acid rain


    Grayish-white pellets, resembling multi-purpose fertilizer, were scattered across thend. They reacted with the acidic soil, emitting a pungent odor


    that turned stomachs.


    One night, a fierce storm struck. Ste. shlight in hand, scrutinized the exterior walls for damage. Thankfully, there had been no recent wind to


    exacerbate erosion.


    Just because building 50 was fine didn''t mean the other buildings were okay. and some people in the neighborhood got burned. A leak in the roof,


    unnoticed until acidic water dripped onto their face, waking them with searing pain.


    People hastily moved from the second floor to the ground level, crowding together for safety.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The acid rain continued its assault. eroding floors and forcing some to the dank, dimly-lit basement, where even a simple fart could be an


    olfactory nightmare.


    Building 50 wasn''t immune to the issues. Months of acid rain and gales had left its ss atrium teetering.


    Ste frowned at the damage. thenyered the rooftop with ss salvaged from Arcadia, hoping it wouldst at least six months.


    But one night. the sound of shattering ss startled everyone awake—the atrium had copsed.


    Ste and Jasper rushed to inspect the damage. Fortunately, the backyard atrium, with a different support structure, remained intact.


    Rabbits they were raising weren''t so lucky; two died from shock.


    Soon after, Austin''s atrium crumbled. Luckily, he had preemptively moved his rooftop garden to the backyard


    All over the neighbourhood, atriums


    fell. The onesbuiltter at great


    expense were now just heaps of =.


    ss shards, driving some to tears,


    Despaitwas widespread, but some


    remained hopeful. "Why cry? It


    p ‘atécted us for months. Let''s just


    call it the cost of our lives=Our


    homes will endure.” Content belongs


    to


    Every morning began with a rooftop inspection, and during breakfast, Ste broached the topic, "Should we dig a basement?”


    Jasper pondered, "The acid rain should be nearing its end. If ites to it, we could live in the car, cover it with acid-resistant tarp.”


    Ste agreed. After all. their fortified vehicle had withstood worse.


    As the rain-persisted, Ste tested


    the acidityregrly, findingit =<


    gradually declining. Curious, she


    examined soil samples, discovering


    a reduction i in contamination from


    the-city’ s efforts.


    <


    When the rain finally ceased, and after months of recovery, the soil might return to life.


    Yet the end ofthe acid rain didn''t


    ease Ste''s Mind. Jasper''s


    memories hinted at a brief respite —


    before ac catastrophic seismic event.


    This calm felt like the quiet before a


    stort The unknown loomed Larger


    than % ever. All they could do. was


    prepare as best as possible and


    hope for survival.


    NovelDrama.Org


    Then, after a period of intermittent rain and sunshine, the skies cleared for good.


    Government announcements confirmed the end of the acid rain, lifting spirits across the neighbourhood.


    Survivors emerged from their shelters, thin and frail, basking in the long-missed sunlight, crying andughing in relief.


    People began to nt crops again, cing battered boxes on rooftops to catch the rays.


    With the ground water polluted, the well was unusable, but since the acid rain was over, Bran disbanded the water collection team.


    To maintain appearances, Jasper would drive out every few days to fetch water.